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Barack Obama
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Gets my vote. For SO many reasons.
For those that want to share, who do you want?
Posted at 9:02PM, 31 January 2008 PDT
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(1101 to 1200 of 1,790 replies in Barack Obama)
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I want to know how Nathan does that thing with his eye. It's just not possible!
Posted 10 months ago.
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I go back and forth on the Palin debate fear, as I think you can tell from my previous post. But one thing (well, two) heartens me: in the Couric interview, particularly during the long gibberish answer in which she threw in everything but the kitchen sink, she kept looking down -- presumably at notes. It was as though she was reading from a list of cue words, so she wouldn't forget to toss something in. She may also have notes on her podium at the debate, but she is not going to have a teleprompter. So, if her memory about what she is supposed to say for each answer is as dicey as it was during the Couric interview, then I'm not worried at all. Surely a moderator is not going to let her get away with just reciting her stump speech.
The other thing is that, somewhere on Huffpo yesterday or the day before was a link to a short article citing an unnamed McCain aide saying that Palin was a disaster in the mock debates. Now, given what we know about how the McCain camp has deliberately given out false information to the press in the past, I'm not counting on this to be true. I think it may be a means to lower expectations to the ground. But, if there is a spark of truth in the report, then there is hope.
Posted 10 months ago.
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bl, that photo is the bomb. Thanks so much for sharing it. Hee!
palehorse, I share your fear tempered with optimism. Or is it the other way around? Depends on the hour or minute for me. I also saw that "she's a disaster" story going around and I'm not sure what to think of it. Ack, I'll be a much calmer person when this whole blasted thing is over. Doesn't it feel as if it's been going on forever and a day? Seriously.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Me too, I am so afraid of the unthinkable happening but with Bush being elected twice I really worry about how a lot of people in this country think.
And yes, it feels like it has been going on forever but I think they all started a year earlier campaigning then in previous campaigns and that might be a good thing for Obama because it has given the country more of a chance to get to know him.
I think the debate helped a lot too. I felt he won it but then wondered if I was just beng biased but since then I've seen that in polls asking who they thought won most people are saying Obama. And CNN did a poll amongst undecideds and the majority of them felt he won it. I'm just praying that this good momentum continues through the election and that his supporters don't get lazy and think it's in the bag and stay home come election day.
And I'm with you ESG on Nathan making that face. I cannot see how it's possible to cross one eye like that and make that face too! Still love that picture!
Posted 10 months ago.
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I don't think anyone that knows what is at stake is going to take it easy... nor they should - at least, I can only hope so. I think the best thing is for Biden to go in fully prepared for anything - never underestimate your opponent or be overconfident, and never go in arrogant and condescending. None should be naive to forget that this is a ‘game’ of image as much as content (sadly, more so even for some).
Posted 10 months ago.
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Joining the 'scared but optimistic" contingent, re. the upcoming VP debate. If it were really about each candidate's grasp of the issues, it would be over before it begins. How I hate the politics of "image", and this barf-inducing trend toward a faux "folksiness" that is so condescending, any moron should feel insulted.
I don't doubt that Biden knows exactly what needs to be done, but I think he's smart enough to find it really distasteful, which he needs to hide. But he also needs to be really aggressive in hammering home Palin's total lack of any meaningful grasp of anything more complex than the surreal idea that Alaska's geographic proximity to Russia, somehow translates to foreign policy experience.
If he could also work in something about it taking a threat of camera withdrawal by the mainstream press, no less, to get her handlers to allow an actual reporter so much as thirty seconds in the room where she had her photo ops with heads of state, that would be a plus. People seem to be waking up to the fact that keeping them out of the information loop can lead to serious personal consequences (such as the potential loss of your home because you swallowed the bullshit about "of course you can afford it, just take this adjusted rate loan and don't worry your TV commercial brainwashed little heads about what happens when your original interest rate expires and Cheney's Big Oil cohorts drive up the price of gas .... and thus every product that gets trucked or shipped from one place to another .... to a point that leaves your jaw on the floor and your budget screaming for mercy" .
I'd also love to see Biden steal, in some slightly altered form, McCain's "I don't think the Senator (insert Governor) really understands ....". It made McCain appear petty to me, but I'm not the voter they need (because they had me at "there's an election coming up".) :)
Biden can be really charming and incredibly articulate (unfortunately not a major plus in this sound-bite format). Here's hoping for the best.
I am so in rant mode. Everything is riding on this for people like me, who can't afford to move to Canada or Vanuatu. ;-)
Posted 10 months ago.
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Still not worried :). The people who think Sarah Palin is just delightful and charming and who cares if she knows a thing about the economy or foreign policy have already drunk the kool-aid and they are voting Republican. But, perhaps naively, I do think most people care about the issues and what is at stake. Obama is such an unfamiliar figure for so many American voters, but he's up in the polls. The more people see of him, the more they like him. He stood next to John McCain in the debate and the majority of independents found him more plausible. Sarah Palin's approval ratings have plunged, with plenty of conservatives turning on her too, because for most people, the charm is not enough. It's obvious she isn't qualified for the job, and more and more people are recognizing that. (And I think Tina Fey's ubiquitous and brilliant impression has a not-insignificant political impact.)
I don't think Biden needs to attack her at all. In fact, I don't think that would be a good idea. He needs to attack McCain. Palin isn't going to be able to defend McCain, or render a nearly-as-effective attack on Obama. And while Biden is a little unpredictable, he is good at going on the offensive. I think he just needs to keep McCain in his sights, and talk clearly and well about the issues. She'll be as prepared as she can be, but I think it's very unlikely that she'll be able to win back the people who've watched her floundering in her TWO interviews.
Re. the "leak" saying she was disastrous in mock debates... who knows if that's true, but I don't think the McCain camp would leak it to lower expectations. It makes her sound clueless and unready and reflects poorly on McCain's judgment.
On a side-note, someday somebody is going to write a book or something about the kind of intense, visceral reactions people have had to Sarah Palin. This letter to an advice columnist made me laugh:
www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/09/29/sarah_palin/
Posted 10 months ago.
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I'm quite certain that the book contracts have already been signed.
