It's official - the Republicans did a great job with their convention. McCain is rocking some great poll numbers, Palin's got great favorability ratings, and Obama is getting all huffy and making stupid mistakes. I know that this is a convention bounce that will fade at least partially, and I'm all for treating liberals and conservatives in an intellectually evenhanded manner. But right now, seeing this just pisses me off.

This election is not just about the candidate, it's about the populace. This is the start of a rough period for liberals like me, who have been watching with surprise and pride as their nation finally showed a clear preference for a fellow liberal. Maybe, we thought, people are finally recognizing the fact that social and foreign policy conservatives are consistently on the wrong side of history. Maybe all it took was someone a little less insipid than John Kerry, and a little less dull than Al Gore. Maybe underneath all the fear and suspicion, America is willing to give the government just enough benefit of the doubt to trust them with the money to administer mercy to the lower class.

So with Democrats holding a 57%-43% edge in party registration, McCain having any appreciable kind of lead is complete garbage. Could independents distrust the Democratic party so much? Was the prosperity under Bill Clinton too much for you guys?

Barack, your campaign needs to get just a little less risk averse, even when you're ahead in the polls. McCain's VP pick rocked yours, his ads are more creative and get more attention, and it makes you seem plenty complacent. I wish our country didn't require it, but you don't just have to have good ideas and a history of helping people empower themselves - you also have to be the ringmaster of a circus, in a tent full of drunk and hooting fans.