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Republican Sen. John McCain played the gender card like an ace Friday with his surprise choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. In one stroke, McCain stole the spotlight from Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's rousing acceptance speech Thursday night and electrified Republicans, whose biggest challenge in this campaign has been the lack of enthusiasm among their own voters. The question now is whether the women McCain is trying to woo will care enough about breaking a gender barrier to elect him president. "As a woman who is a champion of women's equality, I find (the...

RUSH: This is Sarah Palin and her accomplishments. Obama cannot make a speech like this. PALIN: In serving as the team mom and coaching some basketball on the side, I got involved in the PTA and then was elected to the city council and then elected mayor of my hometown where my agenda was to stop wasteful spending and cut property taxes and put the people first! (cheers and applause) I was then appointed ethics commissioner and chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. And when I found corruption there, I fought it hard and I held the...

USH: Now, this bite from the Obama speech last night. It's a montage of The Messiah talking about himself. This runs a minute 17 seconds. None of these I's -- I, I, I -- is repeated. OBAMA: I accept your nomination. I thank you. I am grateful... I love you. I am so proud... I stood before... That's why I stand here......... Tonight I say... I don't know about you... I'm not ready... I quote... Americans I know... I don't believe... I just think... I am standing here... I see... I think... I listen... I remember... I stood... I hear......

Earlier this year Dr. Jim Dobson, President of Focus on the Family made news when he announced on “The Dennis Prager Show” that he “cannot and will not vote for Senator John McCain.” Today, on The Dennis Prager Show, the conservative leader changed course and announced his enthusiastic support on the heels of the announcement by Senator McCain of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. Dennis Prager: I have a guest here who’s extremely significant in American life, whether you call it American political, certainly American religious life, one of the best known Christians in America—...

A leading House Democrat said Friday John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is a "risky" move that could ultimately prove disastrous to the Republican prospects in November. Meanwhile, a top Senate Democrat said the pick is a "Hail Mary pass" and a "roll of the dice," in what is the initial reactions from McCain's rival party. Speaking to South Carolina ETV Radio, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn likened the choice of Palin to Walter Mondale's choice of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and George H.W. Bush's pick of Dan Quayle in 1988. Both picks — relatively unknown political figures...

Though it was high in shock value, the Palin pick left bruised feelings among the short-list contenders who were not picked -- and infuriated some Republican officials who privately said McCain had gone out on a limb, unnecessarily, without laying the groundwork for such an unknown. Two senior Republican officials close to Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty said they had both been rudely strung along and now "feel manipulated." "They now know that they were used as decoys, well after McCain had decided not to pick them," one Republican involved in the process said. Democrats quickly absorbed the Obama talking...

Stalwart online supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton -- are fired up this morning by the announcement that Sen. John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The common refrain: "Obama will regret not choosing Hillary now!" Taylor Marsh, a Las Vegas blogger who developed a large following of Clintonites during the primary, wrote this morning that: "This is a move to peel off disaffected HRC voters. I guess McCain thinks they're stupid and willing to vote for any woman. Rabidly pro life, an NRA member, she's not exactly a champion of women's civil rights. We'll have...

Barack Obama's campaign is blasting John McCain for putting "the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency." The scathing description of Sarah Palin, from Obama spokesman Bill Burton, comes as Democrats scramble to gather a response to a selection that nobody in the political world expected. "Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same," added Burton. Democrats will likely push the...

Though I'm no big fan of John McCain, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate is a stroke of genius. Brilliant. I'm not into affirmative action picks, but Palin is smart, articulate, and competent in her own right, regardless of whether she has a uterus. And in this case, McCain picking a woman--a bright conservative who happens to be female--was necessary. It was necessary because Barack Obama made a big mistake in picking Joe Biden. He angered female Hillary supporters. Now, they will have a tough time voting for the Obama-Biden ticket, which dissed them, and...

