McCain's rash choice- one of the largest in a lifetime of rash choices- has attached herself to the body of the GOP like some sort of parasitic remora, and will afflict it for a decade at least. Her empty-headed populism and cloying Wendy Whiner persona

will be a big part of the future of the Republican party, and, after next month's election, not just as as a contender for the number two spot. That moaning that you hear is the ghost of William F. Buckley.

...I know this is a wholly partisan website, but let's get real for just one moment. You are deliberately confusing totalitarian statists with "conservatives." People who still march in lockstep with the RNC (or DNC) are partisan loyalists and nothing more. They have no ideology. There is no unifying platform, except the rock-solid agreement that exists between the two supposedly "polarized" parties--the agreement to shut out all dissent and all independent candidates. Indeed, nothing separates either party from a common street gang anymore except that their activities are not legally prosecuted.

Both candidates--McCain and Obama--are firmly in the pockets of the wealthy folks who just received a hearty helping of US tax money at our expense.

There is no opposition party.

Ron Paul endorsed Cynthia McKinney, Bob Barr, Ralph Nader, and Chuck Baldwin. Not a single Ron Paul-endorsed congressman voted for the bailout. Join us or die, free America.

Jimmy Carter was "smart" - nuclear engineer in the Navy - and look at what a disaster he turned out to be as President. Thanks to Jimmy, for example, for undermining the Shah of Iran and creating a deadly enemy in the Middle East. And causing 20% interest rates. I live in Georgia and he was a decent governor at the time but clearly out of his league as President, and he did this country great harm. After all, he brought us 12 years of the GOP in the executive office!

At the end of his long screed Teleo finds his way to his point.

"It is a common error of those on the Left to imagine that intelligence trumps everything else, including character. In most circumstances, and almost always in politics, the exact reverse is the case. With good character all other deficits can be balanced and made up for, e.g. by consultation,advice, etc. But with bad character the path lies open to every evil.

-- Teleologicus"

Love that binary thinking, Teleo. But um, here's the thing: intellect and character are NOT, as it turns out, mutually exclusive or inherently contradictory. Nor is it true that being unable to formulate a coherent sentence or a coherent thought is evidence of good character. Intelligence doesn't trump everything else, but a reasonable amount of it can come in handy when you're deciding which of your advisors and consulters is actually, factually correct about something. Above all, I'd point out that the worst combination is incompetence and uninformed judgment backed up by fanatical self-confidence, which is what we've had for eight years. THAT is the "more of the same" that Palin most vividly represents.

The only real question on the table is why you prefer a candidate with so many "deficits" to be "made up for" in the first place. Why does your party go out of its way to pick the candidate who is manifestly less articulate, less informed, less intelligent than many others who were available? Was it really impossible to find someone who shares your values and possessed both intelligence AND character? If not--to go all binary on you here--what does that say about your values? Or if so, what is it about the dumbing down of America that you and your party apparently like so much?

As a Video Cameraman I sometimes get access to areas that as an ordinary citizen I wouldn't get near. Months ago I was shooting a piece for an American network on the Obama campaign. We were at a campaign stop. Obama was making the speech that I'd heard scores of times and our crew was onboard his bus lighting an interview. Everything was set, and we were just waiting for Barack to show up. The place was empty and I kicked back in the black leather recliner that was obviously reserved for "The Candidate". My hand brushed against a shopping bag along side the chair. Without disturbing anything, I took a peek inside the open bag. There was a stack of books inside, and the one on top was Doris Kearns Goodwin's "A Team of Rivals", the story of how Lincoln brought in a diverse group of political antagonists to staff his cabinet.

Before I could see what else he was reading, the man himself had climbed aboard and was standing in front of me. He grinned but didn't say a word as I popped out of his chair and got to work.

In the months since then, I've followed the campaign closely and gradually decided that this guy is the real thing, he is the one.

I don't know what's in Sara Palin's shopping bag, but somehow I doubt that it would engender the same confidence.

What's that phrase popular among conservatives? Ah yes, "the soft tryanny of low expectations." Palin just wants to be our soft tyrant.

If Obama wins Whites will be living in a reverse apartheid situation.　The liberals who are getting us into this situation are clueless. History demonstrates they get us into trouble with their experimentation . (see Stalinism and Maoism). There is no such thing as colorblindness, or "post-race". Whites will be discrimnated against and marginalized if Obama wins....you mark my words.Obama=Mugabe. African-Americans will let you know who's boss.

I am not a right wing idiot but a left-leaning, educated, advanced　degrees and north-eastern bred. You cannot Palin-bash my credentials. Luckily I am living abroad already.

For those of us who are named "Sarah," we have a special request of Sarah Palin - - please quit embarrassing us with your outright sexist 'moves' and try to act like a dignified political figure.

Your attempt to cover up your lack of knowledge with your folksyism (no such word I know) during the debate was an insult to every woman in American. We want intelligent people in Washington not beauty contestants of either sex!

As a former organizer of Republican Women's Clubs, I am downright embarrassed to even admit that any more thanks to your bungling and lack of knowledge of either U.S. or World affairs.

Go back to Alaska and stay there - - keep looking for Putin to rear his head and take care of your children who need your attention more than we need you in Washington!