Pajamas Media

118 Comments

1. TomF:

The middle of the road is often acclaimed as the most intellectual position, but in reality it is a whole lot smarter (especially in America) to drive on the right side of the road.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:44 am 2. African Moonbat:

As far as I can see, Sarah Palin has been the star of this election. She has more guts than the other candidates put together. No other has been so traduced, investigated, ridiculed as abused her – and she came through gracefully smiling and fighting. She landed some of the sharpest blows on the Democratic ticket, “Some candidates used the word ‘Change’ to boost their careers…”. The reason why she is so hated is that her sheer force of personality outshone McCain and came close to derailing Obama’s easy run to the White House.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:58 am 3. Snorri Godhi:

What this article boils down to is this: that the Republicans can win only by appealing to the average American. This is the same message as that from the RINOs: the only disagreement is about what appeals to the average American. John Hawkins does not help his own case by making it sound like the Republicans need to become more extreme.

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:13 am 4. SAF:

The republican brand has been greatly tarnished by Bush and those who controlled the republican side of the congress. They deserve to be turned out of office. And even if McCain wins they will be turned out of office as McCain is a quasi republican (true republican in defense only). Blaming Palin for the McCain defeat will be just another attempt at shifting blame from the polices of the past and the mistakes of GWB in an attempt to hide from the truth.

In order to fix this we need the great unraveling and rebuilding of the republican party. Obama and the democrats will provide the backdrop to do this. Bill Clinton was a conservative as compared to Obama and those who think that Obama will be Clinton II are in for a rude awakening.

From what I see of Sarah Palin I like her. But whatever one thinks she certainly cannot be the cause of the McCain defeat.

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:51 am 5. Diane Davis:

The proper term for “Moderate Republicans” is RINO (Republican In Name Only). Earlier generations called them “Rockefeller Republicans”.

RINOS are able to dominate the GOP because the true blue conservatives as a group don’t have the supersize money and talent and gold and platinum plated college degrees that are common among Democrats and RINOs.

True blue conservatives ought to develop scrappy shoestring budget campaign strategy that would make it possible for low budget true blue conservatives to hold their own against Democrats and RINOs. If true blue conservatives were elected and remained true to the conservative base, the donations from large numbers of small and mid-sized donors and the votes will be there.

Oct 27, 2008 - 3:07 am 6. Curly:

As a Brit I’d like to know where do American conservatives go from here?

Oct 27, 2008 - 3:11 am 7. Emma:

They blame her at their own peril. I have even less respect for backstabbers than I do for the MSM. And unlike the MSM, they’re going to need my vote again in four years.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:00 am 8. turfmann:

Thank you for the article. Blame Palin? Are these people completely out of their minds? It is exactly that cast of characters and those of a similar mindset mentioned above that has driven the Republican party from their majorities in both chambers of Congress, as well as the abdication of conservative principles of Mr. Bush (may he have a peaceful and quiet retirement).

I can’t speak for all conservatives, obviously, but I am hitching my star to Mrs. Palin whether she wins or loses. In my mind, that is the road back to relevance and Lord knows we will really need conservative principles if Mr. Obama manages to pull off this election and does what I think he is going to do.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:04 am 9. Paul from Florida:

Poor education, such that people do not even know that they don’t know.

These guys would know Locke, Burke if you hit them upside the head.

Colin Powell, life long Volvo fan, has always been a limp, uneducated statist. Really, our first affimitive action General. He couldn’t even look into a broad day, filmed My Lai correctly. No wonder he botched Iraq. (Thank God the Russians didn’t attack when the idiot was wearing his stars)

Ditto Obama.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:09 am 10. SAF:

Diane Davis and Curly:

A change in the direction of the US requires grass root support. Obama has largely tapped into that and it probably will propel him into the white house. In order to have true conservatives regain power it needs to come from the same place.

If you recall during the second half of Clinton’s first term the republicans regained control of both the house and senate. They had a major show down over the budget which Clinton won. He won because he did a poll of the American people and found the republicans did not have the backing required to get their programs enacted. He played chicken with them and was the winner in the end.

The country cannot be moved in either direction by politicians without the support of the electorate. And you need money to do that. True blue conservatives can win but they need to first convince the public at large that they will make their lives better. With that comes the money to win. I think grass roots without money is a looser these days. Unfortunately statistics show that more money increases the probability of victory. In the case of conservatives they perhaps need even more dough because they need to fight their opponents as well as the MSM.

Do I think it can be done? Perhaps if the Obama presidency brings the US to its knees. Other than that the leftward tilt will continue.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:13 am 11. Jarhead:

If it’s a big Democratic win, we go the same way we did in 1992. Two years of Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Pelosi, and Reed running the show should suffice. We purge the Rino’s and elect conservatives who sign on to a new contract.

Low flat personal and corporate taxes, elimination of estate taxes, economic freedom, strong defense, controls on spending, etc… That is what most Americans want but almost nobody in national politics is currently selling.

Maybe Bobby Jindal is the next guy like Reagan who can bring to the American people – maybe Palin or somebody else.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:14 am 12. chuck,:

Curly,

We have no Canada to flee to, unlike our friends on the left. That leaves standing and fighting or permanent helot status.
But as SAF said, perhaps the country will be brought to such humiliation and misery under Obama that all the Liliputian ropes of lawyers, regulations, the muzzling of our media, the fear of retributions that his forces will use to tie the American people down will be insufficient. Ironic that we of all people will be quoting the old Russian Revolutionaries: “the worse, the better”.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:08 am 13. Huan:

The republicans lost the 2006 election because they have lost their ways, not because the principles of conservatism or the republican party has been rejected. They were elected to DC to work for the people rather than themselves. I find it amusing that these same wayward RINOs are now trying to cast blame on Palin, who has governed closer to the ideals of conservatism than most of them have.

There will be a split as the Republicans shift back toward those who will represent the ideals of the people rather than the trappings of the beltway. Win or lose this election. And I still hope for a win and the house cleaning that will come with it.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:26 am 14. Moultrie:

Ignore the RINO treason, it is nothing more than disinformation from the party that is broken, the Democrat! We got Gov. Palin to elect and that will be just enough to get the old fart’s carcass across the finish line. When this happens we will have the distinct pleasure of watching the Democrat Party implode as well as the battle to rein in the McCain Rinos. NOBAMA, Go Governor Sarah Palin!

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:34 am 15. Jeff:

No way is it Palin’s fault. Stupid narrative designed to split conservatives.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:36 am 16. MarkD:

Neither party give a d*mn for the folks who pay the bills. Yes, I voted for Bush, both times, and I’d do it again because the alternatives were worse. But he’s no conservative. Do not call me a supporter – I’m against most of what he’s for.

I’ve spent my lifetime spending a few dollars less than I earn. It’s not tough. In DC, it seems to be impossible. The 1994 Republican strategy would win again, in a landslide. But the Republicans proved more addicted to power than principle, just like the Democrats.

The Republicans messed up big time in the budget battle with Clinton by caving. They were afraid that the public would soon discover just how little they get for all the money they send to DC. Except for the military, and anybody who needed to renew a passport, who cared? If the entire Department of Education went home and stayed home, no child’s education would suffer. Neither side wants the people wising up.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:49 am 17. cedarhill:

This article is exactly how I view what has happened in this election. I was going to vote for down ticket candidates and likely not even vote for President. Bush and the moderates could just be called “JFK Democrats”. Palin changed that and I even donated to McCain-Palin. But, true to form, the moderates always seemed to deflate any enthusiasm one had for McCain.

If Obama wins, the “center” will be somewhere left of San Francisco. I’ve yet to run into the mythical “average American”. It’s intellectual and political suicide to attempt to find an average on issues today. For example, can we somehow average out an abortion and kill only half a fetus? What about missile defense? Do you have a “half missile”.

And I’ve yet to encounter a “moderate” who will expend energy in making phone call, going door to door, doing fund raisers, doing mailings, and all those little things called campaigning to get out the vote. It takes a base of enthusiastic supporters, period. In 2004 and 2008 we had someone that seemed to be conservative but wasn’t. After the Bush years, McCain is like trying to serve a full spittoon at a wedding reception. He’s still in the race only because of two things: Obama and Palin.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:55 am 18. RE:

Gov. Palin is the only person worth supporting in this contest. She stands alone with her common sense and practical experience. The others will all do harm. Of them, McCain stands to do less harm with less government interventionism than Obama’s economy wrecking mega-interventionism.

Palin as VP will have little influence if elected, but she has a great future. The question is ‘How damaged with the US be in 4 years?’ It may take all of her political talent just to get us back to where we are today. The next 4 years are looking petty bleak.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:57 am 19. ic:

One of the person to be blamed was the one who declared Republican House members voted down the $700 billion bill because Pelosi had hurt their feelings. The bill was bad, but the reason given was stupid. I could literally see McCain’s poll went down the drain from that moment on. He actually used his political “capital” to let the House Republicans sit at the negotiation table and hammered out the bill. When it was voted down, he looked stupid and ineffectual.

Yet, if he losses, McCain is the one to be blamed. He doesn’t know what he wants, he cares way too much about media criticisms not believing the media are there to destroy him. He still believes if he listens to them, he’ll be a media darling again. It’s also silly to claim he was in the Senate all these years fighting Republican corruptions. Democrats are at least as corrupt as the Republicans. Why didn’t he say “fight corruptions”, why qualified that as “Republican corruptions”? In short, McCain does not deserve to win. It’s just horrifying to see the Dems in control in all branches, including the judiciary, of the govt.

His loss will be much worse without Palin.

