I’ve spent the day in two odd, contrasting worlds. The first was the final leg of the drive back from Denver to Seattle, wherein (since virtually nothing else is available on the radio dial) I listened to red-meat conservatives like Rush, Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and Laura Ingraham wax uber-enthusiastic over John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Then I got home, and I’ve been reading endless progressive blog posts and comments crowing over what a weak and disastrous pick Palin is.
On this one, I think the conservatives have it right. Palin is a brilliant pick, and instantly makes McCain more competitive in a way few VP picks could have done (or have ever done in the past). Here’s why.
Palin has two obvious weaknesses: her complete lack of experience and an ethics question about her (specifically) and anyone associated with the Republican Party in Alaska (more generally). Progressives are overrating both. Palin’s strong narrative as a reformer taking on Alaska’s corrupt old boy network will overwhelm her own love affair with Big Oil (the source of much of her state party’s ethics misery) and the relatively minor personnel matter she’s being investigated for. Moreover, it reinforces McCain’s own (inaccurate and manufactured) image as a reformer who’s battled against DC’s corrupt corporate culture.
Meanwhile, Palin’s thin resume does help the Democrats by contradicting that line of attack on Barack Obama. But it’s a non-issue for Palin. When was the last time someone declined to vote for a president because his running mate was inexperienced? The closest recent example was Bush Sr. picking Dan Quayle in 1988, and despite Quayle’s embarrassing lack of gravitas, Poppy won. Rather easily.
And Sarah Palin is no Dan Quayle. She’s a perfect fit for McCain’s campaign in several respects:
* She’s an extreme social conservative, someone the party base can enthusiastically mobilize around — which they weren’t doing for McCain. He just picked up a ton of volunteer energy.
* But Palin’s likeable and doesn’t come off as wingnut-crazy — meaning she can appeal to low-information independents in a way that, say, Tom Coburn never could.
* Her gender doesn’t just court (OK, pander to) disaffected Hillary supporters. It also negates some of the “historic” zeitgeist surrounding Obama’s campaign, because her election would be ground-breaking, too.
* Her personal story is compelling on any number of levels: blue collar, working mother, part-Eskimo husband, Downs Syndrome infant (that she refused to abort), son in Iraq. It helps counter the Obamas’ very appealing family narrative, which was on full display in Denver.
* And she’s physically attractive. Which matters. Ask (hetero) women if they think Obama is cute. (Hint: he is.)
As a bonus, Palin even helps lock up Alaska’s three electoral votes for McCain — believe it or not, polls had Alaska in play, between Obama’s appeal to independents and the troubles of Ted Stevens, Don Young, et al.
Note that all of these attributes are about McCain getting elected — not what Palin would actually bring to the job of Vice President of the United States. She is no Gore or Cheney; she is not being expected to play a significant role in a McCain White House, the way Biden surely would for Obama. But that doesn’t matter unless you win, and McCain just increased his chances of winning in a way that picking Mitt Romney or any of the other names that were bandied about never would have.
It’s easy to mock McCain for, essentially, picking a trophy VP. Except that Sarah Palin is only a means to the trophy McCain really wants. With her selection, he has served notice that Obamamania or no, McCain will continue to be a formidable candidate right through November.
@0 Geov: This all may be true…
But Sarah Palin seems to me to be a bungling mistake for the GOP as Governor. She gets even more points by being worth more to the GOP if they can get her the hell out of Alaska.
The GOP needed to pull “Loose Cannon” Sarah Palin out of Alaska and put her on the campaign trail–where her continued bungling can’t mess things-up further for the corrupt and powerful Republicans in Alaska, and their cronies who work for certain oil companies that Palin was too stupid to kiss-up to.
From the Associated Press:
Palin candidacy raises eyebrows in Alaska
http://ap.google.com/article/A.....AD92S74KO0
…and I think the election will be determined by whether Obama makes a mistake in the next two months or now. Exactly who McCain’s VP is won’t matter that much.
I think Geov has an excellent analysis. Palin will be a significant boost to McCain’s campaign, and make this race extremely competitive.
Those are fair and well thought out points, but she’s just too strange of a pick. Too small time, too oddball and too right wing. Ted Stevens is going on trial in September and now the national media will have to focus on Alaska. The initial narrative of a “reformer” will likely suffer on closer examination.
Palin is the Ellen Chenoweth of 2008.
The fundamentalists have had their day and then some. After people come to understand her far-right Christianist positions, they will reject her, just like they’ve come to reject Dobson, et al. It’s a desperate play by McCain, one that has little chance of success and will probably backfire.
In a few days the media bounce is over, and so is the McCain campaign.
Ed Rollins, who served as political director for President Reagan, is a Republican strategist who was national chairman of Mike Huckabee’s campaign, wrote an illuminating commentary as well. See:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITI.....index.html
The wingnuts over at (un)SP were touting her “executive” experience as mayor of a town with around 6000 people. Wow what experience:
@3 Jon: Why would the Republican Base reject someone with far-right Christianist positions?
Ed Rollins, who served as political director for President Reagan, is a Republican strategist who was national chairman of Mike Huckabee’s campaign, also has an interesting (somewhat similar) commentary over on cnn.com.
@ 5 Dave–
Some will, but some won’t. There are plenty of Republicans who don’t want right wing religious freaks dictating end of life decisions, ala Schiavo, for example. I think the electorate as a whole, if the Democratic Party gets after Palin as it should, will reject her extremist beliefs.
And since this has come up elsewhere, the issue isn’t whether Palin should have carried a Down’s syndrome baby to term, the issue is whether she would use the government to force other women to carry a Down’s syndrome baby to term. This is serious, real life stuff that people will discuss. She’s out of the mainstream completely.
I dunno Geov… a 72-year-old man in remission from cancer just picked a VP with less than two years in office as a governor.
Obama talked a lot about judgment last night, and I think the two presidential candidates have clearly displayed their judgment in their VP choices.
Clever choice, sure.
Brilliant, not so sure about that.
The other shoe can drop about this lightweight something fierce.
Half of Alaska is cheering for her ascension to Washington, the other half is cheering for her ascension – out of Alaska and out of their hair.
Geov,
You ain’t serious are you? She does, at least, have a college degree. That is better than what Doc Hastings has. Beyond that, she’s got nothing to offer? Piper, my buddy, I know you think this is a good pick for McCain. Explain it, m’lad.
The basic issue of her carrying a Down’s Syndrome baby to term is if she had the choice to do so. Ultimately it was her decision to do so. So she was able to choose what to do with her body.
Would she then, stop other women from choosing what to do with their bodies?
Except for the fact that McCain is older than dirt and people will rightly look at the VP as a possible President. And he’s been claiming how important experience is throughout this whole campaign. The VP has one important job–to be President should it be required. Are people going to look at this person and think “Yeah…I’d trust her with healthcare, social security, and Afghanistan”? I certainly hope not.
Mostly there’s McCain’s overt decision to put politics over governing. I’m hoping that people have had enough of that after the last eight years as well.
“The other shoe can drop about this lightweight something fierce”
Well who’s more lightweight than the dancing darkie of the party of the Seditious & Sleazy YLB?
“Would she then, stop other women from choosing what to do with their bodies?”
You mean stop stupid sluts from committing murder David?
“Obama talked a lot about judgment last night, and I think the two presidential candidates have clearly displayed their judgment in their VP choices“…
Yes indeed, Hussein the Inane picks yet another LIBTARD liar who’s only claim to fame is shoving his foot in his mouth every chance he gets…
The slag whines: “Mostly there’s McCain’s overt decision to put politics over governing. I’m hoping that people have had enough of that after the last eight years as well“…
Hmmm, as if the dancing darkie who’s only claim to fame is pandering to parasites is ready to govern…
Hilarious!
Face it LIBTARDS for all your whining and mewling Palin has more experience and a better track record than anyone coming from the party of the Seditious & Sleazy…
Short term, it gets McCain a boost, and distracted everyone from talking about his 72nd birthday, and the 3rd anniversary of the drowning of New Orleans. It won’t last.
The evangelicals have started moving to the left on the environment and these days a move to the left on the environment is a move to the left on energy as well.
When Biden rips Palin apart in a debate she’ll look like the cheap, cynical, ploy that she is. People don’t like that kind of shit.
Bottom line:
The went with Palin because they couldn’t get anyone better to sign on.
That voice of Palin’s is grating as hell.
I wonder when the swimsuit pictures from her beauty pageants are going to start showing up.
I don’t think the Bush/Quayle analogy works. Quayle had served in the house and senate before getting picked for the VP. He had been in DC since ’77. Palin’s been the governor of a state with a population half the size of King County for about a year and a half.
Bush and Quayle were both old-money blue-bloods at a time when old-money blue-bloods still held a ton of power and respect. McCain and Palin have nothing remotely similar to count on. George Will is about the only one left and he’s not real hip on McCain.
And last, but not least, in ’88 Americans were still in love with St. Ronnie. If he could have been elected to a third term he would have been. The couldn’t have Ronnie so people elected his V.P.
OMG!!! I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if there are nudes!
@3
I really hope that’s true.
I have to agree with Geov on this one. But more importantly the Palin pick highlights some subtle contrasts and similarities between the campaigns. They both have historic claims working for them (race and gender) and they both have the experience arguments nulled out but reversed. In a way this pick neutralizes either camp’s ability to make hay about the other camp’s weaknesses. McCain has to let go of his Obama has no experience argument and Obama has necessarily softened his change argument by going with Joe “We’re going to bomb the shit out of Pakistan, just you watch” Biden.
Ultimately, I think this election is about oil prices pure and simple. McCain can’t win this election unless gas comes under $3.00. By picking Palin, McCain is offering a distraction to the oil endgame, suggesting that domestic production is the panacea. Something that low information voters might actually accept even while they are sucking up the present reality of gas prices.
I think Bill Clinton is right when he says Obama is on the right side of history, but it ain’t going to be a cake walk to win this election. Let’s not forget that it took Ross Perot to let Clinton win. I don’t see that story playing out in this Election. More talk about Bob Barr is needed. And you know what would be a brilliant move by the Obama camp? To let Bob Barr into the debates. Show that he truly is a consensus player and that he is open to many voices. McCain will hate it but if properly boxed in he can’t do anything about it.
And finally, I worry about the euphoria of the Obama enthusiasts. A little guarded optimism is in order I think, lest we forget the strategic end game. And this is what Geov is offering a little dose of reality to tamper down the euphoria.
Geov,
You are 100% correct. Other than possibly Ridge this is the best possible pick McCain could have made. As Democrats the only area I think we can effectivly attack her is on policy. This pick more than offsets the Democratic Convention.
Geov …
I think your description of Palin hits the target but I also think your conclusions are wrong … except at the Gubernatorial level in this state. .
Here is my reasoning:
The American people are not going to support creationism, global warming denial, Christ in the schools, nad the benificence of big oil.
Here is a precis for the needed campaign ads:
Hillary’s voice … images of suffragettes, Taubman,Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chilsolm, marching through a minidocumentary …. then shifts to Palin ..shooting an automatic rifle, demonstrating against getal “murder,” etc . voce says, “With all due rest, Mrs Palin, I know these women and you have a long way to go before you can claim that mantle.”
MOVE-ON cartoon … interperses clips form the Manchurian candidate with McC in Hanoi ocnfessing, then nominating Palin, Ends with a phone ringing at 3 AM and a coice calling Joh? John? wake up John!!!
Al Gore voice over … polar bears at play but afrift, John McCain calims to be a maverick because he does not follow Bush’s kool-aid on global warmng, but then he chooses .. Palin denying golbal warming.
SNL …ob=val office, McC asleep while pig tailed veep plays witht the toys on his desk.
Clips of Palin with oil ocmpnay execs, interspersed with “Alaskans pay no taxes because YOU pau their taxes)!
all this is red meat for Axelrod. McC has worked mightily to distinguish himself from not just Bush but the radical republicans. Palin is to easy to turn into a characture . She is a PTA hocky Mom who is also a global warming denier, Christ in the schools, creationist, who thinks oil companies are teddy bears.
BUT!!
BUT!!!
Palin is bad news for Gregoire and for Darcy.
Rossi is already running as an Obama=change/Rossi=change candidate. Palin makes Gregoire seem like a twert.