On Tuesday, the 88th anniversary of women being granted the right to vote, Hillary Clinton was the living embodiment of the dream of electing a woman to the White House deferred as she pledged to support rival Barack Obama’s bid for the White House. On Thursday, the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Obama was the living embodiment of King’s dream being realized as he accepted his party’s nomination for the presidency. Obama’s 45-minute speech was an amalgam of lofty rhetoric (“[w]e meet at one of those defining moments — a moment when our...

Barack Obama once again proved that he can deliver a breathtaking speech at an absolutely pivotal moment, says Mark Halperin Tim KaineB- Confident and somewhat commanding but the Virginia Governor did not demonstrate a skill set truly ready for primetime. Bill RichardsonB+ A well-researched, well-written, well-delivered speech - the crowd loved him. Al GoreA Exhibited every one of the public speaking skills he has honed since he went from being a politician to a super-activist. Relaxed, funny, and totally aware of how to work the stadium crowd. Barack ObamaA+ He is not a perfect candidate, but once again proved that...

Just how did Barack Obama (D-IL), a rather undistinguished state senator, get elected to the U.S. Senate and without doing anything noteworthy in that august body go on to capture his party’s nomination for president before even finishing out his first term in Congress? A combination of heartlessness and happenstance - and some say, caucus fraud. Note: The Stiletto writes about politics and other stuff at The Stiletto Blog, chosen an Official Honoree in the Political Blogs category by the judges of the 12th Annual Webby Awards (the Oscars of the online universe) along with CNN Political Ticker, Swampland (Time...

After three days of Democrats trying to portray their nominee as a normal Everyman, Barack Obama accepted their nomination on a stage fit for Superman. A Hollywood version of the White House facade plopped down in the middle of a tricked-out football stadium was a grand idea if the goal was to create a media spectacle. But to communicate a message of realistic hope for a beleaguered middle class, fake grandeur was an odd choice. Using a facade to appear presidential invites wisecracks about a nominee already derided as a messiah wanna-be. And the numerous references by warmup speakers to...

Good, great or something else, Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night unquestionably confronted two of his greatest challenges. One was to help voters, in emotion-laden language, to connect his promise of “change” to more earthly policy proposals, the other to show he could take the fight to Senator John McCain over Mr. Obama’s own image and the best way forward for the nation. Mr. Obama showed real fire, and directed memorable fire at his opponent, even on Mr. McCain’s signature issue, national security. “If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament and judgment to...

For nearly three full days, Bill and Hillary Clinton owned the Democratic National Convention – an extraordinary act of domination by the losers. But late on Wednesday night Barack Obama walked on stage to join Joe Biden, the vice-presidential nominee, and the mood changed with a snap. Mr Obama was tomorrow’s man, the first African-American nominated for America’s highest office by a major party. The Clintons and all their dramas suddenly seemed the stuff of history. With their own goals in mind, the Clintons played their assigned roles – to heal the divisions they had helped to create. The Obama...

The first wife of Barack Obama's father has said she never dreamed that a black man could become President of the United States but now believes her stepson's "time has come". Kezia Obama, 67, who now lives in a modest semi-detached home in a cul-de-sac on a housing estate in Bracknell Berks, is the mother of four of the Democratic presidential nominee's half-siblings – Abongo, now 50, Auma, 48, Bernard, 40, and Abo, 37. A child bride, she met her husband Barack Obama Snr when she was at school in Kenya and is unsure whether she was 15 or 16...

When William Bolthouse, a California philanthropist, donated $100,000 in March to support a proposition to ban gay marriage in California, calls and emails poured in -- not to Mr. Bolthouse, but to the corporate offices of a company that bears his name -- even though he sold it three years earlier. "It wasn't us, it's not our fault," says Jeffrey Dunn, now the chief executive of Bolthouse Farms, whose juice bottles are sold at upscale markets such as Whole Foods. Bolthouse Farms is the latest target in what has become an increasingly bitter political fight in California. As gay-rights activists...

