Like last week, I'm not tuning in until AverageToddler's bathed and put to bed, so I missed some of the preliminaries.
Michael Steele is the GOP's version of "urban cool" which is beyond comical on too many levels to count here. Let's face it, this dude is L.A.M.E. He's suddenly morphed from the milquetoast Negro who once allegedly got Oreo cookies tossed at him in a Maryland debate, to Super Negro Republican™: The Poor Man's Obama. Negro please.
When he was introduced, the crowd broke into some clearly orchestrated, yet poorly executed "Go Steele!" chant. Steele responded by asking the crowd "Are you ready to party in this house tonight?" which clearly shows he's been revisiting his DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince cassette tapes lately. It was a display of uncoordinated arm-flailing only matched by the between-speech Earth Wind and Fire dance-a-thon seen moments later. Yes, it was as lame and pathetic as it sounds reading it.
Magic Mike then went on some tirade about guilt by association, which was clearly a dig at Rebb'n Wright. I'm not about to defend the good Rebb'n here, but c'mon Mike, that's a stretch ain't it? I know the PG County church you attend, so you prolly should just let that one ride. And besides, if it's all about guilt by association, wouldn't that make you an ear-chomping rapist? I'm just sayin'.
This guy should be nearing his 16th minute by now, but thanks to the lack of... uhmmm, color, in the GOP, he'll keep getting party jobs merely in exchange for being a grateful token. I guess this is necessary to uphold the illusion of conclusion. I only counted 5 blacks in tonight's audience, down from 7 last night. 6 if you count Steele, which I don't.
Mike Huckabee is one of the few GOP personalities I can actually stomach for more than a few minutes. He did the obligatory "Obama Sucks, McCain Roolz" speech, but in a manner that was respectful and stuck to party talking points. I don't agree with his stances, but I don't mind how he goes about stating them. The rest of the GOP could learn a thing or two.
Mitt Romney was longwinded, overpolished, and booooring. Not that this should surprise any of you who've listened to him prattle on and on in the past. It's so obvious this guy is still hella pissed about not getting change of address forms for 1600 Penn Ave. He did the good party thing and bashed Obama while bloviating over McCain's experience, but behind that spray-on tan and meticulous dye job, it's clear that there lies a cat who thinks he should still be Prez.
Rudy Guiliani came up next and I guess this marked the point where the convention actually became interesting. Man, did Rudy rip Barack a brand new anus or what?
Seriously, you wanna talk about taking off the gloves and "goin' in". He did that and thennnnn some. This cat must have been visiting ThisIs50.com for inspiration lately, cause he was extra greasy. Never mind the fact that Rudy didn't state any of McCain's solutions, his job was to bash Barry, and bash Barry he did.
This whole spectacle would have been enlightening had the guy delivering it not been so disgusting and despicable. A dude who marries his own cousin has no right telling anyone about judgement. A guy who announced his divorce to the newspapers has no right questioning the integrity of others. A guy whose own kids don't talk to him, and are voting for Obama themselves shouldn't be saying jack about family values.
Other than that, I'll admit, this was pretty fun to watch. Largely untruthful and completely lacking in substance, but not boring by any stretch. He even kept his obligatory "9/11" references count under 25. Bravo Rudy. The Gray's Papaya's on me.
Alaska Governor
I suppose her general countenance and willingness to go after Obama is going to endear her to her "base", but her speech did little to dispel the litany of holes in her "maverick" reputation. She too spouted more "smaller government" GOP talking points, although her pro-life stance on abortions was a blatant omission. Long on aggression, short on substance, absent of solutions. In other words, this lady's right at home.
[Editor's Note: BTW Tina, bashing the media is never a good idea, especially given the fact that you'll need these very same people to overlook the inherent contradictions in your personal record. I can't wait for your first appearance on Meet The Press. We'll see who's the "pitbull in lipstick" when you've gotta answer questions about something other than a "bridge to nowhere".]
It's blatantly obvious that these folks have no solutions and don't even intend to run on their "platform". They wanna sell you on false patriotism (as if only those who serve in the military love the country), and scare you into keeping them in office. McCain campaign manager Rick Davis even admitted as much yesterday.
Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain's presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning.Well thanks for clearing that one up for us, Rick. At least you're being honest.
"This election is not about issues," said Davis. "This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."
Davis added that issues will no doubt play a major role in the decisions undecided voters will make but that they won't ultimately be conclusive. He added that the campaign has "ultimate faith" in the idea that the more voters get to know McCain and Barack Obama, the better the Republican nominee will do.
A few things really bug me about these GOP Talking Points, and I'm hoping you guys can help me out with them.
(1) The GOP keeps saying Palin, by virtue of being a small town mayor, and 18 months of Governor has more "executive experience" than Obama and Biden combined. If you define "executive experience" as having "run something", wouldn't that also make Palin more qualified than even John McCain, whose entire career has been spent in the Congress and Senate?
