So as I sat down finishing an article I got a “NYTIMES ALERT” on Twitter about Sarah Palin stepping down as governor of Alaska. I was a bit surprised at first, then the perplexity set in. Why would she do this? And then, she addresses her favorite group of people…the media. Please forgive the FOX News commentary throughout this YouTube video.
This speech really gave no answers. She went on about all the things she’s done, and how she doesn’t believe in “politics as usual”. I am sure resigning the governorship will be a hot topic for when she runs for president in 2012.
I’m back guys, sorry for the long absense, FIU Student Media keeps me busy. Anyway let’s get to it:
According to FOX News, Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin have called off their engagement. As all of you no doubt heard, during the election it was revealed that Bristol Palin was pregnant with the child of fellow student (and douchebag) Levi Johnston. Here is a quick excerpt from the article:
The teenage daughter of former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her fiance have broken up just over two months after the birth of the couple’s child.
People.com reported Wednesday that sources said the split between Bristol Palin, 18, and Levi Johnston, 19 occurred a few weeks ago, and Johnston confirmed to the Associated Press that he and Bristol mutually decided to end their relationship ”a while ago.” He did not elaborate.
Palin said in a statement to the Associated Press that she is “devastated.”
First of all I would like to be the first to reply to this by saying I told you so. And contrary to what people say (“I didn’t want to say I told you so…”) I did.
Does this run contrary to my personal beliefs? Yes. Is this, in my opinion, the wrong thing to do on his part? Absolutely. I don’t know about him, but true gentlemen don’t pull that shit. Then again, one can’t expect a 19 year old to act like one. However, if you honestly thought that was going to last, you are crazy.
This kid went from banging the governor’s daughter to being thrust in to a full on political shit storm. The GOP’s PR team turned him from a long-haired, whiskey drinking, 18 year old kid and tried to mold him in to a model citizen, father, and apparently model from a Brooks Brothers catalog, and they failed as I knew they would.
In the end, Levi Johnston isn’t just “the queer that knocked up Palin’s daughter” as my friend Joel (who was the one who emailed me the story) put it. In fact she is kind of hot and most importantly a woman, so he is far from a queer. He is a guy who had a night of passion with a girl and paid a WAY bigger price for it. You can’t put this amount of pressure on an 18 year old and expect him to cope. And with the intense scrutiny from Palin, the GOP, and the media, well that just makes it even worse. I would gladly argue that if his ex-mother in law weren’t pursuing a massive political career, he wouldn’t feel so pressured.
And now, that the sensation that is Sarah Palin is slowly fading, does it really come as a shock that this child wants out of a situation he was no doubt forced in to for the sake of a, now failed, political campaign? The answer is invariably no.
Is this the end of the world for either of them? No. There are plenty of kids being raised by single moms, and the turn out okay (At least, I hope I turned out ok).
Bristol Palin has the benefit most single moms out there (my mom included) don’t have. She has money, fame and a stable family to give her support. Levi will be okay too, I am sure he will get to see the kid and play a role in his life. Sadly, seperated families are a reality we see in society today. Though I don’t think it is great, I by no means a hopeless situation for anyone. A marriage where one person feels forced, will only mess up that kid even more than Sarah Palin will. Leave a comment, let me know what you think.
The GOP had their response ready to go last night after Barack Obama’s address to congress. Sarah Palin had a great speech…wait what? Bobby Jindal? GOP has had a fit of genius and decided to go with a viable, credible candidate to be the face of their party. Good job GOP…good job.
My worst fears have come to fruition. According to a Politico.com article yesterday, Samuel Joe “The DouchebagPlumber” Wurzelbacher was invited to give his “input” at the Conservative Working Group meeting on capitol hill. This is usually organized and attended by congressional aides…who are dumb enough to apparently like Joe The Plumber.
My God people…
Is this it? Is this what the GOP considers an valuable opinion? Is this who they want the face of their party to be? Joe The Plumber is like Sarah Palin except he’s not a governor. Republicans of the world, if you enjoy being the minority in the government, if you enjoy having a democrat in office, keep listening to pompous, self-important like Joe the Plumber, who lack understanding and ability to progress.
The Republican Party is a sinking ship, and they look to a [unlicensed] plumber for input on a stimulus package. That speaks volumes on the mental state of the GOP.
So after doing some soul searching, the GOP decided to revamp it’s website. Look familiar? Yeah…this is the new changified GOP website, GOP.gov. We got a couple of RSS feeds, some lame YouTube videos, and a bunch of other crap in what I like to call ‘”Barack New Roman”. New look, same crappy taste? Is this a move in the right direction for the GOP in terms of reaching out? Or is this just a shiny new wrapper on the same crap. What do you guys think? Drop me a comment. Also check out the original story over at Ars Technica for details and specifics on how they designed it.
Well, the end of the world being 12/12/2012 is starting to sound quite reasonable now.
Sarah Palin decided she’d up and form a political action committee to fund and support political candidates who share her views on politics. Here is an excerpt from CNN’s Political Ticker:
WASHINGTON (CNN) –Sarah Palin has launched a new political action committee called SarahPac, signaling that the Alaska Governor intends to remain a player in national politics even after her failed bid to become the country’s first female vice president.