Assuming she does not become the VP, her 15 minutes of fame may be over on November 5, so authors are going to be trying to jump on the story before nobody cares. She'll go back to Alaska, where her ratings there are dropping, too, and I doubt she'll even get re-elected. Even Alaskans in general did not know about all the little scandals or the little time she actually spent doing her duties as governor, all of which have come to light because of the microscope under which she has been examined in the last month. They voted her in to try to earn a better name for Alaskan politics, and she has only contributed to the ridicule.
ETA: According to a short update at HuffPo, Obama is likely to vote on the bailout plan, after he's read the details, when the Senate votes on Wednesday. "A spokesman for John McCain said the Republican nominee plans to be in Washington and hopes he'll be able to vote, depending on the schedule." His schedule???? He rushes to Washington to save the day, "suspending his campaign," and now he may not be bothered to vote??? What's going on here is that he is trying to find out what his Republican base is going to do. If House Republicans don't vote for the bill, he's not going to. OR he's not going to vote at all because of his "schedule," so that if this turns out to be a big bust, he is not to blame. Why not be up front about it and say that he'll decide after he's read the bill? Oh, I forgot, he could never be bothered to read the 2 1/2-page proposal from the prez, how could he possibly be bothered to read 100+ pages? Either vote or don't vote based upon the damn bill. Stop playing these transparent games.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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palehorse edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Thanks so much for posting that, catherine -- the letter was great, the response by Cary Tennis was even better. A really interesting take on why Palin appeals to some as she does -- worth a read.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Have you seen the website www.fivethirtyeight.com? They compile opinion polls and reckon that the probability of Obama winning is now 80.5%. So, everyone stop worrying ;). Came across it from the Guardian's generally excellent coverage.
I notice that not only was Palin's mock debate described as "disastrous", but also, One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" and People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless." That's way too far for just playing down expectations. Seems like the wheels are beginning to fall off the McCain/Palin campaign.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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NotaViking edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Hey just saw on MSNBC.com that the bail-out failed, it was voted down. The dow just crashed 600 points on the news... holy shit.
Posted 10 months ago.
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And they're blaming Nancy Pelosi for it failing.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Yeah, the Republicans are trying to say they voted against the package because Pelosi upset them in her speech. That's really pathetic. Watching Obama's speech live from Colorado - cracking stuff.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I turned on MSNBC just after the vote, and just before the Republicans came on blaming Pelosi. Chris Matthews said that the Republicans don't have much of a leg to stand on, that they are truly acting like children if they voted against the bill because of anything Pelosi said. He said that it is really the failure of the Republican leadership, because they were supposed to deliver 50% of their vote, and they voted against the bill 2 to 1. Matthews is saying this is going to work hard against McCain, because he was taking a "leadership" role in this, and he clearly cannot even lead his own party.
Posted 10 months ago.
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The Republicans would be better to just be honest and say they voted against the bill for ideological reasons. That's a position I could actually respect - they believe in the free-market and they're sticking to that. Personally, though I have very little faith in the free-market.
Haha, the Democratic response was brilliant - "I'll go and talk to them uncharacteristically nicely". (or something close to that)
I was about to write that it's kind of surprising that the Dow Jones hasn't fallen further (was about 500 down), but it's just slipped to 700 down.
Posted 10 months ago.
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One of my LJ friends' friends had an interesting blog the other day. It was actually regarding the bailout of AIG. His suggestion was that that money ($85 billion) be divided by the number of Americans over the age of 18, which he figured was roughly 200 million. Therefore they would each get $500,000 +, 1/3 of which would automatically go back to the federal government as income tax. That would still give each person over $300,000 and what would they do with that money? Pay down their mortgage, buy a house or a car, pay off their college loans, take a trip, etc., thus helping the economy, ending foreclosures and stimulating job creation. It seemed to make sense to me. Helping the people who actually need help - and it would still help the financial institutions as people paid off their debts and probably invested some of their money as well. Too simplistic and logical, I guess.
On another Sarah Palin note, this article made me laugh out loud at work!
ETA John McCain claimed credit for the bailout bill before the vote - wonder what he's saying now!
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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samatwitch edited this topic 10 months ago.
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I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the 1/2 million to everyone idea would wreak havoc on inflation and have an incredibly dangerous ripple effect on world markets. But, I don't even play an economist on tv, so...
ETA - right, there's a math(s) problem as well :) Also, germs come from Germany, etc. :)
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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zeitgeist_1975 (a group admin) edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Ummm, I'm afraid the problem with that scheme is just basic maths. A billion is a thousand million, so it's $85,000 million. Divide that by 200 million and you get the vast sum of $425. Sorry. ;)
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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NotaViking edited this topic 10 months ago.
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You're both right, of course. I should have checked the math when I got to my calculator at work. I could even have worked it out manually - I used to be good at math! I should never take anything at face value!
Even with the $700 billion, it would still be only $3,500 each, which wouldn't be enough to help anybody with their mortgages if they're in foreclosure. Shows why I'm not an economist. ;)
Posted 10 months ago.
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I was born in Hamburg - does that make me a hamburger? (weak attempt at humor at serious times. yeesh!)
Posted 10 months ago.
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That was an interesting letter/response, catherine. I’m pleased to see Palin referred to as a Trojan Horse. I think the description “a cookie full of arsenic” (from “The Sweet Smell of Success”) would also apply. Hee.
Here’s a kinda creepy letter to the editor from my local newspaper. I can’t shake the feeling the author (a woman) might have embroidered it on a pillow or something.
“Many people wonder about Sarah Palin. Some do so much to destroy her with false gossip.
While Sarah was pregnant her doctor diagnosed Sarah’s child to be affected with Down syndrome. Sarah and her husband had the choice to carry or abort the child. Being pro-life, Sarah chose to give her child the right to live.
Everything that happens is ultimately under God’s control and part of the grand design that will complete his eternal plan. Something good is in store for Sarah’s family. There is great love and closeness there.
If readers really want to know what Sarah is like, in some verses of Proverbs 31:10 to 31, God describes her—a Christian woman, mother and leader, one we are hoping for to bring better things ahead.
She is loved for who and what she is, and greatly respected. Many women want to be like her, she is such an example. Many people will walk in and out of our life, but Sarah will leave footprints in our hearts.”
I looked up the Bible verses from The Wife of Noble Character in Proverbs. I’m guessing when she mentions 'some verses' she doesn’t mean “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue” and I’m not sure about “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”.