(2) The GOP is all about "less government". How then do they explain being "pro-life"? Isn't telling a woman what to do with her own body the epitome of "too much government"?
(3) The GOP is all about "fixing Washington". Are we supposed to forget that they've virtually controlled Washington since 2000? Uhhh, shouldn't something be "fixed" by now? Could they perhaps try "fixing" their own party before "fixing" the world?
(4) The GOP is all about "reining in government spending". Their main way of remedying the record deficit is by cutting earmarks and pork barrel projects? But isn't the $10B/month war that the GOP got us into the main reason for the deficit?
(5) How disingenuous is it to keep playing the "POW Card"? I admire John McCain's service to this country, but let's keep it 100. McCain's time in Hanoi is only notable because his father's name and position made him living, breathing propaganda. He was on TV and in the news practically every night during his 5 1/2 years is captivity, which is why there's so much footage of it. He used this exposure to catapult his political career. Yet he calls Obama a "celebrity"? Obama seems like the sort of person who became famous because he was already a politician. McCain became a politician because he was already famous. Not exactly the same. The Dems will never point of this idiocy of course. They don't roll like that.
Let's be real here, I'm a registered Democrat, but given my pending change of party affiliation, I have no reason to support them other than my wish for Obama to be President. Still, it's amazing the stark differences between the two parties. One lacks any teeth, the other is so obsessed with the superficial that it can't help knocking you over the head with it constantly.
After tonight's hatchet job, I totally get why so many people are apolitical.
Question: Did you watch the GOP Convention tonight? Are you as nauseated at this display of dishonesty as I am? Do you have answers for any of the questions I posed above?
McCain Manager: 'This Election is Not About Issues' - The Fix [WashPost]
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I think that this was a single or a legged out double. I mean Palin really gave us her Tina Fey impression with the jokes about Obama, some of them were funny, but they are doing a great job staying away from the issues. I guess we'll see who the pit bull will be on the GOP side, she's a pit bull with lipstick (aka a soccer mom). The Dems have to be careful because she will use that 'mom' image that I think is ludicrous. She's a mom cause she spit 5 out, not much more, her career is more important. Trust that I'm not one that feels she should be at home, but you're pandering your sick child for votes,...'I want to speak to the special needs parents',...that's BS. I understand that McCain was captve for a while, but can someone explain to me why he can't smile or raise his arms above his head? Palin driving such a righteous ship but can't run her house. It was funny to see that baby daddy after he got a haircut and a shave (they showed a picture of him before he became famous for inpregnating the potential VP's daughter). I'll wait to see what everyone else has to say.
Dear Mrs. Palin:
1. Coal doesn't burn clean. It never has. Have you ever fired up a grill or visited
a local refinery? Lady, have you ever tried using a coal powered plant in SIMCITY?
Pollution, baby!
2. Your husband works(ed) for BP Amoco. I find it ironic that you mentioned that your
relatives just opened a gas station. :) Another Good Ole Boy "lemme help you
out" hookup. How much money did your husband....your FAMILY pick up for that store opening?
Do the math: BP Husband + Alaskan Gov. = Straight Cash Homie.
3. Nice swats at Obama as a "community" organizer, and the (Walden)books.
Read between the lines: "Obama is low budget, and he only worked with those poor people. I
am a Govenor, by that alone
my title is better. WOOT!"
But I still don't know who you are and what issues you stand on.
What a waste of an hour. Lady, you even quoted your newest commercial near verbatim in your speech!
WHO ARE YOU? WHO. ARE. YOU?
4. Good jab on the "Miranda Rights" line. I guess it's only Negroes who complain
about getting arrested. Do you have any "real" black friends? No, not the ones
at your job. Wait...you live in Alaska....never mind.
My advice to Joe Biden when he
debates Palin: "SWEEP THE LEG!"
Make her pay for trying to
run with the big dogs.
Also...
Cowboy Troy? So confused. How can ANY person of "color" stand on the same stage with Gretchen Wilson after Kanye got Grammy robbed? I guess you're firmly in the pocket.
NFL HOF'er Lynn Swann? You sir, just lost all of your crediblity
with me and my father. We're very disappointed in you, sir.
Finally, if Sarah Palin and sister Heather Bruce both have special needs children...is there
something wrong with their DNA or is there a little local lovin' going on?
One kid like that is an accident. Two in the same family is a trend.
EG
Palin was low on substance and considering how gracious Obama and Biiden were about her whole sorry mess of a family she should've turned down the personal insults. Why was Michelle Obama attacked yet again? I don't know, but when I watched Palin I just that she really is an incredible bitch. You're not a very nice person if you on the personal attack like that against someone who has been really gracious to you.
And how about that economy???
This was painful. Palin's speech was mostly just empty, by-the-numbers campaign-speak stuff, pedestrian to the point where I actually started tuning it out. Occasionally she said something I happen to agree with, but overall I was just indifferent.
