JOE TRIPPI HAS ADVICE FOR THE KERRY CAMPAIGN: “So wake the hell up, damn it!”

I told you they should have hired him.

UPDATE: From TAPPED — Uh oh!

A friend of mine tracked me down a little while ago to relate a dream. He was walking through a big office that he realized was the headquarters of the Kerry campaign. He saw a door marked “Campaign Manager” and entered, to see Kerry campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill, appropriately enough, sitting behind the desk. As he drew nearer, however, the woman suddenly ripped off her Cahill mask, behind which was … Susan Estrich, Michael Dukakis’ campaign manager! At that point, he woke up screaming.

Actually, I like Susan Estrich. But the point is taken.

More advice for Kerry here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: But don’t worry — Ryan Lizza reports that a crack crisis team has been dispatched to dispel the notion that the Kerry campaign is in crisis!

the campaign high command will descend on New York tomorrow morning to meet with the press and no doubt try to quell the firestorm of chatter sweeping the convention hall about the staff being in disarray.

Shrum won’t be there. That should reassure people.

VIRGINIA POSTREL suggests that Andrew Sullivan needs to spend more time in Red America. Yes, he seems to be laboring under some misconceptions.

ZELL MILLER HAS BEEN LAPHAMED — his speech has already happened! At least in this story, even though it’s time stamped 2:34 this afternoon.

INTERESTING STORY ON BLOGS AND NEWS REPORTING:

W. Joseph Campbell, an associate communications professor at American University, said blogs have been out ahead of the mainstream media on some stories involving Kerry, and the blogs themselves have, in many cases, done a good job of vetting stories.

“The blogs that I’m familiar with don’t tend to be fast and loose with the facts,” he said. “They really try to pin it down.”

If blogs continue to grow in influence and credibility, it could be a pivotal moment for political reporting, he said, adding, “There are some earmarks of watershed here.”

We’ll see.

UPDATE: This related post is interesting, too.

TERRY MCAULIFFE LOOKING AND SOUNDING NERVOUS: More blog video from Power Line.

SO I’M OUT PICKING UP FROZEN YOGURT for the family, and I turn on the car radio just in time to hear Hugh Hewitt complaining that I don’t charge enough for blogads: “Glenn’s giving it away! He’s killing the market!”

Er, sorry.

THEY SAID THAT WHEN THE REPUBLICANS CAME TO NEW YORK, the streets would be filled with religious zealots spouting theocratic hatred.

I guess they were right!

TOM MAGUIRE looks at the bizarre behavior of the Iowa Electronic Markets.

OKAY, this editorial doesn’t actually use the word “girlie-men,” but . . . .

UPDATE: Could the “girlie-man” phrase have originally been authored by Al Franken?

Gosh, I hope so.

RARE FIRSTHAND REPORTING from the New York convention-and-protest scene, over at Best of the Web.

BABES FOR BUSH? More of that “teen spirit,” I guess.

UPDATE: This originated at Wizbang, where there’s also lots of more, um, substantive stuff.

HUGH HEWITT has posted a transcript of his interview with Terry McAuliffe, who seems a bit defensive. And Rush Limbaugh has posted a transcript of his interview with George W. Bush, who does not.

Question: Where’s Kerry in all this? I’m sure either Hewitt or Limbaugh would be happy to have him on their shows.

TROUBLING:

For 40 million viewers in the Arab world, Al-Jazeera, a Qatar-based satellite television channel, provides a window into the intricate world of American politics. This week, its 16 reporters and staff will air 13 hours of broadcasts from the convention — more time than the combined coverage of America’s major television networks, ABC, CBS and NBC.

On the other hand, even if Americans aren’t seeing much of the convention, at least a lot of Arabs will have seen Arnold’s speech. (Via Ed Cone).

A HEARTWARMING STORY OF CIVIL DEBATE on the streets of New York: No, really.

VOTE CARRIE: “A pair of Manolo Blahniks in every closet?” Well, the Carrie campaign has a clearer message than the Kerry campaign. And she’s not George W. Bush either!

And her dress matches the InstaPundit color scheme nicely.

MORE CONVENTION VIDEOBLOGGING from Powerline.

JIM GLASSMAN: “Some of the worst of the economic girlie-men are in President Bush’s own party.”

THE MUDVILLE GAZETTE notes some overlooked news items.

“CULTURE SHOCK CUTS BOTH WAYS:” Some interesting observations on America, and Latin America.

RUSSIAN TERROR ATTACKS: Thank goodness nothing like this is happening here — though you can bet that there are people out there who’d like for it to.

UPDATE: Lots more coverage here: Just keep scrolling.

IT’S NOT MY FAULT! It never is!

Sen. John Kerry is angry at the way his campaign has botched the attacks from the Swift boat veterans and has ordered a staff shakeup that will put former Clinton aides in top positions.

“The candidate is furious,” a longtime senior Kerry adviser told the Daily News. “He knows the campaign was wrong. He wanted to go after the Swift boat attacks, but his top aides said no.”

I see a rerun of the old Saturday Night Live Dukakis/Bush I debate sketch — only this time with Kerry saying “I can’t believe my staff is losing to this guy!”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Mickey Kaus notes another shocker:

Several campaign officials and advisers say they recognize the need to have an “adult” traveling with the candidate — as one put it, “someone who can tell him to shut up …”

Who’ll do that if he’s President? Teresa? And would a well-run campaign be leaking damaging statements like this?

Meanwhile, reader Dick Aubrey emails: “‘My subordinates wouldn’t let me.’ Not the most reassuring picture of someone who wants to be the world’s most powerful executive.”

And Greg Decker observes: “I thought George W. Bush was supposed to be the brainless puppet.”

MORE: Now Kerry is slamming Bush for “failing to share responsibility with NATO or the United Nations.”

Sharing responsibility? Maybe that’s what Kerry’s doing when he blames his staff!

TRAFFIC: Over 310,000 pageviews yesterday, and just shy of 6 million last month. Thanks for coming by.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Stephen Green is channeling Ron Popeil, and it’s well worth reading.

Now how much would you pay? But wait. . . .

WILL BLOGS AFFECT THE ELECTION? I have a column in the Wall Street Journal on that today.

UPDATE: Here’s an interesting article from the Daily Texan on the subject, too.

MESSAGE TO THE REPUBLICANS: Great convention, kid. Don’t get cocky. If you want something to puncture the buzz, look at the Iowa Electronic Market — which has actually taken a sudden anti-Bush turn. Reader P.J. Hinton emails: “What is going on out there among the traders, I wonder. Were they so distressed by the Twins’ performance? I dunno.”

Maybe it was the word that Joe Lockhart is riding to the rescue of the Kerry campaign.

UPDATE: Hmm. Tradesports isn’t showing the same phenomenon. Maybe Soros is manipulating the Iowa market!

ANOTHER UPDATE: If he is, it only took one trade, due to the rather odd way these things are graphed:

According to their website, what the graph shows is the final trade for that day, the ONE that occurs closest to midnight.

So, all someone has to do is put in ONE goofy trade right before midnight to screw the graph for the next 24 hours.

This market does not have enough volume & trade frequency to do it that way. They need to be graphing the final 25 trades or some such.

Odd.