Sorry, but I think that Palin is a female George Bush. You will not find a serving politician that is so much like George Bush - from being the governor of an oil-rich state with the names of every oil company executive in her rolodex, to being an ignorant fool who thinks that Jesus will tell her everything she needs to know to handle every decision that comes up.

I challenge ANYBODY to name any characteristic that differentiates Palin from George Bush 8 years ago, other than gender.

Alonzo Fyfe

If progressives want 4 more years of this crap then it's time to sit on your duff and watch them lie their way into the Whiter House and the possible demise of our country Or as an alternative get off your ass and get in the streets. I am 70 years old and have watched from the sidelines too long I am putting my money and my time where my mouth is

All due respect to the HuffPo, but even THEY are on this bandwagon, as well. Over the past week, everytime I click on their page she is the headline and takes up about half of the first & politics sections.

What do we do? How can we change this? The media coverage, that is. Other than Keith & now Rachel, it's bullshit.....Again, ....as always.

Please tell me that the voters are not going to fall for all this crap again. Please tell me the voters are fed up with the current mess and will not buy the crap again!!!!!

Anyone else get the feeling that Obama is getting set up? Bushco. knows that McCain's going to have his ass handed to him so they're trying to run everything into the ground so that it will blow up in Obama's face next year. If there is a financial meltdown Obama and the Dems will get the blame. The Repukes are trying to stuff their pockets with every last penny and leaving the bill for the population of the US.

bush's final mission.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5I-0_YDF7k

Couldn't agree more. I also think that the more that we harp on the state school degree and the small town
experience the more we "look" like elitists. George W. certainly proved that an Ivy League education does not a
thinker make.

Honestly, I think that we should focus on the Republicans' coziness with oil companies and drill home how
much the cost of gas has increased during their time in the White House. We need to also help people understand that as
you pay more at the pump you also pay more for everything else that uses petroleum/oil as its base or needs to be
moved or transported. People should be asked how much more they are willing to pay for gas in the future if they elect
these two.

Excellent post at daily kos regarding narratives and Sarah Palin... highly recommended reading - What We Might Be Missing: Sarah Palin, narratives, & tribalism - by StanBlather -
Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 05:09:37 PM PDT

Also included: Why the Republicans really hated Bill Clinton, McCain's real reasons for choosing Sarah Palin, and why that 3-minute video clip of Joe Biden on the campaign trail is so very good, and so very important

I was just chatting with a friend who wrote the following: "I can't believe any self-respecting woman would ever vote for Sarah Palin."

Here's why she might be wrong.

The Obama campaign is right to keep the focus on John McCain, but I feel like there's something about Sarah Palin--the bigger picture--that we're all collectively missing...
More at this link - http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/6/182033/4061/448/589406

Aso is ANYONE FUCKING SICK OF THE PHRASE "LIBERAL MEDIA"?!?! I want to fucking smash the goddamm TV every time a talking point puppet uses those fucking words. THE MEDIA IS OWNED BY CORPORATIONS THAT DO NOTHING BUT PROMOTE THE RIGHT'S AGENDA. The removal of Olbermann and Matthews is a PERFECT example that we DO NOT HAVE A FUCKING LIBERAL MEDIA!!!

The Right does NOTHING but fucking DISTORT, SMEAR AND OUTRIGHT FUCKING LIE with every breath they can muster and they FUCKING GET AWAY WITH IT EVERY TIME!!! But when the Right is called out on their bullshit they [Deleted. Misogyny-Sitemonitor]

Impeach cheney and bush @ 8:

Please tell me that the voters are not going to fall for all this crap again. Please tell me the voters are fed up with the current mess and will not buy the crap again!!!!!

I'd tell you that, but I fear that I'd be lying like a Republican.

BobbyG @ 13:

This has fast become Palin vs Obama. That seems to be how the Goopers want it.

McSame and Biden, are they running for something as well?

That is THE job of the VP Nominee - to trash the other party's Presidential candidate.

That way their candidate (McCain) can look all virtuous and above the fray.

You're right about Palin being a distraction and the focus needs to be on McCain, and yet when the question was brought up today as to why it matters what Palin says (or lies) about, I thought what if McCain dies? If he was given 10 years to live 8 years ago then it is a real possibility that she will BE president so it DOES matter. Focus on McCain but don't lose sight of this and throw it in there whenever anyone says her readiness doesn't matter.

McKeating chose Palin on the basis of her many scamdals. Now there is less time to look at :

McCain was Charles Keating's go-to guy in that S&L/Junk Bond/Heist.

McCain's cute whoor flyboy stunt on the USS Forrestal that caused over 140 dead and many injuries.

McCain's legislation for property deals in AZ; a similar deal recently got fellow AZ Republican crook Rep Rick Renzi indicted.

McCain's alleged compliance as a POW earned him the name of "songbird."

McCain's military records, like those of GW Bush, are sealed.

McCains violations of the campaign laws that he helped to introduce.

Now it's Ms Maniac Mooseburger speaking in tongues 24/7

Janet @ 26:

You're right about Palin being a distraction and the focus needs to be on McCain, and yet when the question was brought up today as to why it matters what Palin says (or lies) about, I thought what if McCain dies? If he was given 10 years to live 8 years ago then it is a real possibility that she will BE president so it DOES matter. Focus on McCain but don't lose sight of this and throw it in there whenever anyone says her readiness doesn't matter.

to me palin is about mccain maybe indirectly to some.
but i believe he decided on her at least he takes the heat for the pick. this a poor judgement on his part.
revealing palin's ablities and philosophies says a lot
about mccain.