But Giuliani was just awful. I mean really. Can we say "obnoxious", kids? No substance. No real addressing of the issues in a manner above a playground level--i.e., no maturity. Just red-meat cheap shots. Really cheap. And that crowd! Ugh. "Booooooooo!" "Booooooooooo!!!!" (We get the point. You disapprove of the misquoted, out-of-context anecdote about the opposing candidate.) "U-S-A! U-S-A!" (Honestly, what the bloody hell does that even MEAN?) I hate brainless, boorish behavior like that, but that's what GOP crowds seem to thrive on at these things.
I'm a reluctant Democrat. Over the last 8 years, I have developed a contempt for them deeper than I ever thought I was capable of having. They have proven themselves time and time again to be worse than useless. (In a way, they are even worse than the Republicans. Because I never EXPECTED much from them.) I've never been thrilled with Obama (OR Hillary, for that matter) and am pretty "eh" about him as a candidate, but it's moments like these that remind me just which party tends to be less loathsome than the other.
Go soak your head, Rudy.
-Marbles
After watching her speech, I wanted to give my vagina back. It made me sick.
What made me really mad was the BOLD statement against the Bill of Rights during that speech. Republicans don't care about the rights of others, period. John McCain was tortured...you would think that he would have a damn brain for these things. Shit.
This shit made me so mad that I want to campaign for Obama 10x more than I am doing right now. She pissed off alot of people tonight and it's going to backfire.
Joe Biden is going to make her cry in a corner and I can't wait for him to do that.
I'll take you up on #2, AB, and argue that being against big government and being pro-life are not mutually exclusive.
Most Republicans, or at least the ones that I know, are well-resigned to the fact that Roe v. Wade is precedent and won't be going anywhere in this lifetime. The battles they are fighting are to keep government agencies and especially foreign aid packages from funding abortion.
So in these instances, the view is very much in congruence with limited government.
I'm actually surprised that the pro-life position has never really caught on in the Black community, given the disproportionate number of Black babies being aborted.
EPIC FAIL!!!
That's what Palin did, epically fail. She compared herself to a dog, a bulldog at that so clearly she's opened the door for that one. And yes, she was high on biography but low as to what foreign experience she has. I mean she knows a man who says he can see Russia from Alaska and that's the extent of her foreign policy.
Also this idea that she's managing the biggest state in the Union....nah, homegirl, the South Side of Chicago has more people, where Barack was a community organizer. which does bring me to a tangent, since when does American values put down those that are grassroots organizers? I think that is one of the more pleasant aspects to living in this country to able to do that and then she up there just making it more or less a Barack Bash Party.
Not to mention that she has some associations with the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) that has some secessionist from the Union leanings in the form of her husband and according to some reports, she left her mayorship with the town in debt.
She's not even remotely ready to be vice president, let alone president with McCain living on borrowed time.
Biden is about to eat her alive and spit out the bones.
Joe Biden is going to make her cry in a corner and I can't wait for him to do that.
This is the kind of expectation that could lose the election for Barry. The more that the image is played up of Biden as the long-experienced seasoned orator vs. the hockey mom moose hunter, the harder it will be for Biden to win the debate with anything less than a brutal knockout.
Just think back to George W. vs. Gore and, to a lesser extent, GWB vs. Kerry. Gore was so built up as the college debate champion and senate orator, that when he didn't decimate the good 'ole boy from Texas during the debates, Gore fell behind and never recovered.
@chris n.
Not speaking for all blacks, but many blacks understand the doublespeak that would take place. If blacks started hollerin pro-life critics would holler hypocrisy in a minute. Moreover, that's not a flashpoint issue in the black community.
Historically we've voted more on policy issues than the moral ones. Republicans and conservatives and particularly those who self identify as evangelical will much more be inclined to vote on single issues such as pro-life issues.
@Chris N: I agree, anything less than a knockout at the VP debate will look like a loss. But I think Biden can do beat here on policy alone. Her speech tonight purposely portrayed her as "one of the guys" so to speak. She wants to taken seriously, which is cool. But if she wants to fight with the dogs, she's going to have to come with it. And if she can't, it'll look more bad on her more than anything.
Maybe we should elect the 18 year old baby daddy vice president if he was smart enough to knock-up ol' girl under the nose of a hockey mom, lipstick wearing pitbull.
@ Wilma, I agree. She should have taken the high road. For all those that thought she did a great job, I don't know what you saw. Someone explain it to me--what's her stance on the war? the economy? repairing our tarnished image in the eyes of the world? poverty? the economy? Unemployment?
This was her opportunity to show the world that there was more to her than her beauty queen past, mooseburgers, PTA meetings,having a special needs child, a knocked-up teenage daughter,and everything else the media has dug up on her. NADA. NOTHING. ZIP. ZILCH. ZERO.
One thing I haven't heard about is her level of education. I heard she went to college. Did she graduate? What was her major? How about her employment record? What did she do before she became Mayor of a town with less than 10,000 people and left it in debt?
Anywho, I was very disapointed. Beacause the whole thing was nothing more than a Bash Barack fest.
