An article written nearly exactly a year ago that should calm people's nerves:

[jenmito]

Barack's G.O.P. Problem

"Sen. Barack Obama is running against Republican Sen. John McCain for the presidency, but right now he has to do battle with the G.O.P.: the Great Obama Panic. Blue America is freaked out that Obama could lose the election in a year that appears to be made for Democratic victories.

When I was in New York for a Rockefeller Foundation dinner Monday night, once-confident Obamanistas worried that the senator from Illinois allowed himself to be mugged of the "change" theme by McCain and his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and they groused that Obama wasn't being aggressive enough to wrest it back. They must have been apoplectic over yesterday's lipstick controversy. My colleague David Broder on the Post op-ed page today argues correctly that we should reserve judgment. But I do believe Obama's supporters have good reason to worry.

Obama's response to the lipstick smear against him was lacking. Not rhetorically. He said all the right things. But reading "enough is enough" from prepared text isn't enough. He needs from-the-gut passion -- a roar from the heart -- to make people understand that he's not going to take a beating from McCain-Palin lying down. Obama's capable of it. He showed raw emotion when separating himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright. And he showed refreshing feistiness when he leaned forward in his chair to challenge the aggressive questioning of Fox's Bill O'Reilly.

In the one scintillating moment of his acceptance speech, McCain implored Republicans to "stand up, stand up, stand up and fight." Obama needs to heed his rival's call, starting now. "I never throw the first punch," he said yesterday after his education event in Norfolk, Va., "but I always throw the last." To quell the G.O.P., Obama needs to put some knuckle in those punches."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/baracks_gop_problem.html

[Peacetrain]

1. K&R,,, good reminder jenmito

n the one scintillating moment of his acceptance speech, McCain implored Republicans to "stand up, stand up, stand up and fight." Obama needs to heed his rival's call, starting now. "I never throw the first punch," he said yesterday after his education event in Norfolk, Va., "but I always throw the last." To quell the G.O.P., Obama needs to put some knuckle in those punches.

[jenmito]

2. Thanks, Peacetrain.

That's right. This is deja vu all over again. :)

[Clio the Leo]

3. who's panicked?

..... I'm just sittin here eating the same pie I've been eating for the last 20 months. ;)

(mine is a rhetorical question .... and this is an excellent OP)

[jenmito]

5. ...

so am I. I'm sittin' here chillin' and eatin' my pie.

Thanks. :hi:

[Clio the Leo]

7. "You like pie? I like pie too!"

Five bonus points if you can name what kind of pie Gov. Strickland had without watching the video again!!!! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5L3M8Pn9KU

[jenmito]

9. Yummmm...

Peach?

[Clio the Leo]

10. Nope. NT

[jenmito]

11. I meant...

lemon meringue? :D I can't believe I didn't remember that. When I was a kid my grandfather always got me lemon meringue pie. It used to be my favorite.

[Clio the Leo]

12. It's the only pie I know how to make, that's how I remember. ;-) NT

[jenmito]

15. Can you make me one?

:D

[Canuckistanian]

4. I don't know about anyone else

But I'm still waiting for that "last punch".

[jenmito]

6. Wait 'til Wednesday. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

8. It's like Christmas! I can't stand it! I just cant stand it!!!! eeeek! NT

[Canuckistanian]

14. Here's hoping

I know he's got the "rope-a-dope" strategy down. Now I want to see the hard left hook for the KO.

[SpartanDem]

13. Thanks for posting this

just shows how stupid the punditry can be you think they would've remembered campaign I'll bet Clinton or McCain aren't questioning his toughness.

[jenmito]

16. My pleasure...

it sure does. Some people never learn.