Here's his blog post describing how proud he is of himself, for getting into NRO.

And here's the article itself. I won't quote his bit on his own Palinmania because 1) that's what'll get the article clicked on and 2) I have to tell you, I love her, but I need to take a break from Palinmania. So I'll quote some McCain parts (prominently featuring Palin -- hey, she's unavoidable.)

I have personally seen hundreds of crusty, old-school paleocons who despised McCain now saying “He finally listened to us.” By picking Palin — instead of Lieberman, who we all know he wanted — he has told conservatives that he gets it. They’re not holding their noses and voting any more. They want yard signs and bumper stickers — they can’t wait to vote GOP. And the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, folks: they are writing checks.

...

John McCain got me to believe tonight what I never really believed about him before: he is serious about changing Washington. He is serious about getting the GOP back to basics. John McCain wants to repair the brand. Claiming to want to do something is talk. What I think will cause many to believe him is something more than talk: McCain decided to man up. ItÂ’s our fault. We lost the confidence of the American people. We said weÂ’d be true to our principles, and we werenÂ’t. The Democrats didnÂ’t make us do it. We did it to ourselves.

That has the ring of truth to it. It is a grownup accepting responsibility for a mistake not of his making and asking for the chance to rectify it. I donÂ’t know how much of the country will believe him. But I did.

If McCain can get close — just close — to convincing the American people that real reform is possible with Republicans and not just the Democrats, then they are left with a decision of who they feel safest with, and who actually walks the walk. The GOP owns that ground. That’s victory in November, and it’s the only way to victory in November. We are an optimistic, hopeful country. We will not prevail by convincing people why they should not vote for the other guy. People need to vote for something . I think John McCain gave us that on Thursday night.

Yes, that's what drew me in (apart from biography). One makes compromises in politics, of course, especially when a crucial issue such as war is at hand, but in these past few years we've all gotten a sick of the endless compromises. And I don't mean RINO-type compromises here; I mean compromises of integrity, having corrupt bastards in positions of power in the party, having a leadership willing to overlook some very serious rumors swirling around Mark Foley. Having to just look at Trent Lott.

You can't get rid of all of that, of course, but damn, it would be great to at least have a party trying to drive them out.

H/t Rachel Lucas, who's got a fever, and the only prescription is more Palin motivational posters.

Posted by: Ace at 07:03 PM | Comments (47)
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Oh for Christ's sake call a waaahmbulance already, Buttercup.

How is this sissy going to stand up to someone a bit more menacing than Sarah Palin?

"We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about," Obama said. "I don't believe in coming in second."

Don't worry, Princess. You'll be coming in third, Joe Biden in fourth.

He said this while attending a fundraiser hosted by long-haired ex-prettyboy Bon Jovi, incidentally. Then they went out shopping for "outfits."

He's smeared her in the most vile ways through his surrogates, and claimed she was a fluffybrained muffinheaded chillbilly bumpkin beauty queen from "Wasilly" Alaska, and now he's up there resolutely swearing he won't let a 110 pound woman "bully" him?

What are you afraid she's going to do to you, Stacy? Adorable you to death?

Oh, and by the way, Candace, you are going to be bullied:

Thanks to Slublog for both the tip and the photoshop.

Slublog comments: "This guy has to have the most acute martyr complex I've ever witnessed. And to answer with bluster and faux bravado? He's about as tough as a whimpering puppy."

Indeed.*

The endless caterauling and whiiiining and poor-me-ing. Oh Mommy MSM, please save me from the bad lady.

God have mercy, sack up if you've got a sack at all.

Hat tip to Allah for "chillbilly."

* Well, the second-most acute martyr complex at least, after Shrieking Sullivan.

Incidentally, I have to say something. It's mean, but it's dead on. If you are familiar with Sullivan's oevure, you know he only has three modes of emotion, and they're readily apparent in his writing.

1) gushing infatuation and crush-diary excess,

2) deranged, nearly psychopathic anger and viciousness when either he or the current object of his borderline personality disorder fixation is threatened;

3) dark, dark blues of deep depression, when his posts become brief, shrill, disbelieving, and sounding notes of despairing futility.

He had been in Mode 2 earlier in the week. Since Palin spoke, he's trying to rally some Mode 2, but mostly he's in Mode 3.

Does this remind you of anyone you know from film or fiction?

I'll give you a hint: Dirty Birds.

I'll give you another hint: Hobbling.
more...

Posted by: Ace at 06:15 PM | Comments (167)
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On O'Reily.

Quinn wrote a fairly demeaning tear on Palin before her speech. And of course she then had to ask about Palin's "priorities" as a mother, and if it's right to seek high office while caring for children.

After her speech, she's taking it back, at least regarding her sneering that this woman couldn't possibly be qualified. (She says she'd say the same thing about a Democrat... um, all right.)

She's still pushing the bad mother angle -- she wants to know if Palin will put her country first or her children first.

