One of the bloggers at Street Prophets argues that stupid doesn’t equate to evil. Metthew Krell is referring to Luma’s Hit a Jew post at Direct Democracy.

I beg to differ. My second cousin on my father’s side, Griffin Mordecai, was dumb as a stump but vicious and vindictive. By himself, he could never have had much of an impact on anyone or anything.

He gained friends in very high places, however. These powerful allies found him a useful cipher and helped him to high office whenever they could manage to do so.

Thus Griffin’s stupidity aided and abetted evil that affected millions. Evils, I should say. There seemed to be no end to his vile nastiness once in power. A lot like the “Mayberry Machiavellis” running the George Bush administration.

Never underestimate evil just because it comes in a stupidity wrapper. Or a banality cover. It’s still evil and can do great harm.

Oh meow.

Politico reports that the Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 in clothes for Sarah palin and her family since she was tapped for the VP slot.

The rags came from Atelier, a toney men’s store, Barney’s New York, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, along with Pacifier (for the chic baby) and Steiniauf & Stroller–the latter two apparently to outfit the youngest Palin.

What would Pat Nixon in her “good Republican cloth coat” say about all this? Or “Joe the Plumber”?

Of course, perhaps I shouldn’t be too catty about this. My newfound high-ranking father–with help from the Consort of Azgard (that’s queen to you)–went on a clothes-buying spree for me.

By law in Azgard half-breeds weren’t allowed to wear silks and other fine fabrics, but Lady Naomi did her best to stretch that little limitation beyond all recognition. I confess I never felt comfortable in those extra-fancy duds.

The wanna-be theocrats are at it again.

Evangelist Dr. K.A. Paul has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.

The Rock Christian Fellowship in New Mexico has told its members to vote for John McCain and his fellow Republicans, as has the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, N.J.

Then there was that absurd pulpit initiative last month designed to defy U.S. tax laws by having dozens of clergy make specific candidate endorsements while preaching the weekly sermon.

Unlike Azgard, the government of the United States of America does not promote or endorse any specific religion or creed, as specified in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

To qualify and maintain their tax-exempt status, religious organizations must return the favor and refrain from overt partisan activity that amounts to endorsing any specific candidate for public office.

The founders of this nation were a lot wiser than those who established Azgard. They realized that partisan politicking diminishes the standing of religion and that injecting religious views into politics ignites dangerous passions.

Sectarian strife ultimately destroyed Azgard. Don’t let that happen to this nation. Keep church and state strictly separate for the sake of both sides.

Top-ranking Republican Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama for U.S. president today.

People are greeting this like the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.

So what? The Democrat is ahead in the polls and U.S. newspapers are falling all over themselves to embrace his candidacy. Even a high-profile conservative talk-show radio host, Michael Smerconish, has lined up for Obama, while other right-wing pundits have taken to blasting John McCain’s choice of running mate, Sarah Palin.

It’s a few days late and several dollars short, General. It would have been far more impressive had you come out for Obama while it was still risky–say, when Ted Kennedy embraced him at the start of the year.

Powell may be trying to buff up his image. But his halo is tarnished for good thanks to his claims about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist and non-existent nuclear capabilities before the United Nations in February of 2003.

It’s never a sunny day in this household when the Dallas Cowboys go down to defeat. The St. Lous Rams just cleaned the ‘Boys’ clocks, 34-14.

Something happened in the Cowboys last drive, however, when the second-stringers took over for the much ballyhooed stars. Tight End Martellus Bennett caught a long pass from Quarterback Brad Johson and, when the defenders failed to stop him, rolled into the end zone for the team’s second touchdown of the game.

Bench the big-money first-stringers next Sunday against Tampa Bay. Turn the field over to the players with hustle and heart.

Maybe there’s such a thing as too much money in football. Maybe what’s wrong is some of the first-stringers are just a little too content with their fat paychecks and star billing. Not all of them, of course, but there were too many brain farts today on all sides: offense, defense, and special teams.

Something happened between week three and week four. The team that started the season with such passion and intensity fell flatter than cardboard. And if they don’t figure out how to get back that loving-the-game feelin’, owner Jerry Jones will move his franchise to the new, megabuck megastadium on a losing record.

If it didn’t make someone I love so unhappy to watch the Cowboys play poorly, I’d just smile and write it off to the bad karma engendered when taxpayer dollars are diverted to make rich men even richer.

