Each year Democrats anticipate the youth vote as Linus Van Pelt does the Great Pumpkin. On Halloween night, Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin to appear. On Election Night the left waits for the young to appear. Invariably, the Great Pumpkin fails to show up and a humiliated but undefeated Linus vows to wait for him again the following Halloween. Similarly, the left predicts every cycle that the demographic will storm the polls in massive numbers resulting in a tidal wave of support, but like Linus their existence exists only in their imaginations. Will this year be the same?

Rewind to 2004: turnout among young people was, as a proportion of the whole electorate, almost identical to 2000's weak showing. My generation was supposed to win it for John Kerry, so when he was defeated by George W. Bush in 2004 many Democrats blamed us for failing to show up in greater numbers.

Fast forward to 2008: in state after state, Obama has drawn more young voters than any of his competitors. According to the Associated Press estimate nine million new voters of all ages have registered to vote this year, with a majority registering Democrat. However, registration doesn't always translate into votes.

According to the Wall Street Journal, voters under 30 have not widely participated in early voting this year. "In Florida, they account for 8 percent of cast ballots, though they make up 17 percent of voters. In North Carolina, voters under 30 make up 11 percent of cast ballots, but make up 19 percent of voters."  In addition, a poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal showed that "only 54 percent of new voters said they would definitely vote on Nov. 4."

So is Obama is simply a trend? And like most trends (parachute pants, barbed wire tattoos, and poufy bangs) will the Obamamania fizzle as quickly as it fired up?

Young people haven't been screwed by government. Until they have, their level of intensity can't be on par with those who are paying out the whazoo in taxes, healthcare and energy costs.

Worse yet, if the mainstream media continues to predict a landslide for Senator Obama on Election Day many youth, who for years have shown that interest doesn't exactly equal action, could stay home. "Why bother when adults can do it for you?" is already a slogan of the millennial generation. College campuses are reported to be so saturated with Obama propaganda that fatigue has crept in. Without students on the other side to inspire competition, the extent of tween Obama support could end up resulting in the slapping of a bumper sticker on a dorm window.

 "In many ways, our fate is in their hands," Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said on a recent conference call with reporters, a risky bet for such an unreliable ballot box bunch and perhaps the reason for McCain's continued optimism and perseverance.

 Next Tuesday eyes will be glued to the election results to see if for the first time in memory this voting block proves fruitful, or if Democrats are left disappointed again by their Great Pumpkin.

Of course Senator Obama wants to redistribute wealth. The real story is that Republicans are still trying to convince voters of such an obvious point just one week before the election. 
 
Much has been made of Obama’s past and current comments relating to wealth.  These comments are insignificant compared to his policy proposals.
 
Obama promises to raise taxes on 5% of the working families, and redistribute it in the form of refundable tax credits and spending programs (at least a trillion dollars worth). This is wealth redistribution and it is a promise that Obama says he will keep as President.  It is not a fake news controversy.
 
So why are we still debating whether or not Obama is a redistributionist?  It is because the McCain campaign ignored the obvious for most of this election season, and chose to focus on trifling issues such as Paris Hilton.  Had they not, perhaps the GOP would not be battling to win states like Virginia and North Carolina.
 
The good news is that Obama’s plans to redistribute wealth do not add up.  He cannot cut taxes on 95% of working families, provide universal health care and balance the budget, as promised. 
 
The bad news is that we do not really know what Barack Obama will do as President.  Will he increase the deficit even more?  Raise taxes on additional families?  Give us universal health care? Or chart a different path all together?
 
We do know that if Obama fulfills his spending promises, then he will have to raise taxes on the middle class if he expects to balance the budget. That means even more wealth redistribution.
 
There is a big question mark hanging over Senator Obama’s candidacy.  It is too bad the McCain campaign is only now coming to understand the implications of Obama’s lefty promises.  Had they figured it out sooner, McCain might be on top right now, not Obama. 

