Politics and Culture

1. Here.

Obama's "thinking" again. I don't know what's quite wrong with this statement, but it sounds odd- kind of like he's absorbed with himself:

You know what I want to do is come after rather as opposed to before, and the reason is that there is a tendency when I make a visit these days or any president…either of the nominees make a visit, with secret service it can distract from law enforcement and the jobs that they need to do. I’m sure senator McCain’s team worked that through and made sure that that wasn’t going to be the case. But I don’t want to be a distraction, what I’m going to do is focus on what needs to happen after the hurricane strikes and to monitor it over the next 48 hours to make sure we are doing everything we can.

2. McCain was right to postpone the convention. I don't usually think in sentimental terms, but it's not like conventions are all that important anyways. What are we going to miss: Jack Kemp talking about "opportunity?" In fact, the narrower focus will probably be more compelling. All we need is McCain and Palin's fantastic biographies and some serious, non-partisan speeches with specific policy prescriptions, preferably in a non-stadium.

3. In fact, Obama's "bounce," such as it was only occurred after his flaccid enunciation lesson last Thursday.

4. The attacks on Palin are extreme and absurd. From the hate orgasm of the odious organ, Daily Kos, the normally lovable Alam Colmes, and the bizarre Andrew Sullivan, insisting that Sarah Palin's last baby was really Bristol Palin to the speculation that Sarah gave the babies "witch names" to community organizing Barack Obama's slight of Palin's experience ("former mayor of a town of 8,000"): It's pretty revealing.