Eagleton scenario examined

The consensus? Good for the country, not so good for McCain's chances.

Country first, anyone? *raises own hand* Moreover, planet Earth first. For those of us interested in stable and productive international relations, the fact that the rest of the world is clamoring for Obama counts for quite a bit.

Perhaps Huckabee would work as a replacement for Palin? Terrible fiscal policies, but at least he can give good interviews! I think it's either him or Romney, if it happens, which it won't...not unless she completely bombs 2 October, I suppose.

Seems we're stuck with her along with Bush and Rove as the mock-face of U.S. "conservatism" for the foreseeable future : (

I'm deeply sad, but that is for the long-term...

Near and medium-term (next 8 years) Obama is a highly unifying figure and just what the doctor ordered. Biden is also just what the doctor ordered to destroy Cheney's abhorrent "Fuck You"-ism.

I don't know how much happier I could be with the Democratic ticket (remember, it was supposed to be the cynical Clintons again!)... but it's the Republican contenders who badly suck. Let's review the possible standard bearers:

John "Gambling, hysterical, overreacting" McCain
Mitt "Fake, plastic, will-say-anything" Romney
Mike "Irresponsible populist" Huckabee
Fred "Uncaring, empty shell" Thompson
Rudy "Noun, verb, 9/11" Giuliani

Ron "Libertarian-to-a-fault" Paul was the only guy I could support, and I soon realized he's too extreme for mainstream America. To head in that direction, we need a more gradual David Cameron-style shift. But who have we got? Maybe Eric Cantor? If so, not yet...there's really nobody, and this Sarah "Mrs. Nonsense" Palin is only helping to profoundly asphyxiate the future of sane U.S. conservatism.

Believe it or not, Sarah Palin has helped long-term Democratic party hegemony more than anything else. People just don't realize it yet. Or if they do, they're coy about saying it. I'm not. Shout it from the rooftops, Palin is exacerbating Bush and the Rovian neocons' destruction of the conservative brand! Alarm, alarm!

Damn you, McCain. You were supposed to gracefully lose this election yet help rescue your party from Bush and Rove by appealing to independents with you maverickness. Instead, you went way off target and dug us further into the hole with Palin and this farce of a campaign. Shame, shame!

Again, the next eight years will be a very welcome correction from the Bush fiasco, as was always going to be the case. But Palin has caused the long-term future of sane conservatism in the U.S. to be bleaker than any time since before Ronald Reagan.

If for whatever reason you cannot bring yourself to support Obama, you basically have only two sane choices: protest with Bob Barr, or sit this one out.

But really, you should support Obama. He's the brightest, most unifying figure...the "Reagan of the Left", and definitely the best the Democrats have to offer. We're very lucky. Well, not just luck: I gifted his books and voted and donated to his campaign in the primaries along with millions of others. So you may in part thank me for saving us from eight years of listening to Nixon-in-a-pantsuit. We did what we could, and it worked. Yes we can, know hope, and all that feel-good stuff.

Hey, I don't care where you fall: any kind of hope is better than cynicism, as politics is chock-full of the later.