the citizen-viewer

While wolfing down a plate of vegan enchiladas (despite my moniker I had to swear off meat after researching the 19th-century pork industry; sausage is my name but tofu’s my game), I had the convention on and, man, what a dismal scene. The Repubs getting interviewed are gamely playing it all up, but behind them the place is half empty and those who are there look like it’s Reagan’s funeral without the friendly media spin. Any comparison with the audience in Denver last week tells the story.

After all, these aren’t tourists at the Mall of America who got freebies to hear a political show. They’re the righteous and loyal delegates. The true believers. The bearers of a proud tradition. They probably feel like Cheney got the better deal having been exiled to the Caucasus for the duration.

On the day after the Palin document dump, McCain’s cleaners have swabbed up some odds and ends in the spill. The most important retrieval being disproving Palin’s membership in the Alaska Independence Party, which advocates secession from the Union. Too bad the “First Dude” (for the uninitiated, that’d be the Gov’s love handle for her hubby, Todd Palin) did belong until 2002. “Gov, why does your better half hate America?”

Too bad. It would have been pure poison had she been a card carrier of the AIP.

Still the main body of the Palin oil slick remains and continues to spread. News of business misadventures seeped out today along with some quotes from the founder of the AIP. Turns out he liked to say things like “goddamn America” too, just like Rev. Wright. And so does Palin’s preacher.

I’m going to try and spine-up and watch Thompson and Lieberman but it may cost me my meatless Mexican. Seeing Big Joe back-to-back with Fred the undead might give me the heaves. Can’t miss W singing the praises of McCain, however. That, plus W too shamed to show in person, is priceless.