The mainstream media and liberals everywhere are aghast at how much the McCain camp spent on an apparent fashion overhaul for Sarah Palin.
 
The spending on so-called "campaign accessories" included bills totaling roughly $150,000.
An anchor at a prominent network (not Fox News) rudely sniffed that for the amount of money the campaign spent Palin should look better. (For the record I'm fairly certain this anchor does not shop at K-Mart.)
 
This is not taxpayer money. If the McCain camp wants to blow funds on some designer duds, that's their prerogative. Might not be the most brilliant idea when you trail in fundraising, but it's their decision as long as they haven't violated any election laws.
Women traditionally endure exponentially more scrutiny than men. Hillary has been under the fashion microscope for almost two decades—a fact, but hardly what I'd call fair.
 
The Los Angeles Times reported that Clinton's jackets are about $3,000, shirts run to $1,350 and pants hover around the $2,000 mark. Let's do the math. That's over $6000 a suit. And Clinton owns a lot of pants suits. And she looks great. If she didn't, she'd be vilified for looking frumpy and lacking style savvy like she was in the 1990's.
 
There is no question excessive primping and preening by presidential candidates is riddled with risk. John Edwards was lambasted over his $400 hair cuts in 2007 as was John McCain over his $520 Ferragamo shoes. We expect our candidates to look good, but not too good. We like a put together politician but have averse reaction when we hear the price tag.  For a newcomer like Palin, it's par for the course that she's stepped up her look. Imagine if she didn't? She'd be the subject of more ridicule than she is now.
 
It's not just Palin who realizes the benefits of being sharp dressed on the stump.
 
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that friends of Obama say the biggest change in him since his recent success on the national political scene is that he's dressing better and shopping at the ultra bourgeoisie Barney's because, for the first time in his life, he can afford to. Apparently the fierce urgency of now includes killer threads.
 
How about Michelle Obama? The New York Times Style section published an entire article praising her new, and likely very pricey, sense of style. The purple Maria Pinto sheath she wore at a campaign rally retails for $900, and as the NYT put it is:"not the kind of garment most working-class voters can reasonably aspire to."
 
The current issue of Harper's Bazaar notes that the Senator's wife wears Valentino, among others. Looks like when the Obama's say spread the wealth around, they mean at top shelf department stores.
 
I'm not outraged at this. The pressure of being in the public eye is understandable. What's disturbing is the double standard. Michelle Obama gets hailed by the fashionistas while Palin gets crucified and mocked by the fashion police.

These same liberals who are now appalled at the Palin shopping spree are the same ones that thought it shallow and superficial to discuss Newsweek's obvious cheap shot cover of Sarah Palin because we have more important fish to fry.  Where are these people now to shout that this issue is trivial and how do they manage to get so fired about Palin's appearance all of sudden?
 
I'm waiting for the left to condemn the insignificance of this story and I'm not holding my breath.

Oops, he did it again. Joe Biden's latest comments display yet another hiccup. This time Biden admitted his running mate is untested, that the world knows it and that they will exploit his inexperience:

"We're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

As if that weren't enough, Biden went on to say that it would not be readily apparent that Obama's response would be the correct one and urged supporters to stand by him even in doubt.

Thanks for that vote of confidence. You sure know how to give new meaning to the title "number two" with your talking points. (Note: before he was tapped as Obama's sidekick, Biden argued Obama isn't experienced enough to be President).

Truth be told, this is quite possibly the most honest thing Biden has said to date (besides his notion that Hillary would make a better Vice President than he would). Obama is arguably the most inexperienced candidate seeking the White House in the last century. But most importantly, his policy positions are flat out fallible. From fiscal issues to foreign affairs, he's eerily vapid and devoid of the mettle it takes to do the job. I'm glad to see Senator Biden agrees, just wish he would have conceded this point sooner.

There is no question that Biden’s words are a gift. But they also highlight a reality of the McCain camp and why they're struggling. Without the messages of Joe the Plumber and Joe the Stumbler, the Maverick and his team have no cogent message or original thought of their own.

