i knew it

I see Ms Palin is of German stock too...I wonder if she can drink steins of Beer whilst singing Slagermusik tunes. If so, I'll go drinking with her.

Anyone watching this?

I watched the beginning. Got really bored through purposefully long cheer and then even more once I realized she was saying nothing important at all.

Is it just me or is McCain just trying to appeal hip and not a sexist old fuddy duddy by getting Palin in?

I just listened to it on the World Service. She started quite nervously I thought but improved a lot as she went on. She certainly proved that she wasn't the 'joke' she's being portrayed as in the UK (in a campaigning sense at least - politically she's not even worth thinking about). With that in mind I'd definitely say she did a better job of making McCain look like a credible potential president than McCain seems capable of doing himself. Maybe her appointment wasn't quite as odd as it first seemed.

The 'average Hockey mom' schtick was inevitably pathetic but, I'm sure any republicans listening would've been slightly relieved that she atleast didn't jump out of a giant cake at the beginning. Although is it me or do all Republicans have a problem pronouncing basic words? They're a blooper reel editor's dream. Ironically the best speech I've heard so far at the convention has been ex-Democrat Leiberman's (sp)

Ha ha, the paragraph added to offset your own simple sentence.

But of course there weren't tons of other things that were happening at the time such as my dinner cooked or my movie paused half-way or that I already know the Palin talking points or that there was someone else in the living room who I don't enjoy being around (yes, all these are true). It's not that I'm apathetic, I just seem to care in a time and place contrary to when you do. Get over yourself.

Ah, I see. You're in a mood. Palin's bullshit has got you gunning for people to condemn.

Idiot

Simpleton

Hey, it's a campaign speech for the party faithful. I haven't heard any actual 'politics' from either side. These convention addresses are written more like Oscar acceptance speeches these days than they are anything else. Obama's was no different. So far I'd give him best leading actor, her best leading actress and Leiberman best performance in a supporting role. Either way the movie was dreadful.

It was a funny interview McCain gave on ABC earlier. He is sounding more and more like a robot as the days go on. He even looks like one too, almost a wax work that has come to life.

In a straight-up debate they have no chance against Obama/Biden. But there is no such thing as a such a debate. Besides, people are too distracted, ignorant and apathetic. Plus, the media is on eggshells lest they appear sexist. Bet it won't even be as close as last time. Two weeks before the election and after repeated innuendo (spin about the Dems being strong on tax hikes and weak on defense), they'll drop the motherlode about Barack's middle name to the still unaware masses. Obama's not carrying Florida or Georgia. He probably won't even get Colorado or Virginia. Therefore, he loses. Please explain to me how you expect that he wins. l mean, please. Because I hope I'm wrong. Sadly, I'm not. Anyone who thinks differently is merely deluded. The polls are unreliable, so don't go there.

That's my point with him selecting Palin. She does a far better job of humanising him than he seems able to himself. I have to be careful coming from the UK and not being privy to the mindset of the everyday American, but I do find it hard to imagine anything other than an Obama victory come November. I think the only problem, from what I understand, is that Republicans seem like far more determined voters than their opponents.

Republican't

Again, I feel slightly out of my depth here but, from a UK perspective, there is almost no coverage of McCain whatsoever. Europe seems convinced that Obama is going to walk it. Personally I'm not so confident. You're right that in a straight fight Obama and Biden would walk away with it, and that's largely what I'm basing my confidence on. But I can't possibly account for the mind-set of an American people that will, at the end of the day decide the whole thing. In terms of political nouse it's a Democrat landslide, in terms of appealing to the American people, I think you maybe right, although you're obviously far better judged than I am to really know.

Why are the polls unreliable?

In brief, the polls don't take into account what's very likely to be a stacked deck in the electoral college. And to boot, people are more apt to resist coming off as racist in a poll. When they are casting a secret ballot, it's a whole other matter.

My stock response to this kind of problem is that we should only let the French vote in elections, regardless of the country. But given that they elected Sarkozy, I can't even use that anymore.

Yes, the race issue was my immediate fear during the contest between Obama and Clinton, but even given his overwhelming support among democrats, I fear that I might have been right. How depressing.

this is because, like i stated somewhere earlier, the media is horribly skewed to the left. people outside of the country, and people who largely rely on the internet for news, really have no clue what is going on.