And I like you AB, want to know how you can square less government with mandating who folks can marry, and what they can do with their bodies. I have yet to find one person who opposes gay marriage to tell me how it directly affects them.
@chris n.- do you have those abortion stats? IMO, the majority of black folk are pro-life. We are for the most part, God-fearing and extremely pro family values.(Therein lies the irony in assuming all blacks vote Dem) This is one of the reasons Bush and Co. were so successful during his 1st campaign. They took their pandering straight to what is traditionally the heart of our communities--the black church, and it worked.
Watched it from Michael Steele on...First, I thought that sound bites ruled the day...There were so many bad one-liners (see Mitt), I thought I was at a bad comedy club...It was clear to me that the goal was not to tear down Barack citing real reasons for why he should not be Pres, rather, the goal was to bash Barack and start (I think as Huckabee said) a pitchfork brigade (kinda frightening)...
Also, the lack of diversity was never more evident. Michael Steele? Really? Is that the BEST the repubs can do to get African American representation at their shindig (as has-been Lt. Governor)? You mean no other Black conservatives (men or women) merited a prime time spot? Perhaps they don't exist...Magic negro, indeed...Did you know that the repubs on have 36 black delegates at this thing and there are no Black repubs in the Senate or Congress or serving as Governors...J.C. Watts was the last Black (?) repub congressmen and he decided to not run for re-election in 2002...Perhaps this suggests that the repubs have conceded the Black vote...
What I was pleased about was how Pay-lin went on the attack. I think that this gives license to the Obama campaign to throw a few proverbial punches toward the newbie. Had she been less damning in her attack, any attack at her would have seemed aggressive and could have turned her into a more sympathetic figure. Instead by throwing "red meat", she opened the door for having some tossed her way in return (perhaps it is time to unleash Biden).
Tonight should be interesting. Can gramps sustain the energy put forth by the attack dogs from the third night? Probably not. Of course, that is a good thing as the recency effect says that people will most likely remember his geriatric moment rather than last night.
Finally, I am so thankful that Pay-lin blasted the media! We will really see what she is made of once is outside of the comfy confines of the convention.
Me and my husband were watching and this was the first time we actually watched all the GOP stuff (because watching it means staying up until dawn) and we were astounded that politicians can talk like that about other politicians. We were trying to come up with examples from European elections and we couldn't think of any where opponents showed this level of (personal) disrespect for eachother. Maybe the UK...but even with the Italian election and Prodi and Berlusconi hating eachother's guts there wasn't this complete lack of respect. With the Bush/Kerry-election we hadn't payed a lot of attention to the conventions so I don't know if it's always like this. But I now completely understand why people say that American society is polarized. I know there always is some smearing and swift-boating involved, but shouldn't the parties themselves take the high-road? They need to work with eachother when the elections are over, don't they?
I actually thought that with McCain the smearing and swift-boating would be limited to organisations and people outside the Republican party. I'd like to think that he is a decent person. Maybe I just put too much faith in politics and politicians :)
Oh dear Lord!!
So I was actually *at* the X last night (the Xcel Center). I decided to volunteer with site operations because of the impact the convention is having on our cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). I left just before Palin's speech, so I'll have to check it out on YouTube. A few observations:
1. There was a lot more diversity there than I expected to see. I saw at least 60 black people from my post. Many were with the media, but most were delegates and their families. The early speakers were mostly women of color. I guess they didn't get any screen time.
2. I was surprised to see AB's response to Mike Huckabee, because it was IDENTICAL to mine. He addressed what I believe to be a legitimate concern about Obama's experience without attacking his person. He acknowledged that racism is real and it's not some ancient relic of American history. He respected Obama's rise to the nomination. He was, unfortunately, the last speaker that night to do so.
3. Barack Obama is not the first community organizer in America. He did not create the title. In Minnesota, the organizing tradition is so strong that community-based organizations are funded by the city to hold the city accountable to its residents. Many local government positions are held by community organizers who respect that OUR work more directly affects citizens everyday than theirs ever can. Dismissing an entire profession is childish and it's mean, and it's stupid to do it when your host city is full of them. I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, and a damn good one at that!!
I honestly went to the X last night as a fairly lukewarm Obama supporter who just wanted an event in my town to run smoothly. After last night, I'm probably ready to volunteer for the campaign.
Her speech didn't woo me. The first 10-15 mins supported what she needed to do.
Barack bashing-as expected.
Plans for policies? Our country? The economy? Healthcare? The war that 'God' wanted? (even God supports killing people for selfish reasons!)...etc
Then the continued parading of her Down Syndrome child...the 5yr old holding the baby? I can't even go there.
The pregnant teen (whose life won't be like many pregnant teens in our society); dragging the future son in law (who was hoodwinked)-I support doing what you want with your body/birth but building a marriage on a pregnancy- yeah, that'll work given todays' stats.it will be interesting to see what develops after the election.
Nope, nothing I've seen or heard thus far has convinced me to vote for the Republicans.
