Simply uncanny

Huh.

Weirder is the fact that the pundits are falling over themselves to give her the win, but every poll and every focus group says otherwise – every single one.

Ironically, I think the pundits are confusing a positive reaction to her as a fresh face in national politics with favorability for the position in which she is running. In other words, they like her, but they can’t see her as president. Sexism? It’s part of it. But I think it has to do with the times and the circumstances. They want to feel comfortable that their leaders know what they’re doing.

Speaking of which, Ecoshift found probably the most compelling political video of the season. And it doesn’t even name a candidate. Hilarious too.

Addendum: Al Franken is breaking out a big lead. I wonder if Obama will make a campaign appearance with him, assuming the lead holds.

Meanwhile, as McCain continues to sink in polls, the Obama campaign is bracing for the last negative onslaught from McCain – expect more appearances for Rezko, Ayers, and everybody’s favorite, Rev. Wright.

Second addendum: Obama’s planning to preempt the attacks. Why did McCain announce his intentions? Or maybe it’s a feint?

Palin was in California today, Carson Home Depot Center to be specific. She can’t be fund raising, so I’m confused as to the strategy. She’s supposed to appear in Nebraska tomorrow, because Obama is making a play for the one electoral vote (Nebraska and Maine are the only two states which can potentially divide up their electoral votes based on which portions of the states a candidate wins). Again, seems odd.

She whined a little bit about the Couric interviews: “C’mon, let’s start talking to the American people about the issues you guys want to know about.”

The questions she flubbed were about the bailout proposal, democracy in the middle east, Supreme Court decisions, and her sources of news. Her audience has no interest in those topics? Maybe not.

Meanwhile, she brought up Bill Ayers today. If they allow her to be interviewed again, I wonder if she’ll be queried on her knowledge of the Weathermen. It’s certainly fair game if she’s going to attack with it. Or, maybe not. Special rules apply to her after all.

Anyway, McCain is down by 12 in Pennsylvania. The majority of voters polled there preferred his approach to the financial crisis to McCain’s, and were apparently not impressed with McCain’s grandstanding.

And for your convenience, here’s Tina Fey in the latest SNL skit. Actually, the Biden material is even better than the Palin material.

Third addendum: Ayers incoming! As Palin brings up a name she probably had never heard of until a week ago, and Mark Armbinder reports that the Republicans have already dumped 10 million into the Ayers theme with apparently no impact. It requires a knowledge or memory of history in probably the most ahistorical nation on the planet. You have to explain too much to make it matter.

But a new photo has surfaced which proves that young Obama was in fact involved with the Weatherman as early as the Days of Rage. Thanks to this Kos poster for the discovery. Click on it to enlarge.

Fourth addendum: The SNL video is down. You can view it here.

Organic lettuce

As of this moment it’s on sale at Redway Shopsmart (Murrish’s) for $1.18 a head, 30 cents cheaper than the conventional lettuce. Maybe that’s why I had to park out on the street this evening.