I agree that Palin is a distraction, albeit an understandable one, and to an extent, a legitimate one.

What we should be doing is discussing Palin as but one of many poor decisions that demonstrates how we cannot trust the judgment of John McCain.

We shouldn't allow anyone to discuss Palin in isolation. Any time she comes up, our folks in on the conversation should point out how she fits into the big picture -- how McCain's judgment can't be trusted on anything.

STOP the talking about Palin - she is only a distraction, which is what the rethugs want, we need to keep driving the point of McSame being just another bush. This country can not survive another 4-8 years of the same! Divert the attention from the veep nominee!

King of Kings @ 31:

If McCain wins, he "gets sick" by September 2009 and then the Fundies and the NeoCons have a pure Puppet in the Oval Office.

So, no, Palin does matter.

exactly.......he's not able to serve as of MARCH/09 palin steps in........this war has two fronts. palin has done nothing except read a canned speech.......little to no
scrutiny. this question needs to be polled are people
comfortable with palin being a heart beat away as early
as march/09.

Yeah well while Obama was pretending to be a Republican on FOX McCain took a 10 point lead in the Gallup Poll.

MOOSELINI

NoGWBpolicyleftinplace @ 15:

Pete @ 4:

If progressives want 4 more years of this crap then it's time to sit on your duff and watch them lie their way into the Whiter House and the possible demise of our country Or as an alternative get off your ass and get in the streets. I am 70 years old and have watched from the sidelines too long I am putting my money and my time where my mouth is

If Obama ran a campaign like many here at C & L would have him do, McCain would be 15 points behind.

For me, the question remains the same every four years: If republicans can get people to forget the mess they created and vote for their own economic suicide time and again, using nothing but code words, lies, and snake oil; why can't the democrats win with the TRUTH and ISSUES on their side?

Truth and issues? The electorate unfortunately comprises human beings. They are easily swayed by fallacy and fear, and the Republicans are not only happy to exploit both, but have the exploitation down to a science.

It has been noted that when your enemy has no scruples, your scruples are his weapon. Such often does the Democrats in on campaigns.

But here's the thing -- Obama has gotten this far because he's run a great campaign. He defeated Sen. Clinton with the campaign he is running, and he can indeed beat McCain. One thing Obama seems to understand better than any candidate since Bill Clinton is that presidential races are about ethos. They're about character and identity. A candidate has to tell a great story about himself that gets people to identify with him before they'll listen to the issues.

Indeed, I'd have some advice for the campaign were I suddenly offered a position there. But this election is still Obama's to lose.

I do think she is a distraction, so I have promised myself not to talk about her for a week. Every time I do, I will have to donate a dollar to their campaign.

I find Palin so worthless I am taking a hiatus from blogs and other media until the obsession with this weak ticket calms down a bit.

Gozer @ 20:

Aso is ANYONE FUCKING SICK OF THE PHRASE "LIBERAL MEDIA"?!?! I want to fucking smash the goddamm TV every time a talking point puppet uses those fucking words. THE MEDIA IS OWNED BY CORPORATIONS THAT DO NOTHING BUT PROMOTE THE RIGHT'S AGENDA. The removal of Olbermann and Matthews is a PERFECT example that we DO NOT HAVE A FUCKING LIBERAL MEDIA!!!

The Right does NOTHING but fucking DISTORT, SMEAR AND OUTRIGHT FUCKING LIE with every breath they can muster and they FUCKING GET AWAY WITH IT EVERY TIME!!! But when the Right is called out on their bullshit they [Deleted. Misogyny-Sitemonitor]

Well said!!!! I'll just turn my TV off, but I feel your rage!

Gozer @ 29

[Deleted. Do not advocate violence on this site-Sitemonitor]

Heh, first let's install Obama. At the very least, we can put a tourniquet on our country's massive wounds.

Then, if we really want change, let's form a real movement. Let's work locally in each of our cities and towns. Run for city council, school boards. Let's get comprehensive electoral reform. And let's buckle down, and think not in terms of the next election cycle, but in terms of generations.

With a serious movement not focused on the presidency, we can change this country and the world over the next several decades.

constituent @ 27:

MountainMan23 @ 24:

BobbyG @ 13:

This has fast become Palin vs Obama. That seems to be how the Goopers want it.

McSame and Biden, are they running for something as well?

That is THE job of the VP Nominee - to trash the other party's Presidential candidate.

That way their candidate (McCain) can look all virtuous and above the fray.

palin is the only one with 'executive experience' the holy grail.......if people don't vote issues she could be a problem that's why she needs to get hit hard. a candidate shouldn't be about their gender and/or ethnic
background

Yes she need to get hit hard.

And every time she gets hit it has to be tied back to McCain.

Sarah Palin: Weapon of Mass Distraction

I believe that Conservatism has destroyed this country...

Conservatism never got a chance to destroy this country. The so-called "neoconservatives," who have done an exemplary job of trashing this country and all it once stood for, are neither "new" nor "conservative." What we have had is 30 years of creeping neo-fascism. And they're not done yet. When they are, Americans will be thoroughly despised, thoroughly broke, thoroughly disarmed, and thoroughly divided. Your body, your money and your children will belong to the State. And the State will belong to the International Association of Manufacturers. I give us about five years.

cg @ 49:

I actually disagree - she's not a distraction at all. She's responsible for the latest surge in the public opinion polls,

Well, yeah. But that's the point. They've effectively distracted everyone from McCain's obvious flaws, and reinvigorated the crazy right wing theocrats with their distraction.

thanks to her high level of right-wing crazy, so her presence strikes me as more than a little important.

