Maybe an "O" Would've Been Smarter?

The first hint there was something fishy about Ashley Todd's allegations was the backwards "B" carved into her face. Since when does the Obama campaign use his first initial?

Now that the story has been revealed as a hoax perpetrated by an ill young woman, three things come to mind about the state of our media.

1) Isn't it ironic the most prolific purveyors of propaganda (Drudge and Fox News) were so easily drawn into this hoax? Is it because they are blinded to facts and reality by the way they conduct business on a daily basis?

2) Is Matt Drudge nothing more than the "Little Man Behind the Curtain" from Oz? For over a decade the Internet spinmaster has been viewed as the Freak Show's conservative Master of Ceremonies, the media maven with the uncanny knack to uncover the 'below the fold' stories, elevate and manipulate them to help shape media narratives to Republican advantage. Mark Halperin has written:

"The Drudge Report is really unique in being able to drive stories in the mainstream media. Republican operatives use him…. Drudge has become the ultimate insider in being able to effect the public narrative that is so important in political campaigns.”

Does this signal the end of this Drudge mythology? Is this nothing more than a mirage? I wonder how many of these 'scoops' (complete with blaring red siren, of course) turn out to be hoaxes. Does the Monica scoop forever innoculate him to irresponsible, unsourced irrational reporting? Probably not.

3) How does Fox News escape the trap they set for themselves? Who would've predicted it would be Fox News the first to declare the McCain campaign D.O.A.?

Fundamentally Wrong

The Wall Street meltdown has refocused the presidential campaign on the economy. Strategists on both sides of the aisle acknowledge this benefits Democrats up and down the ticket.

Clearly, TeamObama senses the game has returned to their turf and comes out swinging at the tone-deaf McCain, who provided a fundamental assist on the campaign trail.



Maybe this will silence the Democratic Party's anxious Chicken Littles for a few days?

Meanwhile, the McCain team has releaseds an ad (called "Crisis") contradicting their claim that the economy is fundamentally sound. Which is it, Sen. McCain?



Traditionally the more adept party at staying on message, Republicans have been reduced to incoherent stuttering on the issue that matters the most to American voters. Perhaps that's because their failed, laissez-faire, trickle down economic theory doesn't work?

McCain: Ready to Lie

What does it say when Karl Rove thinks you've gone too far?




It's only a matter of time before John McCain's infamous temper explodes and destroys his candidacy.

The Blame Game Begins with an Assist from Halperin

Last night's AC360 had a group of panelists discussing how Democrats are "flummoxed, off-balance" and "flatfooted" by the Palin pick:




Notice Mark Halperin's closing remarks (around 4:15 in the video clip)and I thought, "here we go. The first rehabilitation effort of Hillary & Bill for the 2012 campaign."

Transcript:

AC: Mark Halperin, you were talking about Hillary...it would be fascinating to know what Hillary Clinton is thinking right now.

MH: Yeah, can I share this with you? I bought this a few weeks ago in Denver. As they say on TV, "can you see this?" It says, "Hillary Clinton, the most formidable and phenomenal women of 2008." That's two weeks ago and it was true. It's not true anymore. Sarah Palin is now more of a phenom and she's very formidable.

I think Hillary Clinton is saying - I don't know this - I think she's saying, the beginning of the "I told you so." She said the reason Obama would be a dangerous nominee is that he would be rattled by the Republicans when they came at him, that he would be inexperienced and that he would be flustered by all of this. And we're seeing it now. I'm not saying he's collapsed but, boy, are they off their game."

Seriously, he's innoculating the Clintons against any charges they may be held responsible for an Obama loss. The media is helping create the quadrennial Democratic circular firing squad already - despite the fact the calendar shows Election Day more than 50 days away - and the Democrat ahead in the Electoral College!

Something to Talk About

The NY Times graphically shows the partisan differences between the convention speakers:

What stands out from this chart is:

Joe Lieberman said NOTHING.

Bill Clinton strayed from the foreign policy message the Obama camp had wanted -- but was rendered a non-issue considering his full-throated endorsement of the Democratic nominee.

Sarah Palin attacked the Dems less often (or perhaps less overtly) than my initial, real-time impression. Does this means her vindictiveness was subtle and snarky? If so, this is a trecherous path for a new candidate (at the risk of being called a sexist, it's especially perilous for a female) to tread.

Moreover, the Republicans simply echoed the call for change. Since anyone with half a brain has known since the 2006 midterms this would be a change election, it seems they're playing a desperate game of catch-up.

The Clock is Ticking...

In the wake of the Republican Rapture in St. Paul it might be easy to overlook the potentially fatal weakness still haunting the McCain campaign.

McCain's desperate need to solidify his base going into St. Paul (resulting in the electrifying "roll of the dice" pick of pistol-packing Palin) means he lost his biggest opportunity to address the concerns of moderate voters.

Obama has been speaking to the middle/independent voters for MONTHS - even while the campaign was still battling Hillary in full primary mode. And what was McCain doing on Labor Day? Shoring up his far right base. Nothing that he or his surrogates said in Minnesota was aimed at attracting the middle or addressing the top concerns of the American electorate. It was nothing more than red meat for the Red Staters.

For a candidate who represents a shrinking party, playing to the base is simply not enough to win an election. It's clear McCain remains months behind with only two months ago.

Politics 101 says playing to your base this late in the game is a sure way to lose an election. Of course, as with almost everything else that has happened in this crazy campaign, this may rule may not apply.

Will Working Women Embrace Sarah?

Typically, I choose to watch events like Sarah Palin's convention speech on C-Span, in virtual isolation without the filter of the media's chatter. Last night I was only able to catch partial snippets of Palin's speech live and out in public. This provided the opportunity to gauge the reaction of average citizens.

As the Palin selection has been viewed as a play for women voters, the reactions of the women during the speech were quite interesting, if only anectdotal. Most were saying such "un-PC" things like, "How can she do that to her 17-year-old daughter? Putting her on a national stage like that?" Or, "How can she talk about a special needs child needing more attention and then go out on the road campaigning for the next two months?" The consensus emerged, "No mother I know would make these choices."

This morning, Mika Brzezinski over at MSNBC's Morning Joe is gushing over how Palin spoke to her as a professional woman. She berated Lawrence O'Donnell for saying, "There are lots of middle class families wondering, 'who's taking care of all those kids?'" She was completely offended and described the question as unfair and sexist.

This may indeed be true. However, I think there are LOTS of Americans - male and female - looking at this family and trying to imagine if they would have made the same decisions. Polling this accurately is probably impossible because the questions regarding family are personal and complex.

Despite decades of striving forward, women still bear the brunt of our society's expectations when it comes to parenting. This is why some professional women are going to be offended by questions they believe (perhaps rightly) shouldn't be asked of a female candidate. At the same time, other working women are likely to ask the questions I heard last night.