Oct 27, 2008 - 6:21 am 20. geokstr:

I find it truly astonishing that anyone could believe that Palin per se is the cause of the likelihood of an Obama win. Let’s look at this realistically. Here’s what the republicans have going against them this year:

- an unpopular war (made so mostly by the media coverage)
- a deservedly unpopular left-centrist who calls himself a conservative in the White House for 8 years
- a large group of feckless so-called republicans in Congress who’ve turned the principles of Reagan on their head
- a financial meltdown while this so-called conservative is president
- a media so in the tank for the democrat that even Dan Rather has to admit it
- a democrat candidate with a Marxist resume and philosophy that has gone totally unvetted, including by the republican candidate himself
- a democrat candidate who has been allowed to tar any critic as a “racist”
- a democrat party that has been allowed to lie with impunity about their own record, including their direct responsibility for the financial crisis
- an absolutely vile, vicious and despicable savaging of Palin’s character, values, family, and record
- a republican candidate whose favorite hobby is poking the conservative base in the eye on major issues
- a republican candidate, when calls against the “bailout” were 100-1, favored it even when it was larded up with 150 billion in pork

The democrats should be up by 40 points right now. But they are not because:

- America is still a conservative country, as shown in every survey for years, where 60% of the public self-dentifies themselves as moderately to very conservative
- Sarah Palin

Does anyone actually believe for a second that McCain would be anywhere near as close as he is now if he had chosen, like, anybody else? Too bad that just enough of those “moderately conservative” voters have been fooled just long enough.

Oct 27, 2008 - 6:28 am 21. cedarford:

Hawkins – The moderate Republicans who have destroyed the GOP brand are preparing to deflect the blame if McCain loses.

Hard to see it when the debacle is that a base of Fundies and reactionaries in the South made the Republican brand unpalatable to the rest of America.

Now Republicans have shrunk down to the regions where creationism is considered science – no shot at Congress or the Presidency or anymore Supreme Court nominees.

Led by the evangelical idiot, Dubya.

With McCain and Palin, the Base got the candidates they richly, richly deserved.

As Republicans go off in the wilderness thanks to the Corrupticans and theocrats and Neocons that wrecked the 1994 Revolution, and Dubya, of course – they have to ask if they want to be the Party of just Jesus Freaks, Wall Street rich guys, and devotees of the Cult of Voodoo Reaganomics.

Confined to 6-7 States, hispanics and women completely alienated from them by large majorities……….

And demanding more wars to “democratize freedom-lovers”? Insisting “trickledown” and tax cuts for the rich work, and that deficits “don’t matter”? Will the Fundies add more religious litmus tests, or not? Rally under pictures of Terri Schiavo? And remain in deep denial and snarl about how great Dubya, DeLay, and Goddess Palin were, and they were only diminished by the evil, evil media…

Or will the Religious Right and “anyone not a mile to the right of Saint Reagan’s beliefs is a traitor” movement conservatives decide that ideological purity sucks? As in when Republicans, other than the “RINOS” (defined as anyone who is not a rightwing or anti-all abortion fanatic) – are as unwelcome as lepers (outside Jesusland)? Write off any state North of Mason-Dixon line, west of the Mississippi except Alaska? Say good riddance to RINO traitor states of the South like Florida, Virginia, N Carolina?

Fortunately for us Republicans, us non-Fundie ex-military types and others condemned as RINOs for living outside Jesusland and Shrines to Reagan and his voodoo economics – and the shrinking “Base” there will be plenty of time to think about how Republicans got so badly discredited and rejected by the American Public.

Oct 27, 2008 - 6:29 am 22. Listen up:

And who will they cheer when McCain wins?

Oct 27, 2008 - 6:35 am 23. Kelvin:

Bush is a conservative Republican, right?

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:00 am 24. Big Al:

yea, it’s her fault alright, her fault he is this close. horribly, run campaign, they should of bombed obama with drill now and here, with illigal immigration(which we couldn’t), with j wright, and his staunch liberalism hiding in the middle, vis a vi socialism/spread the wealth, and the fact you can not say this and you can not ask him that, WHAT? and jarhead, don’t get your hopes up for my gov jindal, he’s simply a populist.i am a very optimistic person, but i fear we are in trouble, maybe not for all time, but for some time. i think the talk shows have done all they can to help mccain’s
bad campaign, but if we lose, i think the morning after they will blast him for his campaign mistakes, and rightly so. we’ll know next week.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:03 am 25. R a Z o R:

KOOL-AID drinking aggressive progressive

liberals without any common sense will be to

blame . And let’s not forget the unfair liberal

media . God bless America

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:07 am 26. Jabba The Tutt:

“It’s time to stop listening to the same people who’ve burnt the Republican Party down to the ground.”

OK. But why keep them in the Party? Why not purge them? How can the GOP regain the trust of the American people and the conservative base with the same people, saying the same things.

One, fire the RNC. Two, challenge squishy Republican members of Congress at the 2010 primary. Defeat a few, scare the rest, push them toward independent conservative/libertarian positions. Three, make it clear, we’re going to be for what’s best for American, not GOP hacks. Four, the Dem’s must be defeated. They simply are evil.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:27 am 27. tom:

McCain has run a horrible campaign, the only smart thing he did was select Sarah Palin

He should have immediately laid the Dems with the financial crisis and voted no but he was too worried about ‘reaching across the aisle”

He bottled Palin up and let edited interviews make her look not ready for prime time

He should have exposed all Obama’s friends early and often, not waited till the end

He should be nailing Acorn daily, pushed his energy plan big time, and showed how Chicago politics has led to bad consequences

He may still win this, I believe he does, taking Penn and nearly all the Bush states

He’s got some new traction with Joe the Plumber and Joe the Biden, which I believe is resonating

it just doesn’t help that he wasn’t more forceful

Sarah on the other hand is what is keeping him in it, no nonsense straight talk

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:28 am 28. Ardsgaine:

This is the reason for the Republican collapse in a nutshell: Rockefeller Republicans want to compromise with socialism, while religious conservatives want to ignore capitalism in order to focus on their religious agenda.

Reagan built the Republican majority primarily on the anti-government backlash caused by the economic failure of the welfare state. Until the Republicans once again commit themselves to free markets, small government, and balanced budgets, they deserve to be out of power. If we’re going to have the country run into the ground by a bunch of big-spending, nanny-state socialists, let them be Democrats.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:34 am 29. jerryofva:

The Republicans are going down for one reason and one reason only. The Obama campaign has run one of the most sophisticated Psychological Operations campaigns in the history of American politics. There is no way that Barak Obama should have gotten past Hillary Clinton but thanks to the media and a little vote fraud he did. In the general election the Democratic Party controlled MSM has suppressed every negative story about Obama’s past, his criminal abuse of the campaign finance system and his Chicago-style vote fraud operation.

Oh yeah, the Dufuses in the Republican Party couldn’t keep their hands out of the cookie jar and the presence of an egotistical televangelist prevented a better candidate then John McCain from getting the nomination.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:35 am 30. J. Maccarone:

While, as John Hawkins writes, “The moderate Republicans who have destroyed the GOP brand are preparing to deflect the blame if McCain loses”, placing it squarely on the shoulders of Sarah Palin, members of the Democratic Party also appear to be blaming her, but in a different way.

They’re blaming Palin for re-energizing the Republican base, and in so doing, giving John McCain a fighting chance to upset Obama on November 4th.

The personification of this blame, incidentally, which is hanging outside a West Hollywood, Ca., residence, is a life-size stuffed Sarah Palin look-alike dummy with a noose around its neck.

Unfortunately, for Barack Obama, the creator of the display, Chad Michael Morrisette, allegedly has bragged about having close ties to David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s campaign manager. When alledgedly questioned about this, Plouffe allegedly screamed and hung up on a reporter, calling it a complete fabrication.

Morrisette allegedly added that if he gets a positive enough response to his Palin hanging, he may create one of John McCain just like it. Laughingly saying, I may even hang them upside down much like partisans shot and hung Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, April 28, 1945. He alledgedly concluded by saying, “Subjects are fair game during the Halloween season”.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:35 am 31. FLMom:

No question some middle-of-the-roaders are getting a head start on the post election analysis. No question they will heap the blame on Palin.

Their argument should be easy enough to debunk. Do a poll of those who call themselves conservative. Ask one simple question.

Regardless of the outcome of the election: Four years from now, who would you rather run for President. John McCain or Sarah Palin?

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:39 am 32. ajacksonian:

The problem is not ‘moving to the center’. Indeed, the center has dropped out of American politics almost completely. That is a disturbing thing about ideological analysis sans numbers: it is hot air,not backed by anything. By utilizing even a basic inter-party voting trend analysis and applying overall voting turnout, the analysis is clear: the center drops out to cause ‘gridlock’.

Being unable to get a party to back the center, the only option is to tie up the two existing parties in mutual-check, by polarizing the ideologies. In this the D party has led the way and the R is taking its time to realize this. Depressing turnout, starting in 1968, is something that rewards polarization by forcing ‘moderates’ to leave. The R party lagged that and still had a large number who believed in ‘bi-partisanship’ even after the D party had signalled that was no longer operative before the end of the Cold War. By no longer voting, that portion of the population can no longer accurately be measured as their result is to polarize politics and political questions, so the very questions asked are already polarized. So you can no longer find any measure of the ‘center’ because all polling is done by polarized ideologs.

Even taking out the perennially disaffected (those that will not vote no matter who is voting or what is offered), traditionally placed between 5 and 10% of the voting age population, that leaves a disturbingly large plurality near or just over 40% of the voting age population that sees no reason to vote *at all*. Consider that if any part could address just 10% of that group (or 4% of the entire voting population) and add that to the normal voting tally, that a ‘landslide’ would happen: a shutout of the other political party by expanding the number of voters with a politically appealing message.

