Mark Shields: "We may be seeing her highest point now."

[Wetzelbill]

Amen! I don't see it getting any better for Palin than this. I also think McCain has hit his high point. He's made this the Palin/McCain ticket, which has injected some energy into the party's base, but it still doesn't change the trends in the country, which overwhelmingly look bad for Republicans.

And David Brooks added (this was on PBS The Newshour) that he thought McCain has pulled out a lot of trick plays so far and it's kept the race close, but he'd still be surprised if McCain won. He said, and I agree, that Obama shouldn't panic.

All in all, I believe this race is still looking good for Obama. He's doing well in ratcheting up the fight, and I expect him to hit back more forcefully. I think, in the end, 8 years of Bush is going to catch up to McCain. I think as I have for the last few months, this race is Obama's race to win or lose.

[tekisui]

1. That's it. mcPOW has relied on "tricks"

They only go so far. His most successful trick was Phalin. People aren't falling for it anymore.

[jillan]

2. And that is what I like to hear!

[Pirate Smile]

3. McCain has destroyed his credibility and there are still 50+ days left.

[gratefultobelib]

4. I love Mark Shields. He's one of the few to call the mcc acceptance speech for what it was.

[mamalone]

9. He is wonderful...

Do you remember when Gergen and Shields used to do the Friday thing together? What a great pair. They were actually friends outside of the show, and you could see it in their working relationship. Of course Mark was always my favorite though. I used to say that if I came up missing, not to worry... I'd just run off to become a Mark Shields groupie;)

[stuntcat]

5. rock on, Mark

I try to never miss them on Fridays but tonight I did something else. I wish I'd watched! I cross my fingers he's right, I won't jinx things with a prediction.

[Wetzelbill]

6. I like listening to them both

Brooks can be a major tool but then he'll say something that's right on or at least very interesting. Mark Shields is always fantastic, imho.

[Larkspur]

7. Obama should not panic but he should also NOT be passive

in the onslaught of lies and distortions aimed at him. If voters don't see him defending himself, he will look weak and voters will question whether he can defend this country. If voters see Obama fighting back effectively, then they will see that he can defend himself and therefore he has the will to defend this country.

[Wetzelbill]

8. exactly right

[Democat]

10. McCain's tricks will get dirtier and meaner from here forward

Obama can still win the election, but he needs to get out in front of the Republicans and put them on the defensive instead of playing on the defensive himself.

This is still early in the general campaign, the Republicans are saving plenty of dirty lying attacks for October.

Obama had better be on the offensive and knock down some of McCain and Palin's positive image with undecided voters.

[johnnydrama]

11. i don't think now

I think like 5 days ago.

[ShadowLiberal]

12. Maybe, maybe not, I personally think a lot of people have been way too overconfident for over a year

Maybe the Palin pick will fizzle from her controversies surfacing, similar to how the excitement of the last female VP fizzled out over questions of her husband's business dealings.

But then again maybe not, it hasn't started to hurt McCain much yet, and I do recall reading a year ago that many people thought Bill Clinton's scandal's in the past would sink him in the end in his presidential runs, but obviously they never did.

Personally I almost always take the most negative view of things, I'm just a very pessimistic person, and if you assume the worse it won't feel as bad once things start to get bad for real.

[yellowcanine]

13. The thing is Obama will now mostly get a pass on harshly negative ads because McCain clearly

went way over the top on several attack ads. So it is a twofer for Obama - McCain is going to be hurt by his own attack ads and he will be hurt by Obama's attack ads.