Or, would he prefer to remain in the Democrat majority of the Senate come January 20? Or maybe he’s even sending out feelers for a Cabinet post in an Obama Administration… It is getting hard to tell. In fact one could possibly argue that he doesn’t really want it. After all, how many opportunities has McCain had to call into question Obama’s stealth past, his socialist and terrorist connections, his complete and very obvious lack of any academic work that might offer even a minute view into that the man is really thinking and how he views the world – and he has passed nearly all of them by until last week. Indeed, even going on the attack for Senator McCain seem to mean letting you running mate do the dirty work. It is not an abnormal thing to have the candidate at the top of the ticket try to remain above the fray and appear more “statesman-like” while their running mate goes for the jugular. 

Here’s where I have a problem with McCain’s alleged strategy: he’s not going for the jugular and I don’t think he will. Worse, I believe it’s not that he wouldn’t, it’s that he believes he shouldn’t. Senator McCain, a career navy man who has more than served his fair share of time in combat and the living hell of North Vietnamese POW camp, no doubt understands very well the essence of combat. Whether the combat is military or political the goal of combat is victory, and one achieves victory in only one of two ways: one forces the enemy to surrender, or one destroys and terminates the enemy. 

Given the stakes in this election and the fact that they have just been raised immeasurably higher by the recent government actions to nationalize massive segments of the private economy, which McCain himself supports, one would think the Senator would be fighting as hard as he can to destroy and terminate the enemy rather than simply try to force him to capitulate and surrender, and this most especially so given the fact that Obama is undoubtedly the most dangerous man ever to position himself for a takeover of the US Government. I say takeover, rather than “seek election” because in seeking election one does not employ miscreants to engage in vote fraud on a massive scale, nor does one celebrate little children being forced to sing propaganda songs about “hope and change,” nor does one remain conspicuously silent on the subject of youths dressed in fatigues performing paramilitary drills in public schools while shouting out Obama’s plans for “change.”

The thing I am finding truly disturbing is that right now he appears to be fighting for neither capitulation nor destruction of the enemy. In fact, just within the last couple of days Senator McCain has actively defended Obama. His admonished his own supporters for demanding he hit Obama harder over his connection to terrorist William Ayers, and then called Senator Barack Obama an inherently good and decent man who loves and believes in America.

Senator, I beg to differ wit your assessment of Mr. Obama, and here’s why:

1. Inherently good and decent men do not enable infanticide;

2. Inherently good and decent men do not remain silent when their supporters threaten to bring criminal charges against anyone who speaks ill of The One;

3. Inherently good and decent men do not remain silent when children are being exploited for political purposes;

4. Inherently good and decent men to not go out of their way to hide their past;

 5. Inherently good and decent men to not remain silent when children are indoctrinated into politically extremist views by those who are entrusted with their care and education’

6. Inherently good and decent men would not have spent 20 years in a racist, anti-American “church” listening to their pastor incite hate in the name of Christ;

7. Inherently good and decent men would admit to their past associations with extremist groups like ACORN, would admit to the roles they served, and denounce attempts to win an election by fraud;

8. Inherently good and decent men do no associate with admitted and unrepentant terrorists;

9. Inherently good and decent men would denounce their endorsements by Marxist and socialist groups, as well as foreign terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah;

10. Inherently good and decent men would not actively try to subvert the foreign policy of the sitting President (however misguided he may be…);

11. Inherently good and decent men would not subvert the Constitution at every opportunity;

12. Inherently good and decent men would not subvert their own nation’s sovereignty to a world body like the UN;

13. Inherently good and decent men speak plainly about what they believe and what they want to do;

14. Inherently good and decent men do not actively sanction the suppression of free speech;

15. Inherently good and decent men do not devalue human life to the equivalent of a “mistake”;

16. Inherently good and decent men do not engage in corrupt activity and then point fingers at others;

17. Inherently good and decent men would admit to past mistakes and ask forgiveness;

18. Inherently good and decent men do not play the “race-card”;

19. Inherently decent men do not incite race-riots through their surrogates;

20. Inherently good and decent men would speak the truth.

There is nothing good and decent about Barack Obama. He is a monster who enabled infanticide simply so he could continue to rake in campaign money and support from Planned Parenthood. He was an “academic” yet never published any professional work, only is self-crafted and spun autobiography. He has denied associations anyone with an internet connection can validate that he had, he refuses to answer questions on almost every facet of his life’s story, and he received not merely a free pass but the adulation and love of the smitten masses who have been waiting for “the One.” History shows time and again when a man come out of nowhere and ascends to high office without vetting and proper examination, the consequences can be most severe. And now with the perfect storm brewing economically, socio-politically, and culturally, we have in Obama the most extreme and dangerous ideological zealot every to seek the Presidency, and a man who has employed masterfully the teaching of his master, Saul Alinsky – deceit on a massive scale, because one cannot divulge who they really are lest they be rejected. Hence the necessity of pretending to be like everyone else; to lie, cheat and steal, to employ thuggish threats and corruption, and to deny everything with a smile while playing the “race-card.” 

