The following Facebook message was sent to a 16 year old classmate of McCain's daughter Bridget.

Jodi Kantor

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September 29 at 7:21pm

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I saw on facebook that you went to Xavier, and if you don't mind, I'd love to ask you some advice about a story. I'm a reporter at the New York Times, writing a profile of Cindy McCain, and we are trying to get a sense of what she is like as a mother. So I'm reaching out to fellow parents at her kids' schools. My understanding is that some of her older kids went to Brophy/Xavier, but I'm trying to figure out what school her 16 year old daughter Bridget attends-- and a few people said it was PCDS. Do you know if that's right? Again, we're not really reporting on the kids, just seeking some fellow parents who can talk about what Mrs. McCain is like.

Also, if you know anyone else who I should talk to-- basically anyone who has encountered Mrs. McCain and might be able to share impressions-- that would be great.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me.

Jodi Kantor
Political correspondent
New York Times
kantor@nytimes.com
212 556 4596

Meanwhile, not a single reporter has bothered asking anyone -- like, adults -- about the open secret that Bill Ayers babysat for Obama's kids.

So why doesn't McCain make an issue of this?

Oh, mercy, they are.

In a letter to the NYT, a McCain staffer notes "You have not tried to find Barack Obama's drug dealer."

It is worth noting that you have not employed your investigative assets looking into Michelle Obama. You have not tried to find Barack ObamaÂ’s drug dealer that he wrote about in his book, Dreams of My Father. Nor have you interviewed his poor relatives in Kenya and determined why Barack Obama has not rescued them. Thus, there is a terrific lack of balance here.

I suggest to you that none of these subjects on either side are worthy of the energy and resources of The New York Times. They are cruel hit pieces designed to injure people that only the worst rag would investigate and publish. I know you and your colleagues are always preaching about raising the level of civil discourse in our political campaigns. I think taking some your own medicine is in order here.

The hell with his drug dealer. I want to know his babysitter was.

Or, actually, I already know.

I'd like to know why the NYT doesn't want to know.

Strike that -- I know the answer to that one, too.

Incidentally, why would the NYT attempt to reignite its discredited Vicky Isemann affair rumor now?

Gee, it's almost as if they know something might be on the horizon involving Obama.

Posted by: Ace at 10:14 AM | Comments (97)
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I am literally 5 minutes from the next Obama rally down town in KCMO. I am contemplating attending this lovely soiree of all the best people allowed to mingle with the Messiah and not be publically pilloried for having the audacity to hope they can take part in our democratic process by asking a politician a question.

My question is, which sign is more likely to get me a television interview and which one is more likely to get me beat up?

"I'm Jane the Plumber, can I ask a question?"

"Do I have to be Jesus to ask the Messiah a question?"

Or, go right into flaming territory:

"Obama's Tax Plan = Slavery"

Give me your best shot. The rally starts gathering in 2 hours and I need time to make the sign.

Posted by: Open Blog at 10:12 AM | Comments (128)
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For those of you who are interested. Ranked action, Georgia (10) and Vanderbilt (22) playing now, Ohio St (12) - Mich St (20) later this afternoon, Texas (1) and Missouri (11) tonight.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 09:08 AM | Comments (36)
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Ace mentioned this last night, something I had long since forgotten about. Fun stuff if you've not seen it before (or even if you have).

A Truly Helpful Periodical: The Ace of Spades Women's Magazine, Written by Men. If men wrote articles to help women really understand us. 600 comments long, with insightful titles such as:

The Words That Come Out Of His Mouth: The Secret Source Of What A Man Is Really Trying To Tell You!

"Because I wanted to get laid"
One man's reveals the secret of why him did stupid things before you married him.

"Conversation Killers: Never Start A Discussion With Your Husband By Saying Promise You Won't Get Mad."

Also, the chicks fired back with several gems of their own. "The Art Of Morning Nookie: A 'Gun' Jammed In Her Back Ain't Sexy" (LauraW)

Yeah. We're dopes. But we sure haves us some fun.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 07:35 AM | Comments (81)
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Here is an e-mail I received from tipster "Patrick" who volunteered at the Noblesville event discussed below. I think it does a great job of capturing the mood and the spirit of those who are attending not just this rally, but all of the rallies in recent weeks.

Bear this in mind when you read Patrick's account: The attendance at the GOP Convention was in the 20,000-22,000 range. Palin is matching that over and over again.

It's pretty impressive when the VP candidate can hold the equivalent of a National Convention in every state she visits.

Regarding the event itself, here are my observations:

The press reports I have seen estimated the crowd at somewhere between15,000 to 24,000. I think those are all low. I canÂ’t estimate a crowd well, but the rally was held at a concert venue with an official capacity of 24,000. I asked members of the venue security staff to estimate the crowd size and they all said it was overcapacity, which was something that troubled them from a security/crowd control stand point. The large lawn that is normally full of blankets and lawn chairs during a concert was 75% to 80% full of people standing.

