Sometimes (as the McCain campaign has certainly learned), it's best to quote your enemies to prove a point.

So here's what Mark Joseph at HuffPo has to say about Pawlenty:

"If he picks Pawlenty, he's thinking long term, wanting to leave a legacy behind after he's gone, by picking a young, relatively malleable guy who is conservative enough and will carry McCainism (whatever that is) into the future. He may also pick up MN's electoral votes."

...

24 hours ago, my nerves were jumping at the chance to represent Modern Conservative and interview the roster of conservative entertainers set to appear at a Sen. John McCain fundraiser.

20-some hours later, a note-to-self: confirmation, confirmation, confirmation. 

Pawlenty may provide the shorter road to electoral victory
By Christopher Cook

LA Times interactive electoral map provides Americans with an easy tool for creating various electoral map scenarios. We have used this tool to run scenarios this morning, and we have come to a interesting conclusion:

Assuming it's between Romney and Pawlenty, the map-math appears to suggest Pawlenty may be the better choice.

The LA Times map starts with the assumption of the following battleground states . . . .

By William Owens, Jr.

In a crisis situation, people without a North Star are reactive. Unable to proactively remedy a situation, they desperately fall back on old themes, old playbooks, and old mentalities that worked in the past. As John McCain continues to surge in the polls, a panicked Barack Obama will once again focus on the race issue.

Obama’s race propelled the inexperienced State Senator to the national stage and sustained him through . . .

By Right Girl

It was Friday evening, August 22nd, and I was working late at my computer.

In the distance on the television, I hear the news announcer say, "It's official! Senator Barack Obama has named his running mate...The Vice Presidential candidate will be.....Joe Biden!"

At first, I scrunched my eyes at the T.V. to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Then I really thought it . . .

By Seth Swirsky

Well, my greatest fears were not realized: Hillary Clinton was not chosen for Vice President by Barack Obama.

Instead, he chose the 35-year Senator, Joe Biden, the ultimate insider. Like his grandmother and his church, the "change" meme was just thrown under the bus!

More than not choosing Hillary, and her 18 million voters, (plus, her proven ability to get all those white . . .

By Dick McDonald

On the eve of two political conventions, the free people of America are about to enjoy their ability to bash each other about the head rhetorically. Considering the physical violence present in other cultures the conventions will be two quite civil events. Unfortunately the bashing will hide the overwhelming evidence that America is thriving and growing exponentially compared to most of the civilized world. That is because . . .

By Burt Prelutsky

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a radio talk show when a black man called in to take Barack Obama to task for suggesting that black men were sloughing off their responsibility as fathers. The caller didn’t deny recent data that indicated that 80% of black babies were being born to unwed mothers. Instead, he said that this dire situation wasn’t the fault of irresponsible young men and women, but, instead, was the logical result of rampant racism in our country. He claimed that black American males simply can’t find jobs, and . . .

A Thousand Words
By Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

"You think I'm licked? You all think I'm licked Well, I'm not licked…and somebody will listen to me!"
—Jefferson Smith

Over the past couple of weeks—during this quandary over America's high gas prices and other energy concerns—I have been privileged to be seated on the main floor of the House of Representatives. I was a guest of the Minority Whip, Roy Blunt, along with about 300 other people scattered through out the floor . . .

By Right Girl

Those who know me also know what I have been saying for the last few years.

As far back as 2005, I said . . .

Hillary Clinton will never make it through the primaries.

Yes, that's right, when the conservatives were terrified at the prospect of another President Clinton, I was firmly stating and believed that Hillary would never even make it through the primaries. Back . . .

Sometimes, they whisper in the good kid's ear, telling him that he's not as strong as he thinks he is, that he cannot defeat the bully. They slowly erode not only his self-confidence, but also his natural belief in the use of his natural strength to defend the weak and innocent. They try to convince him that he's no different from the rest of the kids, that there's nothing special about him.

And sometimes, they play the role of the kids who actually suggest that the only reason the bully is a bully . . .

By William Owens

If Black Americans honestly believe Barack Obama truly has the best interests of their families in mind, then Black Americans had better pay attention to Obama on paper and not merely on skin.

Barack Obama has consistently shown his opposition to several key factors that protect the Black . . .

Whose side is Western media on?
By Christopher Cook

Most of the headlines today on this subject read along the following lines: "Russia says Georgia pullout underway." But why parrot Russia' line in the headlines?

Headlines are a powerful tool. Most people don't have time to read every story in a newspaper or on a website. Often, they read one or two stories and rely on the headlines to give them the gist—the logline, if . . .

Just a quick reminder to all SoCal residents to check out Evan Sayet's Right to Laugh night of comedy, taking place at the world famous Laugh Factory this coming Tuesday, August 19. More details ...

By Burt Prelutsky

There was a time not all that long ago when most of us agreed about what constituted good and evil. But that time, I’m afraid, has come and gone and is now as passé as five cent cigars and 45 cents-a-gallon gasoline.

