About '08 Roadies

'08 Roadies is a periodic diary of campaign dispatches by Washington bureau chief Walter Shapiro, who is covering his eighth presidential race, and Mike Madden, Salon's Washington correspondent.

Current Salon Politics Stories

• Obama by a nose

  An expert "face reader" tells us what McCain's jowls say about his drooping power base, how Palin's cheekbones explain her "polite" power style and why the Democrats are looking awfully good.

  By Gabriel Winant

• Which John McCain will show up to debate?

  By Mike Madden

• Behind the GOP's voter fraud hysteria

  By Andrew Burmon

’08 Update

18:35 EDT, Oct. 15, 2008

The Michelle Obama "interview" that wasn't An obscure Web site says it got an angry call from Obama; the story's obviously bogus, but some bloggers on the right took the bait.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

10

16:07 EDT, Oct. 15, 2008

Debate prep: Dow falls a whopping 733 points Monday's rally is ancient history, as investors run for cover, again. Does anyone care about Bill Ayers?

By Andrew Leonard

How The World Works

22

15:20 EDT, Oct. 15, 2008

A geography lesson from Sarah Palin New Hampshire residents attending a rally on Wednesday didn't sound happy to hear Sarah Palin say their state is part of the Northwest.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

42

13:47 EDT, Oct. 15, 2008

Who will save the economy? Paulson hopes banks will lend their new billions. Democrats propose a $300 billion new deal. Voters get to add their 2 cents in 20 days.

By Andrew Leonard

How The World Works

17

13:35 EDT, Oct. 15, 2008

Republicans giving up on Wisconsin? The independent arm of the Republican National Committee that handles ad buys has reportedly not booked airtime in the state for the next week.

By Alex Koppelman

War Room

21

Salon Politics Blogs

• War Room

  The Michelle Obama "interview" that wasn't

  An obscure Web site says it got an angry call from Obama; the story's obviously bogus, but some bloggers on the right took the bait.

  Alex Koppelman

• Glenn Greenwald

  Patrick Ruffini, the demise of the right and the Democratic alternative

  Destruction of the right will achieve a necessary good, but it is only the first step, not the last, to achieve anything meaningful.

  Glenn Greenwald

• Joan Walsh

  McCain: The risky choice for president

  After betting his campaign on efforts to smear Barack Obama, John McCain finds he's the one voters don't trust.

  Joan Walsh