The Red-Blue showdown

Fake right, drive left, slam dunk for an exclamation point.  That was the move that was going to put the game out of reach as the clock ran out.  Instead, it was as if the air ran out of Barry O's basketball.  He started his dribble but when the ball hit the floor, the bounce just wasn't what he expected.  The ball deflected off his fingers, and the next thing anybody knew it was a fast break the other way. Series tied.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday, September 7, shows the race for the White House is tied.

In the first national polling results based entirely on interviews conducted after Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech, Barack Obama gets 46% of the vote and so does John McCain. When "leaners" are included, it’s all even at 48%.

If it turns out that the Red State team pulls off the upset, Sarah "Barracuda" Palin will surely rate strong consideration for tourney MVP.  Palin came off the bench in game two to pour in a couple of crucial three-pointers, but her big play was stripping Obama at the top of the circle and sending McCain down court for the tying layup.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

The home town crowd looked on in disbelief.  Anticipating a blowout, Blue team fans were stunned that the series was even close.  How could this be happening?  This was their game.  This was their year.  This was their turn to bring home the trophy. 

The yelled.  They screamed.  They tried to pump life into a listless Blue team.  Whenever a Red Stater stepped up to the charity stripe they waved their white hankies and hollered.  The rookie Palin took special abuse as the hostile crowd tried to rattle her with vicious taunts, hoping to throw her off her game. 

Okay, I just have to diary about this, although in many ways this falls into the "none of our business category". 

But it appears that Pallin's last child, a baby with Down's syndrome, may not be hers.  It may be that of her teenage daughter.

But to no avail.  Palin was unflappable, coolly sinking free throws with the game on the line. She was the unexpected star, the game changer, but not everyone was surprised.  Red State fans knew her by reputation as early as July of 2007.

In 2006, she didn't hesitate. She ran against Gov. Murkowski, who was seeking a second term despite sagging poll ratings, in the Republican primary. In a three-way race, Palin captured 51 percent and won in a landslide. She defeated former Democratic governor Tony Knowles in the general election, 49 percent to 41 percent. She was one of the few Republicans anywhere in the country to perform above expectations in 2006, an overwhelmingly Democratic year.

By June of 2008 Red State fans wanted her on the roster and were delighted to hear that the front office was scouting her. 

There is one potential running mate who has virtually no down side. Those conservatives who've heard of her were delighted to learn that McCain advance man Arthur Culvahouse was in Alaska recently, because they surmised he could only be there to discuss the vice presidential nomination with Gov. Sarah Palin.

Word began to get around.

If you're not acquainted with Gov. Palin already, you owe it to yourself to get up to speed.

If you're not up to speed, Sarah Barracuda will undoubtedly bring you up to speed in short order.  With games one and two in the books and the series even, what was once expected to be a Blue State walkover is suddenly in doubt, and it's all because of Sarah Palin.  Three short weeks ago Blue State was the prohibitive favorite on all the cards, but now nervousness of Blue State fans is beginning to show.

SARAH PALIN makes John McCain look even older than he is. And he seemed more than willing to play that part on Thursday night. By the time he slogged through his nearly 50-minute acceptance speech — longer even than Barack Obama’s — you half-expected some brazen younger Republican (Mitt Romney, perhaps?) to dash onstage to give him a gold watch and the bum’s rush.

Unfortunately for Blue Staters, Barack Obama hasn't been able to put away the tenacious John McCain.  As the series heads for game three on September 26th in Mississippi, Red State now has the advantage of momentum, but make no mistake.  This series will go the full seven.  Game four is scheduled for October 2nd in St. Louis and the spotlight will be on Sarah Palin in a matchup against veteran Joe Biden.  Blue State fans will hope that Biden's experience will overwhelm the rookie Palin, but in his 36-year career Biden has never won the big game.  Will he finally get the monkey off his back?

Games five and six are scheduled for October 7th in Nashville, Tennessee, and October 15th in Hempstead, New York respectively, but the deciding game is on November 4, 2008.  As we head for what will undoubtedly be a gripping finish, Red State chances are on the rise.