Joe Scarborough and the rest of the Morning Joe crew actually had my sympathy this morning. Amidst all the infighting at MSNBC, including demands for Joe's head in Olbermann-friendly circles, one could sense that the panel was on its best behavior. During the opening hour, a subdued David Shuster—who had openly fought with Joe just two days ago—was there, but just barely. Scarborough himself could not have been more enthusiastic in his praise for yesterday's DNC proceedings, from Bill's speech to the historic fact of the nomination of an African-American. But if my impulse is to cut the Morning Joe...

Democrats will kneel before the "Temple of Obama" tonight. As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party's nomination atop an enormous, Greek-columned stage - built by the same cheesy set team that put together Britney Spears' last tour. John McCain's campaign mocked the massive neoclassical set created for Obama's speech at 75,000-seat Invesco Field. Some Republicans have dubbed it the "Barackopolis," while others suggested the delegates should wear togas to fit in among the same Doric columns the ancient Greeks believed would stroke the egos of...

To the anguished cries of, “No!,” Hillary Clinton (D-NY) released her delegates before Wednesday afternoon’s roll call vote – deliberately timed to be well out of the prime-time spotlight. When it was NY’s turn to announce its delegate tallies – by alphabetical order 32 other states and territories had already done so – Clinton herself moved to end the roll call and asked that Barack Obama (D-IL) be declared the Dem nominee by acclamation. It’s important to note that 18 percent of Hillary’s delegates did vote for her, even knowing that their votes were symbolic. They meant to send a...

So-called ambush ads are typically reserved for Web-savvy marketers such as General Motors and AT&T. The newest believer: a 71-year-old presidential candidate. Sen. Barack Obama appears to many people to be running a far more tech-wise campaign than his opponent, with his use of text messages to announce his vice-presidential candidate and the creation of his own vibrant social network, My.BarackObama.com. But Sen. John McCain is in some ways outsmarting Sen. Obama when it comes to Internet marketing. One example: As of Wednesday, a Google search for "Joe Biden" or even just "Biden" resulted in a prominently displayed ad labeled...

Bill Clinton showed why Barack Obama is only the second best speaker at this year's convention, says Mark Halperin. Senator Evan BayhGrade: B- Was more confident and comfortable than in his past big speeches, but still had trouble holding the crowd. Yelled a lot to show passion, but volume alone was not enough, and his remarks, while on message, contrasted clearly with Biden's dramatic diatribe. Bill ClintonGrade: A+ The crowd stood and cheered until Clinton begged them to sit, and then he himself rose to the occasion with a decisive, hopeful and generous affirmation that "Barack Obama is ready to...

So all the buzz today was supposed to be about two big Wednesday speeches -- Bill Clinton’s and Joe Biden. Why, then, is everyone in Denver talking about stagecraft? It’s simple: Reporters got their first glimpse of the stage where Barack Obama will deliver his speech tomorrow night at Invesco Field. Reuters described the set as similar to a "Greek temple." Thus a legend -- not the good kind -- was born. Said one Democrat: "This is a disaster of mythical proportions." Said another: "It's not enough that he wants to be president -- he wants to be Zeus." Said...

Out of the Senate and into . . . the Parthenon? Barack Obama has already invited a new wave of Republican criticism that the White House isn’t big enough for his ego with his plans to accept the Democratic nomination Thursday at Invesco Field at Mile High. The field where the Denver Broncos play and where Obama will address a crowd of more than 70,000 people is now completely covered by a circular seating arrangement. And in the center, where Obama will be standing, is what appears to be a large structure that resembles the ancient Greek temple of...

Throughout his campaign, Barack Obama has presented himself to be a new type of politician: transparent, clean, aboveboard, and above all, positive.  His campaign would be an idealistic one: no tricks, just plain old-fashioned honesty. Of course, coming from Chicago with its big-city machine politics this would be quite impressive if it were true. Alas, it is not. As many are learning from David Freddoso's new book, The Case Against Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee was a practitioner of the dark arts himself -- and he has continued to rely upon tricks as tactics in his ground game. The...

