Oh, yes, Campbell Brown calls Gov. Rendell to task for his sexist comments about Gov. Napolitano. No doubt about it, what he said was sexist. Honestly, and sadly, it was one of the milder examples we have seen this year. Here is Campbell Brown, and Gov. Rendell:

During the election, she calls out Senator McCain for HIS sexist behavior toward Gov. Sarah Palin for not “allowing” her to answer questions:

Funny – she had no qualms making derogatory statements about Palin herself. Listen to what she says as she describes Palin’s press conference, as well as other comments throughout the video:

And how about THIS little rant during the election (not the best video, but the first part is important. Feel free to skip the Bill O’Reily piece – I kinda tuned him out myself):

Isn’t this EXACTLY what she is complaining about with Gov. Rendell, that he is holding women to a different standard than MEN? And here she does EXACTLY that. How DARE Gov. Palin have five kids, one of whom is pregnant, and now in the spotlight???

But then, she comes back with this, allegedly in support of Palin:

What a convenient way for Brown to rehash the lies spread by those Republican aides. Turns out NONE of those “facts” (e.g., didn’t know Africa was a continent, etc.) was actually true. But, hey, Campbell, don’t let that stop you! Oh, wait – it hasn’t. Nice little knife in the back there under the guise of standing up for her. Wow.

Now, this is JUST Palin. I haven’t even gotten to how she acted toward Hillary Clinton during the entire primary period, especially the debates! There just is not enough time in the day to find them all, but this one is at least funny. Maybe because it was on SNL and was supposed to be a parody:

Funny, right? What isn’t is Campbell Brown’s hypocrisy on the issue of sexism, which, as many of us have noted, has been pervasive throughout this entire election season. I guess it’s okay for Campbell Brown to be sexist since she’s a woman and all. Cough, choke. But, you just keep calling out everyone else under the guise of exposing their sexism while making sexist comments yourself, Campbell. Some of us actually do see through you and your veiled attacks on powerful women.

Really, you have no place to talk. You are as bad as Gov. Rendell, and actually, worse. So spare us your hypocritical “Bull Sessions,” Campbell. Now that both powerful women have been drummed out, with your help, I might add, I suppose it is “safe” for you speak out about Gov. Napolitano without the underlying digs like you did to Palin and Clinton. Oh, and because, of course, it supports The One and His choices. How very transparent.

But thanks for playing, Campbell. Actually, no thanks. Just save it already.

Time-intensive real-life duties have forced DCMediaGirl to suspend her radio show and blogging for a short while. (Can you imagine what it’s like in most media headquarters these days?) But I have a strong hunch that she would love what Joe Scarborough said today as a panelist on NBC’s Meet The Press today. Tom Brokaw — the debate moderator who’s so sleep-inducing that pharmaceutical companies are hoping he may provide the next breakthrough cure for chronic insomnia — set up Joe for some insightful commentary:

MR. BROKAW: You, you’ve been through campaigns before, Joe Scarborough, you’re a keen student of what’s going on. McCain is beginning to run out of some options, but we’ve been there before with him.

I think you’ll like Joe’s reply:

MR. SCARBOROUGH: We have been there before with him. A year ago John McCain’s political career was pronounced dead on arrival. Remember, he had that bloated campaign staff in the summer of ’07, and then of course as we got closer to, to the executioner walking out on stage and finishing it, John McCain came back.

And McCain always closes strongly.

I, I just–I, I want to offer a warning to the Barack Obama campaign, which I’m sure they won’t listen to, but I would say go to Florida, go to Ohio, get out of North Carolina. You don’t have to win 350 electoral votes.

These campaigns always tighten up. We are not a 60-40 country, we are a 51-49 country. And maybe this year it’s 51 Democratic, 49 Republican.

But it’s going to be close in the end, and he may regret spending time in North Carolina. It–maybe it looks like he’s going to win now, but I’m telling you, as we’ve seen, these national polls, when they tighten, all these state races close.

I would just be concerned about getting too clever by half. …

How ’bout that?!?!?! (Hope you get to see this, DCMediaGirl!)

Read the full transcript.