What happened last night was no worse than what MSNBC does to the GOP every day.
1 - Absolutely true. Palin has more experience than McCain, B-A-R-A-C-K(tm) and Biden combined. So, in a way having her on the ticket works does it not.
2 - Reality check: Roe V Wade is not going anywhere. The GOP is trying to stop the government from funding abortion. I have also heard McCain talking about sending the issue to individual states. I personally think thats the way it should be.
3 - The same could be said for Democrats. Neither is really going to fix anything. The way I see it if the government is paralyzed, they arent raising taxes or regulating us out of existence.
4 - No. The war is not the main reason. I'd explain the numbers on all this but even though the GAO is non-partisan, the numbers they put out are only valid when Democrats are in office right? I will concede though that G-Dub hasnt seen a spending bill he didnt like.
5 - How disingenuous is it to keep playing the race card? In politics you play the cards you get dealt. McCain has one, B-A-R-A-C-K(tm) has one as well. It works for both of them. I'd take a POW card over a charisma card any day.
Palin is a little more than an empty skirt and MILFy good looks. I dont think Biden will mop the floor with her any more than Algore and Kerry did with G-Dub. if he does, he will end up looking like a sexist, something Democrats are incapable of doing on paper.
She knocked it out of the box last night. I suppose B-A-R-A-C-K(tm) does not have a monopoly on charisma after all. Hmmmm...
Tonight Obama actually has balls as he goes on The Factor.
@ill: props for volunteering.
@AB:
I think your digestion of the speeches was pretty solid. Heh, I was thinking while I was watching Steele "Man, this speech is not strong enough to avoid a beating from AB tomorrow..."
I think you pegged Romney dead-on... the thing I took away from his speech: McCain was right not to pick him. People are saying Romney's staff believes the party isn't conservative enough, so he was positioning himself to the right in case McCain loses. That's crazy talk... thank goodness he's not on the ticket.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy. Hah! Yeah, that was a kick, even if it was totally devoid of substance. This is what the New Yorker does best. He seriously came out swinging. I was laughing in amazement as much as amusement....
Palin's speech was fantastic! I think Biden should be worried... she hit back at everybody. Who was it saying "rope-a-dope" about the Democrats? I agreed completely, particularly with the (I suspect totally manufactured) rift between Bill and the Obama staff. Having her go silent all week was a page from the same playbook. She did 300% of what she needed to do. I know there will be some haters around here, some people who are dismissive or bitter about it... I'm sure some female commenters will start criticizing her hair or something equally petty, but that was excellent. The callbacks to Obama's bitterness comment in San Francisco will be the defining theme behind her message, and it's going to resonate in the minds of a lot of middle-American leaners.
------------------------------
The questions:
1) They're arguing that McCain's leadership training and experience in the military and his success building coalitions in the Senate are plenty of executive experience. It's a fine line to walk... could come back to bite McCain if Obama can work the right angle, similar to how McCain is attempting to turn the Change message around at the Democrats.
2) This was well answered by Chris N. I'd like to add something we'd had a side-discussion about: If you believe (and I don't believe this) that life begins at conception, opposing abortion is not telling a woman what she can do with her body. This is a fundamental difference in the way the entire concept is framed, and it really needs its own post to explore fully... but preventing abortion is never about controlling women. It's about stopping murder. the place where you draw that abortion line the point at which you believe you are killing another person rather than simply aborting a fetus. Some people draw that line at conception, others at different stages of development right up to the final weeks before birth.
It's not in the slightest bit counter to a limited government role.
3) Well, the Congress has been controlled by Democrats for most of that time... but I think this convention is about a return to less government... party members are furious with the Republican Congress, which is one reason they got smeared in 2006 and likely will again in November.
4) It's not. A weak dollar, slowing economy, uncontrolled spending (by Republicans and Democrats alike) and trade imbalances are the main reasons... funding for the war is a drop in the bucket compared to the money we spend on domestic things. The mortgage bailouts are likely to cost more than the war ever will, just to name one example.
5) I wonder about this. Part of the reason it seems like "playing the POW card" is that it's such an incredibly powerful story. I'm OK with it during the convention, but I think those references need to be dramatically muted for the rest of the campaign, or they risk looking exploitative.
Touching on the other comments:
@inquisitive:
He can't raise his arms over his head because his shoulders were permanently damaged while being tortured by the Viet Cong.
Bristol's fianace looked uncomfortable! hahaha, I bet he was scared shitless.
@eg:
Clean coal is the name for a term where most of the impurities are filtered out before and after its burned. it's not "clean" but it's dramatically better for the environment than traditional coal-fired plants. It's one of a series of things we need to do now, while we transition to true renewable sources.