On the flip side if you can arrange it so a mere 10% of the population to not show up out of likely voters and you can keep that as a broad demographic trend or slant it within the remainder, (2004 saw a local high of 58% voting, so turning off a slanted 5.8% to reduce turnout to 52.2% benefits the party that can turn off more of the opposing base than one’s own base, plus leaning ‘independents’). That *also* gets a landslide, but tells a different story by lowered overall voting turnout.

Because the overall trend has been downwards and it is hard to vary from a declining mean, the current election will most likely not see as large a turnout as 2004 and fall into line with the declining mean, or 54% or so as a baseline. Take out 10% of that and you are *below* 50% turnout, although well within the variation around the declining mean. Yet if you are trying to turn off the opposition’s base, that is just what you want and that is easier than recrafting a message to bring more people into the election. For all the rhetorical flourishes, the plans of these two main candidates are strikingly similar in many areas. Although longer-term problems arise from both, they have both crafted their plans to hit the exact same tone if not tenor. That puts the election on track for a declining mean baseline.

From that: if turnout is at or just below 51% it will be a landslide one way, and at or above 57% it will be a landslide the other way. It will be a ‘tailless’ landslide, as Congressional races will still tend towards incumbent re-election with minor changes at the margins… which is fascinating in a Congress in single digit approval ratings. People *want* such poor performers in there as they spend more time pontificating than doing things, I would hazard to say.

At some point this does break down as only the ardent ‘base’ of the two parties is left, which is a small subset of the overall percentages of each party. For a representative democracy to be a representative democracy it must have majority claim, not on just the voters but of the population as a whole. It has limped along with plurality and even skated into minority, but never wholly transitioned into minority rule. Very few democracies have ever survived going into minority rule without major problems arising. And none so populous as the US has ever done so in history, which could make a low turnout a very dark harbinger for all concerned.

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:48 am 33. Regulus:

I’m so happy to see McCain’s choice of VP fail him so horribly. With Obama in the White House he’ll finally be able to carry out his evil liberal agenda: health care and more education for all MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhah

Also why do some of you shun or even hate intelligence. SHOULDN’T we have a VP who knows just a little bit about foreign policy/the ROLE of the VP/what a newspaper is/supreme court justices/etc etc??

McCain’s not that bad of a guy, he’s just trying to win the presidency. Unfortunately so is piggy Palin

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:49 am 34. Larry J:

Those moderates who want to blame Palin are idiots. As a conservative Republican, I was fully prepared to not vote at all for the top of the ticket until McCain picked Palin. I doubt I was the only one. Thanks to early voting here in Colorado, I’ve already cast my vote for Palin and, yeah, McCain. Without her or someone like her on the ticket, that likely would not have happened.

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:01 am 35. Bumr50:

As a young adult, social libertarian, and economic conservative I’m completely disappointed in the Republican party and am in desperate search of a new home. PA is a state with a closed primary so I must register Republican in order to have a vote. Sarah Palin, to me, is one of the best things I’ve seen from the Republicans, and this “Old School” mentality has got to go if they have any chance of salvaging their party.

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:16 am 36. Therese:

I agree with Moultrie! This is all disinformation by the Democrats who are about to implode.

Governor Palin is the reason that conservatives like me are super-excited about the McCain/Palin ticket.

Governor Palin is also the reason that Christians like me are praying hard for McCain/Palin to win.

When McCain/Palin win, Governor Palin should be thanked!

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:19 am 37. Michael:

“In order to fix this we need the great unraveling and rebuilding of the republican party. Obama and the democrats will provide the backdrop to do this.”

Indeed. It will be like redesigning the Titanic after hitting the iceberg. Probably come up with a great design, but to no point.

If a Democratic government takes roots the damage will be incredible and may well be irreversible.

But at least we will have a great plan.

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:25 am 38. Dee:

We right wing nuts became a little tired of Bush and etc. proclaiming they are conservatives as they went wobbley on issue after issue.

When we expressed our displeasure we were called racists and ignorant. Well they worked very hard to represent us then failed.

So yes we right wing folks are part of the cause of the lost of this election. I know my friends, family and I, sat out this election financially. Why give money to people who call us names and ignore our views. We also ceased being precint captains and going to rallys. Why bother?

Now I look at Gov. Palin and Gov. Jindal and I have a little hope. But if a new party comes along dedicated to enforcing our Constition, small government and free enterprise with minimum regulation. I’d change in a minute.

Go,Sarah,Go!

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:51 am 39. AJBopp:

Um, wow. An excellent example of how to look at a situation and come to a completely inaccurate conclusion.

Popular wisdom these days seems to suggest that Palin is to blame for McCain’s election defeat. This is unfair, since ultimately McCain bears the responsibility of choosing an unqualified running mate to begin with. But it is true that many will lay the blame at her feet regardless.

In the end, while bad for Palin it will be a good thing for the country. This should mean that Sarah Palin will never again have the opportunity to stand on the national political stage, and we will never again be this close to the catastrophe that she represents.

Even if she is not ultimately left with the blame for the devastation that is the GOP campaign (not just presidential, but congressional seats as well), Republican leaders should be able to see that she, much like Hillary, is too polarizing to be effective at regaining political majorities. Her appeal is limited to the GOP base, and it is doubtful that she could ever win back the confidence of independents or women. And, most especially, the GOP needs women, who have felt nothing less than personally insulted at the choice of someone so vastly under-qualified as Sarah Palin, and who so completely exemplifies the worst of stereotypes about women.

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:59 am 40. Robert Hurley:

This is an interesting twist on the story. Lets see if I get it right – It is not McCain who appointed a person who lacked the qualifications to become Vice President who is causing the problem, it is the conservatives who speak the truth. Now you want the Republican party to be in the hands of the prople who hide from the truth rather than learning from it. The Democrats must be rejoycing

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:01 am 41. Bgrl:

My thing is this – Sarah can not claim she was “mishandled”. She didn’t have to wear those expensive clothes or makeup, or any of the other crap she claims they had her do. What is this? – the republicans made me do it defense! It is obvious she just wasn’t ready to play ball with big time politicians. She claims to be a pitbull in lipstick, but it appears she is all bark and absolutely no bite. It is no one’s fault that she didn’t know anything, she is a governer, she could of at least learned something from the time she first went into politics until the time she was asked to run for VP. I don’t really care for the republican party, but I don’t like how she is basically looking out for herself and plans on running for anything in the near future. So many big name republicans don’t even like her. If she doesn’t make VP, it’s over. Comedians, newsmedia, and anyone else with a voice are going to dog her out. Besides, in four years, that is enough time for the republicans to get a real female politician who knows what is really going on to run. Not to mention, Sarah Palin isn’t getting any older, and we all know that white women age badly, if she doesn’t get in the next eight years, it’s over! One of the main things she has right now is her hotness factor, that why so many men are jumping on her bandwagon, once the wrinkles set in, and she still doens’t know much, she might as well just stay in Alaska.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:30 am 42. jerryofva:

Regulus:

So I guess you prefer McCain to Obama because Biden doesn’t know the role of the VP.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:32 am 43. Targaray:

“Make-Believe” Maverick -versus- “Rogue” Maverick

Sarah “Shop Without Preconditions” Palin is running her own campaign independent of the Bush/McCain/Rove campaign. She is positioning herself to be the Repulbican Right Wingnut spokesperson until the 2012 election.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:36 am 44. R a Z o R:

More Obama sexist smears .

YADA YADA YADA

__________________________

McCAIN * PALIN 08 ________ COMMANDER*IN*CHEIF

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:41 am 45. Sean:

To retake (and remake) the Republican party conservatives must work from the bottom up and take control of local party organizations. If conservatives control county and state parties they will control the national party.

Governor Palin may well emerge as the standard bearer for the conservative wing. But there are others. Fred Thompson comes to mind as does Duncan Hunter and maybe even Mitt Romney (not so sure about him). Bobby Jindal and Mike Pence are a couple more. What we need is unity among these and any other potential leaders and their supporters. Rivalry is fine if it ends once past the primaries and a leader is selected. Debate is fine and can be quite healthy but it should end – or at least be significantly muted – once the primaries end. The party message must be coordinated and, in a novel move, be cosnservative. Rush (and others) have said over and over that when Republicans run on conservative ideas they tend to win far more often than lose. So let’s actually give it a try.

I find Governor Palin to be a powerful presence and would have little trouble backing her in 2012 if things don’t work out this time. I find the attacks on her to be mostly reprehensible and slanderous. Certainly, if she chooses, she can take the reins as the de facto leader of the conservative wing of the party. I hope she makes the effort as I think she is a winner.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:49 am 46. AJBopp:

@Sean:

In both their politics and their economics, Republicans don’t seem to get the whole “from the bottom up” thing.

Oct 27, 2008 - 10:05 am 47. D Rinker:

Hopefully Sarah will enjoy either a victory or returning to her life in Alaska with the knowledge that all of you can’t hold a candle to her accomplishments. Writers of the media and people of the United States have surrendered their rights given to them in the constitution in exchange for love of themselves. Your prognostication is a 50/50 bet as you seek self evaluation of righteousness.On any given Sunday a bookie won’t give you 50/50. Supporters of the media hate writing will be remembered and the writers and interviewers are nothing but whores themselves for failing to print and make available entire interviews. There’s little changed in Mrs. Palin she’s done great as America’s media has sold you the nation OUT! Rouge? No she’s been handled by a bunch of writers and self believing political writers that believe in America the civilized. That’s been lost to the whores. The whores of capital hill, the whores of wall street and the whores in the media. Today America can be bought, robbed, and enslaved, F@#% you is the national slogan. As intellects argued that WW1 did not end till the Berlin wall came down, I’ll argue that Regans new deal lasted until 2005 and the thieves began stealing more than the country could replenish. Are you protected from the thieves, hell no. You have been told! A vote for O man is a vote you’ll pay even more. America your screwed! Here’s my prognostication, no new jobs except larger police forces and jails. Wall street is over. Organized business will run your life, no unions. Company store. Go drive a truck college man. Military caring mop handles. Homeless shared by all states.and of course F@#% you!!!

