The Appalachian Vote.

This is sad but, I am sure, true for a small portion of white America. Now you understand why the McCain campaign is trying its desperate last minute tactic of painting Obama as “foreign” and allowing surrogates to use his middle name when introducing him.

From Andrew Sullivan.

UPDATE: And, here’s another sad story courtesy of AmericaBlog.

Gone in 95 Seconds.

Not sure if you saw this clip of the minutes after the debate last night (from C-Span) but while the Obamas hung around for 20+ minutes to chat and visit with fellow citizens, the McCains left in a minute and a half. Very telling in terms of their attitudes, don’t you think?

Here’s a tic-tock of the video and what to look for from Wonkette.

00:00:13 — Cindy McCain walks out to greet her husband, and follows him awkwardly around the room for 25 seconds, until 00:00:39, when McCain finally acknowledges her presence with a quick, one-armed hug and a split-second glance at the side of her head.

00:01:19 — McCain may have patted Obama’s back here. Impossible to tell what exactly he is doing with his left arm. But if it was a pat on the back, however patronizing, it somewhat negates the handshake snub. Somewhat. But not really.

00:01:20 — The snub. Obama reaches out to shake McCain’s hand. McCain makes a weird face and points to Cindy McCain. Nonplussed, Obama smiles and takes her hand, says some pleasantries, and returns to the voters in the audience.

00:01:34 — McCain glances at Cindy, nods towards the exit door, and gives a spastic little bug-eyed wave goodbye to … the exit door he’s approaching?

00:01:35 — That’s it, the McCains are gone.

00:01:36 — Tom Brokaw is in the room, talking to the audience members. Barack and Michelle Obama are in the room, talking to the audience members. It’s almost as if there was an agreed-upon protocol — you know, basic manners.

00:01:36 through 00:11:11 — For the next 10 minutes, Barack and Michelle talk to people, post for pictures, make jokes, have apparently serious conversations with people, sign autographs, shake hands, and otherwise engage with literally everybody in the room, a hundred people or more.

At 00:05:06, a woman slips under Barack’s arm and hugs him. He hugs her back, and she actually dances back to her seat, which makes a bunch of people laugh.

At 00:09:26, Barack starts talking to (we think!) the guy who asked the first question of the debate, the one about everybody losing all their retirement savings in the economic collapse. And he keeps talking to him, and keeps talking to him, and listening to him, for more than a minute.

At 00:10:42, a black guy in glasses and a gray sportscoat asks to have his picture taken with Obama, who motions up to the seats just out of view of the camera, and seems to say he was headed up there, but he’ll come back. At 00:11:15, he comes back to the guy and happily poses for the picture.

I Will See Your 94 Tax Increases and Raise You 477.

Two can count tax increase votes the same way.

All Hell Breaks Loose.

I go away for a few hours, to the doctor and lunch, and the political “shit hits the fan.” 

John McCain tries another gimmick–postponing campaigning and the first debate, like the Palin VP nomination gimmick. You tell me which candidate has been steady at the helm this past 10 days and which one has been reacting like a rank amateur. I guess if you were McCain you would look for any port in the storm.

Jonathan Chait has this to say:

Coming on the heels of George Will’s devastating assessment of McCain’s temperament, I wonder if an impression is hardening that McCain is too much of a risk-taker to be trusted as president. McCain’s romaticism and flair for the dramatic is fun and thrilling, but kind of scary.

Up Is Down, Down Is Up.

This new McCain ad is complete nonsense. Who is leading the congressional effort to pass the wall street bailout bill–Sen. Dodd and Congressman Frank, both Obama allies.  And, didn’t Obama layout his principals last week when McCain was flailing about?

I know little about the economy, and don’t have anything intelligent to add about what is happening in the financial markets, but I do no stupid when I see it.  And, this ad is an effort to fool the American people into thinking night is day and up is down.

Basketball v. Nap. Who Wins The Debate Prep.

McCain 13, Obama 1.

That’s the number of cars the two candidates own (including Cindy and Michelle) according to Newsweek. I guess this makes Obama an elitist.

How many cars do you own?

Quote For The Day.

“if you think those lobbyists are working day and night for John McCain just to put themselves out of business, well then I’ve got a bridge to sell you up in Alaska.”

Barack Obama

September 15, 2008