MSNBC’s First Read:
*** The Palin distraction: Judging by conversations we’ve had various delegates, it’s clear Sarah Palin is going to be a big hit inside the Xcel Center. But if there’s one thing she’s done that’s a negative that has nothing to do with the vetting process or her own issues like the revelation of her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy, it’s that she’s taken the focus off of Obama. It seems like it’s been a month — though it’s been just a few days — that the RNC or McCain hasn’t had a sustained attack on the Illinois Democrat. As we’ve learned this summer, when this campaign is about Obama, the race is a lot closer than when it’s not about him. And right now, thanks to Palin, it’s not about him.
This is ridiculous. Did MSNBC already forget about Gustav? Because Hurricane Gustav is the principal reason Republicans have not been bashing the Obama/Biden ticket around like the proverbial piñata over the past four days.