Religion actually a means for ensuring social cooperation and cohesion

An interesting new study about religion.

Apparently, communicating unskeptical acceptance of another's pronouncements has been linked to increased social cooperation and cohesiveness.

This makes sense. Most people are more likely to get along with those who agree with everything they say...why would religion be any different?

Econ paper highlights history of U.S. prosperity and how we lost it for the middle class

Here's a link to a PDF of an Econ paper published back in June.

Link

This paper details what allowed the U.S. to prosper from the 1940' through the 1970s. The paper points out the changes that have occurred to undermine American economic stability for the Middle Class.

This is worth a read if you want to educate yourself on why American is swirling the drain from the Middle Class' perspective.

In the end, this election will be about economics. If the U.S. voter is distracted by non-issues and ignores the underlying problems of economics, America will suffer.

Rachel Maddow show would be a good forum to get at the Real Palin effect

Here's a new show that looks like it may offer a good balance to the Palin love-fest that's going on now in the press.

I think the Governor should go on this show and explain her views and values to another woman.

Democrats are reverting to their spineless selves again. Enough is enough.

Here's the problem facing the Democrats now that McCain is riding the Palin wave.

The Republicans are masters at saying exactly what people want to hear--even if it's not true. Those who support the Republicans are dedicated loyalists to their party and just stick their fingers in their ears when legitimate questions about their candidate are posed.

The Democrats have fallen for the bait. By not attacking McCain and Palin BECAUSE Palin's a woman.

This is flawed and nothing but Karl Rove bull. Spare me the faux outrage please.

Palin is first and foremost a politician and she should be treated as such. Screw the fact that she's a woman. The Republicans are exploiting her gender to their advantage with the press.

The Republicans are running a campaign that consists of "taking offense" at everything. This is a load of crap. I take offense at their deceit and continual lies on the economy and energy policy.

The best approach is to turn the tactic on its head and pummel Palin and McCain. There may be an initial backlash, but eventually things will begin to stick. The Republicans can only take offense for so long before they start looking weak.

The press will eventually get over their shiny new bauble that is Governor Palin.

The Democrats need to give them something to latch onto, viz., the weaknesses Governor Palin brings to the ticket and possibly the country.

Palin surpise is not without its costs to McCain

E.J. Dione points out the obvious hypocrisy of the McCain camp.

McCain obviously gained a credible advantage by waiting until the last possible moment to choose his VEEP. He also got the added benefit of claiming, once again, his maverick status by choosing Palin, a comparatively unknown.

We must give him his props.

However, by choosing an unknown, he opened the floodgates of scrutiny. This is to be expected because in our political system, scrutiny by the press is part of the vetting process for the entire country. We haven't had months to learn about Palin. So, with the short amount of time we do have, the press is fitting in all the scrutiny it can. What would have been stretched out over months if he had chosen earlier is being forced into a few short weeks. That's the price to be paid for the benefit of the surprise choice.

Now the McCain campaign cries foul hoping to blunt press interest. They want the benefits of the surprise, but not the accompanying negatives that may go with it. Too bad. We can't afford another Dan Quayle and for the Republicans to all fall in line with the Palin choice shows their utter lack of depth and intellectual honesty.

I personally think Palin won't have too much in her background. Her real problems will be rookie problems and a dearth of gravitas. We'll see though.

As to the maverick title so often self-applied by McCain's folks: John McCain is no maverick. Hell, he's worked in Washington since the 1970s. He's the epitome of a Washington insider.

Calling oneself a maverick and taking a couple of principled stands against one's party doesn't a maverick make. It's called politics.

The Right can't stand it when they're given the O'Reilly treatment.

This flap is hilarious. Apparently, the Republicans are finally getting a taste of their own medicine with MSNBC.

They don't like it. Good.

Democrats have suffered with the highly partisan Fox News for years and people rolling their eyes when Democrats complain about it.

Now that the shoe's on the other foot, the Republicans show their thin skin.

They can dish it out, but they can't take it.

I don't watch Obermann, but what I have watched I find funny, especially when he takes on Bill O'Reilly.

Big babies.

How can we have a political campaign when one side is constantly crying foul, but wanting the right to sling mud at the same time?

We can't. This is politics...get with the program.