Sue, your pen is sharp, ferocious and very, very witty.

Rodger, great point about the messaging! If you'll recall, Retired Gen. Wesley Clark addressed this during an inteview months back. He questioned the assumption that because McCain was shot down in an airplane and taken prisoner he is ready to lead. If you'll also recall, Clark, a decorated retired general, was ruthlessly attacked for making what seemed a genuine remark. Even Obama disowned the comments. Clark hasn't been heard from since.

With that as an example I think it would be disastrous for the Dems to even touch the POW thing.

Then again, Republicans were able to portray John Kerry, a decorated war hero, as a disloyal, unpatriotic liar. And the public seemed to buy it. That is very odd to me.

Jon, by murky waters I meant politics; I have now jumped into those murky waters and I will tell you this: It is very nice.

Much of Bush's benign speech for the Republican National Convention is interesting from the POV of message framing. In this post, you cite Bush's reference to McCain's POW stay at the "Hanoi Hilton" as a matter of fact that speaks to his "do[ing] what was best for his country." It's striking, however, that Republican spin doctors assume that we will take such garbage at face value. As if the question can't be asked: "How does being a POW assure American people that McCain will do what's best for his country?" Could not a spin doctor from the democratic team say something like, "Obama's stay a Motel 6 assures us he will be a fiscally responsible President." Insinuating the current presumptive Republican president will be less fiscally responsible because he stayed at a Conrad.

#1 or #2... I ask my toddler the same question.

But since we've gone there, typically "The Ticket" gets votes for #1. But what about "The Ticker"? John McCain looks like hell. And him keeling over is a very real concern especially now that Palin is his veep...

I mean, what if she bends over the wrong way one morning in the oval office? By lunch the world would be at the mercy of a woman named Baracuda.

Go home. Take care of your baby. And your daughter. And your daughter's baby.

One has to go back 50 years to Eisenhower to find a competent Republican president. Ike's valedictory was a powerful summing up of his career and a strong enough warning (about the military industrial complex) that it is still quoted nearly 50 years later.

Sadly, Bush closed out an abysmal career with eight minutes of forgettable pap. He could have enlivened things more, I suspect, by reprising his reading of "My little goat."

"You're wading into murky waters Jon ..."

Not sure how to interpret your cryptic message. My feet seem relatively dry at the moment.

"Palin's lack of foreign policy experience... might be an issue you should be seriously concerned about."

I'm not saying I'm not concerned. But like I said. This is the #2 on the ticket. You can say the exact same thing about the #1 on the Dem ticket. If McCain wins, he'll be dealing with Russia, not Palin. If Obama wins, he'll be dealing with Russia... Yaweh help us!

Okay, Jon, I'll bite (though by the time this gets posted I'm sure it won't be the only response.)

Tabloid media topics aside ("All they can pin on..."), I think as an American Gov Palin's lack of foreign policy experience (one trip out of the country and being next to Russia on the map being the sum total)might be an issue you should be seriously concerned about.

You're wading into murky waters Jon ...

"However, he only once used the word “experience,” which was a steady drumbeat of the McCain campaign until the relatively inexperienced Sarah Palin joined the ticket."

I'm no McCain fan, but I think you'll see as the campaign goes on, he will bring up the experience issue.

First of all, on the Rep ticket, it's the #2 person that lacks experience. On the Dem ticket, it's the #1. Since people don't vote for veeps, there's a clear advantage toward the Reps here. Secondly, McCain has great video he can quote over and over again that has Joe Biden stating during the primaries that Barack Obama is not ready to be president and that the presidency is not the place for "on-the-job training."

On the experience issue, I'd rather be in the Reps' shoes than the Dems'. The fact that all they can pin on Palin is that her daughter's pregnant and her husband got a DUI when he was 22 says a lot.

You said it, Sue. Sometimes less can speak volumes.

Less can be more, always a good reminder for us communicators... "There comes a time to shut up."

Clearly now is that time for GWBush.