Chris Muir has Obama's number. If you don't want to deal with the scroll-thingie on my sidebar, or you're looking at this tomorrow (or, um, yesterday), here it is.

Oh, right—for non-time-travelling youngsters, start here.

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Ed Morrissey on Obama's latest breakdown. He's got video of that time Obama flipped Hillary the bird, and a "Sexist Memory Lane" of past woman slamming by the Mighty O.

My favorite is "'I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she’s feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal.' — February"

No, I don't think either Palin or McCain should respond directly, but it's fine for the rest of us to notice. The more he puts down women, small-town folk, older people, and gun owners, the faster his free-fall among those demographics.

Actually, my favorite part of the "lipstick on a pig" clip is how the Harvard man suddenly develops a little whisper of a Southern/traditional Black dialect, mid-speech: listen to him talk about "police-uh" instead of "policy."

Now that's cynical.

I know he's playing defense, but why does he have to be so defensive about it? Because once in a while, when Obama's feeling limp and small, he has to say hard things, just so he can walk erect. (Hm. Maybe that's why he suddenly developed a black accent, too.)

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1 Father: muslim with communist leanings. Step-father: muslim with communist leanings. Mother: radical hippie chick with communist leanings. Preacher Rev. Wright: USA hating, black "liberation theology" nonsense. Good friend: William Ayers, radical, hippie terrorist. Wife: Michelle, USA hating, chip on her shoulder besides having a middle class, Ivy League education. Hmm, yes he's a "good American" isn't he? McCain-Palin by a comfortable margin.

Posted by: rsg at September 10, 2008 02:13 PM (HH3AB)

2 As more and more Americans see and hear Sarah Palin, they are attracted to her wonderful personal story of starting as a local city councilwoman, then mayor, then governor. Now soon to be Vice President. In the other corner, we have a phony lawyer, who George Soros and Oprah Winfrey has financed and promoted. One with very little accomplishments and a history of Muslim and Communist leanings. Las Vegas odds-makers are now saying McCain-Palin have a 7 out of 10 chance of winning in November. And these odds are likely to rise. The media and international opinion will be showed for how much it really means to the American people: Nothing.

Posted by: Bev at September 10, 2008 02:18 PM (HH3AB)

3 I know you guys mean well. I'm comfortable with anti-Communist rhetoric, because of its unprecedented death toll, particularly in the 20th Century. I am not comfortable with the anti-Islamic sentiment. If it's fair to judge Islam by its lunatic fringe/worst failures (not matter how destructive they were seven years ago on this very continent), then it's fair to judge every other group in the same way. Including Americans. Including Christians. Don't care that he briefly attended a Muslim-run school as a child. Don't care about his middle name, which was assigned to him at birth. Don't care about any irregularities on his birth certificate. If we can vote for McCain, we can vote for Obama. He's a legitimate candidate. I do care about the associations with Ayers, Dorn, Wright, and Wright's church--speaking of lunatic fringes. But what matters right now is not the popular vote. What matters is the battleground states and the electoral college.

Posted by: Attila Girl at September 10, 2008 02:35 PM (TpmQk)

4 Eh, good call, Attila. Liberalism, outside of the current lefty hijack, is a good term per se and I'd be proud to claim some of it also. Not to punch holes in your response; I think it was considered and rational. However, the difference is this: Judaism, the bloody, violent bits of it, including the Law and the works of the Prophets, and even the Writings, was meant to be in operation by Israelites in Israel. Christianity, the same bloody, violent bits of it (and yes, the NT does have such imagery), is reserved for God Himself, and not His people. This is something that I cannot state too emphatically, and which I don't think too many people grasp. I just might do a post on my own blog about that - and a whole lot of other stuff I've been meaning to speak about but was too lazy. Plus, I can't click on your link. As of writing this comment. And here's where I asked the question: How are the 'Christians' justifying themselves? By and large, I think you'll find it's not driven by religion or doctrine, but by politics and tribalism and the Hatfield-McCoy thingy instead. Although, I imagine a Catholic would be capable of punching up an atheist who suggested that Mary was perhaps a bit loose with her morals with a Roman soldier. But, no, even that kinda stretches the imagination. And you know, when you actually ask an IRA dude straight out whether he's killing the Protestants simply because they're Protestants, and he disagrees with their ideology/doctrine, chances are he'll hotly deny it and talk about history instead. Good luck getting a Muslim who's actually actively terrorising to say that. CAIR might, and all kinds of other apologists might, but the Muslim terrorists themselves? Not so much. As has been documented over and over, the core of their actions is religiously-based. I think we all agree that by and large, Muslims (please, RSG, you can spell it correctly, it doesn't help our cause to denigrate the whole bunch of 'em) are not bad people. The problem is, Islam is, like Scientology (except even more so), a bad theocratic religion. And the more a putative Muslim wants to become more of a Muslim, the less classical liberal he becomes. I don't know the answer. Or strategy. We are fundamentally dealing with different mindsets. You can go ahead and read the Koran if you don't believe me, but keeping in mind that later verses abrogate earlier ones, and keeping in mind that the Muslims consider Muhammad's life one to emulate (as the Last Prophet), well... /btw, I'm a minority ethnically and religiously in my home country. I know from whence I speak. Most of the Muslims I know aren't the bad ones, but some... oi oi.