“SarahPac will support local and national candidates who share Gov. Palin’s ideas and goals for our country,” says the PAC’s Web site, which promises that Palin will be “a strong voice for energy independence and reform.”
So basically, if you are a self absorbed individual who doesn’t read anything, doesn’t know how to answer questions, suffer from delusions of grandeur and want to run for a political office, Sarah Palin will give you other people’s money to do it.
I think she is starting to amass her clone army. Someone notify the Jedi Council.
I promised myself I wouldn’t post about Sarah Palin anymore, but after this video from a new conservative documentary, it’s on like donkey kong. Watch this video…and then we’ll discuss. I am sorry to expose you to nine minutes of Sarah Palin, but it’s for a purpose:
Sarah Palin is blaming media’s bias for the fact that her ticket lost the election. I was going to let this video go by, considering it’s basically the same song and dance this woman likes to perform every time she is in front of a camera, but this time around she decided to spew her ignorance about bloggers, and well that just doesn’t fly with me. Just to refresh your memory, here is what she said:
“It’s a sad state of affairs in the world of the media today, mainstream media especially, if they are going to rely on anonymous bloggers for their hard news information. Very scary.”
See what Sarah Palin doesn’t understand is that the phenomenon that is blogging has taken us in to a sort of “Media 2.0″ situation. The blogging community has become so vital to mainstream media, because it gives the mainstream media something that it cannot achieve on it’s own, omnipresence. Currently with the help of bloggers, Twitter, Facebook, iReport, the media has an unbelievable reach, and it gives people like me, a common ground with mainstream media.
Sure, anyone can be a blogger, and anyone can spew misinformed ramblings on the internet for all to see. So I’ll give that to Palin, frankly I thought the rumors about her child not being hers were a bit much. But to say that it’s a “sad state of affairs” that bloggers are regarded and acknowledged by the mainstream media is just ignorant. Frankly, I as a blogger couldn’t let that slide.
The rest of the video speaks for itself. From the fact that she thinks people like Katie Couric and Tiny Fey exploited her (one mocked the ridiculousness that is her and the other just asked her questions…like a reporter should do) to her comparing a vice-presidential nomination to Caroline Kennedy’s Senate seat (come on…) just proves that Sarah Palin lives in her small, narrow world. Katie Couric might not be the center of the universe Sarah, but neither are you.
In the end, this documentary asks the question “How did Obama get elected?”. Where Sarah Palin is quick to cite the media’s “bias” towards Obama, she is ignoring the rather large gorilla in the room. Obama won this election partly on his own merit, his superbly run campaign, and his excellent election staff. But the major factors that secured the election for Obama were the Bush Administration’s gloriously awful track record for the past eight years, the GOP’s inability to provide an adequate candidate in this election, and Sarah Palin. If Palin is all the GOP has for 2012…then that is indeed a sad state of affairs.
According to the Associated Press, Joe The DouchebagPlumber is headed to Israel to cover the war as a correspondent for pjtv.com. Here is the article…
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter’s notebook.
The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher (WUR’-zuhl-bah-kur) says he’ll spend 10 days covering the fighting.
He tells WNWO-TV in Toledo that he wants to let Israel’s “‘Average Joes’ share their story.”
Wurzelbacher gained attention during the final weeks of the campaign when he asked Barack Obama about his tax plan.
He later joined Republican John McCain on the campaign trail. At one stop, he agreed with a McCain supporter who asked if he believed a vote for Obama was a vote for the death of Israel.
Yeah Sam Joe that’s exactly what the general population needs, your perspective on a conflict you learned about three days ago on Wikipedia. I am soglad that you “want to let Israel’s “‘Average Joes’ share their story.” Do us all a favor Joe, head down to the Gaza strip, hand out a couple of copies of your book and see if you can find some Average Joes there, and ask them to share their story.
I wish I can go back in time, and stop John McCain from mentioning this guy’s um…self given title? Joe The Plumber is not a plumber. He is not a politcal expert, a journalist, a country singer, and I would venture to say he didn’t write his own book so he is not even an author. Joe the Plumber is a man who was a poor choice to be an example of the working class. Sadly, he continues to cling to his already finished 15 minutes like a sinking ship. Now he thinks he is a journalist? I guess the whole plumber thing isn’t working out.
In the closing days of the Bush Administration, George Bush now being the lamest and the most duck-like he could be, one begins to reminisce on his time spent in the White House. There is no doubt in my mind, no matter how hard he tries, no matter how many writers he commissions to write a book, he will go down in history as one of the worst, most ineffective presidents in US history. He will not be forgotten. In the eight years as president, George W. Bush’s administration has been littered with scandals, deregulation, grammatical mishaps, and war.
