Tim Fernholz

Over at Slate, Will Saletan does some back-of-the-envelope calculation and concludes that it is “almost inconceivable” that some past Presidential daughter didn’t have a secret abortion, and then suggests that Sarah Palin is “the candidate who didn’t get rid of the mess.” Wow. Besides the fact that he has no proof except for probability, loose […]

One noticeable difference between the Democratic and Republican conventions, at least so far, is the lack of substance at the latter. Our own Harold Meyerson sees no signs that conservatives are discussing the economy (probably because 57 percent of them think its great). Time‘s Joe Klein reports “the most striking thing about the evening was […]

Another Alaskan sends a dispatch to a D.C. editor, this time explaining Palin’s abilities: What the Republicans missed about Sarah Palin then — and what the Democrats seem poised to miss now–is that she is a true political savant; a candidate with a knack for identifying the key gripes of the populace and packaging herself […]

Jonah Goldberg turns in some unremarkable cheerleading for Sarah Palin, claiming that “Palin took dead aim at the bosses of her own party.” Presumably this was after she ran the 527 organization of the now-indicted Sen. Ted Stevens or campaigned with him in 2006, but I digress. I’m mainly bothered by Goldberg’s argument that pointing […]

This line in the Times’ coverage of Palin’s various disclosures jumped out at me: “We are going to flush the toilet,” said Tucker Eskew, who is a senior adviser to Ms. Palin, describing the campaign’s plans for Labor Day, when much of the nation was busy with family and social activities. What Eskew is saying […]

Reform language notwithstanding, it seems like Palin’s abuse of power scandal back home followed the same-old politician pattern: Denials and dissembling. Via TPM: –Tim Fernholz

Well, it looks like McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. I’ll have a full-size piece on the choice later in the day, but some fast facts for now: A conservative Christian — anti-Choice, pro-Gun — with reformist credentials, she’s gone after some of her corrupt colleagues in the Alaska GOP — sort of. She’s […]

So John McCain‘s ad tonight is … going to congratulate Senator Obama. Classy, I suppose, but what’s the goal? (After all of the chicanery of the last few months, I don’t take anything for granted from this crew.) Is his campaign trying to blunt any criticism that Obama will bring to bear on him tonight? […]

Regarding my optimism, there’s this: Gallup’s latest poll has Obama up seven six points. Keep in mind that these polls were taken before Bill Clinton, John Kerry, and Joe Biden spoke yesterday. But also remember we have no idea how soft this bounce is, and how the Republican convention or McCain’s VP pick tomorrow will […]