At one of the break out sessions at AIPAC about the race for the White House a panel of celebrity political media panelists included Amy Walter- editor in Chief of The Hotline; Donna Brazile- Chair of the Voting Rights Institute of the DNC; Morton Kondracke, Executive Editor of Roll Call, Whit Ayres, President of Ayres, McHenry & Associates; and was moderated by Norman Ornstein- Resident Scholar of the American Enterprise Insititute.

If you are even a moderate political junkie you have seen these faces on political talk shows. They are common Sunday morning fare.

Ornstein opened with several comments focused on how bad the Republican brand has become. Surveys show that the public prefers the Democrats on about every issue by a strong margin, including the economy, foreign affairs, and the environment. The two parties are rated about even on immigration and national security.

Ornstein said that in all of his adult life he can not recall a time when the public sentiment was so tilted in favor of one party over the other.

Yet Whit Ayres acknowledged this and observed that the Republicans have apparently nominated the only candidate, McCain, who could possiby win in this environment; and the Democrats have nominated the only candidate from their midst who can possibly lose.

If the Democrats lose this election, and I think they will, they should take a long hard serious look at the structural causes of their failures. More likely they will lament the inherent racism and foolishness of the voters.

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