I think that the lousy campaign McCain has run will only have a marginal impact on the Republicans down ticket. The last eight years of Bush/Cheney and their co-conspirators in Congress has made this year the year of the Democrats. Even a brilliantly run Republican presidential campaign would not have made much of a difference.

Put another way, McCain and the down ticket Republicans are all suffering from the political environment of their own making.

Further, McCain's lousy campaign is the consequence of this environment. He thought that he could charm his way into the White House. But people weren't buying Republican charm this year, hence he lost his cool and showed his true colors.

Good spot for an Obama ad thanking Terry for the endorsement, but endorsing his opponent.

Agreed--the economy will be the biggest influence on downticket races, especially as this is an environment of the Republican's own making. As ye sow so shall ye reap. A solid presidential candidate might have helped limit some of the losses, but the Goopers simply had no solid candidates. MCainine could have shown he really was interested in country first by picking a solid running mate with proven executive economic bonafides--Senator Voinovich perhaps--but he chose Palin instead, a decision that was disastrous before this economic meltdown but is now amplified by it.

And how about that ringing endorsement of Palin by the Joe Sixpacks and Hockey Moms at the Phlyers game last night!

Or should that be Joe Moms (Mammas) and Hockey Sixpacks?

The Republicans have traditionally been skillful at hiding the man behind the curtain. The public disarray is a symptom of the unraveling of the entire operation. Pass the popcorn.

And how about that ringing endorsement of Palin by the Joe Sixpacks and Hockey Moms at the Phlyers game last night!

That was a beautiful thing. You do need to keep in mind, though, that these are Flyers fans; they'd even boo Jesus if he showed up to a game. And probably throw stuff at him. Tough crowd.

The only place (other than Fox News) where Palin is being promoted is on post evening news entertainment shows where they have confused her with Tina Fey and think she is adorable.

In previous years, the Republican brand was proudly displayed on lawn signs throughout conservative West Michigan; now, however, all they have left is red, white and blue stars and stripes. But it is Bush, not McCain, who has soiled the brand.

The GOP will manage to steal this election anyway, or haven't you been paying attention to the blatant vote suppression going on all over the country. It is likely that Obama will lose CALIFORNIA because of the purposeful shortage of voting equipment to areas where he is expected to have the most support.

McCain 51.2% popular vote
+3 electoral votes

These are the pre-ordained election results to be brought to us by DIEBOLD.

McCain will then quietly DIE shortly after taking office, and the ignorant rube Princess Mooseturd will be sworn into office as Preznit. This is and has been the plan all along. Sarah Palin is the Dominionist's stealth candidate and will put the final nail on the coffin labeled "USA" as our slide from democratically governed Republic to theocratic police state is completed. The corporate run government has already set in place everything necessary to return us to feudal times -- over the last 30 years as good paying jobs have been shipped overseas and our economy has become a third world Banana Republic service based economy (with advanced degree holders waiting tables and greeting at WalMart) wages have been quietly replaced by E-Z credit -- thereby ensuring the reduction of the population from sharecroppers to mere serfs indebted forever to the company store.

The rampant disdain for knowledge; the continuing dumb-down of the population; the erasure of history; the confusion of opinion for facts and vice versa; all part of a very deliberate plan to reduce Americans to serfdom -- ignorant; superstitious low or no paid laborers; easily frightened and controlled; provided with nothing more than the bare necessities for survival.

Soon most of us who have even one functioning brain cell will be killed or disappeared while the remaining gullibles are shuttered off to Haliburton built labor camps where they will live out their days in service to their dominionist rulers

We are all so fucked we don't even know how fucked we are.

While I agree with the overall sentiment that Obama is winning big, and winning because he's got a better and more appealing message, this direct mail just isn't useful evidence.

Even in a state like Nebraska, you've got lots of blue voters--probably a third of them, and higher in a place like Omaha. Direct mail is VERY targeted. The Terry campaign can quite easily send the "I like Obama and Terry" mailer to one house that's full of Mother Jones' subscribing registered Democrats, and send a "Vote Terry because Obama is a muslim terrorist" mailer to the 68 year old right-winger next door.

When Terry starts running broadcast TV ads OR making on-the-record statements to broad media tying himself to Obama, then this will be a sign that they're doing more than just trying to capitalize on the unprecedented energy that Obama has brought to his own base.

So, it's less a sign that we're winning the hearts and minds of the right-wingers, and more a sign that Republicans know Obama voters are going to turn out and turn out big (while worrying about their own base), so they're hoping to minimize the downballot damage, or even pick up some votes in this demographic.

Kind of a subtle point, but I think it's important. It's less likely that we're turning so many voters into something new, and more that we're pulling out the ones who have been in Nebraska all along.

Yes, but my favorite is still Washington State - where the gubernatorial candidate from the 'values' right has fought in court to have his ballot listing as 'GOP' and not 'Republican'. Recent polls have shown a number of voters actually believe GOP is a different party altogether and might vote for him on that basis alone.

The Republican mantra - when you can't win, cheat.

The Republican Party is near the end of its death spiral. In the long run, the Republicans know that the changing demographics of the U.S. will eliminate the Republican Party as being relevant to the political process. In the short term, the incompetence and failures of the Bush Administration had ruined the chances of many Republicans.

So the Republican Party is facing the poker like situation of having no hand and no draw.

The long term conseuqnce of the Repubican collapse is that the U.S. will become a one party state where the Democratic Party primary will be the real election.

Gordon Smith is PATHETIC. Every four years, he trots out his "centrist achievements", in the Portland area, anyway. This year, he even went so far as to fake an endorsement from Wyden, our Democratic senator. Wyden is not amused.