Who will Osama tape help?

I can see this cutting either way.

Osama is still alive...that cuts against Bush. But there is something about seeing Bin Laden that will remind some just how dangerous the world is and that, it seems, would cut against Kerry.

Is a vote for Kerry a vote to retreat?

Victor Davis Hansen.

More Blacks are Supporting Bush

Star Parker gives the reasons why.

Elizabeth Edwards suggests no riots...'if we win.'

Elizabeth Edwards (wife of the John who would be Veep) says there will be no riots...'if we win.' If Democrats (or those sympathetic) might riot if they lose, I wonder why there doesn't appear to be concern about what would happen if Republicans lose. I guess it's just another day of hard work.

And...I know that the only poll that matters is the one that will be conducted next Tuesday, but...poll after poll after poll has Bush winning.

Greatest Comeback in Sports History

Wow.

Doesn't get better than that. Lowe was lights out and Damon made up for a miserable first six games of the series. (link)

Have I mentioned I live for this?

Teresa Has Legs (the story...not the woman...though she has legs, too)

Hmm...

Has a chord been struck? (link, link, link, link, link, link, ...)

Teresa Doubts Laura Has Ever Held a Real Job

Amazing.

John Kerry can tell by looking at people in the town hall formatted Presidential Debate whether or not they make $200,000 a year. Very elitist...I don't know how he could know that by looking at the crowd. I thought that was a telling moment that didn't get much attention.

Now Teresa says that she doubts Laura Bush has ever held a real job. That will come as a shock and offense to teachers all around the country....librarians all around the country....and mothers all around the country.

She will try to escape this, but Teresa Heinz has shown more of the elitist mentality that most Americans find disgusting.

Soldiers Refusing a Direct Order

War is dangerous. War is a risk.

What do we do with troops who refuse a direct and legal order?

Even with mitigating circumstances (and there may be some), there is no excuse for refusing a direct and legal order.

Jed Babbin on mutiny in the sand.

Anything to get Elected

Krauthammer.

Final Presidential Debate

It was close. For those who haven't been keeping track, I had Kerry as the winner on the first two debates.

This time, I thought the president was stronger on points. Not just stronger than his past performances, I thought Bush was stronger than Kerry.

Is it enough to make up for having lost the first two debates? I don't think it will matter much. What will matter is whether world events effect the election and what will matter his how well the Bush/Cheney campaign can hammer their message home in Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and even Florida and Colorado. That will decide which of these two men will be elected on November 2nd.

This is the second time that the Kerry Edwards team "outted" Dick Cheney's daughter for being a lesbian. Very low...very cheap...absolutely wrong...inexcusable. It was not designed to honor her or to speak to the Gay community...it was designed to frighten and incite Bush supporters. Bush was great on his defense of the protection of marriage.

I thought Kerry was on defense much of the time. Explaining how he wasn't what the president has been telling you that he is.

The president was strong on taxes...on abortion...on traditional marriage...the Tora Bora thing is still a mystery to me...that's four debates where it has come up and never a response...it's strange. Another missed opportunity was letting Kerry mention Ronald Reagan without calling him on that and pointing out that Kerry voted against the Reagan's defense buildup that helped win the Cold War.

I thought Kerry was better at knowing when to look at the camera and when to look at the moderator. That shouldn't matter much, but it might to some. In the same way I thought the president was very good to actually ask for the vote at the end. I think that can matter for some people.

Bob Schieffer showed quite a bit of bias and seemed ill-equipped to just ask his questions...examples tomorrow on the radio. Perhaps the CBS folks are looking to hit back after RatherGate.

I thought the president was good and strong and was clear with most of his answers. The media might spin it otherwise, but I think the president won this one in a close and tough fight. My call is for Bush.

Well what do you know? Borders matter.

WASH TIMES: U.S. security officials are investigating a recent intelligence report that a group of 25 Chechen terrorists illegally entered the United States from Mexico... Members of the group, said to be wearing backpacks, secretly traveled to northern Mexico and crossed into a mountainous part of Arizona.

How many times have those of us who have argued 'a weak Mexican border is not a Mexican issue but a border issue and a national security issue...and a weak border anywhere is a border that could be exploited by anyone'....how many times has that kind of thinking brought charges of 'racism' from people who don't understand the point or just don't care?

And here we are. Chechan rebels (remember the shooting of all the kids in Russia? yeah, those chechan rebels) have exploited a weak border with Mexico.