“I am not a crook.”

                                                             Richard M. Nixon, November 1973

“I am not President Bush.”

John S. McCain, October 2008

The senator from Arizona protested too much, just as another Republican did a generation ago.  The very fact that McCain even brought up the point to denounce it was a minor victory for the other side.

Yes, Senator, despite your denials, you are joined to Bush at the hip, and that is precisely your problem in this election. The voters have finally tired of Bush and his dismal record of malfeasance, mendacity, corruption, and sheer incompetence.

If McCain did anything during these excruciating 90 minutes, he reaffirmed his image as an angry old man seething with petulant disdain for his cool young opponent. It didn’t work the first time, or the second, or in this final installment.

Barack Obama was far more on target when he pointed out that the two campaigns could spend the rest of this election cycle attacking each other, but voters really care more about the specifics of what each side proposes to do for them and the country.

Thank goodness. The final debate of this endless presidential campaign is behind us.

Forget Gallup or CNN.

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama at present is the runaway winner of the 7-Eleven coffee cup survey conducted in 30 states across the country.

As it did in 2004 and 2000, the nation’s largest convenience store chain is offering java drinkers a choice of blue cups for Obama or red cups for GOP contender John McCain.

The results as of 1:30 p.m. Central time on Oct. 14: on a national basis, blue is beating red by 59 percent to 41 percent of cups sold.

State-by-state results are even more fascinating. In the “safely” red state of Texas, Obama is pummeling McCain by 60 percent to 40 percent.

In the key swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania, Obama is on top by  68 percent to 32 percent and 61 percent to  39 percent, respectively.

The GOP hopeful picks up just three states: New Hampshire, North Carolina, and West Virginia. Even McCain’s home state, Arizona, goes blue, by 57 percent to 43 percent, while Obama’s state of Illinois goes his way 61 percent to 39 percent.

Why should we care about these results?

Although this poll is not conducted in a scientific manner, it has been accurate in the last two presidential elections. In 2004, the cups went for George Bush  51 percent and John Kerry 49 percent–very close to the vote counts in many states.

In 2000, the Bush cup outsold the Al Gore version by just 1 percentage point, a mirror of that close race.

The patrons of 7-Eleven still skew predominantly male and blue collar, although the company has done an outstanding job of upgrading its food offerings to appeal to other demographics, like women. Its coffee is as good as any of the fancy chain brews and a lot less expensive. My personal 7-Eleven favorite: blackberry coffee.

It’s not over unil the votes are counted and certified, but the coffee cup poll points to a Democratic blow-out next month–at least at the presidential level. Let’s hope that voters will hand the Democrats control of the U.S. Senate as well.

Then we can get back to the business of government of the people, by the people, and for the people, to quote a president from Illinois.

Sarah Palin survived tonight’s vice presidential debate without a major gaffe. But she didn’t distinguish herself, either.

She started out as taut as a spring in an old watch that was wound too tightly. Then she exploded in fast-paced run-on sentences almost impossible to follow because her train of thought kept going off track. She was just throwing words out there hoping some of them would stick and sound good.

Perhaps that’s all part of the non-answer approach to political debates.

Palin also often refused to respond to specific questions from the moderator, Gwen Ifil. When asked about bankruptcy, Palin switched back to taxes. Then discussing Iraq, she jumped to energy policy.

When queried about what promises her administration might have to draw back on due to the cost of the bailout, Palin declared “I’ve only been doing this for five weeks, folks. I don’t have any promises.”

This is a reason to vote for her and John McCain?

Her emphasis on being tolerant of gays/lesbians also was rather interesting, especially since that was not the question she was asked. Recall that George Bush also promised to be a uniter and pursue a humble foreign policy devoid of nation-building. When pols go out of their way to stress a point, it usually signals just the opposite.

Before Republicans heave a huge sigh of relief and break out the bubbly, however, the initial reaction of an Ohio audience featured on CNN heavily favored Democratic vice presidential candidate  Joe Biden over Palin as the debate winner.

The following comes to StoneScribe via regular correspondent Marc Habern, a denizen of GOP presidential candidate John McCain’s state, Arizona, and whose definition of politics graces this blog.

GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is a post turtle–a turtle balancing atop a fence post. She didn’t get up there by herself; she doesn’t belong up there; she doesn’t know what to do while she is up there; and you have to wonder what kind of dumb-ass put her up there to begin with.