Back in 2000, George W. Bush “beat” Al Gore in an arguably close, controversial election which came down to the wire (and the Supreme Court). Seeing that most of the nation considered that a “stolen election”, Bush already started off a little badly. Frankly if Al Gore was half as cool then as he is now (I chose to overlook the fact his ranch uses more electricity than Kennedy Space Center), history would have been different but hey, that’s just me. Between 2000 and 2001, Bush was known for his obvious and often comical grammatical gaffes, which really didn’t help the rumor going around that he was, well…a moron. People didn’t know the “guy they’d want to have a beer with” and more over didn’t really know what to expect. Then came September 11, 2001, the darkest day this nation has ever seen.
Al Qaeda strikes the US in a jaw dropping attack to the mainland that cost thousands of lives, billions in damage, two iconic buildings and an outer wing of every ones favorite geometric shape. Bush was now in a position to rise above and become a great leader…and that’s what he did for a bit. President Bush saw the highest approval numbers in his career. Soon after he was so bold as to declare war on the idea of terrorism and create a new chapter in US foreign policy book, the Bush Doctrine (if you don’t know what that is, ask Sarah Palin, she’ll tell you). First target, Afghanistan, the home base of Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The administration’s failure to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden seem to find it’s way out of the spotlight. Soon however, Bush switched focus to…Iraq?
Arguably the most controversial occupation of a sovereign nation the Bush Administration sponsored, the Iraq War proved to be a bit more than America wanted to chew. I am sure everyone would have been for the Iraq War if we were pulling nukes and chemical warheads in droves from Saddam Huessein’s posh Bagdhad palace (even more so if they were golden warheads to match his toilet) but alas, that wasn’t the case. The Iraq War will go down as the biggest lie the Bush Administration dropped on the American people. Primarily because the war was founded on intelligence Dick Cheney scribbled on a cocktail napkin one night when he was bored. Soon after he prematurely declared “mission accomplished” by pompously landing on an aircraft carrier in full flight gear, Iraq turned from an occupation to a policing action. One that cost the lives of our troops (4,209 to be exact) and billions upon billions of dollars to fund.
While the government continued to spend, spend, spend in Iraq, not only by increasing troops but by handing out contracts to Bush Administration BFF Haliburton, Afghanistan became the forgotten war. Troop reallocations crippled forces in Afghanistan. Recent studies show that the Taliban now control 72 percent of Afghanistan, up from 54 percent last year. Our entrance in to Iraq also gave Al-Qaeda another front in the jihad against the United States, where it lurks in the shadows, attacking U.S. troops and interests with IED’s and ambush attacks. Now keep in mind, Iraq’s link to Al-Qaeda came only after coalition forces occupied Iraq. Intelligence reports of Al-Qaeda links to Saddam Hussein were also exaggerated, as Bin Laden had branded Hussein an “infidel” and asked his followers to support the Iraqi people and NOT their government.
But the most notable Bush Administration blunder didn’t happen on some foreign battlefield, but here at home. The catastrophic failure of the U.S. Government to act in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was, in my opinion, the final nail in the Bush Administration’s coffin. Leaving people for three days in a giant stadium with no food, no water, no support what-so-ever is frankly…unacceptable. Our National Guard was streched thin due to deployments in Iraq, and FEMA was caught with it’s pants down. Warnings of the possible disaster a category five hurricane could create in New Orleans fell on deaf ears, and the governments lack of preparedness caused U.S. citizens to suffer. The thing I noticed at the time is that whenever people debate issues, whether its the Iraq War, or the Bush Doctrine, there are always two sides, two parties one for one against. During the aftermath of the Katrina, there was one side, a thoroughly saddened and disappointed one.
Of course, our current economic crisis can’t help but have Bush Administration fingerprints either. Inheriting a budget surplus from the Clinton years, George W. Bush quickly turned it in to a budget deficit. Shortly after 9/11, Bush urged the American people to “spend, spend, spend” their way out of the recession. It was this moment in our nation’s history that began the downward spiral of our economy and the beginning of the credit crunch. Also the ever increasing cost of the two wars weighed heavily on the budget, to the point where shortly after the bailout passed, an extra space had to be added to the debt clock. Also the administrations over all disdain for regulation led to these massive amounts of bad mortgages, and over all irresponsibility in the economy.
Sadly these aren’t the only follies of the Bush Administration. There’s that whole CIA leak thing, all the secret contracts with Halliburton and various other oil companies, and…you know, Dick Cheney shot a dude. But I don’t want this to get too long. Point is George W. Bush was a president. He we elected to the highest seat of power this nation has, and served in it for 8 years, TWO terms, so give that man the credit that is due. Watch Oliver Stone’s “W” and even the most militant Bush hating, Prius driving, tree hugging pacifist will at the very least understand the guy. His rise from a coke snorting Yale frat boy to President of the United States of America is mind blowing. But along with that credit, tack on some criticism & blame.
You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Republican National Committee’s office looked something like this…
One side battling against all odds for new, fresh leadership within its ranks, like GOP bad ass and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and the others, for umm….Sarah Palin. The GOP right now is in quite a tough spot, considering that they just got owned by what appears to be the biggest party take over since FDR.
