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[jey_16]

Joe Klein on the VP Picks

sums McCain up perfectly

 

[AniHawk]

My dad described McCain/Palin as an arranged marriage. I thought it was the perfect description.

 

[Guts Of Thor]

Joe Klein on the VP Picks

sums McCain up perfectly

Excellent article! Thanks for posting.

I'm sending this to my family and friends.

 

[devilhawk]

My dad described McCain/Palin as an arranged marriage. I thought it was the perfect description.

Anyone that has even followed McCain over the years can tell that Palin wasn't his choice for VP and his advisers were the ones that convinced him. Despite Palin's shortcomings, can anyone even think of a way that McCain could pull this out with a stronger more traditional Mitt/Huck/Lieberman as VP?

 

[ralexand]

I just don't get why you choose someone under an ethics probe if you're not absolutely positively sure its completely bogus and judging by the head of the investigation it will be damaging to Palan.

 

[mj1108]

Joe Klein on the VP Picks

sums McCain up perfectly

Perfectly put.

Digg it: http://digg.com/politics/How_McCain_Makes_Obama_Conservative_2

 

[Trurl]

The DNC should put out an AD to take back the words Elite and Elitist.
The ad would go along the lines of starting with how great America is compared to the rest of the world. It will then follow up with the definition of Elitism and end with all Americans are Elite.
/cut to scene of Obama standing on a cliff overlooking the grand canyon
"I'm Barack Obama and I'm proud to be an American!"

I disagree. To me the word "elitist" mean gated communities, depending on "legacy" to get into a good uni, country clubs meant only for the rich, people who are snobby because they come from a family with a high pedigree, stuff like that. Whether it actually means that or not, those are the things it evokes in my mind. Working as hard as you can to be the best you can be or being born with natural gifts of intellect and ability is not what it brings to mind. Dems are better off not touching the word, or, if they are willing, try to brand the Republicans as elitists.

The word "elite" can sound very positive to me, but never elitist and elitism. And even then it still sounds like whatever is "elite" must be part of the establishment.

 

[Hsieh]

You guys are looking the word "elitist" all wrong. Why is Obama, a man who has recently made a few million self made dollars of his book sales, considered elite, while McCain, who's family is worth somewhere around $100 million dollars considered not elite? People don't literally mean that Obama is an "elitist", they're using "elitist" as a code word. "Elitist" is a culture war code word for urban America. There is currently a culture war between urban "blue states" and rural "red states". Obama was first called an "elitist" after his "bitter-gate" comments which were aimed squarely at rural America. When Obama is called an elitist, that doesn't mean he's a rich guy who's out of touch with America, it's a code word meaning he's a city slicker, a damn yankee, a liberul, etc.

 

[Socreges]

And today Obama ran his first ad directly attacking Palin, and he calls her nothing less than a liar.

oh wow they even sourced. i love that

 

[Socreges]

You guys are looking the word "elitist" all wrong. Why is Obama, a man who has recently made a few million self made dollars of his book sales, considered elite, while McCain, who's family is worth somewhere around $100 million dollars considered not elite? People don't literally mean that Obama is an "elitist", they're using "elitist" as a code word. "Elitist" is a culture war code word for urban America. There is currently a culture war between urban "blue states" and rural "red states". Obama was first called an "elitist" after his "bitter-gate" comments which were aimed squarely at rural America. When Obama is called an elitist, that doesn't mean he's a rich guy who's out of touch with America, it's a code word meaning he's a city slicker, a damn yankee, a liberul, etc.

not to mention the huge gulf in education level between democrats and republicans. it all ties in. i love how they mention that he went to an ivy league school as if that's something he should be ashamed of. good lord

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

god damnit, america

 

[devilhawk]

oh wow they even sourced. i love that

The funniest part is that Biden and Obama both voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" (H.R. 3058). McCain was not present for the vote.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

Many millions will be taken in by what is, effectively, the Republicans' stab at the ol' Jedi mind trick, but I refuse to believe that more than half of US voters will actually be that stupid at the polls in November.

 

[devilhawk]

not to mention the huge gulf in education level between democrats and republicans. it all ties in. i love how they mention that he went to an ivy league school as if that's something he should be ashamed of. good lord

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

god damnit, america

Well the republican party the last decade has basically been an association of 3 parts of society.

