The Republicans are not dumbing down American culture (at least, they are not the ones who are primarily responsible); they are simply appealing to the lowest common denominator in our culture in order to win. They don't believe in truth or virtue or excellence. All they care about is power. Their "best" candidate is the one who they believe can win elections. A smart, sensible, consistent Republican candidate would not win a general election. Instead, they believe they need someone like Sarah Palin (or Dan Quayle or George W. Bush) who can sway the masses through charm and fear. In that sense, Palin IS the best candidate they could have chosen to lead their party. The Republicans are also in the habit of supporting their leaders with unwavering loyalty. That's how they hold together and stay in power. So they're standing behind their candidate, and as far as they're concerned, she can never be wrong. That's how they operate. There's nothing mysterious about it.

Yep, where the president has a stroke and those in power (not the elected guy) get to run the country until the substitute turns on the "establishment".

Palin has proven to be Dave, but continues to be the pawn even after the truth is known. Selected by those in charge to be their spokesperson. Chosen not because she looks like the president (aka Dave) but because she represents what her party thinks will sell to the American public, a pretty, non-established politician, and a hard working WOMAN who successfully juggles work, family and hunting down animals and bridges to no-where?

The folks in power send her out to repeat catch phrases that she has been told to say, clearly with limited understanding of what she is actually saying, while they hope and pray that a pretty face and a wink and a down home smiling face will erase the hard fact that she is way over her head in dealing with the complexities facing our country?

What's sad for me, as a woman, is that she represents my gender in a presidential election. A prom queen who is being manipulated by her party and seemingly goes along with the premise? A woman who doesn't defend a woman's right to choose? A woman who is against teaching birth control with a pregnant 17 year daughter? A woman who seems to be willing to be a token, talking head, only because of her gender? A woman who is way out of her league being manipulated because of her gender and willingness to seemingly toe the party line without comment.

In another venue we would decry this nomination. Is it that different than the beauty queen who gets the secretarial job even though she can't type, file or answer a phone?

Who knows? Sarah Palin could have been a significant player after a few more years in politics. Instead she's sold out her gender, her party and her political life by pretending to be a contender. It's a sad day.

Sarah Palin is like junk food -- it may look appetizing, you may even enjoy it, but it is not good for you! And a steady diet of it would be harmful beyond repair.

The dumbing down is deliberate, you have to hope that common sense eventually triumphs. The neo-cons need a charismatic, religious, dumb leader - someone they can control - like dubya.

They believe in using religion as a means of social control. They certainly don't believe it themselves. I think that they would like McCain to die in office as they would then have their controllable dumb leader again.

McCain is more moderate but he had to go along because, like Bush, he needs the religious right to get elected.

Fortunately, I think that the traditional conservatives are catching on to the game these guys are playing. Plus, common sense folks who don't give two hoots about idelogy want someone who will fix the economy and give them back some pride in their country.

Palin is just a pawn in all of this. I think that she really believes that she is being used by God for a higher purpose. Wouldn't it be nice to think that she IS being used -- used to help prevent the neo-con Republicans from getting back in? Sigh.

I'm kind of centrist myself and so have very little against moderate conservatives. But these neo-con fanatics are really scary!!

Today's republicans and conservatives are disciples who wander the streets of our city on the hill avoiding glances of disgust reserved for followers of prophets exposed as false.

Trickle down economics is a failed ideology because it was a lie all along. Flag pin patriots who lacked intellect to begin with but had enough money to hire great speech writers.

Their hero leader viewed by anyone who isn't drinking the kool-aid has a doddering old man who apparently cashed in his valor and honor about the time he traded in his first wife decades ago.

Dumbing down you say, Yea OK the imbecile would envy the talents observed in a moron.

The Republicans made a deal with the devil when they seriously started to court the religious right. Instant Gratification, 1994 to present, but it's going to have some serious long term consequences. The public is not as stupid as some people peg them to be, the Republican Party schtick is coming to an end.

There are plenty of people like me that agree with old republican values like less government, high priority on civil liberties, free market, less socialistic tendencies etc.

Guess what though, I am a staunch Obama supporter. Obama doesn't speak down to me. He is intelligent and has a civil demeanor, he assumes that you "get it." If you don't well then your not going to vote for him anyway. I trust someone that I believe to have a high level of intelligence and character, despite my disagreements, over a blowhard that caters to ignorance and lies. Our views may not mesh perfectly but two things:

1) I consider I may be wrong in my views,

2) Even if I am right, at least the chance of rational interaction exists. As opposed to the recent Republican stance that rational discourse is not worthy.

I would rather vote for a Democrat that has an ideology that I may not fully agree with, then a Republican who willfully exhibits their ignorance and demeans intellectual discussion as "elitist."

Hopefully soon the Republican Party will understand the drag that the religious right imposes on them. Then we can go back to a rational discussion of governmental ideology, not moralistic platitudes.