Let’s not bail out the auto industry, too, writes Rich Lowry of National Review. Giants like GM and Ford have long mismanaged their empires, and the argument that the country can’t afford to lose 100,000 jobs casts Detroit automakers as job and welfare programs, he writes. Bailing them out would put us on track for a new wave of protectionism from free-market competition. And President-elect Obama has signaled he may be willing to do it.

On economic policy, Barack Obama’s not really about change. So holds Jonathan Weil at Bloomberg. The president-elect chose 17 people last week for his transition economic advisory board, and many of them ought not to be guiding his decisions on financial matters because they’ve got shady pasts of their own. One of them, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, was chairman of Citigroup’s executive committee when the bank “helped Enron Corp. cook its books.” There’s more.

Should the courts defer to the popular vote on Prop 8? Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Just, respectively the legal affairs editor and managing editor at The New Republic, have an on-going debate on the issue. The first two parts are here and here. In the third part, Rosen argues that when the Supreme Court’s constitutional authority over an issue is uncertain, as he says they are in the case of abortion and gay marriage, then it should defer to the people and to the Legislature. It’s a high-minded debate.

A black man is president; America no longer needs racial quotas, writes Ken Blackwell in National Review. Racial preference programs harm minorities, anyway, he writes. For example, a 20-percent minimum requirement for minority attendance at a school quickly becomes a 20-percent maximum in practice. Barack Obama has championed change and put forward a vision of a post-racial America, and that’s something everyone should celebrate.

What-next fest continues. David Brooks at the New York Times sees two camps in the struggle for philosophical control over the Republican Party: the Traditionalists, who want to cut taxes, cut big government, and restrict immigration; and the Reformers, who want to address inequality and middle-class economic worries and who tend to see global warming as a more serious issue. His prediction? The Traditionalists will win the near-term battle, but the outcome of the war is uncertain. Over at National Review, Deroy Murdock’s mantra: “What would Reagan do?”

What about Sarah Palin? She appeared in an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren yesterday, covering everything from the clothes fiasco to why she feels the McCain-Palin ticket lost. Part one is below. Part two is here.

Michael Ramirez cartoon for November 6, 2008, Investor's Business Daily.

No finger-pointing, just take time to regroup. That’s the major push of a piece by the editors of National Review. They find hope in the fact that voters haven’t rejected conservative ideals outright (President-elect Barack Obama only won by a six-point margin, after all). Now is the time to devise a clear agenda and make a new pitch to voters in advance of the elections in 2010 and 2012. But one dissenter in their ranks sees Tuesday as a wholesale disaster.

Republicans should stop trying to appeal to moderates and beef up their conservative platform. Right-wing blogger John Hawkins lays out his top seven reasons why the party needs to move to the right. In brief, moderates don’t have a uniform ideology, so it’s impossible to build a platform around them; moderates don’t give as much money to campaigns; and moderates tend not to know much about politics, so they’re easily swayed by the left-wing media.

Reluctant concessions from the right. Talk radio personality Hugh Hewitt congratulated Obama on his victory, though his prayer for Obama’s wisdom and judgment and “for his safety and the safety of his country, and for the continued prosperity and greatness of America” seem a subtle warning that we’re going to need it. Bill Dyer, a guest-blogger for Hewitt’s Townhall page, was not so subtle.

Obama is bad for the economy, and it showed when the stocks dropped after news of his victory, writes John R. Hinderaker. His broker attributes some of the decline in the market in recent months to investors’ apprehension of an Obama presidency. So Hinderaker expresses surprise that so many employees on Wall Street invested in the Obama campaign. Of course, the nation is in a recession, and another bit of news was at play: analysts are expecting a Labor Department employment report on Friday to be bleak.