Darcy’s one note plus feminism campaign now will ru into Rossi-Palin pairing. She can make thne sheriff look daring.
Geov,
Thank you for the well thought-out analysis. And I admire your willingness to go against conventional Democratic thought on the Palin choice. You have inspired me to try to be more rational, and less troll-like in my comments.
Geov–
Good analysis.
The debates will likely decide the winner of this race and prove out whether Sarah Palin was the right choice.
O-blah-blah is really between a rock & a hard place on this choice. His campaign attack dogs immediately criticized her…then he came out with his tail ‘tween his legs to congratulate her and admit his campaign had a hair-trigger reaction…for 2 reasons:
1) Palin is a woman and women will decide this election. O-blah-blah already dissed Hillary twice.
2) O-blah-blah has little experience himself to qualify as Chief Exec. Spending 3 years trying to get asbetos out of a building, community organizer and Rezko flunky don’t count.
3) Biden & Clinton both said O-blah-blah is not ready to lead. You will see those ads until Election Day.
I give McCain an A+ for having the balls to make this choice. I like her. I like Biden (even though he is a plagarizer who quit the 1988 race in disgrace). Can she stand the heat??? Time will tell.
SJ sez:
“Palin makes Gregoire seem like a twert.”
You’ve got that right. Gregoire increases spending by $8 BILLION and creates a monumental Budget Trainwreck of $2.9 BILLION in the upcoming biennium by pandering to the State Employees Union, Indian Tribes etc…..Palin cuts spending drastically, stands up to Oil, Unions whoever and gives citizens a $1200 tax rebate!
Gregoire screwed the pooch in a strong Washington Economy while Palin did it in struggling Alaska. They love Palin in Alaska. 88% Approval Rating.
Gregoire’s approval rating will plummet when contrasted with what Palin did in just 2 years!
@26 Cynic ..
Alaska?? Struggling??? Gimmmeabreak!
But, yes Palin is a very good foil for the Rossi and Reichert crew. She gives them something to use as an emblem of change.
I think Gregoire is in deep trouble. She will only strengthen Rossi if she attacks his religious base. Palin adds grist to his claim to be an outsider. Watch out for her hubby the Alaskan!
Darcy has more room to maneuver. Given the high level of tech in her District, she should attach Reichert to Palin’s views on creationism and global warming.
Gregoire bested Rossi in the Primary by less than 2 points..or 27,000 votes with nearly 5 points going to other candidates.
Despite our lovable buffoon, Richard Pope’s, intense lawyerly number jockeying & detailed analysis that predicted it would be 5 points or more! Had to give you that jab Richard. Leave the numbers to the numbers people, ok?
SJ–
I think the Gregoire Camp is in toxic shock. If Rossi is able to use Palin’s record of accomplishment in Alaska and contrast it effectively with Gregoire’s record of massive spending increases and pandering…he can score huge points. And he doesn’t need many.
If Palin and her accomplishments are brought in to compare & contrast to…will Gregoire foolishly attack her?? We can only hope.
Gregoire is 100% on the defensive…not a good place to be in a close race. Until she comes forward with her tentative Budget Proposal for the next biennium showing what cuts and what tax increases she proposes, she will continue to flounder. SHE created the $2.9 BILLION Deficit!! It was because of her choices and a failure to react & adjust. It’s called a lack of leadership SJ. I’ve heard the weak defenses by her minions blaming Bush and whatever. The fact is she did nothing for many, many months…and her so-called hiring and travel freeze are not even mandated, they say SHOULD (not must).
Palin would have never increased spending by $8 BILLION…neither would Rossi.
I was for it before I was against it!
I guess the Mr Smith goes to Washington pitch on how she told congress she didn’t need the money for the bridge to nowhere, is quite how it happened.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs.....where.aspx
I was for it before I was against it.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs.....where.aspx
Palin is a PURELY cynical pick. And while she might help with some portion of the base. She’s also possibly a dangerous pick since there are MANY republicans who think a woman’s place is in the home. And more still who don’t want the former mayor of a small town in Alaska one heartbeat (especially one 72 year old man’s heartbeat) away from the Oval Office.
The pick of Palin was for 11/4/2008 and not one day beyond. It’s “McCain First” – not “Country First”.
HOOHOOOOHAAAAHAAAHAAAAA!!!!!
Dumbest pick ever.
I won’t pick on you Geov, it was a long drive.
But this is going to slowly melt the McCain bid for the White House. It is simply not a serious choice. It is a inane choice at any time, much less when we are fighting two wars. Sarah Palin as POTUS? Who doesn’t fit in this grouping?
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Clinton, Palin?
Dan Quayle was John Adams compared to Palin.
Dan Quayle was a former congressman, a two term US Senator was he was selected. He had a law degree.
Here is what the President of the Alaska State Senate, A REPUBLICAN, said about her:
“She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?”
Oh yeah that “bridge to nowhere”
She canceled it…and kept the federal money.
Sarah Palin also doubled the sales tax as mayor.
How do you like her now, ditto heads?
But, as a VP candidate, she will make a great celebrity.
Sarah Palin as VP. That’s hot!!
I would highlight her resume more, but that about covers it.
McCain was going to pick Condi Rice, but Condi had no experience as the mayor of a small town in Alaska.
What are you Neo-socialists worried about? Your lad’s gonna win in November. Talking about Palin is about as useful as talking about the beans at last Sunday’s dinner: they might have been a healthy choice and made a lot of noise (a few hours later), but they don’t matter now.
Dave, Dave, Dave@1 it raised the eyebrows of Dermot Cole.
Wow, I wonder if he’s a libtard newspaper columnist?!
#38
Your analogy is spot on!
However, in this case, the “bean dinner” is going to be sitting on the table for the next ten weeks.
Looking worse and worse with every day that goes by.
Palin’s been the governor of a state with the land mass that extends from Florida to California and has most of the best salmon in the world.
So if you moonbat!s don’t like her; show your disdain! Stop eating Alaskan based food products.
Salmon
Alaskan King Crab
Halibut
etc., etc., etc.
Nuff Said!
Speaking of low information voters – here’s some information you idiots don’t know. You won’t find it on Daily Kurse, DUmmys, or Stink Progressives.
Obama is for Cap and Trade. Can you Moonbat!s tell me what favorite Donkey organization did more to pressure Congress to move into cap and trade than anybody else?
Guess?
It’s the favorite of headless lucy and other leftist loudmouths.
Enron! OMG
LMBBAO!
SeattleJew my friend:
John McCain believes in global warming. Apparently you are working to hard at the U my Dr. friend.
Big Oil pays most of the Alaskan budget through taxes!
Didn’t Obama say “I’m going to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas.”
Where did John McCain say that?
Didn’t Obama say: “I’ll eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and startups that will create the higher wage, high tech jobs of tomorrow.”
However, I already told you libtards he wants to raise the capital gains tax. I gave you the %age increase. Now I dug out he wants to 2X capital gains tax for everybody.
So for example if you have a 401K plan, will Obama tax it? Seems so!
So for example, if you have a retirement fund, Cha-ching, will Obama tax it? Seems so!
John McCain didn’t say that.
@ 37 – Condi is also black, that’s the third strike against her.
Wow even for Puddylicker – this is getting embarrassing – the land mass? Are you fucking kidding me?
Alaska has about 600,000 residents. MANY American cities have a greater population. We don’t award electoral college votes based on land mass Puddylicker – although an inbred, home-schooled ass-lick like you might not know that. We award electoral votes based on population. And Alaska has three – count em’ three.
This bitch Palin has about 18 months experience as Governor of a state with a very small population. That equates to having the experience of a local mayor in a big city. Nothing more.
The fact that she has no experience won’t hurt HER. Since rethugs vote based on “social” values like being anti-abortion. They don’t care about the country, they care about winning.
But what Palin’s pick DOES DO is take the experience off the table as far as President Obama is concerned. For that reason alone, I’m glad they picked her. I was hoping for the mormon maggot Romney – but I’ll settle for an inexperienced bitch with ethics problems.
bybygoober: You forgot, she didn’t vote for the Iraq War.
Experience? Wasn’t it you moonbat!s last week saying no one votes for the VP when we explained how Biden voted for the war, plagiarized Neil Kinnock and had his East Indian macaca Dunkin Donuts/7-11 moment?
So bybygoober what gives?
Damn, dumb question. Your blog debating opponent must have a working brain!
Waaaa haaaaaa haaaaaaa haaaaaaaa haa waaa haaa haaa aaahhh haaaa haaaa
I understand a good part of Palin’s “executive” experience is running a town known for all its gravel pits with rusting old cars and extraction gear in them.
What’s the “pride and joy” of Wasilla? They’re on their third Wal-Mart!
So bybygoober and yelling loser boy, if you don’t like her boycott the state’s products.
Puddy,
I thought you were voting for Obama?
Palin is nothing more than the mayor of a mid-size city. The mayors of LA, NY and Chicago work with larger budgets.
This woman is simply not qualified to be VP. She lacks education and experience. I do not want her just one heartbeat (or lack thereof) away from the presidency of my country.
You know she is not qualified but your blindness to any wrong on the Republican side has caused you to defend the indefensible.
My statement is irrefutable: Sarah Palin is not qualified to be VP. Therefore she is not qualified to be President. The choice was shows horrible judgment on McSame’s part. He is reaching for the brass ring and not thinking about his country.
He might as well have asked an Alaskan Moose to be VP.
Note to RR: I hug bunnies.
What gets me about Palin is why didn’t McCain pick Huckabee as Veep?
Easy. Mike didn’t know when to shut up. He ran a disastrous campaign – after winning Iowa, he tanked New Hampshire something fiece. He looked a little too unPresidential with his bass guitar. Worst of all – he raised taxes as Governor and talked populist – always a threat to the corporate/Club for Growth crowd.
Funny Sarah has raised taxes too – doubling them on the oil and gas industry and now we learn boosting the sales tax. “Redistributing” oil/gas company profits to Alaskans in the form of $1200+ checks seems pretty populist to me.
Or should I say “socialist”?
At the end of the day Sarah is as fundy as you can get, has a vicious mean-streak and it appears she can play the game deferring to men, taking orders and coaching from those who really matter – Papa Rove and his corporate masters. She can shut up and wait for the ultimate prize – the Oval Office after hapless Johnny McSame kicks the bucket or becomes incapacitated and resigns.
Obama: Harvard educated lawyer, top (very top) of his class. Law professor. State legislator. United States Senator.
Palin: Mom of 5 (nothing else to do in Alaska). Small town mayor (busy body who did not want to stay home with kids). Governor of tiny state (population wise, think Wyoming spread out) journalism degree from U of Idaho (wanted to work for ESPN).
How does this compare? Do you really think her decision making ability is greater than Obama’s. Sure you do, she is a Republican and everyone knows how smart and superior they all are.
Give me a fuckin’ break.
Palin is nothing more than the mayor of a mid-size city.
That’s being very kind…
Given McCain’s age, health history (repeated bouts with the most malign form of skin cancer), and apparent dementia, there’s a good chance Palin would become president.
The Republican claim that Palin is qualified to be commander-in-chief because her son will be going to Iraq is a joke.
The rest of her resume is equally thin: Until 20 months ago, she was mayor of a town about the size of a rural fire district in Washington state.
The scandal in which she’s currently embroiled may be a “minor personnel matter” compared to, say, the Bush/Rove U.S. attorney scandal; but it represents an abuse of power of the most disturbing kind: Using a powerful public office to seek private revenge … and lying about it.
If McCain wanted a woman on the ticket for whatever reason, he could have picked from a slew of prominent Republicans (e.g., Sen. Olympia Snowe, or ex-CEO Carly Fiorina), instead of choosing this nonentity.
Sober-minded voters will interpret McCain’s selection of Palin as:
* A cynical ploy to get votes
* An impulsive gut decision that calls into serious question McCain’s ability to make reflective decisions
* A callous disregard for the best interests of the country should he die or become disabled
Voters who vote for the McCain-Palin ticket merely because Palin is a former beauty queen with a pretty face will deserve exactly what the get. Unfortunately, the rest of us don’t, and such a vote is a betrayal of their country and community.