Sweep the leg! LOL!! hahaha. :)
How did that work out, in the end? ;)
@wilma:
Bitch! The female hater's #1 personal smear. So sorry she didn't kiss Obama's ass enough! *snark*
To your second comment: American politics is different than European public coalition-building. The Euro systems have multiple parties, often single-issue ones, who force public coalitions that shift as the votes change. Here, the coalitions don't split off into different parties... there's less need to be careful of your opponents in the public arena because the coalitions are already constructed before we get to national politics. If this were Europe, the environmental left would have already fractured into a powerful Green Party and put up their own slate of Candidates, who then would promise to work with the Democrats in a coalition if elected. What we have instead is the greens pressuring the national Democratic Party to move toward their positions in return for their participation in a unified party. The same thing happens with Republicans and the libertarian wing, or the "social conservatives".
You are right though... American politics is smashmouth.
@marbles:
Get an account! I almost mistook you for the schizophrenic coward.
I guess chanting USA only looks dumb when the GOP does it? AB will tell you that the Democratic crowd was just as fired up, if not moreso.
By the way, it means United States of America. ;)
@willie:
Palin did signal she's ready to take on anybody... attacking the media is dangerous, but it worked for Bush and I think it'll work this time as well. I think she has the ability to manage it. I was questioning before... but not now.
I'm still not sold on her ability to handle the job, but I'm a lot more confident, and comfortable with the Republican ticket.
@ebw:
I support gay marriage, though I suspect it's going to be a logistical nightmare to sort it all out. I don't think you'll find anyone who can legitimately answer your question about it (though I hope I've explained the pro-life position as it relates to women's bodies).
I will say that Palin veto'd legislation in Alaska that would have prevented medical and financial benefits to same-sex partners of state employees... and that Obama's position on gay marriage is identical to McCains. This is one issue where your selections for Representative (state and national) will make a much bigger difference than your Presidential pick.
@cinco & Ill:
Palin is not the top of the ticket... policy isn't her job. Look for specifics tomorrow night.
I just want to be clear about this, but I'm not sure I was before. I volunteered at the convention because I'm a proud Minnesotan. I came away from the convention ready to pound the pavement for Barack "just an organizer like me" Obama.
@ ciara: Longtime lurker on this blog, first time commenter. "After watching her speech, I wanted to give my vagina back." Hands-down one of the funniest things I've ever seen or heard. Yours?
Palin is gonna blow-up in McCain's face. Her life is a mess and it will all come to light unless Obama keeps up with this Mr. nice strategy.
The Republicans attacked Michelle all night long, so Obama needs to take the gloves off.
@ Spool
Actually, since her speech launched her as the 'attack dog' of the GOP-ticket my calling her a bitch doesn't seem to be a personal smear :)
Now, seriously, doesn't it make you uncomfortable to hear the people of your preffered party talk like Guiliani and Palin did last night?
And with the exception of one of our 14 parties not one of them is a single-issue party. Coalitions do seem to breed more civility in the political discourse though. I still don't understand why the US settled on a two-party system.
I was thinking about this: How lucky is Levi? Presumably, a regular, down-and-out "Hockey Kid" that lays with the "Pitbull with Lipstick's" kid? Gets her knocked up and-BAM-now he has an opportunity to be first son-in-law (should gramps die, of course)...A true American fairy tale....I want the rights to his story--"Knocked Up 2: Electric Bugaloo"...
On a less serious note: Is anyone else annoyed by Pay-Lin's accent? It drove me absolutely crazy. Perhaps it is because in my neck of the woods I rarely hear such noise...I digress...
I don't know about anyone else, but I, for one, am looking forward to the debates. Not just becasue I want to see some repub arse kicking, but also because I enjoy a healthy debate (it would be nice to see a repub arse kicking, however)...Again, I digress...
Finally, the way that many of the repubs commented on the way that Obama speaks really started to kind of get on my nerves...I thought of Chris Rock and his "he speaks so well" rountine...Very Interesting indeed...
This is a great blog!
I'm an Independent voter, female in my late 30s- and yes, I am a soccer mom! I grew up in very rural Southeastern Ohio and moved to Chicago to go to school and now live in the suburbs, so I can really see this race from a lot of different angles and viewpoints.
Ok, two things that definitely seem strange with the Republican convention:
1) Is everyone there under some mass hypnosis that a party OTHER than the Republicans were running things for the past 8 years?? It's just truly bizarre to listen to all these speakers go on about the tough times people are having, etc. - as if some other 'mystery party' had been in power and not them. I find it very disconcerting.
2) What was with that whole story about the school kids and the desks and the veterans who had 'already paid for them'?? Did anyone else think that was a really long and sort of pointless rambling story? My tax dollars pay for my kids' school equipment. And then seeing people tearing up... it was just another 'huh'? moment for me.
Military service should be honored, yes, but I'm getting pretty sick of hearing it about it at this convention. Sorry- there just wasn't a war going on when I could have enlisted, so I never got to be a POW- but that does not mean I am not a patriot or a citizen!
Repeating the details of McCain's torture over and over does not make me want to vote for him. I am sure that the Vietnamese who were torturing him were doing it for the good of their country, because they thought that a US military pilot was a threat to them and their government. So, ummm, shouldn't it have been ok for him to get tortured according to our current policy??