Obama may have bought the election with a fundraising campaign that broke records and employed questionable tactics, including accepting money from foreign donors. An article in Newsmax claimed the press was lax for not holding Obama accountable after he reneged on his commitment to talk to John McCain about using public financing. It also referred to an investigation by its own correspondent back in September which uncovered thousands of dollars donated using fictitious names like Good Will. Bloomberg reported that Obama’s fundraising campaign may forever change the way presidential election campaigns are financed in the future.

Sarah Palin takes more heat, as previously off-the-record news about quarrels and questionable behavior with McCain staff and her spotty knowledge of geography were uncovered. Fox News correspondent Carl Cameron appeared on the conservative show “The O’Reilly Factor” to report what he knew, and while the the typically pugnacious and quick-witted Bill O’Reilly challenged some of Cameron’s findings, he didn’t seem to be on his game in defending her.

Why you shouldn’t vote for Obama in two weeks. Chicago political talk radio host Guy Benson, Katharine Ham of the Weekly Standard, and Hot Air editor and contributor Ed Morrissey offer their “closing argument” in the case against Barack Obama for president. They have created an extensive expose covering Obama’s record on abortion, taxes, radical associations, foreign policy judgment, apparent disdain for the heartland, his use of the race card, and his lack of accomplishments. Ham and Benson get right out and admit they’re conservatives, but say they’re doing their best to be objective by offering tons of video clips and links to supporting articles.

National Review Online to CNN: Shame on you for misrepresenting our stuff. When CNN’s Drew Griffin interviewed Sarah Palin on Tuesday, he mentioned an article in the print edition of National Review “saying that, you know, I can’t tell if Sarah Palin is incompetent, stupid, unqualified, corrupt or all of the above.” Byron York, who wrote the article, responded with a post that included a partial transcript of the interview and part of the article for comparison. He directed an open question to Griffin or his producer: do you think you fairly represented my article? York’s colleague, Rich Lowry, vented even harder. And Talking Points Memo appeared to agree with NRO. Bad CNN.

Don’t go overboard trying to defend same-sex marriage, says conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt. Some opponents of California’s Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriages through an amendment to the state constitution, have found the Catholic Church too daunting a foe, Hewitt suggests, which explains why they are instead targeting Mormons. An Article VI blog post details (after a long-winded introduction) how some Prop 8 opponents (including a Daily Kos blogger) are effectively trying to disenfranchise Mormon voters.

Biden’s speech is working against Obama, or at least that’s how it’s being played. Democratic V.P. candidate Joe Biden told a crowd at a Seattle fundraiser on Sunday that Barack Obama would be tested early in his presidency by enemies overseas, and called for his supporters to stand by him no matter how unpopular his response might appear (and he almost guaranteed that it would look like the wrong way to respond). John McCain used the speech to argue that the country doesn’t need a president who may invite another international conflict, but William Kristol at The Weekly Standard says McCain needs to go further by highlighting that Obama’s own running mate seems certain that he will be or at least appear weak in the face of a coming crisis. McCain needs to challenge Obama to explain exactly how he might respond to a conflict in Iran, Russia, or any of the other unnamed regions that might lash out (Biden said four or five areas came to mind but never named them).

With the DNC over and the temperamental limelight now hovering towards McCain’s more than slightly surprising VP choice and the impending (weather-based, obstacle ridden?) Republican National Convention, the GOP doesn’t seem to be having their expected grand old party lashing out against the Obama campaign…today. But the day is young and the elephants have not yet been wished happy hunting.

Over the course of the Denver-based convention, however, the McCain Campaign, National Review and folks such as Michelle Malkin, Mark Hemingway and Ann Coulter went to town with a bevy of nasty tidbits that “more than hinted” (cough) at a hope to subvert Obama’s influence (or to simply get a gleeful two cents in).

The Brief Breakdown:

Mon, 8-25: On Michelle Obama’s Speech:

In what can be shocking only to an earthworm lodged deep in the world’s core and away from the sensory-overload producing buzz of this election and American politics in general, we read that Ann Coulter did not like Michelle Obama’s speech.

