In Goldwater's day, the GOP was a secular political party.

Today's Republican Party is a religious party. Its candidates must show fealty to their religious base, and its rank and file mindlessly supports their champions while literally demonizing their opponents.

Their most passionate issues revolve around sex (abortion, homosexuality, contraception, sex education, etc.) and overt religious issues (prayer in schools, posting the 10 Commandments in public venues, tax money for religious education, etc.).

They don't seem to be concerned about long-term issues like the national debt or the environment because they believe they will soon be "Raptured." Likewise, their middle-east policy is shaped by biblical prophesy.

In short, today's Republican Party has become divorced from reality (as evidenced by many of the posts here) -- with the resulting economic and foreign-policy catastrophes we are now experiencing.

The Christians contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire with their irrational other-worldiness, and through their Republican Party they now seem hell-bent on destroying America as a democracy and as a great power.

Their "anointed one" can do no wrong, therefore, it's the bearer of unpleasant facts that must be attacked.

Doesn't Talbot understand that since Palin is Godly, her detractors must therefore be in league with Satan?

We've got one third of the electorate that actually pays attention and subjects government policy to critical analysis (the "reality-based community"); one third that basically pays no attention except during the last months before an election (the "independents" and "undecideds"); and then there's the sociopathic / theocratic / authoritarian right.

The sociopathic / theocratic / authoritarian right is also known as the "Republican base." They are so irrational they cannot govern.

At this late date, this fact should be so well demonstrated that even a majority of "independents" and "undecideds" must now be convinced.

The more you study it, the less you actually know.

This may be due to an extension of Arthur C. Clark's dictum that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

Perhaps technology a million years more advanced than that simply appears as incomprehensible nonsense to our primitive monkey brains.

The level of ignorance displayed even by GOP campaign functionaries is only matched by their vitriol. After eight years of "governance" by these morons is there any wonder why our country's in the crapper?

For another example, be sure to see the interview with Gayle Quinnell, the deranged woman (and McCain campaign volunteer) at the Minnesota rally whom McCain had to reassure that Obama wasn't "an Arab." There's a lot more to the story (link on sig -- scroll down).

"..If we will only recognize a leader when one comes along and have the sense to let him lead."

The unusual thing about Obama is that he seems to be a true "leader," rather than just a guy who gets out in front of the mob.

It's a potential for greatness that happens very rarely.

Kristol was Palin's champion? It all makes sense now.

It's amazing to me how this guy, who has been wrong about literally everything he has publicly opined upon (one wonders how he finds his way home) is still invited to appear on TV and write articles for magazines and newspapers.

Only in America.

Rove wanted Romney on the ticket for vice president. McCain dismissed Turd Blossum's advice. In short, those sharp Republican daggers are out for each other now.

If Romney was McCain's running mate we'd probably be hearing about "THE math" from Rove again.

Sarah Palin.

Putting "country first" my ass.

Cindy McCain must suffer the indignities of all political spouses of those seeking the presidency: a life examined under the media microscope. That's part of the deal.

From some of her public statements I get the impression that -- as someone born both rich and beautiful -- she has absolutely no concept of what life is like for the average wage-earning American.

In Cindy's world, it's truly grand to be an American, and she's always been proud to say so.

Does anyone expect that non-violent offenders (including drug users) who have been imprisoned, treated like animals and subjected to a violent, dehumanizing environment will be better human beings upon their release from prison?

The "War on Drugs" is a war on our own society.

The Republicans have been utilizing political pornography since the introduction of Nixon's "Southern Strategy."

As a result, America has been subjected to rule by a pornocracy so sleazy it makes Larry Flynt look like a paragon of moral virtue.

Limbaugh, the Buchanan siblings (what a household that must have been) and others who simply cannot tolerate the idea of an Obama presidency have now resorted to claiming the power to read the mind of Colin Powell.

It's as pathetic as it is desperate -- and these throwbacks continue to be allowed to spew their racist venom in "polite society."

If there's no line someone can cross, no idea or statement too reprehensible to express, while still being welcomed in the party, what does that say about the party?

No matter how big or small their majority, Senate Dems must strip Lieberman of his chairmanship and committee assignments and put him in the smallest, most inconvenient office in Washington DC.

If not, they'll prove they're a political party in name only.

The M$M now seems willing to bust the Republicans on their bullshit. This didn't happen at any time during the Clinton years or during the 2000 and 2004 elections -- when GOP propaganda and talking points were fed directly into the media megaphone.

Apparently, the decline in stock portfolio values has been enough to jar the plutocratic punditocracy into realizing that "Hey -- I'm one of 'the people' too."

Read one page and you're "hooked." You can't put it down -- which is the best indicator of great writing.

It would have been interesting to have gotten King's take on what makes for that kind of reading enjoyment.

The fact that King's books are such a pleasure to read has, unfortunately, meant that literary snobs dismiss King's writing simply because they're "popular."