The other 'military issue' on the homefront that I absolutely cannot get behind McCain on is the fact that he voted against the GI Bill for soldiers currently returning from Iraq. Don't they deserve the same benefits that McCain and others who served in the military have used to propel themselves into a better income and way of life? You never hear about this in the supposedly 'liberal' media.
I used to like McCain much much more before he started to run for President and I found out more about him. :/
I have now watched all of the Dem convention and most of the Repub one so far.
To try to be fair, I have to say that the Dems just seem to have a lot more momentum and certainly their convention had a lot more actual information. I thought it was genus to hold the final speech outside in the giant staduim for 2 reasons:
1)As an Independent, I would NEVER go and join in on either political party love-fest convention. But I would quite probably go and hear a cantidate speak. Thousands of independents got to hear Obama, who would never have gone to the convention itself for a variety of reasons.
2)I really feel that this dispelled the idea that Obama being popular in Berlin was a bad thing. Ok, so he attracted thousands of Germans who don't vote here. But now he has also shown that thousands of Americans who do vote want to come and see him. It was good political stratagizing and instead of making fun of it, the Republicans could have really learned something.
But maybe McCain's final speech will give those of us who are not card-carrying Republicans some real 'meat' on policy- not what pundits want to call red meat. After the past few days though, I am not really holding my breath.
As for Sarah Palin- I'm sure she is a good mom, etc. She is also probably a 'good' politician, to have gotten to where she has (I mean good as in 'good at doing politics' not morally or spiritually or whatever)
But now that I have read up on her beliefs and credentials, I have to say that I didn't like it that the Republicans nominated her just to get a woman on the ticket and I don't agree with most of her views personally.
There were several other Repub women whose views are not so extreme that I would have been much more in line with as a voter.
Palin is against stem cell research, believes that if you are a victim of rape or incest you should not be given an abortion ( even in cases of incest, which usually involves minors???) and wanted to ban books when she was mayor and fired a librarian who stood up to her. She also thinks creationism should be taught in schools along with actual science.
Sorry, I am absolutely an independent and some of those issues might not have been total deal-breakers for me- but all of them put together are pushing me straight into Barack Obama's arms this time around.
if i hadn't watched last night i wouldn't have believed it.
the hate-mongering was palpable and infuriating given the fact that they framed their hate as an appeal to end partisan politics -- a head exploding contradiction if i ever heard one.
john mccain really has thrown in the kitchen sink at this point.
Here's a Yahoo article that fact checks many of the things Palin mentioned in her speech...Republicans lie and exagerrate a lot...so sad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
Anonymous, you are a coward.
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@willie:
It was Obama's running mate who crossed that line... he even commented on how "clean" Obama was.
@rees:
Welcome! to your #1, scroll up to my answer. To your #2... Huckabee is a bit of a loon... I have no idea wtf that story was about either. :)
Most of your worries about Palin are false rumors or Democratic spin. I disagree with her stance on abortion... all I can say is 1) she's not running for President, and 2) there's no way in hell a Democratic Congress will do much to change the current state of abortion law.
@novella:
LOL! Typical "facts" from the Associated Press.
Hey Family,
I watched some and all the GOP convention (and the Dems too) was theate. Bottomline, this crap is all BS....exaggerated, statements, chest thumping, hyperbole, and politricks....I've had enough.
I'm pretty apolitical so y'all can have this debate....I'm tired.
As a former Detroiter, I'm more interested in my boy Kwame Kilpatrick resigning from office and going to jail....
Holler at me when that is posted!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: I allow anonymous comments here because I don't want people who are commenting from their day jobs to fear any consequences/cyber-trails. It doesn't make anyone anonymously commenting a "schizophrenic coward". Fall back on that one. There's only one sheriff in town at AB.com... and his name ain't Reggie Hammond.]
Man, so many comments. So much to chew on. Lemme see here...
@ Inquisitive Mind
I was a bit confused about this too. The extra clean shaven dude holding the baby and sitting next to Bristol was her brother. The somewhat less shaggy haired dude on stage at the end was Levi.
@ EG/I.L.L.
Yeah, the whole "community organizer" bashing is going to backfire bigtime. How can you possibly knock a dude who forgoes cashing in on an Ivy League education to go help others in need? Man, this should be a campaign ad that writes itself.
Hell, I consider MYSELF a "community organizer", although it's clearly not my day job. I guess the GOP thinks that anyone who either works or volunteers to improve the lives of others is somehow superficial.
Patrotic my black a$$.
@ ciara
After watching her speech, I wanted to give my vagina back. It made me sick.
Boy, how could I possibly top that one?
@ Chris N
The battles they are fighting are to keep government agencies and especially foreign aid packages from funding abortion.
Thanks for the clarity. It's a shame that in my 35 years, I've NEVER heard anyone related to the GOP explain it in these terms.
@ daedalus
More on the MSNBC/FOX thing tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Reality check: Roe V Wade is not going anywhere. The GOP is trying to stop the government from funding abortion.
