The new LA Times poll shows Obama leading McCain 45% to 43%.  This lead is down from the June LA Times poll that showed Obama leading McCain 49% to 37%.  The LA Times and the Republicans would have you believe that the race is tightening and that McCain's negative attacks on Obama are working.

What may be the real story here is that independents are breaking for Obama.  In June, independents favored McCain 44% to 36%.  In the new August poll, independents favor Obama 46% to 35%.

Now if you've been paying attention you are asking yourself, "If Obama went from -8 to +11 with independents, then how did the race get closer?"

The answer is distribution of party affiliation, my dear reader.

If you follow me below the fold, I will deconstruct the math, hit the Republicans over the head with their own numbers, show that the race hasn't tightened at all, and see how much McCain's slime has hurt McCain's favorables..

This would not have been my choice for a first diary at Kos.  But I have seconds to take a risk, and raise the above question.

Obama told us that whoever we heard the VP was going to be would not be the VP.

So what powerhouse Obama supporter has been virtually invisible since the DNC hearing on Indiana and Florida?  

Wexler is less centrist than Obama, perhaps reassuring some of us who've been a bit (okay, a lot, in many cases) dismayed at Obama's neutral buoyancy there.  And he brings the much coveted Jewish vote, especially in battleground Florida.

Yes, he's young, but he's not Old Government, he's not Business as Usual.  And he's fiery where Obama is low-key and even-handed.  

Many Americans have been told by the media that John McCain has more experience.  The “right” experience, in the words of the recent LAT poll ("enough" in the muddled mind of Chris Matthews).  Well, it’s undeniable that McCain has more experience, but the current framing of this issue is inherently unfair and misleading.  The truth is that in a fair comparison, Obama is the far more experienced candidate.

If it's a VP I like, it will read:

HOLY SKIP, IT'S {insert favorable VP-pick's name here}!!!

by <FONT COLOR="orange">Bob Sackamento  [Subscribe]</FONT COLOR="orange">

OMFG, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S {insert favorable VP-pick's name here}!!!! HOLY SKIP! HOLY SKIP!!! HOLY SKIP!!! okay, breathe...breathe. HOLY SKIP WTF?! HE REALLY PICKED {insert favorable VP-pick's name here}?! MOTHERFRACKING {insert favorable VP-pick's name here}!?

<FONT COLOR="orange">Bob Sackamento's diary </FONT COLOR="orange">:: ::

MOTHERFRACKING VP NOMINEE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY!? NOT OF THESE BLUE STATES OF AMERICA!?? OR THESE RED STATES OF AMERICA!!? VP NOMINEE FOR THESE MOTHERFRACKING UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!?? HOLY SKIP, IT'S {insert favorable VP-pick's name here}!!!!

Tags: <FONT COLOR="orange">Barack Obama, Vice President, Election 2008  (all tags) :: Add/Edit Tags to this Diary :: Previous Tag Versions :: Previous Story Revisions</FONT COLOR="orange">

And if it's a pick I don't like, it will read:

Obama has lead in 48 of the last 50 national polls.  After reading some of these diaries, one might believe Obama was trailing John McCain by 10. Has the media been so successful at portraying Obama as the losing candidate that even his most ardent supporters fail to recognize reality?  The reality is Obama is a smart guy. He knows how to win. He’s been winning his entire life. Supporters second guessing his strategy and judgment does nothing more but to drive the media’s agenda.

Has the traditional media worm turned?  Is it possible that Jerome Corsi is the occasion when what we have called the main stream media has finally had enough?  Today I offer an example that may provide a hint.

Scot Lehigh of The Boston Globe is the centrist voice of that major publication's stable of op ed writers.  And today's column, addressing "Doctor" Corsi's latest opus is entitled Doctoring the facts against Obama and is a major takedown of Corsi's Obama Nation.   In his first paragraph he describes the book as a "revelation."  Lest that scare you, it is intended as a sarcastic remark, which he quickly makes clear by noting how often Corsi reminds us he has a doctorate:  on the cover, on the title page, in the author bio (which tells us it is from Harvard), in the preface, and  

Oh, yes, and as a header on every other page throughout the book.

Unfortunately for Corsi's, um, scholarly reputation, the last high-profile work he was involved with didn't withstand independent scrutiny

You should now be relaxed enough for the rest of this review.

Now that Hillary has put her name back in play and full voting rights have been restored to Michigan and Florida, a chorus of critics have suddenly emerged attacking Obama from within the Democratic Party. Many of the folks giving interviews to newspapers, like Ted Strickland, are well known Clinton allies. What is their real agenda? As a Democrat I am embarrassed at the way these folks, who have not spent one moment plugging Obama, are now excitedly tearing him down and calling him weak.
Could it be that Hillary is putting her name in nomination as another threat and show of force towards Obama? Is she still hoping to secure the nomination or at the very least, the vice presidency? Are there political strategists still locked in a dark room smoking Hillary cigars thinking, "We can still pull this off!"
Here is another scenario: The PUMAs and company are using the roll call to align their forces. They are planning a parade and demonstrations in Hillary's honor as I write. They are angry, militant and determined that the way to respect Hillary is to put her on the ticket. Are they winking to Obama that any other choice will unleash a Pandora's box of trouble at the convention, similar to what went down at the DNC meeting?