The New York Times’ Patrick Healy reported, “John McCain Was In A Groove Early.”

Denver Post’s Joanne Ostrow said, “It Wasn’t Obama’s Night.”

The Arizona Republic’s Dan Nowicki: “For McCain, It Clearly Was His Best Debate Performance …He Effortlessly Kept Obama Off-Balance.”

Even Marc Halperin of TIME, part of the all-Obama-all-the-time cadre admitted:

McCain has best debate yet in final face-off.
McCain: A-
Obama: B

If a koolaid sipper like Halperin gave Obama a B, you know Barack’s real grade had to be much lower.

The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes:

“The winner, and in my view quite decisively, was John McCain. From the very first question, McCain seemed certain of himself and his answers.”

ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos had this to say:

“I think the fact that John McCain was able to make Joe [the plumber] Wurzelbacher a character in this campaign …this was his best debate so far. He was able to set the agenda on a lot of issues like taxes, especially with Joe Wurzelbacher.”

National Review’s Byron York:

“Who Won? There Seems Little Doubt That McCain Scored Many More Points Than Obama.”

New York Post said McCain had…:

“The best debate performance of his campaign last night. On issue after issue, McCain made his case, deftly countering Obama’s jabs. Why, he asked, does Obama ‘always say we have to spend more? Throwing money at every problem is not the answer.’”

Charles Hurt of the New York Post said:

“McCain last night made the strongest and most convincing argument yet that he is prepared to keep the federal government from making the current economic crisis even worse.”

USA Today noted that John McCain…

“[K]ept Obama on the defensive for much of the 90-minute forum, attacking him for everything from his association with ’60s radical Bill Ayers to his decision not to take public financing for his campaign.“

Ironically, it was none other than George Stephanopoulos of ABC who nipped at McCain’s heels for bringing up Obama’s ties to the unrepentant terrorist, Bill Ayers. I guess George S. had to redeem himself in the eyes of all the Obama stalwarts who flooded the station with complaints in April when Georgie rightly brought this up at the Clinton/Obama debate in April – gee Georgie …still doing penance??

Both The Politico’s Jonathan Martin and National Review’s Jim Geraghty noted how well McCain differentiated himself from the Bush administration:

“John McCain creates an instant headline with some of his firmest language yet to distance himself from President Bush. ‘Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago. I will take this country in a new direction.’”

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza agrees:

“HUGE moment for McCain. Slams Obama for comparing him to Bush. VERY savvy. AND, he looked directly at Obama. …McCain with a break from Bush Administration — ‘disappointed’ with Paulson’s approach on financial crisis. …McCain has done well for himself… kept Obama on defense.

Yes, Obama was on defense most of the night. And as even Mr. Chris “I’ve got a tingle up my leg” Matthews has noted “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.”

Politico also noted that:

Perhaps the best news for McCain is the rating he received from independent voters. Among respondents not identified with either major political party, McCain was judged tonight’s winner, 51-42 percent.

I’d say that was mighty good news indeed since it is Independents who are going to decide this election, not the Democrats that are being consistently over-polled.

MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan shares his view on the debate as well. Whatever one may think of Buchanan’s politics, his observations have been spot on:

“I think [McCain] clearly won it on points. It was his best performance. He was intense and ideological and he’s appealing to the base, clearly. McCain much more aggressive and specific, and more compassionate on John Lewis, issues of ACORN and Ayer.”

Los Angeles Times:

“McCain again shows that he came into this debate more focused and more disciplined …”

As noted by Commentary’s John Podhoretz.

“McCain got in a good zinger when Obama mentions he wants Warren Buffett to pay more taxes and McCain says we’re talking about Joe the Plumber, not Warren Buffett.”

National Review’s Mark R. Levin:

“I am impressed with McCain tonight. Obama is off his game, as they say.”

Obama lost his trademark cool – he was actually sweating up there.

“McCain came ready tonight, he has Obama resorting to his stump speech answers and a bit unnerved…. And for the most part, he is not letting Obama get away with his endless dissembling.”

