Is it just me or were there some conspicuous absences from the Republican convention? I got it; not only was there no one from the current administration, there was also no Cheney sighting, or no one by the name of Bush to be found. I can understand that George W. would not make an appearance due to the hurricane and all (Remember how hands on he was during Katrina and the aftermath). No one has done more to soil the Republican brand than he has, but I don't understand why dad or Jeb wasn't invited. The Party is trying to get as far away from the Bush's as quickly as possible. It's as though they never existed. The family that played such a giant role in Party politics and the elections the last eight years has been delegated to the sidelines.

Forget about national polls for a second (even though it is a great concern). My feelings is that Obama will have a hard time winning the electoral college even if he had the lead.

Looking at the states:

FL is almost out of play. McCain was never behind in state polls for FL before the conventions. After the convention bounce, it doesn't seem likely Obama is going to win there.

OH is still possible, but has become a lot harder. Before the conventions, McCain had a slight lead (1-2%). The electorate there is a lot more socially conservative than most people think. The whole "bitter comment" thing hurts Obama in OH as well as PA. These are the people who literally are hurt very badly in the economy and cling to guns, religions, and anti-immigrant sentiments. Like one OH voter said on CNN, Obama just doesn't seem like a "real American" to him. I don't think PA is going to turn red, though.

VA has the best chance as a pick up for Obama. But it is traditionally a red state. McCain and Obama were actually tied before the conventions. I am very interested to see what will happen post-conventions.

Honestly, 60 days is still a long way to go. But if you really look at states by states, Obama has his work cut out for him.

Gallup/USA Today: McCain +10 http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/el ection2008/2008-09-07-poll_N.htm

That's some convention bounce.  

Obama opened the door for the Palin pick when he selected Biden over Clinton.  Biden has a +1 or +2 approval rating.  Palin is +10 to +15.  Clinton received 18 million votes.  Biden?  a few percent in one state.  

The liberal media and blogosphere blew it again.  They were sitting waiting for a conventional pick and the Republicans did it right again.  They are flat out better at this national election stuff than we are.

The question is, what are YOU going to do to change that?

McCain does NOT equal Bush.  That's a 320 EV losing strategy.  What's your next plan?

McCain +10??????  In THIS political environment?

God Help Us.

So you want Barack Obama elected president?  I certainly do.  Maybe you are spending a lot of time online, searching for the latest Palin mini-scandal that doesn't seem to gain traction in the MSM which has been muzzled yet again by the latest right wing whine fest.  Maybe you are concerned about the latest tracking poll that shows McCain getting a convention bounce.  If this describes you then I have an idea.

Get off your ass and do something!

What I mean after the jump...

Amid skyrocketing oil, gasoline, coal, and electricity (coming to a neighborhood near you) prices, 2008 offers Americans quite serious and stark choices between knowledgeable, impassioned, and thoughtful candidates when it comes to finding paths toward a prosperous 21st century economy, on the one side, and Fossil-Fool candidates focused on tightening our shackles to the ever-more costly (pollution, financial, otherwise) and archaic oil-coal based energy system.

One of these clear choices comes in America's 'energy capital', Houston, Texas, where former wind power executive Michael Skelly is challenging far-right winger John Culberson.  

Michael was an easy choice for membership in the ranks of the Energy Smart Act Blue page. Join me after the fold for some indications as to why.

crossposted at dailykos user http://mebe.dailykos.com/Mebe: It's not just 600,000 in Ohio: LA, FL, KS, NM, CO, and NV

Votes being purged left and right, well not really right, they are the purgers not the purgees.

WE HAVE TO BUG THE SHIT OUT OF THE MEDIA TO GET THIS COVERED!  Like now.

Keith Olberman, Bill Moyers, anyone and everyone.

by the way, people should know that a few months ago, COMCAST removed MSNBC from regular to PREMIUM.

Crossposted from Dailykos user, JLFinch

Go to "Top Picks" on your COMCAST On Demand menu.

You will see options for New Movies.

Then Hit Music.

Then Top Kids Shows.

Then an option for - REPUBLICANS.   With NO corresponding selection titled Democrats.

Gov. Sarah Palin had recently promised to co-operate fully with the investigation into her alleged abuse of power.  The memo must not have reached her staff, her executive powers must not be all that effective, or, more likely, the McCain campaign legal team trying to quash the investigation must be in control now.

This piece hit Alaskan news just prior to Gov. Palin being announced as the GOP VP nominee, after a recorded phone call showing her staff using the Governor's office for Palin's personal purposes was released to the public.  KTVA reports that Gov. Palin reversed course this day on her original denial of any type of abuse of power: