It must be dreadful for so many of you. Some Americans having to ask others what is a 'Real American.' Straight away I a British person can see that a 'Real American' would object strongly and vocally to America being described as a 'Homeland.' Only the truly ignorant could have not been alarmed by such a sinister concept being introduced into American culture.

Now leaving aside Palin for a moment its my pleasure to introduce you to a great American not yet of your acquaintance. For me a foreigner this fellow often expressed the nature of the American soul. This is something you will all have to painfully rediscover and define anew over the coming years.

At a time of worry at the catastrophe besetting your country take a quite moment to listen to this. Listen and then wait for the only words that he says right at the very end. Have a Kleenex handy, he a drunk who lived in a car gives expression to your collective soul.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9NoXwsUhUSg

Then go order 'The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'. You are going to need something to remind you why its worth the pain of being an American.

You are a great people with a great country - but just not now.

He said "Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative." If one examines the education policies pursued by recent republican administrations, it would appear the goal has been to perpetuate stupidity, and therefore, expand the base of the party.

Mr. Conason, you artfully acknowledge and rightfully lament the "dumbing down" phenomenon that has redefined the Republican Party and, in doing so, you answer your own question.

Why aren't more conservatives disgusted with the nomination of an individual like Sarah Palin? Quite simply, it's because the Republican Party has been hijacked and taken over, lock, stock and barrel, by right wing fundamentalists, religious and political, who are anything but "conservatives". Today's Republican Party simply does not stand for conservativism, and conservatives essentially have no meaningful voice in the Party.

These individuals are, quite literally, radicals whose ideologies and policies have taken this nation to despicable and dangerous places, places that are the antithesis of democratic ideas and ideals. They differ from the more successful and harmful despots of the world, only in terms of degree. With the McCain/Palin ticket, they have a very real potential to rival some of the world's most despotic and harmful regimes, and that is NOT an exaggeration.

Simply put, conservatives are not raising their voice in response to the very ugly idea of a Sarah Palin in the White House because they no longer matter. They are no longer of consequence in their own Party.

That said, the even more disturbing phenomena is the status of legitimacy afforded these individuals by the "media", and the readiness of large numbers of Americans to embrace their philosophies and methods.

The fact that Alaskans elected Sarah Palin governor is simply a reflection of the narrow set of interests that concern most Alaskans. This is a state with just over 1/2 million residents located in a remote area of the United States. It's miniscule. Alaskans just don't face the same array and level of challenges as does a state like Pennsylvania, New York or Illinois for that matter.

Sarah Palin, I would also remind you, has been slipping fast in her approval rating in Alaska and mostly due to her own poor decsion-making process. Troopergate is just her own dumb fault. Nothing more, nothing less. It's costing Alaskans a big chunk of change and they're mad about it.

As for the Democratic Party, it has an INTELLIGENT person at the top right now. Not the most experienced, but a thinking person who understands the need for knowledge instead of gut-reaction. The GOP OTOH has McCain, an experienced pol with severe intellectual limitations and an inability to shift perspective.

If McCain loses this election, an increasingly likely scenario, it will be because he was simply unable to rise to the great challenge of his time. At its root, it is a flaw in his intellect. McCain is a man completely wedded to the GOP plank of deregulation and floundered like a fish out of water when confronted with the REALITY that it has led us to finaincial disaster. He clearly didn't (and still doesn't) know quite what to make of the disaster, a very bad harbinger for a McCain presidency. As I said though, that is an increasingly unlikely scenario.

I've just committed a Palin! I wrote the word 'quite' when I actually meant 'quiet.'

If Barack Barry Hussein Soetoro Obama name was John Smith, and he were white, He would still be back in the Senate. Just another face in the crowd. His intellect and amazing speeches would go unnoticed. Running for President as a first term, junior Senator would have gotten him laughed off the stage. It's being said that if B Ho loses, it will be because of race and the Bradley Effect, but remember, it will all be on the democrats because the right is not voting for him for any reason.

B Ho is all show. He has handlers who choreograph his every move and sentence. It is unprecendented arrogance to presume him to be even remotly qualified to be the President.

Sarah Palin had to be brought up from the minors, if for no other reason than to show the contrast of experience at the head of the ticket. She has forced you to examine the "why" your backing a flyweight machine politician. She was also put on the ticket because of her stance on abortion, which speaks directly to the hearts of the base John McCain is trying to bring along. She does speak to the base and doesn't come across as any less stupid than the walking gaffe machine that is Joe Biden. We see principals and courage in her and in a time of crises, I'll take those over whatever B Ho is peddeling.

So... go ahead and dismiss me as a troll because you've parsed my words and checked my grammer and judged me as stupid as Sarah. Between now and election day, we'll be getting the truth out about B Ho and pusing the MSM to do it's job. Check out the Times today, right under the picture of O.J.. Much more of this to follow, in the next month. Obama will lose this election because the Democratic Part nominated the only candidate who could possibly lose.