McCain made very clear last night there is a huge difference between talking and doing. The American people heard Senator Obama, in his typical dispassionate way, make a lot of vague promises, yet he has not delivered on any one of them. Contrast that with Senator McCain, who named specific instances where he has walked the walk. McCain said “he has stood up to the Bush administration and members of his own party on the floor of the Senate and “has the scars to prove it.” McCain further stated: “Senator Obama, your argument for standing up to the leaders of your party isn’t very convincing.”

No kidding. There were a few moments when McCain eyes bulged incredulously at some of the nonsense Senator Obama was spewing.

As I have said before, McCain will never sound like Shakespeare, but he used that to his advantage. He pointed out that Obama speaks eloquently, but that you really have to listen to what he’s saying – and follow the clues to the reality of his plans under the pretty words. A gentleman interviewed in a focus group after the debate also made telling comments in this regard. He said Obama sounded the most eloquent – but that he did not trust him. If you don’t trust him, you ain’t gonna vote for him. Period.

That summed up last night’s debate for me.

I am also heeding the advice of a fellow traveler, and taking a look at what each campaign is doing. I know many voiced irritation that our beloved Hillary was out there on the network after the debate, trumpeting how well Obama did. I look at that as good news:

Obama was humiliated by Clinton. He will never forgive her for showing him up in the debates as the empty, unprepared suit that he is and making it clear he limped to the finish line, needing cowardly super delegates to push him over the top. His campaign wanted to distance itself from Hillary in every way and prove he could win this without her, otherwise he would have pleaded with her, and her 18,000,000 voters, to be on his ticket.

The other morning on FOX and Friends, Hillary declared she’ll “bloom where she’s planted” in the Senate and last night, like a good Mommy, she gave the seal of approval to Obama’s debate performance. Hillary promised she would campaign her heart out to help the Dem nominee and no matter how angry that makes me, I have to respect a woman of her word – unlike Obama who never met a promise he wouldn’t or couldn’t break.

But here’s the news flash: Do you really think if Obama had this election sewn up, as the polls say, they would be trotting out Hillary to say the chance she’ll run again is “near zero” and vote for him ‘cause he’s really great? This is nonsense. Trust me, if McCain wins, she’ll be firing up the exploratory committee for 2012.

The Obama campaign has to be more than a little worried that the constant media drumbeat of b.s. for him is not really working. They know if even a portion of Hillary Dems don’t vote for him, he is toast. I know a number of these voters myself. They are not swayed. They were certainly not swayed by his lackluster performance last night. Come November 4th, these die hard Dems will absolutely be voting McCain/Palin.

And it sure sounded like Peter Canellos of The Boston Globe thought there were shades of the PA Clinton/Obama debate last night:

“John McCain last night put Barack Obama through a red-hot grilling, barely hiding his disdain for the Illinois senator and his outrage over Obama’s policies.”

Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody chimed in with this gem:

“John McCain Put A Dent In The Obama Persona. He was able to pokes some holes in Obama’s armor. He nicked him with Ayers, ACORN, public financing, negative advertising, abortion and yes, Joe the Plumber. Not only was McCain able to use the Joe the Plumber story as an example of class warfare, he also used Joe as a way to make the economy a personal story.”

Speaking of Joe the Plumber, perhaps the best recommendation that McCain can get came from the man himself, as reported by NBC 24 News:

[Joe's ] reaction to talking with Obama about his proposed tax plan: “I wasn’t impressed. In fact, it upset me. For someone to sit there and say you’ve done too good, and I’m going to penalize you now. In essence that’s what he said. I’m paraphrasing, but you done too good; I want some more of your money now. That’s wrong. That’s wrong across the board and I can’t imagine someone not agreeing with that. I can’t imagine America not agreeing with that,” Wurzelbacher.
…
Although it seems Wurzelbacher supports McCain, he refuses to say who he plans to vote for come November 4th.

But this MUST WATCH you tube video of Joe assessing the debate tells the story.

[Wurzelbacher’s] advice to other voters: “Do your own homework. Don’t sit there and take your friends’ advice. Don’t sit there and take TV’s advice. Do your own homework. Find out what you really want instead of what your union steward wants, what anyone wants. That’s my biggest thing right there. Do your own homework.”