The fact is that we no more about Sarah Palin’s 17 year of daughter’s pregnancy and Sarah’s newborn son Trigg than we do about Obama. But John McCain believes he is a good and decent man. The man who as President would utterly destroy what is left of capitalism and liberty in this country is a “good and decent man?” 

While I had been a “fence-sitter” or a “nose-holder,” in less than lukewarm support of this ticket, with this statement coming from a man who portents to be a conservative and a maverick, I can stand it no longer, because with such a statement McCain has as much as openly admitted that he will not rock the boat in Washington, he will not cross the line that counts, he will not be a real maverick when it comes to truly standing up for what is right. And most disappointingly of all, in admonishing his supporters he makes it clear that he will not go for the jugular and fight to terminate Obama’s chances at the White House with the arsenal he has available to him. He will not use all the weaponry at his disposal to bring this combat to a victorious conclusion for the American people. He will not put his country first – for fear of offending fence-sitting Democrats and perhaps losing their support. At this point, in my own opinion, the only reason McCain can call himself a maverick is because he has fought conservatives every inch of the way. 

Like many others out there, I can take a lot and compromise to a point. My line in the sand has been crossed. And, I am now more than ever convinced that if this republic is to survive as a free society, it will be because the third parties run the Democrats and Republicans out of town and make the Constitution the law of the land once again. Anything less will be un-survivable after an Obama Presidency. Continued capitulation to Obama’s Chicago socialist propaganda machine is merely a policy of appeasement that will only serve to undermine the cause of the right. I am now convinced that McCain does not have it in him to fight Obama to the death, so to speak. We all know the MSM is in the bad for Obama, and that Obama is a vey intelligent man with a massive underground extremist organization determined to hand him the Presidency licitly or illicitly – by any means necessary. 

And now we know that the GOP leadership will roll over and cut the best deal it can with these traitorous thugs while leaving the rest of us with false hope. I will not be fooled. I know the GOP cannot be trusted any more than the Democrats. If the future of this republic is in any way to resemble the glories of her past days, the only viable way to set this course is through independent candidates, third parties and merciless phone and email assaults on Capitol Hill. I, for one and for what it is worth, will be throwing myself into third party activism and campaigning. If I had money I’d be throwing that too. It is far better to begin and end the revolution with the ballot rather than with the shedding of blood which should be avoided at all costs, although I am not at all convinced that the government, especially under Obama, would be able resist the temptation to fire the first shot. May God help us in our righteous cause of Liberty.

Elections are as funny and entertaining as they are serious, and if you can’t find the humor in this stuff you’d better make sure you don’t miss taking your blood pressure medicine, because the differences between the candidates in this race are indeed striking, and the very future of our republic hangs in the balance.

Politicians are funny too – especially Senators and anyone running for President.  You’ve got to expect gaffes and goofs and stupid things.  And you ought to laugh at them, if for no other reason, than because it’s good for the soul.  But I digress…

Don’t you just love watching the elite intelligentsia try to relate to us every four years?  I do – I can’t get enough of this stuff!  Now, GOP and Democrat candidates have markedly different ways by which they demonstrate that they are just like us.  The Republican multi-millionaires will dress casual, which means they don’t wear a tie with their slacks, blazer and loafers; and they’ll go to local coffee shops and restaurants and talk to the folks and try their best to come off as a regular Joe or Jane.  Sometimes the GOP candidates from the plains or the west even wear jeans. Oh, audacity of hope!

The Democrats are more fun I their approach.  Bars and rodeos.  I mean, what normal, average, everyday American doesn’t like bars or rodeos?  We’re talking proletarian-paradise here.  Corn-dogs, beer, cowboy hats and, of course, don’t forget the rodeo clowns wearing cowboy hats!  Ah, Americana at its best!  And speaking of clowns in cowboy hats, I’ll tell you, when I saw the image of Senator Obama in a cowboy hat doing his best John Wayne, I just couldn’t help but be moved.  No, no, not that kind of movement – and not the “tingly-leg” thing either.  It was more of a moment of self-reflection and identity.  It was like I jumped out of myself because it was like I was looking at myself, you know?  I just wanted to scream out, “WOW!  He’s just like me!  This progressive, socialist leaning liberal Democrat understands ME!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  HE IS JUST LIKE ME!  This man GETS IT!”

