Ross Douthat analyzes President Obama’s crappy convention speech, and says that it’s clear now that four more years of Obama will mean desultory treading of water. Obama is out of ideas, and the thrill has most definitely gone. More:

So far, Mitt Romney has conspicuously failed to persuade voters that his party, which helped lead us into this mess, has learned enough and changed enough to lead us out of it.

But whatever happens in November, the president’s own words have given us fair warning: We face a continuing crisis, and the liberalism of Barack Obama is no longer equal to the task.

Seems to me that the choice we face this fall is between Mitt Mondale or Jimmy Hussein Carter.

UPDATE: Oh, God:

Making reference for the first time to the Democrats’ about-face on having the word “God” in their party’s platform, Mitt Romney said here today that if he is elected, God will not be removed from the Republican platform.

“I will not take God out of the name of our platform,” said Romney to thunderous applause. “I will not take God off our coins and I will not take God out of my heart. We’re a nation that’s bestowed by God.”

Words fail. No, really, they do. I owe Walter Mondale an apology. I doubt he would have gone so lowbrow.