If the GOP wants to win in 2012 it would need to accomplish a few things, some easy and some hard. First the party needs to come together. The division of this party was apparent even during the primaries, where you needed an extra hand to count up all the republicans, of whom a few were actually viable candidates. This time around, the GOP needs to battle the campaign machine that is Barack Obama. The man runs a tight ship, a ship Obama then used to plow through the established foundations of the GOP.
The GOP needs someone fresh and new. A “Bizzaro Obama”, someone who will bring this party together and freshen up and energize the base of the Republican Party. Some of you are probably thinking this person is Sarah Palin, but I don’t agree, at all. You all know how I feel about Sarah Palin so I will spare you, but if by 2012, Sarah Palin is the angel on top of the RNC Christmas Tree, then it will no doubt be a clear sign that this party is still not ready. I can name atleast FIVE great Republican candidates who would definitely energize the base, but most importantly revitalize the party after the massacre of the 2008 Election. I’ll gladly take Bobby Jindal, Eric Cantor, Mitt Romney (a.k.a Captain America), John Thune, and John Hunstman, Jr. These guys not only great men and exceptional Republicans, but also they are leagues better than Sarah Palin.
Election 2012 is going to be an interesting one. One that will definitely be do or die for the GOP. Sarah Palin to me, is not a great choice to spearhead the party against Barack Obama in 2012. I am tired of seeing Sarah Palin traveling all over the country (instead of, you know, governing her state). The GOP has some soul searching to do. Maybe take a day off, sit on the beach, think about life…who knows.
Here is the newest Sarah Palin blunder making it’s way around the YouTube.
Viewer Disrection is Advised
Sarah Palin seems to be rambling on about something, as she frequently does. The reason I don’t know what she is talking about is because I was too busy watching the what appears to be a turkey genocide going on behind her. You know, I tried not to be to rough on her during the election. I always gave her credit when it was due (that one time), but this? Come on…
Who thought this location was a great place for an interview? Someone told me that she was ok with doing the interview on that spot, but I REFUSE to believe that. Because honestly, no one is that dense. Was there no one that told her “Um, Govenor Palin, maybe we should pardon the turkey elsewhere, so as to not interrupt the turkey massacre that is happening behind you?” Olbermann put it best last night. What has to happen behind this woman for her to consider relocating to another spot?
The best thing about this entire video was not Sarah Palin, but the dude behind her, constantly looking back, with the greatest “WTF?” look on his face, dripping in turkey blood. Even the turkey executioner was wondering what the hell this woman was doing standing here? I would list all the places where this interview would have gone better, but I don’t have enough room on the Internet. Peace Out.
The Anchorage Daily News sat down with Sarah Palin to discuss the campaign and her return to Alaska. It was a very good interview, they covered a lot of things, but one thing really caught my eye. This question…
Q. Why do you think your campaign lost?
A. I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years, that Americans were kind of shaking their heads like going, wait a minute, how did we run up a 10 trillion dollar debt in a Republican administration? How have there been blunders with war strategy under a Republican administration? If we’re talking change, we want to get far away from what it was that the present administration represented and that is to a great degree what the Republican Party at the time had been representing. So people desiring change I think went as far from the administration that is presently seated as they could. It’s amazing that we did as well as we did.
Sarah Palin is absolutely, 100% spot on. But what this points to is not so much a glorious revelation that Sarah Palin just had. This is showing the complete madness going on in the GOP. And this is Sarah Palin distancing herself from the GOP a bit, maybe for a 2012 presidential race? I don’t know how thats going to work out. But in the end, she has to be careful, cause she is biting the hand she will need to be fed from in 2012. Can anyone say Bobby Jindal?
This election is without a doubt amazing for many reasons. The first time we have an African-American president presidential candidate, the first time we have a woman as a vice-presidential nominee, but over all it is historical because this is the most poignant referendum on the Bush Administration and the Republican Party in American history.
As of right now, I am seeing on my tracker that it’s going 207/135 for Obama. Prior to this, McCain was in the double digits which is astounding. Barack Obama has maintained such a commanding lead that the west coast seems irrelevant. Everyone has convened together to vote in CHANGE. Barack Obama has come in, proven that he is a competent candidate, ran against a crippled, injured Republican Party.
John McCain came in as the underdog, but didn’t do much to change that. He didn’t try hard enough to separate himself from Bush, he chose an underdog VP to match his underdog campaign, and he quickly switched to brutal personal attacks and soured the campaign. Almost every facet of his campaign could have been done differently.
In eight years, George W. Bush has taken this country from an economic high point ran it straight to the ground. I won’t list all the failures because we all know them very well. But in the end, when some stand and wonder why they elected Barack Obama. Well, the answer is fairly clear.
It seems as though when John McCain isn’t discussing what Joe “The Plumber” Wurzelbacher discussed with him during their morning conference call, he is calling Obama a socialist. Now, trying my hardest to spare you a lecture on the tenets of modern day socialism, I am going to explain why Barack Obama’s tax plan isn’t socialist, and why technically this nation isn’t capitalist.