And he’s into electronic devices, too, although I admittedly kind of lost my enthusiasm momentarily when I thought about how I only have a little Razor cell phone and therefore can’t really relate to a guy with a few million dollars in his pocket who can bring a teleprompter to the rodeo.  But I digress yet again…

Seriously though, when is the last time you saw even a closet socialist wearing a cowboy hat?  I can only think back to when Gorby visited Reagan’s ranch in California and when Khrushchev visited President Eisenhower in 1959 and stuffed his face with good old American corn (because they didn’t grow enough in the Soviet Union, maybe?).

I also got a chuckle thinking about something else: Mike Dukakis sitting down on the T on his way into Boston, holding his latte-frappa-doosie, and opening his Boston Globe only to see Senator Obama’s picture in the cowboy hat there staring at him.  Yes, one need only muster a little imagination to guess what was going through the Duke’s mind as he reacted to the photo of Obama as if it were saying, “Howdy pilgrim.”   Can you picture him thinking back to the photo that killed his campaign as he bolted out of his seat shrieking, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!” before collapsing back into the seat and leaning his head against the window, silently watching the suburbs pass by and lamenting yet another lost opportunity to advance the cause of the Proletariat.  Yeah, kind of makes you smile, huh?

Oh, the lamentations of the Duke!  “How could this be?”  I don’t know.  I wonder if Obama had ever seen that photo of Dukakis in the tank.  I mean 1988 was only 20 years ago.  Well, maybe Obama was too busy organizing communities and multiplying fish and loaves for the downtrodden masses to have seen the picture.  Oh, yeah, and in his spare time he was probably in church praying for the rise of world socialism and rejecting middle-classness, and fist-bumping Jeremiah Wright after his radical sermons, after which he would read and memorize Saul Alinsky books.  And when he went on to Harvard he was still far too busy to seek out the Duke for his political savvy and advice for the future.  Not to mention the fact that the Duke taught at Northeastern after the election, and no respectful member of the Harvard elite intelligentsia would be caught dead hanging out in the Fens at Northeastern.  Please!

Yep, that Barak Obama, why he’s just like me, and I can really relate to him, except for all that money he has, and the radical black liberation theology to which he subscribes, and the degree from Harvard, and the “community organizer” thing, and his proclivity toward socialism.  Oh, and the teleprompter at the rodeo.  Yep, just like me!  Yes we can! Hope! Change, change, change!  Yes we can!

You know, come to think of it, I think I can actually relate a little bit better to Dukakis - at least the Duke was in the Army for real, long before the photo ops.

You have to love the Looney-Left. While the Obama campaign is still reeling from the knockout punch delivered by the addition of Sarah Palin to the GOP ticket, they have become increasingly desperate as evidenced by their underhanded and loathsome personal attacks against Palin and her family. And, while Obama and his official campaign surrogates may smugly deny the smears, you know they are grasping at straws and giving each other the ol’ fist pump as each new attack is made.

After wild and baseless accusations alleging Sarah Palin was really Trigg’s grandmother, after screaming about alleged abuse of power with the so-called Troopergate scandal, after insulting her and her hometown of Wasilla, after all of these smears failed to bring Palin down, the Left has done the only thing they could – they’ve turned to God for help. 

You see, the Democrat Party actually discovered God just prior to the commencement of their 2008 convention in Denver, and since then religion has caught on like wildfire – or a burning bush, as the case may be. And, surprisingly, nowhere in the party is this newfound faith in God more apparent than, miracle of miracles, the Looney-Left!

In fact for only having known God for just a few weeks, they’ve had quite the revelation in so short a period of time. As Michael Moore and Don Fowler put it so aptly, Hurricane Gustav bearing down on New Orleans the very day the GOP convention was set to begin was clearly a sign from God that He is firmly in the race for Obama and the Democrats. Of course – how could it be otherwise? And this has been confirmed by the latest revelation to the Democrat Faithful.

After losing the “experience” wars over the last week The Almighty has once again shone the light of His divine favor upon the Democrat Party be revealing that Jesus was not merely the Son of God Most High, but also was a Marxist community organizer who apparently championed redistribution of wealth on a massive scale, kowtowing to radical Islam, turning the other cheek, willingly going the extra mile and loving one’s neighbor, except of course when that neighbor happens to be a conservative woman named Sarah Palin.