• 1.The typically lesser educated rural population
  2. The social conservatives and evangelicals
  3. The higher educated, fiscally conservative rich

You can definitely consider some Republicans 'elite.'

 

[kevm3]

I'm liking what I see in that Obama is starting to make more ads attacking Palin and McCain with FACTS. I may get around to donating another 25 with the next check.

What absolutely boggles my mind is the low standard that many Americans hold for the highest office in the land. They hold football players more accountable than that. Do you think anybody would want a runningback on their team who they felt they could just sit down and have a beer with or do they want the runningback who they know can perform? Apparently, having the intelligence to do your job as an American president is a bad thing, yet nobody would say, "Hey, that guy's too athletic for running back. He thinks he's better than us!"

 

[devilhawk]

I'm liking what I see in that Obama is starting to make more ads attacking Palin and McCain with FACTS. I may get around to donating another 25 with the next check.

What absolutely boggles my mind is the low standard that many Americans hold for the highest office in the land. They hold football players more accountable than that. Do you think anybody would want a runningback on their team who they felt they could just sit down and have a beer with or do they want the runningback who they know can perform? Apparently, having the intelligence to do your job as an American president is a bad thing, yet nobody would say, "Hey, that guy's too athletic for running back. He thinks he's better than us!"

I'd wager that this is just as commonplace in other countries as well and that the analogy holds true with their 'football' players.

 

[Funky Papa]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/08/AR2008090803088.html?hpid=topnews



Until the GOP throw her to the wolves, we are going to see stuff like this everyday.

Not nearly as controversial if you don't post the full amount:

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel, and many of the trips were between their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.

The last paragraph is kind of shameful in its own way. Jay must be thrilled.

 

[ralexand]

The funniest part is that Biden and Obama both voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" (H.R. 3058). McCain was not present for the vote.

But they never claimed they did and that funding was a small part of that bill.

 

[polyh3dron]

The funniest part is that Biden and Obama both voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" (H.R. 3058). McCain was not present for the vote.

Did Biden or Obama say that they said "thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge to nowhere and did they base their Mavrickness on that?

Didn't think so.

 

[Socreges]

The funniest part is that Biden and Obama both voted for the "Bridge to Nowhere" (H.R. 3058). McCain was not present for the vote.

errr, that doesn't seem at all funny. did they say they were "against it from the beginning", as she did? they're pointing out blatant lies, not misguided support.

Well the republican party the last decade has basically been an association of 3 parts of society.

• 1.The typically lesser educated rural population
  2. The social conservatives and evangelicals
  3. The higher educated, fiscally conservative rich

You can definitely consider some Republicans 'elite.'

yeah that's well known, but thanks

 

[devilhawk]

errr, that doesn't seem at all funny. did they say they were "against it from the beginning", as she did? they're pointing out blatant lies, not misguided support.

It is sort of funny but they have no relevance to the actual issue.

yeah that's well known, but thanks

Any time.

 

[kevm3]

I think Barack should make his community organizing days his version of McCain's POW POW POW. "As a community organizer, I hit the streets of Chicago and was DIRECTLY responsible for helping the American people."

It would be excellent if Barack used the aikido approach to his ads. Use the republicans energy against them. If they keep onattacking Barack, he should run an ads ofthem making these attacks and say, "In a time when Americans need the most help, the Republicans can't stop talking about Barack. That's not change. With Americans lacking healthcare, a crumbling infrastructure, etc., we are at a turning point. What about the issues?"

Here is another idea.
Show a chef mixing up ingredients... "Karl Rove playbook? Check. "Voted with Bush 90 percent of the time? Check. "Refusing to talk about the issues? Check." This is not a recipe for change, this is a recipe for the same.

 

[polyh3dron]

They're doing the rope a dope guys.... right?

 

[Price Dalton]

I think Barack should make his community organizing days his version of McCain's POW POW POW. "As a community organizer, I hit the streets of Chicago and was DIRECTLY responsible for helping the American people."