It's not that she's unimportant. It's that if we continue to talk about her without weaving her into a broader narrative about McCain, the distraction continues. Point out her inexperience, and the other side points out Obama's inexperience. Point out her insanity, and the insane portion of our electorate loves it. Instead, we should be pointing out what her presence on the ticket means about McCain -- bad judgment, prisoner of the right, sell-out, no more maverick, can't be trusted. Etc.

There are two things the Democrats have to focus on to swing things in their favor:

1. Muting the Palin bounce by showing that she is the opposite of who she claims to be, and painting her as somebody whose stances are far outside the mainstream.

Her distance from the mainstream is what has reinvigorated the Republicans. Their crazy wing is now ready to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. The rest of the Republicans may not like her so much, but are happy to have the votes.

2. Muting the Republican convention bounce by illustrating that the party has no solutions, and is uninterested in discussing the issues.

That's a good one. And Obama and Biden have been hammering it. But it'll only go so far.

It's clear to me that Palin isn't ready for prime-time. If you keep hammering her on legitimate points, you force the Republicans to show the public just how weak she really is.

Or you force them into doing what they're doing. Keeping her in an undisclosed location, away from the press until we're all ready to show proper deference. And crying sexist when we don't live up to their demands.

boyhowdy @ 57:

I am voting for McCain and I tell you why. I am a Republican and I don't want more taxes and McCain is better on national security.

you pay more in indirect taxes with Republicans, than you would in direct taxes under a Democrat gov.

Its a lie that the Republicans are the party of lower taxes.
Hows your 401K, hows your foreclosed house sale going, hows your money invested overseas handling ?

Gozer @ 10:

Anyone else get the feeling that Obama is getting set up? Bushco. knows that McCain's going to have his ass handed to him so they're trying to run everything into the ground so that it will blow up in Obama's face next year. If there is a financial meltdown Obama and the Dems will get the blame. The Repukes are trying to stuff their pockets with every last penny and leaving the bill for the population of the US.

That's been the plan since Day One of the Bush Administration.

Suck everything the can out of the US economy and leave the mess for the Democrats.

Then the horrible mess will be spun as the Dem's fault so the ReTHUGs can get back in office and screw the pooch again.

good news, Investors Cheered by Fannie-Freddie Bailout

maybe, maybe, they can keep the economic lie going until Nov 5th.

Its makes one proud to be an American investor in piles of worthless paper.

I gave up trying to tie the mess that our nation is in to ALL Conservatives. It seemed like people were (and still are) only interested in making all of our troubles George W. Bush's fault alone. It's not his fault alone. The simple fact is, he's just a compliant idiot. He did everything he was told to do. The Cons had their chance to show that they could run the nation. And boy did they run it; right into the shitter.

There is no reason why the GOP shouldn't be on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, my side is led by panty-waisted pussies who refuse to fight. So we'll have to keep going through this shit every few election cycles. The Dems will clean up after the Cons again and once everything is going good the retarded voters will elect another shitbag Con. Sometimes I don't know who I hate more; the Cons or the fucking idiots that keep electing them.

seriously @ 59:

Like I said before, brilliant gamble by the McCain campaign. It's working. It's all everyone's talking about, even C&L. Obama needs to step it up now and do something original. The whole just keep talking hope, etc. and it'll work out just doesn't work anymore.

If I were Obama or Biden, when the media asks about Sara Palin. I would say,"WHO?"

Time to make the worm turn, make McCain et al answer this question:

"Mr. McCain, what role as Vice President do you see Ms. Palin serving in your administration, one more closely based on the Dick Cheney model, or one based more closely on the Dan Quayle model?"

This way she is pictured either as a future constitution shredding power-hungry war monger, or as the traditional VP dunce going to funerals and misspelling words describing tubers.

#58 Karen
That "show proper deference" really gets me. Is she running for Queen? Is she royalty?

when will people wake up!

take a look at the mega-corps (Oil, Pharmaceuticals) that purchase the majority of T.V. commercial slots at the highest premium. that high over-inflated cost helps cancel any other possible purchaser to purchase a time slot.

now that the premium is over-inflated and expensive, only the few can purchase such airtime...

so it's not to hard to figure out who the real puppet masters are that pull the traditional media's strings.

oops, as I was saying...

then another VP will be selected. McCain will look like he thinks women can lead countries but won't have to prove it by actually having a female VP. So, it would have been more appropriate for him to have chosen a woman like Condoleeza Rice or Olympia Snow as his running mate, not someone with an appointment in court on Oct. 31st.

I have to agree that part of the Palin strategy is to distract from the bigger issue of what a horrible record the Rethuglicans are leaving in their wake. They're trying to totally reframe the issues and who is responsible for the big mess we find ourselves in. What's even more frightening than John McCain is that Ms Palin could easily have to step in for him. She's another George Bush, and possibly worse.

John: thank you for what you wrote...yeah NO Do-Overs..and I do hope what Number71 is right- that her trial will derail her unqualified aspirations....she should not be one melanoma away from the Oval Office...

obamahasscrewedthedems @ 75:

You can blame this entire situation on Obama's inexperience and bad decision making. When you have a party that's split down the middle as the Democrats were in this election the winning politician has historically picked the other member as their running mate. This is done to shore up the party and to demonstrate how much you value the voters who backed the other candidate. Obama was naive enough to believe his own hype and think this was unnecessary. This created the opportunity for McCain to choose a somewhat radical woman and completely take over the mantle of change and rebellion that Obama ran on. After all, who is more rebellious? The man who claims to be, and chooses a Washington insider good old boy b-ball jock idiot as his running mate? Or the one that picks a rebellious woman from Alaska that's not an insider or a Washington figure? This is an outcome that Obama being too young, too inexperienced and too naive could have predicted if he had listened to the wisdom of history. Unfortunately him picking a good old BOY insider has destroyed his credibility and his image as a figure of change.

