McCain's Last Stand

John McCain seems increasingly like a guy who's not in agreement with the campaign philosophy his own staff and supporters have undertaken. Despite the flag-hugging right wing radio hosts alternately cheering on McCain then lambasting him (do Rush and Michael Savage actually want him to win?), his numbers aren't improving - and judging by how he sticks up for Obama's character, McCain seems to be a reluctant participant in the GOP's strategy. (Really - people are voting for John McCain who call Obama a terrorist in public. Is that great company to keep?)

Meanwhile, Palin is behaving increasingly more like a small-state governor who's not so worried about winning the election, since even with a loss she'll be reapin' the benefits of national media exposure without the responsibilities of a VP. Didn't I predict that the Palin pick would doom McCain? Yes, whether fair or not, public perception of the financial meltdown isn't helping Mccain either. But after the initial bump Palin has been a negative.

GOP market, nation, and small government wings: is anybody thinking it's time to either a) show the evangelicals the door (to form the American Christian Party) or b) form a third party? Even my favorite Michael Savage has been exhorting the masses on this very point, and it wouldn't even be the first such rift in the GOP. Teddy Roosevelt formed the Bull Moose Party, which was essentially the progressive wing, and there was a major split in the GOP even before that in the 1870s between the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds. Without getting into political party history, the point is that the Republican Party has split and re-invented itself before, and survived the process and been made stronger. It's high time to do it again, so moderate Americans can vote for a sensible numbers-and-facts GOP.