Obama makes his powerful "closing argument" with voters.

By Leonard Doyle

This is embarrassing. As John McCain praised his Vice Presidential running mate, a fake Sarah Palin who had positioned herself just behind him was mugging for the cameras...

Supporters of  John McCain heckle people lined up to vote early in Fayetteville, North Carolina, not far from where  Barack Obama held a rally hours earlier. Nearly all voters in line at polling place were Obama supporters. The blog post is from Christina Bellantoni of the right-wing Washington Times who reported that a “group of loud and angry protestors” — almost all of whom were white — were shouting and mocking voters — nearly all of whom were black. Bellatoni noted that people “were shouting about Obama’s acknowledged cocaine use as a young man, abortion and one man used the word ‘terrorist.’ They also were complaining that Sundays are for church, not voting.”

By Leonard Doyle

At the weekend Barack Obama was approached by Joe Wurzelbacher, a burly and bald small-business owner and an unregistered Ohio voter, who is now famous as "Joe the plumber". He raised his concerns about the way he might be hit by Obama's proposed tax policies. Obama's reply:  "I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody," has sent conservatives into orbit...

Joe was the off camera star of tonight's debate and is expected to be all over the morning talk shows. See the full conversation between Obama and Joe the plumber below.

From one the men behind This is Spinal Tap

By Leonard Doyle

America's cultural civil war is in full spate. This upsetting video taken by an Obama volunteer outside  McCain's rabble-rousing visit to Ohio yesterday shows how nasty the election is getting. McCain's rally warm up acts kept referring to Barack Hussein Obama and lots of people were shouting out that he is "a terrorist," among other things.

Spotted by in Seattle at First and Pike streets

By Leonard Doyle

The always entertaining Andrew Sullivan suggests you sit down, take a deep breath and get a better idea of why the people around Palin and McCain keep referring to Barack Hussein Obama at public rallies. The video of some drunken hillbillies does not reflect white American opinion, but McCain's campaign is busy is drawing attention to his name at every opportunity.

By Leonard Doyle

Hat tip to Think Progress for alerting us to the flap over the way Barack Obama pronounced "Pakistan" during Tuesday's debate. Its another attempt to paint him as an elitist and here is what the chatterati are saying:

– "When Obama says Pock-i-stahn I have an uncontrollable urge to read the New Yorker and find some Chardonnay. Fortunately I have an old copy of New Republic and a Coors Light to snap me back to reality. Seriously though — no one in flyover country says Pock-i-stahn.  It’s annoying." [E-mail posted by Kathryn Jean Lopez]