Good advice indeed.

Update: Special thanks to Fox News for offering live streaming of the debate! That was terrific. Let’s hope Fox provides live streaming again on November 4th, and I’ll add it again. Drawback: It clearly made the blog run much slower at times; we will need extra server “muscle” if we do live streaming again. YOUR THOUGHTS on the live streaming?

Update #2: This is what I wrote to a close friend halfway through the debate. I hesitated to share it here, but you deserve to know what I thought of McCain’s “performance,” critical as it was. (McCain had him on many debate points, but sadly perception is a big factor.)

Obama is writing revisionist history (about Ayers) but McCain talks in shorthand bursts that only people who know the story, like us, will really understand.

The problem is style: Obama speaks in fluid sentences that anyone can understand and sound credible. McCain doesn’t.

(I’m writing this just over four hours before the debate. I hope when this post appears, that we are all in good spirits, and that John McCain has landed some blows … and I’m listening to our hero, Lynn Forester de Rothschild on Neil Cavuto’s show. They’ll have the video up, and you’ll have already seen it by now since I’ll post it the second it’s up. Lynn Rothschild ALWAYS makes me feel better, and MORE RESOLUTE!)

Here’s the link to the first thread, which is now closed.

Original post: YES! WE ARE STREAMING THE DEBATE LIVE! In the post just above. So you’ll want to open TWO windows — one to watch the debate live at our blog (with no comments allowed), and the second window to post comments here.

The blogosphere is still wasting time dissecting the API report about Michelle Obama … Thomas Frank declares Bill Ayers his “friend” and a “model citizen” … Ben Smith is stunned by a letter he got from a Republican consultant who has concluded people want to vote for Obama even if they suspect he’s a terrorist (it’s an astonishing letter, and it may be as fictional as I suspect the API story is) … and Barack Obama thinks he’s Robin Hood … and in the midst of that miasmic swamp, we shall stretch out on our sofas and hopefully — this time — stay awake throughout the debate.

Share your thoughts and, if you’re really a fast typist, try your hand at live-blogging!

In our overnight open thread, suggested by our reader Jeremiah Wright (that’s the short version of his username), we asked you which questions you want to hear tonight.

Take off from those comments, and add more.

Now, when I watch candidates speak to voters, I adopt Ani’s ‘who gives a crap-o-meter’ regarding their rhetoric and their policies. Unfortunately, Democrat though he claims to be, Senator Obama, with his ceaselessly aloof and dispassionate behavior, leaves the ‘who gives a crap-o-meter’ pointing in the low single digits.

Likewise, Senator Obama’s past voting record, his flip-flopping on so many important campaign promises, and his sidling up to Bush’s policies, leave me feeling like I am watching nothing but a spin-meister, no matter how much the media lauds him or gives him ‘style’ points. How bizarre that McCain, the maverick Republican, came across as more connected to the American people and more empathetic to their concerns in last night’s debate.

According to many news sources I checked, the debate produced no clear winner. The news media’s bias notwithstanding, both pundits and bloggers alike kept looking for some sort of “knockout blow” by McCain to change the dynamic of the race. I honestly don’t know what they expected. How about if he said this:

Senator Obama , you are an duplicitous, unrepentant liar who has spent the last 20 years associating with criminals, radicals and divisive, dangerous individuals. You don’t have an original thought in your head. You don’t have the savvy or experience to do this job and you couldn’t stick to a policy or find loyalty to an idea or a person to save your soul.

Would that have done the trick? Fortunately, the crafty McCain was smart enough not to fall into this trap in a town hall setting. He would have been termed ‘desperate’ had he started in on all the Bill Ayers stuff – leave that to the campaign trail, and Gov. Sarah-‘cuda’ Palin to point out. I’m sure they’ll be hammering Senator Obama on his associations for the next 27 days non-stop and keep him just off balance enough.