First of all. Barack Obama’s tax plan isn’t socialist at all. In fact, when either Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain refer to is as a “distribution of wealth” or “spreadin’ the wealth around” thats just a dramatic over simplification, and in some respects even a misconception. Barack Obama is basically eliminating the Bush Tax Cuts, and raising the higher tax brackets to the same levels set during the Clinton Administration, which is remembered for it’s economic success (see a great stat sheet here in PDF form).
Barack Obama’s tax plan though more progressive, is no where near as Socialist as the GOP or John McCain make it sound. If you think a progressive, fair share tax plan is Socialism, then we have been a socialist nation for 100 years now. What Barack Obama’s plan is doing is basically closing these unfair loopholes that higher tax brackets take advantage of in order to pay the least amount possible. If you and I are paying our fair share, so should everyone else, right?
This idea of Socialism and “redistribution of wealth” is like a horse with blinders on, focused on one purpose but ignoring the facts around it. Every time the Government builds a road, makes a social security or welfare payment, or pays for an elderly persons medical care, that by definition IS a redistribution of wealth. People argue that the bailout bill is the “downfall of capitalism in America.” But are we all that capitalistic?
In reality the government involves itself in the economy all the time. The Pentagon procurements that keep defense contractors operating, creating defense technology and weapons is an example of government intervention in the military economy. The FDA is an example of government intervention in business, as it is the gateway for foods and medicines to the open market. No approval, no sale. Pre-college education, AMTRAK, and the USPS are all provided and controlled by the government. And our Bailout plan doesn’t really scream laissez faire either. In reality, we are a mixed economy, and I don’t think this has crept up on us out of no where.
Barack Obama’s tax plan & healthcare system may be progressive, but it is far from a radical shift to socialism. As I am flipping through the pages, I really don’t see any ideal that isn’t already in place. I don’t see Barack Obama’s plan to buy up the means of production, set production quotas, or abolish private property and capital. He is not buying up factories and forming “The Bureau of Wages” either. Have a great Friday.
I have been saying this until I was blue in the face, and it has finally come true. I caught this story on CNN this morning before I left for Jiu Jitsu. Here is a video though I urge you to read the article:
There is nothing like getting booed by your own supporters. After this entire week, the McCain/Palin campaign has been jumping through hoops to try to connect Barack Obama to a “domestic terrorist” (while Obama was 8 years old) and who is currently reformed English professor and community activist. I responded to that link, I won’t go in to it again. But what I want people to notice is that now, these attacks have completely exploded in McCain’s face. His supporters are blathering the ignorant dribble that Sarah Palin has been pushing all week (like if she has known it her whole life) and simply taking it to the next level. ”I don’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s an Arab.” said one lady at that rally in Minnesota. Now John McCain has to back pedal because this level of ignorance, that was fueled like a furnace on Monday, stands to drag John McCain down today, much farther down that he already is at.
I can’t watch this woman on TV anymore, she irritates me so much. Her voice, her empty baseless attacks that I am almost positive someone told her to say cause she doesn’t know a DAMN thing. I can’t take this hockey mom, joe six pack, “you betcha!” nonsense anymore. If she winks at the camera one more time I am going to lose my mind. I can’t imagine a world where this woman can be so close to the presidency of this nation. This isn’t a sexist thing. If I get one more woman ask me what my problem is with a woman vice president, I am going to spazz out. I have already gone down the list of women who he could have chosen that would have contributed positively to not only John McCain’s ticket, but also this nation should he be elected. Sarah Palin is outraged at the “evil leftist media” for asking her all these tough questions like “What newspaper do you read?”
This entire thing with Bill Ayers and Barack Obama is such a stretch of the truth. When Ayers was bombing empty offices Obama was 8 years old. As much as Sarah Palin wants to picture an 8 year old Obama lighting the fuses with Ayers thats not so. And the fact that he “palls around with him” is also not so. Considering that they served together on an anti-poverty group, Woods Fund Of Chicago, from 1999-2002. This hardly makes Obama guilty by association, and only further proves the McCain/Palin campaign is desperate, and slowly realizing that their lack of attention to the economy is causing them to slip in the polls.
I think I know what’s going on here. The Republican party and the Republican constituency are openly supportive of Palin. They cheer, they chant her name, they dig all this hockey mom nonsense. But deep down, they are freaking out. Sarah Palin may be a great lady, but the woman cannot lead this nation. The GOP is trying so hard to mold her, but frankly it’s too little too late. All the coaching and all the advisers in all the world cannot mold Sarah Palin in to an acceptable Vice President.
I thought the debate went really well, and I was extremely impressed by Sarah Palin. That being said, the reason I was extremely impressed is because I really wasn’t expecting much, but hey it’s something right? Since the beginning, I think Sarah Palin was looking to give off an impression to the viewers. She was definitely going for the impression that she was just a “hockey mom” (sorry I am sick that that too) who just got sucked into the male driven world of Washington politics. The “Hey, can I call you Joe?” and all the similar talk showed that Plain was trying hard to make herself look unpolitical, so to speak. No doubt that it was her goal to dial down her status and try to relate to the average person, but after a while it just seemed like pandering. The idea of this “lady taking on the Washington establishment” is pretty transparent, in my opinion. She seems to hammer that point frequently, and the more she does, the more I don’t care. You were offered the job, and you know what it requires. And frankly, on a side note, the little winks and shrugs, don’t work. That is not something a president does. I keep having this reoccurring dream that she is negotiating a nuclear treaty with Iran and when they start pressuring her she will get all cutesy and wink at Ahmadinejad, “Ohh Mahmūd, say it ain’t so!!” If that doesn’t scare you, you’ve got problems. Sarah Palin did, however meet her goal, which was to repair her image and in a way, earn the viability as a vice-presidential candidate. The CBS interview with Katie Couric was starting to nudge at some Republicans a bit as to whether or not she was fit to step in if something happened to John McCain in office. I definitely think she accomplished that. But whether she won the debate or not is…well, debatable.