Posted by: Gregory at September 11, 2008 01:45 AM (cjwF0)

5 Gregory and LMA - I enjoy our chat......but fundamentally I find LMA waaay too "uber-tolerant" for my taste. To equate islam with Christianity and Judaism from centuries ago is.....well just silly and foolish. We're talking about today. Most moooslims are not terrorists, but almost all terrorists today are moooslims. (notice the sarcastic spelling; shows my contempt). LMA - I'm not interested in befriending the enemy or the enemy culture. It's the culture, stupid (not directed at you, an expression). I subscribe to the small but growing school of thinking that says the West should disengage with the islamic world. Have less and less to do with them and certainly, reduce if not stop their immigration into the West. Are we allowed to say that muslims attacked us on 9/11/01 or have we all become so conditioned that we must use the “pc” term – islamists? 9/11 is now known as a “tragedy” instead of what it really is, a precision military attack. We see the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor more often on the History Channel and related networks more than we see the muslim attack on 9/11. We’ve already been pacified. We’ve lost the immigration war with Islam. They’re coming here in record numbers, building mosques and establishing beach-fronts here. England may already be lost. As soon as a nation caves to moooslim "culture" by allowing some sharia law, mooslim customs, dress, diet, etc. - they are as good as dhimmis. You both must be young (and a bit naive).

Posted by: rsg at September 11, 2008 03:00 AM (HH3AB)

6 RSG: Okay, pal, I'll let Attila handle that one. Not getting involved. *Not*. But for myself, you could start by looking at my blog. Not that I'm trying to promote it or anything; it's kinda spotty and all, but you don't really know where I live, do you? Trust me; things in the USA are not that bad yet, dude. Trust me. You ain't seen bad or dhimmitude yet - indeed, I haven't experienced the *real* thing yet either, but I would wager 3 months salary I'm a lot closer to the issue than you are. Naive? Not really. I know precisely what we're dealing with. I live with the mildest of consequences and already we're chafing under it. Young? Well, 28, so yeah, young. Still. Incidentally, if you wanted to look up my posts on LGF (not much nor often, since Charles Johnson's gone anti-YEC, and I'm YEC so why visit a site that's slapping me in the face allatime?) or DW/JW (again, not too often do I post, because I don't have much to say except, "well, duh"), you can trace my login ID gkong3. I gotta be careful what I say, and of course occasionally I try to be even-handed and all, but I think I *get it*. What do you think?

Posted by: Gregory at September 11, 2008 07:08 AM (deuel)

7 It's cool, Gregory, I'm not trying to give you or LMA a hard time and I understand you do probably "get it". 28? Yeah, you're young and dumb! (just kiddin!!!) We all are at your age but there's time for you! I live in Dearborn, Michigan USA - the "capital" of Islam in the USA. Always has been for darn near a century but since the early 90's, and immigration levels went way up, the percentage of muslims of course went way up but even more so, the type of muslim immigrant changed, to a much more fundamentalist, archaic, strict/devout, sharia law type of muslim. Suffice to say, if this immigration continues, it will not end well. One more word of advice to LMA, jihad is not as simple as a "personal spiritual struggle" to improve oneself. That's the cover story. True, believing muslims are commanded to practice jihad, which also very much means to spread Islam and sharia law to all lands in the world. True devout muslims are instructed not to give their allegiance to nation-states since they are created by mere men but to remain loyal to the "state-less state" of Islam. Take care gang.......gotta get some work done. rsg

Posted by: rsg at September 11, 2008 09:39 AM (HH3AB)

8 We will not defeat Islamic "terrorism" until we admit that: 1) Identify the enemy - it's ISLAMIC. (we are unwilling to do this) 2) It's jihad and the natural way of Islamic warfare. (inner spiritual struggle my ass) 3) Immigration enables all this to occur. Therefore, we will become dhimmis.....