Until Joe the Plumber the McCain campaign hasn't been able to articulate the dangers and reality of Obama's punitive, socialist wealth transfer programs. Until Biden's bungle they haven't been able to effectively make hay over Obama's thin resume. And until last week, their camp has failed to effectively and aggressively distance McCain from George Bush (a colossal mistake, but largely one in part thanks to the swarms of former Bush staffers on McCain's current campaign payroll).

McCain still might not have a succinct theme but one thing is clear: it's more succinct than Biden’s, but certainly not as telling. If Republicans expect to make any gains in the next fourteen days we must hammer home, by adding a human face to the issues, why Obama will further damage our economic and our national security. Now is no time to experiment with 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The stakes are too high to trust our future with an unsure, unseasoned, ultra liberal newcomer. Just ask Joe Biden.

Dedicated pessimists spent the last few years nauseated as unbridled optimism infected our nation. A correction was imminent, but the optimists would not listen. Anyone uttering the word “bubble” was negative. Optimists continued to borrow and buy, and buy and borrow. There was no room for a frown, even if a smile was totally irrational.

Pessimists expected a market correction but few, I suspect, expected anything like this.

That is why a little optimism would not hurt right now.

Just as our nation willfully ignored the words of pessimists during the real estate bubble, it is now dismissing the positive words of what few optimists remain.

Even with the recent market rally, pessimism is pervasive, and proving too powerful, converting optimists into prophets of doom.

Leave fear to the experts you happy optimists; you are ill suited for this game.We have had depressions, panics, crashes wars and epidemics. America always survives.

In the absence of a central bank, our nation survived the Panic of 1837, even though it devastated the economy. We will survive this, and as a nation, live to endure greater horrors. Trust me, I am pessimist.

The trouble is that our nation has none to restore the confidence of the optimists. Forget our elected leaders. We are in the midst of a political capital crisis. Now flirting with socialism, The White House and Congress resemble the bastard progeny of Karl Marx and the Keystone Cops.

The presidential election makes it even harder to remain optimistic. Instead of a steady voice, we hear angry bickering back and forth on issues as trifling as what happened in the 1960s (e.g. Bill Ayers). We have an unpolished diamond in Governor Palin, yet she is on the bottom of the ticket and powerless to suppress the disquiet that this pessimist now considers irrational.

More troubling is the frontrunner, Senator Obama. He sounds optimistic, but don’t be fooled. Obama wants to spread the wealth around. He has the markets in his sights and has proposed tax increases designed to remove capital from markets already starved for cash.

The crisis should be an opportunity for those optimists with the courage to stand up and quell our fears: Those with senses of humor, who can make us smile, and find joy in the ordinary. While pessimists will continue to remind us of the limits of government, and the follies of many human endeavors, only optimists can heal the markets, and allow our confidence to rebuild day- by-day, year by year.

Where are you optimists? We pessimists cannot run the world without you.

McCain did his best in the debate that matters the least, but he won where it counts: the first 20 minutes. After that he went down, but so did much of the country -- to sleep that is -- along with most of the plumbers in America.

McCain won on every issue except the one that over 70 percent of Americans care about: the economy.

There were gaping opportunities to nail Obama on his numerous economic illusions from cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans to his balloney admittal that he would prefer not to pay taxes, or anyone to pay taxes, that went unchallenged -- another puzzling McCain missed opportunity.

After tonight there is no question Senator Obama is getting a gigantic pass. Listening to him wax poetic about Republican principles from tax relief to personal responsibility is as confusing as a Jessica Simpson autobiography.

Obama finished stronger while McCain lost voters with his beltway mumbo jumbo. I'll give points, as usual, to Obama for his smooth operator style.

The winner? Joe the plumber.