Why does McCain keep talking about appointing conservative judges then?
How disingenuous is it to keep playing the race card? In politics you play the cards you get dealt.
Come on, please, please, please, please tell me when the words "race card" have come out of Obama's mouth? I'm waiting. Something tells me I'll be waiting awhile.
McCain told his haters to "fall back, I'm a PoW" just a few weeks ago.
Keep it real, sonn!
Palin is a little more than an empty skirt and MILFy good looks.
Uhhh, isn't that a wee bit sexist?
Tonight Obama actually has balls as he goes on The Factor.
Two words: Unmitigated Disaster. Why Barry caved in and decided to do this is beyond me. But yeah, I'll tune in.
@ Spool32
I would suspect last night was the fulfillment of all your GOP wet dreams, huh?
I guess chanting USA only looks dumb when the GOP does it? AB will tell you that the Democratic crowd was just as fired up, if not moreso.
No, chanting USA looks dumb anytime anyone's chanting it IN THE USA! How freakin' dumb is that? Would you go to Chicago and shout "Chi-TOWN, Chi-TOWN!!!"??
Okay, dumb response, but you get my point. Let's save the patriotic chants to London in 2012. It looks really dumb otherwise.
@ monie
The Republicans attacked Michelle all night long, so Obama needs to take the gloves off.
I'll be honest, I must have missed these jabs at Michelle while I was still trying to get my son to sleep. Fill me in.
@ Rees & Boboso
Thanks for the enlightening comments. I hope you stick around and contribute frequently.
@ Novella
I've seen about 30 different variations on rebuttals of her speech out there today. Will the talking heads on cable make a point of highlighting these blatant falsehoods? Prolly not.
What was with that whole story about the school kids and the desks and the veterans who had 'already paid for them'??
That one struck me as out of (right?)field, too. I get the point, but it sure was convoluted.
It also reminded me of one of those Al Gore anecdotes that fell apart as soon as the fact checking began. (For the record, this particular one is verified at snopes.com. I'm just saying that it sounded apocryphal.)
I'll also agree that McCain would do well to back off the POW references. His POW time indeed speaks to his character and grit. But that point has been made...and made...and made....
It struck me during the Rick Warren/Saddleback joint appearance that McCain was not doing anything to dispel the age issue when he cited his decision not to accept early release as a POW, as the toughest decision he's ever made.
It probably was in fact the toughest decision he ever made. But it was also outside the frame of reference for a big chunk of the electorate, including most of the swing voters.
Appreciate the invite, AB. I just may pop in now and again to share some of my wit and wisdom with you and your readers. Try taking it easy on me, though, as I'm sure I'm of an older demographic than the majority of you out there and, like most older folks, I have a tendency to be brittle, cranky, and right.
OK...I was all ready to proclaim tonight a loss for McCain as I thought he would be competing with the opening night of the Football season...Too bad it ain't going to happen (he is scheduled to speak after the conclusion of the game--go OVERTIME)...However, he will to compete with Gone in 60 Seconds on Encore so his viewership may be down a few mil...
I read that Obama is scheduled to be on the O'Reilly factor tonight as well so I will be interested in hearing what he has to say also...
@AB
On M. Obama...I agree with you. I have yet to hear the dems beat up on Grandma Barbie (Cindy McCain). There is plenty of fodder there after all (e.g., the addiction to pain pills, sleeping with gramps while he was technically still married, etc.), yet, all we hear is crickets from the Obama campaign about her (again, takin the high road to the presidency). All I can figure is that they see Michelle as a threat in a way that the dems don't see a threat in Cindy McCain...Cindy's harmless (just keep her away from the pharmaceuticals...)
I watched the RNC last night and was shocked at how condescending and nasty Palin was throughout that speech. With her lightweight experience and paper thin credentials, I really wasn't expecting her to come out like that. She was just bytchy, and I was not impressed.
So Obama is being reduced to a community organizer ( not that there is anything wrong with that work) when she started off as a sportscaster? They can't be serious. That crowd, while eating up the nasty comments and responding to the obvious applause lines, didn't seem that enthusiastic overall. And how could they be excited when Palin didn't present one substantive example of her ability to govern. Okay, you sold the jet on Ebay and fired your chef - what else have you done as governor since you claim to have all this executive experience?
The real truth about this scandal- ridden hockey grandmom is going to come out once she has to deviate from someone else's script. There's a reason why she's been kept away from the press, and it has nothing to do with her pregnant daughter.
I'll fall back on the anonymous-bashing... I was basically ignoring them anyhow.
Sir William approves your message.
The display of dishonesty works....the room was filled with people who prefer to believe FNC and their friends and relatives about everything than open a newspaper, turn on another news source or read a blog.
A closed mind is their bestest ever friend.
I thought attempting to use logic and human decency might work with people like this but
now, not so sure.
There are so many people who celebrate ignorance and arrogance as worthy virtues.
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