Last night, McCain needed to accomplish several goals

• Tie Senator Obama to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
• Point out the sharp difference between rhetoric vs. record.
• Show he’s got a grip on how to help our faltering economy.
• Remind voters he’s the guy with the foreign policy bona-fides who will not make naïve mistakes.
• Be calm, cool and collected in the midst of a very difficult time for Americans both at home and abroad;
oh yeah, and…
• Show he actually gives a crap about the American people – not just about winning.

From various pundits’ statements I read – he damned well did the job.

Commentary Magazine’s Daniel Casse:

“McCain is delivering tight, crisp, and extremely effective answers. Every answer has a similar structure: (a) I care about this issue (b) I’ve stood up against Bush/special interests on this issue (c) Obama has never taken a stand, never acted on this (d) so let’s compare records.”

He scored points right away letting voters know that Obama was tied to the Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae debacle, whereas McCain co-sponsored a bill to provide stricter oversight. McCain warned of this crisis in 2005. Very interesting that Obama’s opening remarks on the financial crisis brazenly placed blamed on John McCain while ignoring the fact that Obama and other Dems did not want regulations of Fannie and Freddie.

Balz, Kornblut, Abromowitz of the Washington Post weighed in:

McCain played the role of the aggressor throughout the 90-minute debate…”I have a clear record of bipartisanship,” he said. “The situation today cries out for bipartisanship. Senator Obama has never taken on his leaders of his party on a single issue.”

McCain statement was a good reminder to voters that he was willing to put country first by suspending his campaign in an effort to get the rescue bill passed, while Obama was content to declare “Congress will call me if they need me” and all of America got to watch one of Obama’s biggest champions, the unpopular Nancy Pelosi, insult Republicans in order to sabotage the bill’s passage – playing politics with people’s livelihoods. Nice, Nancy — you get a ZERO on the ‘who gives a crap-o-meter.’ Obviously Nancy and Barack don’t give a crap about you or me if they were playing shenanigans like this.

Most important, ABC’s Charlie Gibson pointed out McCain made the one new proposal of the night:

McCain used the debate to promote another approach to solving the economic crisis, saying he would have the government buy up bad mortgages and renegotiate them at the current lower housing values, thereby allowing struggling homeowners to remain in their homes. He argued that until the housing markets stabilize, the economy will continue to falter, and he sought to use the idea to demonstrate his independence from the Bush administration.

“It’s my proposal, it’s not Senator Obama’s proposal, it’s not President Bush’s proposal,” he said. “But I know how to get America working again, restore our economy and take care of working Americans.”
…
The plan, he said, would turn such mortgages over to the government, replacing them with “manageable, fixed-rate mortgages” for homeowners to reduce the chances of default. His advisers circulated talking points to Republican surrogates telling them to describe it as a “bold initiative” and to call it the “McCain Resurgence Plan.”

ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: “I thought Senator McCain started out very strong when he said we have to address this financial crisis by having a plan to buy up all of the bad mortgages in the country showed real compassion and empathy there...”

NBC’s Andrea Mitchell: “[W]ith the economy in such a tail spin, [McCain] came armed with a new proposal to have the government buy up failing mortgages … That was a gutsy move.”

Well, actually, I believe this was Hillary’s plan – good move, John! And today, in the NY Times, the McCain campaign gives her credit for the same – better move, John!

Even Charles Krauthammer, no fan of Johnny Mac, thought “McCain won the first hour on domestic (issues).” Strange since Obama’s ace in the hole is supposed to be the economic situation. McCain really hit Obama over the head about his tax proposals, so it could have been comments like this that did the trick:

“Nailing down senator obama’s tax proposal is like trying to nail
jell-o to the wall” and “the last time a president raised taxes in an economic crisis like this was Herbert Hoover.”

Ouch. McCain nailed Obama on the difference between talking the talk and walking the walk. But this was the comment that had all the pundits’ tongues wagging:

“There was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies. And it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one,” McCain said, gesturing toward his rival. “You know who voted against it? Me.”

They may be trying to make hay out of “that one” not sounding warm and fuzzy – but he got his point across. He also said it with a smile. If it sounds like McCain doesn’t have a lot of respect for Senator Obama, well when a neophyte Senator keeps trying to outshine his opponent with pretty promises not matched by his actions, what do you expect?

