memeorandum: Palin electrifies conservative base (Jonathan Martin/The Politico)

6:45 PM ET, August 31, 2008

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GETTING REAL ABOUT PALIN — I've noticed some people who should know better claiming that bringing up Gov. Palin's troopergate scandal is tantamount to making a victim of or defending her slimeball ex-brother-in-law who allegedly once used a taser on his stepson. — That's awfully foolish.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The Moderate Voice, The Daily Dish, Open Left, Lawyers, Guns and Money, Democrats.com, Anchorage Daily News, TalkLeft, The Art of the Possible, The Washington Note, Balloon Juice, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Washington Post, Liberal Values and News Hounds

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Vice in Go-Go Boots? — The guilty pleasure I miss most when I'm out slogging on the campaign trail is the chance to sprawl on the chaise and watch a vacuously spunky and generically sassy chick flick. — So imagine my delight, my absolute astonishment, when the hokey chick flick came out on the trail …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, protein wisdom, Washington Post, The Blue Voice, Taylor Marsh, I Don't Like You Either, Bring It On!, Scripting News, Althouse, Patterico's Pontifications, Whiskey Fire, The Daily Dish, MSNBC, Commentary, Don Surber, Once Upon a Time and Los Angeles Times

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

McCain: Palin a “soulmate” — John McCain, in his first television interview since his shocking vice presidential pick, said that he saw in Sarah Palin “a partner and a soul mate.” — “This is a person who will help me reform Washington and change the way they do business,” McCain told Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday.”

Discussion: The Swamp, DownWithTyranny!, Brilliant at Breakfast, The Impolitic, American Street, Pam's House Blend, Sadly, No! and Washington Monthly

Nancy Dillon / NY Daily News:

Sarah Palin's mother-in-law uncertain about how she'll vote — WASILLA, Alaska - Sarah Palin's hometown rallied around her as mayor - now Republicans wonder if the rest of America will warm up to the surprise pick from cold country. — Though her mother-in-law has doubts.

Discussion: TalkLeft, New York Post, Us Weekly, Mark Pasetsky's Cover Awards and TIME.com

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Palin: Surge? What Surge? — Among the tiny number of occasions on which Sarah Palin has expressed even an opinion on foreign policy, one of the most recent bears putting out there one more time. It's from a critical moment in the war in Iraq, December 2006, which John McCain has made the centerpiece of his campaign.

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Sarah Baxter / Times of London:
Sarah Palin: conservatives find the girl of their dreams

Discussion: Flopping Aces, Stop The ACLU, Lawyers, Guns and Money, American Power, CNN and The Strata-Sphere

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
BIG PICTURE — I've written below how Sarah Palin not only lacks …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Art of the Possible

Winston Smith / Philosoraptor: Ham Sandwich McCain's Actual Choice for Veep

Joe Conason / Salon: McCain's Palin pick is the epitome of tokenism

Michael Moore:

An Open Letter to God, from Michael Moore — The other night, James Dobson's organization asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be canceled. — I see that You have answered Dr. Dobson's prayers …

Discussion: Houston Chronicle, Bob McCarty Writes, Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, Brilliant at Breakfast, Electoral-vote.com, Top of the Ticket, White House, Hoffmania!, Pharyngula and About.com US Politics

New York Times:

Republicans Drop Most Convention Action on Monday — ST. PAUL — Senator John McCain called a halt on Sunday afternoon to all but the most essential activities for the Republican National Convention on Monday, declaring that it was time for members of his party to “take off our Republican hats …

Discussion: The Swamp, The Crypt's Blogs, TIME.com and Booman Tribune

Will Thomas / Talking Points Memo:

EXPLOITATION — With news that Gustav is headed towards Louisiana and that New Orleans is under mandatory evacuation, it is reassuring on some fronts to see the Republican response. So far Bush and Cheney have cancelled their appearances in St. Paul and the RNC is trying to determine …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain, The Politico, MSNBC and Wake up America

CNN:
Most RNC Monday activities suspended because of Gustav

Discussion: PERRspectives Blog, Tom Watson, Salon and Washington Post

David Espo / Associated Press:
McCain orders convention curtailed for Gustav

Discussion: McClatchy Washington Bureau, Yahoo! News, Washington Wire, Los Angeles Times, Daily Kos, The Reaction, Wake up America, MyDD and Reuters

Bob Drogin / Los Angeles Times:
Lots of no-shows expected at Republican National Convention

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, The Caucus, TIME.com, Political Radar and DownWithTyranny!

Washington Wire: GOP Scales Back Convention Program as Storm Nears

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Bush: ‘We face this emergency together’

Discussion: The LA Times President …, Washington Monthly, QandO and Wonkette

The Caucus:
McCain Detours to Storm Region of Mississippi

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Moderate Voice, Cameron's Corner, AMERICAblog News, TPM Election Central, Political Radar, Washington Post, Brilliant at Breakfast and The Lede

Tom Kizzia / Anchorage Daily News:

Palin touts stance on ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ doesn't note flip-flop — When John McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday, her reputation as a tough-minded budget-cutter was front and center. — “I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere,” …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, TIME.com, AMERICAblog News, The RBC and Hoffmania!

Ryan / Think Progress:

McCain and Graham Repeat False Claim That Palin Opposed The ‘Bridge To Nowhere’ — This morning on Fox News Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) cited Gov. Sarah Palin's (R-AK) 2007 cancellation of the so-called “Bridge to Nowhere” as one reason he selected her as his running mate.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, News Hounds, Gateway Pundit, MyDD, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, DownWithTyranny!, Digg and techPresident

Will Thomas / Talking Points Memo:
FOR IT BEFORE SHE WAS AGAINST IT — Several readers have pointed …

Discussion: Bob Cesca's Goddamn …

Amanda / Think Progress:

Cindy McCain: Palin knows foreign policy because ‘Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia.’ — Today on ABC's This Week, Cindy McCain tried to rebut the criticism that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) has no national experience by taking a talking point from Fox's Steve Doocy.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Reaction and Comments from Left Field

Jonathan Martin / The Politico:

Palin electrifies conservative base — ST. PAUL, Minn. — The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate has electrified conservative activists, providing a boost of energy to the GOP nominee-in-waiting from a key constituency that previously had been lukewarm — at best — about him.

Discussion: The New Republic, Associated Press, Flopping Aces, Weekly Standard Blog, Althouse and Shakesville

Washington Post:
Palin Made an Impression From the Start

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Newsweek, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, Press Association, Wake up America, Blue Hampshire, Achenblog and Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Palin no panic pick: WaPo

Discussion: Patterico's Pontifications

Ross Douthat:

Will McCain Ruin Palin? — A reader writes: … I wouldn't say I have quite the same Palin-love that progressives had for Obama in '04 ... but yeah, I'm sure this is part of the reason I'm pulling so hard for her to succeed: She's a politician I've liked for a while who's been thrust onto …

Discussion: The Jed Report

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

GOP CONVENTION UP IN THE AIR — The details remains sketchy. But based on a press conference held moments ago by McCain campaign chairman Rick Davis, the Republicans are planning to cancel or radically scale back some or perhaps even all of this year's Republican convention.

Discussion: Open Left