I also don’t know if she intended to use the phrase “Sarah and her husband had the CHOICE”…
Posted 10 months ago.
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Sympathy For Sarah Palin, Final Post (I promise!)
Maybe empathy is a better word to use in this case? A politician absolutely has to deserve our support, our vote, but I find it depressing that somebody should have to be deserving of empathy. It doesn't mean thinking they are nice, or thinking they should have it easier than they do... but what wears me down more than anything during these stressful, so-much-at-stake political campaigns is the way contempt flows like a resource of unlimited supply, and empathy for "the enemy" is so scarce. I dearly hope that Sarah Palin crashes and burns at the debates and that Obama wins the election in a landslide and that she never gains a position of power again where she can put her appalling policies to "work." But at the same time, I can't bear watching anybody's dreams fall apart. Even when I despise their dreams. I just feel bad for her.
BUT I realize my empathetic extremism may not be healthy at all. For those who disagree (which, at last count, is, um, almost everybody?), Rebecca Traister has an impassioned piece at salon about why she doesn't feel sorry for Sarah Palin. One. Bit.
www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/30/palin_pity/
ETA this post was really a response to the article I linked to, I guess... because I don't have an account and couldn't post a reply on salon! And I can't just seem to shut my mouth (when there's something in it... sez Ani DiFranco)
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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catherine_31 edited this topic 10 months ago.
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I liked that article. I like the way she distinguishes between that cringing "Oh my god I can't watch this person embarrass herself" feeling and actually feeling sorry for someone.
Maybe I'll be able to feel sorry for Palin once we're completely out of danger from her. In the meantime, I can only feel sorry for the rest of us.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I agree with all the above!!!
Seriously, it's virtually impossible to predict the outcome of this debate. In fact, I'm sure the McCain campaign feels exactly this way right now.
My initial impression of the Couric interview: What the hell kind of chill pill did she take an hour ago?
Last night I had a debate with my former-journalist mother. She's 64. In response to the intense scrutiny if Palin's response, she seemed to think things are analyzed to death... in the mainstream media... My response: Did you read the transcripts??? (No)
She seemed to think people were buzzing over nothing much in regard to McCain's health... something about all the whispers about JFK... My response: I just watched a short documentary on PBS about the JFK/Nixon debates. JFK DID have all kinds of health problems!
Arrrrrgh. I really just fault my mom with not knowing so much. She depends on the major outlets to be informed. She thinks she's getting the real stories. Like so many others, she thinks, "Oh, if that were true, the media would be all over it." Hardly.
Back to the issue, a few overly-rehearsed smooth answers complete with buzzwords and a clever punch -- Score, Palin! See, she's... alright! Major fumbles? Probably.
But who. the. fark. knows...
Will buy popcorn Thursday.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Is anybody else enjoying these guys?
bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/14810
While I've always tended to "agree" more with Glenn Loury, I think I'm starting to get a little crush on John McWhorter and his thoughtful-listening-face and his adorable down-turned almost-smiles (that sometimes become down-turned actual-smiles!).
Posted 10 months ago.
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I'm growing weary of the attacks against each other. What happened in the house yesterday was just plain silly. Like watching children argue over a toy. I'm just shaking my head over it.
Posted 10 months ago.
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So the solution to Palin's poor interviews is to have McCain sitting beside her, holding her hand? Oh dear, did they not think about how bad that would look? In the clip I've seen from cbs it didn't even help. After Couric points out that the whole Palin Pakistan gaffe thing wasn't a "gotcha", it was a question from a voter (and in essence that McCain is talking complete nonsense) , McCain stumbles on, then gives up, passes the buck to Palin. Of course she can't even remotely answer the question and just describes the situation (accurately - "this was a voter"), then contracts herself by saying they would never show their cards to terrorists when (in their terms) that's exactly what she had done previously. Then, brilliantly, she blames it on "gotcha journalism" - YOU JUST SAID IT WAS A BLOODY VOTER!!!
I mean, seriously, how can you do that? It either indicates someone who has very little awareness of what they're saying and is just desperately grabbing for things or someone who has a total disregard for the intelligence of the voter. Or both. And that's just McCain. ;)
Posted 10 months ago.
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The Onion on campaign ads.
Posted 10 months ago.
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The Onion can always be counted on for some wonderful political humor. Thanks for the link, barest.
There's an interesting article here about Palin's debating style, from someone who's been up against her. Basically, take her non-answers to Couric and plug them in to any moment in the debate, and with her folksy charm she walks away with a lead. Gwen Ifel isn't going to be hard on her, so we'll see what happens when she launches into stream-of-consciousness answers peppered with a few nuggets of "maverick," "change," etc.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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palehorse edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Man, if you want someone who *reslly* hates Palin, Bill Maher is the one! He was a guest in both The View and The Daily Show recently and he spoke about her - and no punches were pulled (I even checked out several YouTube clips of his show - wow).
For those who miss The Daily Show or catch it late, you can find it on their website or just go here: www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=...
Posted 10 months ago.
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Bill speaks for me re: Palin. I'm utterly stupefied that so many people have been sucked in by this gibbering idiot. And some are calling OBAMA the anti-christ?
Gahhh. I can't stand it.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I agree, Willowy. Every four years, I'm reminded why I hate election years so much by the constant mud slinging. Never fails, by October, I'm so disgusted by the name calling that I just want to see it end already. Some of the lengths people will go truly amazes me.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Here's a well-thought out letter about why a life-long Republican is voting for Obama.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I don't know who said it but it was some conservative Republican but they basically said that saying Palin was another Dan Quayle is an insult to Dan Quayle! LOL! I believe it was Bush seniors speech writer.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Did anybody else see this ("The Poetry of Sarah Palin")?
www.slate.com/id/2201342/
Posted 10 months ago.
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ha ha!
I would Mr. Seely has really found Palin's rhythm.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Just a quick polling update. I said before that the electoral college tabs were 280 for Obama/Biden, 258 for McCain/Palin if you called the tossups for their poll leader at the time. The most recent polls show that if you do the same now that Obama is at 353 and McCain is at 185.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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zeitgeist_1975 (a group admin) edited this topic 10 months ago.
