Barak Obama dares John McCain to bring up Ayers.

John McCain publicly announces he will take the dare.

Come the debate we will see this ritual contiued. With nothing about any issue of significance for the approximately 25% of he debate that this is likely to consume.

And our news media will report on this dance as though it really mattered.

Re: "Do you suppose McCain would be this gullible in international negotiations"

(see above)

The actions of The Review provide further evidence that Conservatives demand loyalty to The Party above, not only the country, but ones own conscience as well.

Nothing else matters, only loyalty to the Republican party.

My initial prediction would be that the enraged John McCain would show up, blasting with every accusation the RNC has to offier, perhaps even with the "Obama took his oath of office on a Quran" line.

But, since Barak Obama is expecting it, would be walking into a well-rehearsed counter punch.

Alternatively, a "Positive John" would appear weak since he has promised to attack Senator Obama. Such a tactic would mean John McCain would "fade softly into the night".

That will never happen.

So my prediction is John McCain will be something else.

What could that be?

My prediction is that John McCain will break all the rules. He will show up and (figuratively if not literally) turn over the table and demand that the debate be conducted on much better (in his estimation) terms. Of course whatever these terms are, they will be designed to show John McCain as a "Maverick" who is not afraid to challenge the establishment (even if the establishment is himself).

If Barak Obama agrees, he will be weak and debating 100% on John McCain's terms. If he refuses, then he will appear petulant and stubborn (just like George W. Bush).

Such a tactic would be typical of John McCain's tactics this year, so that is my prediction.

Regarding the author's comment, "Fraud allegations lead to restrictive voter laws, which lead to a class-skewed electorate. "

What the Republican campaign can also lead to is the following

http://fpiarticle.blogspot.com/2004/11/bush-just-as-long-as-im-dictator.html

http://www.dubyasays.com/index.php

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier...just as long as I'm the dictator..."

George W. Bush--Washington, DC, Dec 18, 2000, during Bush's first trip to Washington as President-Elect

If the polls shift any more to Barak Obama and the Democrats, look for the Republican mouthpieces, startng From Ann Coulter and shifting to FoxNews, to call for President Bush to declare an electoral crisis and suspend the election, the same way that John McCain suspended his campaign to solve a financial crisis.

I notice that Conservatives are only concerned that fraud they claim is perpetrated by Demcorats be curtailed. If fraudulent registration is taking place, shouldn't we also see Republicans charged with such actions? Or do Conservatives claim that Republicans would NEVER do such things?

Until I see proof that these investigations are targeting Republican as well as Democratic (likely) voters I will continue to assert this is just another Republican strategy to steal an election.

I look for this story to be in my e-mail in-box tomorrow morning as all my Conservative friends circulate this story along with the "Barak Obama took his oath of office on a Quran" tales.

Colin Powell kept his mouth shut out of Republican loyalty while Donald Rumsfeld botched an occupation that costs thousands of American lives and led directly to our current quagmire in Iraq.

If he was willing to sacrifice American lives and limbs in the cause of Republican Loyalty then, what makes anyone believe he will suddenly develop a conscience now?

Got that one wrong. He did endorse Senator Obama.

Less than a year ago, Republicans everywhere said that "they respected and would vote for Colin Powell".

What are they saying now?

Not only can we count on the McCain Campaign, right up to John himself, trotting out Rev. Wright, we can expect further.

In the next two weeks, screaming "Rev. Wright" hourly will not produce much, if any gain (even though FoxNews will declare it a success).

When that fails, the next step will be inevitable: The McCain campaign will actually start hinting that "perhaps Barak Hussein Obama really is a Muslim terrorist who went to a Wahabbi School". The fact that this is demonstratably false will not deter them one bit.

Only panic and hate will matter. And Republicans have pleanty of both.

Re: "Well, even war loving neocons want a little competence in their leaders."

Got any proof of that? We certainly have not seen any great admiration or rewarding of competence in the last eight years of George W. Bush, so why should NeoConservatives start now?

It is, IMO, much more likely that, having lived on pure cronyism in George W. Bush land, he simply thinks that offering an endorsement now would land him a job in the Obama White House. It worked for Horse Show judges so why not him?

Re: "Only a crappy nation on its way down and out would choose a geriatric twerp like McCain in favor of a solid candidate like Obama. Which can only mean that forty percent of American voters are utter and irredeemable nitwits."

Almost.

In fact 40% of Americans have been frieghtened OUT OF their wits, by a Republican Party exploiting the September 11, 2001 attacks and a media that is too spineless to stand up to them.

By "Not who you think he is" Republicans want everyone to think "Muslim".

Of course every Republican will lie and say that is not the case. But then dishonesty comes naturally to them.

And, when all else fails, the GOP will station "guards" in minority districts, complete with armbands and official looking forms, intercepting voters on the way to the polls and telling them they are on a "watch" list and cannot vote.