Will Barack Obama put the nation first or his daughters first, I wonder.

To be honest, to me it sounds like she's just doing CYA.

Which is interesting in its own right. She's now claiming she's down with Palin even though she's not? What does that say, I wonder.

Posted by: Ace at 04:56 PM | Comments (102)
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In case anyone missed it: Here's the end of it, which is the part that everyone talks about. more...

Posted by: Ace at 04:48 PM | Comments (28)
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It seems like a parody, but I don't think it is. The good news is there may be some new drugs coming out to treat this kinda thing.

H/T Crescat more...

Posted by: Purple Avenger at 04:21 PM | Comments (124)
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Actually, she's viewed more favorably than either man's high-water mark of favorability all this year. Superstahhh.

While you're at Patterico, just cruise the page. There's more on there lately than I can link.

Stubborn Facts refutes the media's insistence that Sarah Palin "came out of nowhere."

After documenting Palin's well-received appearances on TV and the growing enthusiasm for her as a pick -- Ross Douthat at the former respected general interest magazine turned gay gossip site The Atlantic, for example, expressed his increasing confidence she was a risk worth taking -- Stubborn Facsts writes:

So - decide for yourself. Did Palin's nomination "come out of nowhere"? And what does it say about the MSM that they thought it did?

It says they're hyperpartisan leftists, most of whose work is actually done for them by the DNC and David Axelrod. And, increasingly, by the Daily Kos, who publishes the stuff so depraved that the DNC and David Axelrod require an additional layer of insulation to hide their fingerprints.

If something's too vile for the DKM (Daily Kos Media) to publish, then just leak it to Kos first. Kos puts it up, his fellow leftists chatter about it endlessly, Andrew Sullivan injects into into the legitimate media by posting it at the gay gossip site The Atlantic, and then the media can report it, because now "everyone's talking about."

Once again, the anger: These people are being paid to follow trends in politics, including trends on the conservative side, and yet they absolutely refuse to read right leaning blogs even while being paid for their time.

If they had read right wing blogs, they'd have known that Sarah Palin had become a GOP hero the past six months over her tough, articulate advocacy on drilling, and many people were touting her as a Veep-pick. Including Beldar, and including that guy who set up the Draft Palin website.

Maybe if you stupid fuckers could tear yourself away from your precious Daily Kos and FireDogLake for two fucking seconds and do your jobs, these "out of left field" surprises wouldn't keep sneaking up on you.

McCain knew the Republican base loved Palin. He knew this because the blogosphere, acting as a large ad-hoc (self-selected) focus group, had already indicated its enthusiasm for the choice, and therefore, most likely, the enthusiasm of the base as a whole.

I had written to someone at camp McCain about the inadvisability of choosing Liebs as a running mate. "McCain is aware," I asked, "that Giuliani lost, and McCain won, largely on the abortion issue, isn't he?"

He didn't respond. But an hour after the Sarah Palin news was out in the media, he wrote back, faintly crowing:

"How do you like McCain's judgment now?"

Or words to that effect. He wasn't asking; he was gloating. The point is that he already knew this choice would go over well, and I wasn't even on the "Draft Palin" bandwagon. Not that I wasn't jazzed about her; I just didn't think it was likely enough to push.

Why is it that the news media -- supposedly highly professional objective journalists who have no overt partisanship, but are merely hounds for a "good story" -- cannot even stand to read right-wing blogs?

Or alternative (not liberal media of any kind for that matter-- apparently they don't even read or listen to Bill Fucking Kristol, who's as big a macher as you could want?

Surprising? Only to the eternally oblivious DKM, because they're so absurdly partisan they cannot even bear to read opinions from the conservaties they so loathe, even if doing so is in fact part of their general job description. And even if doing so would help them get a handle on their political enemies.

Every goddamned rumor or attack floated by TPM, Daily Kos, Greenwald, etc. the media knows about. Those blogs they're reading. Glenn Greenwald need only mention Joe Klein before Joe Klein is involved in a blog-feud with him.

I can call Joe Klein a diseased sodomite and there'll be no response -- because he doesn't even know about it. It's a right wing blog. No point reading it, and no point rebutting it -- our opinions don't matter.

Well, gotta tell you assholes, if you're supposedly non-partisan, or at least able to put partisanship aside when you do your work as you so often claim, you should be able to work through several hours a week keeping track on the right wing blogosphere (and not merely what you find out about the right wing blogosphere by reading the Daily Kos' claims about the right wing blogoshpere).

Even if you have to clench your teeth while doing so, you ought to be able to fucking hack it. No?

If you are so repulsed by conservative opinion you can't even bear to read an opinion different from your own when you are, I must stress, being paid to do so, forgive me if i doubt you can set such seething animus aside when typing up your stories Barack Obama campaign talking points.

