According to this story, Joe Lieberman was John McCain's preferred choice for VP. Ultimately, he listened to advisers who gave him the obvious news: McCain-Lieberman was a losing ticket if he wanted to hold his base.

For weeks, advisers close to the campaign said, Mr. McCain had wanted to name as his running mate his good friend Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, the Democrat turned independent. But by the end of last weekend, the outrage from Christian conservatives over the possibility that Mr. McCain would fill out the Republican ticket with Mr. Lieberman, a supporter of abortion rights, had become too intense to be ignored.

Polling didn't help McCain pick Sarah Palin since "virtually no one had heard of her, a McCain adviser said." She beat out Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney because she had "glowing reviews from influential social conservatives" and McCain felt he needed an "attention-grabbing choice." [more ...]

The Florida Gators stomped the Rainbows Warriors of Hawaii 56-10. Michigan lost its home opener for the second year in a row, this time to Utah, 25-23. It was a good day.

This is an Open Thread.

For me, Saturday means college football. And today the Florida Gators open their season hosting the Rainbow Warriors (I do not care what June Jones said) of Hawaii at 12:30. LSU moved up its game in Baton Rouge with Appalachian State to 11 this morning because of Gustav's approach.

What game, if any, will you be focused on?

This is an Open Thread.

You're on your own. Play nice and please think before you post.

This is an Open Thread.

Your turn.

(TL): Our server is overloaded. If it goes down again, our backup site is here.

More talk.

This thread is not about heroin. Instead it's a thread where you can talk smack.

About college football, which kicks off tonight.

I'll start. The SEC is easily the toughest conference in the country. The Big Ten stinks especially the Badgers (shot at TChris' team and conference.) If Jeralyn cared about college football, maybe I would take a shot at Ralphie, but she doesn't. So it would be wasted.

This is an Open Thread and you CAN talk smack, about college football. Go Gators!

CNN took over Brooklyn's Bar and Grill outside the Pepsi Center this week. After hiking over viaducts from downtown to get to the Pepsi Center, waiting in 15 minute security lines in 90 degree heat, it's an oasis. [More...]

Obama is the official nominee.

Your turn.

This is an Open Thread.

I'm leaving for downtown and then the Pepsi Center. I'll have my i-phone and my Flip tv Mino video recorder but no laptop. I'll post my results later tonight.

In the meantime, here's an open thread -- you can talk about the convention, what you had for lunch, or anything else that's of interest to you.

If TalkLeft goes down, here's our backup site to continue the discussion. Don't forget to bookmark as you won't find it here if the site is down.

Still your turn

Okay, it is noon in the East, but it is your turn now.