HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHA. Classic.

As a lifelong Buckeye, every Saturday from September through November, I expect my team to stomp the shit out of someone. It doesn't always happen that way. Sometimes we just win.

Loved the line about not being anointed of God. Jeez, who's he talking about?

Yes! Last night was so much better than tonight (except for the balloons). I wonder if they will decide that conventions only need to be three days long.

What? I thought he did very well, it's not like he was anointed as a orator or anything.

I totally missed it. There was a speech tonight? Who?

He was just so average when compared with Palin.

McCain's no show-man, to be sure, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

No smoke, no mirrors. What you see is what you get. He's genuine and I think the American people 'get' that.

Convention speeches are one thing, debates are another, and he'll be great in the debates.

Obvious: key for McCain is getting Obama off a teleprompter and away from his prepared notes and handlers. Get him flustered and confused in front of an audience. We need America to see what's behind the curtain.

Just proving my earlier point about Pai Mei vs. Tyson.

They need to try and schedule more than one Veep debate depending on how 2 October goes.

Here is a thought-provoking matter to ponder over about Gov Palin. In Alaska there is a Statutory Rape law on the books that says that if an 18yr old has sex with a 17yr old it is a felony, and this law is implicit. Though I personally don’t agree with teens having sex because of what can possibly happen, as in the case with Gov Palin’s daughter. However, my argument is not whether an 18yr old should be arrested for having sex with a 17yr old, which I am not all that crazy about, but the law is the law. It can also be argued that Gov Palin has been an irresponsible parent for allowing it to happen, by not taking a stronger stand in educating her daughter about what can happen if she makes the choice to date and have sex, not to mention his age. This has more to do with Gov Palin being an irresponsible elected official, for not upholding the laws that she took an oath to uphold. Gov Palin along with others are treating this only as a personal matter, while totally disregarding its legal implication. I know this has caused personal embarrassment for Gov Palin, and I can sympathize with her for the embarrassment it has caused. Yet Irrespective of your differences with my opinion on this matter, I am sure we can all agree that we need someone in the Whitehouse that would implement the laws that they are entrusted to uphold. Because when we take a closer look at this matter, without any doubt there is a double standard being applied in this case, while many youngsters around the Country are serving jail time for commenting this same offense? After all, isn’t the Republican the ones that are always saying building more prisons, is what this Country needs? How can we allow Gov Palin to govern America, with this type of mentality? I HOPE THIS IS NOT WHAT SHE MEANS WHEN SHE SAYS THAT SHE IS A MAVERICK!

I thought he did very well. On top of that he put the pep rally pom poms down and actually talked policy. Sarah was a great orrator, but she simply displayed her confidence and took some shots at the dems. McCain's speach had more substance, and showed his passion for his country. What did you not like about it?

"It can also be argued that Gov Palin has been an irresponsible parent for allowing it to happen..."

Allowing it to happen? Cindy, no disrespect intended, but your obviously not a parent.

Do you remember being 17? Shit, when I was 17 my mission in life was to piss my folks off.

Don't blame her for 'letting it happen'. Give her kudos for convincing her daughter to not abort child and get married.

Cindy, the age of consent in Alaska is 16. This is the age at which an individual may consent to have sex with someone over 18, legally, in Alaska. Look it up, before ranting and raving:
http://blog.laborlawtalk.com/2006/10/18/alaska-statutory-rape-laws/

Cindy -

The age of consent law is stupid. It's a scheme to get government involved in the private sex lives of maturing people, and no one has a right to do that - the government, in particular. There is a difference between abuse and consensual sex. In some cases, it's obvious. In others, not. But someone age 16 hooks up with someone age 18, that is not QUITE the kind of abuse that age of consent laws aim to prevent.

I'm still voting for either Bob Barr or Ron Paul, but I thought McCain's speech was excellent for showing the stark contrast of styles. He's simply a gentleman about this whole thing. While he said "We'll win," his confidence is hardly Obama's smugness. Most of all, McCain didn't promise the world, like Obama did. Libertarians like me didn't like things like "education is this century's civil right," but at least McCain isn't saying he'll do this and ensure that.

