The Democrats don't run bad candidates because of some flaw in their process, but because of who they are. The core liberals are about 19% of the population, which is less than 50% of the people who end up voting for the Democrat for president. Those progressives spend four years writing for each other's benefit and reinforcing some very unpopular ideas to each other. They hold on to the other voters by bad-mouthing the Republicans and giving out placating favors to constituencies. When it comes time to run for president, they have to slowly backtrack from everything they've been saying for the last four years and burnish up some sort of centrist credentials.

Republicans move to the center in order to get things done in Washington, not in order to win elections. While that is an oversimplification (they do move somewhat), it provides insight into campaign strategies. Democratic strategists know that running on what liberals have been saying and doing for 4 years is an absolute loser. Republicans know that much of what they have been saying is to their advantage. The pinch comes - deservedly - when it is pointed out that Republicans haven't acted like they said they would.

There is some weakness in the process of getting things done (and thus in my argument) in that the Republican core is a coalition of different types of conservative, none of which constitutes a majority of the population on its own.

Great post, but you need to dig a little deeper next time. If you were Obama, what would you do? He's kind of out of ideas. The wheels are coming off for him.

Change? He's never done it and McCain/Palin have.

Experience? Palin kicks his rear end all around the block.

Judgment? Can you say Rev. Wright?

Working across the aisle? You've got to be kidding me. Obama is facing John Freaking McCain here. The ultimate maverick now teamed up with a woman who took her own party chair behind the barn and killed him with an axe.

So, Simon, you've just been put in charge of Obama's campaign. What do you do?

K T,

I'd shut up and hope no one notices. I'd talk D policy instead of attacking Reps.

If ∅bama keeps on doing what he is doing he will drag down the rest of the ticket. Where is his Party loyalty? Don't ask. :-)

I don't know how you score it in boxing, but in soccer or hockey, it's called an "own goal". In some Latin American countries, it is recorded by a funeral for the offending player after fans express their displeasure.

Wandering around the stage, laughing at his own jokes before he even tells them, slouching with his hands in his pockets, he looks more like a second-rate stand-up comic than a presidential nominee.

Well, we can hope that McCain does run the ad. I think, but not certain, that one of BO's earmarks also helped the hospital where his wife works.

Yes he is looking like a second rate stand-up comic, tim.

And today I happened to be watching Ellen when Michelle Obama was her guest. She asked Michelle what three words she would use to describe herself. Michelle said "mother" and "down to earth". Michelle then noted that she said four words. Ellen helped her by saying maybe three were really just one if hyphenated..."down-to-earth". Now Ellen is surely not a second rate comedian nor a lightweight thinker, so she followed that up saying..."so you have one more word to describe yourself!" After much hemming and hawing, and a few seconds more delay than seemed reasonable...Michelle eeked out, "Wife, for now".

I laughed my ass off! Now why do you suppose that was?