It speaks very poorly of McCain's judgment to name a VP nominee who not only doesn't have any foreign policy experience, but apparently hasn't ever even thought about what the United States is and what role it should have in the world.

Anybody who equates her with Obama -- someone who earned the votes of 18+ million Americans through a grueling process against a lineup of heavyweight opponents, someone who is a constitutional law expert, someone who's thought and written deeply about America's role in the world -- reveals himself as a mindless hack. If a majority of Americans buy their line of BS in November, we really will be heading toward Idiocracy, and Palin would make its appropriate leader -- a frightening prospect.

yes, because the passion for her in the Democratic party was so great, it would have been a very wise and gracious move by Obama.

not, however, because the Republicans have successfully co-opted anything with McCain's irresponsible, purely political pick of Palin. If anything, it seems likely that Obama's not picking Hillary will be seen in retrospect as baiting McCain into his disastrously inappropriate choice and further paving the road to the White House for Obama.

The big difference between Palin's and Obama's respective qualifications for president is that Obama won the nomination of a major party and Palin was just handpicked. Obama had to prove himself to millions of voters, over and over, in debates, town halls, organization, against several recognized political heavyweights (Clinton, Biden, Dodd, Edwards). Palin, conversely, hasn't proven anything on the national stage yet. Judging by her quotes on the topic so far, she doesn't even seem to understand what the VP of the United States actually does. It's an insult to Obama's massive and unlikely achievement so far to equate the two.

The biggest dust-up over absolutely nothing since the Hillary/RFK thing, which was also totally ripped out of any fair context. General Clark was simply responding to Bob Schieffer's odd insinuation that being shot down in a plane somehow distinguishes McCain over Obama as a presidential candidate. Perhaps Clark may have seemed slightly insensitive, but any note of contempt in his answer was aimed at Schieffer's question, not at McCain's service.

This ultra-sensitivity about phrases and words, especially after they've been ripped out of context, dumbs down our politics.

if Jesse Ventura is the exemplar of possessing the populist touch.

Yeah, Ventura talks tough and blunt, with an edge of anger -- and I suppose that connects with plenty of regular Joes. But his rhetoric about "chickenhawks," though powerful, is too simplistic. Do we really want to disqualify any president who hasn't served in the military from leading the country into war? Or pressure his poor kids, who may not be military types? We should be careful about applying demagogic attacks on political enemies that can just as easily be aimed back at us.

Obama is a rare creature: a thoughtful intellectual and a charismatic, inspiring show-horse at the same time. I can't think of anybody in history who was both of these and a blunt populist at the same time. 2 out of 3 ain't bad. It may not even be possible to remain thoughtful while boiling all the nuance out of your language. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a thoughtful president for a change.

the best so far on the great inscrutable diva and icon, Hillary Clinton. Is she a cold-hearted, power-mad cynic or a liberal saint? Traister wisely just celebrates her as a wonderful character.

I'm beginning to think she may be the most magnetic figure in the whole country. As wonderful and groundbreaking a story as Barack Obama is, Clinton still seems to be the one drawing the majority of the fascination.

Many right and left-wingers treat her like a witch, shunning, condemning, always assuming the worst, unconsciously giving her too much psychic power. Meanwhile, her supporters remain incredibly fervent and trusting, unreasonably so.

I find her the most irritating and (at least superficially) phoney human being on the planet (clap-clap-point-point), yet I can't look away either, and often I can't help being in awe.

Morford uses a New Age vocabulary to describe what seems apparent to many of us -- Barack Obama brings a lot of wisdom and grace to the political scene.

People, your cynicism and lack of rhetorical sympathy don't elevate you or express your intelligence, just the opposite.

OK, I admit, the sweeping rhetoric about a "new way of being on the planet" is a little over-the-top to describe a politician, but Morford does say "help" -- which keeps it from being as messianic in tone as many of the letter writers seem to think it is.