To CINDY: You say, "but the law is the law." Your problem is that you don't understand the term "the rule of law." Mark Levin is chief among conservatives who doesn't understand it, but you're coming close. "The rule of law" does NOT mean that the law must always be obeyed. "The rule of law" simply means that the law is applied equally to everyone; if it is not, then it's the arbitrary "the rule of men."

Appropriately, today is the 338th anniversary of William Penn's acquittal. A jury refused to convict him of violating England's Conventicle Acts, specifically that he preached an illegal Quaker sermon. But then again, you're saying, "the law is the law."

Consider that the Supreme Law of the Land, the U.S. Constitution, once sanctioned the owning of other human beings. But as you say, "the law is the law."

Many jurisdictions in the United States infringe upon my God-given right to defend myself, from laws specifying I could be charged for killing an intruder, to laws specifying I cannot own the means (e.g. firearms) to defend myself. I personally don't give a damn about either kind. If the law says I can't own a gun to defend myself, then the law is wrong. If the law says I can be charged like a criminal for defending myself against a criminal, then the law is wrong.

You'd do better to stop focusing on what is the law, and instead to start focusing on what is right. Just because something is enshrined in statute does not mean it is proper or just.

No. Sarah Palin's climactic speech needed the solid foundation of John McCain as being The Man, The President, CIC, in contrast to being The One.

Ending with McCain also, as in Sarah Palin's speech, displayed for America the indecency of the radical left to disrupt the activities and lives of others with tantrums and disruptive displays. As mom said: "Everybody has a purpose even if its only to serve as a bad example.".

This has more to do with Gov Palin being an irresponsible elected official, for not upholding the laws that she took an oath to uphold.

She's not a prosecutor, last I checked. I'm sure if a DA in Juneau wanted to press forward with a non-starter of a criminal case, he or she would be welcome to give it a shot. A tough sell for a jury, though.

Because when we take a closer look at this matter, without any doubt there is a double standard being applied in this case, while many youngsters around the Country are serving jail time for commenting this same offense?

Really? Evidence, please? Actual pedophiles, yes. Teenagers having sex, not so much.

FS, I once heard of a boy who already having sex with his girlfriend. Once he turned 18, and his girlfriend was still 17, the girl's father had him brought up on charges, and the kid is now a registered sex offender (sex with a minor). Now, that's admittedly just anecdotal, and it also depends on the particular jurisdiction's laws.

It also depends on the parents. One of my friends got pregnant when she was 16 and her boyfriend was 22. Her parents didn't bring the guy up on charges, because what they needed was for him to take responsibility, not rot in prison. And he did. They've been together for 14 years now, in fact having another child.

Petitedov: that blog post you cited is ambiguous: "The age of consent is defined as 16 years old, according to Alaska statutory rape laws. If a person who is at least 18 years old engages in sexual activity with a person who is 16 years old or younger, he or she will be charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree." The first sentence is contradicted by the second. Of course, if Levi was 17 at the time it wouldn't matter.

All statutory rape laws are bad, Dorian? When did you start parroting the talking points for NAMBLA?

For the record, I think a prosecution for statutory rape in this case would be appalling, regardless of what Alaskan law actually says.

Does someone have the actual, full text of the statutory rape law? Because I know in 2000 or so (don't ask why, I'm not telling you) the Alaska statutory rape had a Romeo and Juliet clause, i.e. if both parties were within a couple of years then it wasn't statutory rape.

I find it odd, Cindy, that people of certain political ilks want to bring up statutory rape laws now when I thought it was their belief that such statutes were patriarchal in nature and had no place in a so-called advanced nation. Oh, wait, that's right--trolls and advancement go together like the Phelps family and decorum.

Strange, but every time I hear a Dem mention Governor Palin's daughter I have the urge to vote for McCain just so I can watch their heads explode. Considering I think the man is a coauthor of one of the most unconstitutional pieces of legislation in recent memory and am still leaning towards simply not voting the Presidential line this year, don't you think coming out from under your bridge and opening your piehole might be counterproductive? Wait, I just used the word think in the same sentence where I was describing your actions. Disregard all after 'explode.'

Charles -

To answer the question, I don't support age of consent laws because I don't believe that state or federal governments ought to regulate dating.