EXCELLENT STUFF FROM DAVID BROOKS:

EXCELLENT STUFF FROM DAVID BROOKS:

the palin pick was bold but, as brooks spells out, mccain was giving his speech to a room full of people who think that george w. bush might be the best US president of all-time and saved us from complete muslim domination. mccain's ballsy and seems to be reform-driven, but the task at hand (beating a black man named barack hussein obama who has, since the beginning, been about a new style of politics and changing the status quo) might be too difficult to overcome. one thing is for sure, if mccain loses, the bush/cheney tandem will be probably the biggest reason why.

however this election plays out, one of our bush league and recycled political parties will be on the ropes. if the democrats, with the best political speaker of our generation and after 8 disastrous bush years, cannot capitalize and secure the white house, they need to, as chris hansen would say, "take a seat" and ask themselves "what was your plan here?"

and if/when the GOP loses on november 4th, it will for sure have to look in the mirror and ask what it has become. there were 12,000 people across the street in minnesota supporting ron paul (who might after all make a 3rd party run) and his call for a return to old school conservatism -- a legitimate move to smaller government, a legitimate refining of the tax code so that everyone will pay less taxes, freer markets, a defense of the Constitution, etc. there will be the neocons who put the bush ticket in power, freaks who think we need to build the great wall of china along mexico "to keep those fucking spaniards out of this here country" and everybody needs an AK47 and willfully will hand over all civil liberties because "why would the government want to snoop in my mail i'm a red blooded americano!" there will also be republicans like vin and love who, well, i'm not sure, spell out your stances and why you are republicans. regardless, i think whichever party loses will have some serious thinking to do.

-THANKS TO THE MIZ