I supported Joe Biden back before it was cool, I was the State Veterans Coordinator for the Biden 08 committee and worked for a man named J.B. White who was the National Veterans Chairman for Senator Biden.

Here is the diary, I wrote then, Why I have chosen to support Joe Biden it is dated 26 June 2007. So my support for him as VP on the Senator Obama ticket will be just as enthusiastic now,  as I was then.  I want a democratic ticket to win with stronger majorities in the House and Senate. Some of it is personal as the democratic party has been the veterans best friends for the past ten years, people like Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders, Dick Durbin and Barack Obama have been leading the effort in the Senate, while the house has Chairman Filner, John Hall, Michael Michaud and Phil Hare.

Michael Moore has an article posted on HuffPo urging Caroline Kennedy to "Pull a Cheney" and suggest herself as VP.  The article is very compelling.  I'm hoping the following will be a link:

"Caroline: Pull a Cheney!" An Open Letter to Caroline Kennedy (head of the Obama VP search team) from Michael Moore

On the shorter versions of the short lists Ive seen lately Joe Biden is a common denominator on all of them. Yes Biden ruled it earlier, but I think he was being coy. Biden is one of my favorites, and I much prefer Biden to some of the Veep prospects from Red States.

The chours about Biden being Obama's pick has grown in the last few hours:

Biden rises among vice presidential candidates, sources say - L.A. Times

WASHINGTON -- As Sen. Barack Obama prepares to announce his vice presidential pick, some people close to Delaware Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. say he has leaped to the top of the list of prospects.

The fair and balanced FOX news has created a new affiliate that they're calling FOCKS news.  I have been hired as their new investigative journalist.

For my first FOCKS report, I have been doing some investigative work into where our great hero, John McCain, stands on the issues.

I was surprised to find, despite his being a former POW, that he is really a radical liberal who wants socialized medicine.

Every four years, when the Democrats have finally settled on a nominee, we reach a point where it becomes clear that the Republicans have us totally beat when it comes to party discipline. Whereas Republicans hit the airwaves to deliver the party line, the Democrats are plagued by a swarm of self-promoters who like nothing more than the free publicity of offering 'advice' to the nominee via journalists who are eager to scribble up concern troll articles that are validated by that dreaded phrase, "Fellow Democrats say..."

As usual, we now have Begala and Carville jumping out and disseminating their poison, but it reached a fever pitch this Sunday when the New York Times raised armchair campaign managing to an art form by compiling completely banal "advice" from a number of prominent elected Democrats.

Well, here's some advice to the party hacks who just can't stop complaining: if you're worried about the campaign, get off your lazy ass and spew some f'n talking points, jackass.

I cant find a youtube clip of it but yesterday on Hardball, Willie Brown was saying that alot of democrats are worried with Obama as of late.

he went on to explain that in the primaries, Obama was dynamic and showing us what he was bringing to the game. Brown stated that Obama has been less exciting and needed to keep the excitment coming..

I know I am not the only one who is feeling the same way I am when I express that I am a little burnt out over these VP speculation diaries because I have been reading the comments of fellow Kossacks who are expressing this same sentiment. But it's what I am NOT seeing in these diaries that really irk me.

I have yet to see one , and if I am wrong on this, I am hoping that someone will please post a link in the comments section because I really would like to read it, but I myself have yet to see one diary making the case for a VP candidate on the grounds that he or she would best be able to GOVERN in an Obama Administration or TAKE OVER , should , Lord forbid, something happen to him.

You know, Count Orlok.

Enough with this Hillary nonsense.

We all know what Obama's real problems are versus McCain:

Age.

Experience.

Sheer calculating evil, without the capacity for feeling mercy for man or beast.

Obama's choice is going to be Nosferatu.  Trust me.  You know it.  I know it.  Vegetable lasagna knows it (has that reference become "obscure" yet?).

So let's stop fucking around and plan for keeping the blood banks open 24/7 in Denver.

(more)

McCain: 49% Obama: 44% Barr 3% Undecided: 4%

Yes this is the real deal. McCain's tactics recently have been working, in which the recent poll from USA Today/Gallup. Obama experienced a 10% decrease among voters under 30 years old where some analysts believe this may result from McCain's appearance at the faith forum with Warren the other night. It is believed that the higher percentage of religious people under the age of 30 gave a boost to McCain. The poll also found that Obama's recent statement regarding his answers to the Georgia-Russia conflict has made him weaker among national security issues among people polled overall in this poll.

UPDATE: Admittedly, this isn't the finest blog that ever existed. Can we all please swallow our Veepsteaks edginess and take this with a grain of salt and some humor?

Earlier tonight I made this comment suggesting that Barack Obama "Rick Roll" America just prior to announcing his Vice Presidential selection. Now there is an official Rick Roll Us, Barack! facebook group!

After a flirtation with Wes Clark, I'm comfortably settled on Sebelius as my most-hoped-for VP pick. A scan of the press/blog CW finds that the most common knock on Sebelius is that it will alienate Clinton supporters, who will be angry that Obama picked a woman other than Hillary.

Now, this is a plausible-enough-sounding talking point, but really turn this one over in your head.