The debate winner, is definitely Joe Biden. He debated John McCain and his issues, and not Sarah Palin which is ideal, because in the end that’s what it’s all about. He didn’t ramble, he wasn’t biting either. He won this debate not because of anything having to do with Sarah Palin, like I said she represented John McCain VERY well. He won because he argued the points and showed his vast experience in all areas, especially in Foreign Policy. He connected with the Middle-Class extremely well, even more so than Sarah Palin (sorry Sarah, but darn it I just didn’t care for ya! *wink*). He delivered excellent replies and brought in to question various McCain policies on Foreign Policy, Taxes, and most notably the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What also helped him out was in the instances where Sarah Palin called him out on how he disagreed with Barack Obama on certain issues. He handled those questions very well and it showed that he wasn’t a yes man, that he wasn’t afraid to give his input which I think is valuable to any president. And lastly, his words about his personal experiences with his family and the experience of loss, showed his human side and I am sure was very effective in relating to the average voter. I think Joe Biden both stated, and defended Barack Obama’s policies well, while calling out John McCain on his. All in all a good debate, with a clear winner, but a close second for Palin.
I did cut this blog down, the length was way too long. I will post the rest of it later, it still needs some tweaking. Stay Tuned!
I was watching the news and caught John McCain’s address at a rally in Missouri today. Aside from the usual comments about the dire situation of our economy and what he is going to do, he started making points about unity and bipartisanship. I was a bit surprised considering that this part of his speech was normally used to blame Obama for the failing economy, the bickering congress, and his back pain. But not today apparently. He actually…didn’t sound like the partisan d-bag he normally comes off as. I definitely think that parachuting in the Bailout situation and then seeing it not get passed, by his own party, has sort of humbled his approach a bit. I guess we will see if this lasts or not.
I want to make somethings clear, especially now that I have gotten a chance to cool down from my patriotic, panic driven, stock tumbling meltdown I had this afternoon. When I said that I would not vote Republican, I sincerely meant it. Do the Democrats have some blame in this? Absolutely. I think both sides are to blame in the big picture of this economic crisis. But in regards to today, the Republicans have dropped the ball for no good reason what-so-ever. At a time when President Bush, Democrat, and Republican leadership were UNITED under the idea that this plan is nasty and dirty but EXTREMELY necessary to ensure that people keep their money and stay in there homes. I mean thats the point of this. This Bailout Bill is more of a rescue bill. Rescuing us from a second Great Depression.
I promise you, what has happened today is inexcusable. Politicians in this country have given in to this partisanship hatred. Because thats what it is, it’s hatred. You can see it too, you can see it in their faces, in their eyes. You can see it in John McCain’s face when he was debating Barack Obama the other night. This hatred only causes problems, not solutions. The reason the DOW fell 777 points today is because Republican Party voted with partisanship in mind. Check this video out for a second, and see what I mean:
I think this speaks for itself. So I will move on…
I was writing a blog this morning, preparing to endorse a candidate for President, somthing that I have been putting off for a while, because I think it’s around times like these where politicians show their true colors a bit. Usually closer to election time, candidates have debated a few times, and I can more or less feel them out. Well I am done deciding. I am an Independent voter supporting Barack Obama for President. By no means am I endorsing or registering as a Democrat, I like being an Independent, it gives me leeway to slam both parties. But I strongly believe Barack Obama is the lesser of two evils. I believe that the partisan hate is weak in him, I believe in the man, and I agree with most of his positions on the issues (minus of course his stance on Abortion for reasons of my faith). In a time like this we need to raise taxes to the rich and corporations, we need to enter a “take in more, spend less” mind set when it comes to government funding and spending. So there you have it. Peace Out.
We are now about to begin the final day of the Republican National Convention. Last night, Sarah Palin delivered a very well received speech, heavy with attacks against Obama. Post-speech, The GOP is singing this woman’s praises. This falls in line with that shiny new Republican message of bipartisanship and hugs & kisses. “We are the Republican Party, we care…want a hug?” The RNC has done a pretty good job so far at uniting the base, and the Palin speech was by far the most poignant. Here is a sort of highlight reel, I can’t find the full version in one video. If anyone else has it, post it as a comment below and I’ll update it.