According to WaPo:

Foreign policy occupied the last third of the debate, with the candidates clashing repeatedly on Pakistan and on their overall approaches to the use of U.S. military forces. McCain sharply criticized Obama’s opposition to the troop surge in Iraq and his response to Russian aggression in Georgia, as he sought to sow doubts about his challenger’s capacity to handle the commander-in-chief functions.

“In his short career, he does not understand our national security challenges,” McCain said. “We don’t have time for on-the-job training.”

MSNBC’s Pat Buchanan:

“I think McCain did come in with more heart and more fight. And I agree with you, he was the aggressor. He was throwing the punches. He did it in a better way than he did it last week when I thought he had won on points. Here he smiled. He looked at his opponent. He looked at Tom Brokaw. He talked to the audience, and he did it in a more calm fashion. And I think he clearly scored more points than Barack Obama did.”

Another telling moment was described by The Politico’s Jonathan Martin:

“McCain, taking a question from a naval retiree, gives him a pat on the shoulder and a firm handshake. ‘Everything I ever learned about leadership, I learned from a chief petty officer,’ says one old sailor to another. It was surely a moment that won a lot of nodding heads from vets all over the country.“

When McCain shook the man’s hand and said he appreciated his service, it came from his heart. Senator Obama walked over to the man, similarly thanking him for his service – another moment that had no resonance whatsoever. After the bracelet nonsense of the last debate, I would have thought Obama would find a way to be a little more genuine about addressing someone in our military. But there is still a fundamental disconnect between Obama’s statements and any heartfelt conviction behind them. And that is always where he loses me. The trust issue. The ‘does he really give a crap’ issue. The ‘what will he give away when I’m not looking cause it really doesn’t matter to him’ issue.

CNN’s Bill Bennett said “The last comments [John McCain] made, I thought, were quite impressive and quite moving.” Mr. Bennett is right. Senator McCain closing remarks were extremely moving.

Was the debate sort of boring otherwise, yeah. Is Obama a smoother speaker than McCain, sure. But what Senator Obama staccato style never ever communicates to me is the one thing we need in a President at this time more than ever: heart. Senator McCain’s closing remarks about spending a lifetime serving his country and being lifted up by his comrades bespeak a gratitude and an allegiance and dedication to our country’s principles that is undeniable and comes from a place of deep conviction. Likewise, every policy proposal, every idea that came out of his mouth last night may not have sounded like Shakespeare, but each one was concise, and spoken from a place of knowledge, caring and a record he could stand on. I never worry that McCain will flip flop at a crucial moment.

At the end of the day, whether or not we agree on all the issues, I trust McCain’s experience and character to win the day more than I trust Obama’s rhetoric.

Perhaps there was a winner after all.

Who scored? Who made a gaffe? Who won? And share what you hear the post-debate “talking heads” say.

And tune in now (9:30 p.m. CST) to Nocturnal Warrior’s post-debate NQR RADIO show right after the debate, along with his sidekick PUMA Pam. CALL-IN NUMBER: (347) 677-0792.

If needed, we’ll add more threads. So, how did it go?

And be sure to tune in to Nocturnal Warrior’s post-debate NQR RADIO show right after the debate. CALL-IN NUMBER: (347) 677-0792.

We may be adding new threads, if needed, during the debate. We’ll let you know.

Several news commentators pointed out they knew she had the debate in hand when she asked Gwen Ifill if “we could just return to Afghanistan” for a moment. If she was willing to tackle Biden on foreign policy, his supposed strong suit, I’d say the lady’s got a set of brass ones. Good for her. It was widely observed that she kept the veteran Senator on the defensive much of the night and even got under his skin a few times.

Yes, her answers could have been more specific on a couple of topics and she could have attacked Biden more, but then again what points Biden gained for specificity he more than lost because a number of his ‘specifics’ were lies.

Primarily, Biden mischaracterized McCain’s position on the war and surge. McCain has been proven right on the surge, which even Obama has had to admit. Biden denied that Obama said he would meet with Ahmedinajad without preconditions. Obama did famously and naively say this and was attacked for doing so by Biden. He also made false statements about McCain’s health care tax credit, which would more than offset any tax hike. He lied that McCain wanted less regulation when in fact it was John McCain years ago calling for more regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. News commentators cited many more.

