I thought that I would bring everyone a little mid-convention cheer today.  For what it's worth, Time has just released poll results showing Obama doing very well in Western states:

Colorado: McCain 47, Obama 46
Pennsylvania: Obama 48, McCain 43
Nevada: Obama 49, McCain 44
New Mexico: Obama 53, McCain 40

http://thepage.time.com/2008/08/27/timec nn-battleground-polls/

Additionally, word is that Plouffe is quite optimistic about our chances in November:

Barack Obama's margin among independent swing-voting women and sporadically voting Democrats are two of the main metrics his campaign is closely monitoring, Obama's election manager, David Plouffe, said today.

Plouffe, speaking to reporters, editors and executives of the Atlantic Media company in a throwback conference room in downtown Denver, said that Obama's internal polling suggests that McCain runs a double-digit deficit with this group runs into the double digits in some swing states. "And that's before they know about his position on choice and that he's against equal pay," Plouffe said.

...

Other nuggets from Plouffe:

* If McCain doesn't win Colorado, "he has a 5% chance to win the election."

* He believes that they have "a slight edge" in Virginia.

...

* Said HIllary Clinton's speech "could not have gone better."

* Said the campaign "is really pleased" with where they are in Montana.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/arch ives/2008/08/barack_mccains_margin_among _in.php

Recently I purchased the full series of the original Twilight Zone on DVD.  One of the outstanding episodes is entitled, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," and is nominally about an invasion of Earth by extraterrestrials.  Rather than conquer the earthlings outright, the aliens operate behind the scenes to cause slight disruptions in the lives of regular townsfolk - electricity turns on and off without explanation, cars start and stop running, etc. - until the townsfolk become paranoid with fear and allow their prejudices against one another to rise to the surface.  In the end, the townsfolk blame each other for the strange occurrences and destroy themselves, without the aliens ever having to lift a finger against them.  The obvious subtext of the show is that we are often our own worst enemies.  

Allow me to suggest that that is exactly what is going on today, with the Republicans playing the role of the aliens and Democrats playing the role of the townsfolk.  Clearly there are Republican forces on the ground in Denver, and on the blogs, who intend to sew dissension in our ranks.  There are also those who still are nursing a grudge, from both camps, and who are using these obvious ploys to get in a few cheap shots against the other side.  Still others are innocent bystanders in all of this but have been tarred by the insults of a few and thus have been drawn into a conflict that no one can win.  All the while, McCain and the Republicans are laughing at us.

This constitutes my humble request that all of those currently involved in flame wars and who genuinely wish the best for the Democratic Party stop for a second and think about the bigger picture.  Republicans are trying to tear down the party.  The media is trying to tear down the party.  Certain people here are trying to tear down the party.  Don't let them.  If you need to, take a break from blogging until the convention is over.  Donate - your money, your time, your sweat.  Talk to someone in a civil manner.  Do something productive.  Let the pros - the Clintons, Obama, Biden, Kennedy, etc. - handle the convention, that's what they get paid for.  Give them the opportunity to set things right.  Don't give McCain the Democratic bloodshed he craves.

Keep Maple Street free of monsters for a few more days.

In what can only be described as a serious morale boost to the Democratic Party as it continues to come together for the fall, it appears that Ted Kennedy will give a speech at the convention tomorrow night.

In a development that is sure to bring the house down, US Senator Edward M. Kennedy is expected to attend the Democratic National Convention, most likely to deliver a speech tomorrow night.

Kennedy is battling brain cancer, and his doctors are said to be worried that his treatment has compromised his immune system and that attending the convention could put him at further risk. Still, the senator has recently told people that he has a speech written for the convention and that he badly wants to come, pending a final medical consultation.

Buzz has built among Massachusetts politicos that Kennedy would come, and today a source close to the family confirmed that he had made a decision to come.

``He is definitely planning to be here,'' said the Kennedy family confidant. ``The whole Kennedy family will be in a special section. It should be quite moment.''

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/poli ticalintelligence/2008/08/kennedy_to_add r_1.html

I expect that he will remind all of us about the ideals and history that make our party great, as well as what is at stake in the present election.  With any luck, he will be in sufficient health to attend the convention and help ensure that we are on the right track through November.
 