Our former sense of morality hasn’t been replaced by immorality, at least not entirely, but by something that’s probably more dangerous because it comes cleverly disguised as broad-mindedness. Those in the mass media and academia ridicule people who still believe there are nations, values, and cultures that are superior to others, and they regard those Americans who have the temerity to disagree with them as yokels . . .

By Seth Swirsky

People in America feel safe. If they didn’t, a leftist newcomer with little experience – like Barack Obama – would never be considered for the presidency. Americans simply will not elect a liberal when they feel fear. Since President Bush deserves the credit for our security (through the countless actions he’s initiated: tough FISA laws, winning in Iraq, taking on The Taliban in Afghanistan, etc.), he’s made the Obama candidacy palatable.

Similarly, Jimmy Carter, could only have beaten Republican Gerald Ford if Americans felt safe. And . . .

Scandal over Britain's military echoes critique of murdered journalist Steven Vincent
By David Paulin

Three years ago this month, American freelance journalist Steven Vincent was kidnapped and murdered in Basra, Iraq, a port city then under British military control. His murder occurred as Britain's military – as Vincent had earlier reported -- was turning a blind eye to the rise of menacing Shiite religious groups, including those of bellicose rebel cleric Moktada al-Sadr.

Now, three years later, the ineptitude of British forces in Basra has boiled over into a full-fledged scandal in Britain, as today's Wall Street Journal notes in an editorial, "Basra and the Brits.” The scandal concerns...

For the first time this glorious year, no new albums have graced my ears since my take on Paul Westerberg's 49:00.

Instead, due to the tireless work of Modern Conservative's Christopher Cook and Michelle Malkin to expose Sen. Barack Obama for the wannabe fascist dictator he truly is, I got inspired and humbly offer my latest song parody, to the tune of Queen's "Radio Ga Ga."

By Dick McDonald

Every day people wake up to some new tyranny imposed upon them by the leaders of the world's totalitarian states. This morning Russia broke their word to stop their assault on the tiny democratic state of Georgia. Last night Cheng Fei won the gold medal as the leader of China's women's Olympic gymnastic team. We all recognize that the ex-KGB agents running Russia are trying to restore the glory of the USSR but why would I throw the glorious and exciting victory of China's gymnastics team under the same bus?

The answer is the state took Cheng Fei away from her family at three years of age and put her in a...

By David Paulin

Over at the lefty Huffington Post, John Edwards' confession of being a cheat has, interestingly, provoked fury among some of the gal pundits. They're mercilessly trashing the pretty boy populist -- spitting a toxic venom that even their like-minded male counterparts cannot match. Some, incredibly, are even digging their nails...

By William Owens, Jr.

Barack Obama does not think too highly of Black America. Whether liberal puppet-masters in his campaign are prompting this or Obama, himself, lacks a real connection with the Black American struggle, one thing is clear: Barack Obama and his party do not want us to leave the oppressive plantation mindset that has exploited the Black vote for years.

Obama is far more liberal than he is Black. His elitist views that Black Americans cannot succeed...

As requested by the NRCC, sign this letter!

Your Petrodollars at Work
By Rene Guerra

Enjoy your petrodollars at work: Petrodollar-flush Russia invades tiny Georgia; petro-riches have re-awakened the Muscovite Bear. We buy about 400,000 barrels a day of Russian petroleum!

For how long will America keep helping the coffers of petro-autocracies and petro-tyrannies getting fatter?

With its vast proven-deposits of hydrocarbons (74.4 billion barrels of petroleum, 47.6 trillion cubic meters...

The professor from the extremely liberal university answered my email rudely and dismissively.

The professor from the moderately liberal university answered politely but referred me elsewhere.

Two professors from the conservative university discussed the question with me at surprising length. They offered several possible answers and provided me with far more analysis than I had requested. They responded to my follow-up email. They both made jokes and wished me well. They both reacted with modesty to my...

By Dick McDonald

If there is a tragic flaw in the American society it is the inability of the people to avoid being fleeced by their government. Politicians are notoriously irresponsible and dedicated to one proposition – getting re-elected. As a result they take the current complaint of the people and turn it into a new program financed by a further fleecing of the people.

There are some really bad government programs and then there are a few so blatantly incomprehensible...

Fearing Muslim backlash, Random House scraps novel
By David Paulin

Nearly three years ago, millions of Iraqi voters participated in historic parliamentary elections. They shrugged off Al-Qaida suicide bombers and pro-Saddam reactionaries, and they headed to the polls in heavy number -- proving their courage and commitment to democratic values.

Sadly, both qualities were absent in Random House's decision last May to cancel publication of....

By Burt Prelutsky

Because there is so much about Barack Obama that I find personally offensive -- things ranging from his friends and religious mentors to his obvious arrogance and his wife -- I have rarely brought up his politics. Partly that’s because his support of leftist policies aren’t all that much different from Hillary Clinton’s or any other liberal in the U.S. Senate, and partly because I tend to think that when electing a president, who must not only serve as head of the executive branch of the federal government but as a living symbol....