It would be excellent if Barack used the aikido approach to his ads. Use the republicans energy against them. If they keep onattacking Barack, he should run an ads ofthem making these attacks and say, "In a time when Americans need the most help, the Republicans can't stop talking about Barack. That's not change. With Americans lacking healthcare, a crumbling infrastructure, etc., we are at a turning point. What about the issues?"

Here is another idea.
Show a chef mixing up ingredients... "Karl Rove playbook? Check. "Voted with Bush 90 percent of the time? Check. "Refusing to talk about the issues? Check." This is not a recipe for change, this is a recipe for the same.

Are you suggesting the Dems adopt the Steven Seagal strategy? I can't wait for the broken limbs.

This makes perfect sense, actually, and I think it's where they're headed.

It's funny that Republican surrogate Chuck Norris sorta mirrors their tactics - direct, predictable, effective attacks. Strikers, for sure.

 

[Hitokage]

Oh crap Alan Keyes using the media elites line back in 2004! :lol :lol

What's with this excuse?

It's been around for a few decades, actually.

 

[Arde5643]

They're doing the rope a dope guys.... right?

The correct term is "Rope a hope".

 

[Haunted]

I'd wager that this is just as commonplace in other countries as well and that the analogy holds true with their 'football' players.

I can't speak for anyone else, but most people (who aren't voting out of tradition only) are definitely voting on issues, policies and competence first and foremost in my country.

Personality and personal "values" of the politicians are a small part of the equation, only barely mentioned and not a decider for many people. We hate our politicians way too much to ever consider voting on their personality only.

The US is pretty fucked up in that regard, but I'll concede that I don't know whether this problem is also widespread in other countries.



edit: what I don't get is how the media keeps commenting "the Republicans are making this election a personality contest". Why the fuck has one party the ability to shape the election in such a way? It's mind-boggling.

 

[Chrono]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/opinion/09goldberg.html

This stuff scares the hell out of me, and annoying too because I know it'll take a few days to forget about that possibility.

The author is wrong on Barack though. If somebody is voting on just this single issue, Big O slaughters McCain. Of course that's assuming the voter is intelligent and knowledgeable, otherwise McCain will claim that having been strapped to a chair and bitch-slapped by a half-naked Vietnamese dude makes him the clear winner on this issue.

 

[teruterubozu]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/opinion/09goldberg.html

This stuff scares the hell out of me, and annoying too because I know it'll take a few days to forget about that possibility.

The author is wrong on Barack though. If somebody is voting on just this single issue, Big O slaughters McCain. Of course that's assuming the voter is intelligent and knowledgeable, otherwise McCain will claim that having been strapped to a chair and bitch-slapped by a half-naked Vietnamese dude makes him the clear winner on this issue.

An article on national security and he mentions everybody but Biden. Ridiculous.

 

[maximum360]

Keyes is a nutcase, pure and simple. He's an embarrassment to the GOP. :lol

 

[JCX]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/09/opinion/09goldberg.html

This stuff scares the hell out of me, and annoying too because I know it'll take a few days to forget about that possibility.

The author is wrong on Barack though. If somebody is voting on just this single issue, Big O slaughters McCain. Of course that's assuming the voter is intelligent and knowledgeable, otherwise McCain will claim that having been strapped to a chair and bitch-slapped by a half-naked Vietnamese dude makes him the clear winner on this issue.

I would think that would be like voting on the worst possible scenario.

 

[Arde5643]

Keyes is a nutcase, pure and simple. He's an embarrassment to the GOP. :lol

He's just one of the many things wrong with GOP.

 

[Lemonz]

Palin’s Lie Caught on Camera, Says Obama Campaign

http://www.washingtonindependent.com/4941/palins-lie-caught-on-camera-says-obama-campaign

 

[stressboy]

He's just one of the many things wrong with GOP.

heheheh.. he actually quit the GOP earlier this year, was in the Constitution Party for a month and then formed his own party when they wouldn't choose him to be their presidential candidate.

My favorite Alan Keyes moment was in Borat.

 

[Cheebs]

Did Biden or Obama say that they said "thanks, but no thanks" to the bridge to nowhere and did they base their Mavrickness on that?

Didn't think so.

Also Palin was gov. of Alaska, she should be paying attention to the projects coming in and take stances on them. Biden and Obama have no reason to be worrying about projects going into Alaska when they were just senators from Illinois and Delware and not candidates for president at the time, it would be very weird for them at the time to take stances on various spending that have nothing to do with either the nation at large or their states.

