Four years ago, on Election Night, I was in a hotel in Columbus, Ohio amid a throng of celebrating Republicans. As I had to keep a professional veneer up through the filming of my …

Obama’s narrative would improve if his underage pregnant daughter hoped to marry the white kid whose bio reads: “I’m a f**kin’ redneck who likes to snowboard and ride dirt bikes. But I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some sh*t and just f**kin’ chillin’ I guess. Ya f*ck with me I’ll kick ass. I don’t want kids.” — Levi Johnston’s MySpace page.

Too bad for the Palin Running Mate Campaign that the United States electoral system is not a national race, but instead, a collection of “winner take all” simultaneous state elections, in which districts and precincts matter more than national averages. Because of this, Obama still maintains the advantage, even if the election were to be held today, based on recent state polls.

Here’s an amazing tape-recorded phone call between Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in which they seem to bury the hatchet…have a listen.

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The truth is, General Clark has a decent point but that point is buried in barely comprehensible nuance that will never see the light of day. Obviously McCain and the GOP are using his comments to their advantage, twisting Clark’s remarks into a “false attack” on McCain’s military service, and by the extension the service of all men and women in uniform.

Any detailed discussion about campaign finance – while important and fundamental to the health of our democracy – comes with it the curious side effects of drowsiness, restlessness, and unbearable ennui. The conversation about campaign finance is wonkish and arcane, and unforunately not exactly an issue that drives voters to the polls. If the McCain campaign thinks for one minute that Americans will suddenly forget that it now costs $75 to fill up their car, or that they can’t afford a medical procedure, or that a loved one (for the third time) is on their way back for another 15 months in Iraq, because Obama made a decision to eschew limited public financing for the “unlimited” funds available to him through his 1.5 million small donors, then it is really McCain’s judgment that should be called into question here.

Nothing about this election season so far has been predictable or ordinary, and certainly the Vice Presidential choices of both Barack Obama and John McCain will be riveting, strategic, and consequencial.

I am not of the camp believing that John McCain can count on states that went GOP back in 2004 and 2000 to continue to do so without extreme effort and resources. I talk about this two other posts of here and here. There is an element of Obama’s candidacy that is recognized but not talked about in a serious way. He is a charismatic persona like no other in recent memory and will move people to vote in ways that opinion polls and punditry cannot accurately gauge.

For this reason, John McCain’s VP choice will be extremely important as it will be his opportunity to counter the vigor, charisma, and quite frankly, the ethnic background of his opponent.

The Democratic victory in 2008 will in effect re-write the “Red State/Blue State” Electoral map we’ve grown accustomed to over the last few election cycles. The dynamism of Obama or the warm memories that many working class Americans hold for the Clintons will sway voters in Southern states and Western states that voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004.