Palin’s selection will cements the hypocrisy of local Republicans who argued Darcy Burner should be a stay-at-home mom. Of course, that argument was always two-faced and hypocritical, because Cathy McMorris also has an infant. But then, Republicans are two-faced and hypocritical on every issue under the sun, and that still doesn’t stop stupid self-destructive people from voting for them.
The notion of Sarah Palin becoming vice president, and possibly president in the wake of an aging and increasingly feeble-minded John McCain being unable to carry out his duties, is an insult to voters and mocks our democracy. But then, when haven’t Republicans insulted the intelligence of voters and mocked the idea of democracy? Their every thought and action evinces contempt for the ordinary people of America.
In this respect, elevating a small-town mayor who believes creationism should be taught in public schools to the No. 2 spot on their national ticket is completely in character.
It’s a bizarro world we live in. Limpblows will skewer the “Huckster” for his populist tax-raising, for not being a true “conservative”.
But Sarah? I don’t know, I don’t listen to the moron but I think the tune is quite different.
Wave the White Flag
By selecting far-right religionist Palin, McCain’s surrender to the wacko right is complete.
@11 Palin’s afflicted baby is a special gift from the God-spirit. The extra care and nurturing such children require teach us new things about ourselves. That is why the God-spirit sends them to us. There is a positive purpose behind everything the God-spirit does, even in the cradle of human tragedy. In this case, the God-spirit wants Palin to be a full-time mom. Anything else is against the God-spirit’s plan for Palin’s life.
Charlotte, NC; Memphis, TN; Fort Worth, TX; Columbus, OH; San Franciso, CA; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, Florida; Detroit, MI; San Jose, CA; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; San Antonio, TX; all have a larger population than Alaska.
For Christ’s sake, El Paso, TX is nearly as big.
This pick is pandering to the right, based on a desire to win and not what is in our country’s best interest.
McSame has to be wondering WTF did I do?
@42
The Sierra Club and just about everyone else is for cap and trade. The disagreement is on where to put the cap.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 … These are the stakes …”
Imagine Acting President Palin deciding whether to unleash our nuclear missiles against Russia, or deciding whether to go to war with China over Taiwan, based on her experiences as “commander” of the Alaska National Guard.
It’s time to ressurect LBJ’s “daisy” ad.
@13 Just what this blog needs — another rightwing racist slob. Not! We’re already plentifully supplied with those and adding another is merely cloying.
@42 Of course Big Business is for the environment … when they can make money off it. Enron visualized itself as a trader of pollution allowances, dummy! In fact, they hoped to control the market. As for the environment, all they carried about was the potential profits, and didn’t give a rap whether granny choked to death in Cleveland.
62 – Reminds me of that old hater ProudASS or maybe that hateful name morphing troll.
A Republican is like a skunk — it can be useful for fertilizing your garden if you have it de-stinked and keep it on a leash.
53. My Left Foot spews:
Obama: Harvard educated lawyer, top (very top) of his class. Law professor. State legislator. United States Senator
Harvard Educated Lawyer–STEEEEEEEEERIKE 1
Top of his Class—STEEEEERIKE 2
Law Professor—–2 classes, big deal
State Legislator—in corrupt Chi-Town where he made sure is unseemly developer buddies got public money for slums
US Senator–Most Liberal of all 100 Senators.
Has spent most of his time in the Senate running for President
STEEEEEEERIKE 3!!!!!
Look, you KLOWNS can squeal all you want about Palin. It merely focuses the attention on O-blah-blah’s lack of experience & accomplishments.
O-blah-blah’s only accomplishment I can find is taking 3 years to get asbestos out of a slumly Guv’mint Housing Project.
Also, O-blah-blah’s affiliations with Wright, Flager, Ayers, Rezko et al shows both his poor judgment and propensity to hang with nutjobs & felons!!!!!!!!!!
This is a great Presidential Race.
O-blah-blah could very well pull defeat out of the jaws of certain victory.
After the Republican Convention, my guess is O-blah-blah will be ahead by a couple of points with a lot of States in play.
It will come down to the debates.
O-blah-blah doesn’t even write his own speeches that he dramatizes with the teleprompter. Why is O-blah-blah afraid to do Town Meetings with McCain???
Because he believes what his handlers tell him to believe.
Biden v. Palin will make for great TV. 2 fearless combatants. Palin will obviously quote Biden who TWICE said O-blah-blah was not qualified and then said “I stand by that statement”.
She will confront him on that and his plagarism scandal. She is fearless.
Biden is the loose cannon.
@59 “McSame has to be wondering WTF did I do?”
The frightening thing is this thought will never occur to him.
@51 “Palin is nothing more than the mayor of a mid-size city.”
That’s too generous. She was the mayor of a small town the size of a tiny rural fire district. And, apparently, a not very good mayor at that.
All that John McSame accomplished with the Palin pick was victory over one news cycle. The hangover of this most cynical choice will linger through to the election. McSame clearly put his political ambition way ahead of the country’s interest as we contemplate the disastrous impact of McSame’s future infirmity. McSame didn’t just roll the dice on his future-he rolled them on our future. It is the most despicable act I have ever seen a politician commit.
It’s politically stupid too. Does anyone think that any leftover PUMAs who weren’t for McCain already will be swayed by this anti choice, anti science, pro-oil drilling, anti equal pay, gun-toting wingnut?
McSame’s lack of presidential judgment is on full display with this craven piece of political hackery. Given hard choices in the White House, why would we expect to see anything other than a series of Hail Mary passes from this inveterate and intemperate gambler? We have had 8 long years of a president who decides from his “gut”. It is long past time that we had a president who decides with his brain.
And the voters in November will punish McSame for his serious lack of judgment and his nasty temperment. The choice of Sarah Palin won’t help him one bit.
THOSE WHO KNOW HER BEST…. There’s never been a politician from Alaska on the national stage before, so I kind of expected Alaskans and the Alaskan media to have a decidedly positive attitude about Sarah Palin joining the Republican ticket. It’s not exactly turning out that way.
* The Daily News-Miner in Fairbanks: ” She has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land…. Most people would acknowledge that, regardless of her charm and good intentions, Palin is not ready for the top job. McCain seems to have put his political interests ahead of the nation’s when he created the possibility that she might fill it.”
* State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin’s hometown of Wasilla: “She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?”
* Dermot Cole, a longtime columnist for Alaska’s second largest newspaper, The Daily News-Miner, called McCain’s choice of Palin “reckless” and questioned her credentials.
* Mike Doogan, a former columnist now serving as a Democrat in the state legislature: “John McCain looked all over the United States to find the single Republican who is qualified to be, as the saying goes, a heartbeat away from the presidency, and he came up with Sarah Palin. Really? … [L]et’s be honest here. Her resume is as thin as the meat in a vending machine sandwich…. The long and short of it is this: We’re not sure she’s a competent governor of Alaska. And yet McCain, who is no spring chicken, has decided she’s the best choice to replace him as president if he should win and then fall afoul of the Grim Reaper. Sarah Palin? Really?”
* The Anchorage Daily News’ Gregg Erickson: “[Palin] tends to oversimplify complex issues, has had difficulty delegating authority, and clearly has some difficulty distinguishing the line between her public responsibilities and private wishes…. It is clear that she has not paid much attention to the nitty-gritty unglamorous work of government, of gaining consensus, and making difficult compromises. She seems to be of the view that politics should be all rather simple. That often appeals to the wider public, but frustrates those who see themselves as laboring in the less glamorous parts of the vineyard.”
Erickson’s description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn’t it?
Geov’s analysis was pretty spot-on. Y’all should be worried.
If you compare records, Palin started in politics in 1992, a full 5 years prior to Obama. City councilman, mayor, state commissioner, Governor. Obama- state senator, US senator.
And she’s in the #2 spot on the ticket, not the top spot. Experience is an issue and it doesn’t work well for your team.
Experienced leader for president with an up-and-comer as VP is the standard model.
And frankly, her pick will mobilize the “meh, I’ll vote for him, but I won’t work for him” part of the base.
@28 Oh yes, by all means, use Palin to attack Gregoire!!! ROFLMAO!!!
Btw, Cyn, primary results have no predictive value for the general election. Primary voters tend to be party activists, and primaries don’t reflect how independents and those who don’t closely follow politics will vote. 2008 will not be a replay of 2004 for two reasons: First, Rossi won’t get away with his false facade as a “moderate” this time; and second, this year he doesn’t have the benefit of a Libertarian candidate sucking away tens of thousands of gay votes from the Democratic candidate. Sorry, Cynical, but Rossi’s going to lose, and he’ll probably lose big. The only Republicans likely to survive the looming 2008 GOP election debacle are their entrenched congresspersons, Rob McKenna, and an ever-diminishing number of legislators from the unpopulated jackrabbit counties.
And keep working the misogyny angle too. That’s always a winner.
71 – Thanks but we’re not. Sarah’s a hoot for sure. Great entertainment. I’m having a ball reading the Alaskan papers about “Saracuda” and “the Mat-Su Barbie”.
Her husband’s a piece of work to boot.
@21 “As Democrats the only area I think we can effectivly attack her is on policy.”
Are you blind? For that matter, are you a Democrat? (I’m suspicious because lots of wingnuts call themselves “Democrats” on this blog to disguise who — and what — they actually are.)
Democrats can effectively attack Palin on:
Inexperience
Lack of leadership skills
Unethical conduct
Poor judgment
Vicious temperament
Weak resume
Pandering
And it remains to be seen whether she can make a coherent speech or survive 30 seconds in a real debate. My prediction: Biden will slice and dice her.
@13 Geez, I wonder how it flips around?
Hey, Puddy, you “dancing darkie”, shall we try and execute millions of America’s “stupid sluts” for “committing murder”? That’s a lot of women to kill. We’re going to have to find an efficient way to pull that off. What would you say to gas chambers and ovens?
From today’s Rasmussen Poll:
“Saturday, August 30, 2008
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday is the first to include reaction to both Barack Obama’s acceptance speech and John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate. The numbers are little changed since yesterday and show Barack Obama attracting 47% of the vote nationwide while John McCain earns 43%. When “leaners” are included, it’s Obama 49% and McCain 45%.”
Only a 4 point bounce. Amazingly poor. The Dems predicted a 12 point lead!
Think about it–
O-blah-blah reads & screams from his teleprompter to a rabid crowd the best speech someone else could have written…and he goes virtually nowhere.
O-blah-blah will pull defeat from the jaws of certain victory….
The debates will decide the election.
Can’t wait for Palin to take on Loose Cannon Joe and ask him what has changed in the past few weeks since he twice said O-blah-blah was not qualified and then emphasized it by saying “I stand by that remark!”
Can’t wait for Smilin’ Joe’s bob & weave answer.
I laughed and cheered when I heard this announcement. Whatever McCain thought he was going to get from Sarah Palin, her inadequacies pale in comparison.
Solidify Clinton folks? Only the few dumbies that only voted because they wanted a woman. Clinton supporters (and Clinton) will work their asses off to makes sure Palin DOESN’T win because they are not going to let Palin (of all people) be the first woman VP. No way, no how.
Anti-abortion? Might shore up the evangelicals, sure. But the problem is, those people are very conservative. A woman, with 5, count ’em 5 kids (one is an young adult), leaving her children to be VP? And one of them is a baby with special needs? Not in their world view.
And that leads to men overall. We all know that Obama faces a racist element in this country. You think that Palin won’t face out and out sexism? Absolutely and there are many men who simply won’t vote for her.
Let’s not get started on her less than broad experience.
It’s a non-starter.
Oh, and please, let’s just see how she stands up to Joe Biden in a debate. Fun for the whole family.
@20 “Let’s not forget that it took Ross Perot to let Clinton win.”
That’s not true, it’s merely another wingnut lie. Why are you regurgitating it? Are you this uninformed?