 

[Slurpy]

Keyes is a nutcase, pure and simple. He's an embarrassment to the GOP. :lol

He is an embarrassment, and therefore fits right in.

Anyway, did anyone catch Chuck Todd's new Surface? Pretty sweet. These things make analysis so much more fun to watch. Hopefully it's more reliable than CNNs multitouch screen :lol

http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/09/screen-grabs-microsoft-surface-plots-out-the-election-on-msnbc/

 

[ToyMachine228]

So Bush wants to pull 8,000 troops from Iraq. A good thing, but I'm angered by the fact that it's another political ploy to try to leave the Whitehouse with a more positive image.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Murdoch Post, er, I mean the New York Post endorses McCain. SHOCK AND AWE.

 

[Barrett2]

So Bush wants to pull 8,000 troops from Iraq. A good thing, but I'm angered by the fact that it's another political ploy to try to leave the Whitehouse with a more positive image.

Bush also announced troop reductions immediately before the 2004 election. Manipulating troops on political time-lines like this should outrage people... but yet again, Americans just don't pay attention.

 

[Chrono]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-mckay/were-gonna-frickin-lose-t_b_124772.html

I'm not panicking, just thought that was a good read so here's the link for anybody with a few minutes to kill.

Really though, there has to be a solution to this media problem in the US. Someone here linked an article about what MSNBC just did and he rips that LIBRUL MEDIA myth into shreds. Something must be done, but what? You'd think a group of people, with a lot of money of course, would've already started a channel to counter not just fox, but the spineless PR drones that work elsewhere too. It'd be all kinds of cool for a new channel to bring something truly different and take on murdoch and fucking win.

Unfortunately it'll never happen, and if anything close to it does happen it'd most likely be just a bunch of hippies crying about US foreign policy.

 

[Barrett2]

Check this out, the Young Republicans of tomorrow!

Truly the party is in good hands for the future..

Student GOP leader resigns over Obama remark

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The leader of a statewide group of college Republicans has been forced to resign after posting racially insensitive comments about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on the Internet.

Adam LaDuca, 21, the former executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans, wrote on his Facebook page in late July that Obama has "a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)"

LaDuca, who previously had called Martin Luther King Jr. a "pariah" and a "fraud," also wrote: "And man, if sayin' someone has large lips is a racial slur, then we're ALL in trouble."

The College Republicans asked LaDuca to resign after his remarks were publicized by the Pennsylvania Progressive, a blog written by a Democratic committeeman from Berks County. The group announced LaDuca's resignation on its Web site Friday.

"The comments were completely uncalled for and very offensive," said Anthony Pugliese, 22, a senior at West Chester University and chairman of the College Republicans, an umbrella group with more than 50 chapters statewide. "The P-A College Republicans do not accept or tolerate racism in any way."

LaDuca said Monday that he regrets posting the comments and understands how they can be construed as racist. "In hindsight, when you read it a second time, it's like, 'oops,'" he said. "It was just a dumb move on my part to make a statement like that public."

He said he is not a racist and that he admires prominent blacks such as economist and author Thomas Sowell and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He compared the comment about Obama to jokes about Republican presidential nominee John McCain's thinning hair or President Bush's large ears.

LaDuca is a senior at Kutztown University. Two years ago, Kutztown's College Republicans chapter was heavily criticized for holding a "bake sale" to protest affirmative action in which whites were charged more for cookies than blacks. LaDuca, then the group's spokesman, made a public apology on the group's behalf

 

[Evlar]

There is no "Bridge to Nowhere" bill: it was a rider- an earmark- on an annual omnibus spending bill passed by the House and Senate to fund the government's operations. Members of Congress voted for that bill, with its tens of thousands of spending allocation including the bridge, because they didn't want the government to shut down. That's the problem with talking about any Senator's record... you have to put votes and issues into context to make any sense of it. Why would an Illinois Democrat and a Delaware Democrat vote for the pet project of a right-wing Alaskan Republican? Because it's a rider on an omnibus spending bill, that's why.

The people who carry the bulk of the blame are the ones who ATTACHED the bridge earmark to the omnibus... which was done in committees run by Republicans.