Maybe they stopped at the watering station in the desert for the pause that refreshes. Good thing we have those available for people who want to enter the country illegally. So that when they get here, they're rested and ready to kill and maim.

Blogger Friday?

I have seen it come up from blogger types.

Tell me what you think about a day we have bloggers in and we do a roundtable.

How would you see it working? Could it remain peaceful and respectful? (I only have a 7 second delay)...kidding, of course...sortof.

Your thoughts?

Wrong World View

The president has finally gotten on the right line of thinking and is talking about Kerry's wrong world view on the war.

Even though Kerry's folks are claiming it was taken by the Bush admin out of context, the comment by Kerry in the New York Times Mag interview published over the weekend is one that perfectly explains the problem with his view of the terrorists.

Kerry said, "We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance."

''As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life.''

There's the difference. Terrorists under Kerry's view are just men behaving badly. And this is not a war where, despite all the tough talk on the stump by Kerry, we have an enemy who needs to be destroyed. This is something to be managed, not won.

I believe that's what Kerry really believes. And that is all the difference in the world.

Presidential Debate Number Two

Ok....here goes.

First thoughts...written here before I have heard any spin from either side.

I thought the president did remarkably better. Not doing better would've been disastrous.

But...I think it was a tie. And I believe a tie goes to Kerry.

The president did a good job on the facts. I like what he had to say about abortion...he actually answered the question as opposed to just saying how much he respected the person's position...which is what Kerry said...that person's position is one that Kerry respects to get the vote, but one that he will not honor in any way at all.

Again, the president I think did a better job on substance than Kerry and a better job on style than he did in debate #1...but, again, I think the tie goes to the runner...I think the record will reflect that people felt that Kerry won.

I do wonder about Kerry being so defensive about 'the labels'...he is a liberal...why run from that? Why not run ON it?

The president did a good job about doing away with that nonsense about the draft...but the president missed a couple of opportunities...one example is when Kerry talked about a tax cut for some Americans (under 200K)...the president should've said that he brought tax cuts for every American who pays taxes...he mentioned it at some point, but should've done it in response to Kerry's comment about cutting taxes.

It will be spun both ways...but the bottom line is that the president took John Kerry's record to him in the debate...and the president had a strong appearance...he seemed, to coin a phrase, both compassionate and conservative.

Bring on the Domestic Issues

Tonight's debate is the town hall type...supposed to be an audience of undecideds...topics are going to be domestic.

I don't know how many people will be watching...history tells us it will be fewer than watched the last one. Plus it's Friday and there are baseball playoff games going on.

If you win a debate and no one watched it, did you really win it? I bet I know the answer that: you will know if Kerry wins.

Look for new jobs numbers to be highlighted...that will not be good for the president.

But where is the talk about the death penalty? (Ramesh Ponnuru)

I will interested in the death penalty, same-sex marriage, abortion, economy, immigration. Those are the exchanges I'll be watching. And will the president take Kerry's record in the Senate to him? One more thing to look for...how will the topic of the WMD report come up if tonight is supposed to be domestic issues?

For everyone else, there's Derek Jeter and Tori Hunter just a click away.

Finally, I guess we can all sleep safely at night now. Martha Stewart is in prison.

Veep Debate and a note about the Game

I thought Edwards looked like a young kid debating his dad...you know the way we all felt...like we knew everything when we really didn't.

I thought the Vice President looked focused and strong and ready to take it to the boy wonder. I half expected him at some point to turn to him and say 'Who's your daddy?!'

You'll recall that I thought Kerry won the first Presidential debate....but tonight it was Cheney's night. I thought he won and I don't really think it will matter much. I don't think a veep can win a president an election...he might could lose one for his running mate...but largely, I don't think it matters much.

My call is for Cheney.

And as to the probably more watched television event of the evening, Minnesota Twins' outfielder Tori Hunter is a stud.

Lost Your Mind

"If you vote for George Bush, you've lost your mind." -- John Edwards

Discuss.

Neck and Neck with a month to go

A month from now we will know who the next president will be.

And there is no lead. It's a dead heat.

One other interesting note from last week's debate: Immediately following the debate, a Gallup poll found that people thought Kerry won the debate 52-38 (ish). By the end of the weekend, a Gallup poll found that according to those surveyed that Kerry won 70-something to 20-something. Who says people aren't impacted by the coverage...swayed by the spin? After they were told what to believe they had seen, that became their experience.

Why We Back Bush

Five Black elected officials explain why they are supporting President Bush for re-election. (WSJ)