Political journal: 2008 part 1

There are all kinds of journeys -- forays into new territory. I took a new one last night as I watched the Republican convention.

I dutifully soldiered through not only Palin's speech, but Giuliani's as well, took an anti-nausea pill and went to sleep. This morning I woke up reviewing the real estate prices in the south of France, but Terry turned himself to more productive ends. Statistician that he is, he has been following some interesting websites which go beyond the most recent poll, He scribbled and scribbled, and came up with the reassuring fact that Obama has a good lock on 220 electoral votes (McCain 150), with a better-than-decent chance at filling in the remaining electoral votes from several states where he is ahead, though not by so much as to constitute a "lock."

This could all change, but I doubt that it will change other than fleetingly after the nasty, ungenerous speeches last night. Where did they get all those raving Republicans? They must have scoured the country, and I'm sure they did, for people who find ridicule as a political policy hilarious. Giuliani is already ugly, but Palin is holding her Dorian Gray portrait in the attic -- it has deepening wrinkles, disfiguring frown lines, bloodless skin, and her hair is thinning. Some day, an adventurous soul is going to steal it from the attic and show it to the world.

So put away the cyanide, tear up those tickets to the south of France -- no, put them away just in case....

After the recent "family values" displays, I am feeling entirely normal, which is also reassuring.