Here’s an excerpt of her reaction:

The speech itself felt mechanical. There were some interesting quotes including:

“I love America!” [Note: As an aside, I feel like if you have to say it, you call it into question.]

“We will build the world as it should be.”

“Hillary Clinton put 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling”–and this is a paraphrase–and changed the world for our girls. [I'm sure Hillary is happy to know she paved the way for Michelle's daughters.]

She also said some airy, fairy stuff about stellar education from cradle to grave, but no specifics other than by “bringing us together” and finding the “common thread”. Whatever the hell that means.

At the end of the speech, there was a staged moment where Barack was piped in via satellite and talked to his girls who were absolutely precious. To me, I think that part was the “winning” moment, if there was one. The all-American family. The all-American black family. Very powerful.

Tues, 8-26: On Hillary Clinton’s Speech:

Unabashed and hilarious hard-hitter Michelle Malkin pulled no live-blogging punches in describing Hillary as an “orange creamsicle,” in languishing in descriptions of Clinton as a liar and in highlighting the possible enmity between Hillary and Michelle Obama.

A portion of her writing shows:

She’s telling all her old campaign victim anecdotes. Gives a shout out to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits.

Ewww.

A nice tribute to the son of Stephanie Tubbs Jones and the widow of Bill Gwaltney.

A galling reference to Chinese dirty money and private profits over the public good.

Michelle O can barely get through this. Hasn’t cracked a smile yet.

Well, this will probably seal the deal. Another cutaway to the new ice queen, Michelle O….

Hillary gives her hubby a shout-out. Standing ovation. Michelle O and Joe B gingerly clapping again. Is that fear in their eyes?

A dig at Obama’s differences with her on health care: “I can’t wait until Barack Obama signs a law that covers every single American in this country.”

11:05pm Eastern. She’s quoting Harriet Tubman. “Keep going.” Almost lapsing into her Selma accent. “We’re Americans and we don’t quit…we don’t have a moment to lose or a moment to spare.” Her accent, whatever it is, is getting thicker.

Over.

Forced smiles all around.

Wed, 8-27: On Bill Clinton’s Speech:

Mark Hemingway’s answer to Mr. Clinton’s speech, published in the National Review was somewhat gentle and even quite flattering, if a portrayal of it as “rousing partisan screed” (see below):

Denver — The reviews are in, and Bill Clinton has given the best speech of the Democratic convention thus far. True, the bar hadn’t been set at a daunting height for the most talented politician of his generation — but credit is due where credit is due. Bill Clinton’s speech was an impressive display of partisan red meat at a convention that was showing signs of anemia. Watching the soporific John Kerry come out after Clinton was like watching Tiny Tim stroll on stage with his ukulele seconds after Jimi Hendrix had dropped his still-scorching Stratocaster.

That, however, is all the Clinton speech was — a rousing partisan screed. Alleged acrimony between the Clinton and Obama campaigns has been much buzzed about all week — and not for nothing. The on-camera denials have been as unconvincing as the off-the-record gripes have been frequent. Even when Barack Obama made his “surprise” appearance at the end of the night and singled out the Clintons for their support, you could almost hear Bill and Hillary restating their tentative endorsement through clenhed teeth: America deserves Barack Obama . . . good and hard.

Thurs, 8-28: On Barack Obama’s Speech:

Michelle Malkin took great pleasure in painting Obama as a holier-than-thou snot, or “Snobama,” or leader of a goon squad, from Harvard in her campaign-parodying images.

The McCain Campaign followed its presentation of Obama as a celebrity with alternate images of him, using the structure of the stage at the INVESCO field as an inspiration, as a self-proclaimed–but no less hallowed– Greco-Roman God-figure…much in the spirit of its delighted characterization of him as “The One” as well as of a novice simply “not ready” to fill the hot seat.

So. The dual-sided, putrefied mud-slinging ping pong of insult and injury continues in vivid form. After all, this democracy is red and blue in tooth and claw.