There's going to be a lot of angry letters in response to this article, denouncing the Republicans. Yes, they're running an ugly, disgusting campaign. But it's the bluster of a bully who's going down. The Dow has dropped 1500 points in the past month -- and all McCain & Palin can do is dredge up vague accusations about people Obama met 20 years ago. They're out of ideas. They have nothing to offer -- and the voters know it.

Obama is 6 points ahead in Ohio, and Virginia and North Carolina are tipping his way. The electoral map is getting bluer by the day. In North Carolina, Democratic registrations are outpacing Republican ones by 6 to 1. In Colorado and Nevada, it's 4 to 1. The Intrade prediction markets -- which have been more accurate than the polls -- are predicting that Obama will get 353 electoral votes to McCain's 185. (A candidate needs 270 votes to win.)

So relax, people. Let the Republican mud go by. Turn your energy to helping Obama. Donate to his campaign. Call voters in swing states. Drive Democratic voters to the polls.

McCain and Palin are going down, and they know it. That's why they're resorting to desperation tactics. The tactics will fail. They'll be footnotes in history. Asterisks in almanac pages.

And boy, will we all be happy to see them go.

The "Daisy ad" showed a little girl picking flowers, and ended with a nuclear explosion. The message was that warmonger Goldwater would start a nuclear war.

America bought it, and elected LBJ in a landslide. As president, "peace candidate" LB escalated the unpopular Vietnam war until it brought down his presidency, and ultimately led to humiliating military defeat for the U.S.

But in Salon's alternate universe, it was Goldwater who smeared LBJ.

Hilarious.

Here's the original Daiy ad if you want to see what real dirty poliics looks like, 1964 style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKs-bTL-pRg

no, i've changed my mind. it is. this is the way americans have run their nation since 1789, and they got that model from britain of king george 3, with the important modification that aristos and king be elected. this allows america to be run by american aristos, and king.

could be worse, not a dictatorship yet. tending that way, but not yet. and it's not going to get better. fascist dictatorship seems much more likely than democracy.

'people who will trade freedom for security will end with neither', to paraphrase poor richard. that is more than half of america, who worry about terrorism when their only dangerous enemy is government.

of course mccain will say or do anything for power. it's the nature of politicians. how could it be otherwise- without power they are nothing, and can do nothing. obama can afford the high road as he is on top, but he will change tactics when necessary.

i argue for democracy, it is the only hope of survival for people who want a decent life for all. but democracy needs citizen quality people, and maybe there simply isn't enough of them in the usa.

5 million swiss stood up to the nazi werhmacht, saying "free or dead". a few dozen muslin fanatics in afghanistan caused 300 million americans to hand over their personal rights to the grandson of a nazi sympathizer. the contrast in national character is stark.

so run the nation like it was a prize on 'american idol', it may be the best you can hope for.

The economy is going south, jobs are being lost (750,000 so far this year), foreclosures are still peaking, and the NY Stock Exchange went down by at least 300 points today (below 10,000 for the first time in 4 years).

Are Americans really so stupid that a resurrected attack on Obama (which has already been aired and addressed during the lengthy Democratic primaries) will cause them to vote for McInsane and Pailing, who have nothing to offer them in terms of the economy, health insurance, education, etc?

For some reason, I'm not worried about this fear and smear campaign of the truly desparate. The Republicans cannot win on the substance - all they have to fall back on is nastiness and lies.

Obama's win will be a sweet victory - one that will finally send a message to the Rethuglicans that the American public will NOT reward foolishness.

GO OBAMA! 2008 AND BEYOND!

ACORN really is a radical left wing organization which believes the ends justify the means, just like Stalin did, OK?

Reverend Wright, BARRY 0'S spiritual advisor, really did preach "God Damn America" and the whole congregation exploded in jumping up and down joy, OK?

Trinity United, Barry 0's church, was really pro Hamas, the organization which rockets Israeli civilians, OK?

Billy Ayers and Barry 0 were tight, and anybody who says they were not tight is kidding you or hisself, OK?

Barry 0's homie, Rashid Khalidi often calls Israel an "apartheid state," OK?

Antonin Rezko, Barry 0's house fairy, has been a Syrian bagman for slimy middle east money, OK?

What's ugly, Obamabats, is you, Obamabots.

You are trying to pull a trick on America, and part of your strategy is to act horrified, disgusted and insulted when anyone calls you out?

How bout spreading a story like John Mc Cain is balling his adopted daughter from BANGALADESH?

The very things that made McCain a successful fighter pilot make him unsuited to be presidemt. A fighter pilot must make split second decisions. There is no time for thoughtful planning. There is a reason why the previous military presidents were generals. Generals are thoughtful planners. John McCain has run his campaign just like a fighter pilot - moving quickly from one instant decision to the next. This is not what I want leading our country. I want someone capable of looking thoughfully at the future, taking in alturnative ideas and proceeding with the best plan. That is why I want Obama - a thoughtful man in the top office. And Sara Palin has just shown herself to be an attack dog - nothing more.

Coming to a TV screen near you, sometime in very early November.

It may be the GOP's only chance left. And they may not even have to produce it themselves.

Just consider: If you were bin Laden, wouldn't you be more than a little afraid of the U.S. electing a president who actually WANTS to catch you?

God, I hope Obama's campaign is ready for this.