SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 8:09 P.M. ET: 

VIEW WITH SKEPTICISM, BUT CONCERN – A new poll shows President Obama slightly ahead of Mitt Romney in traditionally Republican Arizona.  The state rarely votes Democratic in presidential elections, although it did in 1996, preferring President Bill Clinton to challenger Bob Dole.  This new poll shows Romney beating Obama by 16 points among whites, but losing to Obama by 67 points among Hispanic-Americans.  The Dems have run an effective scare campaign among Hispanics, and Republicans have done little to win Hispanic support.

CHENEY WEIGHS IN – Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he is "disturbed" by Joe Biden's debate performance this week.  He questioned whether Biden has the temperament to be president.  Cheney said that when then-Senator Biden would come to the White House for meetings he would "talk longer than anybody else did” and “interrupt other people and just sort of butt in.."  "From my perspective, that's not the kind of personality I would like to see in the Oval Office."  And we agree, especially when we look at the fact that Biden has been wrong on every major foreign-policy issue of our time.

LOSING OUR INDEPENDENCE – A U.S. diplomat is warning that a proposal to give a UN agency more control over the internet is gaining strength in other countries.  The proposal also includes a possible internet fee, an idea that is gaining momentum in Arab states and in Africa.  Yup.  And you can be sure that, next up, will be a proposal to restrict "criticism of religions" on the internet, and you know what that would mean – you'd be able to criticize any religion but Islam.  Right now the Obama administration is on record as opposing increased international control of the internet, but why am I concerned that this could shift if Obama gets a second term? 

October 13, 2012