It seems to me that several different processes are at work here:

1 – incessant mass media attacks have to have consequences and we’re seeing those first in the cries of victory over Sarah from the left and to a lesser degree in the polls.

However, the mass media picture is unreal – and everywhere she goes she meets real people who go away knowing this and go out and tell their friends to ignore the media hype.

2 – I think we’re being hustled on the vice presidential debates – by both sides.

On the left, the goal seems to be to turn the debates into some kind of oral examination for the role of president – not, in other words, a debate at all but merely a hostile forum to show that she doesn’t meet their expectations on glibness and the ability to articulate nothing.

On McCain’s side, I rather think she’s a lot better than they’re really letting on – and I hope to see this verified in the “debate.” If I’m right, expect her to take on the “moderator” more than Joe Biden; to make human and family values the focus where-ever possible; and to offer a few real zingers about Joe et al’s non role in cleaning up the current financial crisis.

3) even a lot of the people who are sympathetic are, I think, interpreting her positions on some issues only in the light of their own (pampered) experience.

On the business of Alaska being adjacent to Russia, for example, most people are either trying to get others to laugh at her over this or sadly tut-tutting about how naive she is on this subject.

If you’ve ever been in the front lines of any serious conflict, however, you’ll know better. For a very long time in both my lifetime and hers, that was The Enemy, just on the horizon -over there – and when you live with the certainty that you’re first in the line of fire should an attack happen, you get a little conscious of how trivial a distance 20, or a hundred, miles really is. Know what the (DEW) warning window was at Elmsdorf circa 1975? less than four minutes.

4 – oh, yeah, and speaking personally? I was hoping for Newt as VP, but I’d use her S* for toothpaste any day of the week – and as another comment writer said here just recently (sorry, can’t find the link) I don’t care if she’s not an expert on X-istan or where Jefferson keeps his cash these days – I care that she’s got her head on straight, that she’s a real person, with real concerns, who’s raised a real family and succeeded in real jobs.

Paul Murphy on October 1, 2008 at 1:16 PM