"But, as I say, the key in November 2008 is G.O.T.V. With a large enough motivated turnout, and by running up enormous voting totals, the Democrats should be able to swamp any attempts at shady vote-tabulating -- even though the McCain campaign no doubt will try. They're already trying to purge hundreds of thousands of likely Democratic voters in various states; are requiring photo IDs from poor and minority voters; and no doubt will have their U.S. attorneys file phony 'voting fraud' charges against Dem voting-registration organizers. Plus, let us not forget that Republican-leaning corporations control the secret software inside the easiy-hackable voting machines and, more importantly, control the vote-tabulating software on Election Night -- and that there's considerable evidence that they've manipulated the totals in past elections.
"But in one sense, I think Rove sees the electoral handwriting on the wall, as he did in 2006 when the Democrats took back Congress. Even though he'd love to steal another one and put McCain into the White House, that may prove impossible and he may scale down his definition of victory as keeping the Dems from reaching a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, making sure there's a way for the Republicans to block Obama's policies from that chamber."
JOE BIDEN AS THE ATTACK DOG
"Do you think Rove can succeed?" I asked.
"I think he has a shot in the Senate," said Shallow Throat, chugging a Dos XX, "but if the Democratic campaign's Get Out the Vote drive is successful, Obama's coattails can help the Dems take the Senate big. And putting Biden on the ticket was a good move in that regard. Joe really knows how to get under McCain's skin, maybe even enough to provoke McCain into exploding into embarrassing tirades.
"I've heard a lot of negative murmuring from progressives about Biden as Obama's running mate," I said, "you know, 'yet another Establishment Democrat who voted for the Iraq war and accepts the premise of the U.S. as an interventionist superpower, and a 'liberal' senator who voted for the bankruptcy bill and for other issues unpopular with the Democratic base. Plus, he's too full of himself, shoots off his mouth too often, and doesn't bring a big state's electoral votes to the table'."
"Biden's not everybody's cup of tea," said Shallow Throat, "but he's a dynamic campaigner, has a good sense of humor, a powerful biography, and balances out Obama's weaknesses in the experience/foreign-policy/national security areas. Plus he'd probably make a decent President, if it came to that. Again, most Democrats, despite whatever misgivings they may have about either Obama or Biden, will stick with the ticket all the way. It's their only shot."
"Who do you think McCain will counter with?" I asked.
"If he's dumb, he'll choose Mitt Romney -- two older, ultra-wealthy, extremist white guys, out of touch with the problems and desires of most of the country. If he's smart, he'll choose a woman, maybe Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas or, despite her own serious 'issues,' Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. With Rice, he would get a two-fer: black and female. Take that, Obama. Maybe even rub the Hillary supporters' still-smarting wound to the point where they'll stay away from the polls on Election Day."
OBAMA MUST START SCRAPPING
"Obama," I said, "seems so cerebral and nuanced in his approach to his opponent that I worry that he's about to do a Kerry -- turn off voters who really want someone who will put up a fight against the down-and-dirty campaign being waged by Rove for McCain, which has reached the scoundrel depths of questioning the patriotism of his opponent.
"Yep," said Shallow Throat. "That's where Rove wants to fight, since they're well-aware that Obama would win on the issues. So McCain is down there in the mud, even though at times he sure does look uncomfortable taking Rove's low-road approach. But the point is that McCain voluntarily is on that road, which makes him look desperate, mean-spirited, a typical ambitious politician who'll do anything to get elected -- a far cry from his somewhat independent 'maverick' reputation that attracted so many people to him years ago. The Obama campaign should start 'branding' McCain with that soiled image-- attacking, put McCain on the defensive -- and hammering McCain on energy, the economy and his affection for wars and confrontations.
"I think the professionals running the Obama campaign know that after the convention, the gloves have to come off and some bare-knuckles fighting has to take place. That's not Obama's style, but Biden's a master at it. Let Barack be Barack, and let Biden be Biden."
UNDOING THE CHENEYBUSH DAMAGE
"You're a Republican," I said to Shallow Throat, "albeit a traditional moderate Republican. Why are you not supporting the GOP candidate?"
"I thought it was obvious by now," said ST. "My party is in the hands of dangerous extremists. And McCain, who once was a politician one could respect even when disagreeing with him, sold his soul to the devil a few years ago as he geared up for his final presidential race. He's nothing but ambition and seething anger at this stage. He's willing to walk all over the Constitution, foment wars (even against a nuclear-armed Russia, if it comes to that!), scuttle the economy, continue to let the treasury be looted by corporations, appoint HardRight extremists to the Supreme Court and appellate courts, etc. etc.
