Last week I posted a diary commenting on the state of morale over on the otherside of the blogosphere. While not generating a lot of comments those that did requested I update them from time to time.
Naturally the information contained in my assesment is purely anecdotal, unscientific, and somewhat subjective I will attempt to relate an honest description of not only what they are talking about but how they are viewing the race as well as an indication of their morale.
Hugh Hewitt Town Hall Blog
Morale rating: Delusional Confidence
Those of you who are familiar with Hewitt know his penchant for his unique inability to accept reality, he chapioned the Harriet Miers nomination long after it was dead in the water, and predicted a Mitt Romney come back righ up until Romney pulled out of the race. Today Hewitt asserts "The Palin Breakout Continues" (no I'm not kidding) based on the large crowd that greeted her in FLA. He also claims the race is a dead heat citing only only Rasmussen and Michael (Hillary will win the primary because of the SD's)Barone. Readers of Hewitt get a good idea of what life in a state controlled media enviroment would be like.
Prognosis: McCain's chances are inversely proportional to Hewitts confidence level
NRO The Corner
Morale Rating: MSM whining with a gathering tone of pessimism
Because they are quasi-journalists the guys and gals at NRO tend to be a little more....how should I say....grounded in reality than Hewitt.
Recent posts there are full of whinning about the MSM treatment of McCain/Palin (I guess Phil Gramm was half right, the Red state part of the country truly is a nation of whinners) particulary Palin whom they are especially protective of (thats no sexist is it). Noticeble lately is a tinge of pessimism with one post today by Mark Levin actually referring to Obama and McCain as two flawed candidates.
Prognosis The enthusiasm gap is noticeble
Michelle Malkin
Morale Rating: Obsessed with conspiracy theories
Poor Michelle she is starting to sound a widdle paranoid. Last week she devoted her blog almost exclusively to the Pailin email hack and now this week she has added a supposed discovery by courageous right wing bloggers that a YouTube video about Sarah Palin was .....hold on this is shocking......"phony". Ie made up.......you mean stuff on YouTube isn't always real? Well it seems in addition to the YouTube being phony Malkin is also claiming it can be traced to an employee of a Democratic PR firm
"Winner and Associates" and that the voice over in the YouTube ......get this......sounds like the one in some Obama ads....so naturally Axelrod is behind this. OK back up slowly out of Michelles blog, don't make eye contact, don't make any sudden movements....
Prognosis:Spending the entire campaign talking about hacked email accounts, and "phony" YouTube clips means you've given up on the race.
Instapundit
Morale Rating: MSM whinning and revelation that Obama is running against an unamed Republican
Glenn Reynolds is mad at NBC, SNL, and Al Fraken for making Americans laugh at John McCain. He liked the ne Rezko ad the 1st time he saw it but the more he watched it the less he like it (probably realized most Americans don't know or care who the frick these guys are). I can't admit I had time to thougoughly read every post but for a space alien reading only this blog would conclude Obama is running for POTUS against either Sarah Palin or an unamed Republican candidate. Feel the enthusiasm!
Prognosis- Glen seems to have already transitioned to "critic of the Obama administration" mode.
Powerline
Morale Rating: Up is down
And I thought Hewitt was out of it. Powerline seems to have had a power surge that has damaged its circuits. A cursory glance today finds posts claiming that ...Obama is running the most disgraceful campaign in history, the MSM is lying about the campaign, Obama is claiming a defeat would prove America is rascist, Al Frankken is not funny, and that it is an outrage that Tzipi Livni may become PM of Isreal because, and I quote
Livni has "very little experience in government and virtually none in defense." Oi Vay! Of course Palin would be great because well she's hot!
Prognosis: No one here is sounding confident, just mad.
One last note, Fred Barnes (McClaughlin Group Weekly Standard) wrote a column for this weekend entitled and I kid you not...."The GOP brand is back.....and its hot"
Look for McCain to test market this sometime soon...please soon!
Until next week or sooner