The foist ting I do with Camille's essays is search for "madonna"s. (CONTROL - F on a Mac). There were only four this time. Then "hillary"s. There were two. Then references to talk radio. There were two.

Then, if I have nothing else to do, read the fucker. I had other things to do, this time. I'm nobody's dummy, you know.

Whatever happened to that weird cartoon with the Mossad agent and the dog who could read Greek? That was dumb, but only took a minute or two.

Superb post, G. L. . "Charisma is the highest human value, bar none. It trumps everything else. We are put on the earth to display our personalities."

You nailed the Paglia menace. Hole in one!

Dunno 'bout T. S. Eliot, as I never could keep my attention on all those wordy words, but she IS Sean Hannity. And Eve Harrington, too.

Palin is a perfect example of how a dominant mean girl can, and always could, get away with anything (the only traditional limit was the exclusion from certain forms of formal authority, and now that is gone) . Men like her because she acts interested and women rush to share in her mean girl power. One thing should be clear to everyone: refusing to talk about sex will leave you completely unable to understand anything that is going on. The right of course WANTS to hide, but prudery in this instance really is potentially suicidal for everyone else.

Camille, this is the dumbest thing I've ever read from you. You may have written even dumber things, but I won't be reading you any further to find out.

Palin reminds me of another demagogue who rose to world prominence in the 20th century.

The tactic: disguise lies as truth, feed on the frailties of the population, pump up the collective ego, dismiss the intellectuals as though the pursuit of knowledge is a disease, and infuse a subtle, yet strong feeling of superiority in your tone and body language. Mix all together and invite your audience to drink.

Yes, she's ballsy, and she is terrifying. Can we say "A Handmaid's Tale?"

Palin's competition will wipe the floor with her in 2012? If the entire country is on oxycontin on Nov. 4 and lets these people in, and McCain dies soon afterward(which he most certanly will; I can see no other reason the GOP would have made him frontrunner than to try to have a running mate they could use him to slip into power, I just thought it'd be Huckabee, who'd, admittedly, definitely manage this cuddly theocrat thing better than she), do you think for a second Palin would hesitate to make sure there WILL be no competition, of any kind, for her then or ever again? Think about how much Bush has done to the Constitution already. Now realize she's a purer version of the same thinking. Think about the fact she's the only person alive who will publicly speak in favor of Cheney having expanded his powers beyond any constitutional bounds, and that she has SAID, happily, that she'd expand them further.

If Palin became president she would do this or at least try. She is the queen bee and must have her hive. And that's not even talking of the Nixonian pursuit of enemies that she'd engage in far beyond what she did in Alaska. It's true one shouldn't underestimate Palin, but not because she's secretly clever. (Cunning, yeah, maybe) It's because of her stupidity. Haven't the last 8 years taught us that, with enough power, "stupid" can be even worse than evil? Consider that a smarter, if evil, president would have at least known how far to go, and when to stop, before harming himself too. This one didn't. He went down, but he took all of us with him and cost a lot of lives. Stupid, brutal and vindictive can do plenty harm.

And Camille--I realize Palin makes you start sliding moistly off your seat. But if she had a chance you'd be in a camp. Think about it. You will someday be very ebarrased you wrote this diabetes-inducing mash note.

Palin is touring the country trying to paint a good and decent man--Obama--as a terrorist-sympathizing, mysterious traitor. Why is she doing it? I don't know. Does she really believe the hateful crap she is spewing? Is she doing it because a bunch of corrupt male handlers gave her a script and told her to recite it with gusto?

If Sarah Palin did everything exactly the same but looked like Robert Bork, would you be celebrating her in this way? I find her dangerous, hypocritical, and amoral. Please take another look at her rallies and the stream of misinformed untruths she spouts out at debates and interviews. Why do you not find this disturbing? What is there to admire?

she's a sucker for a great pair of ... legs...

I admire John McCain's fortitude because I blindly accept the story that he did in fact choose to remain in captivity rather than abandon his principles. It is unfortunate that he has now chosen to sell out those principles in hopes of winning an election. While I am a registered Democrat, I rely strongly on my independent spirit to vote my conscience and pull the lever for whomever I beleive is best for my Country. At one time I thought that person might be John McCain. However now that we have gotten a glimpse of the "Real McCain" I shudder to think that I considered voting for him. I thought McCain was a person of integrity who's strong sense of Country and duty were above reproach. Now I know that it was all likely a charade to take us in. From his personal attacks on Senator Obama, to his willingness to hand our country over to a person who is not nearly qualified to lead us (Sarah Palin), to his pimping his wife to further his campaign of lies and deceit; it has become painfully obvious that McCain's slogan should be "McCain First" and the country next (if there's anything left of it after he finishes dividing and conquering). People ask where has the old McCain gone. I think you are finally seeing the real McCain and not the "representative" that he, in the past, has put in front of the public.