I have been taking a few shots at Governor Palin lately so I am going to go ahead and say some nice things, take notice it may not happen again. I think she speaks very well and did a fantastic job getting a large group of her voters in the mood for some votin’. Her speech, though heavy on the attacks against Obama and Biden, was still nicely delivered. Though I do think it lacked on key issues and focused more on her being a “hockey mom”, trying to relate to the people on their level. I think Joe Biden made a great point in his response.
“…I was also impressed by what I didn’t hear in the speech. I didn’t hear the word-the phrase-”middle class” mentioned. I didn’t hear about health care. I didn’t hear a single word about what we’re going to do about the housing crisis-college education-all the things that the middle class is being burdened with right now.”
Another thing I am not hearing from the RNC speeches as a whole is “Bush”. The RNC is doing the right thing in setting Bush out as an island unto himself. There is no doubt that George Bush will go down in history as a very disliked president. And if John McCain, who has a 90% voting record in favor of Bush policies, wants to win this election, he is going to need to make clear that what he wants to do, and what he stands for is contrary to the last 8 years. Who knows, it may be too little too late. The damage the Bush Administration caused to the GOP’s favor and reputation may be irreparable. McCain maybe swimming up stream in a hurricane on this one and with Sarah Palin, a woman who some think is unfit for the position, who is surrounded in controversy, is just an additional weight holding him down. The Republican party I think was a bit blind sided by this choice. The Republicans are uniting together under this woman, as if they keep telling themselves that she is qualified over and over again, it might actually come true. ”What she advocates abstinence an no sex education and her daughter got pregnant at 17? No, No, No, she’s qualified!” Sarah Palin can do no wrong. No matter what she does or says the Republicans will spin it as a plus. All I know is if Obama or Biden had a 17 year old daughter who was pregnant out of wedlock, the GOP would have skewered them. Obama showed class for not coming down on Sarah Palin for all of this, knowing full well he would have never been extended the same courtesy. The new Republican message is more a double standard than everything else. So far the message at RNC has been littered with partisan bickering and insults. The Dems are holding back, but I don’t know how much longer Biden can go without fighting back in his own way. It will be an interesting election, lets see how this goes.
This who thing is a supremely large pill to swallow for a 17 year old high school senior, who has the world at his feet, living out the last year of school before college. ”Say that Governor’s daughter is pretty cute!” he thinks to himself as he walks by her in the halls. And so it begins. A long, overly publicized story later, he gets her pregnant. As if things weren’t complicated enough, 5 months later his pregnant girlfriend’s mom gets the vice presidential nomination for the Republican party. Suddenly his situation goes from an isolated incident to a full on media sensation. His MySpace page literally torn to shreds and analyzed bit by bit. “He is listed as ‘in a relationship’, but states that he ‘doesn’t want kids” says the national news anchor. “He also goes on to describe himself as a ‘f*k*n rednek!’.” Further emphasizing the point that you should try real hard not to come off as a jackass on your MySpace, cause you never know who’ll be checkin’ it out. That guy has to be completely freaking out inside. What he once thought was a mistake that will be for the most part contained to his general vicinity has now not only become a national issue, but a hotly debated political issue that plays heavily against what the Republican party stands for. I am sure he didn’t imagine what that one moment would blow up in to. Now he, his girlfriend, and her mother are under the vast and powerful magnifying glass of the media. Not only that, but he has become yet another weapon in the vast Democratic arsenal against John McCain and Sarah Palin. I am sure he could have never expected this was going to be the way it turned out. And in the end, though it will never be said, he probably is being forced to marry her because hell, he’s got to. Some think it’s the right thing to do, some think otherwise, in the end who knows. Do I feel bad for the guy? Absolutely. He is just a kid, who gave in to his hormones (in a state that doesn’t educate in safe sex no doubt) and now he is faced with a situation that has become extremely complicated, extremely quickly. So, if you are having a stressful day, just say to yourself “Hey, at least I didn’t knock up the daughter of the GOP’s Vice Presidential Nominee”.
As you no doubt have heard, John McCain chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Where some believe this is a bad choice, an inexperienced first term Governor next in line to an old, cancer prone preside, others think John McCain is “thinking out of the box”. I think that if John McCain wanted to be considered an exterior box thinker, he’d have picked one of these people…
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime, promoting his movie Transformers
Optimus Prime would have been an excellent choice as Vice President. Not only would he single-handedly clinch the niche group of comic book reading voters, but he would bring a strong presence to his campaign. Optimus Prime has great foreign policy and military experience from battling the Decepticons for the all-spark for so long. Now that Shia LeBouf is safe and the all-spark is destroyed he can focus on a political career.
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Another person John McCain should have considered is Christopher Walken. If one were to speculate why McCain would pick Christopher Walken, the main reason would be “because he is Christopher Walken, that’s why”. Does he have any foreign policy experience? Yes. He is Christopher Walken. Would he be fit to run this nation in a time of crisis? Again, yes. And we all know why.
Walter Sobchak
Walter Sobchak not standing for aggression
A great candidate for the GOP’s VP spot is Walter Sobchak. Walter is not only a party loyal, but also appeals to Jewish voters because among other things, he doesn’t roll on Shabbas. Walter would bring a plethora of military experience to a ticket with plenty of it. However, his no nonsense approach to…more or less everything would have made him a valuable addition to the McCain campaign.