“The effect of Ross Perot’s candidacy has been a contentious point of debate for many years. In the ensuing months after the election, various Republicans asserted that Perot had acted as a spoiler, enough to the detriment of Bush to lose him the election. While many disaffected conservatives did vote for Ross Perot to protest Bush’s tax increase, further examination of the Perot vote in the Election Night exit polls not only showed that Perot siphoned votes equally among Clinton, Bush, and those staying home if Perot had not been a candidate, but of the voters who cited Bush’s broken ‘No New Taxes’ pledge as ‘very important,’ two thirds voted for Bill Clinton. [20]. A mathematical look at the voting numbers reveals that Bush would have had to win 12.2% of Perot’s 18.8% of the vote, 65% of Perot’s support base, to equal Clinton’s popular vote totals, and would have needed to win every state Clinton won by less than five percentage points. Perot appealed to disaffected voters all across the political spectrum who had grown weary of the two-party system. NAFTA played a role in Perot’s support, and Perot voters were relatively moderate on hot button social issues.”
(Quoted from Wikipedia under fair use.)
As a Perot voter in 1992, I was one of those “disaffected voters … who had grown weary of the two-party system.” That was back when the major parties were sucking up to Global Corporatism more or less equally and appeared indistinguishable from each other. In other words, before chimpface came along and changed everything. My vote for Perot was a protest vote; I didn’t want the guy to actually win. If, after he dropped out, he had stayed dropped-out, there is no way I would have voted for Bush Sr. I was probably very typical of Perot’s voters: For every disaffected Republican, there was also a disaffected Democrat, and because of that, our net impact on the outcome was neutral.
Rog spews:
“Sorry, Cynical, but Rossi’s going to lose, and he’ll probably lose big.”
I say it is going to be a 1 point difference.
Gregoire’s lack of a plan to deal with the $2.9 BILLION Deficit she created for the upcoming biennium is already leading moderates to conclude she will push a major tax increase.
Until Gregoire is clear about what she will cut, tax increase is the logical conclusion.
OK Rog, for all the world to hear…
You say Rossi is going to lose big…
Put a number on big please.
Oh and do not consult Richard Pope for your prediction. Richard said the primary would be a much bigger loss than the election night numbers…and the opposite occurred.
Wrong Way Pope can do some decent legal research, but numbers and prognosticating ain’t his game.
Perhaps we ought to call Richard Pope..
Madame Richard the Election MisPrognosticator!
Geez, I hope I haven’t offended you by calling you a “dancing darkie”, Puddy. Perhaps that handle is reserved for use by the friends you hang with.
Rog–
I was a Perot voter too..but I don’t think it’s true that there were as many Dems as Repubs for Perot. Clinton wowwed all those Dem women….
It was the Dem Women and Dem Blacks who saved Clinton.
Perhaps we can build camps where we can hold the millions of American women who’ve had abortions until we can hold trials and execute them.
@78 “I laughed and cheered when I heard this announcement. Whatever McCain thought he was going to get from Sarah Palin, her inadequacies pale in comparison.”
Unfortunately, choosing Palin probably does help McCain tighten the race. Geov has a point. It would be laughable if all voters were rational and voted for their self-interest, or voted for the country’s best interests. But the vast majority of voters are anything but rational. Some will vote for her simply because she’s a woman. Others will vote for her pretty face. More threatening to the Democratic ticket, her selection likely will go a long way to overcome the evangelicals’ apathy and boost turnout among that key GOP bloc. Her extremism on issues like creationism will energize the rightwing base and motivate them to work harder for McCain than they would have otherwise. Although she’s a terrible choice in terms of governing, she probably does boost McCain’s chances in November. And that should scare us, not make us laugh and cheer.
But choosing Palin also proves McCain is a cynical and opportunistic politician who puts winning ahead of the welfare of our country. And our side should exploit that to the hilt. Starting with re-running the “daisy” ad.
@82 “Dem Blacks”
Is that the same as Dem “dancing darkies”?
some of you alleged prog-libs talk pretty crazy when it comes to mccain and his age. first, you are not living up to your ideals of diversity-embracing and non-discrimination when you make fun of his age and birthday. heard anyone in the mccain supporter world call obama a Nxxxxx? second, 72 ain’t so old anymore. third, the last time prog-libs bashed a candidate over his age was reagan. look how that worked out. as for palin, she’s an interesting, but risky choice. yet all the same people vote top of the ticket, not number 2.
see you children in november.
Hey, check this out from the Chicago SunTimes.
Your Progressive Hero John Edwards speaking for big bucks about the American Dream!!!
What scandal?
Edwards hikes speaking fee
Despite admitting affair, he’ll get $65K for Oct. talk on ‘American Dream’
August 29, 2008
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter sesposito@suntimes.com
Just weeks after former presidential candidate John Edwards admitted cheating on his wife, he’s not shying away from public speaking engagements — and his fee has gone up, his agent says.
Edwards is due to speak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on Oct. 14. The agent for the former North Carolina senator has told the university student group organizing the event that Edwards is looking to add to his speaking calendar and that he’s charging more, said university spokeswoman Robin Kaler.
Edwards is to speak on “The American Dream,” Kaler said. Tickets are free, but the student group is paying him $65,000.
Kaler said the student group gave Edwards the opportunity to back out of the speech in light of his admission to having an extramarital affair. Neither Kaler nor the student group would give the Chicago Sun-Times the name of Edwards’ agent. Edwards could not be reached for comment.
Edwards’ other appearances include a September speech with wife Elizabeth at Salem State College in Massachusetts, according to college spokesman Jim Glynn.
Edwards has come under fire in the past for his speaking fees. In 2006, he was paid $55,000 to speak at the University of California-Davis about poverty.
Ain’t America Great!
As a Progressive, you can cheat on your dying wife, LIE ABOUT IT and get paid Big Bucks.
Edwards is a pathetic bastard, ain’t he.
But he’s certainly Progressive!!!
@86 “call Obama a Nxxxxx”
Oh, you mean “nigger”? Never in a million years. I understand from your friend’s post @13 that the term Republicans will use will be, “dancing darkie”.
$65K about the American Dream
$55 to talk about f***ing Poverty!!!
You KLOWNS beat everything, you know that?!
@82 “I was a Perot voter too..but I don’t think it’s true that there were as many Dems as Repubs for Perot.”
That’s debatable, but Clinton wouldn’t have needed anywhere close to half the Perot votes. Without Perot, your Bush Sr. vote and my Clinton vote would have canceled each other out. Even if you found another Bush Sr. vote without an offsetting Clinton vote, Clinton still would have carried Washington by more than 80,000 votes. And if you do that analysis for each of the 50 states, Clinton still would have won the election even if Bush Sr. got a large majority of the Perot votes. If you factor in the probability that a significant number of the disgruntled Perot voters would have stayed home, Clinton’s victory looks even more solid.
The notion that Perot’s candidacy cost Bush Sr. the election is a myth easily refuted by simple analysis based on known facts.
@86 “the last time prog-libs bashed a candidate over his age was reagan. look how that worked out”
Yes, indeed, look how that worked out: Nancy Reagan ran the country by consulting astrology charts while the drooling old vegetable nodded off in cabinet meetings. Given the tensions of the time, we’re damned lucky she didn’t blow up the whole fucking world. It was by the grace of God that we got out of that presidency in one piece.
McCain’s age and health are indeed an issue. He’s had recurring bouts of a lethal form of cancer. The deterioration of his mind — evidenced by frequent memory lapses and episodes of confusion — is sickeningly evident. Yes, there are plenty of physically robust and mentally sharp 72-year-olds — but McCain isn’t one of them.
I’m so glad for Puddy that his friends don’t call him a nigger anymore. I bet he’s much more pleased with his friends calling him a dancing darkie.
Every time the left talks about her inexperience it just highlights the obma’s lack of experience.
Unlike obama, that simply votes, yes, no or present, she has actually had to make decisions.
“Ask hetero women if they think Obama is cute Hint: he is.” Hello?
Just to be perfectly clear, I will vote for CG. She is a decent person and a competent executive. I do not know id Rossi is either.
BUT, I think she scores -3 as a pol. The palin but is a pwerful tool the Reps will use in situations likem this.
There is an answer ..
karlrove Palin can be roved as an extemist, gun happy. oil slurping, baby dropping hick from the wilds. Annie Oakley she may be but who the eff wants Annie Oakley as a Prexy?
Even then, Annie Oakley i8s a danger ot CG. In a tight race the female on male violence crowd and feminist superiority ond christists will make a difference.
@87 Edwards is irrelevant to this campaign and election.
#72
Delbert,”male Republican feminist”.
That is about as orwellian as “russian peacekeeper”.
Yet another reason the hillary democrats are crossing over.
Male Republican Feminists!! C’mon!! Before yesterday, that was as common as panda triplets.
Now all the Republican ditto heads can hardly wait to vote for a tax raising, socialist leaning, pot smoking, law enforcement hating feminazi!!!!
Did I tell you people during the primaries this was going a fun, fun, fun, election?
BAHAAAAHAAAHEEEEHAAA!!
If McCain wins this election, workers should give up. They should quit their jobs and flip stocks like I do. The GOP inflation will continue and money will soon have no value. The hyper-taxation of wages and under-taxation of passive capitalists will continue. The transfer of national output from workers to asset holders will accelerate. After our money becomes worthless, stock flipping will become an idle past-time like tossing playing cards into a beer glass or pitching pennies on a sidewalk — but so will working. Fighting commuter traffic, being abused by a boss, and clawing your way up the company promotion ladder will become mere sport because working your ass off for bullying bosses will no longer get you a living wage, health care you can afford, job security, or a pension. If you’re going to while away your life in unproductive activities, you might as well do something more enjoyable than working. That’s what I do! Screw work! I do no work, produce nothing, and my life is better than ever! I have more income, more economic security, and feel better about myself and enjoy life more than I ever did when I was working and producing! Republicans don’t want you to work or be productive. Their policies screw workers. They are doing everything they can to punish people for working — with high taxes, by eliminating as many jobs as they can, and cutting wages and benefits for workers whose jobs they can’t eliminate! Workers now get less than half of what’s left of our inflation-adjusted GDP, and after another 4 years of Republican rule, it’ll be even less! There’s absolutely no reason for anyone in America to work anymore! Working is for saps. Flip stocks, not hamburgers! That’s what Republicans want you to do, and that’s what their incentive system is designed to force you to do. It sucks, but I’m just one little bunny, and I go with the flow.
Bush I appoints Uncle Tom to the Supremes! Clarence Thomas.
Republicans nominate an dumb George the party boy as POTOS. George W Bush
Bush II appoints Alberto to Attoney General. Alberto Gonzalez.
McCain appoints Annie Oakley as VEEP_. Sarah Palin.
Sarah Plain intentionally gives birth to a severely retarded child. name withheld to protect a minor.
Hay Puddy .. tell the truth, you are voting for Obama. YOU “are not going to support creationism, global warming denial, Christ in the schools, and the benificence of big oil.
“.
BTW … no, Big Oil does nOT pay for the Alaskan budget, the American consumer does through the Alaskan oil tax we pay as part of the cost of fuel.
Is see the leftists here are finding their inner misogynist. Keep em barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen, eh Dems?
When the more intelligent on the left speak maybe the less intelligent should listen.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/8/29/11319/2520
@101 Annie Oakley. That’s good. I like it. Let’s print up some
McCain/Annie Oakley
bumper stickers.
@103 Either that or we execute them for not letting us control their bodies. Geez, I’m beginning to understand where you guys are coming from.
@102 “Big Oil pays most of the Alaskan budget through taxes!”
Bullshit. Alaska’s revenue comes from the royalties oil companies pay for the privilege of taking publicly-owned resources from public lands.
#101 demonstrates more eloquently that I possibly could why I’m not a liberal.
That man is sick.
for roger rabbit at 91:
dude are you a doctor? cuz if you are your license should be pulled. skin cancer is not commonly fatal and folks who’ve spent a good chunk of their lives in arizona get little lesions like mccain gets all the time. it’s no biggie and you are now entering the land no good prog-lib should enter of calling for discrimination based on health status, illegal under wash state law. that should get you barred from the next drinking liberally strokefest!
what’s more, you can’t diagnose shit based on memory lapses and slips of the tongue. you are a dumbass and need to stop practicing medicine without a license.
@108 “That man is sick”
No shit? What’d he do, fuck a mule? Molest a child? Offer to pay a black cop $20 to blow him in a park toilet? Oh, wait, that kind of behavior doesn’t bother you good folks on the right. Child-molesting, goatfucking, toe-tapping, diaper-wearing behavior by the right is all well and good with our Bill.
@ 86. Harry Callahan spews:
Err ahh .. how did that work out???