Obama is losing the race, and all of his cult followers were too dumb in their attacks on Hillary and Hillary supporters to realize they enabled this... Now all the Obama people can do is whine that Hillary isn't attacking Palin hard enough. If they were so dependent on Hillary to fight Obama's battles from him (yeah he does look like a real p***y right now), he should have picked her for his running mate...

Get over it and follow Hillary's example and get behind Obama/Biden

MountainMan23 @ 45:

YouTube: Obama's "No Maverick" Ad

They're getting better at it at least. Where's Biden by the way? He needs to step up with the punches. Obama's not going to do it.

surfjac @ 5:

Sarah Palin is a Liar, John McCain = liar and they remove KO from election coverage.
Whether Gustav was a blessing or a curse for the GOP, the GOP was able to cut short commentary and KO made a valid point in apologizing for that hideous video! Media needs to take a second look at the GOP or admit that they are in bed with them!

From another POST:
KO got tossed because he apologized for a tasteless viewing of the grossest political grand-standing ever tossed out by a political party in the history of this country.
HOW MUCH MORE DISGUSTING CAN YOU BE? To show images of our embassy personel being held captive by Iranian students - “They’re the enemy! The enemy that wants to KILL you! They’ll be here if we don’t fight them forever!” Using 9/11 to sell a campaign, you disgusting pigs! I know where I was on 9/11. I remember the day vividly and I also remember a President who read “My Pet Goat”, who promised to go to the ends of the Earth to find the masterminds, who went to war in Iraq, a country that WAS NOT responsible for the tragedy, cost the lives of 4000 young men and women, who damaged the lives of thousands more, killed how many thousands innocent Iraqis and displaced so many more, all the while running up huge tremendous national debt. “All fear, all the time!” and the media gives John McCain a pass because he’s old, he’s a POW, he’s a Maverick and if he is, was and still was, he wouldn’t have picked the inexperienced, lying, sanctimonious, Governor of one of the smallest states in America.

That’s why KO was removed from commentary. Media has been hijacked by the GOP.

I can guarantee you the MSM isn't covering this story:

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=68821&sectionid=351020201

Nor will any of them question Bush, Cheney, Obama, Biden, McCain or Palin about it.

But they most certainly should.

Obviously a full investigation needs to be done about the above and this as well:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20705.htm

James Howard Kunstler called it out on his website today at Kunstler.com:

"The Republican Party has wrecked America!" Pass on the meme.

"Mr. Mc Cain, by selecting Ms. Palin as your VP running mate you are stating that she is the second most qualified American to run this country. Am I interpreting this correctly?"

I second the "Weapon of Mass Distraction" label.

My first instinct when hearing her nomination was to laugh, and the second was to think that the best way to approach her status as running mate to Geezer McBad Attitude was to purely ignore her. When asked about her, respond with something like:

"No, really, who is his REAL running mate?"

or

"Seriously?"

Karen @ 87:

cg @ 73:

Karen @ 58:

Her distance from the mainstream is what has reinvigorated the Republicans. Their crazy wing is now ready to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. The rest of the Republicans may not like her so much, but are happy to have the votes.

I'm not so sure that's entirely true - granted, the Republican convention had a lot of energy because of an energized base, and that translated to a lot of voters who wouldn't necessarily be part of the fringe base. But that's the extent of it.

I imagine most of those voters jumped on board because she's a newcomer with a sharp tongue and a perceived "reformer's streak", not because she's a "pro-life death-penalty advocate who shoots moose".

Perhaps there were some Republicans who think of her as a reformer, but I have a hard time believing that any of those people weren't already on board with McCain. I think the choice was really designed to placate the far right theocrats.

However, if we're going to point out to the public that she is out of the mainstream, it should also be part of the broader narrative. My suggestion:

The Republicans are hesitant about McCain. They've only been reinvigorated since the addition of crazy, right-wing religious zealot Sarah Palin. Hell, to listen to them, you'd think they were running Palin against Obama. Even the Republicans don't trust McCain. Why should you? Obama: Judgment You Can Trust.

Your first point is actually a good one - I think you're right that most of the more moderate Republicans were already on board. But they were probably more encouraged by the successful convention.

I should actually mention a 3rd strategy, which turns attacks against into attacks against McCain:
3. Using the Sarah Palin vetting example as a demonstration of John McCain's impulsiveness and inability to say 'no' to influential groups. You claim that you'll stand up against special interests, yet you caved into them on your VP pick?

Even if she turns out to be "great", it's more a result of good fortune than good vetting, and is a good indicator of the type of thinking that will go into McCain's policy decisions. If she turns out to be a dud (which is more likely), it only makes McCain's judgment look worse.

palin is just a distraction???

she is invigorating the full retard voter

the christian right, who was going to stay home, especially if mccain had picked mittons or holy joe, will now go to the polls in droves

do not underestimate the retarded right...they know how to punch the holes

listen to them on talk shows

sarah excites them cuz she wants to take control of every woman's uterus and will make the country a holy place to live

never mind that she lets her teenaged daughter fuck the local hoodlum

never mind that she lies everytime she opens her mouth

she is a holy person cuz she speaks in tongues, prays to a chocalate jesus and wont use birth control when she fucks her redneck hubby

this country is totally fucked up

cg @ 90:

Karen @ 87:

cg @ 73:

Karen @ 58:
I'm not so sure that's entirely true - granted, the Republican convention had a lot of energy because of an energized base, and that translated to a lot of voters who wouldn't necessarily be part of the fringe base. But that's the extent of it.

