Election 2008 -- 1

This year the national conventions are coming up back to back.
After these shows close, the candidates will be on the road to
sell their programs to the voters. Give 'em a week or so after
that, and the campaign will be back down in the gutter with new
and even uglier messaging. So the convention weeks offer a
brief period to glean what each party officially has in mind.
These stories often have some rationale behind them as well
and give the public a sense of what priorities are and what the
candidates are for. It does not mean you can take any of it to
the bank, but these moments can be helpful. Once we are past
the conventions and the program roll outs, it will be back to the
food fight. The GOP convention may be the less informative
since Sen. McCain may well plan to stab the rightie faithful
square between the shoulder blades should he get elected. He
has an option on his current Faustian bargain.