Oct 27, 2008 - 10:40 am 48. Eric:

The one group that, but for one issue, are natural Republicans are the so-called Reagan Democrats or Blue Collar workers. The only reasons many of them support the Democrats are centered on unionism and trade. The GOP should continue to reject unionism but the GOP MUST do a better job of being seen to work on behalf of blue-collar workers. The perception, and reality, is that the GOP heavily favors Big Business at the expense of the little guy. Try to convince a union guy whose lost his job to China or Mexico b/c of a Big Business backed bill that the GOP is on their side. There are ways to support both business AND blue collar workers that will keep both under the GOP tent.
If we can get this group and their families on our side than the Dems are left with just thier angry interest groups as their base.

Oct 27, 2008 - 10:43 am 49. FLMom:

Palin is dead-on accurate on energy issues. Why the McCain campaign hasn’t highlighted this strength is beyond me. Her command of this issue speaks volumes about her grasp of both global realities and the economy here at home. Misogynists can deride Palin, comedians can caricature, but Obama/Biden policies are contain to send gas prices sky high. If Obama wins, Palin will become even more relevant.

Oct 27, 2008 - 10:49 am 50. Jim Baker:

Bgrl,

You are worried about half of the money people spend for one house being spent for a wardrobe for Sarah Palin. Stupid maybe, but certainly not illegal.
I am worried about the millions that Obama has collected online from overseas. That is illegal. Foreigners believe they are buying influence with their contributions. I hope that isn’t true, but there it is.
I am also made to wonder how much the Democrat campaign has spent for Obama’s suits. He is wearing clothes every day that I could never afford to ever wear. What gives here?

Oct 27, 2008 - 10:49 am 51. Eric:

@AJBopp

There is no such thing as bottom up because without money from employment the bottom has nothing to “trickle” up.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:04 am 52. nlcatter:

accurate? lOL

alaska does not provide “20%” as palin said

she is a Bloody moron

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:13 am 53. AJBopp:

@Eric

Case in point.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:25 am 54. JerryT:

You’re beating a dead horse and will soon be one. Face up to the fact there aren’t enough conservatives to elect a president. Palin has been extremely valuable for the Republican base, but there’s been nothing but conservative criticism for the required (as you say) moderate issues. Get on or get off the horse and quit riding it side saddle.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:34 am 55. James V. Yardley III:

Re: #51 (Jim Baker)

It’s not just Obama’s suits that bother me. How did he pay for his Ivy League education? If he was a scholarship student, he would have been delighted to release his college transcripts. How did he pay for his mansion? How does he explain his wife’s $200,000 raise? Not her salary, her RAISE. Especially in light of the fact that he got her employer an “earmark” for about a million just before her raise was granted.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:36 am 56. Jim Baker:

These Rinos will start a blame game even before the election, when they have no one to blame but themselves. They can’t draw clear distinctions between their man and the communist, because there AREN’T enough clear distinctions. Obama will win exactly because a solid conservative was not at the top of the ticket. Sarah Palin’s mistake is that she should not have decided to run with McCain. McCain’s mistakes were made years ago, when he decided that he was a “maverick” and carried the water for Democrats and sucked up to a media who would surely turn on him as soon as he ran against the Democrats. Rinos need to be sent to the scrap heap, where they belong. Being a slow pace socialist is no defense against socialism.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:47 am 57. pez:

Palin has been a disaster for the McCain campaign, every poll confirms it.

However, as a rallying point for the right wing religious, she has been a godsend.

I predict a post election GOP bloodbath, A battle for the soul of the party, with arguments over Palin and her ilk, the main battleground

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:06 pm 58. Aristide:

I say “aye” to the proposed national debt bailout — and a big shout out to Rep. Barney Frank, one of its early authors, who has been a prescient early voice on the need for a big solution to a big problem.

Barney Frank? Barney Frank IS part of the problem, not part the solution!

To believe in David Frum makes no more sense than for South Sea Islanders to believe in John Frum.

However, there is often that silver lining, here is one little chestnut about John Frum that I was able to paraphrase and adapt for our contemporary “god”.

South Chicago villagers worship a mysterious American they call Obama – believing he’ll one day shower their remote island with riches.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:10 pm 59. Adjoran:

#54: “Face up to the fact there aren’t enough conservatives to elect a president”

Isn’t that what they said about Ronald Reagan?

Based on issues polling, this is still a center-right country. If a center-right country can possibly elect an extreme leftist like Obama, why is it not possible to elect a mainstream conservative? A silly, and false, assertion . . .

The squishy advisers are covering butt, but this election isn’t over, and anyone on our side who makes such statements bound to depress our turnout is going to bear complicity if we lose.

Particularly stupid is the idea backed by Frum and others to divert money from the Presidential race to close Senate races. No Senate candidate is going to be helped by decreased GOP/conservative-independent turnout no matter how much cash they have on hand. And the idea that the GOP might be “saved” by the Senate is even dumber: if Collins, Dole, Specter, Corker, Snowe, and company are our last hope, we are truly a lost cause.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:12 pm 60. Ratatosk:

Palin shouldn’t be blamed for screwing the GOP. Most of the GOP will still vote McCain. However, as I stated WEEKS ago… I and most of my independent friends went from a ‘probably McCain vote” to a “NO”… based mostly on Palin. I like McCain, I think McCain would be a great President. I think Palin shouldn’t be within 50 miles of the White House, except on a tour.

As a central Ohioan, among independent voters, I am hearing a lot of agreement with that opinion.

She may be the future of the GOP, but I don’t think that’s a good thing, especially not for the GOP.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:17 pm 61. Sandy Salt:

The Republican brand is gone. There is no party of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, low taxes, and strong defense any more. Blame every elected official that calls themself Republican. Bush, McCain, and the rest have betrayed the party’s name and principles with their spend thrift ways and ever growing government. The Republicans have become old time Democrats and the Democrats have become socialist. You whine about this and that, but the true fact of the matter is we as voters let ourselves down by not holding our elected officials responsible for their collective actions and betraying our trust. Vote for whomever you want on Nov 4th it isn’t going to change the direction of this country as long as Pelosi and Reid are in charge of the most disfunctional Congress in history. Neither ticket headliner is going to more this congress to do anything it doesn’t want to. Enjoy the next four years of socialist policies and the great government give aways. Hopefully, we can start throwing them out in 2010 and get real conservatives into the Congress.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:37 pm 62. Cyber Johnny:

As a politician that can draw an admiring crowd, Palin is a threat to the left; therefore she must be destroyed. Hence the manufactured narrative that Palin cost McCain the election – she’s a liability. After the election, should McCain lose, the MSM will allow the bowed and beaten McCain back into the “club” but the investigation and vilification of Palin will continue.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:47 pm 63. Edward A:

The McCain campaign has sent a clear message to the American people, a campaign shifting and changing, with no vision, just wandering and many times appearing lost shows he lacks the leadership quality. His decision to have Palin aboard was another example of his ’shoot from the hip’ character. It was repeated when he ’suspended’ his campaign to fly back to Washington and didn’t do much of anything. There is a reason why many prominent Republicans are publicly departing from the McCain ship.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:54 pm 64. Jim Baker:

Ratatosk,
Pay attention, bud. You are saying you will vote for a communist because you don’t like the VP candidate on the other side. You were NEVER going to vote for McCain, I will bet.

Oct 27, 2008 - 12:58 pm 65. David Thomson:

“As a central Ohioan, among independent voters, I am hearing a lot of agreement with that opinion.”

And why is that? Is it because you are probably pro-abortion? I am convinced that the vast majority of those opposed to Sarah Palin are doing so because of their stance on the cultural war issues. Don’t let anybody tell you something different. This election revolves around the issue of abortion. It is tacitly the number one issue separating the formally and informally better educated voters.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:01 pm 66. Larry Sheldon:

The trouble starts with the Gingrich Disaster.

Several of us thought we had elected our own and gave them everything they needed.

And they pissed it into the wind.

The middle that needs to take command has names like (several first names) Palin, Joe Wurzelbacher, and Barbara West.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:19 pm 67. Robert Hurley:

I wante to quote Chirsopher Hitchens

“This is what the Republican Party has done to us this year: It has placed within reach of the Oval Office a woman who is a religious fanatic and a proud, boastful ignoramus. Those who despise science and learning are not anti-elitist. They are morally and intellectually slothful people who are secretly envious of the educated and the cultured. And those who prate of spiritual warfare and demons are not just “people of faith” but theocratic bullies. On Nov. 4, anyone who cares for the Constitution has a clear duty to repudiate this wickedness and stupidity.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:23 pm 68. JMH:

There is a common thread between the RINO defections and the comments here that run along the lines of “I was going to vote for McCain, but Palin turned me off.” Both are done by moles who pretend to be Republicans but ultimately just want to try and influence the party in the wrong direction.

I completely agree with Ardsgaine, who said

This is the reason for the Republican collapse in a nutshell: Rockefeller Republicans want to compromise with socialism, while religious conservatives want to ignore capitalism in order to focus on their religious agenda.