Clock's ticking and still no cogent message from team McCain. In fact, the failure to adopt an overarching theme akin to Obama's message of change and recent weeks of manic messaging by the McCain camp has damaged his brand. It's also opened up an opportunity for his opponent to gain so much by doing so little. Because it's too late to rebrand McCain as James Dean, not George Bush, this last debate and final message push must not inspire votes for McCain, but votes against Obama.

Three weeks is a lifetime in political campaigns. McCain must use this time wisely to sow enough doubt among the electorate that they find themselves scratching their heads, chins, whatever appropriate bodily appendage that signals uncertainty and uncomfortability with pulling the lever on Election Day for Senator Obama. McCain must invoke a crescendo of criticism and stoke the lingering skepticism surrounding his candidacy and his judgment. McCain's Family Pension and Family Security Plan being rolled out today is a necessary action, and may help solidify some seniors to which it is targeted, but the specifics will likely do little to move the masses.

The hero must persuade voters tactfully, not angrily, that this most fragile moment in our country's history since September 11th cannot be gambled away with an unknown, that electing Obama would be a dangerous experiment for our country and the world, and that the high Obama has his followers feeling will wear off and bring with it a harsh, depressing reality when they come down. McCain must warn voters desperate for a rise that Obama is a gateway drug to socialism and economic ruin to which we must just say no.

Instead of spending weeks calling Obama a celebrity this summer, team McCain should have been calling him Santa. Now is a perfect time to start. Like Santa Claus, Obama has promised the American people a long list of goodies. The reality? Both Santa Claus and Obama aren't real. Like Santa, people still want to believe in the legend but it's time McCain acted like the mature, measured adult and told voters the truth by exposing the fairytale.

From the myth he'll cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans to the tall tale he'll balance the budget and create jobs when he'll actually tax most small businesses, McCain must present voters with the reality that Obama's plans do not add up. He cannot do what he says. He will turn the tax code into a welfare system and raise taxes on those making over $40k a year despite his spin. Most importantly the ACORN doesn't fall far from the Obama. Team McCain must explain the connection between the two and what it means for an Obama Administration and for taxpayers.

Americans need to hear the truth. Particularly when the stakes are so high. Now is no time for mythology.

We are in the midst of a financial crisis that demands steadfast leadership in Washington, D.C. Voters will be starving for a President to guide them, and Senator McCain is this person. He has endured worse in his own life, and he is the man who can restore our confidence.

This is why John McCain must turn the page forward to the issues of 2008 & 2009, and not back to those of 1969. His campaign has already wasted months ridiculing Senator Obama and neglecting the innumerable reasons in favor of a McCain presidency. They are paying the price in the polls.

Now, the McCain campaign invites us to join it on a 60’s –70’s flashback, which comes in the form of Obama’s coffee klatch and board service with Weather Underground whacko Bill Ayers. Like hippies, Woodstock, and the Summer of Love, the Weather Underground is a distant memory and completely irrelevant to the financial crisis or any other problem confronting the next president.

Obama is many things: He is naïve, liberal, inconsistent, and inexperienced, but he is not a not a member of the Weather Underground. Plus, these attacks look desperate. Drop it. McCain should concentrate on the economy for the rest of the month. He must appear focused, resolute, and adult. These are uncertain times, and voters will crave his brand of steady leadership. While negative campaigning works, inane irrelevancies, in the absence of discussion relating to the financial crisis, will put Senator McCain’s candidacy at further risk.

If McCain continues to go negative, then he should remind America that it is Obamanomics, and not some crusty Weatherman, that remains a true the threat to the economy.

John McCain can still win this one. Hopefully, it will be because voters find him the man best equipped to lead us through today and tomorrow.

In yesterday's column "McCain's Bailout Blunder" I noted that his camp has stumbled quite a few times during this process from the perplexing suspension of his campaign to his actual vote in favor for the massive spending package.