I imagine most of those voters jumped on board because she's a newcomer with a sharp tongue and a perceived "reformer's streak", not because she's a "pro-life death-penalty advocate who shoots moose".

Perhaps there were some Republicans who think of her as a reformer, but I have a hard time believing that any of those people weren't already on board with McCain. I think the choice was really designed to placate the far right theocrats.

However, if we're going to point out to the public that she is out of the mainstream, it should also be part of the broader narrative. My suggestion:

The Republicans are hesitant about McCain. They've only been reinvigorated since the addition of crazy, right-wing religious zealot Sarah Palin. Hell, to listen to them, you'd think they were running Palin against Obama. Even the Republicans don't trust McCain. Why should you? Obama: Judgment You Can Trust.

Your first point is actually a good one - I think you're right that most of the more moderate Republicans were already on board. But they were probably more encouraged by the successful convention.

I should actually mention a 3rd strategy, which turns attacks against into attacks against McCain:
3. Using the Sarah Palin vetting example as a demonstration of John McCain's impulsiveness and inability to say 'no' to influential groups. You claim that you'll stand up against special interests, yet you caved into them on your VP pick?

Even if she turns out to be "great", it's more a result of good fortune than good vetting, and is a good indicator of the type of thinking that will go into McCain's policy decisions. If she turns out to be a dud (which is more likely), it only makes McCain's judgment look worse.

Bingo! That's it, right there. As I have been arguing, we should never talk about Palin in isolation. Palin is but one of myriad examples of why we can't trust John McCain. That's the main point.

Everything we say should be weaved into "You can't trust McCain on anything." His judgment sucks. He's flip flopped on everything he once believed in. He's stupid. He has no command of world affairs. He caved into the right to pick a ridiculous, dangerous VeeP. There's too much at stake, and you can't trust this guy to do what's right. Ever. On anything. Just look at his VeeP choice.

MountainMan23 @ 11:

Palin, and the circus she’s brought to town, are simply a bountiful collection of small lies deliberately designed to distract the country from one big truth: the havoc that George Bush and the Republican Party have wrought, and that John McCain is committed to continuing.

I disagree.

Palin is all that, of course, but her main function is "energizing the base."

The election will be won or lost on turnout, pure and simple.

I don't believe there's a person in this country who hasn't already made up their minds.

The only question is "will they show up to vote?"

And what exactly is it you propose we do to stop the private corporations who control all the voting machines (Diebold, ESS, Sequoia etc.) from hacking the count?

There will be ZERO transparency in this election. Sadly the Republicans AND Democrats have made certain of this.

The closest thing we'll have to understanding who won will be the exit polling, but unfortunately I don't even trust that.

The only thing I trust is the American voters sitting around tables at the precincts counting the damn ballots as a group. Ain't gonna happen.

McCain/Palin only have to keep you off the relevant issues for 57 more days. With the the full force pressure of the GOP spin machine(the best in the world) and the full bore assistance of the MSM the American public will be kept bafflegabbed yet again just enough to keep McCain within the polling margin of error. The vote fixers will do the rest. America will be shocked(again)at the GOP win, show a little upset(not too much now), then lay down and get screwed over for another 8 years.

Eight more years of bafflegab combined with dumbed-down education and you won't even remember what true democracy and freedom are. They will tell you that you have it and you will believe it. You are owned body and mind. The few progressive blogs and online news sites will be expunged. I have seen little evidence that any other outcome will occur.
The pattern this election cycle is very familiar.

Speaks for itself!... or rather Palin speaks for herself...

Palin church: Alaska will be a 'refuge' for Armageddon

Excerpt:

CNN's Jessica Yellin looked into the church's beliefs and reports that it practices speaking in tongues and also "teaches that Alaska will be a shelter at the end of the world."

A video produced by the church proclaims with apocalyptic imagery that "God has a destiny for the state of Alaska!" and in another clip someone from the church affirms, "I believe that Alaska's one of the refuge states."

Yellin acknowledged that "whether Palin shares these beliefs is unclear" but noted that "during her June visit, she described the Iraq War and a natural gas pipeline she is trying to build as part of God's plan."

The Sarah Palin Church Video Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG1vPYbRB7k&feature=related

Sarah Palin Wasilla Church Has Kooky Prophecy Sessions... June 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VtF7Ypr1hY

Anyone else see this close encounter of the worst kind?

http://www.americablog.com/2008/09/how-americablog-reader-asked-john-and...

McPale's Navy won't even answer legitimate questions in a cafe with no cameras rolling....

Abbybwood @ 96:

MountainMan23 @ 11:

Palin, and the circus she’s brought to town, are simply a bountiful collection of small lies deliberately designed to distract the country from one big truth: the havoc that George Bush and the Republican Party have wrought, and that John McCain is committed to continuing.

I disagree.

Palin is all that, of course, but her main function is "energizing the base."

The election will be won or lost on turnout, pure and simple.

I don't believe there's a person in this country who hasn't already made up their minds.

The only question is "will they show up to vote?"