That’s it. Two segments of the party that were too busy pursuing their own ideas to reach a consensus on what vision to offer the country.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:40 pm 69. David Thomson:

“That’s it. Two segments of the party that were too busy pursuing their own ideas to reach a consensus on what vision to offer the country.”

OK, let’s for the sake of the argument concede your point. How does that justify allowing Barack Obama and the other radical Democrats to severely damage the country? John McCain was never my first choice for president. He is, though, the far lesser of evils. Some people obviously don’t have their priorities straight.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:52 pm 70. McCain/Palin 08:

PALIN IN ‘09 (from VP to President!) AND 2012 “legit”

It’s true that Sarah Palin does have the most executive experience
of all the candidates in this election. This experience includes
“spreading the wealth” (see: Alaska’s Windfall Profits Tax),
“abuse of power” (see: Troopergate), “questionable expenditures”
(see: Family travel expenses, hair and wardrobe costs).

But let us not get caught up in the here and now.
Let us journey through the past darkly:

From Lil’ Sarah Palin’s 4th Grade portfolio:

DEMOCRATS = DEMOCRACY
As in “the democratically elected government of…”

REPUBLICANS = REPUBLIC
As in The People’s Republic of China
The People’s Republic of Cuba

I hope to grow up to: Live in a FREE Alaska and marry Joe Vogel,
the leader of the Alaskan Independence Party.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:54 pm 71. Ratatosk:

64. Jim Baker:
Ratatosk,
Pay attention, bud. You are saying you will vote for a communist because you don’t like the VP candidate on the other side. You were NEVER going to vote for McCain, I will bet.

Jim, you would lose that bet. I’ve liked McCain since 2000 and was hoping he’d beat Bush. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. Still am. However, I am also not swallowing the bullsh*t that Obama is a communist. He’s not, its a lie. He’s a tax and spend liberal… that’s all. Hell, a tax and spend liberal has got to be better than a borrow and spend Conservative anyway.

You can believe however you like. But I don’t think Palin should be anywhere near the White House.

And why is that? Is it because you are probably pro-abortion?

Ummm… No. I’m not anti-abortion or pro-abortion, I think that people should make those kinds of decisions on their own and I think it has nothing to do with government (including the insane Roe v Wade). Oh, there are some social aspects to my opinion on Palin. For example, anyone who states that God wants us to win a war, or that God wants us to build a pipeline, should, in my opinion, be considered a manipulative twit bent on using God to further their own political agenda. Further, she hasn’t displayed anything remotely like the knowledge necessary to run the country should poor John kick it.

Her stand on abortion is immaterial to me. The dDms will hold the house and the senate, nothing is gonna change in the next 4 years on that topic. In fact, if they get their 60, even a SCJ isn’t gonna show up with a anti-abortion position. It’s not an issue. Putting a soccer mom anywhere near international politics is stupid.

She might be a fine woman, a great individual, a fantastic mother and maybe even a competent governor. Maybe, in four years, she’ll get it together enough to appear to know what she’s talking about. Her performance on the debate (the last hold out I had before deciding), was just dumb. Biden came off as a jerk that kinda knew what he was talking about. She came off as a great person, that should not be in charge of the country. I wonder if ‘abortion’ is really the keystone issue for the ‘moles’ or if its a keystone issue for…

you.

Oct 27, 2008 - 1:58 pm 72. JoeSixGunSixPackTheProAmericanPlumber:

Sarah Palin is a Marxist
Alaska: America’s Socialist State

Sarah Palin’s home state of Alaska is the MOST Socialist state in these United States, and she’s proud of it!

Alaska has no income or sales tax!
That’s because it imposes huge levies on the oil companies that lease its oil fields.
First the state government takes it’s hefty cut, then it redistributes the wealth, cutting a four-figure annual check to every man, woman, and child in the state.
Sarah Palin was happy to increase this year’s check by $1200, bringing the per-person total to $3,269, helping her maintain her popularity as Governor.

I wonder how that’s not “buying” votes?

Sarah Palin is proud of her states’ collective wealth-redistribution scheme.
Sarah Palin said,
“We’re set up, unlike other states in the union,
where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources.
So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.”

Right out of the Karl Marx play book!

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:20 pm 73. Troy Riser:

No conservative worthy of the name would, could, or will vote for Barack Obama, the most left-liberal political candidate fielded for US president since Henry Wallace. While I don’t think most litmus tests are either helpful or desireable, pulling the lever for a New Party socialist just about does it for me. And yes, Obama is a socialist. Faced with harsh political realties or the natural right-of-center inclinations of the American people, Obama will not become an instant pragmatist. A staunch ideologue, Obama will do and be what he has said, time and again, he will do and be. And those pundits and supposed intellectuals now backbiting Sarah Palin? She’s more qualified for the VP slot than Obama is for the presidency. You know it, I know it, we all know it. Disingenuousness becomes you. And a message to our leftwing opponents: a No Return policy on weasels is in effect. Brooks, Buckley, Parker, et al are yours now. You cannot give them back.

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:30 pm 74. Marc Malone:

Everyone here is just flat-out wrong. The cause of any loss is simply leadership. That’s all. Obama IS the standard-bearer for the left. They rally to his flag. WE lack that on the right.

Much of that is because the leaders we have are still young. Look around the Pub party, and the best and brightest, like Obama, are still in their mid-40’s. Palin, Pawlenty, Jindal, Kantor, etc…. They are all post-babyboomers, but the boomers are still in charge in our party. As usual, the self-involved, spoiled Boomers are still getting theirs.

We had a Pub revolution in ‘94, and the Boomers quailed when the Dems launched a counterattack, and they allowed Newt Gingrich to be forced out on some dubious, minor charge. Boomers are simply too good at running for the hills when the going gets tough. They stand for no one but their own self-interest. That’s why the country is moving left, because these guys are heading towards retirement and governmental dependence.

Seniors vote. The Greatest Generation believed in core principles, and they pushed the Pubs into power in ‘94. But in time, the Boomers took over. As they become the seniors, expect the leftism to continue. Still getting theirs; to hell with you.

Finally, the MSM created any chance of an Obama victory. They put it all on the line for him. They are thoroughly discredited, or will be in a year or two, once the full public catches on. The bandwagoners, however, are still listening to the MSM and slanted polls, because they are conditioned to doing so.

It happened in the primaries. All the super-delegates flowed to Obama, despite him being beaten regularly at the end by Hillary. It’s happening again, but the general election has no super-delegates. It just has a few high-profile endorsements that the MSM plays up, like Powell.

The one person here who had it right is the one who said that the MSM has to keep trying to diminish Palin, but he/she is wrong about why. It’s not just that she’s a future leader of the party, but because she can still win THIS election for McCain. IT’S NOT OVER!

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:38 pm 75. David Thomson:

“I’m not anti-abortion or pro-abortion”

This is a just a cowardly attempt to pretend that you are neutral on the subject. You have already conceded that you are “pro-choice.” In back of your mind, Sarah Palin’s whole lifestyle is an existential contradiction of your own.

There is something else that needs to be asked: are you actually saying that Joe Biden has more to offer than Sarah Palin? The guy is perhaps crazier than a loon. He has continuously put his foot into his mouth. Do you actually prefer Biden over the Alaskan governor? is this some sort of joke?

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:43 pm 76. Krusty:

Shameful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9T0FI2axbU

Palin had the following to say on it: “….”

Maybe she’s preparing to get mavericky. Now it’s a sin to be an intellectual on the right, as well?

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:52 pm 77. nlcatter:

blame palin?

yes for this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9T0FI2axbU

Oct 27, 2008 - 2:56 pm 78. martin stewart-mccormick:

Why not…She deserves any thing she gets…I want to see MORE COVERAGE on Sarah’s “trooper-gate” trial outcome & background…This woman is obviously in politics for ALL the WRONG REASONS…She’s basically, “dishonest”…If Sarah Palin really thinks she’ll get ANY help from fellow republican lawmakers…she’s kidding herself…maybe the new spokesperson for the religious right…or maybe just “snake-handlers” & the like…

Oct 27, 2008 - 3:00 pm 79. jane:

I don’t understand why “Independents” expect Republicans to format the Party strictly to accommodate them. Whether you like it or not the Republican Party is the home of conservatives. If it becomes the home of Democrat-lite the base goes away and Independents alone won’t win elections either.

All the people complaining about Gov Palin’s lack of national experience and supposed intellect should perhaps stop and consider that all those “intellectuals” who look down their noses at her are the self-same people who got us a Dow at 8500, home foreclosures, and a massive national debt. How’s all that experience and Ivy League education been working for us so far?

Oct 27, 2008 - 3:19 pm 80. funky chicken:

These are just bitter Romneyites who want McCain/Palin to lose so their guy can “save the day” in 2012. Don’t let the door hit ya where the Lord split ya on your way out.

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:08 pm 81. funky chicken:

61. Sandy Salt:

The Republican brand is gone. There is no party of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, low taxes, and strong defense any more. Blame every elected official that calls themself Republican. Bush, McCain, and the rest have betrayed the party’s name and principles with their spend thrift ways and ever growing government.

Um, are you even aware that McCain voted against the medicare expansion, voted against the ethanol boondoggle, voted against a lot of the Bush porkfest omnibus bills, etc?

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:13 pm 82. pez:

here’s one for you

Will Palin be casting her vote for Stephens?

Tricky

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:25 pm 83. Oct. 27th Link Roundup | THE HOT JOINTS:

[...] GOP Cowards: Blame Palin [...]

