Top Items:
The Politico:
6 things the Palin pick says about McCain — The selection of a running mate is among the most consequential, most defining decisions a presidential nominee can make. John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says a lot about his decison-making — and some of it is downright breathtaking.
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Rasmussen Reports:
Palin Makes Good First Impression: Is Viewed More Favorably than Biden — Sarah Palin has made a good first impression. Before being named as John McCain's running mate, 67% of voters didn't know enough about the Alaska governor to have an opinion. After her debut in Dayton and a rush …
Discussion:
FiveThirtyEight.com, Weekly Standard Blog, Power Line, TalkLeft, Hot Air and JammieWearingFool
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
QUOTE OF THE DAY.... I'm not sure if the McCain campaign has thought this line through. … First, it's not an especially good idea for top McCain aides to joke about whether McCain is going to survive four years in office. — Second, it's not an especially good idea to describe McCain as …
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, pandagon.net, New York Times, TPM Election Central, Lance Mannion and Jesus' General
MataHarley / Flopping Aces:
Palin's Trooper'Gate: Beating MSM distortions to the truth — **Welcome readers from Lucianne, Ace of Spades, Gateway Pundit, Protein Wisdom, The Corner, Wizbang, The Strata-Sphere, Macsmind, and Memeorandum....thanks for the link! It's been over 12 hours now since Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, has been named as GOP choice of Veep.
Discussion:
Right Wing News, protein wisdom, JammieWearingFool, Fausta's Blog, The Strata-Sphere, The New Republic, Washington Post and Macsmind
Gail Collins / New York Times:
McCain's Baked Alaska — It is conceivable that some people will think John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate because she is a woman. I know you find this shocking, but I swear I have heard it mentioned. — McCain does not believe in pandering to identity politics.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Mahablog, Don Surber, neo-neocon, NewsBusters.org, Prairie Weather and American Prospect
David Frum:
Palin — The longer I think about it, the less well this selection sits with me. And I increasingly doubt that it will prove good politics. The Palin choice looks cynical. The wires are showing. — John McCain wanted a woman: good. — He wanted to keep conservatives and pro-lifers happy: naturally.
Discussion:
Electoral-vote.com, Swampland, I Don't Like You Either, marbury, James Fallows, The Other McCain, Jack & Jill Politics and The RBC
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Desperation from Democrats — Now that almost a full day has passed since John McCain has named Sarah Palin as his running mate, we can already see the themes his political opponents will take in criticizing her. Irony runs through a number of these arguments, as most of them apply …
Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
The story behind the Palin surprise — John McCain on Friday announced a running mate whom he met only six months ago and with whom he spoke just once on the phone about the position before offering it in person earlier this week. — McCain's first encounter with Sarah Palin came …
Discussion:
Reason Magazine, The Huffington Post, Guardian, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Flopping Aces, BeldarBlog, TIME.com and AMERICAblog News
Mark Steyn / The Corner:
The hostess with the moosest — Over in the Frumistan province of the NR caliphate, our pal David is not happy about the Palin pick. I am - for several reasons. — First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, “all-American”, but hyper-American.
Discussion:
TigerHawk
William Yardley / New York Times:
Palin, an Outsider Who Charms — Her father shot the grizzly bear whose hide is now draped over the sofa in her office. She, too, hunts and fishes. She runs marathons. She delivered her fifth child during her first term as governor. They call her husband, the reigning champion …
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Obama tiptoes around Palin in new ad — They may have run the “Bush is still is his running mate” ad regardless of who McCain picked, but this spot from Obama's camp reflects just how careful they're now playing the Palin selection. — Unlike what Team McCain had with Biden, there are no obvious video or soundbites to use.
Washington Post:
Exclusive: Chief Fired by Palin Speaks Out — The July firing of Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan by Gov. Sarah Palin, who was announced as John McCain's running mate on Friday, has unearthed a stream of soap-opera-like details about Palin, her husband, her family and top state appointees.
Anchorage Daily News:
Choice stuns state politicians — John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate stunned and divided Alaska political leaders on Friday. Supporters said she was a shrewd choice, but others argued Palin has no business being a heartbeat away from the presidency.
William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Let Palin Be Palin — Why the left is scared to death of McCain's running mate. — A spectre is haunting the liberal elites of New York and Washington—the spectre of a young, attractive, unapologetic conservatism, rising out of the American countryside, free of the taint (fair or unfair) …
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE CRIME AND THE COVER-UP.... At her kickoff event in Ohio yesterday …
THE CRIME AND THE COVER-UP.... At her kickoff event in Ohio yesterday …
Mark Benjamin / Salon:
Gov. Palin and Iraq — Presumably, John McCain would only select …
Gov. Palin and Iraq — Presumably, John McCain would only select …
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Commentary
The New Republic:
Where We Stand: Advantage Obama — Where do things stand? — The Democrats had an incredibly successful convention. The storyline coming into the week was Democratic division — going out it was Democratic unity and the strength of Senator Obama's speech.
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Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
KARL ROVE'S BRILLIANT ANALYSIS..... Looking back at Karl Rove's campaign analysis from earlier this month, this might be the single funniest thing I've read in a long time. … Yes, the real problem with Tim Kaine is that he's only been governor of a large state for three years, and before that, he was only the mayor of a mid-size city.
Peter Whoriskey / Washington Post:
Candidates' Web Sites Get to Know the Voters — Presidential Campaigns Tailor, Target Ads Based on Visitors' Online Habits — Any two people interested in whether Amanda Beard is dating fellow Olympian Michael Phelps, and who clicked on the Boston Herald tidbit that raced around the Web last week, got the same piece of gossip.
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Law Librarian Blog