Continuing to follow up on what can be learned of Barack Obama's tenure as the Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge (CAC), evaluations of the program during his tenure available on line demonstrate that in his only real executive test, Barack Obama was a dismal failure squandering millions of dollars on education programs which had basically no real effect. They also strongly suggest Obama's claim that un-repentant terrorist Bill Ayers is just a teacher who lived down the block is an outright lie. The structure and tone of the CAC, addressed in the documents, leave a strong...

Greta says there's new information on the relationship between Obama and William Ayers. Is this something new? She called it breaking news?

DENVER, Aug. 26 -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's most loyal delegates came to the Pepsi Center on Tuesday night looking for direction. They listened, rapt, to a 20-minute speech that many proclaimed the best she had ever delivered, hoping her words could somehow unwind a year of tension in the Democratic Party. But when Clinton stepped off the stage and the standing ovation faded into silence, many of her supporters were left with a sobering realization: Even a tremendous speech couldn't erase their frustrations. Despite Clinton's plea for Democrats to unite, her delegates remained divided as to how they should proceed....

When she first campaigned for a New York Senate seat, Hillary Clinton earned the nickname "The Laundry Lady." Last night's speech was a reminder why. Clinton didn't come close to injecting the shot of energy that the Democratic convention desperately needs, but neither did she do anything to damage Obama's campaign. Instead, she wrapped up her historic candidacy with a whimper—an understated, buzzword-laden speech that held about as much passion as a Wednesday night city council meeting. Characteristically, Clinton seemed to want to do several things at once, and as a result did none of them especially well. She made...

Kathleen Sebelius, Governor of KansasGrade: C+ Delivery as flat as Kansas and no apparent training on a teleprompter ... offered a mild-mannered, monotone attack on John McCain ... and some general platitudes about Barry and change. Mark Warner, former Virginia Governor, current Senate candidateGrade: D Lost the audience early and never got them back ... [made] brief, passable efforts to paint John McCain as four more years of George Bush ... were confusing, his specifics irritatingly vague ... style bland, and his speech [was] meandering. Ted Strickland, Governor of OhioGrade: B+ Finally (FINALLY) got the crowd going with some snappy,...

Campaigns usually collapse because of gaffes -- off-the-cuff actions that accidentally reveal the true nature of candidates. And the Barack Obama campaign has had more than its share of revealing gaffes: Obama's statement that rural voters turn to God, guns and racism because they have no jobs; his explanation that proper tire gauge use would fix high gas prices; his self-aggrandizing exhortation that he has "become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions"; his associations with Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers and Tony Rezko; the list goes on and on. But gaffes are not the...

Michelle Obama quotes lines some radical Far Left book in her DNC Convention speech. What to make of Michelle Obama's use the terms, “The world as it is” and “The world as it should be?” From whence do they originate? Try Chapter 2 of Saul Alinsky’s book, Rules for Radicals. In last night's speech, Michelle Obama said something that peeked my curiousity. She said: "Barack stood up that day," talking about a visit to Chicago neighborhoods, "and spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about “The world as it is” and “The world as it should...

The campaign of Democratic presidential nominee in waiting Barack Obama is threatening TV stations that dare to run a controversial ad that questions Obama's friendship with unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist Bill Ayers.Politico quotes an Obama aide as saying this afternoon, "The Obama campaign plans to punish the stations that air the ad financially, organizing his supporters to target the stations that air it and their advertisers."Politico has posted copies of letters the Obama campaign has sent to station managers and a letter the campaign has sent to the Department of Justice demanding a criminal investigation of the group that is...