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(Lifted from QuoterGal over at Twitter:)
Don't forget to play Palin Bingo tonight during the debate, I kid you not.
Posted 10 months ago.
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The latest poll stats: people-press.org/report/456/obama-regains-lead
Posted 10 months ago.
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McCain is pulling out of Michigan. They've conceded they've lost that state!! Wish he'd pull out of the rest of them! Too bad that doesn't mean people can't vote for him now. I'd think that would piss off the people from that state who might have been considering supporting him.
(and yes, I changed back to FireflyFlanatic - I have some pictures I'm posting on gaming forums and I didn't want my name to be seen)!
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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FireflyFlanatic edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Did anyone count how many times Palin pronounced nuclear "Nuc-u-lar"? God, that woman seriously grates my cheese!
Posted 10 months ago.
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Yeah, I said that to my daughter and then I logged onto a local news website where people were commenting and tghere were about three or four posts commenting about it.
Anywho, I think she did okay but I think Biden definitely won it. I hope though that it isn't considered a win for her because she didn't fall flat on her face. She tended to go on and on and seemed very rehearsed, especially in the beginning where she wasn't even pausing between sentences.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Yeah, the nu-cu-lar thing got me, too. She did better than I thought she would. She wasn't going to answer any questions she didn't have talking points for, and I'm really tired of the folksy "ya's"at the end of sentences. But I was alarmed when she said she wanted to expand the legislative role of the VP. And I'm tired of the repeated lies about Obama's raising taxes, etc.
I'm a little sorry that Biden had to hold himself back because she was a woman, and she was taking advantage of that. There were so many things she said that needing challenging.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I don't know if Biden was holding back exactly... the structure didn't help with that, I guess, but he just didn't seem to have it together. I thought he was less coherent than I would have liked, but OK. I thought she was ... incoherent, but peppy, heh, and not visibly falling apart, which was the best anyone could have hoped for from her. We had a little party, and I got some Alaskan salmon in honor of the Governor (!), but we were all covering our eyes at times. At least there wasn't the sense of palpable dislike that made the Obama-McCain debate no fun to watch. Curious to see what the "mainstream media" makes of it all. It won't go as a "win" for her, but I'm sure a lot of people will say that she defied expectations.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Dunno if it means anything yet, but the super-early polls and headlines mostly look good for Biden. Maybe my expectations for him were too high, but I'm glad so many people felt he got his points across effectively. Also, forgot to say, most hilarious moment: Sarah Palin saying that the worst thing Cheney did in office was accidentally shooting that guy when they were hunting together. Re. the role of VP... I got a sense that she had no idea what she was saying there. Which is maybe scarier than her meaning what she said? Or just equally scary. Whatever. I'm less and less scared as this goes on. Turning in for the night while I'm still feeling cheerful.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I thought Biden was great. He had such an obvious command of the information, he hit McCain again and again--I loved the "He is no maverick" and the "don't tell me I don't understand what it's like to be a single parent & worry about your children" bits.
I think focusing on McCain was the right strategy b/c the independent/swing voters are not going to be voting for Palin.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Joe was the clear winner to me. Palin just channeled her beauty pageant self by reciting her exact answers...even when she wasn't answering any particular question, which was most of the time.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Earth to Palin .... it's called a debate and you are required to address the moderator's question, not "talk directly to the American people" about something totally unrelated (and obviously scripted). At first I was really angry that neither Biden nor the moderator (can't remember her name) called her on this, but in retrospect, letting it go just made her look like more of an idiot and gave her more rope to hang herself.
And Biden did call her on some important stuff, such as Obama's so-called tax increases (when what he's actually calling for is tax *cuts*, for anyone making less than 250K per year), and the ridiculous idea that the Vice President has any constitutional role in the legislative branch other than presiding over the Senate and casting a vote only to break a tie.
Also making the point that looking "back" at Bush's record is indeed valid because McCain has voted the Bush party-line more than ninety percent of the time, thus giving us a preview of the fact that under McCain, we can look *forward* to more of the same.
Along the same lines, in response to Palin's now stock assertation that she doesn't want to get in a debate about about what has caused global climate change but rather concentrate on what to do about it, Biden made the glaringly obvious point that if we don't understand what causes it, how can we hope to understand what needs to be done about it?
Last I checked, the numbers were excellent, with Biden the clear winner according to every poll.
She may not have self destructed, but I can't imagine that she swayed any undecided voters.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Everyone went home happy, thinking their candidate won and with some fodder to use to rag on the other guy. I felt more confident in my choice, and I'd give Palin a passing grade. (That's grading on a grossly sliding scale, of course -- she appalled me, but I wasn't the target. I thought she was ludicrous, but pulls enough slights of hand with illegal u-turns that you could miss that fact if you weren't paying enough attention or were "pulling for her."
I couldn't help but think of the latest SNL piece... Couric: "It seems like, when cornered, you become increasingly adorable? Is that true?" Palin: /giggling "I don't know, you tell me!" /shoots little fake pistols in the air and pokes her own dimple.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Is Palin pissy about Obama stating the facts and is trying to make him out to be a liar?
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/michaeltomasky
I think blatantly denying the truth and twisting it is the worst thing a person can do when they want to earn people’s trust. I’d need a pencil and paper so I can list the number of times Palin has done that very thing. I really hope someone exposes them to her face... and the sooner the better. I am getting creeped out by the lady the more I see her and hear her what she advocates.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Yeah, I don't understand the logic of having Palin do that. She said it in the debate and she repeated it yesterday. Of all people to say that ANYTHING disqualifies someone to be president, particularly now that fewer than a third of the people in the country think she's qualified to be VP. They're really dragging the bottom trying to find something to put in her mouth. And with all the factual errors she spouted during the debate, she has little claim to call anybody out for saying anything.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I doubt Palin did anything to excite those yet to be convinced she's qualified for office. I found myself glad she didn't fall apart. Wait, huh?
No really, I have to admit, I didn't want her to experience complete meltdown. She performed as many suspected: Hard.
Too hard! Mechanical and scripted. When she was nervous, she came out swinging, but the swinging was shaky. Zero specifics and lack of deep knowledge. And the VP expansion of powers? I was thinking, are other people catching this? Maybe not. Several times when Palin was speaking in circles, my mind completely wandered.