And what exactly is it you propose we do to stop the private corporations who control all the voting machines (Diebold, ESS, Sequoia etc.) from hacking the count?

There will be ZERO transparency in this election. Sadly the Republicans AND Democrats have made certain of this.

The closest thing we'll have to understanding who won will be the exit polling, but unfortunately I don't even trust that.

The only thing I trust is the American voters sitting around tables at the precincts counting the damn ballots as a group. Ain't gonna happen.

If I had my way, we'd have completely transparent -- literally transparent -- hand counts. Literally? Yes, literally.

We'd all get one of those clear plastic sheets for our ballot. We'd mark it with permanent ink, and the votes would be counted in a public hall in each precinct by hand. Each ballot would be placed on an overhead projector, and tallied in front of anyone who showed up to watch the count.

Would it take weeks, even months to complete? Yeah. So what? Who cares if we don't find out who won for a couple months? The Constitution is designed with that in mind. They didn't have machines to count the vote centuries ago, and they knew it would take a long, long time to count all the votes of all of the states in the union.

That being said, indeed, turnout is the way to win. And overcome the fraud. The fraud only works if it is marginally believable. For instance, they could never have rigged the vote to favor Katherine Harris in Florida. They have to find states and precincts where the electoral count matters, and where it's so close they can tweak it just enough to have plausible doubt.

If we turn out in massive enough numbers, we can overcome the fraud. That's what happened in 2006.

palin may be a distraction but she is also a liar.
by hunter at daily Kos.

We know, for a fact, that Sarah Palin lied about being "against" the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. I don't mean that she flip-flopped. I don't mean she waffled, or equivocated, or mislead, or was disingenuous, or misspoke. I mean she lied outright. Period. She was, in fact, a supporter of the now-mocked symbol of pork and earmarks. She was a supporter during the entire process, up until the now-magical point when the entire thing had devolved into farce, and not even Republicans could attach themselves to such a boondoggle without paying a political price. Then, and only then, did she distance herself from it.

And by "distance herself", we mean "kept the money".

We know, for a fact, that Sarah Palin lied about being "against" earmarks. As mayor of her small Alaskan town, she hired a Team Abramoff lobbyist to squeeze Washington for generous funds, funds far in excess of what the average American small town could expect. The lobbyist delivered nearly $27 million worth of earmarks to the town of less than ten thousand people: a fine haul, indeed. She said so herself, in her own handwriting.

So she lied. Baldly and repeatedly. McCain is now on a multistate tour, repeating the very same lies -- and for Republicans, they are applause lines. Huzzah to the "anti-pork" governor whose state is more dependent on pork than any other state. Hooray for the "anti-earmarks" candidate who made a name for herself as a champion of the earmark.

Palin is not a distraction if you remind people that she's a wingnut, is totally unqualified for the job, is essentially George W. Bush in a skirt, and will be one heartbeat from the Presidency if you vote for McCain.

More importantly, McCain does not have to die for her to become President. McCain could be ineligible as a candidate, because he was born in Panama. Yes, TODAY he might be eligible, having been born on a military base, but in 1936 the same rules didn't apply. Check it out, the question is far from settled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen#US_presidential_candid...

And WHO would be crazy enough to try end get McCain disqualified knowing that Palin is next in line? Not Democrats! More likely the Republican wingnut base.

In any case, the odds of McCain being disqualified as a candidate doesn't have to be LIKELY to have an effect. As the Swiftboaters so graciously showed us, it doesn't have to be true to tilt an election

This is the straw​ that break​s the camel​'​s back for me. How about​ this:​ Presi​dent Bronx​'​s plan.​.​.​bring​ back the Civil​ War. Not a viole​nt upris​ing thoug​h,​ I want a peace​ful civil​ divis​ion.​ How about​ a peace​ful parti​tioni​ng of sorts​?​ All the presu​mptio​us,​ Bible​-​thump​ing,​ I-​am-​convi​nced-​that-​I-​know-​God'​s-​will-​and-​you-​don'​t,​ anti-​sex educa​tion,​ the-​Earth​-​is-​5000-​years​-​old-​and-​Adam-​walke​d-​with-​dinos​aurs,​ NASCA​R fan react​ionar​ies can resid​e in one area and call that THEIR​ natio​n.​ All the pragm​atic,​ thoug​htful​ peopl​e can resid​e in anoth​er.​

Watch​ these​ video​s,​ Palin​ think​s her oil pipel​ine plan and the Iraq war are "​God'​s will.​"

DAMN,​ how stupi​d.​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS_VduCWhzM
http:​/​/​www.​youtu​be.​com/​watch​?​v=​8Egwo​WVNoi​c

[These links are invalid, and I can't fix them-Sitemonitor]

Pericles @ 108:

More importantly, McCain does not have to die for her to become President. McCain could be ineligible as a candidate, because he was born in Panama. Yes, TODAY he might be eligible, having been born on a military base, but in 1936 the same rules didn't apply. Check it out, the question is far from settled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen#US_presidential_candid...

And WHO would be crazy enough to try end get McCain disqualified knowing that Palin is next in line? Not Democrats! More likely the Republican wingnut base.

In any case, the odds of McCain being disqualified as a candidate doesn't have to be LIKELY to have an effect. As the Swiftboaters so graciously showed us, it doesn't have to be true to tilt an election

I've long thought we should be investigating this further. It could blow up in our faces, however. With the populace condemning us for daring to question the natural born citizenship of a war hero.

I think McCain did this purely to distract Americans from issues. It worked brilliantly for a few days . . . and it will continue to do so if we're stupid enough to encourage it.