Why just yesterday Susan Sarandon was on one of those really informative “celebrity news” shows and said, “You know, Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor. That’s all I have to say about that.” Wow! Such profundity! I had no idea she was such a fluent Biblical scholar.

In fact, in just the past week, Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi – herself a most gifted and charismatic leader as evidenced by her monumental accomplishments in overseeing the 110^th Congress – acknowledged that Obama is “a gift from God.” Not to be outdone by their boss Pelosi or the esteemed Hollywood elite, Democrat Representatives Steve Cohen and Donna Brazile also made the point of affirming and validating Obama’s service to his nation as a community organizer, and not just at some fly-over political rally. No, Cohen had this to say on the floor of the US House of Representatives: “I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that the parties have differences, but if you want change, you want the Democratic Party. Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor.” Brazile said the same thing on Wolfe Blitzer’s show.

Now I don’t know about you, but I am awfully glad that the Democrats have finally discovered God and seem to quickly be getting over their hang-up on that Church-and-State thing they used to complain so often and bitterly about. 

I guess the forgot that their heroes like FDR, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were also governors – just like Pontius Pilate. I guess now that they’ve discovered Jesus, they’ll eventually re-write the Gospels too, just like they’ve done to history. I wonder when they’ll start blaming Jesus for Judas’ death and condemnation to hell. I mean after all, Jesus knew what Judas was going to do, didn’t he? Couldn’t he have stopped him? Why, He didn’t even try! Can you see the outrage coming?

Oh, and what about the war? Jesus/Obama is certainly against war – any war. Remember that thing about loving thy neighbor? And what about “thou shalt not kill?” All very true indeed. However, I have a couple of slight problems with this newfound Democrat Theology, especially since their messiah doesn’t seem to believe that the 6^th Commandment applies to newborn infants that so inconveniently survive their own attempted murder. Call me a skeptic, a villain, or whatever you will, but I’m not buying it.

You’ve got to love the Looney-Left. You’d think that after 2000 and 2004 someone over their on the Left would have enough sense to tell these people to shut up until after the election and ruthlessly silence them as they are so fond of doing to any opposition.

On the other hand maybe, just maybe, Pelosi, Sarendon, Donna Brazile and Steve Cohen are a gift from God to the GOP. Gee, ya think?

McCAIN AND OBAMA CAMPAIGNS

With the expected news of a poll-bounce for the GOP in the wake of the Republican National Convention comes the unexpected, albeit much welcomed news for conservatives that the McCain-Palin ticket has pulled ahead of Obama-Biden. Real Clear Politics averaged the major poll results and came out with McCain at 48.0% and Obama at 45.6%, a 2.8% lead for McCain. The pollsters from whom these averaged results were taken ranged from CNN/Opinion Research and Rasmussen Tracking polls showing the two candidates tied at 48%, to a USA Today/Gallup poll showing McCain ahead by ten points at 54% to Obama’s 44%.

Clearly the McCain-Palin ticket has succeeded in stealing Obama’s thunder, but a 2.8% lead is still a statistical dead-heat, and although the GOP ought well to take a measure of pride in surpassing Obama in the polls for the time being, gloating and/or complacency could prove fatal.   Momentum has shifted, but the deal is far from sealed. So how does the McCain-Palin ticket seal the deal? This is a difficult question with many potential answers.

First, it is noteworthy that in the weeks prior to the Republican National Convention Obama was generally the frontrunner. The week just after to the Democrat convention in Denver saw Obama ahead by as many as 8 percentage points (Gallup). The week prior to the DNC event in Denver revealed a general trend of an Obama lead, but that lead only ranged between 1 and 4 percentage points. This is significant, because in the weeks beginning 01 July and ending 25 August, Obama was up as high as 9 percentage points the week of 13 July, but averaged only a 4 to 5 percentage point lead until the week of the Democrat convention. In the days immediately following the Democrat convention Gallup Tracking and CBS had Obama with an 8 percentage point lead over McCain, while Hotline/FD gave him a 9 percentage point lead. On the low end, a CNN poll result showed Obama with only a 1 percentage point lead that week.

PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL

Why is this significant? It is significant because at no point in the several weeks leading up to the Democrat National Convention was Obama leaving McCain in the dust, which is what one would expect if things in this country were perceived as being really as bad as Obama campaigns on. Indeed, there is real discontent with President Bush as he currently has a 32.8% approval rating with 64.0% of voters polled indicating disapproval of his administration. With a disapproval rating twice that of the incumbent Republican’s approval rating, one would rightly assume that voters should be flocking to Obama in droves. Despite the messianic coverage of Obama by the mainstream media, this is apparently not the case; and, this is a very interesting thing, because in general, one can view approval ratings and disapproval ratings of the incumbent President as a referendum on the party as a whole during a combined general and presidential election year. 