For fear of sounding too "Get off my lawn!" or "In my day, we blah-blah-blah,"

today's generation of iPoders has little to no idea how big a part radio played in the years before them.

Granted, the format did itself no favors segmenting into research-group-dictated format lists, but the glory days of free-form radio brought a different experience every time you turned on the radio ...

A few days ago, I wrote an article that has generated both compliments and controversy. Titled What is white America afraid of?, the contention is simple: Skin color has nothing to do with most white people's negative reactions to Obama. Rather, it is a combination of things unrelated to race (his positions, his inexperience, etc.) and things that may appear to have a racial component but are in fact cultural, or more...

Here’s a role-playing question. You are an Iraqi who had lived for decades under an almost incomprehensibly brutal dictator, then years of terrorist slaughter and divisiveness. If you are a civil leader, you’ve almost certainly had kidnappings, extortion, torture, and murder in your immediate family. Now, however, your country has a reasonable shot at representative government and the rule of law. Life still....

Is it Barack Obama's skin color, or something else?
By Christopher Cook

Juan Williams, author and FOX commentator, is a decent fellow. He's a liberal, of course, but he's sincere and thoughtful. He's also expressed some very sensible opinions on problems facing the black community—among them, the notion that personal responsibility is a necessary (and often lacking) element among too many. Though conservatives may disagree with a large percentage of what he has to say, this position, and his general sincerity, earn him a hearing—even if we end up largely disagreeing.

And so it was after reading his piece in the Wall Street Journal titled The Race Issue Isn't Going Away.

His contention therein, while admittedly nuanced, does boil down to this: there is a hidden racist vote...

I promise that I will write a music column/review this week. The new Paul Westerberg album, an internet-only phenomenon that keeps getting better and better, deserves as much.

In the meantime, I humbly present my latest distraction, set to a tune from another 80s fave ...

By Sharon McGovern

The Dark Knight is a box office phenomenon, having beat the following records:

• Biggest single day gross (66.4 million).
• Biggest opening weekend (155.34 million).
• Broke the record for days taken to reach a 200 million dollar gross.
• Broke the record for days taken to reach a 300 million dollar gross.

And it’s on track to tie Titanic, the biggest blockbuster in history. Now, the sheer profitability of...

By Burt Prelutsky

Because December 7, 1941, was when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, FDR quite aptly called it a day that would live in infamy. For Israel, July 15, 2008, is just such a date. That was the day that Ehud Olmert’s government swapped child murderer Samir Kuntar and four of his Lebanese cohorts to Hezbollah for the corpses of Israeli army reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Israel agreed to do this even though...

By Michael Donnella

Much has been made recently of liberal network CNN’s decision to showcase a program called “Black in America.” In this age of constant political correctness as well as extreme liberal bias, this was a documentary that posed as factual news while merely serving as intellectual masturbation for the Political Left. In arguments that have been rebutted time and time again by Black intellectuals from Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, and even liberal Black columnist Juan Williams, the Left is still content to...

For a couple of years now, conservative thinker and comedian Evan Sayet has been eliciting cheers, guffaws, and many's the agreeing nod from conservative audiences. Evan has lectured and performed at CPAC, Heritage, and at other venues in Southern California and around the country.

Whether he's discussing the premise of his upcoming book or hosting and performing at his Right to Laugh comedy shows, Evan always manages to entertain while he's informing, or inform while he's entertaining.

Modern Conservative is pleased to have had the opportunity to present this interview with Mr. Evan Sayet....

"Our failure to segregate morons who are increasing and multiplying ... demonstrates our foolhardy and extravagant sentimentalism ... [Philanthropists] encourage the healthier and more normal sections of the world to shoulder the burden of unthinking and indiscriminate fecundity of others; which brings with it, as I think the reader must agree, a dead weight of human waste. Instead of decreasing and aiming to...

For better and worse, I used to be a Dallas Cowboys fan. In my defense, it was -- gulp!!! -- a long time ago, and I'll make no apologies for admiring Roger Staubach, a Navy man and a great Christian athlete/role model.

As the saying goes, though, time heals most wounds and cases of team ...

Filmmaker Jack Marino's smiling a little wider these days. No, he hasn't sold his millionth copy of Forgotten Heroes. No, something a little more monumental than that, though I'm sure he looks forward to crossing that milestone as well ...

Admittedly, I've grown weary of the how easy Sen. Barack Obama makes my part-time gig as a burgeoning parody songwriter, even if he is the perpetual gaffe gift that keeps on giving.

So, in what I hope you, dear readers, find as succinctly insightful as I wanted my first foray into campaign advertising to be ...

By Christopher Cook

I am a conservative. I am a Republican.

Among other things, this means that—based on no evidence whatsoever—I have been called a racist exactly one million times.

• I have been called a racist as a collective slur of all Republicans, by hundreds of thousands of lefties...