Let's see if humorless George asks McCain the "tough questions" this Sunday. My money says no.

Way to go Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Couldn't have said it better myself.

I am encouraged that the good people of PA don't appear to be fooled by the same old spin. One thing is true: Nobody can complain about the free pass Obama's getting by the press anymore. And I suspect, when the chips are down, that McCain's past will revoke his pass, too. Remember, this is a guy who said "I hate the gooks." It's only a matter of time before he says another whopper like that. McCain's a loose cannon. I look forward to the General. One more thing: All of this talk about the U.S. being a center/right leaning country isn't looking at the trend lines, or the amount of new voters who have registered as a result. Oh, and the realignment election of 2006, and the fact that things seem to be continuing on that trend, away from the wingnut Bush administration. McCain is guilty by association, and his true nature will be unearthed in the general. The more people get to know Obama, the better they like him. I suspect the opposite to be true for McCain.

I have a sick feeling in my stomach about the to-do over Obama's comments about people from small towns being "bitter" about the last 25 years. I'm from a small town, but I know what he meant. He meant that politicians come through small towns blow smoke up their ass and then turn around and promote policies that encourage people to leave them. The ones who stay behind become embittered about such politicians. Our manufacturing base, for example, is being shipped to China and other places and promotes a dependence (not interdependence, by the way) on a repressive country that will come to haunt us one day (if it isn't haunting us already).

But all the so called "liberal" media and the other candidates will point out is how "elitist" the comments were and I fear this will resonate, because it taps into the psyche of rural America, and not in a good way. When people see themselves as being pigeonholed, they will get touchy, and many won't look at this rationally. I just hope he can weather it.

All he should have said is that people are ticked off. And the whole thing about religion and guns was sloppy. The wingnuts (and, by extension in this case, Billary) are going to have a field day. Now this thing's going to stink its way through the convention. Yuck. I hate politics.