Posted by: BETwyan at September 11, 2008 11:32 AM (HH3AB)

9 LMA & Gregory, please read this link for http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022645.php#comments Thanks rsg

Posted by: rsg at September 11, 2008 01:59 PM (HH3AB)

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Pelosi's going to allow a full standard vote:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Monday morning that the newest Democratic energy bill will be brought to the floor under normal rules and will be subject to a vote on a Republican alternative that is likely to call for even more drilling than Democrats are prepared to swallow.

Hoyer, holding his weekly session with reporters, would not discuss details of the new Democratic energy bill — which was first outlined by caucus Vice Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.) over the weekend. But Hoyer did outline the process for bringing the bill to the floor, and said it will be brought up under regular order.

“[Republicans] will have the opportunity to offer their alternative, yes,” Hoyer said in response to a question about how the energy bill will be introduced. “We understand that their motion to recommit will be their Republican alternative.”

The move is a dramatic departure from DemocratsÂ’ pre-August recess strategy, in which they brought up each of their energy bills under suspension of the rules and, in doing so, avoided having any votes on Republican measures calling for offshore drilling. But by embracing this strategy, Democrats also failed to get the two-thirds majority necessary to pass the majority of their energy bills.

Now that Democrats are introducing their own proposal to allow drilling of the coasts of a handful of Gulf Coast states, they believe they can hold back the GOP energy bill, which calls for opening up both the Outer Continental Shelf and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Via Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, who remarks:

Pelosi miscalculated in her heavy-handed tactics before the recess. She attempted to push through her own plan under suspension of the rules, a tactic she decried in 2006, which kept Republicans from offering an alternative. When it failed, she adjourned Congress, hoping to put off the debate until after the conventions Â… and her book tour.

Instead of regrouping, the Democrats found themselves routed by an angry electorate and motivated Republicans. The House Oil Party kept the issue in the media eye, at least to an extent, but high gas prices kept it on the minds of voters while Democrats took their summer vacation. It was as poor a political calculation seen in recent years, and the sudden shift in generic Congressional ballots and in party identification has been the result.

Pelosi and Harry Reid may have finally figured out that they could lose this election on energy policy. Will this be enough to stanch the bleeding?

Note: I'm under deadline in my money-work; I'll try to sneak a real blogpost up tonight; in the meantime, keep your eyes on the way the electoral college is swinging in McCain's favor, and watch the House and the Senate; we need to know the details of any bill they vote on this week. We've got to keep them honest on this, and make sure they aren't taking options the table that we may need to use to become closer to energy-independent.

And make sure to get your comments in to the MMS, supporting exploration and drilling!

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Aaron Tippin has a new song that encourages lawmakers to take the concerns of ordinary American seriously when it comes to domestic energy production.

And you can find out all about it at American Solutions.

So we have a country anthem—but I'd like a hard rock one. I wonder if we can adapt something written by the Wilson sisters, specifically for the current energy crisis. Though didn't they write one about the Speaker of the House? "Dreamboat Nancy"? (Someone let Paul Shanklin know about this; he might like to do it, if he hasn't already.)

h/t: Newt Gingrich, whose interview today with Sean Hannity is now available for your listening pleasure.

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I really like this one.

Uncle John.

Ed Morrissey once referred to Levi Johnston as "the most nervous teenager in America."

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. . . Stalinism.

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What if it were Jindal instead of Palin?

Well, then—people would still question his experience. But I doubt they'd be all over his family life and religious beliefs in quite the same way.

The experience argument wasn't sexist; sexist was the way she was attacked for being so "stupid" as to have a child with Down syndrome, and such a "bad mother" that her daughter got pregnant a bit ahead of her wedding day.

Questioning Palin's experience wasn't the sexist element; it was the part that was merely factually wrong (depending, of course, on how heavily one weighs executive experience, which is the subjective aspect). It was bringing her family life into things, holding her responsible for her daughter's misstep, suggesting that she should be placing her family ahead of the nation's best interest, etc. that were exercises in sexism.

Then, when we used the word, we were told blithely that we aren't qualified to use it; only the Left knows what it is.

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Couldn't help yourself, could ya, Glenn?

