Ever since Oregon went to complete vote by mail I've lamented the process of going physically to the polls on Election Day along with everyone else. I live out in a rural area where the precinct voting place was in the basement of a local Apostolic Lutheran Church, the congregation of which was mostly white haired Finns. On election day, the polls were run by little old ladies who always had a couple plates of delicious baked goodies to hand out. They'd make over the kids, and ask about everyone's family. There was a constancy and familiarity about it that made the solemn occasion seem somehow elevated and even "holy" in a way, while at the same time as full of anticipation as a kid's Christmas morning.

Now, that's all gone... lost to history.

We all sit around the kitchen table and discuss the ballot as we fill it out now, but it's not the same.

The man seems determined to trash any tiny remaining bit of respect that anyone ever had for him. It's sad to watch him fade away to this point where ONLY his vastly inflated ego remains.

I think the Republican establishment HAS TO demonize Palin; admittedly not that hard a task.

If they don't completely crush her the establishment Republican Party ... aka the take-the-money-and-run Bush wing ... risks the permanent fracture of the fragile coalition of snake handling fundies, backwoods racists, and go-to hell-libertarians that their party has cobbled into a basis of their power since the days of Nixxxon. A Palin left standing could easily peel the above mentioned folks off.

Personally, I think a fracture like that would be good for this country and, ultimately for whatever remains of the true fiscal conservative wing of the Republican party (not the lip service charge and spend wing now in power). It would help marginalize the more crazed, flat earth portion of the so called "socially conservative" movement, and it might provide people with a REAL alternative fiscally.

But it would take a few election cycles to reestablish the balance of power between the Ds and the the two new emerging parties. Although the Democrats - fractious lot that they are - could easily shorten this period with their own internecine ideological battles.

Observe1 brings up the good point that this is NOT really a starkly red and blue country; it's purple damn near everywhere. And it's not a cities/suburbs vs rural either. There are plenty of right wing enclaves in the suburbs and a lot of progressives outside of the cities. The same is true for education levels: "educated" ignorance can be found nearly anywhere.

If nothing else, I think Obama's paradigm busting win confirms this. He either won, or increased significantly the vote across the board, compared to the last few Democrat Party candidates.

My observations come from my life: A VERY left leaning, non college educated, blue collar labor sort of guy who lives 2 miles outside of a town of 1,800 in Oregon logging country. I am hardly alone in that description. Of course, this IS Western Oregon so you can discount my personal experience a little. However, in my travels I've run to many people who were vocally in agreement with me in some of the most out of the way pockets imaginable.... like rural Idaho, for instance.

I want that hideous grin wiped off this self serving a'hole's mug once and for all. Strip him of any position of power remotely associated with the Democrats and do it publicly. Issue a stinging rebuke in the press release and shun the bastard.

Let him go over and lick his wounds with his friends.

Spare me the inference that any thing being done to Joe Liebermann has ANYTHING to do with his being jewish. He's going to be punished for being an stab in the back, conservative ass kissing, neo con JERK, not a jew.

I thought self styled conservatives were manly men! At least that's what we've been told for years.

This uber liberal, effete hippy scum from the People's Republic of Orygun would NEVER wear silk underoos and the fake tan crap???? Hell... we're proud of our pale, washed out, no sunshine pallor out here on the left edge? Where's Todd from anyway? Vegas??!??

Drown him in the bathtub.

Get behind Palin in '08, Camille. You'll end up in the same "time out" room that Joe Liebermann is rightfully heading for. I'm sure as a "classroom teacher", you'll understand that. You've obviously gone mad. Or maybe you were just insane all the time and all it took was Palin to activate that.

Good bye and good luck to you.

The Mormon "religion" consists of outright frauds and the willingly brainwashed dupes who fund them. Period. It's not a church; it's a business proposition based on the tried and true Ponzi scheme model. It's no accident that Amway is a Mormon enterprise. Every single Mormon businessman I've EVER had the misfortune to have anything to do with has ruthlessly attempted everything they could do to wreck any enterprise they had any contact with. To a man, they are unscrupulous, dishonest cheats - and that's being charitible. Sure, they come across as your friend, but after gaining your confidence they'll bleed you dry and kick you to the curb, unless you're one of them. Why this criminal enterprise enjoys tax benefits at MY expense is a major source of irritation.

And don't get me started on the Catholics.

Or any other organized "religion" for that matter.

We should have evolved beyond primitive superstition by now.