that if the economy wasn't in such terrible shape, the GOP candidate, regardless of who he is, would've been easily elected as President. If Obama is elected, it wouldn't be because the majority of Americans became less dumb, but because they believed he would solve their economic problems. Interview after interview with uneducated whites, the demographics that is the GOP electoral base, indicate that their problems with Obama are mainly that he's a man of color and that he is supremely more educated than they are. Just think of it, the US is the only country in the world where a great education is considered by tens of million of voters to disqualify a candidate from becoming president. Without the rampant anti intellectualism in the US, the GOP wouldn't even exist. No wonder they are so hostile to education.

A friend told me the other day that his 90 year old father, a Nazi death camp survivor, had told him that Sarah Palin reminded him of the female guards in that camp-excessively cruel and sadistic, strutting in their high boots, accompanied by vicious Dobermans, bereft of any human empathy or compassion and itching for the tiniest excuse to inflict pain, humiliation and death on their hapless victims. The old man referred to Palin as a "ChristoNaziRedneck", I love it.

The score would be Team Biden 48 Team Palin 3. The 3 points of a field goal would be awarded to Team Palin for folksiness/who cares about being informed and knowledgeable, which seems to be so important to the Joe Six Pack crowd.

Palin is running on personality, and personality only. She has no knowledge of the issues and often isn't even aware of what the issues are. He message is clear:only Washington elitists know the issues, real people rely on God, common sense and instincts. She runs as the candidate Middle Americans would love to watch a soap opera/go hunting/go to Walmart with.

That's why I specifically didn't say the female vote but the undecided vote, which is largely female and has very particular characteristics: lack of interest in issues like foreign and economic policies, nearly total ignorance of the outside world, etc. They make their decisions based on emotions. 4 years ago it was "BUsh will protect us from the Muslims who want to invade us and force us to convert". This time, those of them leaning for McCain/Pailin base their decision on her motherhood and special needs baby, which are of course irrelevant to the qualifications for VP.

I watched an interview with a focus group of undecided women. They fit perfectly the undecided(as opposed to independent) voter profile. Middle America, high school education or less, simplistic, uninformed, clueless about the issues. The one who spoke the most said she was leaning toward McCain/Pailin because Palin has a son in Iraq, is a mother and has a special needs baby. She was never bothered about Palin's obvious lack of even rudimentary knowledge of world affairs and very the complex economic and social issue facing the nation. For them it's entirely emotional. It's like they are voting for whom they would like to watch a soup opera with. Intellect and knowledge of the issues mean absolutely nothing to the undecided, and there's little doubt a great majority of them will end up voting for McCain/Palin.

Joe Biden suffers from diarrhea of the mouth. He has a habit answering a question in the most convoluted way, jerking and weaving without getting to the point, more like free association in a frat party. His verbosity and lack of concisement can be exhausting and lead to listeners losing focus and interest in what he has to say. I have often watched him on Charlie Rose give a 5 minute answer to questions that could've been answered thoroughly in 3-4 well phrased sentences. He should be himself tonight but try to be more disciplined, concise and linear..

Unless Obama opens a huge lead in the popular vote polls and battleground states polls, the GOP will steal any close race. This is a given, so let's hope this trend continues.

In the areas where voters love Palin, people live by different universal perspectives. Great education is labeled as elitism, knowledge and appreciation of the outside world and other cultures is met with angry accusations of snobbism and anti-Americanism, or even worse:French. Candidates with superb mastery of the issues are thought of as condescending outsiders. Ignorance and provinciality are revered and identified with. Palin is so admired by Red Americans precisely because she's so clueless about issues and about the world. McCain, who is extremely stubborn to begin with, knows damn well that he would lose the redneck and christofascist vote if Palin is dropped and without them, he would lose by a massive landslide, therefore there's zero chance of her leaving the ticket.

When you consider that Sarah Palin is considered to be qualified to serve as POTUS by tens of millions of Americans, that the same number believes the Universe was created in 6 days by a super magician some 5000 years ago, I'd feel very uncomfortable with politicians who base their vote on phone calls they receive from their constituents and not on their common sense and intellect.

Conservatives voted against the bill because of their adherence to the ideology of unfettered capitalism, the brain child of shock capitalism guru, Milton Friedman. On the Left they voted no because they felt that Wall Street speculators were not being regulated enough and were still not being punished for causing this catastrophe. The Right voted against the bill because they want zero regulation of the financial markets, huge difference.

As much pity as I would have felt back in 1945 upon hearing that Hermann Goering had committed suicide in his Nuremberg prison cell.