Joe Biden performed very well. I find him quite likeable.
ETA: punctuation
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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lauraannesummers edited this topic 10 months ago.
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Looks like the McCain campaign is about to go massively negative and throw whatever misleading crap it can come up with at Obama. Sadly, negative attacks do tend to work to a certain extent, but with Obama's current convincing lead in the polls, I just don't see it reversing the momentum. Hopefully the tactics will annoy as many people as they scare.
I've been following Michael Tomasky's blog - was amused to see that this entry was up at whedonesque (then taken down, probably wisely). I'm not bothered about what SMG's political position may or may not be, just pleased to see that a commentator I'm following is a huge Buffy fan. :)
Unsurprisingly, I agree with the comments on the VP debate here. Biden was far superior on the issues and countered Palin's attacks on Obama very effectively. Palin, on the other hand, could do little to defend McCain against Biden as she didn't have that in her notes. Her failure to get anywhere near an answer on the "Achilles heel" question was amusing - presumably she doesn't know what it means.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Doggone, I cannot remember how to upload an image here, but I've added a funny diagram about Palin's debate to my pictures. Someone sent it to me (there is a credit within the jpg), and it's hysterical. You betcha.
BTW, I assume everybody won Palin bingo within the first five minutes of the debate.
And, NotaViking, I heard, too, that the McCain campaign is going to start attacking Obama's character, and make this a really, really nasty campaign. I guess when you have nothing positive to stand for, that's the only route available.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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palehorse edited this topic 10 months ago.
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I loved it when in the debate Palin said regarding how the party sees McCain “he is the man that we need to leave”. She quickly backtracked and said “lead” but man, this made her droning and recycled speech worthwhile on that Achilles' Heel question. Of course, then she started talking about wars *rolls eyes* and what’s the deal with “we have not got to allow” speak coherently, woman! Thank god Joe Biden took out that annoying maverick shtick.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMsuVZ30SoI
Also, I just have to say this, on the final question about them having to change a strong view they had to accommodate change. Biden’s answer gave me hope while Palin made it out to see that, no, she never had to do that, she never had to change her opinion because she always seemed to get her way. I don’t know if some people find that positive or if she had thought it a good way to let the public know about herself, but I do not like the idea of someone so headstrong that they never believe they are wrong – and that is how she seemed to me as she answered the question. She actually said it was as if she would have “caved in” and had to “compromise on” *frown* making the second seem very negative.
Palin might have not done another Couric slip (she had been studying after all;) but Biden was a sure winner. He answered the question directly unlike her and was straight forward. If I already knew nothing about Palin and I saw that, I wouldn't like her. But, knowing what I know, she scares me, plain and simple. And the “smearing” tactics are nothing knew, but I too fear that they’d get even more intense – I hate that many people actually fall for them.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I agree with NotaViking that she likely had no clue what "Achilles heel" means. And on that final question, I assumed that she had done so little, and that her career as a national politician is so short (five weeks, with no responsibilities), that she had nothing she could contribute. She's not going to go back on her religious beliefs, and these are what underlie her governing principles. To admit that something was amiss there would be tantamount to rejecting her faith. But she was a perfect echo of George Bush, who, when asked (wasn't it in the 2004 election debates? can't remember) what he would change, he said that he wouldn't change anything. Look where he got us.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Glad to see more people chiming in here! I've been reading various articles and blogs on the debates, but you guys are my favorite analysts. Plus, the fun of participation!
The "achilles heel" thing didn't strike me as much as it did some of you. The meaning was obvious from the context, it seemed, whether or not she had heard the expression before. The times I thought she seemed decidedly unsure of what she was saying was with her fumbling around with the VP's legislative powers (love that I'm seeing that get taken seriously and at face value in the media) and perhaps most particularly when they both talked about gay rights, and she was asked if she agreed with what Biden had said, and she responded a bit quaveringly, "y-es," like she wasn't altogether sure what the implications of what he'd said were. (Our friend, watching the debate with us, said "she's hemorrhaging votes right now!" but I'm not so sure... Obama's position on gay marriage pisses me off to no end, but I tell myself he has to say certain things in order to be elected, and I'm sure the fundamentalists in the audience can make similar rationalizations for her).
I am, as April said above, glad not to have seen her melt down entirely. Partly just because I hate to watch melt-downs, but also because I do think it does no good for women in politics to have a woman in a high-stakes debate fall apart. I realize that's something a lot of people take issue with, but given the shocking dearth of high profile women in politics in this country, I think it's true.
At this point, I don't think going really negative is going to help McCain. If things are trending towards Obama, and if he keeps putting out these very positive, straightforward ads, the comparison will be so stark. Plus, I know that "studies show" that negative ads work, but that doesn't make it an unassailable truth regardless of context. A really great "positive" ad at the right time is going to be more effective than desperate-seeming smears, I have real faith in that.
Sometimes I wonder what the pundits mean when they talk about somebody "winning" a debate. I think Rachel Maddow talked a little about what it meant but I can't remember where I saw that (she mentioned sound-bites and connecting with viewers). Of course Biden was more persuasive to most of us here, since he actually knows stuff and we agree with a lot of what he says. But does "winning" mean persuading undecideds? Or making better arguments (which is surely at least in part a subjective thing)? Anyway, whatever it means, it looks like most people think he did it :).
palehorse, barest_smidgen linked to that hilarious flow-chart as well! I love it, and immediately sent the link to my co-debate-watchers.
I'm a little nervous about Tuesday, because I think John McCain is capable of being very effective in a debate format and I also think he often performs well under pressure, whereas Obama is sometimes phenomenal and sometimes just "off." But in my obviously very biased opinion (IMOVBO?), Obama's job is easier and he won't need to be as defensive, just because he has been right about so many things and has behaved less schizophrenically in response to the economic crisis. All in all, I'm still feeling very optimistic.
Posted 10 months ago.
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I also linked to that flow-chart on my Facebook page - giving appropriate credits (both to the creator and to Kara), of course.
Like Catherine, I have no idea what "winning" a debate means. I can only think a win is determined by effect, not by performance. (Fox News convened a panel of "undecideds," and reported that they believed Palin won the debate. Most other outlets appeared to find the opposite. Which, to me, shows the infinite malleability of polling opinions - so much depends on how you select the respondents and how you word the questions.)