Biggest deficit since WWII
wasted billions on star wars…
alzheimers
????
@104 I don’t recall any discussion whatsoever on this board — and I read this board every day — about Tim Kaine.
In any case, only an ignorant and uninformed fuck like you would claim that Palin’s qualifications are comparable to Kaine’s.*
Kaine is a graduate of Harvard Law School, not the University of Idaho journalism school. Like Obama, he taught law at a prestigious law school — while Palin was ranting about guns, abortion, and force-feeding her religion to other people’s children in public schools. Kaine was mayor of a city 25 times the size of Palin’s little burg. He then was Lieutenant Governor for 4 years, and now is Governor of a state with more than 11 times the population of Alaska. And his state is right next door to the nation’s capital, not a backwater 2,500 miles away.
Stamn, we can always count on you to be full of shit.
* Yes, I realize you sucked that quote off a blog that styles itself as left-leaning, but there’s a few lefty posters who don’t know what they’re talking about and you can find them if you look hard enough, and you’re responsible for regurgitating this nonsense here. In any case, Kaine is not the Dem veep nominee, and there’s no evidence he was seriously considered by the one person whose opinion counts — Obama.
Well you’re getting it Harry. These people will attack McCain for his age and Palin because she gave birth to a Down’s syndrome child. But of course if you oppose Obama they’ll play the race card.
The left is a magnet for tons of truly nasty, angry people.
@113 “race card” “Obama”
Obama? Oh, you mean the “dancing darkie”.
Wow, head of Harvard Law Review. How many troops has Obama commanded? How many troops did Biden command?
In contrast Palin has commanded the National Guard of the largest state in the union, a state almost 10 times the size of Washington State.
I am sure when Russia invades Ukraine, that they will stop in their tracks once they learn Obama was once head of Harvard Law Review.
What happened the last time we had a restive Iran and elected an inexperienced Democrat:
http://www.talkingproud.us/Ima.....stages.jpg
I’m so happy for Puddy that you guys don’t call him a nigger anymore. I bet he’s much happier with “dancing darkie”. Isn’t that right, Puddy, er, Dancing Darkie?
There is some risk to McCain that Palin implodes quickly, but …
I’ve become accustomed to seeing Democrats get out-schemed by Republicans at crunch time, and losing from winning positions.
Not just losing, but losing and learning nothing from losing … just the way a hustler wants the mark to digest a loss.
There they go again.
@108 You can be a liberal without supporting abortion, asshole. Liberalism is about:
Worker safety regulations
Child labor laws
Collective bargaining rights
Unemployment insurance
Injured workers insurance
Pension rights
Open and competitive markets
Food and drug safety laws
Consumer protection
Fair credit
Civil rights
Free speech and press
Freedom of religion
Right to dissent
Human rights
Avoiding unnecessary wars
Education
Transportation
Sustainable use of resources
Protection of environment
Public health
Fair trade
On every one of these issues, and more, Republicans have adopted diametrically opposing policies that are short-sighted, selfish, inhuman, anti-worker, anti-family, and anti-consumer.
@108 You can be a liberal without supporting abortion, stupid! Liberalism is about:
Worker safety regulations
Child labor laws
Collective bargaining rights
Unemployment insurance
Injured workers insurance
Pension rights
Open and competitive markets
Food and drug safety laws
Consumer protection
Fair credit
Civil rights
Free speech and press
Freedom of religion
Right to dissent
Human rights
Avoiding unnecessary wars
Education
Transportation
Sustainable use of resources
Protection of environment
Public health
Fair trade
On every one of these issues, and more, Republicans have adopted diametrically opposing policies that are short-sighted, selfish, inhuman, anti-worker, anti-family, and anti-consumer.
@115 “Russia invades Ukraine”
Indeed. Knowing that Palin commanded the Alaska National Guard will certainly give Putin something to think about. Yeah, I bet it stops him in his tracks, all right.
@108 You can be a liberal without supporting abortion, stupid! Liberalism is about a vast array of things that improve our lives. And on every one of those issues, Republicans have adopted diametrically opposing policies that are short-sighted, selfish, inhuman, anti-worker, anti-family, and anti-consumer.
#114, judging by your standards Steve the only think keeping you from calling Obama a “goatfucker” is that he’s a Democrat.
I am so enjoying this.
THE RIGHT OFFERS SOME REVIEWS…. It’s probably fair to say most sensible people would find it tough to defend John McCain’s choice of running mates, but I’ve been genuinely curious to see how Republicans respond to yesterday Sarah Palin announcement. I don’t mean campaign surrogates or Fox News personalities, who don’t have a choice; I mean more traditional Republican voices who actually have to consider this decision on the merits (or lack thereof).
* Charles Krauthammer: “The Palin selection completely undercuts the argument about Obama’s inexperience and readiness to lead…. To gratuitously undercut the remarkably successful ‘Is he ready to lead’ line of attack seems near suicidal.”
* Noah Millman, presenting a defense for Palin: “I realize, of course, that she’s totally unqualified to be President at this point in time. If McCain were to die in February 2009, I hope Palin would have the good sense to appoint someone who is more ready to be President to be her Vice President, on the understanding that she would then resign and be appointed Vice President by her successor.”
* Ramesh Ponnuru called it “tokenism,” adding, “Can anyone say with a straight face that Palin would have gotten picked if she were a man?”
* David Frum: “The longer I think about it, the less well this selection sits with me. And I increasingly doubt that it will prove good politics. The Palin choice looks cynical…. It’s a wild gamble, undertaken by our oldest ever first-time candidate for president in hopes of changing the board of this election campaign. Maybe it will work. But maybe (and at least as likely) it will reinforce a theme that I’d be pounding home if I were the Obama campaign: that it’s John McCain for all his white hair who represents the risky choice, while it is Barack Obama who offers cautious, steady, predictable governance…. If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?”
* PuddysPudd: “As much as I loathe Obama-Biden, I can’t in good conscience vote for a McCain-Palin ticket. Palin has absolutely no experience in foreign affairs. Considering both McCain’s advanced age and the state of the world today, it is essential that the veep be exceedingly qualified to assume the office of president. I simply don’t have any confidence in Palin’s ability to deal effectively with Iran, Russia, China, etc.”
* Mark Halperin: “On the face of it, McCain has failed the ultimate test that any presidential candidate must face in picking a running mate: selecting someone who is unambiguously qualified to be president.”
The phrase “jump the shark” keeps coming to mind.
Hmmm.. It was right wingers who brought the words “dancing darkie” and “jigaboo” here to HA.org to describe Obama.
Who’s more hateful? Not the left-leaning folks by far.
I don’t hate right wingers, live and let live I say. As long as they don’t act on their impulses and treat me fairly I’m ok with them.
I hate what they’ve done to this country and that’s why I want to take it back from them.
@118 “Indeed. Knowing that Palin commanded the Alaska National Guard will certainly give Putin something to think about. Yeah, I bet it stops him in his tracks, all right.”
Apparently you flunked civics class. It isn’t the vice president that commands the military, it is the president. And yes, Putin will certainly think twice with a John McCain (actual war fighting, troop commanding creds) than with a head of the Harvard Law Review.
@109 Why don’t you ask McCain’s own doctors that question, dude? They did the diagnosis and treatment, not me. Medical science informs us (but not you) about the nature and seriousness of McCain’s cancer, melanoma. I’m not gonna explain it to you because it’s not my responsibility to deal with your ignorance and in any event it’s a waste to try teaching anything to a jackass like you.
For general readers, the Mayo Clinic (where McCain receives his medical care) describes melanoma as “the most serious type of skin cancer,” Wikipedia says melanoma causes 75% of skin cancer deaths, and an article in the conservative weekly news magazine U.S. News dated May 9, 2008, provided the following information about McCain’s cancer risk:
“Meenhard Herlyn, a researcher at … the University of Pennsylvania and member of the Melanoma Research Foundation’s scientific advisory committee, says that melanoma ‘continues to be a bad cancer—diagnosed in 60,000 new cases each year.’ … The cancer mass McCain had removed in 2000 was 2 centimeters in diameter and 2.2 millimeters deep. ‘That’s relatively thick,’ says Herlyn. In estimating risk, he says, any primary tumor in the skin thicker than 1 millimeter is considered at an increased risk for ‘having dissociated,’ or moved to other parts of the body. … McCain is at greater risk for recurrence because of his age, gender, and multiple bouts with melanoma …. There currently is no cure for melanoma once it spreads.”
(Quoted under fair use.)
@120 Goatfucker? This week it’s “moosefuckers”. Get with the program, you moosefucking twit.
Me Steve too, Seattlejew @ 101
Sarah Plain intentionally gives birth to a severely retarded child.
I have to take strong exception to this comment. Sarah Palin was 44 when her fifth child was born with Down’s syndrome.
The maximum chances for a woman to give birth to a child with Down’s syndrome — even when giving birth past 45 years of age — are only 1 out of 19.
So you can’t say she intentionally decided to conceive a child, knowing the child would have Down’s syndrome. And to suggest she was wrong NOT to choose to have an abortion (which would be killing her child under her beliefs) …
Also, trying spelling her name right. Even at 44 (and after having FIVE children to boot), she is still quite a hottie! Whatever you think of her politics or qualifications, Sarah is anything but Plain!
Massive police raids on suspected protestors in Minneapolis
Protesters here in Minneapolis have been targeted by a series of highly intimidating, sweeping police raids across the city, involving teams of 25-30 officers in riot gear, with sub-machine guns drawn, entering homes of those suspected of planning protests, handcuffing and forcing them to lay on the floor, while law enforcement officers searched the homes, seizing computers, journals, and political pamphlets. Last night, members of the St. Paul police department and the Ramsey County sheriff’s department handcuffed, photographed and detained dozens of people meeting at a public venue to plan a demonstration, charging them with no crime other than “fire code violations,” and early this morning, the Sheriff’s department sent teams of officers into at least four Minneapolis area homes where suspected protesters were staying.
Read more and video at:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/index.html
I wonder how Sarah Palin’s sister is doing? We hear a lot about how Sarah and her family trashed the hell out of the ex-brother-in-law, Mike Wooten — who certainly isn’t any saint.
Someone, I think men would view Molly McCann (who kept the name of her first husband, even after getting married again) as radioactive. No man in his right mind would want to date her or get too serious, given the fear of being devoured by attack dogs when the relationship starts turning sour.
@123 One heartbeat away from the presidency. During a time of war. Great pick. Take your own civics class, you America-hating, moosefucking traitor.
@113 Cuchon, there may be a few people on this board who think Palin shouldn’t have delivered that child, and the question is at least debatable, but that’s certainly not a universal liberal view.
Of this, however, I am certain: Families with Down’s syndrome children who need medical care and other support had better not look for it from Republicans. The GOP philosophy is, “You’re on your own.”
Palin does her afflicted child no service by being a Republican or voting Republican.
@128 That’s what we need all right, another Republican in high office willing to abuse power in order to destroy her enemies.
@115 “How many troops has Obama commanded?”
How many troops has McCain commanded? None. He quit the Navy because his superiors considered him unsuitable for command and therefore he was unpromotable. They assigned him to political lobbying because he didn’t have the leadership skills for a real military job.
@120 “I am so enjoying this.”
Two months away from the 2008 election, we’d much rather be us than you. Suck on it, Bill.
@125 They’re abusing mooses now? I knew Palin is willing to sacrifice polar bears for oil, but humping a moose is ridiculous. (Unless you’re a moose.)
@126 “Even at 44 (and after having FIVE children to boot), she is still quite a hottie!”
She doesn’t ring my gong, Richard. Even setting aside her being a Republican, there are plenty of 44-year-olds more attractive than her. Not that this is relevant to anything. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t look at her twice. Not when there’s millions of cute fluffy female bunnies in heat!
This chick is a lot sexier than Palin. http://tinyurl.com/7zvv9
@129 “One heartbeat away from the presidency. During a time of war. Great pick. Take your own civics class, you America-hating, moosefucking traitor.”
As opposed to the inexperienced, no command experienced, no executive experience OBAMA being in the presidency during a time of war. Great pick. Putin’s is laughing his ass off right now.
@134 Let’s just pray that they never direct their deviant desires towards rabbits. The very thought!
