I'm beginning to brace myself for that possibility.

No, I'm not expecting even half-cogent responses on the bailout, relations with Russia, or anything else substantive that actually matters. But what if McCain's folks, realizing they're dead on the issues if they let her actually speak, teach her some ways to turn the answers around so she can instead show her charm and folksiness?

The debates have never really been about substance. They have instead largely focused on whether a candidate is smooth, charming and presidential. Palin has shown she does appeal to many folks on a gut level. If she can show that side of her instead of a discussion of the issues, she has a real chance to do well.

I have to think those Ohio and Florida polls are outliers.

They would be nice if true, but they are so far ahead of other polls of those states, which usually show McCain up a point or two and occasionally show Obama with a slight lead, that I do not believe the results are accurate. They are far too different from other polls.

The thing is, it's not going to work this time. The nation is glued to the "Economy Channel" but McCain wants folks to create the "Mud Channel" that no one wants to watch.

Which is TRUE.

(although I think that is an ineffective line of attack)

Two new polls came out today.

One had McCain down by 10 points

...another by 12 points

in VIRGINIA.

If they are facing a deficit like that in Virginia with four weeks to go, they going to lose.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/va/virginia_mccain_vs_obama-551.html

Obama is up by 6points!

He also reached the 50% mark there.

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/nc_obama_50_mccain_44_1045.php

It's like they're almost openly courting the skinhead vote.

Compare what the secretary for the Buchanan County Republican Party wrote with propoganda distributed by right-wing Aryan hate sites and you won't see much difference.

This another reason why the Republican Party is dying. It's crap like that that works completely against the changing demographics of the country. They might be able to get away with it a time or two longer, but their days are numbered and they know it.

The last time McCain attempted to do this was four weeks ago, when lipstick on a pig and sex-ed for kindergartners was roundly criticized as truth stretching. That got him nowhere and probably halted his convention bounce.

Then the economy tanked.

So, McCain is back to slinging baseless insults at Obama and the economy still sucks.

I'm very happy to see McCain return to a losing strategy instead of embracing the kind of bold economic reforms that might actually get him elected.

of John McCain putting country first.

Can't wait to see Trolephantman and other Salon trolls defend this.

Camille, are you on crack?

Palin could not give one coherent answer to anything Couric asked.

Nothing!!!

Not even tough gotcha questions like "What newspaper do you read?" She couldn't even lie her way out of that one!

And for her debate she RELIED CUE CARDS.

How anyone can defend that empty insult-spewing shell--the perfect embodiment of modern Republicanism, btw--is beyond me.

You bought into the image of Palin and not the reality. Way to go Camille!!!

When will Palin utter it?

Never. They won't let her deviate from the prepared script.

Yes, those are my thoughts too.

And sticking with the "asshole" theme: what kind of asshole sends his wife out to do his mudslinging for him?

I wish I'd heard what Gergen said.

But will this work? We can say people want to hear about the economy, and I'd like to believe that. But fear and hate do work, especially in troubled times.

At least she was thinking on her feet.

She might have been wronged, but she did deviate from her script.

I think the director has a point. We all know McCain was imprisoned, so it isn't like this would have a major impact on the election anyway.

"But the McCain camp doubled down on its bet that the Republican base was the key to the election, first with the Palin pick, and then with its decision to just go negative on Obama. "

The problem was that a mere two months before the election, McCain did not have the base behind him. They were never behind him, supporting him only grudgingly.

So what to do? Nominate someone who would get the base fired up.

The problem for him was that Nixon's old rule about "running hard to the right during the primary and to the center during the general" still holds true. During the general, he should've been running to the center but because the base was not solid, he couldn't do that. So he had to run to the right during the general election and his campaign has suffered for it.

It's not so much that he was counting on the base as the key, it's that he never could count on it.

Why does anyone put any stock in what Rove says? He is a bona fide lying party hack, for crying out loud, who will do anything to crush Democrats (Duh!).

The Republican Party should be taking note.

Because thanks to their xenophobic wing (which Bush and Rove astutely tried to reign in with their immigration stances), white people compose the majority of the party, which means unless things change they are increasingly going to lose.

I'm glad to see War Room continue coverage during the final weekends before the election.