As a further amusing (and perhaps counter-intuitive, to folks here) illustration of that: a majority of my liberal, pro-Obama friends here in Long Beach thought that McCain "clearly" won their first debate - but the media seemed to portray it as an Obama "win" or as a close thing that bolstered Obama's standings because the debate focused on the areas he was perceived to be weaker in. Which led to those friends talking about the "clear pro-Obama bias" in the media . . . well, I thought it was funny anyway.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Ooops, sorry, barest. Somehow I missed your link -- and I thought I'd seen everything people were linking to. But I've been extremely distracted by a deadline this week, so I obviously missed it. But it was worth a second link, anyway -- it was that good.
Posted 10 months ago.
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The more the merrier, palehorse. :)
I, too, am shoulder-shruggy on the idea of debate-winning, as Luke and catherine touch on above. Do you remember how both sides agreed that John Kerry was handily winning debates against W? Look where that got us.
I found this opinion piece somewhat useful on the state of the McCain/Palin ticket.
ETA: I can never resist "elite" discussions of candidates use or abuse of language.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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barest_smidgen edited this topic 10 months ago.
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In trying to get caught up on comments here, I think I might have missed if anyone mentioned Palin's WINK during the first ten minutes of the debate. She may have done it again but I find it very difficult to look and listen to her at the same time. Thanks for helping women in politics to be taken seriously. ;-) "You have got to be kidding" it made me think for the second time that evening in quite a short span of time--the first being her arrogance in ignoring the format of a debate. I was wishing Gwen Ifil would have asked her what she was even doing there if she wasn't going to take things seriously and respectfully. I also couldn't quite believe what I was hearing concerning her attitude towards the expanded powers she thinks the VP should have or that she seems to think the position already has. I didn't hear one thoughtful, unrehearsed answer shoot out of her mouth and all the overdone folksy "g" droppin' dialect made my stomach turn. I read an opinion that stated her "middle American charm" (Alaska is middle America?) is such a "breath of fresh air". Her delivery may be unconventional, but the rest of her is way too familiar.
I have a feeling the next presidential debate is going to be even more nastiness from the McCain side to co-ordinate with stepping up the attack ads. I know I should watch, but my spirits are gloomy enough as it is.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Just linking to the SNL VP debate sketch. ;)
Posted 10 months ago.
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I just had a revelation!
Palin's performance TOTALLY benefits Hillary Clinton.
Anyone who didn't find Hillary fit for the role of Commander in Chief just might now begrudgingly admit that she could probably fill the position in an at worst, adequate fashion.
While proximity to the position of the presidency doesn't necessarily qualify one to fill the role, especially if that proximity is through marriage, it's obvious to me now that it's a position that would allow one to gain a hecka lotta inside knowledge about the role. Knowledge. KNOWLEDGE!
'Cause Palin is just so damn vacant, you know?
On another note, I'm also happy today because I watched SNL last night for the first time in years. In the "live" sense, anyway. Some of those Palin barbs stung last night and I was glad. I noted with great interest SNL (note: on NBC) will be airing Live bits on Thursday night's prime time lineup. (Remember when the Thursday night lineup was cool?)
blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/10/snl_going_week_day_prime... NBC is running ads for it, too.
Just how much influence will Hollywood have on this election? Stone's W. will be released just prior to the election, for obvious reasons. I was scrolling through the digital cable selections last night and noticed that on the History Channel, a show titled Alaska something was followed by Ku Klux Klan: secret something. I know many lineups are planned far in advance, but I found this lineup amusing.
Or I can put on my tinfoil hat and enjoy someone's mean little joke on the viewing public.
Happy Sunday!
Posted 10 months ago.
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This is mean but cracked me up:
www.dailykos.com/comments/2008/10/4/95349/9396/17#c17
Posted 10 months ago.
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Thanks for the link to the language piece, barest. I posted the link on Twitter for those who didn't catch it. I was laughing so hard in a couple of places that I couldn't see.
I really don't understand the whole 'elitist' issue. We've had that issue in Canada at times, as well. Does one really want the leader of their country to be a 'good ole boy/girl', which generally translates into an insular person who has not had an opportunity - or not taken an opportunity - to expand his/her world view. Why would we want someone like that to lead us?
Personally, I want someone at the head of my country who understands the big picture - not just in my own country, but in the world - who understands that especially in these times, what happens in other parts of the world - all other parts of the world - is going to affect each of us in some way and that what happens in our country will affect other countries as well.
I want someone who has an education that he/she earned (in the sense of taking full advantage of it) and has shown they can use, who understands the economy and who can see beyond the short-term and the next election to the future of the country or province/state. (I'm specifically thinking of our current premier here.)
Rolling Stone has a fascinating, in-depth look at John McCain.
Posted 10 months ago.
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Thanks guys, for all the links over the last few days. It's been really insightful stuff. I find the best info/links and opinions on this thread, I think.
If you're an anti-Palin musical enthusiast, you might enjoy this little tune. I came across it today. The criticism of Palin is harsh yet comical, all bundled up in a warm, pleasant little homespun-sounding tune. It cracked me up.
YouTube video "Hey Sarah Palin" :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIc8jdra0o
Posted 10 months ago.
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news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081005/ap_on_el_pr/palin_s_words_an...
Man, of all the mispoken speeches this person had done, this one would make McCain want to hide under the covers - at least I can hope so! A quote from the article:
"Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," Palin told a group of donors in Englewood, Colo. A deliberate attempt to smear Obama, McCain's ticket-mate echoed the line at three separate events Saturday. "This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," she said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."
Smearing is one thing (a really bad thing) but this is an out right slander! And those cheering? I really hope everyone calls her out on it. And I dare FOX news to twist it - not that they won't try or better yet, ignore it completely. SideNote: now she can remember a newspaper's name? ;)
Check the video link attached to the left. God, it is even worst hearing her speak those words than reading them. How can she say that with a straight face and a smile?
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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_Mirage edited this topic 10 months ago.
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I'm not one for political buttons. (Message buttons of any kind, really.) Today, however, I found one that suits me. I unapologetically ordered it up.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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barest_smidgen edited this topic 10 months ago.
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That is perfect, barest. :)
Posted 10 months ago.