@127 Welcome to the Stalinist Gulag of Minnesota, currently under Republican management.
@132 “How many troops has McCain commanded? None. He quit the Navy because his superiors considered him unsuitable for command and therefore he was unpromotable. They assigned him to political lobbying because he didn’t have the leadership skills for a real military job.”
BULL SHIT! You are a candy assed pussy fuck miar mother fucker. You never served, I HAVE candy ass pussy.
McCain in fact did command troops. Lying about it won’t bestow anything upon the racist, America hating, socialist head of the Harvard Law Review.
@136 You might want to stop fucking the moose long enough to consider the here and now – as in Putin laughing his ass off at the present Republican administration. Sure, let’s vote for more of the same.
Only slime ball America haters like liberals would vote for a man like Obama whose best buddy is home grown terorrist William Ayers. And yes motherfuckers, his BOMBS DID fucking kill people, so let’s nip that one right in the fucking bud shall we?
Traitorous scum!
Fascinating. You have posters here hoping McCain has terminal cancer and telling us Palin hates polar bears.
However I’m sure you are all reasonable, caring, rational people. Why would anyone reading this or any other leftist blog have any doubts?
Saddam Hussein didn’t laugh very long did he? Had the Obama Bin Laden bin in office, we’d be a part of Iraq now and Sharia Law would be imposed.
Liberals so love seeing Americans beheaded on TV.
@139 Silly moosefucker, the rabbit is a war veteran. If you served in anything it was in the Repug moosefucking brigade.
@143 “Sharia Law”
Far better to have America live under the right-wing Christian Nation version of Biblical Law, where the punishment, say, for being an unruly child, is a kinder, gentler stoning to death at the gates of the city.
BS. That pussy couldn’t fight his way out of a bar brawl let alone survive in combat.
@143 Right-wing moosefuckers so love seeing America’s unruly children being stoned to death at the gates of the city. I’m sure it’ll be televised for your viewing pleasure.
@146 Sigh! It looks like it’s time to out yet another delusional, phony troll vet.
Wasn’t it only a day or two ago that the latest moosefucking vet impersonater was outed?
I do hope Roger hasn’t tired of outing these pricks. I really enjoy the show.
Not much difference between Sharia Law and Biblical Law, is there? Well, other than the prescribed means of execution. I’m sure the dead note the difference.
Unfortunately for you shits, I still have my DD-214. So eat horseshit!
John McSame is working on his acceptance speech…
“Back when I was a POW, I thought about coming home as an ex-POW. Did I mention I was a POW? Well back to my experience as a POW….you can’t imagine what it was like to be a POW…”
The real problem that our right-wing Christian moosefuckers have with Sharia Law is that they don’t get to do that kind of shit here in America. Sharia Law? Our Christian Reconstructionist freaks are only jealous, that’s all.
@152 Big moosefucking deal. All the outed trolls here claimed to have a DD-214. You’re just the latest America-hating coward to make that claim. What a twit you are.
Oh, and eat mooseshit, asshole.
Whether Ms. Palin decided it mattered to her if her child had Down’s Syndrome or not is immaterial to me.
She’s the mother of a BABY. What the hell is she doing trying to be VP? (I say this as a liberal woman.) I’m a mom; you need to be there for your baby. I know that evangelical moms are not going to go for this. They certainly won’t vote Obama but will some of them just sit this one out given their Rep choice? Yes.
(And yes, I was against Edwards running as well. He too had family obligations that ran too deep to be president. If he had been elected and his wife died, how could he be there and support his children?)
Gustav is a Category 4 now. Why does God hate Republicans? I bet one reason is because they fuck animals.
roger rabbit, you are ill-informed on death rates due to melanoma and are an ignorant liberal fuck. bye bye discrimator. you are not a goo-goo liberal. i abjure you!
Republicans will be partying when a hurricane slams into the Gulf. Will Bush and McCain eat cake as Americans are dying, like they did during Katrina? Why do Republicans hate America so much?
I see you learned your lesson when I quoted jimmy carter and his black boy comment.
You jumped on me for being a racist, yet you never said jimmy carter was.
I would say strange but, well, like Lee said-
In other words, NEVER admit the truth. Be scared, be very scared of being honest.
hahahahahaha
96. Roger Rabbit spews:
“@87 Edwards is irrelevant to this campaign and election.”
If that’s true Rog, why is he crawling out of his hole of shame to make a speech on the American Dream….O-blah-blah’s key talking point and one Clinton stressed.
You guys ought to ban him back to poophole he dwells in. When he makes that speech, the R’s will tie him to O-blah-blah.
Rog–
You keep making the same mistake…..presuming folks think a Harvard Law Degree is a virtue!
In our costly over-litigious, over regulated Society, it’s the Harvard Law Grads that are actually a major part of the problem….and certainly not the solution.
I think the Harvard Law Degree mantra could backfire…especially on blue collar America which HATES LAWYERS, especially expensive ones.
It’s not a clear political advantage Rog.
128. Richard Pope spews:
“I wonder how Sarah Palin’s sister is doing?”
That reminds me, how is O-blah-blah’s half-brother who lives in a hovel doing??
http://www.sodahead.com/question/122009/
McSame should get an Alzheimer’s test if he’s going to put a woman who’s experience best equals running a large city in charge of our military.
Is obama still “clean,” you know those other african americans that biden know aren’t. Otherwise he wouldn’t have noticed that obama is clean.
I wish the “black boy” luck.
I’m not picking people on the fringe to quote, I’m picking well respected democrats.
And the best you got is some troll to quote. Sad and pathetic.
Keep up with your goat fantasies, that’s what you know best.
Palin makes a much more favorable 1st impression than Crazy Joe “Obama is not qualified and I Biden:
This from Rasmussen:
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sarah Palin has made a good first impression. Before being named as John McCain’s running mate, 67% of voters didn’t know enough about the Alaska governor to have an opinion. After her debut in Dayton and a rush of media coverage, a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 53% now have a favorable opinion of Palin while just 26% offer a less flattering assessment.
Palin earns positive reviews from 78% of Republicans, 26% of Democrats and 63% of unaffiliated voters. Obviously, these numbers will be subject to change as voters learn more about her in the coming weeks. Among all voters, 29% have a Very Favorable opinion of Palin while 9% hold a Very Unfavorable view.
By way of comparison, on the day he was selected as Barack Obama’s running mate, Delaware Senator Joseph Biden was viewed favorably by 43% of voters.
@160 Oh, you’re back. You must have finished fucking the moose.
Exactly Mr.Cynical.
Amazing isn’t it that Democrat politicians are almost always lawyers? And if you aren’t a lawyer you get ridiculed for being a “small town mayor”. That’s the party of the people for you.
@165 Keep up with current events, fucktard. Moosefucking is all the rage with you freaks now.
Goldy, how about an invite to a woman blogger this election season? It’s more than time to do so. And sheesh, is this entry from Geov a joke? The pick is (almost) an embarrassment.
Interesting how the half-life of O-blah-blah’s speech was less than 12 HOURS!
The Repubs, for a change, strategized this brilliantly. The night of O-blah-blah’s screaming speech written by someone else, Pawlenty 1st said it wasn’t him. That got the media talking about something other than O-blah-blah.
Then Romney said early Friday it wasn’t him.
After that, the media was 100% focused on who it could be. BRILLIANT!
Then several hours later, McCain names Palin and all the attention remains on her and away from O-blah-blah.
I know some of you KLOWNS appreciate good politics. That was beautifully orchestrated. Then O-blah-blah’s Campaign falls right into the trap and criticizes her as not qualified. So for the next 12 hours, the focus is on qualifications.
Now, the LEFT MSM is desperately trying to discredit her without being too sexist or offensive. They tap-dance around. It’s hysterical.
Palin and McCain are reformers.
O-blah-blah wants to be viewed as such but has NO RECORD of such.
Biden is a party hack too.
Election Night will be a loooooooong night…again.
168. Bill Cruchon spews:
Exactly Mr.Cynical.
Amazing isn’t it that Democrat politicians are almost always lawyers? And if you aren’t a lawyer you get ridiculed for being a “small town mayor”. That’s the party of the people for you.”
Well said Bill.
O-blah-blah fell into that trap too!
His problem is connecting with small town America.
His response hurt him…badly.
Glad to see you stuck with the animal sex stuff.
When you tried to engage in adult conversations you failed miserably.
Tell us some more of your fantasies old man.
Nothing like a 50+ year old talking about sex for entertainment.
hahahahahahaha
One positive thing about the selection of Sarah Palin: if the “GOP Party” ticket prevails, Dick Cheney will no longer be vice president.
@172 The way you jack each other off leads me to suspect that fucking the moose didn’t quite do it for you.
Mr. Cynical @ 28
My lawyerly number crunching was mathematically accurate. It did not predict that people sending in their ballots later would prefer Rossi more than those who sent their ballots in earlier. If the later votes had been in the same proportion as the earlier votes from each county, Gregoire would be ahead by five points given the turnout from each county. As it is, Gregoire is less than two points ahead.
I am changing my general election prediction (which was Gregoire by three to five) to one point either way, in line with an earlier prediction from yourself. I also think the Palin selection will help Rossi incrementally in this state. Even though Palin is far more qualified to be a state governor than Rossi happens to be.
@174 We’d only replace Dick with another Republican who likes to abuse the power of her office. Still, I wonder if she ever shot a moose in the face?
Mr. Cynical @ 163
That reminds me, how is O-blah-blah’s half-brother who lives in a hovel doing??
I am sure that Obama’s brother is reasonably well off. Obama’s grandfather was the village chief, and I am sure his clan would be living a good bit better than the average Kenyan, even if it weren’t for their wealthy American kinsman. Obviously, Obama’s brother isn’t nearly as wealthy as McCain and his relatives, but there is no need to insult his dignity either.
@126. Richard Pope
Me Steve too, Seattlejew @ 101
Richard, I have total respect for right to life folks who are consistent in their beliefs. BUT, what kind of sick person KNOWINGLY conceives a Down’s Child?
You think 1/19 is good odds? Really? For a family that already had 4 kids? Or doesn’t Ms. Plain (sorry I cannot resist) and her husband, Crocodile Dundee of the North, know where to buy condoms?
So maybe Sarah and Todd got drunk one night and oops …?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Show me anything close to rational that would support the morality of a 44 yo woman, KNOWING she has this risk and believing that she must not take a life, deciding to create one?
AND, having brought a loving but terribly disabled baby into the world, deciding to apply for a job that means either the kid will be farmed out to a nanny or her hubby, the he man will become as house husband?
Something smells very bad in this room!
Amused:
No, Senator McCain did not command any troops. He did command VA-174, a training squadron based in Florida, but that is not considered a deployable squadron.
“RAG” squadrons (from the old “Replacement Air Group” term) such as VA-174 are not considered “career enhancing”, and tend to be given to senior officers that, for whatever reason, will not be given operational commands.
Giving credit where due, however, it does appear that he did a pretty good job at VA-174.
So, unless your definition of “troops” includes a bunch of Sailors on shore duty in Florida, he did not command any.
Of course, remembering that the Republican definition of “warrior” includes someone ducking out on his reserve duty in the Air National Guard (but not someone actually commanding men in combat in Viet Nam), perhaps it does.
Governor Palin may actually have more experience in actual command of combat troops than does Senator McCain. Perhaps that’s why he picked her.
For those of you worried about Gustav, relax. There’s a republican at the helm and instead of waiting until it’s too late like the last governor, the new one is doing his job.
I’m not the only one that noticed this time things are being handled much better.
http://www.nola.com/hurricane/....._houm.html
I wonder why the state voted for a republican governor?
And more than obama & biden combined.
Ouch.
@126 Richard Pope
Sighhh … you goyem really like the Queen Boudicca types! Maybe when you guys have had another millenium or so of civilization, you too will come to understand that heroism is not limited to Rambo and Ramboettes.
We Jews prefer our heroines to be poets (Hannah Sennesh), seductresses (Esther), judges (Devorah), great leaders (Havivah Reich, Diane Feinstein), scholars, (our rabbi), writers (Anne Frank), singers, artists, astronatauts and cookers of matzoh ball soup! ,,,,
To be fair, you folks have produced a few foxy bright woman who were not Annie Oakleys .. I kinda like Whitney Houston, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Tilghman, Diana Ross, Hillary, and one must never forget Cleopatra! OTOH, I have notes that6 the best of your female intellectuals and politicians are often, well “handsome .. Eleanor Roosevelt, Maya Angelou and Angela Mirkel will never win the hottie title.
