memeorandum: Obama on “60 Minutes” — IN HIS FIRST REACTION TO JOHN MCCAIN'S RUNNING MATE, (Mark Halperin/TIME.com)

4:45 PM ET, August 30, 2008

Top Items:

Obama Campaign Behind Anti-Palin Smear Site? — Suddenly appearing among the Google search results for “sarah palin gay,” a web site titled: Sarah Palin Supports Gay Rights. … Interesting. There's nothing else on the page. This sure looks like the work of the dastardly right-wing anti-gay attack machine, doesn't it?

Discussion: The Strata-Sphere, Founding Bloggers, Gateway Pundit, American Spectator and Confederate Yankee

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.

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Washington Post, The Gun Toting Liberal, Associated Press, QandO, The Impolitic, New York Times, TIME.com and Reuters

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: Weekly Standard Blog, Riehl World View, Hot Air, Power Line, TalkLeft and JammieWearingFool

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 …

Discussion: Commentary, The Other McCain, Right Wing Nut House, The Democratic Daily and Washington Post

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: Think Progress, Newshoggers.com, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis, Corrente, Harry's Place, New York Times, I Don't Like You Either, pandagon.net, TPM Election Central, The Caucus, Jesus' General and Lance Mannion

Mark Halperin / TIME.com:

Obama on “60 Minutes” — IN HIS FIRST REACTION TO JOHN MCCAIN'S RUNNING MATE, — BARACK OBAMA SAYS SARAH PALIN IS “AN UP-AND-COMING — PUBLIC SERVANT” — SUNDAY ON “60 MINUTES” — Dem. Presidential Nominee Says He Picked Joe Biden as His Running Mate

Discussion: The New Republic and TownHall Blog

Daily Kos:

Palin's faked “pregnancy”? Covering for teen daughter? UPDATE #2! — Okay, I just have to diary about this, although in many ways this falls into the “none of our business category”. — But it appears that Pallin's last child, a baby with Down's syndrome, may not be hers.

Discussion: Stop The ACLU, Right Wing News, Atlas Shrugs, The Jawa Report and TownHall Blog

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: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Guardian, CNN, Reason Magazine, Washington Post, Flopping Aces, The Huffington Post, Washington Monthly, TPM Election Central, BeldarBlog and TIME.com

Susan Page / USA Today:

Poll: Voters uncertain on Palin — ST. PAUL — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin faces a getting-to-know-you process as the Republican vice presidential candidate, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds: Most Americans say they've never heard of her. — There is also wide uncertainty about whether she's qualified to be president.

Discussion: Christian Science Monitor and Hot Air

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 Post, Los Angeles Times, neo-neocon, The Mahablog, Washington Monthly, Don Surber, Open Left, NewsBusters.org, New York Times, Prairie Weather and American Prospect

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Let Palin Be Palin — Why the left is scared to death of McCain's running mate.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Angry Bear and BeldarBlog

Nate / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Women View Palin More Skeptically than Men

Discussion: Feminist Law Professors

MataHarley / Flopping Aces:
Palin's Trooper'Gate: Beating MSM distortions to the truth

Discussion: Right Wing News, protein wisdom, The Strata-Sphere, JammieWearingFool, Fausta's Blog, The New Republic, Washington Post, Firedoglake, Macsmind and Roger Ailes

Matthew Continetti / New York Times:
Two-Front Republicans — THE country is at war. The economy is in shambles.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Weekly Standard Blog and Wall Street Journal

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Palin boosts McCain's online haul

Discussion: The Political Inquirer

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
THE CRIME AND THE COVER-UP.... At her kickoff event in Ohio yesterday …

Discussion: ABCNEWS and Bring It On!

The National Organization for Women (NOW) web site:
Not Every Woman Supports Women's Rights

Discussion: I Don't Like You Either, Talk To Action, Neptunus Lex, Taylor Marsh, The Huffington Post, Religion Clause, MyDD, GlennSacks.com, Brilliant at Breakfast, Dean's World, Media Matters for America, Jesus' General and TBogg

Rebecca Traister / Salon:
Should Obama have picked Hillary?

Discussion: Feminist Law Professors, The Confluence, Media Blog and Feministing

Will Lester / Associated Press:
Clinton urges support for Obama, says stakes high

Discussion: Associated Press, Reuters, Sadly, No!, Feministe, Yahoo! News and Shakesville

Nate Silver / The New Republic:
McCain Was Right To Take a Risk, But Was Palin the Right One?

Discussion: Hot Air, The Opinionator, Exurban League and www.redstate.com

Nate / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Sarah Palin Thoughts, Revised and Extended

Discussion: Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post and The Field on the Narcosphere

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: Weekly Standard Blog, marbury and Jack & Jill Politics

Shannen Coffin / The Corner:

Palin Pick — I was travelling on business yesterday, so had some time to reflect on the pick before posting my reaction. My immediate reaction to the announcement was relief. Given the options that McCain was considering, at least he chose someone who is apparently conservative both socially and fiscally.

The New Republic: Where We Stand: Advantage Obama

Krooney / TIME.com:
Palin=$ — McCain camp claims $3 million poured in by 6 pm ET after Palin pick.

Discussion: www.redstate.com, The American Mind and The Strata-Sphere

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Obama Continues to Lead 49% to 41% — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama maintains an eight percentage point lead over John McCain when registered voters nationwide are asked whom they would vote for in the presidential election if it were held today, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking figures.

Discussion: The New Republic, The Strata-Sphere, Don Surber and Donklephant

Julia Hoppock / Political Radar:

Cindy McCain tells Stephanopoulos that Obama Offended Her — ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports: Democrats' attacks on her family's wealth are unfair and offensive, Cindy McCain said today in an interview airing tomorrow on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”

Discussion: TIME.com

Moira Whelan / The Huffington Post:

What's wrong with this Hurricane? — I just noticed that the daily brief customarily done in advance of a hurricane is happening because Gustov is bearing down on the Gulf Coast...but a big shift here: the briefing is being given by NORTHCOM. So what does this tell us and why does it matter?

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

GOP grassroots on fire — I've been covering the GOP presidential race since November of 2006. In those many months — across many states — I have never seen a crowd with the energy that I witnessed yesterday at the Erwin Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio. — Yes, there was an inherent buzz owing to the pending veep announcement.

Discussion: Hot Air and American Spectator