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Oh damn. Obama for America just dropped the Keating bomb, high-quality video and all.
keatingeconomics.com/
Months back, I heard whispers through the Net that Keating Five and the S&L crisis would re-surface when the time was right. "Ripe" is probably more like it.
Posted 10 months ago.
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That's a pretty compelling video, April. But the people who really need to watch it likely (a) won't spend the time to watch it and (b) won't understand it. It may be pitched at too high a level for a good number of people.
Posted 10 months ago.
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You're right that enough won't see it. I'm hoping it will get the media talking. Sadly, they'll spar back and forth with talking points over substance and continue to frustrate or numb or dumb the viewing public. I hope I'm overly negative. :)
Attention New Media/Short Film/Obama Enthusiasts! (I know you're out there.) I just came across this short Obama-inspired film. I don't know much about this company, 1308 Films, but hey, they're new, it seems. The film is simple but I think that's the point, and worth watching. I found it through YouTube.
www.1308films.com/
(Specializing in viral videos? Interesting.)
palehorse, film extraordinaire, what do you think? I got all touchy-feely warm at one point.
ETA: It's just over five minutes, I think.
Originally posted 10 months ago.
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lauraannesummers edited this topic 10 months ago.
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When you promote a politics of fear and divisiveness, this is the result.
Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Go ahead, box me in a corner.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Real Clear's collated polling results now show 264 Obama/Biden, 163 McCain/Palin, 111 toss-up and if you call the tossups for their current leader it becomes 364 Obama/Biden, 174 McCain/Palin. fivethirtyeight.com shows 343.8 Obama/Biden to 194.2 McCain/Palin.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Well? Am I the only one rushing to this page after the debate?
I thought Obama was great.
Posted 9 months ago.
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No, I'm here, too.
Notice that John McCain refused to shake Obama's hand, and Obama ended up shaking Cindy McCain's hand instead?
I thought McCain talked down to people in a fake empathy sing-song voice.
But, for most people, I think the debate looked pretty even.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Nope, I checked a little while ago and no one had posted yet so I went to check out MSNBC's Live Vote.
I thought Obama did a great job tonight and again was the clear winner. I also felt that McCain seemed to be talking down to people in that overly soft voice and constantly saying "my friend" when addressing the audience. I also found it interesting how the audience reacted once it was all over. More people seemed genuinely excited to be shaking Obama's hand and were clearly showing big wide smiles when talking to him.
And MSNBC's live vote is again showing Obama as the clear winner. It's a little early and not too many have voted but I think our guy did great!
Posted 9 months ago.
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Oh, and when he referred to Obama as "that one" - wow, just wow! The guy is just so clueless how that clearly came across to the audience... it totally pissed me off and again showed just how condescending and disrespectful McCain is.
And I wish someone would call McCain on his constantly mentioning how he suspended his campaign when he did not!! He continued to campaign, he continued to accept donations and he continued to run ads on tv so how is that suspending his campaign?!
Poll results I've found so far:
CBS News:
Obama : 82.65%
McCain: 15.93%
MSNBCs Live Vote:
Obama: 87%
McCain: 11%
Originally posted 9 months ago.
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FireflyFlanatic edited this topic 9 months ago.
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Yay, here you all are! They're both pretty good at this kind of thing and it's hard to imagine what it all looks like to "undecided" voters, but I thought Obama was so clear and steady tonight, and McCain a little more rambly and unsure of himself. I didn't register McCain's "that one" while watching. His manner and his way of speaking sometimes remind me a little of my father-in-law and so I just took it as him kind of being light-hearted (um, about something really serious) but we'll see how it plays.
ETA my father-in-law would be really mad if he knew I thought that!
Originally posted 9 months ago.
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catherine_31 edited this topic 9 months ago.
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Well, a lot of the content was stuff we had heard before and most of the debate was fairly even or slightly in favour of Obama. Can't say I cared for the format much, not enough time for the candidates to respond to the others' comments (except when the rules were ignored). McCain's wanderings were a bit odd and the constant use of "my friends" was irritating, but FireflyFlanatic mentioned what, for me, was the most important moment - McCain referring to Obama as "that one". I expect it to get picked up in the media and go over incredibly badly with voters.
Posted 9 months ago.
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I'm watching MSNBC right now and they are definitely talking about the "that one" comment and not in a good way. Yup, I'm seeing that becoming a big topic over the next day or too.
I'm not a big fan of the town hall format either but this was supposed to be McCain's favored format and he seemed very stiff and uncomfortable at times to me. Obama was clearly comfortable when he was addressing the crowd and seemed to be on top and very sharp with his answers.
Now they're going to be talking about the fact that Obama hung around after the debate and mingled with the crowd while McCain seemed to disappear. That was a big error in judgement imo as well because you could clearly see how excited the crowd was to be talking with Obama and having their pictures taken with him and it went on for quite awhile. I even commented to my daughter about McCain seeming to disappear.
Posted 9 months ago.
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The "that one" comment really got under my skin, as well. Such disrespect. How can McCain NOT understand that his contempt for his opponent turns people off, and works against him? How can someone who shows such open contempt for an opponent expect to work across the aisle?
And what was the bit about McCain's not selecting Brokaw as Sec of Treasury? What a bizarre moment!
I'm glad to hear that Obama appears to have won the debate. I thought he kept his cool under McCain's attacks, and he really sounds so much more presidential. How can anybody see McCain as having a "steady hand on the tiller" after his chaotic behavior over the bailout and his "suspension" of his campaign?
And it sounds as though McCain may have pissed off his base with the mortgage buyout position. Yea! Maybe some of the Republicans will stay at home on Nov 4th.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Ha ha ha!! Just saw this on the debate discussion thread on teamxbox:
i35.tinypic.com/2hdpgli.jpg
Posted 9 months ago.
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Ya, the "that one" moment pissed me off too. I think it's possible that he didn't shake Obama's hand because his hand is injured from the war. Could be wrong. He did pat him on the back. Scroll down to see what you think.
wheniwrite.com/2008/10/07/john-mccain-refuses-to-shake-ha...
Obama was the clear winner.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Apparently, they did shake hands: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_MKwVBZRY
Posted 9 months ago.
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Thanks, samatwitch. I'm glad there was a moment of gentlemanly courtesy, even if McCain seemed to want to get the moment over as quickly as possible.
