Romney.

The Rustbelt snowbirds are getting hit in the pocketbook. That is not good for America or John McCain. These people know how big business (Republicans) has screwed them, taking away their pensions and reduced their medical benefits. The Dow Jones Index is almost the same as where it was when George Bush came into office eight years ago. That means no growth in Joe Six pack's 401k.

It's no big mystery; he has to attack. He has to do so NOW. He can't wait another week.

He's out there campaigning as if bipartisanship is what the race is going to hinge on.

Perhaps it's the fact that he's campaigning with Lieberman along for the ride, out there with him, that's stifling him from ripping into the Democrats. But whatever it is that's hindering him from going after the other ticket, ------------ he had better get rid of it fast.

Campaigns have been won by going "negative." And the converse is true as well. Campaigns have been lost for failure to go negative, or failure to go negative with enough time for those attacks to gain traction.

This campaign was closing effortlessly prior to the convention.

The convention itself, though it could have been better, still provided McCain the lead.

And then thereafter, they locked up Governor Palin, we haven't heard from Fred Thompson or Rudy, ---------------- McCain started campaigning with Joe Lieberman, ------------------- and it's been all downhill since.

Sure there was the financial interlude.

But the slippage began PRIOR to that, so we would be mistaken to attribute it SOLELY to that.

AS SOON AS OBAMA got hurt, he IMMEDIATELY went over to the offensive.

McCain did nothing to cover. Did nothing to respond.

And that's been the tale.

If one side is hitting with sledgehammers, while the other engages in what they term, {as did the ridiculous Bush campaign before them...} a "pushback," ------------------ well who do you think is going to emerge victorious.

Obama hails from the Chicago machine.

It's time to start treating him as the sock-puppet of that machine, as well as that of Soros.

STOP SUBSCRIBING to the media's narrative of him ushering in a political "new tone."

That's all bull.

Start going after him.

And let's not delude ourselves after the fact that Romney would have achieved anything. The selection of Romney would have resulted instead of an energized base as we saw with Palin, a McCain/Romney campaign hemmorraghing base voters.

Romney was a fraud. And he had troubles even talking a good game, as we saw in the Republican primary debates.

It's not been the selection of Governor Palin that has jeopardized McCain's chances. It's been the delivery of Governor Palin over to the hands of the ultimate incompetents in the GOP, former high level Bush staffers.

Not to mention, --------------------- was it Governor Palin who forced McCain to wildly fulminate against Wall Street "greed," in lieu of the real culprits, connected Democrats who were clipping everything they could get their creepy little fingers on.

McCain's response to the financial crisis has been less than stellar; which is what we've seen with his widespread suspension of the campaign, while Obama was unleashing wave after wave of attacks, all in CRUCIAL media markets. [Too bad you guys couldn't live here in Delaware county, so that you could just compare the sheer number of ads that Obama is running to that of McCain].

Let's not delude ourselves that Governor Palin is responsible here. When in American electoral history has a single interview decided anything. Couric's gotcha' interview hurt, but that need not be mortal. JUST SO LONG AS AN AGGRESSIVE ATTACK upon Obama commences immediately.

Heed the advice of Dick Morris. Go on the offensive. DO SO NOW! Start ripping and tearing into that minion of that morally repugnant Chicago machine.

Stop this unseemly, adolescent harping on a bipartisanship which doesn't exist.

Even now Bloomberg would be a calammity. For every voter persuadable voter reassurred by his economic expertise, there would be at least one conservative staying how in disgust with a tax raising pro abortion zealot.

Romney would almost be as bad. Romney's experience as a rich guy "turnaround specialist" who conveniently went from social liberal to orthodox conservative is exactly the kind of vague well paying corporate consultant/shmoozer that people inherently mistrust and now more than ever. Is McCain losing because Republicans, in this crisis are not associated enough with Big Business?

The wisdom of Palin's choice is on the line tonight, but even if she does well, even if she does great, its not going to be enough. No running mate could possibly have spared McCain from having to sell a compelling working and middle class oriented economic message. McCain has thus far failed to do so and is paying the price. Time is running short.

These people know how big business (Republicans) has screwed them, taking away their pensions and reduced their medical benefits.

Big business, alas, is almost entirely left-wing. But don't let mere reality intrude on your active fantasy life.

The big switch in the last few days is voters between 50 and 64 who say they fear that a combination of White House and Wall Street criminal irresponsibility has threatened their retirement.

Assuming this is true there is no justification except ignorance for these people to vote for Obama and the Democrats, who are almost completely responsible for the market meltdown.