One security guard (who told me he was undecided in this election) estimated the crowd at 28,000 to 30,000. The same security guard also worked the Obama rally held last week in Indianapolis (different venue) and he estimated that crowd at around 20,000 (which was consistent with the ObamaÂ’s campaignÂ’s estimate of 21,000).

Even though the rally was not set to begin until 4:30, people started showing up early in the morning to get in line. I got there at 11 am and there were already several hundred people waiting . By 12:30, I could not see the end of the line from the front gate.

The crowd absolutely loved Sarah. They were every bit as enthusiastic as the crowd at the convention, except this was full of regular people instead of just party faithful. Everyone wanted a sign, flag, pom-pom, or something to wave. We would literally open a box of something and it would be empty in just a couple of minutes. If anything, the campaign way underestimated the demand for things to wave.

I would estimate the crowd was at least 60% - 40% female to male, if not higher. There were a lot of little babies and a lot of special needs kids. It was very obvious from watching the crowd that Sarah Palin has connected with women, the pro-life movement, and special needs communities in a very deep and personal way.

There were also a lot of vets in attendance and they were repeatedly honored both formerly and informally. For example, before the rally began and people were still finding seats, there were several times that the crowd broke out in spontaneous applause because a vet was crossing the stage to get to his seat. These were heartfelt and enthusiastic demonstrations of gratitude from people who truly love and support the troops.

After her speech was over, Palin went into the crowd and stayed for at least half an hour signing autographs, holding babies, and shaking hands. There were several thousand people still there when she had to leave shortly before 7 pm. Bear in mind that for many of these people this was a twelve hour or more event when you factor in all the time they spent driving here, waiting in line to get in, waiting for the rally to start, etc...

I think it is hard to understate how much Sarah Palin has energized the Republican base and how invested they are in her as a candidate and a person, in ways they havenÂ’t been about John McCain. One of the most common things I heard from people was that they wished McCain would let Palin off the leash and let her do her thing.

While Palin was inspiring 25,000 people , Peggy Noonan sent her ladyfinger sandwich back to the Country Club chef to demand more watercress.

Posted by: Jack M. at 06:18 AM | Comments (166)
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She drew 20,000 to a rally in Noblesville, Indiana tonight.

I saw Peggy Noonan at a book signing/book tour in Washington DC once. I think I was joined by a couple dozen people.

Just sayin'.

Update: Pics and an account of the rally from a volunteer and blogger.

Steyn Nails It So Hard He Splits the Beam [ace]: So blatantly, obviously correct it's hard to imagine why anyone didn't say it before.

It's times like this I wish I had a mutation which inflicted me with 2d4 additional testicles. Just to dip all the more.

On this business of "elite cocoons" and "conservative cocoons":

One of the things I love about America (speaking as a foreigner) is how decentralized it is. Pace "New York, New York", you don't have to make it there, you can make it anywhere. Yet, in contrast to other industries, our chattering classes are uniquely concentrated in Ross Douthat's DC/NY corridor. Isn't this a little odd? And doesn't it pose particular problems for Republicans? Conservative elites live in liberal jurisdictions - and, way out back in the "conservative cocoon", it gives them the whiff of absentee landlords, who enrich themselves on the strength of various holdings in ramshackle colonies but have no desire to spend much time there. Whatever one feels about what Ross Douthat calls the "conservative cocoon", it elects conservative mayors, conservative school boards, conservative road agents, conservative state reps, and conservative governors: it's the only place to go to experience conservatism as applied in practice. On the other hand, Mr Douthat's afforementioned corridor will once in a while elect a Michael Bloomberg or a Christie Whitman, and that it's: conservatism remains strictly a theoretical proposition.

That's why the metropolitan sneers about the size of Wasilla were extremely ill-advised, and not just because of the implication that the mayors of, say, New Orleans, San Francisco or Detroit are therefore more qualified to be in the White House. If it weren't for small towns, suburbs and rural districts, there would be no conservative government at all. With a few exceptions (such as Vermont), "blue states" mostly turn out to be red states with a couple of big blue cities (Pennsylvania, for example, or even California). Almost by definition, an effective conservative executive - the kind you might want in the White House - can only come from flyover country.

So, when a conservative pundit mocks Wasilla, he's mocking conservatism as it's actually lived, as opposed to conservatism as a theoretical fantasy playground for the purposes of cocktail-party banter.

More at the link.

I guess there are two notable exceptions to this rule, and either of them could have been an effective VP: Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. However, both were (sadly) rejected by the GOP and the impact they might have had on the race is questionable.

I know that pondering actual political strategies for winning elections might strike the "elite" blogger (ahem) Ross Douthat as crude, and he'd far prefer a "conservativism of the mind" that exists wholly in cocktail chatter and Georgetown panel discussions.