For all of McCain's supposed experience and knowledge of foreign affairs, one would think that he would be able to articulate an original thought regarding the ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia.  Alas, this is not the case, unless of course McCain moonlights as an editor for Wikipedia.  Per Political Insider:

A Wikipedia editor notices some similarities between Sen. John McCain's speech today on the crisis in Georgia and the Wikipedia article on the country Georgia. They appear similar enough that most people would consider parts of McCain's speech to be derived directly from Wikipedia.

First instance:

one of the first countries in the world to adopt Christianity as an official religion (Wikipedia)

vs.

one of the world's first nations to adopt Christianity as an official religion (McCain)

Second instance:

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia had a brief period of independence as a Democratic Republic (1918-1921), which was terminated by the Red Army invasion of Georgia. Georgia became part of the Soviet Union in 1922 and regained its independence in 1991. Early post-Soviet years was marked by a civil unrest and economic crisis. (Wikipedia)

vs.

After a brief period of independence following the Russian revolution, the Red Army forced Georgia to join the Soviet Union in 1922. As the Soviet Union crumbled at the end of the Cold War, Georgia regained its independence in 1991, but its early years were marked by instability, corruption, and economic crises. (McCain)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalins ider/2008/08/did-mccain-plagarize-his-sp eec.html

I imagine that if called on it, McCain would bluster on about Obama's use of a few lines first spoken by Deval Patrick, but this episode arguably strikes at the core of McCain's campaign, which is all about his supposed "experience" in a time of international turmoil.  If anyone would be as well versed on international affairs after reading Wikipedia as McCain, then what exactly entitles him to be President?

Paris Hilton's response to McCain's ad has already caused such a stir that McCain's camp has had to issue a response of its own.  As documented at Open Left:

Due to the extraordinary number of inquiries, please see our campaign's response to Paris Hilton's recently released video in which she puts forward her version of an energy plan:

"It sounds like Paris Hilton supports John McCain's 'all of the above' approach to America's energy crisis - including both alternatives and drilling.  Paris Hilton might not be as big a celebrity as Barack Obama, but she obviously has a better energy plan." ---Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008

http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?dia ryId=7347

Matt Stoller and Chris Bowers both view this as a huge problem for McCain because now his clever little attack ad has caused him to get into a public and ongoing spat with Paris Hilton, of all people.  His campaign has devolved into an Extra! featurette.

Well, so much for the integrity of the daily tracking polls.  Who knows what is to be believed at this point.  There must be some methodological differences between the two outfits.

http://www.gallup.com/

This seems to be a, dare I say it, PRESUMPTUOUS move.  While Obama plans to open 25-30 offices in Indiana, McCain plans to open ... not a single one.  According to the Indianapolis Star:

Jonathan Swain, a spokesman for Obama's campaign in Indiana, said plans are to have 25 to 30 campaign offices in the state.

...

McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is taking a different approach to Indiana.

Some might call it confident; some might call it laid-back at best.

Asked whether the campaign has any plans to open an office in Indiana, campaign spokeswoman Leah Yoon -- who is based in Michigan, not Indiana -- had a one-word answer: "No."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ticle?AID=/20080713/NEWS05/807130367/100 8/LOCAL19

Granted, Indiana is not traditionally in play for Democrats at the presidential level, but should McCain really be so confident about his chances there?  Were Obama to win Indiana, he would virtually be assured to win the presidency.

Today I noticed a few resident dumbasses repeating the "Obama played the race card against McCain" smear as they are wont to do, so I thought I'd set the record straight.  The fact is, McCain has run a commercial with Obama's face on the $100 dollar bill.

Is the media buying McCain's story that Obama played the race card, using his description of McCain doing things analogous to putting his face on a dollar bill?  Of course, most everyone has taken it as an analogy and McCain, as well as some of the media, have been looking to crucify Obama for it.  The thing is, McCain actually DID put obama's face on a dollar bill -- over a month ago in a little-seen web video.  The point is, Obama's analogy -- whether he realized it or not, and maybe he heard about the video and only recalled it subconsciously -- isn't even an analogy, it's true!

Plus, Team McCain turned him pansy yellow, made him all starry-eyed, then blew him up.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-sh aw/reading-the-pictures-emdo_b_116451.ht ml

Were I more gifted, I'd embed the pictures cited by the article, but you can see them at the above link.  You may now go back to your regularly scheduled trolling.