CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Will McCain Pick Palin for VP?

McCain is scheduled to reveal whom he has selected as his running mate at a noon rally in Dayton, Ohio.

Yesterday, speculation centered on Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Today it looks like McCain may hit a grand slam and pick Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

As reported previously, Palin is a former beauty queen, a mother of five, a genuine Alaskan, a regular churchgoer, staunchly pro-life, a hunter, a dog sledder, very much for drilling for oil, has a great reform reputation, and like Mr. McCain, thinks climate change poses a threat.

Putting Governor Palin on the Republican ticket would tip independents, especially the "security moms" who helped President Bush win reelection in 2004. It might also attract Democrats and Independents who supported Hillary.

Selecting Palin would be a master stroke.

Image courtesy of the Washington Times.

McCain congratulates Obama

McCain shows his class - congratulates Obama

Tracking Poll Update - 8/28

Obama gets a bounce.

Rasmussen:

McCain - 44%
Obama - 45%

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll of likely voters for Thursday hints of a modest convention bounce building for Obama. The Democrat gained a point from Wednesday and now attracts 45% of the vote while John McCain earns 44%. When "leaners" are included, McCain and Obama are tied at 47%.

Gallup:

McCain - 42%
Obama - 48%

The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking poll of registered voters, finds Obama gained ground from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and now leads McCain 48% to 42%.

More Dems Question Obama's Readiness

Senator McCain's presidential campaign released a web video, entitled "Remote Control." The video features more Democrats, questioning Obama's ability to lead.

Simply devastating.

Obama Converts Greek Temple Into the White House

In response to the media pounding his presumptuous audacity, Obama has second thoughts and becomes more presumptuous converting the Temple of Obama, aka “The Barackopolis,” into the White House.

Obama Nominated by Acclamation

Obama is officially the Democrats' presidential nominee.

Hillary released her delegates before the roll call to vote and announced that she was voting for Obama.

Hillary called on the Democratic National Convention to end the roll call and nominate Obama by acclamation:

“I move that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois be selected by this convention by acclamation as the Democratic nominee for president of the United States.”

The crowd then began to chant, “Hillary, Hillary, Hillary.”

Watch the following Associated Press report:

Obama Having Second Thoughts About Greek Temple

Politico.com’s Mike Allen tells FOX News that the Obama camp has reservations about the presumptuousness of Obama's Greek temple at Invesco Field:

“It’s hard because of those very clever ads by John McCain which turned the likability factor, which normally elects a president, back on Senator Obama,” Allen said. “He wants to be someone who can lead the country and can relate to people.”

You can watch Allen discuss “The Barackopolis” in the following video:

The Obama campaign denies it has any doubts about the Temple of Obama:

“As a visual it’ll be tremendous,” said Democratic strategist Bob Beckel. “But the problem is that that visual has been a little bit of a negative for him over the last few months.”

[. . .]

Obama aide Dan Pfeiffer said “it is not true” that the campaign had any doubts about the Invesco event.

And Beckel said he’s sure the Obama campaign thought through all the visuals.

“If it did (have any doubts), those Greek columns would’ve been down,” he said, adding he’s not going to bet against Obama in a speech.

As I said before, after all the ads and media coverage depicting Obama as presumptuous, you would think the Obama camp would tone it down.

Obama’s Greek temple - from the Obamamessiah to a Greek God

After all the ads and media coverage depicting Obama as the Democrats' presumptuous nominee, you would think the Obama camp would take a hint and tone down the audacious presumptuousness. You would be wrong.

Obama's acceptance speech will take place on a stage at Invesco Field that could be called the Temple of Obama:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's big speech on Thursday night will be delivered from an elaborate columned stage resembling a miniature Greek temple.

The stage, similar to structures used for rock concerts, has been set up at the 50-yard-line, the midpoint of Invesco Field, the stadium where the Denver Broncos' National Football League team plays.

Some 80,000 supporters will see Obama appear from between plywood columns painted off-white, reminiscent of Washington's Capitol building or even the White House, to accept the party's nomination for president.

He will stride out to a raised platform to a podium that can be raised from beneath the floor.

Seems more like the Obama will be anointed -- chosen by divine intervention -- rather than accept the Democrats' nomination.

Tracking Poll Update - 8/27

Rasmussen:

McCain - 44%
Obama - 44%

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll of likely voters for Wednesday finds McCain and Obama remain tied at 44%. When "leaners" are included, though, McCain picked up another point since yesterday and now has a statistically insignificant one-point advantage over Obama, 47% to 46%

Gallup:

McCain - 44%
Obama - 45%

The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking poll of registered voters, the first three-day period falling entirely after Obama's Saturday morning vice presidential announcement, finds Obama at 45% and John McCain at 44%.

Confidence in War on Terror and Iraq at Highest Level Ever

Rasmussen Reports finds that voter confidence in the War on Terror is at the highest level ever recorded by Rasmussen:

Fifty-four percent (54%) of American voters now think the United States and its allies are winning the war. The previous high-water mark for optimism--52%--was reached a handful of times in September and October 2004.

Optimism about the situation in Iraq is also at an all-time high. Forty-eight percent (48%) now expect the situation in that troubled country to get better over the next six months. Only 17% expect things to get worse. In addition to being the most optimistic assessment ever recorded, these numbers reflect a remarkable turnaround over the past year. Last August, just 27% thought things were going to get better while 47% were pessimistic.

Democrats may rue the day they again allowed the party to become the antiwar party.

In 1972, the Democrats nominated the antiwar Senator George McGovern. His dovishness resulted in a humiliating defeat.

The Democratic majority in Congress, like the current Democrats in Congress, then turned against the war. Americans came to perceive the Democrats as weak on national security.

President Jimmy Carter was seen as naive in dealing with the Soviet Union, when it invaded Afghanistan, and in dealing with the 1980 Iranian hostage crisis.

Ronald Reagan popularized the notion of "peace through strength." Democrats argued that Reagan was a bellicose "cowboy." The collapse of the Soviet's evil empire shortly after Reagan left office, convinced many Americans that Reagan was correct and the Democrats were wrong.

Obama's legislative proposal to get out of Iraq by April 2008, just as our current progress was apparent, will just reinforced the perception that the Democrats are weak on national security.