What do Republicans need to do now? Was last week’s election a rejection of President Bush? Or a rejection of the Republican Party? Is the Republican Party too conservative? Or not conservative enough?

NPR’s Talk of the Nation is calling on Republicans to call in and talk about now (2:00 - 3:00 pm).

You can listen online or on the radio- 89.5.

Plus I’d like to hear what you guys have to say here. Post AND listen!

For days to come, I will be processing what happened tonight, and over the last two years. But I had to post something because it’s too amazing a night.

Put partisan policy debates aside for a minute….

In his speech tonight, Barack reminded us of what makes this country great. It’s not our arms. It’s not our wealth. It is, indeed, our enduring ideals. And, whatever your politics, every American has to have felt some pride in what Barack’s win told us- all of us- about those ideals. I know, firsthand, that the message is clear worldwide, too. It’s as much about how the world sees us now as it is about how we now see ourselves.

So much of his appeal was more than just politics; it was about a call to change a culture inside and outside of Washington. And, as one of my best friends IM’d me after the speech… “I’m just grateful that hope and not hate prevailed.”

That one sentence points to the power of this moment. In this moment, Americans see America in fundamentally the same way; Americans who have felt left out believe in the same America as those who have enjoyed automatic inclusion. That’s powerful. That’s America.

I’m at a loss. So I’m putting forth the question (questions) in this blog. For those of you supporting McCain I ask: Who IS McCain? Are you supporting the McCain of 2008? Or the McCain of 2000? Or Sarah Palin?

I’m a Democrat based on the issues, so it’s unlikely that McCain would have gotten my vote anyway. But he certainly was much more appealing, and believable as a maverick, back in 2000. He’s not that guy now. And if he is, how would we know? It’s certainly not evident in his pick of a running mate. I’ve heard all the rhetoric and I’m still not buying Palin as a maverick. That’s part of why I found this column interesting.

Let me know what you think!

To be clear up front… I would never suggest that McCain/Palin supporters in general are haters of any kind. In fact, some of my favorite people are contributors to this blog (Jim, Shaun, Jason- the jury’s still out on Brian the Squeaky Wheel), which is decidedly pro-McCain/Palin. I just thought this was an interesting op-ed from Frank Schaeffer, whether you love him or hate him.

And I know that many, if not most, of the regulars who check this blog would readily denounce such hate. That’s the optimist in me…

McCain’s attacks fuel dangerous hatred
By Frank Schaeffer
October 10, 2008

John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as “not one of us,” I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.

Last night my little cousin called me in tears. She was frustrated at the lack of understanding her classmates at a liberal, white, all girls college had of what it’s like to be black in America.

In a year when Barack Obama stands poised to be the first black President of the United States, there is a surprising challenge for much of black America. We want desperately to believe that he can win, not because he’s black but despite that fact. But if he does win, will America feel so redeemed that we needn’t talk about race and racism anymore?

I heard an interesting poll breakdown this morning on NPR’s Morning Edition. Their latest poll shows the presidential election in a dead heat with McCain barely leading at 227 electoral votes and Obama following at 222 (one would need 270 to win the White House). That’s not the interesting part, really. Afterall, the only poll that means anything is the one on Nov. 4. But what I thought was interesting was one of the cultural breakdowns: people who drink Starbucks coffee lean heavily toward Obama and those who frequently shop at Wal-Mart lean heavily toward McCain.

At the end of a week dominated by news of a huge federal bailout of a major financial institution, and even more news reminding us of just what scary and insecure economic times we’re in, Chris (my soon-to-be husband) and I engaged in what’s becoming a near weekly ritual- an antique and classic car show. This one was the Tidewater Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America’s annual Wings and Wheels car show.

And it was a lot of fun. It was held in Pungo at what’s called the Virginia Beach Airport. It appeared to me that it was a private hangar featuring about a dozen or so WWII aircraft and a museum dedicated to the same topic. The surrounding area was covered with at least 300 cars, the oldest of which was a 1908 Ford (I don’t know the model). The beauties to this car novice were a 1941 Lincoln Continental (which actually had a factory original 24-carat gold plated dash!), a sweet desert rose colored 1961 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, and our own 1958 Caddi. The Best In Show winner was a 1932 Duesenberg Model SJ Murphy Boattail Speedster. It was beautiful!

I’m not a car gal. My point is… Here were hundreds of Americans out with their toys, enjoying themselves, despite a souring economy (quite the understatement, I know- but it’s been a ‘feel good’ day). And it was good to see. While many of the people who were there had the luxury of owning such toys (a luxury that a lot of folks can’t afford), we aren’t talking about people who are wealthy and untouched by the economy. Still, it was good to be there, even if it was just for a few hours of escape.

Today the National Organization for Women’s PAC endorsed Barack Obama. It may not come as much of a surprise, but it IS interesting.

When people talk about how bold a pick Sarah Palin was as a VP candidate, they’re really talking about the fact that she is (was) a largely unknown woman in politics. It would be foolish to deny that much of Palin’s popularity among some women is really about all those cracks in the ceiling Hillary and her supporters created during the Democratic primary; it’s about getting a woman in the White House.

But what does it all mean if the woman in the White House doesn’t really support women… and their rights?

Okay. I’ve tried. For two days I’ve watched excerpts of interviews, and each time told myself I’d wait until the final Charlie Gibson interview to reach a conclusion about Sarah Palin. It’s Friday night after the final installment of her exclusive interviews and my conclusion is… She’s sooooo not the one!

Perhaps, as a former communications person for Democratic candidates, I’m not expected to be open to Palin. But I was a journalist first. For 13 years I was a part of that cult of objectivity (What is that? Sarcasm?). My point is… I made a concerted effort to give the woman a chance.

I watched intently when Charlie Gibson asked about her international credentials. She dodged the question by saying “Let me tell you about a credential that I do bring.” Then she talked about energy. Clearly a talking point. As one who has written countless talking points, I was impressed with her ability to stick so doggedly to the script. As a voter, I wasn’t sold.

“Energy is a foundation of national security.” Really? And then she went further to justify her complete lack of international experience by claiming most Vice Presidential picks hadn’t met a foreign head of state before being elected. Yeah. That’s no more true than her claim that she said “Thanks. But no thanks” to earmarks for the bridge to Nowhere.

Charlie Gibson said it best when he had to go back and ask her yet another question she refused to answer the first time around. He prefaced his second (or third) inquiry by saying he got “lost in a blizzard of words.” So did I. She seems to have no real depth of knowledge about foreign policy, the economy or even the science of stem cell research. And after two days of Sarah Palin dominating the news cycle, I still have no idea she should be our next Vice President.

But, I suppose I’m not the viewer she was trying to convince.