Posted 9 months ago.
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The VP debate was more interesting, only because we had no idea what to expect.
McCain came off less erratic than the erratic nature of his campaign. I figure his supporters found his performance good enough, despite the condescending digs. I noticed the Republican dissatisfaction with the homeowner mortgage idea when watching a re-broadcast. Cheap ploy, and hopefully enough see through that charade. I might as well say LIE but I can't substantiate that beyond gut feeling.
Obama is the man. Cool, calm, and collected. I don't know how people can listen to him and ignore his thoughtful understanding. He had a few faltering moments and a couple unfortunate flubs (we're safer now), but overall he maintained that necessary presidential air.
Posted 9 months ago.
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My friend whose husband knows some of the members of Congress spoke with Biden last week, and, according to him, the word on the Hill is that both House and Senate members see the race as a done deal. McCain is toast. Let's hope the public continues to agree.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Forgot to post this:
www.someecards.com/upload/somewhat_topical/sarah_palins_d...
Posted 9 months ago.
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Not 20 minutes after the debate last night I saw this posted on twitter:
www.cafepress.com/that1
I'm starting to experience a strange and unfamiliar sensation...I think it's called optimism.
I can't seem to completely let go of my worry (surely something will go wrong in the next four weeks? War? A terrorist attack?) but I'm starting to imagine that Nov. 5th Willowy is going to come onto this thread & say, "See? I knew he'd do it. What were you so stressed out about?"
I've already got my ballot. Yay!
Posted 9 months ago.
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Vote That One 08. Brilliant :).
Posted 9 months ago.
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I'm feeling it too, jcurries! After the sinking feeling I got as the numbers came in for the last two elections (when I wasn't even living in the US) this crazy optimism is an altogether New Thing! Back when Bill Clinton was running, I was not really interested in US politics, so it's really the first time I've watched a presidential election closely without getting a stomachache.
Of course... the pessimist in me fears that he'll be walking into such a disaster that he won't be able to "change" things as much as people want / are expecting in four years and that'll be the end of that. But I am... yes... "hopeful." And truly, truly excited to see an American president that the whole world can get behind and cheer for. As a Canadian with British parents, I grew up with a kind of casual, dismissive anti-Americanism that I never really questioned until I ... well, grew up, I guess. Now I find that attitude in others so irritating, but George II has just made it so easy for people to sneer. The image that the US has abroad is one thing Obama can and will change very easily. The economy... well, fingers crossed, right?
Posted 9 months ago.
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On the subject of the bailouts -
www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/01/paul.qanda/index.html
www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/paul.bailout/
Dr. Paul speaks some uncomfortable truth about how we got into this mess.
Originally posted 9 months ago.
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zeitgeist_1975 (a group admin) edited this topic 9 months ago.
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Add my voice to those who think the town hall format was really awkward. It had to much structure to be informal and poor Tom Brokaw had quite a time trying to keep them from going over the time allowed. I saw they had the red/green/amber lights, but maybe there should have been an awards show orchestra to play them off.
Like his running mate, McCain tended not to answer the questions posed to him and I noticed he would stall for time with things like the "that's a good question" bit and then sometimes paraphrasing what Obama had just said-- sometimes even using the same words ('cynical' was one example). I didn't catch "that one" during the debate because I didn't realize he was referring to Obama. How rude and dismissive, especially with Barack sitting right there! I also noticed how when the camera showed Barack, he would look be looking at and seemed to be listening to McCain. When it was Barack's turn to speak, it seemed like McCain was either writing something or several times I noticed he looked down or away when Barack turned his way.
I hope someone in the post debate mentioned McCain assuming the young black man probably had never heard of Fannie and Freddie. I wonder if he made that assumption because he was younger or because he was black? Not exactly the best way to sway an undecided voter is it? And I swear to God if I hear the phrase "my friends" one more time I could just scream!
When Obama is elected president (no "if" anymore for me) I think it will be a miracle if he can get anything done since he will be inheriting such a disaster created by the Bush administration, but I think he has the intelligence, temperament and attitude this country needs right now. He really is the change we need.
Posted 9 months ago.
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On a lighter note: io9.com/5059126/sarah-palin--star-wars-hillary-clinton--s... - just for us geeks. :D
Posted 9 months ago.
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Someone just sent me a copy of an article written for the Guardian in London just after Palin's debate. (If someone else has posted this, I apologize. Just hit me over the head.) www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/oct/03/s...
The article takes on the press, as well, for treating her differently -- with deference, if you will -- and it concludes with the following:
"Evidently, Palin's pre-debate handlers judged her incapable of speaking on a fairly wide range of subjects, and so instructed to her to simply disregard questions that did not invite memorised talking points or cutesy filibustering. They probably told her to play up her spunky average-ness, which she did to the point of shtick - and dishonesty. Asked what her achilles heel is - a question she either didn't understand or chose to ignore - she started in on how McCain chose her because of her "connection to the heartland of America. Being a mom, one very concerned about a son in the war, about a special needs child, about kids heading off to college, how are we going to pay those tuition bills?"
None of Palin's children, it should be noted, is heading off to college. Her son is on the way to Iraq, and her pregnant 17-year-old daughter is engaged to be married to a high-school dropout and self-described "fuckin' redneck". Palin is a woman who can't even tell the truth about the most quotidian and public details of her own life, never mind about matters of major public import. In her only vice-presidential debate, she was shallow, mendacious and phoney. What kind of maverick, after all, keeps harping on what a maverick she is? That her performance was considered anything but a farce doesn't show how high Palin has risen, but how low we all have sunk."
Posted 9 months ago.
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Yep, I read and enjoyed that article, palehorse. I didn't post it though because if I linked to every article I liked over at The Guardian website, it'd be about ten a day :). However, this was a particularly good comment piece from today's paper: "The world needs the US to get over its cultural civil war - and fast".
It's a British paper btw, not a London one (they even sell it up here in Scotland ;). None of our major papers are linked to cities anymore and when they were, it was The Manchester Guardian.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Is it true that Rachel Maddow is going to be on the Jay Leno show tonight? I just heard that on Air America.
Posted 9 months ago.
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Yes, electricspacegirl, she announced that on her TV show as well.
Posted 9 months ago.
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