I'm loving this. Last year I said that everything that Obama did that worked against HR Clinton works even better against McCain, and it's proving true.

The uglier, the dirtier McCain/Palin get, the more screwed they become, the further out of step with the majority they become. Obama's strategists have been masterful in riding this out, countering when they have to, but just appearing reasonable and restrained has a quiet kind of power against the face of McCainiac fanaticism.

Certainly, the economy's meltdown has markedly helped Obama, but McCain is slitting his own throat with his cynical, opportunistic, and desperate scorched-earth politicking. And him having to flip-flop and actually defend Obama on the stump, that's just tops.

While the notion that one country’s thug is another’s revolutionary isn’t exactly new, it’s difficult to imagine who else could say such a thing to the Heritage crowd and avoid being crucified for cowardice and moral relativism.

A Republican favorite like Petraeus could say "Fuck the Constitution, death to the Bill of Rights, nuke Congress, all hail the Unitary Executive!" and be cheered by the Republican base as a true American hero, representing "real" American values.

I always find it funny when people get fired up about UFOs, like disbelieving them, believing them -- often the same people who believe in angels will heap scorn on UFOs as being nonsense, as if angels are authentic and real, and UFOs aren't. Same with believing in ghosts -- believing in souls is okay, but ghosts? Distinctions are drawn among discerning believers, I guess.

I would think if aliens were out there, they'd be like "Stay the Zam away from that planet! They're hell-bent on mass extinction! There's better real estate on Titan, anyway!"

For sure, one would hope if aliens were out there, they wouldn't pursue Bush Doctrine-style foreign policy vis-a-vis us.

Republicans talking about nationalizing banks?

The above line amused me, as if the Republicans had some kind of normative ballast to somehow keep them upright in troubled times. But the fact of the matter is that the GOP will do absolutely anything, will say absolutely anything, if it means winning elections. That's been demonstrated by them increasingly as the years go by. Their ideology boils down to: "That which helps the GOP is good; all else is bad." So, why not nationalize banks?

The only thing really missing from the McCain/Palin rallies are torchlit processions. Maybe they'll whip those out in another week or two, when they get even more desperate.

The GOP has already demonstrated contempt for elections and the rule of law; what's really left after that except political violence?

It's unfortunate that McCain/Palin/Fox are cynically fanning the fires of hatred the way they are -- it just reinforces my fear that even if/when Obama wins, a chunk of the country will simply not accept it as legitimate. Never mind that their leaders actually stole two presidential elections -- they'll want blood when they find their people out of power.

The antidote, I think, will be sound and sensible policy that brings actual, tangible benefits to the same angry hordes who are gnashing their teeth in rage (paradoxically enough, the policies that have enraged them are the ones the GOP inflicted on the country). Eventually, as people see their day-to-day lives improve from Obama's administration policies, they'll be forced to grudgingly accept that they are better off.

It still won't keep the shameless GOP from playing the fascist card, trying to get people pissed off and crazy-mad enough to act against their larger interests, but it'll hopefully peel off enough of a majority that only the diehard mouthbreathers and flat-earthers will be left in the GOP.

Hate, anger, and fear are the bread and butter of what's left of the Republican Party these days. The problem the mainstream GOP has run into is they just can't really properly channel the bigotry, jingoism, bellicosity, and fanaticism of their movement. They'd be doing so much better if it was 1908, when such attitudes were more part of the acceptable mainstream. The problem the GOP faces is that it's 2008, not 1908, and countries have to move forward if they're to survive.

I still don't see this line of attack doing anything but motivating the already-opposed-to-Obama people to vote. I mean, who is this actually supposed to reach, besides people who won't vote for Obama no matter what.

I think Obama's cool approach to the McCain/Palin/Fox News circus is a very good way to go -- it's like in an argument when one person loses their temper, while the other one keeps their footing. It makes the one losing their temper look worse. I think the shriller McCain/Palin/Fox get, the cooler Obama looks to the majority of the population. Increasingly, McCain/Palin/Fox are simply preaching to the conservative choir.

Obama counterpunches when he has to, but he keeps his head about him, which is more than can be said of his opponents, who are looking wilder-eyed as the weeks progress.