Palin is Cheney in a dress. C'est tout.

watch this 1.5 minute video about her part in the
Alaska Independence Party
if Obama was part of something like this all hell would
break loose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Re0vmbtHK8

Karen @ 113:

Bronx @ 110:

This is the straw​ that break​s the camel​'​s back for me. How about​ this:​ Presi​dent Bronx​'​s plan.​.​.​bring​ back the Civil​ War. Not a viole​nt upris​ing thoug​h,​ I want a peace​ful civil​ divis​ion.​ How about​ a peace​ful parti​tioni​ng of sorts​?​ All the presu​mptio​us,​ Bible​-​thump​ing,​ I-​am-​convi​nced-​that-​I-​know-​God'​s-​will-​and-​you-​don'​t,​ anti-​sex educa​tion,​ the-​Earth​-​is-​5000-​years​-​old-​and-​Adam-​walke​d-​with-​dinos​aurs,​ NASCA​R fan react​ionar​ies can resid​e in one area and call that THEIR​ natio​n.​ All the pragm​atic,​ thoug​htful​ peopl​e can resid​e in anoth​er.​

Watch​ these​ video​s,​ Palin​ think​s her oil pipel​ine plan and the Iraq war are "​God'​s will.​"

DAMN,​ how stupi​d.​

http:​/​/​www.​ youtu​be.​ com/​watch​?​v=​LS_​VduCW​hzM
http:​/​/​www.​ youtu​be.​ com/​watch​?​v=​8Egwo​WVNoi​c

I would happily consider splitting the U.S. into different countries.

Me too. It's too big, and it's tearing itself apart. And were all going down with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELIG92GDXw&eurl=http://www.zimbio.com/Sa...

Karen @ 94:

Bingo! That's it, right there. As I have been arguing, we should never talk about Palin in isolation. Palin is but one of myriad examples of why we can't trust John McCain. That's the main point.

Everything we say should be weaved into "You can't trust McCain on anything." His judgment sucks. He's flip flopped on everything he once believed in. He's stupid. He has no command of world affairs. He caved into the right to pick a ridiculous, dangerous VeeP. There's too much at stake, and you can't trust this guy to do what's right. Ever. On anything. Just look at his VeeP choice.

For sure. I do think you can talk about Palin in isolation to make this point, but you have to proactively establish the issue of her competence as an indicator of McCain's judgment to give the desired effect.

Karen @ 97:

Uncle Joe Mccarthy @ 92:

palin is just a distraction???

she is invigorating the full retard voter

the christian right, who was going to stay home, especially if mccain had picked mittons or holy joe, will now go to the polls in droves

do not underestimate the retarded right...they know how to punch the holes

listen to them on talk shows

sarah excites them cuz she wants to take control of every woman's uterus and will make the country a holy place to live

never mind that she lets her teenaged daughter fuck the local hoodlum

never mind that she lies everytime she opens her mouth

she is a holy person cuz she speaks in tongues, prays to a chocalate jesus and wont use birth control when she fucks her redneck hubby

this country is totally fucked up

But that's the point, Uncle Joe. By distracting us from McCain's flaws, they have successfully reenergized the crazies. And the more we continue to call her out on her craziness, the more energized and happy the crazies get.

We can still call her out. Just weave it into a broader narrative about McCain himself.

"weave her into a broad narrative"

today, the fucked up self hating jew bastard medved (i am a jew, so i am comfortable saying that) had an hour for people to call in saying why they didnt like palin

of course, most of the calls brought up social issues

i had to call in...and i did

i asked why it didnt bother him that in her first address to the nation she lied about her positions on the issues, and quickly brought up the bridge to nowhere and her assertions that she sold the state plane on ebay, i wanted to bring up more, but he went ballistic

first, he accused me of reading from a prepared text (i was in my car) then he started going off that she never said that she sold the plane on ebay, just put it on ebay

whatever, i said...lets go back to the bridge to nowhere, which she was for before she was against

he went even more ballistic and started ranting about an ny times article that went through all the speeches of mccain, obama, biden (i think he threw in cheney) and the misstatements or exaggerations they made during their acceptance speeches

i attempted to calmly bring mike back on task, by stating that i wasnt calling in to discuss obama, the topic was palin...he then cut me off and went to commercial

when he returned, i take it he went to his crack staff to get info on the "bridge to nowhere" and told all his listeners with baited breath that he would share with them the truth about the whole deal

when he again came back from commercial, he referred everyone to factcheck.org...and then began to read...and this is what he read :

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/gop_convention_spin_part_ii.html

Palin: I told the Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks," on that bridge to nowhere.

This is not the first time Palin has cited her choice to kill the bridge in 2007 as an example of her anti-waste stance. It’s true that she did eventually nix the project. But the bridge was nearly dead already – Congress had removed the earmark, giving the requested money to the state but not marking it for any specific use. Palin unplugged its life support, declaring in 2007 that the funds would not be used for the Gravina bridge.

When she was running for governor, however, Palin expressed a different position. In 2006, the Ketchikan Daily News quoted her expressing optimism and support for the bridge at a Ketchikan campaign stop.

