If this add is coupled with John McCain's admission that he has no idea as to how to use a computer, then it could click witht he voters about John McCain being out of touch.

"Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place."

Billy Kristol (I believe)

The facts are irrelevant to a political party that "makes their own reality".

If the Republican Party, through their outlets such as FoxNews keep repeating, "It's all the Democrats' fault", and what passes for mainstream reporting repeats these words, by November everyone will be asking, "Why did Bill Clinton raise my electricity rates?"

Look to Chris Matthews as the bell weather of RNC talking points: He's the most malleable of the crew and a good indicator of how well the Republican propaganda machine is working.

The story of the rise of Budweiser recalled an incident when I was in college thirty years ago.

It was in a marketing class and the guest speaker was a regional VP for Anheuser-Busch. Being college students, we were very interested in beer and had a lot of questions.

One of the questions focused on Schlitz beer (remember them?)

At the time, although they were much smaller than Budweiser, their growth rate was more than twice that of Bud. Analysts were predicting (as they always do), that within a few years Schlitz would be the new king and that "Bud was dead".

When the VP was asked about that prediction, his answer was, "It’s a free country and they are welcome to compete. But tell them to bring along a lot of money."

Not to defend Bud, but Anheuser-Busch still has the marketing muscle and we’ll watch and see if this time it really happens.

Re: "He'd rather jettison almost everything he's said and done since the 2000 Presidential campaign, rather than lose this election. Why he thinks that improves his chances to win is anybody's guess -- but the McCain of 2000 sure ain't the McCain of 2008!"

The question is whether or not the electorate will remember in November 2008 what John McCain said in 2000, or even January 2008.

To do so would require that our reporters keep records and actually use them to compare what is being said, by anyone, in the Fall with previous statements.

We know that Foxnews will mine every single comment from Barak Obama's entire life to declare "flip flops" in 2008. However I very much doubt that the mainstream media will make even token efforts in that line regarding John McCain (although they will echo FoxNews talking points). They are, after all, his "Base".

Re: "Anyone remember when Rheingold Beer would sponsor their annual Miss Rheingold Competition? "

Yes, I do. My grandfather was a loyal (Brooklyn) Rheingold drinker.

Better yet, if you are from Pittsburgh, do you remember "Miss Frothingslosh"? (wieghed in at around 250, if I recall). From Olde Frothingslosh beer, "The only beer with the head on the bottom".

What Conservatives are complaining about is that Barak Obama is not getting the "Fair and Balanced" coverage that is the Conservatives' lot on FoxNews.

It has been so long since our lapdog media actually reported facts that Conservatives are not used to straight reporting (If you are a Conservative, keep hope: Chris Matthews is as vapid as ever, so all is not lost).

Where is Jeff Gannon when you really need him?

Re: " hypocritical slimeballs like Krauthammer can't sink any lower..."

You obviously have not been paying attention for the past feww years. Of course they can. And they will. Watch for what comes out after labor Day.

If these "Hillary supporters" think for one minute that ANY Republican President will EVER support birth control, they are seriously kidding themselves.

It would serve them, though not the US, if John McCain was put over the top through their help as we would keep hearing "we were lied to" by these same people. In fact they are lying to themselves as John McCain will say whatever words they want to hear to get their money and votes. But James Dobson will have the final word on any McCain administration policies and they will be shut out the day after election day. Guaranteed.

However will any of the mainstream media outlets note John McCain's missing all t hose hearings? Of course not since, by definintion, John McCain is BETTER on foreign policy.

Considering his record on actual positions, that is a flat out lie (remember how "safe" he declared the Iraqi market was... with about 100 US troops and three helicopters covering him?).

But a lie that has been repeated endlessly not only by the Conservative media, but echoed by the mainstream one as well.

But John McCain's "Base" will never give an inch on that lie. Otherwise they won't be invited to the next McCain family barbecue.

I have to admit to also being one of the ones whose initial reaction was, “how did this guy get someone to fund his round-the-world vacation?”

But then I got out of my Scrooge mentality and was just glad that someone managed to find a “waste” of money that was just sheer fun. So many of our other “waste of money” adventures harm people, promote hate or spread just plain meanness. At least the only thing that was “wasted” here (other than a few of the dancers themselves perhaps) was a gum company’s money.

So I smiled and enjoyed it. And for a minute or two, the world was fun again.

I agree with your point about the Mega-Church setting. However it does reflect the degree to which Fundamentalist Christians dominate our public discourse.

My chief concern will be if Sean Hannity and Rev. Hagee will be supplying the questions to be asked.

It will be fun to watch how Foxnews spins this for the Conservative Bush-Loyalists (or is that a redundant phrase?). My guess is that Bill O'Rielly will have his Body-Language specialist read his movements and declare that he is not really for a schedule of withdrawl after all.