This next set of numbers, however, is very telling about the current electoral climate when looked at in context with numbers cited above.

CONGRESS AND GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS

First is the Real Clear Politics Congressional Job Approval average of four polls over the period from 12 to 31 August. The RCP average gives Congress a meager 17.8% approval rating and a staggering 73.8 disapproval rating. The approval ratings for Congress were as follows: Quinnipiac from 08/12 to 08/17 16%; LA Times/Bloomberg from 08/15 to 08/18 17%; Hotline/FD from 08/29 to 08/31 at 18%; and FOX News from 08/19 to 08/20 at 20%. The disapproval ratings show FOX News and LA Times/Bloomberg at 73%, Quinnipiac at 74%, and Hotline/FD at 75%. 

This next set of numbers is very telling, again when taken in context with the previous results. 

The polls for use in predicting the emerging trends for the general Congressional electoral results for November averaged by Real Clear Politics from 15 August through 07 September give Democrats a 5.4 point advantage with 45.8% of the vote over the Republicans an average of 40.4%. The two extremes were the NBC News/Wall St. Journal poll conducted between 08/15 and 08/18 that show Democrats likely gaining 47% which is 11 percentage points above the Republicans 36%. The other extreme was the USA Today/Gallup poll conducted between 09/05 and 09/07 showing the Republicans up 5 percentage points likely gaining 50% of the vote to the Democrats 45%. It is noteworthy that the remaining three polls in the RCP average, Democracy Corps, Hotline/FD, and FOX News showed marked advantage for the Democrats, with that party polling ahead 5, 7, and 9 percentage points, respectively. 

SUMMARY

1. Emerging trends for the General Election: Beginning with the last batch of numbers, these clearly show that the Democrat Party has the overall advantage going into the November general Congressional election with the combined RCP average showing them up 5.4 percentage points over Republicans. Clearly the result demonstrates a widespread dissatisfaction with both Congress and the Republican Party. This is interesting because it is indicative of a distorted perception that the Democrats in Congress are doing a better job that the Republicans, when this is clearly not the case as evidenced by the Congressional approval ratings.

2. Congressional Job Approval: The interesting factor here is that the Democrat Party is the majority party in Congress that the polls show overwhelming dissatisfaction with. Congress gets a 73.8% overall disapproval rating and is ruled by the Democrat Party, yet the emerging trends above show this same party with a 5.4 percentage point advantage over Republicans going into the general election.

3. Presidential Approval: President Bush and his Republican Administration are disapproved of by voters by a margin of 2 to1, or 64.0% overall disapproval to 32.8% overall approval.

4. Presidential Campaigns: On 7/01 Obama had a 5.9 percentage point lead over McCain. His lead decreased to 2.3% on 8/04, and then climbing back to 4.8% on 8/12, dipping to 1.2% on 8/20 the week prior to the Democratic convention and then climbing to 6.4% on 9/02. Immediately upon entering into the Republican convention, and following the significant development of McCain announcing Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Obama’s numbers began to fall off from a 6.4% lead on 9/02 and continued to drop as momentum appears, at least for now, to have shifted to the McCain camp with a 2.4% lead as of 9/08.

CONCLUSIONS

Clearly this is as tight a race as has been in recent history, with the poll results showing mostly a statistical dead heat once these polls are averaged together. What is certain is that the announcement of Sarah Palin’s addition to the Republican ticket served to give the GOP a definitive boost in the numbers, and once both candidates’ acceptance speeches were delivered at the GOP convention, erased Obama’s lead and put the McCain camp ahead. This is largely due to the fact that Palin is viewed by the conservative base of associated with the Republican Party as a solid conservative, fiscally and socially, and is also seen as a true reformer with a proven record.

That notwithstanding, the McCain ticket is clearly hurt to some degree to whatever extend the Obama-Biden camp can sell the argument that McCain is the equivalent of President Bush, a fellow Republican with a 64.0% disapproval rating. This is where things get as interesting as they do confusing. While the high rate of dissatisfaction with President Bush and his administration can be understood as a referendum on the entire Republican Party, and so while it is no surprise that the polling for emerging trends and predictions for the general Congressional elections gives the advantage to the Democrats, the advantage is not as large as one would think, a mere 5.4 percentage points. What is truly interesting here is the fact that Congressional disapproval ratings are averaged at 73.8%, down only slightly from a high of 77% in July. 