Oct 27, 2008 - 4:34 pm 84. Marina:

Our spirit is supposed to be law dew to the faked polls. We don’t believe in polls anymore. But sudenly, after the Jo-the-plumber “gaffe” Obama starts to gather “super-crowds” again. Are there so many Americans interested in Communism? Or are there blackmailed Union members who have no way to go? Decide: that’s my previous post with an interesting link:

OBAMA FAKE CROWDS:
http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/6765

Please, read it if you want, but please, please send it to Rush, one of our last mouthes:
ElRushbo@eibnet.com

MY PROVIDER BLOCKS IT ALL THE TIME, PLEASE HELP ME,
OBAMA REALLY FAKES HIS CROWDS!!!!!!!!!

Send it to Rush or wherever you like, spread it, please,
DON’T LET THEM KILL OUR SPIRIT WITH THEIR FAKED POLLS!

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:23 pm 85. Joseph Marshall:

As a Democrat, it is my hope that Palin becomes the GOP standard bearer in 2012, and thinking it over, I would say that Palin is the best thing that happened in this election.

There could be no better archetype, really, of the “values voter” than Sarah Palin, and I would be highly pleased if the values voters had the GOP all to themselves. Your party should sell its wares openly and not try to conceal them under a false “bipartisanship” which is essentially rootless and valueless.

But if you really want her to step forward in 2012, you’d better get to work starting November 5 to make it happen. She will be a viable candidate only if there is a popular groundswell among the Base of your party that demands it.

This will require leadership and planning on your part, because the party pros have absolutely no interest in organizing you into such a groundswell–they merely need your vote and not your help nominating a candidate. You will have to organize yourselves.

Go for it! Politics is not a spectator sport.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:27 pm 86. Rachel Peepers:

I so want the brown eyed handsome man to win. Though my Dad’s connections, I’ll get two tickets to the Inaugural Ball.

Where I’ll get to meet Rev. Wright, Bill and Bernadette Ayers, Fr. Flager, any friends of Tony Rezko who aren’t in jail and the hoe with her face carved in frown, the ignoble yet over paid and mal-educated Michelle.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:40 pm 87. Joseph Marshall:

Oh, by the way, I found this marvelous little tidbit in the Capital Hill newspaper Roll Call:

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said Monday afternoon that it was a “fair possibility” that Democrats could reach a filibuster-proof, 60-seat majority in the Senate on Nov. 4….

Ensign did show some optimism, however. He suggested Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.), who caucuses with the Democrats but has aligned himself with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign, might consider switching parties next year. Lieberman has angered Democratic Senators for his ardent support of McCain and attacks against Obama.

I’m sure most of you will show some optimism about it, too.

Oct 27, 2008 - 5:56 pm 88. Sarge:

IF McCain loses he must accept the blame. Palin has been doing a GREAT job. McCain should have come out fighting months ago. His problem is he wants to be loved by everybody. Not in Politics Baby !!!!! The Democrats have attack dogs in Palosi, Frank, Kennedy, Reid etc. Name three in the Republican Party? No? How about Two? No? Just one maybe ? No? The Republicans just want everyone to live them. Wimps!!!

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:50 pm 89. Bart:

All of the RINOs and trolls pretending to be moderate Republicans need to understand one thing. Sarah Palin connects with an audience like no one I have ever watched in the last forty years. Not even Obama, the messiah himself. Her crowds are genuine and they are there for her! This alone scares the living hell out of Democrats, liberals, Obamaniacs, Rockefeller Republicans, and the conservative elitists. This country is center right and conservative to the core. The problem is that we have had a liberal Republican in the White House for the last eight years who has a phobia about using a veto pen on pork barrel spending and budget busting bills.

I can only hope I am around long enough to witness a true rebirth of conservatism as Reagan envisioned it. A true conservatism that includes the Joe the Plumbers in the big tent and gives voice to their concerns. A true conservatism that demands our elected leaders to be held accountable to us for how our tax money is spent. A true conservatism that demands our elected representatives demonstrate a dedication to the principles of our Constitution as written, not as interpreted by activist judges or viewed as a negative by the likes of Barack Obama.

Sarah Palin will go back to Alaska and regroup, kicking the dust off her shoes left by incompetent handlers from the McCain/Bush camps. If she had been left to her own devices, McCain might be ahead by 6 or 7 points instead of Obama. If McCain wins, it will be because she drags his sorry butt across the finish line, barely ahead of Obama. If McCain loses, it won’t be her fault and all of you who are constantly demonizing her, four years ain’t very long!

Oct 27, 2008 - 7:51 pm 90. George Will for President:

Gay marriage – such an incredibly powerful and central arguement in these times of trials and tribulattions…

Maybe, once we get this crucial policy nailed down, we can move on to even more germane elements of public debate like whether North Dakota should be renamed Northern Dakota.

Grow up. You right wing jackbats have destroyed this party. Make your own and get out of ours. Gay marriage is a state issue, not a federal one. Learn that – you will do yourselves a world of good.

Jackasses….

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:42 pm 91. myth buster:

The Republicans would be on their way to a landslide victory if Huckabee was our nominee. You people are stupid. Why didn’t we nominate Huckabee when we had the chance? Well if Obama wins and destroys the country, don’t blame me, I voted for Huckabee.

Oct 27, 2008 - 8:43 pm 92. always right:

This is assuming whoever reads either right-leaning or left-leaning blogs completely absorbs and agrees with all things said.

If that is the case, then there won’t be a need to leave comments, right? All comments will be “Brilliant!” or “100% on the mark”. Think how boring that would be.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:24 pm 93. always right:

Ooops. The wrong thread.

Sorry.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:25 pm 94. Someone75:

I just don’t understand how people can still like Palin. She brings the imaginary ideal of a “regular Joe” becoming president to life, but then we’re faced with the reality of what that would mean. Being sensible on a personal level doesn’t translate to sensibility in Washington. A candidate may very well have both, but I think Palin lacks the latter.

You can blame the MSM, but I arrived at this decision myself – Palin is woefully inadequate. Furthermore, she’s gotten this far without any real intelligence, so why would she feel the need to improve herself? She can just stay herself, learn nothing, and run again. So many people are terrified of her that I don’t see how she could possibly lead the Republican party.

As a centrist, I want to have a legitimate candidate to vote for in the next election. I’m voting for Obama this year, but I would vote for a conservative candidate, if I thought they could help the country. Palin as “leader” of the GOP is a death sentence.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:42 pm 95. JMH:

OK, let’s for the sake of the argument concede your point. How does that justify allowing Barack Obama and the other radical Democrats to severely damage the country? John McCain was never my first choice for president. He is, though, the far lesser of evils. Some people obviously don’t have their priorities straight.

Good grief, David, what on earth did I say to imply I was voting for Obama? Or excusing so-called Republicans who are? There’s some wacky projection going on, and I think it’s part of the general funk we find the Republican Party stuck in.

To recap, I say that the problem we have is two wings in the party that are too busy pursuing their own agenda to get together and agree on a vision to present to the rest of the country, and somehow that is construed as supporting Obama. Huh?

Look, let me try again. Both wings of the Republican party have elements of their platform that attract voters, and both wings have elements that repel voters. The sad, sad part is that the elements that repel voters are unnecessary, but neither wing will take a serious look at what they’re trying to accmplish. (I think Marc Malone’s onto something with his analysis of boomers. To hell with everyone else as long as they get theres, and I think that applies to the boomers within the Republican party as well).

So, here’s my analysis of the flaws in each wing:

Moderates: Too concerned with big business and their own power; willing to make any agreement with liberals in order to send pork to their home districts and corporate patrons. Flaw: skyrocketing spending, stench of corruption, undermines public belief in core conservative message, plays into liberal agitprop about Republicans as enablers of corporate greed at the expense of the little guy.

Social Conservatives: Keep asking voters the wrong question, namely “who do you want telling you how to live your lives, us or them?” Most voters want to answer “nobody – I don’t want any of you degenerate politicians telling me how to live my life. Just fix the damn potholes, put crooks in jail, and keep the nutbar foreigners from shooting at us.” If social conservatives would instead change the question to “do you want government telling you how to live your life?” they would get more votes. But that means making it clear that they would not use political power to push a conservative social agenda. And they don’t need to. If we could just get the government to stop pushing a liberal social agenda, things would self-correct fairly quickly on their own.

Regan got that part right. His deal with social conservatives was that he would get the government to stop attacking them, but he never let the government carry their water for them.

Oct 27, 2008 - 9:57 pm 96. Marc Malone:

Someone75 – Amazing. You KNOW Palin’s not stupid. You absolutely DO know it. You’ve been posting regularly on this site, so you’ve read the arguments. Yet, here you are, continuing to spread the MSM meme that she is stupid and unqualified. It’s nonsense. Do I really need to go into just how wrong that position is for you?

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: You’re the most subtle of the Obama crowd.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:02 pm 97. Cylar:

I’m still waiting for all you moonbats, trolls, and RINOS to explain to me why Palin isn’t qualified for the Oval Office (or to be “within fifty miles of it”), but somehow Obama and Biden are. Very very curious about this, actually.

Palin has more executive experience than McCain and more than the Demo ticket put together. Why is this so hard for you to comprehend?

I’m sick and tired of the reprehensible, abominable attacks on Palin from anti-religious bigots…the same ones who were screaming back in 2000 that Bush was going to turn the US into some kind of theocracy. She’s a good governor. She’s done good things for Alaska, not the least of which includes standing up to corporations and RINOs like Ted Stevens.

I’m also tired of hearing the “fundies” and “wingnuts” blamed for everything that’s gone wrong in the Republican party. Every time we ran as unapologetic conservatives, we’ve won big…1980, 1984, 1994. Every time we ran as moderate RINOs, we’ve lost big…1992, 1996, 2006.

Yeah yeah yeah. Read some history before y’all start mouthing off about how Palin and her type are going to be the death knell of the GOP. Morons.

