The Kicker

The Economist blog’s “red blogger” thinks “the non-combative format of the debate” is helping Biden more than it is Palin, because he “can’t seem that combative.” Fair point.

Palin to Biden: “You were for [the war] before you were against it.” In other words: You. Are. John. Kerry. Nice. Pat Buchanan told David Gregory in MSNBC’s pre-game, “I think the important thing for her to do, realizing, just like Reagan didn’t have as much information as Carter, she has to come off with, […]

Can we ask why, exactly, McCain knows how to win a war? And what wars he’s won in the past? And how does he square this ‘win’ talk with the reported wishes of Gen. Petraeus (one of the three wisest men McCain says he knows) that his staffers not use that kind of language.

Revelations from an intellectual of the Interweb

In 1996, Kerri Strug earned her place in history when she helped the American gymnastics team secure Olympic gold with a heroic vault on a damaged ankle. In today’s Washington Post, we learned that Sarah “Barracuda” Palin had a similar moment in the spotlight: No one gave the Warriors any chance to win a title […]

In preparation for tonight’s much anticipated vice presidential debates, here are excerpts from a slew debate drinking games. From the Washington City Paper: “When toasting to Biden, immerse yourself in blue-collar Scranton, PA and choose a Rolling Rock (edit-now proudly brewed in New Jersey).” From the Indecision 2008: ” Every time Palin speaks in a […]

The makings of SnubGate II?

A headline from the online version of today’s Anchorage Daily News: “Debate seen as chance for Palin rebound” and, subhed: “TONIGHT: Supporters want to see energetic reformer in clash with Biden; critics call for substance” Really? “Critics” want substance? Only “critics” want this? Palin “supporters” don’t care to see “substance?” “Calling for substance” is a […]

Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, explains how election coverage might be improved. In a nutshell: less Begala and Rove (“not journalists but who play them on TV” — see Brent’s post from yesterday); less horseracism; longer attention spans (for reporters) such that voters aren’t merely whiplashed from this day’s ‘Gate […]

Washington Post political reporter Ann Kornblut talks to the National Journal about “Sexism in the Media.” In part: Q: Last week, CNN’s Campbell Brown asked the McCain camp to “end this chauvinistic treatment” of Palin by letting her field more questions from the media. What did you think of that? Kornblut: I think it’s a […]

I haven’t heard back from Gwen Ifill (see yesterday’s post) but Ifill did talk to the Associated Press to respond to what the AP characterizes as “conservative questions about her impartiality because she is writing a book that includes material on Barack Obama,” questions which Ifill “dismissed.” Said Ifill: I’ve got a pretty long track […]

Instead of watching “Gossip Girl” with the rest of them, my new TV show this season is “Fringe” on Fox. It’s sort of “X-Files” meets “Medium,” fewer aliens, more para-psychology stuff. The “fringe” in the title refers to “fringe science,” which is defined as “scientific inquiry in an established field of study which departs significantly […]