Last night he proposed $300 billion to have the government buy failing mortgages. Besides the fact that this number is likely an extreme low ball, why didn't he propose this sooner?  The idea is a noble one, and though it's political kryptonite among fiscal conservatives, it will win favor with many voters and will actually use their hard earned tax payer money to help them and not a fat, cat Wall Street suit.

Though we're still scratching out heads as to why the McCain campaign sprung this new policy proposal out of left field during a debate, we're looking forward to see how it is messaged by the schizophrenic campaign and acutally plays with voters.

One thing is clear: McCain should have proposed this plan from day one and voted against the Senate bill last week if he really wanted to differentiate himself from Obama and keep his campaign alive. Forget William Ayres, this is the economy stupid.

 

You might have seen Newsweek's latest cover of Sarah Palin. If you haven't, take a look. The left's blatant bias has crept from within its pages onto the cover shot. The latest Newsweek cover shows a magnified, purposefully unretouched photo of Sarah Palin that highlights every imperfection on her beautiful face.  Women will understand this. We're talking unwanted facial hair, wrinkles, and un-extracted pores. Heck, we all have them. We just don't expect them to be showcased on the cover of a national magazine, especially when we are running for the position of second in command of the United States. Calling it unflattering is an understatement. Trust me.

We expect this from gossip magazines like Star, OK! and In Touch.  Newsweek is supposed to be an unbiased, substantive weekly, not some fly by night publication that can afford to appear unprofessional. It is expected to have standards (except when it comes to conservative, backwater female politicians, apparently) and a competent photography department  It's incredible how this photo editor didn't have time to make Governor Palin look her best but manages to make Barack Obama look like a statuesque, presidential image of perfection just about every other week. Mindboggling.

The most offensive: the picture is coupled with a headline that reads "She's One of the Folks (And that's the Problem)".

Problem? That's her strength. Last time I checked Newsweek wouldn't survive without all the "folks" that subscribe to their magazine. In point of fact, these same "folks" makeup a majority in the United States. Unlike movie stars and liberal media types regular "folks" have other concerns besides tweezing, waxing, moisturizing, exfoliating, detoxifying and pore tightening. We're busy.

This cover displays how insular and divorced from reality big city, liberal media types are, and the power and populism of Palin. The only argument the left can muster is essentially "she's not one of us." Damn right she's not. Liberals, if you want to have this culture fight I say bring it on.

Palin's got an election to win, a jam packed campaign schedule, a state to run, and five children. She's not perfect. She's real. That's why "folks" love her. She deserves the same treatment as other candidates: a fair shake and a flattering cover shot.

Attention media: the only mustache that deserves to be on a magazine cover is Geraldo's.

 

 

 

As the frontrunner Obama needed to hold the line tonight, and he did. He likely won favor with undecided voters and women because of his ability to motivate through emotion and tap into the emotional component of viewers' personal values. He earned extra credit for his cool, confident demeanor.

McCain was tough but he didn't deliver a knockout. He did what he needed to do which was step up his game and avoid error. He was solid where it counted: the economy, and convincing voters he's ready on day one. His latest, and seemingly last minute, proposal to have the government spend billions to buy failing mortgages could turn around the ship if messaged effectively in the days that follow. But it could be political kryptonite with fiscal conservatives.

The ruling? McCain won some rounds but the bout goes to Obama. Series score: 1-1.

What do you think about last night's debate? Send me an email.

Tonight McCain needs to address the financial crisis and the economy head on while he toots his own horn on being right in 2005 on Freddie and Fannie.  He needs to debunk this highly propagated Democratic urban legend that deregulation is bad and call for proper regulation and responsibility going forward. 

Channeling Reagan is essential: offer a clear, inspiration vision, then draw contrasts with whatever and whoever disagrees.  The Mac needs to shoot holes through the misleading proposals of Barack Obama and explain why his Santa Claus like list of promises to the American people is a bunch of ballony. 

He needs to reveal the most liberal, most highly marketed politician we've seen since Carter. Obama is the political equivalent of the ipod. Exceptionally well  marketed and sold in cool packaging. Entertaining, but emply. Or in Obama's case, filled with some really bad tunes. Reveal it.