There are those who believe that McCain and the GOP are waiting for a bailout bill to pass before they unleash a wave of ads to educate the public on this matter. Maybe. I'll believe it when I see.

There are those who believe that McCain and the GOP are waiting for a bailout bill to pass before they unleash a wave of ads to educate the public on this matter. Maybe..

Isn't that something they'd want to avoid? If the GOP votes for it, (or at least stands in the wings waiting for it to pass) then turns around and blames the mess on the Dems, they'd be digging their own graves. Even the limpest of parties would catch on to that strategy. Although after this recent stunt by McCain of galloping back to Washington to "solve" the problem, I wouldn't rule out anything.

Prediction -Obama wins and gets so overwhelmed by the ever worsening financial crisis (even with the bailout it will get worse). His "change" will amount to exactly that left in our pockets and the Dems will not renominate him for President. Instead the house of Clinton will rise again in 2012 and will face the GOP ticket of Romney/Rice.

If the GOP votes for it, (or at least stands in the wings waiting for it to pass) then turns around and blames the mess on the Dems, they'd be digging their own graves.

Huh?

That makes no sense. The bill is the attempted solution to the problem. The problem itself was created by the Democrats, who blocked any and all reform and oversight of Freddy and Fannie.

Who got us into this mess? People like Dodd, Obama, and Frank. The public need to be given the facts on this matter.

Here you go, andrew. Enjoy. A sample;

Rep. Frank: "I do think I do not want the same kind of focus on safety and soundness that we have in OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] and OTS [Office of Thrift Supervision]. I want to roll the dice a little bit more in this situation towards subsidized housing."

Rep. Frank: Let me ask [George] Gould and [Franklin] Raines on behalf of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, do you feel that over the past years you have been substantially under-regulated?

Mr. Raines?

Mr. Raines: No, sir.

Mr. Frank: Mr. Gould?

Mr. Gould: No, sir. . . .

Mr. Frank: OK. Then I am not entirely sure why we are here. . . .

Maybe it's been mentioned here before, but when Bill Clinton campaigned, he had some grandiose-type plans like Obama is touting these days. When he came into the White House, he was faced with a huge deficit courtesy of his friends on the other side of the aisle. All of his grand plans went out the window, he balanced the budget and got re-elected. We're in a very similar situation right now with the deficit, so I wouldn't be surprised if it consumes Obama, as well, and turns out well for him in the end.

John, I understand what you're saying now. I thought you were simply talking about the bailout bill itself.

Romney....who conveniently went from social liberal to orthodox conservative is exactly the kind of vague well paying corporate consultant/shmoozer that people inherently mistrust and now more than ever.

YES! As a conservative (and not a GOP cheerleader or Rockefeller) I for one am happy that once, just once, a Rockefeller did not get something they wanted. That said, I don't think it was any conservative impulse that led McCain to Palin (and away from Romney, etc.).

Palin's choice is on the line tonight, but even if she does well, even if she does great, its not going to be enough.

Not that it matters. Conservatives like Palin for Palin, not because McCain choose her. I don't think honest conservatives had any illusions of Palin somehow being a sign that McCain was redeemable. We are looking past this hopeless election cycle to the future - is it possible to lessen the tight Rockefeller grip on the GOP? Palin could be a sign that it is...

Instead the house of Clinton will rise again in 2012 and will face the GOP ticket of Romney/Rice.

LOL! I would do a write in for a real liberal like Obama before a Romney/Rice ticket.

andrew, #11 - as far as I know, only I have said that on here before. And what do I know? I teach English at a community college.

I think that is right, though, that Obama, if elected, will get smacked around by the reality of the presidency and be forced to faithfully execute the office and defend the Constitution, whether he really wants to or not. Just as conservatives, or even mere Republicans, have to deal with the reality of government as we have it, so, too, do mere Democrats, or even the audaciously hopeful.

However, with a Democratic majority in Congress, it is not like there is not damage that could be done, and I would really rather not.

I think it would be really fun if Obama got into office and terrorists took advantage, the economy plunged because all sorts of government regulations took down the nation's industrial and manufacturing sector, and maybe the San Andreas fault heaved itself about and made a federal failure to cope with an impossible, major national disaster of the ultimate California earthquake his fault. If President Obama found himself having to deal with these things, he might find himself thinking conservatively, having been mugged by events.

Which is to say, andrew, that I think you might be right. Since lots of guys on here seem to think an Obama presidency is inevitable, I have to be hopeful in the face of hopelessness.