Oct 27, 2008 - 11:30 pm 98. darla:

lol. Notice they didn’t name the McCain adviser.Must be a lie

Oct 28, 2008 - 12:35 am 99. Ratatosk:

David Thomson:
“I’m not anti-abortion or pro-abortion”
This is a just a cowardly attempt to pretend that you are neutral on the subject. You have already conceded that you are “pro-choice.” In back of your mind, Sarah Palin’s whole lifestyle is an existential contradiction of your own.

As I just said I am NOT Anti-Abortion or Pro-Abortion. I personally think, as with most things, that the government should not be involved is a question like that. I would LOVE to see Roe v Wade struck down. However, I don’t vote based on the subject… at all. Palin’s life is not an “existential contradiction”, in fact, I grew up in a tiny American town and Palin acts a lot like my Mom.

However, I don’t think my Mom would be a good president either. Now, as I said, the reasons I am not voting for Gov Palin, is A) Her claims about God are insanely disrespectful, idiotic and betray a cynical abuse of God to support her favorite politics.B) Her performance in the debate. She did at least as good as my Mom would… but that doesn’t really count for much as I said.

There is something else that needs to be asked: are you actually saying that Joe Biden has more to offer than Sarah Palin? The guy is perhaps crazier than a loon. He has continuously put his foot into his mouth. Do you actually prefer Biden over the Alaskan governor? is this some sort of joke?

Yes, I think Joe Biden is marginally more qualified than Gov. Palin. I see McCain as Most Qualified, Obama as second, Biden as Third and Palin as completely unqualified. Now, you can assume that this is due to some existential issue, or that I’m secretly a democrat or whatever you like. But, keep in mind that as I stated weeks ago, most of my other Indi friends (and its a wide and varied group) have gone from leaning McCain, to voting Obama (albeit while holding our noses).

Maybe you don’t care about the opinion of a bunch of middle of the road guys and girls in Ohio. I mean, its not like McCain needed our vote here, right? The best way to win next time, is to ignore the possibility that there was a mistake or two made… and just keep doing the same thing.

See, unlike many here, I actually spent a lot of time studying both candidates. I’ve found that McCain leans a bit right and Obama leans a bit left, neither are Hitler, Stalin, Moussulini, GWB or Mao. Obama is a tax and spend liberal. After 8 years of a spend and spend and spend ‘conservative’, some attempt at paying for what we do is appreciated. So, yes, even though I really, really like McCain… I’ll be voting for the other guy and so are most of my friends… mostly due to Palin.

Now, you can take this and consider it, or dismiss it out of hand. But, given the number of conservatives jumping off the McCain boat, you might want to consider the possibility that your view is askew.

Oct 28, 2008 - 8:06 am 100. J.Scott:

So it was moderates? Funny its only the moderates whom have a chance at the State level of being elected even in this climate. What does that say about the social conservatives and the responsibility they share for the demise of the GOP in alot of Southern states? Why is it only social conservatives manage to be brought up through ther ranks for higher office. Jim Gilmore in Virginia a prim example of the Party chosing the nomiee over the Primary method where a conservative, moderate and fiscally conservative Tom Davis would have been able to run a better campaign against Democrat Mark Warner for Senator. Please. Social Conservatives have as much to share of the blame for driving independents away from the GOP and into the ranks of the Democrats.
The difference in Palin is clear; she is not an idealogue like most social conservatives and she has never nor appears ready t0 push her beliefs on anyone but she does not run from them even if they are unpopular.

The other side in this election wants to cram their belief systems down the throat of the working class because it feels a sense of social justice is deserved to the lower class. Whats worse; believing in something that is real, like “life” or promoting an agenda like class warfare throughout society. Afterall, its perfectly fine for Obama to stand on the sidelines in silence regarding a Sarah Palin hanging in a noose outside a California residence and allow it to be fair due to free speech, but if it were a black man or Obama in the noose it would be a hate crime and the owners of the property racist. Where is the justice in that. Well, there is none and thats wat you get with social justice; division and tension which is what socialism is based on in its truest form.

Oct 28, 2008 - 9:41 am 101. Ratatosk:

Afterall, its perfectly fine for Obama to stand on the sidelines in silence regarding a Sarah Palin hanging in a noose outside a California residence and allow it to be fair due to free speech, but if it were a black man or Obama in the noose it would be a hate crime and the owners of the property racist. Where is the justice in that?

There is no justice in that. Palin on a noose, backwards B on a cheek, yelling Terrorist about a sitting US Senator, or spraying pepper spray at a McCain volunteer…. none of those are OK, none of those should be tolerated by either campaign. From my study of history though, it appears that US elections have traditionally been full of crap like this. With modern media, its just that every whackjob gets time in the limelight.

I’m not sure if I’d prefer the candidates to repudiate every nutjob, or just ignore them…

Oct 28, 2008 - 10:38 am 102. kevin c:

MY IDEA IS SIMPLE-CONSERVATIVES.LIBERTARIANS,CONSTITUTIONALISTS,AND OTHER DEFENDERS OF AMERICAN IDEALS NEED TO UNITE AGAINST THE COMMUNIST INVASION OF AMERICA,PLOTTED YEARS AGO IN THE HALLS OF ACADEMIA, THE WALLS OF THE PUBLISHERS AND EDITORS OF NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, THE POWER CORRIDORS OF TV NEWS ROOMS, AND THE SMOKE FILLED ROOMS OF POLITICS. IT HAS TAKEN 50 YEARS SINCE COMMUNISM DESTROYED MCCARTHY FOR TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SUBVERSION OF FREEDOM. SOCIALIST STATES EXIST NOW IN VERMONT AND COMMIEFORNIA AND VIRTUALLY EVERY BIG CITY IN AMERICA IS A MINI COMMIE CESSPOOL. IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO FIX THE MESS WE HAVE ALLOWED OURSELVES TO GET INTO. WE NEED ANOTHER GEORGE WASHINGTON/BENFRANKLIN/OR THOMAS JEFFERSON TO GET US RIGHT AGAIN. THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN CORRUPTED BY COMMUNISM.

Oct 28, 2008 - 10:44 am 103. kevin c:

oh want an example of the OBAMA CAMPOAIGN? THE HUSBAND OF THAE ORLANDO TV ANCHORETTE IS NOW BEING TRASHED ON THE COMMIE BLOGS. THEY ARE TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING AS THE DID WITH JOE THE PLUMBER. ASK YOUSELF-HAS ANY BUREAUCRACY EVER MOVED QUICKLY. BUT YET THE INFO ON JOE THE PLUMBER WAS PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WITHIN 12 HRS. ONLY A HIGH PUBLIC OFFICIAL CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. SAY GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND OR SECRETARY OF STATE JENNIFER BRUNNER OF OHIO-YOU TWO USING LEAKING PUBLIC RECORDS-ISNT THAT AGAINST THE LAW? ISNT THERE A RIGHT TO PRIVACY? AS MS WATERS SAID IN ORLANDO-ISNT THAT WHAT COMMUNISTS DO??????

Oct 28, 2008 - 10:53 am 104. kevin c:

memo to you MIDDLE OF THE ROADERS-WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WALK DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD-YOU GET RUN OVER. WHAT SCARES YOU ABOUT PALIN-THATS SHES NORMAL? ID SAY AT LEAT 60% OF US ARE QUITE NORMAL. SQUISHY “CONSERVATIVES ” LIKE SMERCONISH-HES FROM PHILLY,WHERE DIMWITS ARE 90% OF THE CITY AND THE MURDER RATE IS ALSO HIGH. HEY MICHAEL-HAS ANYTHING HAPPENED TO THE SCUM ABU JAMAL YET,THE MURDERER OF PATROLMAN FAULKNER? WONDER WHY? HES FROM PHILLY,THATS WHY. THE PC CROWD AND THE PHILLY POLS ARE KEEPING THAT SCUM ALIVE. THE REAL VICTIM IS FAULKNERS WIDOW. SHE DESERVES JUSTICE,BUT BECAUSE SHES FROM PHILLY WILL GET NONE.

Oct 28, 2008 - 10:59 am 105. Troy Riser:

Lighten up, Kevin C. And stop shouting. CAPS LOCK doesn’t make us take you any more seriously.

Oct 28, 2008 - 1:11 pm 106. J.Scott:

And if I hear one more time “A high ranking advisor” or “member of the Mccain team” or”a person not anting to be indentified within the Mccain camp” crap I’ll lose it. What shoty journalism is that. We are supposed to “trust” these pundits that they actaully got word from someone in the camp. Why on earth would someone in the Mccain camp speak to them in the first place? Could it be to undermine someone?UMM. I doubt any of this took place and find it hard to trust unidentified sources. Anyone can make that crap up and just spread rumors. Afterall, MSNBC is probably secong only to Harry Potter for great fictional writing. Could you imagine someone in the GOP leaking anything to anyone from MSNBC. Please.

Oct 28, 2008 - 1:13 pm 107. A Clay:

McCain is supposed to appeal to the middle. Any failure to capture them is his fault, not Palin’s. Barring her interviews with Gibson and Couric, she has performed admirably. Let’s not forget that McCain and Palin are swimming upstream because Bush bungled nealry everything EXCEPT Iraq.

Oct 28, 2008 - 4:28 pm 108. SGT Ted:

This is the reason for the Republican collapse in a nutshell: Rockefeller Republicans want to compromise with socialism, while religious conservatives want to ignore capitalism in order to focus on their religious agenda.