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. . . on the myth of Axelrod's genius, and the delicate nature of Obama's momentum.

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It never rains, but it pours, huh?

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air, commenting on the latest numbers from USA Today:

Allahpundit flagged an interesting point in an updated version of the USA Today story on their latest polling in the presidential race. According to the internals of the Gallup survey, McCainÂ’s ascension to the leadership of the GOP may have healed the brand. Democrats lead Republicans in party identification by a single point:

In the new survey, more voters call themselves Republicans. Now 48% say theyÂ’re Democrats or lean to the Democratic Party; 47% say theyÂ’re Republicans or lean to the GOP.

Not since February 2005, right after BushÂ’s second inauguration, have Republicans been within a single point of Democrats in party identification.

WhatÂ’s more, voters by 48%-45% support the Democratic candidate in their congressional district, the partyÂ’s narrowest advantage this year.

Needless to say, this has huge implications for the election, and not just at the presidential level. Democrats had hoped to ride their large advantage to big gains in both the House and Senate this year. Voters have apparently begun realizing that Democrats controlled one of the most useless Congressional sessions in recent history, and the 9% approval ratings have finally taken their toll on Democratic leadership.

Energy policy is the likely locus for this sea change. Nancy Pelosi’s early adjournment without taking action to increase domestic production of oil — a policy favored by 70% of voters — undoubtedly damaged the party’s support, already weakening over the summer. Republicans have hammered Democrats for their refusal to create American jobs and keep American wealth at home, especially with the House Oil Party, and voters have begun to notice.

It also calls into question ObamaÂ’s coattails, and suggests much stronger coattails for McCain than anyone might have guessed. Of course, those coattails may belong to Sarah Palin, but regardless, the Republican ticket appears to have caught the nationÂ’s attention, which apparently has begun fatiguing on Obamamania. . . .

. . . . . . . .

Hold on to those November narratives. Republicans may just pull a surprise in the House if these numbers continue to move in the GOPÂ’s favor. They have the momentum now, and they need to keep pushing energy policy to fuel it.

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Sez:

I lived in AZ for all but for the last two years of John McCain's political career. I always saw him as a carpetbagger who moved to the state because it would probably be easier to get elected than back east especially since his trophy wife's family made a fortune in AZ distributing alcohol.

There were never any feel good stories about John McCain in the local press but plenty about the chauvinist pig aspects of his behavior including the story of his first wife.

Add to that the willingness of the Palin's to throw their 17 year old daughter under the bus, in that they knew the story of her pregnancy would go all over the globe and make this personal and painful time in that girl's life a target of speculation and judgment. My mom and dad would have protected me. They have been pissed out their skull but they would not have put me in any kind of spotlight.

The character of the Republican ticket is so shady I get chills.

I love these lefty critiques of the Palins that presume we, the die-hard Socialist Democrats, just can't help but obsess about her daughter's early pregnancy, and spread ugly lies about Sarah herself and the rest of her family, so John McCain should have taken anything unorthodox about her family situation into account, rather than select the person who has the courage, skill set, expertise and leadership we need in a Vice President right now. Forget the War on Terror, forget any attempts to achieve energy independence; all that counts in wartime is the feelings of one 17-year-old girl, who might be embarrassed because we on the left are doing our level best to humilate her. Which is John McCain's fault.

If Bristol Palin were one year older, she would be qualified to die for her country. She'll pull through this smear campaign, albeit with no help from the Obama-pushers in the press.

One assumes that Bleep Baby's indignation about male infidelities extends to President Clinton and Senator Edwards; I'll be eagerly awaiting posts from her on what male chauvanists they are.

UPDATE: I'm still rather aghast at the idea that having one's mother nominated to be the Vice President of the United States, and future standard-bearer for a political movement as equivalent to having a scarlet "A" placed upon one's clothing. But I shall try to move on.

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Six months after I decided to vote for John McCain—even if he were up against Hillary Clinton, whom I still wouldn't want to face down if I were the Russians or the Iranians—Hawkins has decided that the possibility of an Obama presidency is really too ugly to contemplate.

In Right Wing News, he explains how the extraordinary smear campaign against Sarah Palin put him over the top:

"Politics ain't beanbag" and everybody with half a brain knows the mainstream media is in the tank for Obama, so it's no surprise that Sarah Palin hasn't been treated fairly by the press.

However, the rumors, lies, and attacks on Sarah Palin's family, many of which have been spread by the mainstream media, have been absolutely despicable.

