In the mid 1970s, Kirkpatrick Sale wrote a dubious thesis on the shift of Republican power to the South called 'Power Shift.' It attempted to ascribe the Nixonian movement to a rise in Southern conservatives who were based in Republican policies that outweighed the Democratic left in terms of white vs. black voting blocs and the change in the infrastructure from East coast to Southern. While it appeared that Sales' thesis might have been correct through the Reagan years, there has been a monumental shift in the political center to the West since the late 80s, and all the basic concepts of demographic voting blocs have been turned on their heads. Dickey and Meacham are touting an old, outlasted theory to support their claims. The voting demographics in the South and the West (in part due to the Silicon Valley Bust) have dramatically changed and black and Hispanic voters are being magnificently under-estimated by the MSM and 'major' pollsters.' There will be a big surprise come November, and it will feature the first Black American elected to the presidency by a wide margin despite the polls and the 'experts,' who still seem to think that only white people vote.

More needs to be done, that is definitely true. More money is given to prostate cancer research (which most men die WITH not OF) than to breast cancer, which affects one in eight women (yes, that is 1 in 8!). Having worked in health care for 25 years and having recently lost a close friend to breast cancer and currently consoling her husband (and my best friend), I know that far too little is being done to prevent, treat, or cure breast cancer (and that far too little is done to help support the friends and family of such patients). A 'smart bra' will not supercede self exam and mammography as a means of early detection. Furthermore, diagnostic tests such as ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy have made dramatic advances in early detection and diagnosis of breast masses, which can save lives and minimize surgeries. These kinds of suspect innovations detract from the major issue and put women's lives and self image in danger.

That sounds like a regurgitation of Sale's argument. The point is, that's not the South anymore. Disaffection and job loss and federal ignoring do not have a racial character. Job losses, denial of funding, and--remember Katrina?--these kinds of things have proven to your 'white trash' constituency that even they can't depend on the GOP to provide them with any hope. The South is no longer a decider for the GOP; they have lost their constituents due to their arrogance and abuses of power--on the local level. They diverted funds from hurricane relief for their vacation homes. The locals know it and they will remember. Republicans have already lost seats in formerly safe districts. McCain has a big fight on his hands in the South and thinking that he'll win over the black guy isn't gonna work anymore.

Kudos to Rachel. I am sure I'm not the only straight male in America who thinks that Rachel might have the best mind for politics since Jon Stewart (and that is NOT meant as a joke by any means). The MSM needs a shake-up and she can bring it on! You go girl! I look forward to watching.

Let's see, before today she had been the part-time mayor of a small town in Alaska, then that state's governor for LESS than one term (she's still the incumbent), she has NO policy experience on a national, let alone international, level, has been attached to a few scandals in Alaska, and, oh yeah, she was a beauty queen in the mid-80s. Very reassuring bona fides for a VP candidate. Yeah, good, sober, reasoned thought for McCain, the oldest man to run for president, to place her a 'heartbeat away.' She's anti-choice, pro-drilling, and an extreme Christian conservative. That should really entice disappointed Clintonistas, especially after HRC's admonition to them the other night. I think what we have here is a candidate who is completely out of touch who just selected 'Dan Quayle with a vagina' as his running mate.

One thing that has bothered me about all this chatter about Sarah Palin's bravery to bring her Down's child to term is the hypocrisy of it all. First of all, for a woman who has made part of her CV that she is morally opposed to abortion, she still CONSIDERED and MADE A CHOICE. She at least was able to MAKE THAT CHOICE, something she wants to deny to all other women, even in the event of health of the mother, rape, or incest. Secondly, there have been huge advances in the treatment of Down's children in recent years. With therapy and special education, many, if not most of these children now grow up to live productive lives. However, therapy is expensive. If you don't have health insurance, you probably can't afford that therapy. Yet, this is a team that is opposed to national health insurance. Special education? They have offered nothing beyond 'No Child Left Behind,' which has proven to be a bureaucratic boondogle that has failed many, many children. It wasn't so hard a choice for Ms Palin because her government benefits will cover her childrens' (and her husband's) health care in perpetuity. There are millions of others in this country who don't have the benefit of that parachute. It was, for her, not an act of personal bravery, and the constant reiteration of how she has suffered over her decision is, quite frankly, disingenuous. Imagine the decision YOU would be faced with in a similar situation and what your emotional response would be. These people are so out of touch with the needs of average Americans today it is scary.