I would expand on this in that the religious conservatives acted with a self defeating narrowmindedness in rejecting Romney because of his religion. I heard countless callers to talk shows display a rank bigotry towards Romney directed towards his Mormon faith, while totally supporting Huckabee simply because he was a Southern Baptist. The result was McCain. I don’t blame Moderates for supporting the Mav. I place it on the single issue religious folk, who are the Republican version of the rabid Pro-Abortion crowd. Palin energized McCains campaign pure and simple, but the Repubs who call themselves social conservatives and ignored their more secular bretheren in the former Reagan coalition guaranteed McCain nomination by backing Huckabee over Romney. The “reach across he aisle” has merely become a “reach around.” Blaming Palin because McCain ignored the base when he wasn’t kicking us in the nuts is the stupid.

Oct 28, 2008 - 7:17 pm 109. Cynthia:

I have to disagree slightly with Marc Malone – that Sarah Palin and her age group are Post-Baby Boomers.

I’m a boomer. I was born in 1956, a year most people don’t realize was the peak year – after that it slowed down some. Most agree the boom officially ended in 1961 or 1964, depending on the source of information. At age 47 Sarah Palin falls into this late boomer group, as do I. I have to tell you – there is a BIG difference between those born before 1956 and those of us born that year and afterwards. We were the ones who watched our older brothers and sisters waste our parents money protesting the war instead of going to class. By the time we got to college the war was virtually over and we used college to get a real education in the classroom. I think those of us in late boomer period are embarrassed by the older group, and in some perverse way we’re both proud to be a boomer while hating being tossed into the same group.

I’d say the hope for our party is the late boomers and the next generation that followed (whatever it is they are called – Gen X?) so please don’t throw out the boomers out of hand. The labels are meaningless anyway. No matter your age if you are conservative you should be joining with other conservatives for the fight of our lives. First of all, we are as smart and as well-educated as any liberal or moderate. I have three advanced degrees and no one has ever accused me of being a liberal and I resent people who presume I’m an ignorant redneck just because I hold conservative views and values. We have to show what we are – the best and brightest our country has and the ones most capable of solving our country’s problems and getting us back on the right track (no pun intended).

Republicans who have turned their back on conservatives and Sarah Palin in particular are not Republicans in my view. And we true Republicans, who value small government, fiscal conservatism and the right and ability to determine our own futures, without the government intervening – we true Republicans will remember who has done and said what over the past 8 years and we will overcome you and your RINO ways.

As

Oct 28, 2008 - 8:12 pm 110. Bill2:

This Palin thing continues to amaze me. Best I can tell, through all the smoke about “qualififications” and “intellect”, I think it comes down to a combination of “Fundiphobia” & classism. I’ll address those in order.

I really like Palin and hope to be seeing her become the first woman President. Yet, I can’t remember the last time I was in church, and the church that would be doesn’t much resemble the moniker “Fundamentalist”. I really couldn’t care less whether Roe v Wade gets overturned tomorrow or stands forever like Marbury v. Madison. If they had had a referendum on abortion, I likely wouldn’t show up to vote if that was the only thing on the ballot. All the rest of the “life” issues are similarly snoozers with me, except that I reserve the right to punch my own ticket in the hypothetical situation where it seems the lesser of the evils. As to the gay marriage thing, I’m mildly against it but can think of dozens of things more important. I’ll gladly trade you that one to keep my guns and money. Yet, I like Palin. Why? Because Palin isn’t really about all that “Fundy” stuff. She never ran on it, and never prioritized it. What she is about is Jacksonianism, as defined by Walter Russell Meade (there may be other, not necessarily related, definitions floating around out there by I mean it in his sense).

That leads into the classism point. The elites have always looked down on the Jacksonian common man. If you read up on it (Jim Webb’s book on the Scotts Irish is a short & readible treatment, David Hackett Fischer’s “Albion’s Seed” a more scholarly one), you’ll see they were pretty much despised on arrival in the mid-19th Century. Yet, they have been the backbone of our military and, as Meade points out, the other foriegn policy schools cannot succeed at their policies with them on board. Palin definately carries the signs of the tribe. As a Jacksonian myself, in foriegn policy know I can trust her not to sell out US soveriegty to “international organizations”, not to weaken our military, and not to cut & run from any wars (a Jacksonian trait being that once you’re in a war, winning is not optional). On the domestic front, I can trust her not to raise my taxes, redistribute my wealth to the non-working, infringe on my RKBA, give amnesty to illegals, deliberately raise the cost of energy in the name of avoiding environmental bogymen, or appoint judges who will “interpret” away the 2nd or apply foriegn law to the interpretation of our constitution.

If she gets all that right, I don’t much care what she thinks about abortion, Terri Schiavo, Dr Kevorkian, prayer in school, Judge Moore’s 10 commandment monument, gay marriage or anything else on the Fundy issue list. Nor am I upset if she can’t out-wonk a bunch of Ivy Leagers that I demonstratably can’t trust on the things that matter. I really can’t wrap my mind around this “I was gonna vote for McCain but Palin turned me off” routine. Hypothetically, I suppose they might scrounge up a Jacksonian someplace who gets all the important stuff right AND energizes the base like Palin BUT is religiously indifferent and exudes foriegn policy expertise like an Ivy League educated career diplomat and economic expertise like a he/she is channeling Milton Friedman and says it all with the silver tongue of a former presidential speachwriter turned professional columnist. When you find that dream candidate, let me know. Until then, Palin will suit me fine.

Oct 29, 2008 - 10:02 am 111. Marc Malone:

Bill2 – Nicely said. Great description of what is right about Palin. She stands squarely where she should on the things that really matter… and she doesn’t apologize for it.

Cynthia – Palins is 44, not 47. Born in ‘64. I was born in ‘61, but still put myself into that narrow group of post-boomers and GenXers. We are all in our 40’s, and are, as far as I can see, the main drivers of the economy now. My younger brother, 43, makes the point that we have more impact, because we have more dollars per capita. We’re generally highly-educated and highly-motivated… and we don’t answer polls. We came of age during the Reagan Revolution, graduating college in great numbers in the 80’s. Very money- and success-oriented. Fiscal conservatives.

It is interesting to note that the people being considered most by McCain were Palin and Pawlenty. Jindal was suggested by many. Of those trying to get the bailout right, the most significant was Eric Kantor. The good ideas came from him. Ages of these individuals? mid-40’s. Obama, too. I think I’m seeing a real trend for the future. This group of 40-somethings will ALL turn out to vote. I don’t know a one who won’t. This election may be a passing of the torch that will last for the next 20 years.

Oct 29, 2008 - 2:38 pm 112. Minerva:

I’ll run against my Democrat congressman next time. What e-mail address should we write to you?

Oct 29, 2008 - 8:56 pm 113. AdrianS:

Sources: Sarkozy views Obama stance on Iran as ‘utterly immature’

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is very critical of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama’s positions on Iran, according to reports that have reached Israel’s government.

Sarkozy has made his criticisms only in closed forums in France. But according to a senior Israeli government source, the reports reaching Israel indicate that Sarkozy views the Democratic candidate’s stance on Iran as “utterly immature” and comprised of “formulations empty of all content.”

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1031943.html

2008. The year The One (Barack Obama) … Lost.

Obamalies or Lies Obama Tells
http://www.nextgenerationcorp.com/NextGenBlog/?p=73

Oct 30, 2008 - 4:17 pm 114. vivo:

THE BEST ADVICE YOU EVER HEARD:

After the election, Palin and her adoring supporters should form their OWN party.

This is your chance!!

Oct 31, 2008 - 3:10 am 115. stephenomist:

The respected British weekly, The Economist, adjective to describe Palin was “George Bush incurious”. Another term for her, “every redneck’s dreamgirl” seems equally appropriate. Don’t get me wrong, I like her, she’s hot! I’d much rather look at her on T.V. for the next 4-8 yrs than Biden. But qualified to be President? Please. McCain’s reference to Teddy Roosevelt’s invitation to Booker T. Washington should be taken to heart by the rightwing loons who’ve posted here. Teddy would never tolerate such intellectual inadequacy as was evidenced by Palin. I’ve no doubt she’s a competent achiever. I don’t blame Palin. I blame McCain for not showing up throughout the campaign as he did when he made the concession speech. Now get in line and support your new president. Any of you right-wing nutjobs intend harm to Obama, understand that the result will be a movement to draft Al Sharpton to fill the oval office.

Nov 5, 2008 - 3:55 pm 116. Diane Gordon:

Palin had “more guts” than the other candidates? Wow. She is so naive that she had no idea how much hot water she got herself into on what seemed like a daily basis. One has to be smart, educated and have a strong curiousity about the world to be a national leader. Palin has none of these attributes.

Nov 6, 2008 - 11:32 am 117. Just a Joe:

Wow – what cloud are you living in buddy? You lost the election because of conservatives that parade out phoney people like Paulin and Joe the Plumber…. Nobody wants a bailout. But nobody wants a depression either. The intelligence test recently reported is so true – the more conservative, the lower the intelligence. You stick to long held beliefs that have been shown to be wrong over and over, but you are either too stupid or too stuborn to change your mind and consider the possibility that you are flat out wrong. This article was pure rubbish. The blame goes squarely on you and your buddies. The rest of the usa are not liberals – we are NORMAL. You are just to blind or stupid to see it.

Nov 6, 2008 - 1:38 pm 118. Europe:

No wonder the world has lost all the respect for the USA.
First you elect Bush, then you put Palin-idiot on the ticket.
Who is next Marge Simpson or Donald Duck?

Hopefully, President Obama can restore America’s image in the world and bring some intellect into the White House.

Send the clueless goose to Alaska and make her stay there!
Hate, power hunger, greed and cluelessness is a dangerous combination!

Nov 6, 2008 - 2:10 pm

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