Finally, lose the grimace, McCain. And please give Obama some eye contact this time. You reminded us of a fuming father who would speak to you but not look at you when you're in trouble (I know the face well). I think you lost women, swing voters and Independents because of your mug in the last debate.
 
History is not on your side, but the facts are. Use them. 
 

 

John McCain botched the biggest issue of this election cycle and passed up the most important way to differentiate himself from Barack Obama: the financial crisis.

First, suspending his campaign was strange. Heading back to Washington wasn't a bad idea but if you're going to supposedly return to a town burdened by gridlock to help solve a crisis you still need a cogent message. The message should have been THIS BILL STINKS.  McCain didn't have one. All we saw was footage of him sitting silent at a White House meeting. And if he had an opinion on the bailout, we certainly didn't hear it. 

Then there was the notion McCain wouldn't debate unless a bill was passed.  That, too, seemed odd. Why wouldn't he want to address the nation with his opponent in front of millions of Americans? McCain has always been on the right side of this mess. In 2005 he called for a tough, independent regulator for Freddie and Fannie and he could have made the case on a national stage for proper regulation and personal responsibility. Unfortunately, the only pre-debate dialogue perpetuated on the cable news channels and in print was whether McCain was going to actually show up in Mississippi. Not fruitful if you ask me.

When he did show up Senator McCain and Senator Obama were prodded by moderator Jim Lehrer on the rescue bill and current state of the US economy. Neither one would address it head on, a giant blunder. Obama isn't known for his cajones. His shtick is ducking tough issues and taking the easy road as not to expend political capital and offend voters.  McCain is known for just the opposite. And at time when the country was looking for a hero like McCain to reassure them and display leadership and hope he did not.

Last week when it was time for a vote in the Senate John McCain folded and voted for the bill even though he had an opportunity to differentiate himself from Obama, congressional Democrats and his Achilles heel, President Bush, and be on the side of the American people by voting against this measure. The bill was also laden with what some called pork, but what were actually tax credits for such ridiculous things as wool research and wooden arrows for children. McCain has fundamentally been opposed to special interest legislation and this was his chance to show it and showcase that he is opposed to government spending. 

Voting against the bailout would have been risky, but worth it.  We don't even know if this bill will work.  Yesterday the market still looked bleak. What we do know is Americans are angry about it. They know government is the reason we're this mess.  We shouldn't give them more control or our tax payer dollars.  McCain could have stood out, and stood up, for the principles and people he is running to represent that echo this sentiment.  McCain appears to be puffing off the same pipe as the rest of them.

The Obama camp is now calling McCain a "big spender." McCain is a lot of things, but a big spender he is not.  But ever since he voted for the bailout he IS a big spender, so the label works. A pretty tough blow to the maverick four weeks out. 

Palin won the debate because she exceeded expectations and connected with the American people on a personal level, but neither candidate crushed the other. I'm also not convinced either one reached out to sway the valuable undecided voter. Governor Palin breathed life into the McCain campaign and rectified public opinion about her competency, which was crucial. Republicans, heave a sigh of relief.

Palin's strengths: Using Biden's own words about Obama and McCain against him. Brilliant. She was able to relate to a majority of Americans and her body language was authentic, warm and direct. Like Obama, she spoke directly to the American people and came off much more likeable than her opponent. Unlike Hillary she has the gift of appearing shrewd without being shrill.

Palin's weakness: Failing to tell Americans the real deal on the housing crisis. Republicans are tiptoeing around this issue in order to avoid being called politically incorrect. It was a missed opportunity to go after the Democrats and their insistence to protect Freddie and Fannie and their belief that every man, woman, child, dog and goldfish should own their own home even if they cannot afford it.

Best line (with regard to the fiscal crisis) "Never again."