Palin also answered "yes" to an Anchorage Daily News poll question about whether she would continue to support state funding for the Gravina Island bridge if elected governor. "The window is now," she wrote, "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." It was only after she won the governorship that Palin shifted her position. And even then, it’s inaccurate to say that she “told the Congress ‘thanks, but no thanks.’” Palin accepted non-earmarked money from Congress that could have been used for the bridge if she so desired. That she opted to use it for other state transportation purposes doesn’t qualify as standing up to Congress.

he edited this down, and i wish i could find the transcript...but its obvious that he thought he was about to find a gotchya moment

when he didnt, and fact checked proved that she is a liar...this is what the self hating jew bastard said

"the point of a vp is not to make policy, it is to support the policy of the president"

so according to medved, her entire record is moot

this is what we are up against...these fuckers dont care about the facts...and im fucking sick of it

fuck medved...fuck all the right wing

btw, medved assisted the criminal abramoff to launder money through medved's rabbi...why isnt medved in prison?

I noticed the YouTube unavailability too -- let's see if it improves after they finish their site maintenance, which started around 7:00 Pacific time.

"...but I believe that Conservatism has destroyed this country and should be DOA..."

Conservatism? Don't you mean Neo-Conservatism? I know it's nit-picking, but come on people - I'm sick of decent people who are mainly conservative being thrown in the same pot as these neo-con fucks. That's like saying all Liberals are exactly like Michael More, big fat stupid propagandists - which is absolutely false (but not the part about Michael More being a big fat stupid propagandist - you have to admin - it's true). Or that all Conservatives are exactly like Bill O'Reilly.

Conservatism nor Liberalism destroyed this country. It was destroyed because while Liberals and Conservatives fought, the thrown was snatched by the Neo-Cons.

I don't think Neo-Con is a very good term either - I think they should just be referred to as "the misery profiteers" that really don't serve any party.

Today at work the young Republican beefcake sales rep asked if I had seen the polls, and I reminded him that the polls were skewed towards geezers cause they did not include cellphones... the other sales rep laughed heartily.

Well said, John and Arianna.

John McCain, repackaged as the new, improved Bush administration. A Karl Rove production.

I agree that Palin is a distraction, but she needs to be used against McCain and the GOP before this can happen. These lies her and McCain keep throwing out their are definitely pissing me off, but I follow politics on a daily basis. The ones to worry about are those people who probably are going to vote but don't follow politics too closely and generally vote on their gut feeling a day or two before its time to cast their ballot. To these types of voters, these lies that Palin told in her speech and continues to repeat unfortunately will not impact these voters because in their minds all politicians lie.
Is the bridge lie as important as her abuse of power with firing someone because they would not carry a personal vendetta she had with her sister's ex husband? How about the fact that she ran Ted Steven's 527 campaign which has BIG OIL written all over it. Sarah Palin is your next Dick Cheney and that is how she should be portrayed. Think about the power she could wield by unleashing Alaska's oil that undoubtedly would not come to the United States. If she really stood up to the oil companies and the GOP, why hasn't she said one thing or explained why she has not championed sending her state's precious resource to Americans first and not sell it overseas? With Palin, it has always been Alaska first. These feelings don't change overnight.
McCain's lobbyist + Palin's BIG OIL connections = disaster for our economy and environment.

Paying too much attention to Palin may never Pa Off. I hate the GOP for doing this; they have thrown it to the wind and said to hell with it. That's tough to play with - you have to debate a whatever and you have everything to lose and they have nothing to lose. Maybe putting her finger on the nuclear button is the right idea. Every ad have a bomb going off in the background while mommy has her kid in one arm and while her finger is pushing a red button.

sarah Palin is awesome. People can keep making up stupid sarah palin scandal but mccain / palin are going to be elected in the fall.

So ignore the Trojan Horse "distraction" and focus on the soldiers out side the walls?

No. The Trojan Horse is what you focus on.

i, like many others would like to know more about these book bannings gov. palin tried to initiate and what books in particular was she trying to censor.

This is one of the more poignant videos I've seen on the Palin nomination. Just came across it now on another board, and then came here to check C & L, and I think it sort of fits in with this discussion.

I just read a Newsweek article on Palin-
It sucked, it was bad!
They claimed that the many issues about Palin past have been refuted-
I thank you for now being distracted and focusing on the truth.
One of the biggest problems for me, is that her husband hates this country-
Being ex-military like McCain, how is this American?
He would sell-out this country for personal gain, and continue
to show just how far to the right the GOP has become.
He is no longer qualified to seek the office of President-

The selection of Palin just smell of Rovian involvement. Just because Karl is not sitting in the office next to W, do not assume he is gone. Bush is a loser, and Karl is always thinking three steps ahead.

Just look at the parallels between Palin and bush:
- Hard core republican
- Deep Christian beliefs, both beleive they are on mission from god.
- Relatively little experience in goverment, and moving up the political ladder very fast.
- Extremely maliable, taking the party line to the extream.
- Both involved in controversies that are ignored by the press.

Karl has "selected " Palin to attract the Conservative Christion vote since I have no doubt that there are people who are praying that McCain "Called to God", and that she will be the next President. I trully beleive that McCain will not serve out his complete presidency if he wins. She will be surrounded by the same trolls that have put this country in the situation it is in. Her being a woman is just convenient asset to attract the really dumb.

Once more we will have in office a president a puppet, a true christian beleiver, inexperienced and beholden to the people who put her in power. This is exactly what Karl did with W, and I have no doubt he is orchestrating this situation.

Karl hates Democrats with an insane and unreasonble passion which is well documented and I have no doubt that his hand has played deep in this affair.

sarahpalin @ 138:

sarah Palin is awesome. People can keep making up stupid sarah palin scandal but mccain / palin are going to be elected in the fall.

You're delusional! Check with your doctor about getting you some new meds... you need 'em!