Denver, Aug 25, 2008 / 11:51 pm (CNA).- Tim Gill, a billionaire from Colorado who has funded homosexual activism throughout the United States, spoke at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Delegates Caucus at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, outlining how he has worked to advance homosexual causes in U.S. politics. Gill endorsed undermining rising politicians critical of homosexual advocacy by targeting donations to benefit their opponents on the state level. Gill, who was introduced at the caucus as one of the nation’s largest funders of LGBT “civil rights initiatives,” reportedly has spent $150 million on LGBT issues....

Mark Halperin reviews the Democratic convention speakers—with high marks for Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama Caroline KennedyGrade: A Looking sleek, elegant, and composed, she spoke with clarity and warmth ... introduced a rousing film about her uncle's life and accomplishments, and then welcomed the Senator himself to the stage. [Snip] Ted KennedyGrade: A+ The ailing political lion electrified the hall with a strong, passionate speech ... looked tough and robust ... Another emotional chapter in Kennedy family history, written right before the nation's eyes. [Snip] Craig RobinsonGrade: B+ Introduced his "little sister", gave a relaxed and sweet overview of Michelle...

Poof. Just like that, he was gone. With all the focus on Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama's speeches before a roused audience last night, little attention was given to Jimmy Carter, who also appeared on the stage at the Pepsi Center on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention. This was by design. In the four years since the former Democratic president took the stage in Boston in 2004, 14 members of his Carter Center resigned in protest after he published a book comparing Israel's treatment of the Palestinians to the treatment of blacks in South Africa under apartheid,...

The are two kinds of demonstrators rallying outside the Pepsi arena and throughout the Mile High City - but only one can really wreck the Democrats' love-fest. First, we have the street activists who operate outside mainstream politics and tend to argue for radical positions. Unlike in 1968, the dedicated anti-war liberals come off as sober, savvy, and fixated on long-term goals. The second group is the collection of rambunctious pro-Hillary Clinton loyalists who are doing their best to create chaos within the convention - and real trouble for party nominee Barack Obama. The Clinton die-hards seem like political brats...

THE OBAMA-BIDEN TICKET IS THE FIRST TICKET OF EITHER MAJOR PARTY IN SIXTY-EIGHT YEARS IN WHICH NEITHER THE CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT EVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY! At a time of war, the Democrats give us something the nation hasn't seen in more than two generations: a ticket where neither of the the running mates ever wore a uniform of any kind. Shouldn't Republicans make a big deal of this? Consider the history-- 2004 -- GOP -- Bush served in National Guard/ DEMS- Kerry served in the Navy 2000---GOP -- Bush served in National Guard/ Al Gore served in the Army...

Monday’s "American Morning" featured a segment on CNN political analyst Roland Martin’s recent TV One interview with Michelle Obama which seemingly sought to counter negative assertions about Obama by Republicans and “crazy folks on the right.” After airing a clip of Obama talking about her blue-collar upbringing, during which she stated that her story was the "quintessential American story," co-host Kiran Chetry asked Martin about how important it would be for Obama to address that in her speech at the Democratic National Convention. In his reply, Martin contended that "crazy folks on the right" are to blame for mischaracterizations of...

Denver -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama acknowledged today that he has lost ground against Republican rival John McCain. But Obama plans to win through telling his story, talking about his plans for the country, and connecting with people, Obama allies said as the Democratic National Convention opens. "He loves basketball you know, and plays it," said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the senior Illinois senator and Senate Majority Whip. "We talked about the game today and we realized that over the last week or 10 days, John McCain has had a 12-0 run in this basketball game." McCain gained ground...

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are working on a deal to give her some votes in the presidential nomination roll call, but end the divided balloting quickly with a unanimous consent for Obama. Democratic officials involved in the negotiations say the idea is that at the start of the state-by-state roll call Wednesday night, delegates would cast their votes for Clinton or Obama. But the voting would be cut off after a couple states, perhaps ending with New York, when Clinton herself would call for a unanimous backing for Obama from the convention floor.

