Thanks, Mssrs. Brown and Maslin, for a thorough discussion of one reason Senator Obama's lead may be greater than we think. It's a point we mentioned briefly on our blog, My Cats Are Democrats, in an analysis of this very topic (which we wrote because we got tired of hearing Pat Buchanan ask over and over again why Obama wasn't leading by 20 points or more). We'd also like to add that Senator Obama's lead may be larger for a couple of more-low-tech reasons: At this early point in the general campaign, poll responders are answering questions with the names of candidates with whom they are familiar. ( In other words, McCain is older in more ways than one while Obama is the shiny new product.) Also, so far, Senator McCain has done an okay job — but just an okay one — of separating himself from the greatly loathed Bush Administration and the hated Republican brand. Look for this to change once their convention takes place.

For those of us who live in hurricane-prone areas, it's really important to keep a landline phone in case the power goes out.

Do people have to have EVERYTHING explained to them?

If Crist isn't picked to run for vice president, the marriage won't happen.

The ad should have mentioned that McCain voted against equal coverage. But still, I'm pleased that this unforgettable video is getting even more exposure.

The ad buy in the Washington media market doubtless is meant to reach the D.C. suburbs and beyond in Maryland and, even more critically, Virgina, a state that Obama has a real chance of picking up in November.

Joan, what do you mean, "even for American liberals"? I hate George W. Bush, but I love my country. And I've frickin' hated the way we are despised abroad under the aegis of the current Administration's pack of war criminals. Please, scrub that comment from your post. We liberals take no pleasure in the United States being loathed by the world.

Also, I don't believe there is anything that could EVER make me feel sorry for John McCain. Yes, he's had an awful two weeks, but THAT, I've reveled in. He deserves every bit of it. He is a highly unappealing person for many reasons, but one is that he consistently makes jokes that demean whole classes of people (women, in the case of the gorilla rapist joke, for example). And the press have excused and enabled him for years. On the rare instances in which he's been caught out, he tries to pass it off as "being authentic." Poppycock. He's revolting, and he's earned every bad piece of political luck that he's recently had.

Other than that, great post.

While everybody is furiously fulminating over at Joan Walsh's corner of the playground, I was just going to comment here and congratulate Mr. Conason on this post — with the caveat that I disagree with his first line. But Northman's said it all.

We canceled our subscription when they took on Karl Rove as a columnist. Can't say we miss it.

Where did you come from? Why did Salon hire you? Are you saying you're a paleoconservative? If so, what IS a paleoconservative? Why would ANYONE have anything good to say about Robert Novak? In the words of George H.W. Bush, the man is an insidious traitor — why isn't he in jail? Why do you think there's a "sensible substitute" in the conservative chattering class? They're all slaves of this White House, and to this day, every day, they're still doing Rove's racist, un-American bidding. Which brings me back to: Why are YOU writing items in War Room?

...has Obama up by six. Sounds good to me. The Worst Person Who Ever Lived beat John Kerry only by four.

Please? Unless a politician's behavior is in direct, hypocritical conflict with his professed public policy — like, say, John McCain being forced to give back $50,000 of illegal campaign donations this week — I'm not interested.

Do average voters even know what the word "plagiarized" means? And if so, can they cite the correct name, spelling, nationality and party of the person whose words Senator Biden borrowed more than 20 years ago? And finally, does ANY of that matter to Americans who right now are worried about losing their homes, paying for gas, affording health care, planning for retirement, saving the planet, and sending their kids to college? Methinks not. The Rovian attackmeisters to whom McCain has sold his campaign and his soul — not to mention the inside-the-Beltway media crowd that so merrily parrots their talking points — have nothing else to fall back on but character assassination and "vote Republican or you'll die." Sad, silly, and so woefully yesterday.

Why all the hand-wringing? Why does everything have to be tinged with worry? Why is every single day of the campaign the most important day and bound to cause disaster in November? Why can't you just be happy with this extraordinarily talented ticket? I'm not a Pollyanna — I'm a Hillary voter. Sure, I'm disappointed she didn't get the nomination. But I know we've GOT to win this fall. And I also know that every time you raise doubts, questions and concerns — ironically, about THE most well-funded and -organiized Presidential campaign in history — you're doing Karl Rove's work for him. I'm sure he's very pleased.

Rove and Schmidt took one look at what happened in Denver this week and realized they had to throw the playbook away. A desperate Hail Mary.

It shows how desperately worried they were about the base. Obama's is solid, McCain's is shaky and suspicious. My guess is that they looked at their internal poll numbers last night after The Speech and just panicked. And the way they jerked Tim Pawlenty around yesterday makes me think I'm right.

But a Hail Mary PR stunt still won't make up for the fact that — even with some of the Christian right energized over this woefully unqualified woman — McCain will be out-financed, and out-organized, come November.