Biden's strength: He's polished (as anyone would be after spending the last three decades in the Senate). There is no question his handle on foreign policy is exceptional. He's smooth and a much better liar than Palin. Practice makes perfect, I suppose.

Biden's weakness: He is completely divorced from honesty. Either he knows he's lying and doesn't care or he isn't aware and is just plain ill informed. His body language was off-putting. Like McCain he appeared angry and contemptuous. That phony smile is nauseating. Senator: watch a tape of Palin and Obama for pointers.

Worst line: "listen folks." That's what I call nuclear condescension.

Palin and McCain seem to relish in the underdog role and have the ability to deliver when the stakes are sky high. Though many cast doubt, I've called Palin McCain's secret weapon since the day he selected her. After tonight, should she be underestimated? Never again.

It's game time for Biden and Palin. Though it's been a rough couple of weeks for the Governor of Alaska prompted by visceral attacks from the left and pockets of bias from the often slanted media, she's still standing. Tonight is a big test.

Biden, on the other hand, hasn't made much news, though he should have. For every head scratch invoking comment the left has accused Palin of making, Biden has made his own. From his comments about Roosevelt being on television before the boob tube was invented, to his false gunfire hallucination much like Hillary's Bosnia flap, Biden's foot has been lodged in his jaw quite a few times, it's just not getting coverage.

As pollsters and pundits try and spin this evening's outcome, there is no question that Biden has more experience than Palin, though not executive experience, however. But more common sense, he does not. He's been on the wrong side of most issues since the start of his long career. An agent of change he is not, either. And relatable to most voters? Not quite. The Pennsylvania coal country shtick isn't fooling this Pennsylvania girl.  At the debate Biden's most difficult hurdle will be using restraint not to act like an arrogant blowhard.

Palin has many hurdles to surmount. Governor, here's your to do list: 

Your plain talk is a strength. Embrace it.  The McCain campaign often suffers from message constipation.  As of late you've been a victim of this ailment but it's not your modus operandi. Get back to what you do best: telling it like it is.  Obama might be comfortable pushing bull and spouting hot air, but you are not.  Make sure to can the baffling beltway jargon that McCain incessantly uses: earmarks, pork, DOD, etc.

Get Biden Comfortable. The more relaxed you can get Joe Biden on that stage, the more he lies, babbles on incessantly, reverts to his old school politician like persona, and let's be frank, says really, really dumb stuff.

Keep off defense.   Assail the top of the Obama ticket on his crushing tax plan, his gargantuan spending proposals that would ruin our already shaky economy, and his nonsensical foreign affairs positions. Highlight his failure to lead. In the Illinois Senate, in the US Senate and now as a candidate for President, particularly when it comes to the financial crisis. Obama's motto has always been: "when the going gets tough, the tough vote present." Expose it.

Mobilize your echo chamber.  If you say something unscholarly have your campaign and their surrogates armed and ready to stop the bleeding. Liberals are better organized this time around and are ready to assault you en masse. You need your own army of staunch defenders willing to fight and explain that, like most Americans, you are more comfortable speaking to a local rotary club than to Harvard alumni association.

Run Against Washington. You are the only one on either ticket who can believably embrace the true political outsider mantra. Tie Washington to Obama and Biden and promote yourself as unscathed by the corruption and circus of Capitol Hill.  There is no better time to be out of the loop. By loop I mean the beltway. Tout it.

Motivate by reason, persuade through emotion. The Palin family has been through tough times. Your husband has been out of a job. You've had difficulty affording healthcare and paying bills. Use your story to inspire.  Bring difficult questions back to a personal level. Give this nation the pep talk only a mom can.

Be Yourself.  Inject humor and charm. Be pithy and to the point, and never let them see you sweat. I understand you've been surrounded by some of the dullest, most defensive staffers on the planet. Ignore their tired talking points and blaze your own message trail.

I watched some footage from your debates in Alaska. You were a confident, capable candidate. I hope that woman shows up tonight. Carpe diem, sister.