Perhaps that's the way "the elites" would prefer conservative government-- abstract, pure, and untainted by real-world practice.

Not sure if they think the world is too dangerous for conservatism, or if conservatism is too dangerous for the world. Either way, they're not eager to see the two mixing.

The "Elites" Who Aren't Really Elite [ace]: I grew annoyed at people of very minor accomplishment terming themselves "elite" when actually all they mean is "adherents of the tastes and preferences of the NY/DC urban aristocracy" last night.

They call themselves "elites." By and large they're not "elites." They're merely establishment.

There is, I assure you, a difference.

Just because you like the Wilt Stilman movie Metropolitan, and have joined or are aspiring to join the "Urban Haute Bourgeoisie," doesn't really make you elite.

Besides, Metropolitan is overrated. A far better film, and a far more conservative film, is Barcelona.

Posted by: Jack M. at 08:22 PM | Comments (215)
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Since so many of you were so jazzed last night.

Posted by: Ace at 06:36 PM | Comments (461)
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ClassiCon apologized, which I didn't expect, and marks him as a non-moby. He also offered an explanation for his remark which I now see makes sense.

But dude -- you've been troll-busted once for saying over-the-line shit and another time passed when you could have gotten busted.

This third comment I kinda now see what you were saying. Still a bit edgy, but I get it, you were blowing steam, you were saying you wanted to be part of a non-racist skinhead gang to stomp lefties like the dick that beat up that girl.

I can kind of undertand the impulse to say that -- it was an angry red-meat story, after all; I didn't write it to have a calmative effect -- but does every violent thought have to be 1) expressed and 2) furthermore expressed in a public forum and 3) moreover gracing my site in particular?

We did a parody of articles titles for Women's Magazines in an ideal world, telling women what they really needed to know. steve_in_hb suggested the advice article, Not Every Thought Needs to Be Expressed.

Keep it in mind. Rah-rah beat 'em up kill 'em posts may be cathartic, but people aren't reading comments for the purpose of anyone else's violent-minded catharsis. In fact, a lot of us are pretty uncomfortable with this crap. They're not merely low-value. They're negative value. They're disruptive and sometimes worrying. And never exactly the thing anyone else wants to associate themselves with.

So, whatever, I'm sorry about this one. I'm not digging the fact that just about every time you post someone wonders if you're a moby or a nutter and if your comments should be allowed to stand.

Clean it up, sport.

Posted by: Ace at 05:41 PM | Comments (227)
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He's not fighting on the issue I think is critical, but he is fighting.

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain-Palin 2008 Spokesman Ben Porritt issued the following statement in response to the Obama campaign's letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey:

"After a week of shifting stories and clumsy corrections regarding Barack Obama's connections to ACORN, the Obama campaign resorted to their now-customary heavy handed tactic of attempting to criminalize political discourse. Today's outrageous letter to Attorney General Mukasey and Special Prosecutor Dannehy at the Justice Department asking for a special prosecutor to investigate Senator McCain and Governor Palin's public statements about ACORN's record of fraudulent voter registrations (including in this week's Presidential debate) is absurd. It is a typical time-worn Washington attempt to criminalize political differences. For someone who promises 'change,' it is certainly only more of the same.

"The letter's request that the Department of Justice investigate 'recent partisan Republican activities throughout the country' is almost a parody of the Obama campaign's attempt to intimidate their political opponents. In case Sen. Obama's lawyer did not notice, we are in the midst of a political campaign, not a coronation, and the alleged criminal activity he calls 'recent partisan Republican activities' are what the rest of us call campaign speeches and debates. All of this is unfortunately reminiscent of the Obama campaign's recent creation of a 'truth squad' of Missouri prosecutors and sheriffs to 'target' people who criticize Sen. Obama. Rest assured that, despite these threats, the McCain-Palin campaign will continue to address the serious issue of voter registration fraud by ACORN and other partisan groups, and compliance by states with the Help America Vote Act's requirement of matching new voter registrations with state data bases to prevent voter fraud."

From Tiny ACORNS, Might Frauds Spring: Six Alabama counties now have more registered voters than actual human beings.

Posted by: Ace at 04:41 PM | Comments (79)
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When a nonresident Obama campaign worker, temporarily in Ohio to get out defraud the vote, illegally signs up to vote and then does vote, yes, Obama Campaign Spokesman Who Tries to Intimidate College Reporters, there goddamn well is a story.

How many of your employees did this, Obama?

Reynolds is covering for them and insisting this is legal. Is that what the Obama campaign informed these workers? That they should go ahead and lie about their residency, because it's "legal"?

Hot Air.

I'd Like to Know... if Hillary Clinton's workers were informed properly of the law, and that just because they were working in a state for a month they were not entitled to vote.

Posted by: Ace at 04:36 PM | Comments (36)
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