I tried to get past the lies Biden told and simply review what appeals to me about McCain/Palin that Obama/Biden just haven’t got. The answer is simple:

Humility.
Gratitude.
Character.

Humility and dignity are not mutually exclusive. It is commendable to both understand the gravitas of the job and express gratitude to the American people for having the deep faith to bestow their ultimate trust upon two people. That is something clearly not lost on John McCain and Sarah Palin. I feel a confidence from them, without arrogance or hubris.

Why is this so important? We already had eight years of an arrogant blockhead in the White House, who thought he was God’s chosen one. Regardless of party, we don’t need another in there with the same ‘I am the Chosen’ attitude.

Most telling, Biden kept harping on the fact that McCain intended to continue Bush’s policies. This is the most egregious falsehood. Obama, in saying he wants to continue Blackwater and have a private security force, touting Bush’s faith based initiatives, reneging on FISA, backpedaling on ‘don’t ask don’t tell, and most recently, illegally trying to squelch dissent in Missouri, to name a few, makes him more like Bush3 than anyone.

I had occasion to be confronted by four sexists yesterday, three males and one female. The words they had for Palin were disgusting. The more the snobs out there choose to insult and rip into her, the more we are reminded of the horrid treatment Senator Clinton received. If you think that is driving anyone into Obama’s arms, you are sadly mistaken.

Whether the lefty elites like it or not, Governor Palin is a feminist, balancing career, marriage and family. Her choices may not be yours, but a woman’s right to choose means exactly that. Period. As Lou Dobbs has pointed out many times of late, Governor Palin lives her principles.

So does McCain. It becomes a little harder to argue with his Iraq policy going forward when both he and Palin have sons actively serving in the military. These are not neo cons or chicken-hawks. John McCain the POW, more than anyone, knows the cost of war. It is also hard to argue with the character of a man who has taken huge risks politically in the name of his principles — something Senator Obama has never done.

Interesting for a conservative, McCain has also stood by openly gay politicians who are friends over the years. Can you imagine Obama doing this?

Both McCain and Palin have repeatedly demonstrated not only willingness, but a track record of working across the aisle, a much needed quality since they will most likely be working with a Democratic congress. From a place of dignity and humility, a President can engage and be engaged by others. This bespeaks a willingness to listen and respect the views of colleagues without belittling the ways of those who are ‘other’ than you.

Palin made very clear last night, and has the record as Governor to back this up, that while she may not agree with certain views, she will respect the law of the land and not legislate or veto away the rights of others.

As Stephen Covey famously wrote, “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Unfortunately, Senator Obama showed he is sorely lacking in such skills when he made his infamous “bitter voter” comments to his rich San Francisco campaign contributors.

I always wondered why Gore or Kerry didn’t connect with people at their debates and I realized it is in a nutshell why so many Democrats lose – the condescension factor: talking with their noses in the air.

Obama shares this with his unsuccessful predecessor-candidates. No matter what nonsense Donna Brazile wants to spew about the new Democratic Party being more ‘urbane’ and not needing rural voters to win, that is a crock. And everyone knows it. If you can’t speak to the heartland, you ain’t gettin’ to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

At the debate last night, Sarah Palin’s warmth and down to earth connection to the American people was undeniable.

I’d like someone who has lived a little in the trenches, who understands sacrifice and may have a clue as to what the average woman or man on the street is going through at this point in time. Despite their Ivy League educations, this is something I always appreciated about the Clintons – and surely why the Democratic elite always held them in contempt. They have the ability to reach out to the working class voter.

It has long been my experience that those who look at me like a bug under a glass have little understanding of my needs or the urgency of answering them.

It may also explain why Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are the only two Democrats to have won the White House in the last 40 years – although, unlike Carter, Clinton was a hugely successful President.

In addition to Joe Biden’s truth-lapses – a habit he shares in common with his #1, Barack Obama – what annoyed me about Biden was his flashing that enormous mouth of blistering white teeth to Gwen Ifill when Sarah started to speak. It struck me as a bit condescending – “oh look what the little girl is saying now”.