 

[HylianTom]

Check this out, the Young Republicans of tomorrow!

Truly the party is in good hands for the future..

What I want to know: why aren't these chickenshit College Republicans over in Iraq fighting right now?

If they believe so fervently that this war is so goddamn vital to the survival of our nation - that this is a war out of necessity - then why aren't their asses over there fighting it?

 

[VanMardigan]

Poll shows big shift to McCain among white women

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain has gained huge support and now leads Democrat Barack Obama among white women voters since naming Sarah Palin as his running mate, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

Before the Democratic National Convention in late August, Obama held an 8 percentage point lead among white women voters, 50 percent to 42 percent, but after the Republican convention in early September, McCain was ahead by 12 points among white women, 53 percent to 41 percent, the poll found.

 

[Barrett2]

Poll shows big shift to McCain among white women

Shit... if Palin really does bring over a huge group of women voters to McCain, Obama could be totally screwed.

 

[SCReuter]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-mckay/were-gonna-frickin-lose-t_b_124772.html

I'm not panicking, just thought that was a good read so here's the link for anybody with a few minutes to kill.

Shoot, he brings up voter caging. I'm really paranoid about the Republicans doing everything in their power to suppress the minority and youth vote this year.

So again I ask, is there anything the Left can do to educate voters and get the word out on these slime tactics?

(Or am I just making a bigger deal out of this than it really is?)

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

O Reilly says there was 20% more revenue under Bush than Clinton, according to his statistics. Anyone have an actual source for this?

EDIT-Because this says otherwise:

 

[3rdman]

Perhaps its already been discussed (likely as I can't read every page on Poligaf), but I really believe that the Palin pick will backlash on the GOP. Up until now, this ENTIRE election has been a referendum on Obama...Can you trust him? Who is he? Is he experienced enough? etc.

The Republicans (for better or worse) have chosen to abandon all their previous arguments regarding trust and experience when they chose Palin for VP. They have (perhaps unwittingly) changed this election to a referendum on Palin. Watching CNN in the morning as I do, I'm reminded of what Obama had to go through with the Reverend Wright "scandal" as the media digs in on Palin. Just today, "American Morning" was showing videotape of her church appearance and her "Parish Problem". They also went over her fiscal (in)ability and how she left her town in debt...They even had stories on Trooper-Gate.

I can't help but think that this will all come to a head in late October as Trooper-gate comes to an end. Somehow I don't think it will be positive for her as their stall tactics show an obvious nervousness on their part. In any case, the next 2 months should provide lots of drama and revelations.

Lastly, as a Florida resident and looking at the newest poll, I'm shocked that the Obama campaign hasn't hit back on off-shore drilling here as much as they should. I was thinking today of a great commercial...here's my idea:

Open with shot of McCain at the RNC pleading for off-shore drilling..

McCain: Drill now!
Audience chant of "Drill,baby, drill!" drown him out and the chant continues while you show a series of images of oil spilling disasters...dead animals, beaches soiled, busted pipelines. Music rises...

Cut to footage of a family on a beach somewhere looking incredulously at the water where a big ass oil rig is parked.

Music rises to a crescendo as it hard cuts to black and the music stops.

Silently on the black screen we read "Welcome to Florida: 2012"

What do you think?

 

[gkryhewy]

Poll shows big shift to McCain among white women

I don't know if it's old - it's been talked about on TV yesterday and today. It's a striking shift to be sure, but Obama is still up 1% overall in that poll - to make the math work out, McCain must have lost significant support among some other groups. It seems like an outlier, frankly, given the other polls' findings on women reactions.

 

[Rur0ni]

Poll shows big shift to McCain among white women

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/mommy-quotient.html

The ABC News finding that Sarah Palin dramatically upped John McCain's support among white women is one I'm not entirely convinced by, mostly because other polling by the same agency shows Sarah Palin performing worse among women than she does among men.

 

[so_awes]

What I want to know: why aren't these chickenshit College Republicans over in Iraq fighting right now?

If they believe so fervently that this war is so goddamn vital to the survival of our nation - that this is a war out of necessity - then why aren't their asses over there fighting it?

because they're richer than those who are over there.