Barack Obama was celebrated for being the first black candidate to have a chance at the Presidency. Hillary Clinton was celebrated for being the first woman to have a chance at the Presidency. Even Nancy Pelosi, who has been a political disaster, was celebrated for being the first female Speaker of the House.

Yet, when Sarah Palin, a woman more qualified to be President that Barack Obama, was selected as the first Republican VP, there was no celebration, no congratulations, just a smear campaign that has been unprecedented in American politics.

Andrew Sullivan, the Daily Kos, and the rest of the slime merchants drug everyone from Palin's baby to her husband through the mud. Then the same mainstream media that spent weeks protecting John Edwards immediately launched countless attacks at Palin's family. Do a search on Sarah Palin's name and you'll find more disproved rumors and outright lies than facts -- and it's meant to send a bullying message to other conservative women.

"If you oppose the left and we won't just lie about you and try to destroy your reputation, we'll come after your children, too. So, you just keep your mouth shut and stay out of the spotlight."

The only way the left can be persuaded not to continue these tactics is to defeat them.

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Well, it was the biggest reason that I was hoping McCain would pick her. Of course, his head-fake was so convincing that I thought we'd lost out.

I'm so grateful I was wrong about that.

October 1 is a red-letter day in America.

On that day the offshore drilling ban, enacted in 1992, under immense pressure from overzealous environmentalists, expires. On October 1, unless that ban is reinstated, the American people will once again be free to develop and secure our own resources for our own needs.

President BushÂ’s approval rating bumped up immediately when he announced last month that he was in favor of lifting the ban.

Republicans are ready for the fight.

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Hilarity ensues.

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No. Not fascism. Not even nationalism, as I pointed out in my original reaction to McCain's speech.

Certainly, the international dimensions of Cindy McCain's charity work underscores this point: McCain is not so much asking us to love this country blindly as he is exhorting us to try and make it better.

Patriotism and nationalism are not the same thing. We just really like this "all men [and women] are created equal" stuff. We like it a lot.

We are right to like it, and we are right to want to shore it up—both here, and abroad.

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From Political Lizard:

There is an old saying in politics that says you can tell the state of an election by the States the candidates are campaigning in. The candidates have tendency to visit states they believe are battleground states they can win in November. I find it interesting that McCain has visited 4 States since his convention and two of them voted for John Kerry. I also find it interesting the Obama has visited three Sates; two of which voted for John Kerry. So out of the seven Sates visited post convention four of them voted for John Kerry in 2004 and three voted for George Bush.

What does this tells us? Well it tells us that Obama is in trouble. Obama visited Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. George Bush won a very hotly contested Ohio but Pennsylvania and Michigan have become reliable democratic. Neither of these Sates have voted for a Republican since 1992. That is sixteen years that these have been reliable states for the democrats and really have not been all the close. Ohio has a history of voting with the winning ticket. So Ohio is a typical swing state. McCain on the other hand immediately traveled to Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, and New Mexico. Two of these States voted for John Kerry. Wisconsin hasn't voted for a Republican since 1984. Michigan hasn't voted for a Republican since 1988. Colorado has been a reliable Republican State with the exception of 1992. New Mexico voted for Bush in 2004 but was Blue Prior to that during the Clinton/Gore era.

None of this bodes well for Obama. If Obama can't close the deal in Michigan and Pennsylvania he will be unable to continue campaigning in Western States. If he pulls out of Colorado or New Mexico they will stay red. If Obama must stay in high cost areas like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvannia; McCain will be able to stay on the offensive and turn States like Minnesota and Wisconsin. These are easier States to campaign in and will be energized by the progressive middle class appeal of McCain and Palin.

. . . In a Democratic year there should be no reason for Obama to be camped out in reliable Democratic States like Michigan and Pennsylvania. . . . [R]ight now this is a campaign where Obama is defending and McCain is on offense.

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Just wow.

The Liberal Limbo: Every time I think they've hit a new low, they show that they can, indeed, go lower.

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. . . that everyone's talking about, and by "everyone," I mean Ann Althouse:

I was able to follow it much more easily than Ann was, for whatever reason. But I don't know that either she or I was the target audience for it. (Well, Ann might be, as an Obama supporter.)

Is it over-produced? Is it effective? Does it have an intellectual point, or is it strictly an appeal to emotions? (And is that a bad thing?)

h/t: Insty.

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. . . throughout history.

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Doggie, doggie, doggie!

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