In recalling Scranton, Wilmington and Home Depot, Biden was working a little too hard to sound like a man of the people, which his slightly plastic appearance due to a seeming eyelift and a trip to “BriteSmile” seemed to belie. That coupled with his ultimate beltway insider status may make people a little less trusting of his let’s bang on the facts message (especially when those “facts” will easily be debunked all over the net and on the campaign trail).

Then again, Obama has held so many flip flopping positions on the issues that anything Biden said last night could have been considered true at some point. The question is – what is true now? We don’t know. He could fire any dart at the dartboard and hit a bull’s eye because the waffling has been endless.

I have no real idea of what Obama would ACTUALLY do in the White House. Do you?

The UK Telegraph today revealed a letter from British Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Nigel Sheinwald to Prime Minister Gordon Brown assessing Senator Obama:

Barack Obama is a “decidedly liberal” senator “who was finding his feet, and then got diverted by his presidential ambitions”…

No kidding. I’d have preferred he “find his feet” first but ambition is all, apparently – ready or not.

Mr. Obama “can seem to sit on the fence, assiduously balancing pros and cons”, Sir Nigel wrote, and “does betray a highly educated and upper middle class mindset”. Charges of elitism “are not entirely unfair” and he is “maybe aloof, insensitive” at times.

Insensitive? Yes, the bug under the glass thing again. Sitting on the fence? That reminds me of Obama’s 130 ‘present’ votes in the State Legislature. Well, there is no voting ‘present’ in the White House.

“He can talk too dispassionately for a national campaign about issues which touch people personally, e.g. his notorious San Francisco comments [in April] about small-town Pennsylvanians ‘clinging’ to guns and religion.”

The stings Senator Obama delivered to many groups who chose not to vote for him in the primaries are not likely to be forgotten at the polls either.

In contrast, John McCain is respectful in his interviews and at every speaking engagement. I still remember a town hall he held months ago when a hostile man questioned him about his positions on Iraq. Senator McCain openly answered the question and then asked if the man wanted to follow up. He did, and John did. Then John asked again – would you like to follow up? They must have gone back and forth five times until the man’s questions were answered to his satisfaction and he sat down. Courage, respect, humility, decency.

Contrast this with a man who questioned Obama at a campaign rally. Obama’s response was, ‘if you don’t like my answer, get another candidate or run for office yourself.’

When gut check time arrives at the polls on November 4th, it will be interesting to see whether the American people feel safer with two candidates who talk to them, rather than at them or over them with noses in the air.

Whether I agree with John McCain and Sarah Palin on all the issues has become less important to me than the fact that I know where they stand and have a pretty good idea of how they would govern in the White House: with determination, humility and openness.

The bobbing and weaving of the Obama/Biden camp leaves me uncertain. What good is someone who agrees me, only to meet with my polar opposite the next day and pretend agreement with them, too?

We all know that McCain/Palin are not my ideal choices. But Hillary is no longer in the race so my hope for a Clinton/Clark ticket is gone for the moment. I do not trust anything that comes out of the Obama campaign, as their positions have changed with the prevailing wind.

Since the Democratic Party is neck deep in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac scandal. And since Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, as our Party leaders, have shown they are unscrupulous enough to use the current economic suffering of American citizens for political gain, I can no longer vote party. I have to vote character.

And on that score, there is little room for doubt.

This was an unbelievable win. In fact, I think it unveils a level of skill in communication that I really have not seen since Ronald Reagan.

She is a superstar. Her ability to bypass the conventional wisdom of Washington, her ability to speak a tone, a genre, a style that was so authentic and so outside of the mainstream was just unbelievable. And Biden looked like he was on downers. I mean, every time he was talking, I kept wishing that I could hear Palin instead.

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Game Changer? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on what is next.

How about the media? Everything they’ve told us about Governor Palin over the past month has been shown to be wrong. She spoke at the debate tonight to the American people. What are the media to do?

Who did you watch before the debate and, now, after the debate? How are their discussions matching your own impressions of the debate?