It’s DNC time in Denver. Time to replace Barack Hussein Obama’s halo with a crown. This morning signs with the single word “Unity” were stacked up and ready for delegate pick up outside the Denver Pepsi Center. The public squabbling between the Obama and Clinton camps is, at least ostensibly, over. Make that over on the convention floor. Outside, it continues with groups like Clintons4McCain taking the battle all the way to Election Day. Meanwhile back at the proverbial ranch, Hillary Clinton, who deems Joe Biden “a good man, a wise man, an experienced man”, will prove she doesn’t...

With Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) as Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate, you have a two-senator ticket - all talk, no executive action; no “favorite son” advantage in a key swing state with a huge chunk of votes in the electoral college, and a man whom voters resoundingly rejected when he was running for the top spot against Obama. So what does Biden do for Obama? Many Dems and Repubs, political operatives, and Senators who have served with both men were remarkably similar in their verdicts: Obama is clearly unqualified for the presidency, and Biden will help him close the...

The Democrats arrive in Denver this week flush with confidence. And why not? Yes, their rookie Presidential candidate suddenly finds himself in a tight race with John McCain. The party itself, though, has reason to think its moment to govern has arrived again after a generation of divided government or Republican rule. By most standard measures, the country has soured on the Republicans and the GOP President. Thanks to retirements and the election cycle, Republicans in the Senate must defend 23 seats this year against the Democrats' 12, and there are also more GOP open seats in the House. The...

A successful vice president of the United States always tries to make the boss look good—and never snores loudly during state funerals in distant lands. The most crucial qualification, though, is to be instantly capable of governing this nation if a new president flops over dead—at his or her inauguration or any moment thereafter. By that measure, Barack Obama has done well for his country by selecting fellow Sen. Joseph Biden as his running mate. [Snip] One downside to a Vice President Biden: His persona evokes Foghorn Leghorn, the Warner Bros. cartoon rooster who talks too much. [Snip] We’re perplexed,...

Political marriages are never pretty. Given the inbred cesspool that is Washington politics, it's always easy to dig up damning statements that today's bedfellows made about one another in the last election. It's simply part of this sordid game where loyalty doesn't last one inch beyond a politician's most cynical personal interests and insatiable self-gratification. Just ask Elizabeth Edwards. Barack Obama's choice of Joe Biden as his running mate is certainly no exception. It didn't take John McCain's campaign more than a few minutes to dredge up Biden's unvarnished view of Obama. At least, that was Biden's view before he...

Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters had mixed reactions Saturday to the selection of Joe Biden as the Democrats' vice presidential candidate. Some realized a long time ago that Barack Obama, the party's presumptive nominee for president, was not going to pick Clinton as his running mate. Others held out hope until they awoke to the announcement Saturday morning. [Snip] Clinton issued a statement Saturday praising Obama's decision and calling Biden "an exceptionally strong, experienced leader and devoted public servant." Some of her supporters were less charitable. "It's a total diss to Sen. Clinton, in my opinion," said Diane Mantouvalos, co-founder of...

Joe Biden does bring one big constituency with him - the Hair Club for Men. Oh sure, it’s easy to make jokes about this windbag’s windbag, from a state smaller than Middlesex County. Let the Los Angeles Times call him a “barrel of gaffes.” This man is a role model to millions of American men. He beat a disease - male pattern baldness. He persevered through the decades, plugging away, as it were, with his hair plugs. And now this is said of Biden on his behalf: “He’s been there for three decades.” That’s what you call damning with faint...

We now know what Obama has in store for the American economy. Let's start with energy. His is the traditional Democratic tilt in favour of renewables, ethanol and conservation. But with the polls showing that more than 70% of Americans favour opening offshore America and federal lands to drilling, Obama panicked. He now says he will go along with a comprehensive deal that includes new taxes on oil companies in return for a relaxation of restrictions on offshore drilling, so long as it is done in an environmentally sensitive way, which means that there will be no offshore drilling. As...