Willford Brimley
Wilford Brimley, staring in to what he calls "the picture taker"
Wilford Brimely would have been a far better choice for VP than perhaps anyone else on this list. Mr. Brimley is not only a well-known Republican and a famed actor but he is a major health care advocate. As you may have noticed, Mr. Brimely has been speaking publically about a new disease called “diabeetus”. Though little is know about this mysterious illness, Mr. Brimley has worked hard to let people know that “If you call Liberty Medical, you can live a normal life.” His nomination would bring much relief to those who think that the GOP ticket needs more of a boost in the health care department.
Sarah Connor
Sarah Connor
Personally if I were John McCain, and I wanted to appeal to female voters, I would have definitely chosen Sarah Connor over Sarah Palin. This Sarah is not only a good mother, but she brings a lot of sound judgement and military experience to the ticket. In the event that highly advanced cybernetic robots travel back in time to attack this nation, Sarah Connor will be ready. Having her as Vice President would definitely raise the American people’s awareness of robotic soldiers from the future, something that in an age of ever evolving technology is VERY important.
As you can see, these are just a few people who would bring more support to an unstable GOP ticket. Where Sarah Palin makes up for in personality and presence, she lacks more or less in everything else. I am sure there are many more candidates who would bring more to the table. Until next time…
John McCain shook the ground by announcing Governor Sarah Pailin as his VP choice. On the surface, Gov. Palin seems like a great choice. She is a hard working person, a great mother and wife to a great family. She is very attractive, confident, and well spoken. But as one delves deeper in to her record and experience, you find that her experience is greatly lacking. And serving under a president who not only is old but has had a long track record with cancer, I can’t possibly believe that she would be qualified to be President of the United States should the unthinkable happen.
Governor Palin is a first-term governor of the state of Alaska. Before that she was the mayor of a town of about 7,000 people. Alaska itself isn’t the most populated of states. And though her track record as governor is I guess acceptable (if I hear “The Bridge To Nowhere” nonsense one more time I might snap) but is it enough? Remember, should John McCain not be able to serve his term, Palin would be responsible for something MUCH bigger than just the state of Alaska. Honestly, I think after her appointment, the GOP shouldn’t be allowed to bring up Obama’s lack of experience anymore. Obama may lack experience as well, however he has not only earned his party’s nomination despite that, he also appointed Sen. Joe Biden, someone who brings a lot of experience in many different areas to the Democratic ticket.
However, Sarah Palin isn’t the problem here at all. The problem is John McCain himself. What does this say about John McCain’s judgement. All of his banners read “Country Comes First” however, this isn’t putting the country first at all. John McCain is 72 years old, and he has had to battle cancer four times. In our histroy 8 presidents have died in office, 4 from assassination, and 4 from illness, making this an unfortunate possibility for any president. John McCain has chosen Sarah Palin after one or two meetings. She is obviously quite in experienced to be so close to the presidency. If the VP were elected by the party I wouldn’t be saying this because, you know, the people have spoken. But this is McCain’s choice, and his choice alone. I am surprised more members of his party are not concerned. He passed over great choices like Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman (a Democratic defector), and Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Senator and most importantly a woman. If John McCain thought that he was going to steal some Hillary supporters with Sarah Pailin, he is wrong. Palin is too socially conservative for Hillary supporters to even consider becoming “McCainocrats”. In the end, Sarah Palin is a first term governor who lacks experience, more so than Barack Obama. I think this decision reflects poorly on not only John McCain, but on the GOP as well. A political party who has had a rough couple of years. I guess time will tell, but speaking as an American voter, I can’t see myself voting for John McCain.
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I’m back guys, sorry for the long absense, 
I have been saying this until I was blue in the face, and it has finally come true. I caught 
I can’t watch this woman on TV anymore, she irritates me so much. Her voice, her empty baseless attacks that I am almost positive someone told her to say cause she doesn’t know a DAMN thing. I can’t take this hockey mom, joe six pack, “you betcha!” nonsense anymore. If she winks at the camera one more time I am going to lose my mind. I can’t imagine a world where this woman can be so close to the presidency of this nation. This isn’t a sexist thing. If I get one more woman ask me what my problem is with a woman vice president, I am going to spazz out. I have already gone down the list of women who he could have chosen that would have contributed positively to not only John McCain’s ticket, but also this nation should he be elected. Sarah Palin is outraged at the “evil leftist media” for asking her all these tough questions like “What newspaper do you read?” 
We are now about to begin the final day of the Republican National Convention. Last night, Sarah Palin delivered a very well received speech, heavy with attacks against Obama. Post-speech, The GOP is singing this woman’s praises. This falls in line with that shiny new Republican message of bipartisanship and hugs & kisses. “We are the Republican Party, we care…want a hug?” The RNC has done a pretty good job so far at uniting the base, and the Palin speech was by far the most poignant. Here is a sort of highlight reel, I can’t find the full version in one video. If anyone else has it, post it as a comment below and I’ll update it. 
