Any realistic Republican was already crossing his or her fingers before the announcement of the VP. I don't really see her helping or hurting McCain, as Obama would be a fool to divert any of his attacks and criticism from the main opponent.

This is from Zogby:

The latest nationwide survey, begun Friday afternoon after the McCain announcement of Palin as running mate and completed mid-afternoon today, shows McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.

zogby.com/news/ReadNews1547.html

A poll on Aug. 29? That doesn't factor in the Electoral College? No matter whom it shows "ahead," why waste bandwidth on it?

You know, I thought the same thing. Then I spent a few minutes cruising nwrepublican. The pointy-heads may not like it, but the rank and file are over the moon with the selection. Even Jack Roberts likes the pick.

24-hours ago, I was looking for a line on whether Palin would really ever make the ticket. Now I think she has to, otherwise the base walks.

That said, this does have the potential to split the Republicans, which would be a joy to watch.

I can't shake the feeling that the Republican party is stealing plays from the Democrat's playbook. The joke is that the Republicans are stealing the "shoot yourself in the foot" and "senselessly divide your party" plays that worked so well for the Dems in '00 and '04.

Even before, and definitely after, the AP wire flatlines and vaporizes the newspaper world like sucked into a black hole, two important alternatives are Christian Science Monitor -- a great and grand worldly newspaper, highly respected, (CSMonitor.COM) and then locally, the Capital Press (.COM), in Salem, covering agriculture from Missoula to Modesto.

Here's what 'the Monitor' says, and that makes it definitive:

Is the Republican Party in peril? - Conservative thinkers and political historians think the GOP could be at the end of its historic 40-year grasp on power.By Ariel Sabar | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor / August 30, 2008 edition.

ST. PAUL, MINN. -- The GOP opens its convention here Monday as a party in peril.

Hobbled by an unpopular president, a disillusioned and divided base, and low poll ratings on almost every domestic issue, the party of Nixon and Reagan and Bush may well be at the end of a historic 40-year grasp on power, say conservative thinkers and political historians.

GOP voter registrations are down, and there are signs of a generational shift that could play out over several election cycles: Nearly 60 percent of voters under 30 now identify themselves as Democrats, more than tripling the party’s edge over the GOP in that age group since 2000, according to the Pew Research Center.

And while we're in the vicinity, the Monitor covers Palin by quoting the folks who 'know' her ... every newspaper in Alaska:

What the Alaska media is saying about Sarah Palin, By Jimmy Orr | 08.30.08

While the media, pundits, insiders and know-it-alls continue to blab endlessly about the pros and cons of new McCain running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, there is a fair amount of blabbering going on up in Palin’s home state as well.

Surprised, shocked and stunned seem to be words thrown about most often ....

It's the Monitor's blog -- the now 100-year-old newspaper learns new tricks -- 'The Vote Blog,' so there are comments or you can leave one.

"Only Nixon could go to China."

"Why? Is it because the conservatives perceive (rightly or wrongly) that they have now lost the election?"

Yup.