"The culture wars are just a distraction from all of this. If people want to behave better, it's going to have to come from the consciousness of the citzenry, not prompted by government policy."

One of the most truthful things ever said here on dbis from either side, my hat is off to you sir. I tell people this kind of thing a lot that want to argue about right or left politics with me, and while it will shut them up, it's only because the idea seems alien to them. And it doesn't matter what party they are affiliated with either.

Now to get back on topic...

I'm kind of shocked by the reaction to Palin to be honest. As Pat said, it totally caught the left completely off guard and they've worked overtime to discredit her, only to find that they've been bamboozeled at every step, and now they are in damage control mode just over their own missteps. They are really looking bad in their handling of it and even some hardcore democrats I work with are embarrassed by the failed attempts to chastize her.

I was on a camping trip when I heard the news (of Palin's call-up as running mate) and I initially thought it was a horrible choice for McCain for the obvious reasons. But He and Obama were both here in Ohio on Tuesday and there was a big write-up on the front page of our local fishwrapper (albeit a widely circulated one) that said McCain had thousands of supporters in attendance while Obama had a few hundred. I've also noticed recently (unlike past elections) that many of my neighbors are putting up campaign signs in their yards (for McCain/Palin). I've been here a long time and have only known of a few that were passionate enough about their politics to put up signs, but now it seems like several other neighbors that have never made their affiliations known before are jumping on the McCain/Palin bandwagon with vigor.

I think it's funny because with only one exception, I don't put up political candidate signs in my yard because it seems somewhat ostentacious to me and I don't want to get in pissing contests with neighbors. But I do put one up for my sister in law (Ohio Supreme Court justice) everytime she is up for election, which she is for the 3rd time again this year, and since she is a female republican with a stellar record, I really think that people's reaction to Palin's nomination will be a positive for her too.