Palin Makes Her First Gaffe  —  Gov. Sarah Palin made her first potentially major gaffe during her time on the national scene while discussing the developments of the perilous housing market this past weekend.  —  Speaking before voters in Colorado Springs, the Republican vice presidential nominee claimed …

Obama Upconverts His Musings On Palin  —  In Flint, Michigan today, Barack Obama hinted that, far from being off-limits, Gov. Sarah Palin is coming into focus as a target for the Democrats.  —  According to CBS News's Maria Gavrilovic, here's what Obama said:

Gallup Daily: McCain's Bounce Gives Him 5-Point Lead  —  Leads Obama 49%-44% in first results conducted fully after GOP convention  —  PRINCETON, NJ — John McCain leads Barack Obama, 49% to 44%, in the immediate aftermath of the Republican National Convention, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking results.

We're Gonna Frickin' Lose this Thing  —  “Stop saying that!” my wife says to me.  But this is not a high school football game and I'm not a cheerleader with a bad attitude.  This is an election and as things stand now, we're gonna frickin' lose this thing.

The right dictates MSNBC's programming decisions  —  (updated below - Update II - Update III)  —  MSNBC's announcement that it is replacing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews with David Gregory as anchors for its main political events (the upcoming presidential debates and election) vividly illustrates several long-obvious facts.

Democrats must learn some respect  —  This article is not the first to note the cultural contradiction in American liberalism, but just now the point bears restating.  The election may turn on it.  —  Democrats speak up for the less prosperous; they have well-intentioned policies to help them …

Powder Keg  —  It seems to me that this would be a exceptionally effective chain email.  And it has the added virtue of being true: … Read the whole article for a long, shocking list of incidents, most of which I'd never heard about before.  He's a mean bastard.  Here's one: … Yikes.

Response Bias and the Shy Tory Factor  —  I have to confess that I'm having a hell of a time figuring out what to make of the post-convention polling.  —  Undoubtedly, the Republican convention has produced a bounce in John McCain's direction.  This is nothing especially unusual.

Rollins: Obama wrong to spurn Clinton, pick Biden  —  Editor's note: Ed Rollins, who served as political director for President Reagan, is a Republican strategist who was national chairman of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign.  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — Ten days ago …

Why Did Violence Plummet?  It Wasn't Just the Surge.  —  Throughout the summer of 2007, as the troop surge in Iraq reached full strength, Gen. David H. Petraeus kept waiting for the tide to turn.  By summer's end, the U.S. commander in Iraq got his wish.  The high of 1,550 attacks …

A feminist's argument for McCain's VP  —  In the shadow of the blatant and truly stunning sexism launched against the Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and as a pro-choice feminist, I wasn't the only one thrilled to hear Republican John McCain announce Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

McCain attacks Obama on military spending  —  LEE'S SUMMIT, Missouri (CNN) -John McCain is launching a new line of attack against Barack Obama, criticizing his rival for saying Sunday that he would buck his own party by calling for an increase in the size of the U.S. military.