So, having a beautiful yiddishe wife, why would Seattle Jew look twice at this white meat chick from the frozen North? Compared to my wife, the VEEP-would be is just Sandy Plain!
BTW: I hear she swigs a mean beer too!
Me Steve too, Seattlejew @ 179
AND, having brought a loving but terribly disabled baby into the world, deciding to apply for a job that means either the kid will be farmed out to a nanny or her hubby, the he man will become as house husband?
I assume that her parents and divorced sister will help Sarah Palin raise her children. Her sister Molly is 41 (with at least three kids from two prior marriages) and probably too radioactive to get serious decent men interested in her, given how badly the Heath-Palin clan trashed her most recent ex-husband.
As far as the biological risk, I don’t see odds of less than 1 in 19 as a reason not to have a child. The risk of Down’s syndrome is supposed to be even lower for women who have already had children.
SeattleJew@102: I will NOT be voting for Obama.
I will not be voting for any presidential candidate. I stated this before. I know you are not dense like many of your leftist pinhead friends here!
NEXT…
Steve all over: once again you prove why you are HAs Biggest ASSHole!
John McSame made 30 propaganda tapes for the enemy during Viet Nam. He’s no leader. He’s a coward.
SeattleJew@102:
Golly Steve, I think this says otherwise:
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008103325_alaskatax07.html
@181: I’m not the only one that noticed this time things are being handled much better.
Because, of course, if things went worse, they truly would impeach Bush for mishandling the situation.
@183: 180. John Barelli spews: Governor Palin may actually have more experience in actual command of combat troops that does Senator McCain. Perhaps that’s why he picked her.
And more than obama & biden combined.
That has to be stretching the elements of her resume to absurd proportions. I love how self-delusional the Republicans have become.
For the last election Obama ran in, he received more votes than the entire population of Alaska. (Five times more than the population of Alaska, to be precise.) Palin is a small-time candidate who has never run in a serious election, and will get eaten alive in this race.
Pelletizer: When has a royalty not been a tax? They pay this royalty “tax” to remove the crude from the ground. And the oil companies get to claim this against their federal tax bill.
@187: John McSame made 30 propaganda tapes for the enemy during Viet Nam. He’s no leader. He’s a coward.
As much as I despise McCain, I doubt that any of us would disagree with that proposal if we were in a prison camp for five years. I don’t think that getting his genitals introduced to the business end of a cattle prod gives him the qualifications to manage the country, but I’m not keen on exploring the particulars of that experience unless he did something particularly traitorous.
Harry Callahan @ 109,
Rog’s not a doctor: he’s a failed attorney. Spent his “working” years as a person holding a government job, ostensibly as a lawyer. Couldn’t cut it in the private sector.
McCain and Palin are a formidable team. And does anyone really believe anymore that 72 is “old.” That is just not true anymore.
After McCain’s first term there will be no doubt that Palin will be ready to be the first woman President. She’s from the “real world,” far outside the beltway.
Not all government employees are incompetent. Look at katrina? Oops, bad example. That explains why the state elected a republican for governor.
Is this the joe biden that is going to destroy sarah in the debates? Oh well, I guess it’s in the eye of the beholder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN5khF2i2ek
Here’s what he said talking about moving out of scranton….
And here’s what the AP said.
http://ap.google.com/article/A.....AD92QPMOG1
For those of you that are still obsessed with goats and moose sex, the problem is if he left when he was 10 years old, bobby casey would have been -2 years old.
Just another blunder from someone that’s been in government his whole professional life.
Oops, I screwed up that last post, #195.
Turns out that Bob jr. wasn’t born until 1960
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Casey,_Jr.
Joe “i lie all the time” biden was born in 1942
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden
That’s a difference of 18 years, not the 12 biden lied about.
Damn, there are lies within the lies when biden speaks.
Biden is the pick the reps wanted. Thankfully christmas came early.
What is he going to lie about next?
Oops, I screwed up that last post, #195.
Turns out that Bob jr. wasn’t born until 1960
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Casey,_Jr.
Joe “i lie all the time” biden was born in 1942
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden
That’s a difference of 18 years, not the 12 biden lied about.
Damn, there are lies within the lies when biden speaks.
Biden is the pick the reps wanted. Thankfully christmas came early.
What is he going to lie about next?
Lying isn’t just an option for leftists, it’s a way of life.
McSame made propaganda tapes – many others had the stones to resist. This makes him a coward and a liar who violated Article V of the Code of Conduct. Look it up.
As for truth? How do you tell when a republican is lying? Their lips are moving!
Everyone: This is where bybygoober likes to troll for his “information”.
http://www.vietnamveteransagai.....anding.htm
@198: As for truth? How do you tell when a republican is lying? Their lips are moving!
That I’ll agree on. These morons are severely deluded. I’m amazed that anyone would think that Palin would be ready for a national career after running a town of 6,000 people and a brief and unremarkable career as governor, and to think that she’d be ready to be president shows that Republicans are not just stupid, they’re dangerous.
They’ll completely destroy this country. They need to be stopped.
Prey tell, just what is “McCain’s plan to privatize Social Security” ? Just one lie Obama told the other night? And exactly who is that poor guy that “can’t even afford the gas so he can look for a job”?
And as much as conservatives claim that Obama “made a mistake” by not picking Clinton, it was supremely idiotic for McCain not to pick Romney. He’ll pay for it down the road.
@201: Try that it’s a consistent goal of the Republican party. Just another way of screwing the little guy, and making them think that they deserve to be pissed on. Republicans are all the same.
Hey ByeByeGOP — you can’t seriously believe those vietnam vets’ blather about McCain being a traitor. 5 years and permanent injuries — yeah, when he was getting off the plane after being released — he was the picture of health. What a bunch of crap.
You are looking at serious karmic harm if you don’t retract your allegations that McCain is a “coward and liar.” Other than a website sponsored by vets that are pissed off about the VA, what real evidence do you have about McCain?
#203 how about being honest and admitting that Obama was lying.
Palin will make Biden look like the long-winded blowhard he is when they debate. That’s certain. There will be little debate when McCain is sworn in in January that Americans chose the right party to lead, honor and protect this country.
That’s approximately more than 6,000 people than both biden and obama have ever governed over. Ouch!
In defense of obama, he did vote present a lot of times.
As far as executive experience, obama was a community organizer. Does that mean he set up decorations for the halloween festival at the local park?
Where is the outrage on the right over the pick like there is at obama at-
http://www.hillaryclintonforum.....post319459.
Rush, hannity, etc. the people your side believes brainwashes the masses are all in favor of the pick.
Face it, the man of change picked someone that has spent over half of his life in politics. And picked someone that lies in almost every speech. Did you catch my link up above about his lies yesterday in scranton. Shameful, someone should tell biden about the internet thing and no longer can the liberal media cover up for him.
Actually Marvin maybe Obama was in charge of making those really stupid puppets lefties always have at their rallies.
Democrats just need to harp on Palin’s inexperience and remind everyone how old McCain is. They shoud also talk about how POW’s don’t live as long as other people due to the harsh treatment and deprivation of captivity.
Oh, and they should find out if this is true.
I got to post #48, and I almost chocked on my milk and cereal when PuddyDick referred to himself as actually having a brain. I’ve never heard of something more funnier!
@201, you ask, “Prey tell, just what is “McCain’s plan to privatize Social Security” ?”
Right here:
http://www.issues2000.org/Econ.....curity.htm
Wherein he spouts the lie that the system is going broke, and advocates diverting some SSI taxes to “private accounts”?
I leave it to you to figure out how truly stupid his ‘plan’ is.
What sucks for the left is john o’neil (swiftboater) was against kerry since the early 70’s. They both appeared on the dick cavett show to debate in 1971.
The link of bibigoober is some guy trying to do the same thing john o/neil did without the reputation and of course without the proof.
Face it, the days of the liberal media controlling the message is over. Gore shouldn’t have “invented” teh internets.
The sad fact about social security is that it hurts some of the very people democrats pretend to care about.
I believe that the democrats are still the racist klan they were when they were wearing white sheets.
Today, they are much less obvious.
Average life span for a black male. 65
Age social security kicks in. 65
Considering the high number of unmarried couples in the black community the money a hard working “clean” black man paid into the system goes to a white person.
With private ss the money he earned could now be given to his adult children to possibly buy the first house in the family, or passed on to his grandkids for the first college education.
But instead the democrats think his money would best be used in the hands of an old white man.
Speaking of old white man, the grand kleagle (robert byrd) didn’t show up to the dnc. I wonder if it had anything to do with obama being a “black boy.”
#211 You’re lying. Where in your link does McCain want to “privatize” Social Security?
McCain, like Bush are merely offering workers options…which Democrats are against.
@ 214
McCain, like Bush are merely offering workers options…which Democrats are against.
Talk about lying. For that one, we should start calling you Pinocchio.
Were you also proud to ride the short bus to school?
What did he say-
Personal and private are different words, with different meanings.
Personal means the money belongs to the person that earned it, and upon his death can be passed along as he wishes.
You don’t have a problem with someone being able to leave the money they earned to the person(s) of their choice do you? It’s called pro-choice. How can you be against choice?
@204 first of all – fuck you. Now that we have that out of the way; how about McSame’s own words? Read the man’s own book asswipe – and by the way – the folks at http://www.vietnamveteransagainstmccain.com/ have said all McSame has to do is prove them wrong and they’ll stand down. Johnboy is silent because he knows it’s true. They have documents there. Are you afraid to read them? Are you afraid of the truth? McSame is a coward and a traitor and so are you if you support him.
Now as for people like child rapist Marvin, we KNOW he’s a coward and a traitor so OF COURSE he doesn’t care that McSame gave up American intel to his captors in violation of Article V of the Code of Conduct. But everyone else should know better.
So Puddylicker was making an insane argument around the beginning of the thread about how the cunt Palin is cool because she governed a state with a large LAND MASS! LOL! I see I ran him off that argument pretty fast. He changed subjects and deflected pronto – which is his MO when he’s busted.
Now that’s a great response:
217. ByeByeGOP spews:
@204 first of all – fuck you.
Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass.
But seriously now, why should McCain waste time trying to rebut low-rent scuttle butt raised by an angry group of malcontents? He has better things to do – like start thinking about his transition team and cabinet appointments.
As for your “loyalty” oath litmus test — get real and face facts: what positive contribution has Osama made to this country? Was it his service on law review at Harvard? Osama and Biden are so out of touch with the regular, day-to-day life of Americans, it is unreal! I’ll take a McCain/Palin to your Osama/Biden any day. McCain and Palin get “it.”
Bye Bye Gop: Face the truth if you can handle it.
Scary. Good thing this wasn’t that 3am phone call hillary talked about. Otherwise, how much damage would this “hair trigger” do?
http://ap.google.com/article/A.....gD92SAFMG1
Oh, the usual throw someone under the bus game that obama plays oh so well.
Huh? It reflects your sentiments but you blamed it on your spokesman?
Change.
Damn, obama isn’t even ready to lead a town of 20.
@185 So, Puddy, you’re not bothered when your buddies refer to you as the “dancing darkie”? You need to muster up some pride, Puddy.
bybygoober@218: What R U jabbering about again? Oh I forgot U’s a moron.
I stand by the comment about the Alaska land mass. It takes rugged individualism to live in Alaska, something lacking in your psyche.
I can see it now Bear Grylls against you. Man against Wild.
TommyGunner: You have yet to prove you have a working single cell mitochondrion.
Steve, HAs Biggest ASSHole, my buddies don’t call me anything except friend, and brother. You are what you are!
bybygoober: Looks like your Vietnam Vets web site will have to remove their Dobson quote:
“Dr. James Dobson, a prominent evangelical leader who once said he would not vote for John McCain “under any circumstances,” announced in the last hour that he planned to vote for McCain.”
@224 I don’t think you missed the post where you and yours were called dancing darkies. With the self-hate you have going for you, perhaps you just don’t care. Or perhaps you’re just completely lacking in courage and pride.