Posted by: Ace at 04:09 PM | Comments (44)
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Draft one, as originally published:

"the potential power of Ms. Palin's electrifying speech"

Draft two, as later revised without explanation:

"the potential power of Ms. Palin's speech"

Must be bad at the New York Times. Apparently they have to ration their use of electricity.

More at Patterico about a presidential candidate cynically choosing a woman to pander to other women.

Posted by: Ace at 03:41 PM | Comments (21)
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"Psst-- Obama is a weakling. Pass it on."

I've been debating with myself and cobloggers about getting after Obama for his decidedly unmanly whiiiiiiiiining over. Every. God. Damn. Thing.

The PUMAs beat me to it.

Butch up, Nancy. This isn't tea and crumpets with the Ladies Auxilliary. You can't go cryyyyyying to Mama whenever you chip a nail.

News last night from The NY Times, via Riverdaughter, that Obama has run home to Big Sister to plead with her to fight his battle with Saracuda Palin for him. Oh, the poor Precious! Can’t face a tough woman on his own, huh? What’s the matter Barack? Just tell Saracuda that she’s likable enough. Call her a Sweetie and tell the media that she gets moody and bitchy periodically when she’s feeling down. That oughtta work. Or send Sebelius — woo-hoo! I’m sure she can take on Palin and come out of the encounter victorious.

This is why I am absolutely blegging you guys for that Damon Wayans bit where he goes out of his mind dealing with his whiiiiiny son.

But seriously, Princess, if I hear one more time how hurtful it is that someone knocked your part-time job "community organizing" (following the "Rules for Radicals" of Saul Alinsky, and in fact working under an Alisnki protoge), I swear to God I am going to have to put you in a nice sun-dress and take you out dancin'.

Would that make you happy, Becky?

Becks? Bec-Bec?

Don't cry. It's all right.

And speaking of community organizing -- turns out that presidential candidate Iowahawk is a community organizer -- in fact he says he is "America's community organizer community" -- and he's hoppin' mad over Sarah Palin's cheap, sarcastic put-down.

Okay... I took the picture down. Felt a bit Nutroots-ish anyhow.

Posted by: Ace at 02:50 PM | Comments (85)
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This is kinda old. I've been tipped this a lot (and, actually, knew of it before being tipped), but I didn't post it because I was feeling a little weird there for a while at being "the go-to D&D Political Blog on the Web."

Anyway, here's their thin-skinned response, which really doesn't aid their cause of convincing the public they're really normal kinda guys without any... "issues."

Dorks.

They also fail to acknowledge Goldfarb's cheeky apology (which, admittedly, was for his first offense, not the second; but then, I figured the joke was played out and didn't solicit a second apology):

If my comments caused any harm or hurt to the hard working Americans who play Dungeons & Dragons, I apologize. This campaign is committed to increasing the strength, constitution, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, and charisma scores of every American.
--Michael Goldfarb

And, since the DNC is busy trying to think of new ways to call Sarah Palin a whore, I figure this would be a good time to main-post the fondly-rememberd "Harlot Table" from the old DMG, with explication and analsis. Perhaps they can start calling Todd Palin a "Sly Pimp," and Piper Pain a "Haughty Doxy."

That was from fellow dork see-dub, formerly of Michelle Malkin's blog, but now sadly retired and trying out a new hobby he calls "having a life."

Posted by: Ace at 02:02 PM | Comments (20)
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What?

When I saw Allah's post, I thought he was covering the old, old news (so old even I already got to it) that Palin had actually outdrawn Obama.

That the New Hotness, with all the media attention (good, bad, and very, very ugly) swirling around her, I figured, sure, I get that.

But Old and Busted McCain also out-drawing The One?

Good news? The public isn't just interested in the McCain/Palin ticket out of tabloidish curiosity.

Bad news? McCain's speech, while ending quite well, was, to be charitable, mediocre. Unless it played well with squishy, dumb-ass "undecided voters," which is possible, but we'll have to wait for the polling on that.

Mitigating the bad news: No one expected a soaring speech from McCain, and no one, therefore, was greatly disappointed. However, everyone was told to expect an epiphanous orgasm from The One, and what he delivered was a servicable speech that was neither convincing nor fresh on the policy side nor inspiring and soaring on the thematic or biographical side. He said it would be "workmanike," and for once, that wasn't spin. It was a bland speech.

Note well that while liberals lost their shit after Palin spoke, conservatives greeted Obama's with a collective meh. It wasn't awful and we didn't claim it was. But none of us were exactly shaking in our boots, thinking Oh shit, we have our work cut out for us now! It didn't inspire us -- we didn't expect it to, of course -- but it also didn't frighten us.

Our reaction: Relief. The emperor has no clothes -- or, to be fair, he has clothes. They're just not particularly great clothes, and we have little fears that all the kids will be wearing them this season.

Advantage: McCain.

Posted by: Ace at 01:34 PM | Comments (57)
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