Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin crowed on Monday about bringing change to Washington.

McCain is about as status quo as anyone in Washington after being there for nearly 30 years, but you wouldn't think so from listening to Palin.

Senator Barack Obama responded by saying that Republicans must think you - the American people - are stupid.

Well Barack, you're finally getting it.

After eight years of Bush and mostly Republican control, even the mere chance of extending this catastrophe and spinning it as "change" should be a no-brainer for most Americans.

Apparently not.

Palin stopped "the bridge to nowhere" and the Iraq war is a success...?

Where is the indignation over such absurdity?

Democrats are getting nervous. They thought they had this thing wrapped up.

They had a dream ticket waiting for them with Obama-Clinton and blew it. Some Democrats confused winning the primary with winning the election.

Now McCain has found himself a celebrity, too, and he's got the dream ticket.

Democrats downplayed Senator Hillary Clinton's 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling and now Palin has grabbed that trophy, too.

Obama has managed to stay on message, unlike Senator John Kerry who had a different message every week.

But Mr. Cool needs to put the electricity from his primary back into his campaign.

He needs to charge straight ahead at McCain. And Mr. Cool needs to educate Joe Public real fast. He's got about two to three weeks to do it.

No, we haven't won any wars with Iraq or Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden may as well be selling opium out of a 7/Eleven in Newark.

And, no, the highest jobless rate in six years, and the government's bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not good things. So much for your grandchildren being better off than you were.

And for goodness sake Mr. Cool, didn't they teach you anything at Harvard?

Don't count on the intelligence of the American public.

That's like counting on happiness.

It's temporary.