What this data show is that the country is still sharply divided politically. But what is more surprising is that given the increasing overall dissatisfaction with President Bush, the numbers have not swung more steeply in favor of Democrats. The data suggest a strong distrust of both parties as evidenced by the President’s disapproval rating, but no solid referendum for a different direction even while the RCP average taken between 08/19 and 09/07 that only 20.0% approve of the direction the nation is going in, with 75.7% disapproving.

For McCain, this is all good news and for Obama it is worthy of concern. For both campaigns it is worthy of very careful attention and much reflection. Obama, a highly charismatic person and eloquent speaker, has yet to complete the sale to the American voters. Given the state of dissatisfaction with government in general, Obama ought to be clobbering McCain, and yet he has barely pulled out a lead better than a statistical dead heat when all the poll results are averaged together.

McCain has seen momentum shift in his favor, and this is largely due to his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, he acceptance speech, and his follow up acceptance speech which reassured the conservative base by telling them what they needed to hear to get behind the ticket, and making an appeal to undecided voters. What is certain is that prior to the GOP convention, most conservatives were very leery about McCain and if even inclined to support his candidacy did so only grudgingly and as an affront to Obama. 

What is equally certain is that by choosing a staunch conservative reformer who is solid on social and fiscal issues of concern to the conservative base, who is relatively unknown and who is a woman has undeniably galvanized and energized that same base and thereby the whole of Republican Party. McCain drastically increases his chances at victory if he stays to the right, and in picking Palin he has signaled his intent to do exactly that. What the campaign needs to do next is to take the message to the people that the Democrats are the majority party in the Congress they so disdain and hammer the point home with voters to disassociate the Republicans from the failures of a Democrat controlled Congress.

McCain must also be careful not to be perceived as being George W. Bush redux, which ought not be too difficult a task; especially in making the case that he and Palin are the candidates of real reform and change, especially on wasteful government spending. If McCain-Palin can accomplish these things, they can easily beat Obama in November. The conservative base is largely on board now, and so the sale needs to be taken to the undecided’s and independents. 

Clearly the Palin pick has put Obama-Biden in a box in a way they never saw coming, and they are still reeling and assessing what is the best move and direction to proceed. McCain put them there and only he can keep them there. Right now it’s his race to lose, though far from over.

Ever biased and unceasingly hypocritical, mainstream media outlets with a leftist bent never fail to disappoint. It is a truly sad commentary on an otherwise noble profession that so many networks, publications and individual journalists have so easily shelved the objectivity they repeatedly purport to maintain for bitter and non-too-subtle partisan attacks all designed to smear a political rising star and obliterate her character. Consider just a sampling of the headlines about Governor Palin released since she was announced as John McCain’s running mate last Friday:

From CBS News Campaign 08 Horserace: Palin’s Daughter Pregnant.

From Reuters: Palin rebuts rumors, says daughter pregnant. 

Of course both articles had to mention that the pregnancy announcement was “to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.” 

A picture of Palin holding her son on the cover of US Weekly with a storyline: “Babies, Lies and Scandal,” along with other biased and other tabloid-style phrases to entice and further promote negative opinions of Palin before even reading the article. “Under attack… Under investigation for firing of sister’s ex-husband… New surprises.” Contrast the Palin cover with the enthusiastic endorsement of Obama in the June 19 issue. The Obama cover featured the cover story headlines, “Michelle Obama: Why Barack Loves Her.” Coupled with: “She shops at Target, Loved Sex and the City, and never misses the girls’ recitals. The untold romance between the down-to-earth mom and the man who calls her ‘my rock.’” It should be no surprise, then to find out that the publisher Jann Wenner is an open, enthusiastic and vocal supporter of Barak Obama. He has also donated a lot of money to various Progressive Democrat causes to the tune of $130,308 since 1993. Wenner also publishes Rolling Stone, whose March cover proclaimed, “Barak Obama, a New Hope.” These are Wenner’s own words on Obama.

MSM journalists have decried Palin since Friday because they never interviewed her – remember nothing is newsworthy unless they say it is. Remember when New York Times columnist David Carr was quoted saying this after it was grudgingly decided in the newsrooms of America that a political sex scandal involving a former (ahem, Liberal) Presidential candidate and Senator who cheated on his terminally ill wife was actually news? 