Steve HAs Biggest ASSHole was talking about post #13. What he did was take an extra dose of Steve’s Stupid Solution. Steve’s Stupid Pills in a solution of Kos man-juice.
I am not a member of the party of the Seditious & Sleazy Yelling Loser Boy. So #13 WAS NOT talking about me.
Keep taking Steve’s Stupid Solution. The Marvelous Misadventures of HAs Idiot Moron continue.
John Barelli :
McCain commanded a training squadron of what? Avaon sales ladies? Nope, fighting men and women.
You have already admitted McCain commanded a squadron. Now please tell us how many squadrons Obama has commanded?
How many wars has Obama fought in for his his country? Did Obama even enlist in the military?
@227 Yup, courage and pride. It’s sad to encounter a man who has neither. Throw in a large measure of self-loathing and you have yourself a Republican named Puddy.
Biggest ASS? Why do you continue to flatter me? It won’t get you anywhere. Sorry, Pud, but you’re stuck with your goat.
Steve, how is that animal sex? Did you get off today? You seem fixated on it.
Steve HAs Biggest ASSHole. I answered the question. Too bad it wasn’t the answer you wanted.
@230 Christ Pud, you guys admit that you’re not only into animals, hell, you guys will fuck a goddamned Maytag. Think about that one, Pud. A Maytag washing machine, for Christ’s sake! Where’s your damned dignity?
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/.....htwing.php
It’s not like I make this shit up, Pud. If once, just once, you’d denounce the Republican party for being a magnet for pedophiles and goatfuckers, then I’d quit picking on you. Keep up with this denial bullshit and I’ll just keep laying it on. It’s up to you.
Damn. The left has websites about the sex lives of republicans.
Shows you how much the democrats are hypocrites.
When bill was being blown, the left was denying it. Then after the blue dress surfaced the democrats jumped on the sex is a private matter talking point.
Looks like the democrats have flip-flopped.
Or maybe the left copies the right and is just that far behind the reps.
At least steve is still talking about animal sex, something he knows about. No wonder steve is afraid to post under his real name. The veterinarian would recognize his name.
Leave it to Marvin to use a Dem male getting a blowjob from an adult woman to justify his, um, ‘relationship’ with his washing machine. At least your goat can look forward to the relief offered by washday.
to the cocksucker at 66, cyniclown:
From Wikipedia and numerous other sources:
A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he served as president of the Harvard Law Review.
He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Of course no Republican would want a president who knows any fucking thing about the constitution.
He graduated with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991. They don’t hand this shit out like it is candy, you fucking moe-ron
Just because cyniclown says it, does not make it so. He is not Capt. Piccard, but apparently does live in some alternate universe.
Dancing darkie? nice, very nice.
@176 Richard Pope
Richard, here we agree. Palin is a plus for Rossi, possibly a big plus. She enables his “GOP” vs Republican meme. Soion he will be Ted Stevens worst enemy.
Remeber too that her hubby, Klondike Dundee, is like Dino in claiming native status. Do not surprised if Dino takes a trip to ‘laska to commune with his inner man and hunt a bar with Kondike Dundee Palin and his m’am Annie, aka Sandie, Oakley Palin. Yoo hahhh!!! I am not kidding!
Gregire’s lack of denbate skills, unless she has spent time in elocu8tion classes since 4 years ago, means this is a campaign being fought by fusillades od adverts. CG at her desk looking serous is no ocmpetition for Sandy and Din out hunting together or joining in a pledge to build the NIGOP .. new improved GOP. Imagine an ad where she and Dino discuss cutting the WA state budget or even ways the two most NW states shyold be cooperating (but are not) economically?
The only place oyu and I disagree is on the final score .. my bet, as of now is that Dino will win by a point or two. Things could get worse ifd the slander machine finds something worse to diss CG on (there still is dirt from her time as AG).
@185 Puddybud
Out of my real respect for you I will ignore your public stance that you will not vote for a rational, seasoned team that includes not only Obama and Biden but folks like General Clark (among a couple of dozen other eecetn staff officers), an economic team ranging from O’Neil to Buffett, a commitment to use science, support from foreign plicy estabholishment including Snowcroft, Kissinger and Holbrook. etc and take the risk of electing a shaky old man, with no major military adviser, no real support form ecomomists, who just chose as as his VEEP an Annie Oakley who wants to teach that the great pumpkin created humans 6000 years ago????
Why am I incredulous?
BTW .. the current issue of Foreign Affairs has a terrific set of articles on the challenges facing the next admin. Written by dems, repubs, and foreign commentators, the take home really does not sound like anything McCain is prepared to do.
Tell you want .. read an article or tow and I will buy you dinner so we can fight over it!
Puddy
Ah hah. You are also, I assume, familiar with Alaska’s massive problems of alcoholism?
Yep, them gun totin,
dog sleddinsnowmobilin, blubber eatin, slopers, thes’s the man!The other Steve, the one withe the club foot, nad teeth and smelly armpits!
Hev oyu ever met Puddy? I would be careful if I were you. She is 5′ 11 and an ex special forces operative whose hands are registered with the FAA as lethal weapons!
I once saw her pinch a guys nose right off of his face and make him eat it after he insulted her tits!
I would be careful about throwing aroound racial insults when you have so little idea of who you are dealing with.
Marvin Stamm
Jeezus G Krist, man o man. If you wanta be a troll at least find something intersting to say. I browsed all the way to here and found nothing worth the photons emitted by a black cat in a black hole.
Boring!
Looks like Bush is good at one thing. He’s going AWOL – the cowardly ass-wipe won’t make the Convention Monday. Of course the other possibility is that the righties are so fucking ashamed of the turd they told him not to come :)
@240 Huh?
Carl My Left Foot Grossman bud:
First off how is your health?
Is anything going wrong lately?
Have you been sleeping a lot lately?
Did you miss the PuddyGram about how liberal WikiPedia is?
They took down Biden’s 2004 entry. It was damning. Puddy put it up last week. They changed other liberal entries. And now you use WikiPedia for debate purposes?
Tereza: Please succor this man! He needs TLC fast!
Hope you are feeling better Carl.
It’s obvious haw scared the left is with sarah as the veep pick.
Even seattlejew is becoming an attack dog.
Priceless.
Steve HAs Biggest ASSHole: SeattleJew has met me sucka. While he exaggerates some of my qualities…
Wanna dance?
SeattleJew Steve, yes I have a friend in the Alaska power transmission industry. Alaska has many social problems. I thing bybygoober is an Alaskan who was rejected by the populace and told to leave. Now he is a pimple on HAs ASS!
From Zogby: “The latest nationwide survey, begun Friday afternoon after the McCain announcement of Palin as running mate and completed mid-afternoon today, shows McCain/Palin at 47%, compared to 45% support for Obama/Biden.”
Sergeant Schultz says “Interestink”!
Also from Zogby: “The interactive survey shows that 22% of those voters who supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in their primary elections or caucus earlier this year are now supporting John McCain.” [Puddy was the FIRST to bring the HA leftist morons this statistic] But wait wasn’t it the dense as spent uranium idiots who claimed Puddy was wrong? Well is Zogby a right-wing pollster yelling loser boy?
“Among those who said they shop regularly at Wal-Mart – a demographic group that Zogby has found to be both “value” and “values” voters – Obama is getting walloped by McCain. Winning 62% support from weekly Wal-Mart shoppers, McCain wins these voters at a rate similar to what President Bush won in 2004. Obama wins 24% support from these voters.”
Now we know why W Klingon Whatever… AKA headless lucy hates WalMart.
Wow a fair article. Only from the British press.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t.....ttr=797093
yelling loser boy, tell us; is the Times a conservative rag?
The comments are very interesting too.
Hey you left wing America haters, it looks like your boy Osama, er Obama is losing. How PATHETIC! He couldn’t even get a post conventions bounce!
Read it and weep leftards:
McCain/Palin 47%
Obama/Biden 45%
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews1547.html
Hey you right wing America haters, it looks like your boy FlipFlop McSame is losing. How PATHETIC! He couldn’t even get a pre convention bounce!
Read it and weep right wing traitors:
Obama/Biden 48%
McCain/Palin 42%
http://www.gallup.com/poll/109.....oints.aspx
Just heard a right wing talking head on Meet The Press say that bitch Palin could cost FlipFlop McSame the election. HE HE!
McCain has two sons now fighting for their country. Vice President Palin’s son will be deployed to Iraq shortly.
Where are Osama’s and Biden’s offspring? Hiding like pussies, that’s where. That is where the offspring of traitors end up.
You American hating left wing traitors are going to lose big! Get your Canadian citizenship while you can! Avoid the rush.
Ha ha ha.
Demotraitors are pussies who wouldn’t fight to defend their country. All they do is collect welfare, sit around smoking pot going nowhere in life. When they get old and their failures become apparent to even them, they lash out looking to blame everyone else for their pot smoking, do -nothing wast of oxygen lives.
@246 “Wanna dance?”
If you’re dating your Maytag then I could see how it wouldn’t be much of a dance partner. I’ll decline until such time that you can prove to me that you’re certifiably disinfected and free of communicable nasties. Oh, by the way, did you or one of your alternate personalities just watch an old Blaxploitation film or something?
So anyway, Shit-for-brains, it turns out that Palin once worked at Alyeska arranging crab for an old friend, Frank Kelty, five-time Democrat mayor of Unalaska who today is Alaska’s foremost fisheries expert. The Kelty-Palin thing is easily Googled. Anyway, interviewed yesterday, Frank is quoted only as confirming that she once worked for him and described the work she did. I hope to have a chat with him soon. It’s not clear to me from what I’ve read so far just how the Alaska fisheries industry views Palin’s performance as Gov. Nothing good or bad to be found so far in reading Alaska fishery journals, reports and newsletters.
That’s not fair for obama, his kids are too young.
Biden’s son is a lobbyist, not a soldier. Typical of those that support the troops.
Did obama ever serve in the military? Never mind, he’s a democrat. Democrats only serve when drafted and can’t afford to escape the country.
I agree, in that Palin will be a minor boost to the ticket given the extreme right wing/evangelical reaction to her.
until something really loony pops up, which is likely
Predictions
I have contributed money to McC in the past and believed in his patriotism. Now, I am convinced that he is in the tradition of self serving pols with no more love for his country than for one of his mansions.
I doubt that I am alone in this. McCain’s bizarre choice of Palin is going to tear apart his campaign because it establishes an amazing level of irresponsibility. Appointing Palin is akin appointing Clarence Thomas, Alberto Gonzales, etc.
Obviously Dems have misused their government jobs as well. The abuse of African Americans by the Dem establishment in the Jim Crow South comes to mind. The issue is not party ideology, this is an issue of personal patriotism. McCain has shown that he cares less for his country than he does for getting elected.
The e;lction of GWB itself was a similar example. We now know that many high level Repubs were aware of George’s lack of the qualities needed to be a President. They put party politics above patriotism.
At a minimum, this implies a serious lack of judgment. So. Since SJ believes there are patriotic, good red wearing Republicans, I am watching for this:
1. Outrage over Palin from Hillary, NARAL, Sierra Club, etc. I know these foks were already supporting BHO, but McC just gave them red meat.
2. Criticism of Palin for her neglect of her own family, including her decision to have unprotected sex KNOWING she had a high probability of producing a Down’s child.
3. Further lack of support for JMcC from Wall street. Perhpas open support for Obama from Buffett, Pickens, et al.
4. Out and out endorsement of BHO by Hagel, Luger, and Powell.
All of you “experience” parrots better get one thing straight. Palin has been in politics longer than Obama. She also has more executive experience than Obama. That would mean that she has actually run things . . . regardless of size, Obama has run shit.
The simple fact is that the lightweight is at the top of the Demorat ticket and at the bottom of the GOP ticket. If past is prolog, lightweight veeps don’t generally mean much in the big picture but the problem is that the Demorats got their ticket upside down. Oops.
In a year that the Demorats should be up by double digits at this point they are even or down by one in the major polls (notable: Zogby). Not good boys and girls. Not good.
Oh yah! Sure!
That’s why she gets 80+% approval ratings in Alaska! Because half the state wants her out of there!
Try again dipstick.