This speech is probably the best thing for the Obama campaign right now. If McCain picked Pawlenty or Ridge, we'd all be sitting on our asses, expecting to be owed the presidency. This makes it into more of a fight, and one that will make a Democratic victory that much sweeter.

Oh the fawning. Palin makes a speach that is full of lies, contradictions and easily dispelled untruths and this is a game changer? Really? I think this speach is great for anyone already voting McCain or more likely than not to vote, but wait: she still has to debate, sit down to interviews, and explain away everything she has said a done. In the end, Palin does do anything for McCain he needs. Yes she energizes his base, but she has also energized Obama's. I've never seen such viceral dislike of a candidate before by so many dems. I think she turns out to be a great pick for Obama too.

While it's nice to think one candidate or the other is ahead based on a national poll, the national vote doesn't matter until we get this:

http://nationalpopularvote.com/

Until then, we're down to just a few states that are going to decide the election, and I think Palin's appeal may make some of those contests closer than I'd like.

I don't think Palin's going to matter. She gave a strident speech last night that appears to have gone over like a lead balloon with independents, revved up the Republicans, and repulsed right-thinking Americans. People want to know more about her, and she didn't really explain much. She's just a pretty attack dog with a funny accent.

Barack Obama also has an amazing ground game that just won't quit. That has the Republicans scared shitless.

Nate from fivethirtyeight.com makes the point that the convention bounce doesn't really kick in statistically speaking until the third day of the convention. Since Monday was a wash due to Gustav, the first trace of a R bounce would begin tomorrow, and Palin's speech would be reflected in the Sat dailies...

Anyone else notice that Dick Cheney is possibly being investigated for fraud while CEO of Halliburton - front page of the WSJ today.

I'll bet each and every stranger staff member $5 that in 4 days, those positions will be reversed or better due to the Palin speech - 50% McCain, 43% Obama. Show up to the next slog happy and I'll pay out if I'm wrong.

(CBS) "The presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain is now even at 42 percent, according to a new CBS News poll conducted Monday-Wednesday of this week."

(CBS) "The presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain is now even at 42 percent, according to a new CBS News poll conducted Monday-Wednesday of this week."

@8 - 9 - among really old white voters who have land lines?

Color me shocked.

Not.

That's who was at the RNC convention - most people didn't watch it, viewership numbers were abysmal.

@10

not true...

37,244,000 Watched Palin

24,029,000 Watched Biden
38,379,000 Watched Obama

Were Obama & Biden's numbers abysmal?

If you count the 3.2 million who watched on PBS, it brings Palin's total viewership on ad-supported and public airwaves to more than 40 million.

Um, "watched" != "impressed". I watched the fucking thing, and so did most involved Democrats.

*Sniff Sniff*

I smell a landslide for McCain, and a victory for hard traditionalists like me.

2 wrote: "Oh the fawning. Palin makes a speach that is full of lies, contradictions and easily dispelled untruths and this is a game changer? Really?"

Great. When does the dispelling begin and the endless harping about nonissues - her daughter is pregnant, therefore she's a hypocrite; she belongs to a secessionist group; oh, no she doesn't, but her husband does; I hope the Enquirer publishes that story about her having an affair, even though it's probably not true!

There are issues of character and policy to address. Not that anyone on SLOG has been doing it.

And she will kick Biden's ass in a debate if he doesn't work on his game. When I saw him introducing Obama at a rally, he was stuttering worse than the kid we used to shun in fifth grade.

But who will write her script for the debate? And how many times will she be able to work her corny small town scmaltz into it? Will she be able to parade the baby around?

oh, and what about the slutty daughter? Can we have a babywatch segment during the debate? Will the confiscate the "National Enquirer" at the doors?