To refresh your memory here is the text of what Carr said in an interview with CNN on August 10: "I was taught when I was a young reporter that it's news when we say it is. I think that's still true -- it's news when 'we' say it is. It's just who 'we' is has changed." He added, “It's also a little scary for big outfits to step up on a story like this. Sex may sell, but it can really hurt your relationship with readers.” Gee, these big outfits weren’t too nervous to break the story that Palin’s 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. 

Hmmm. Let me see if I get this straight: Dirtbag politician with $400 haircuts who campaigned on how the poor are getting screwed by people with $400 haircuts gets caught cheating on his cancer stricken terminally ill wife and denies it, then gets caught again by National Enquirer reporters and photographers. Just in case you were wondering, according to the MSM, this is NOT news. But, a 17 year old girl who gets pregnant, whose Mom happens to be the newly announced Republican candidate for Vice President – now THAT’S NEWS! Remember, the mainstream media sat on the Edwards scandal for over eight months before grudgingly going with it, and even then only because their hand was forced - they had to run with it, otherwise you can bet there would still be a cover-up. Is this an arrogant double standard, hypocrisy, or simply "fact-checking" and "careful" reporting? I think we all get the idea, Mr. Carr.

“Troopergate” is yet another example of shameful biased reporting –not because of the issue itself, but because of the fact that it is being reported as a scandal. The McCain camp knew this from the vetting process and didn’t seem to care. The fact is it is not a scandal. Here’s a nice piece from the AP. Gee, you don’t think there’s any bias there, now do you? Another piece from CBS News actually mentions the fact that Trooper Mike Wooten, who should have been fired, tasered his 11 year old stepson and, among other things, has continually violated department policies and possibly laws since 2000. He was being divorced from Palin’s sister at the time. Alaska's former commissioner of public safety, Walt Monegan did not take appropriate actions against a rouge law enforcement officer and Palin fired him. An article in the Anchorage Daily News reports this: “Before she was governor, Palin pushed for a trooper investigation of Wooten over a number of matters, including using a Taser on his stepson, illegally shooting a moose, and accusations of driving drunk. At one point, Palin and her husband hired a private investigator.

Troopers did investigate, and Wooten was suspended for 10 days, later reduced to five. That took care of it, Monegan said. But the Palin administration and Todd Palin wouldn't let go, he said.”

Worthy of note, the last lines in the ADN piece is this: “The personnel investigation began in April 2005, long before Palin became governor and months before her October 2005 announcement that she was running. The investigation into Wooten wrapped up in March 2006, before she was elected. Troopers found four instances in which Wooten violated policy, broke the law, or both.” Should a law enforcement officer who has been found to have violated both policy and law NOT be fired and prosecuted?

What do we notice even about these articles that actually report such important facts? They are usually buried – at the bottom. Why? How many readers actually have the time to read a full article? Not many. Typically, the better and more objective journalist will pack the first paragraph or two with most of the pertinent information and tell the basic story. Then the story is fully elaborated upon throughout the remainder of the article. That way the reader can breeze through many articles and get caught up on events quickly. Even the biased media want you to get as much information as possible; they just make sure you get it the way they want to present it sot hey can shape your opinion before you have finished reading.

Consider how the biased mainstream media attack Governor Palin’s commitment as a mother, suggesting that if she chooses to be a good mother to her children the country will be neglected and if she throws herself into her work as Vice-President, her children will suffer. Consider how they attack all conservatives, suggesting that we have reversed ourselves on some fictitious previously held position that all women should stay at home and raise their children. 

Now that the convention is over, the media are even suggesting there is disunity about the McCain-Palin ticket, and even a GOP conspiracy due to the small number of minority delegates. A CBS News story is subtitled: “Not Much Diversity On The GOP Podium, But McCain Still Hoping To Connect With Minorities.” Still another AP slam-piece is entitled, “Attacks, praise stretch truth at GOP convention.”

All this bias could be plausibly deniable were it not for a 2004 study conducted by the Pew Center for the Public and the Press that looked at journalists and journalistic attitudes that found “that a majority of American journalists say they are liberals. Not surprisingly this has been grist for conservatives because it confirms the impression that journalists are overwhelmingly liberal compared to the public in general.” Really? I bet no one would have guessed such a thing. One NPR piece about the study makes the observation that “the poll never asks about the political leanings of the media owners, publishers and upper management of news organizations. It is arguable that their politics are more influential than their employees in choosing the direction of a news organization.” The study was compiled through interviews with 547 broadcast and print journalists.

To be fair, the Pew study had this to report: “Journalists' own politics are also harder to analyze than people might think. The fact that journalists--especially national journalists--are more likely than in the past to describe themselves as liberal reinforces the findings of the major academic study on this question, namely that of David H. Weaver and G. Cleveland Wilhoit, in their series of books "The American Journalist."

