@rednrowdy: I think you can leave out Salma and daughter Valentina and then your title would be right.

@winner: according to CNN, at this point McCain needs every state that's in play — all 8 of them. If Obama grabs just one, he wins (assuming the map doesn't change 'til election day).

@TheVaginaWig: I get the "but you don't LOOK Jewish" comment all the time(people usually think I'm Irish), and I find it very offensive. Even among people who are 100% Jewish by blood (like me, who apparently looks Irish), there are all kinds of looks.

@CollegeBookworm: In my family matzoh ball soup is reserved for Passover. There are other soups if you're really in need of soup. Like kreplach for example.

@Poindextrous: In this case she's trying to look "smarter" or "credible", which speaks volumes since it indicates that she knows she can't do it by speaking with authority.

Want to feel happy? Check out this electronic billboard that Democrats rented across the street from a Palin rally: [gizmodo.com]

On the Palin "tolerating" gays thing:

@emsigh_the_third: I saw it more as disdain for his opponent, not racism. I think he's taking the race personally.

@vamusical: They also forget that we have plenty of middle-class Americans and plenty of minorities who have never been considered "elite". Though we northeasterners might be more multiculturally aware and apparently place a higher value on education.

I just want to preempt the inevitable republican who claims this has been "debunked":

Tonight at the debate McCain is gonnna do something ridiculous. I guarantee it. He's down in the polls and this is one of his last chances to change it so he's gonna get all maverick-ey and do soemthing intended to be the showstopper moment. And I think that will backfire on him.

when did Sherri learn to read? When did Sherri go from dressing like Sarah Palin to defending Barack?

I posted this quote from Sam Harris' article on Republicans praising mediocre intelligence (and theocracy) a while back but it's pertinent:

@PandaGrrl: that's true. One book about it is called "Hitler's Gift; Scientists who fled Nazi Germany", and this is from an article on it:

@Kali Mama: I think the folksiness is an act — she didn't talk like she did in the debate anyhere else prior to that. But I think her disdain for intellectualism is real. I don't think she's dumb, but I think calling her smart is a stretch — because when she isn't scripted, she stumbles over her own words.

@PilgrimSoul: i bet he mostly doesn't vote.

@eh: I've never seen her show that she's done research.

@LindsayC: I totally disagree. She can't ever back up the statment she makes, which are taken directly from candidate and pundit soundbytes.

@Marscinema: she was even in some big hollywood movies before they dated.

@mrs_weasley: First, my initial repsonse to you as to why she's getting flak is the point, and you seem to be missing that. Second, your question above has been explained multiple times on this thread. These are two distinct arguments that you're mixing together.