But what does liberal mean to journalists? We would be reluctant to infer too much here. The survey includes just four questions probing journalists' political attitudes, yet the answers to these questions suggest journalists have in mind something other than a classic big government liberalism and something more along the lines of libertarianism. More journalists said they think it is more important for people to be free to pursue their goals without government interference than it is for government to ensure that no one is in need.”

Whatever “liberal” means to journalists, one thing is abundantly clear: one need only compare headlines, or better yet, Google the names of those authors who pen an article deemed biased and see what comes up. In my experience, it is more of the same. 

Is there bias in the mainstream media?  I suppose that is in the eye of the beholder. To be sure, one can easily identify certain liberal or conservative bias given the author or the outfit he or she is writing for. With organizations like The Politico, RealClearPolitics.com, Worldnet Daily, Newsmax, The American Conservative Daily, and the various entities of CNN and Fox News, you pretty much know that you are getting – and whether the slant is either right or left is obvious. It is those journalists who are supposedly objective in their reporting who write the headlines for the like of Reuters, AP and the like who are the most damaging to their profession, for while they may purport objectivity, if you were to cut them open I bet they would bleed blue – or given whom they long to see elected this November, Red. Remember, the Soviet news agency Pravda? Pravda, in Russian, means truth; perhaps the same truth reported to us by our “unbiased” mainstream media?

In the piece entitled “6 things Palin pick says about McCain” the first point the authors make is “1. He’s desperate. Let’s stop pretending this race is as close as national polling suggests. The truth is McCain is essentially tied or trailing in every swing state that matters — and too close for comfort in several states, such as Indiana and Montana, that the GOP usually wins pretty easily in presidential races. On top of that, voters seem very inclined to elect Democrats in general this election — and very sick of the Bush years.” Wow! I mean, that actually sounds like… a… Obama For President commercial! Shocking, isn’t it? The authors later add, “McCain could easily lose in an electoral landslide. That is the private view of Democrats and Republicans alike.” I’ll give them that view for the Dems, and perhaps for many republicans or conservatives – that is, until the Palin choice was announced.

Another article, Scholars question Palin credentials, began with these words: “John McCain was aiming to make history with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and historians say he succeeded. Presidential scholars say she appears to be the least experienced, least credentialed person to join a major-party ticket in the modern era.” Gee, you don’t think these guys are already in the bag for Obama, now do you?

Still, yet another example of an outright biased hit-piece, Why the GOP fell so far, so fast begins, “The Grand Old Party just ain’t what it used to be. It is more unpopular, more insecure and more uncertain than at any point since the euphoric triumph of 1994, when the GOP captured both houses of Congress and made political history.”

True, the GOP has had its problems- serious problems – over the last few years. It has lost its way and, having strayed from its conservative roots and base, has found itself wallowing about in the same mediocrity and pandering for a middle ground solution on issues where there is none: abortion, Second Amendment issues, immigration, health care. To hear a majority of our so-called conservative Republicans speak about these issues you think you’re hearing Ronald Reagan. But, to see them in action, you think you’re seeing Joe Biden, or Ted Kennedy, or Russ Feingold. Conservative is conservative and liberal is wrong. Period. You can’t sustain a house this divided and win elections, and once again it will be the conservative base of the party that will come to the rescue and save it from self-destruction. And this is largely due to Sarah Palin being chosen as VP running mate on the ticket.

And that very point is what the MSM seems to not understand, or to want to understand about this choice. Conservatives may well have held their noses and voted for McCain just to vote against the lesser of two evils. I was certainly in that camp. Now that McCain has picked Palin, I see one of us, who understands clearly the high stakes involved, and who can drive home the point to anyone who may be remaining on the fence. For all their meaningless polls over the last couple of days since the announcement about men having higher approval rates for Palin than women, etc., they are ignoring the biggest factor currently at play in this race: us. Conservative Americans who believe in and love the Constitution, our republic, and our God. And our guns, and our babies. And our money. And who only need the right leader to come onto the scene at the right time to galvanize us and excite us into action. Sarah Palin is that person. 

John McCain has demonstrated by this choice that he will govern as a reformer, to move the Party, the Congress and the nation back to the Right. It is now up to us to place him in that position and to hold him accountable, which we can do because we will have an ally who shares our concerns and expectations standing right next to him. 

The Obama attack machine will learn in November that is cannot just poll and pretend we do not exist because there is far too much at stake, and we conservatives are not going away without one hell of a fight for the future of our republic.