87 Comments

1. Revelations to John:

“And I looked, and behold a roaring snowmobile, and her name that sat on it was Palin, and Hell-to-Pay followed with her. And power was given unto her over the red states of the West and the South, and Ohio and Michigan, to injure the Messiah with irony, and with sarcasm, and with plain speaking like those of the red of neck who slay the beasts of the earth and mock the pharisees of Harvard and DC.”

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:38 am 2. Godzilla:

Speaking of spectacles, now we have the added drama of the metrosexualish Obama getting the pants-clad cotquean to unrock herself for yet another appearance. The big question…between the two of them, who’s the real man? This is one time Hillary gets my vote.

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:12 am 3. Minerva:

For what Noonan said and what she wrote afterward she is “Bog Irish.”

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:25 am 4. Barry Dauphin:

Although McCain did too much State of the Union-like listing of stuff, his speech was quite moving in many places. Peggy, over the last few years, has become quite the horse’s hiney at times. When I read her addendum about McCain, I thought, what a dope she can be. Speaking of Adam Nagourney (who reminds me more and more of Gollum), I saw him on Charlie Rose last night. No wonder the NY Times is going down the toilet. He gets paid to write that stuff?

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:32 am 5. Peg:

Hmmm. Somehow, I can think of a whole lot of Kennedys who have run for office and served. And - it seems that many of those Kennedys have a whole lot of kids.

What am I missing??

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:00 am 6. Mike:

yeah, that Obama-O’Reilly interview kind of nailed him on the surge issue. I’m not sure why BO doesn’t just make the point that even with the military gains and better security for the people, the political situation is still so far from being stable, and the end-game so distant from what was hoped for, and the loss of life (both American troops and Iraqi civilians) so dramatic, and our armed forces being spread too thin to handle Afghanistan, etc., that we’d be better with a president who was right on the war in the first place– and for all of McCain’s public criticisms of the Bush war tactics, he didn’t actually manage to get anything changed about it, despite being a pretty senior majority senator with a bully pulpit. (I mean, that’s not how I’d actually phrase it in an ad or anything)

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:15 am 7. Sandy P:

the political situation is still so far from being stable,

we’re at it 230 years - we’re still not stable - we’re 60++ days away of maybe electing a marxist.

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:20 am 8. Mike:

(I should clarify that obviously McCain stopped being a majority senator mid-term, but still…)

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:31 am 9. Pops in Vienna:

Peggy Noonan is so busted. Like Obama she writes one thing for Scranton and says another thing in San Francisco. It didn’t become her to try to ’splain her way out of it. She might be a good speech writer but she’s a poor liar.

I thought Palin made several memorable statements. Considering the teleprompter broke and 40 million people were watching, I’d say she’s pretty cool under fire.

So, is Dr. Laura calling Children’s Services to put Palin’s kids in a foster home?

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:32 am 10. Lightnin' Hopkins:

This keeps getting better and better. The media just cannot stop stepping in it. The inevitable Election night implosion on MSDNC is sure to be a delight to witness.

“All you need to start an asylum is an empty room and the right kind of people.”

–Eugene Pallette, “My Man Godfrey” (1936)

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:35 am 11. Mike:

Pops, that ‘Palin’s teleprompter broke’ story has been pretty convicingly (in my eyes at least) debunked. See http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0908/The_teleprompter_did_not_break.html

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:39 am 12. Peter G:

The problem is that Noonan wrote one thing but apparently believed something else entirely. If she thought Palin was a bad choice, why not write her column that way? Krauthammer thought and still thinks it’s a mistake to have Palin on the ticket (too risky when McCain didn’t need to be risky), so that’s what he puts in his column. I’m sure he’ll be happy to be proved wrong, but that’s what he thinks. Now people are going to wonder if Noonan is hedging her bets with each column.

Mike,

That would be the politically smart way for Obama to handle Iraq and the surge, but he’s either getting bad advice on doing so or he simply can’t admit he got something wrong, which is not unusual for a politician. I dsiagree that McCain has had no influence on Bush’s Iraq strategy though. He’s given as much credit if not more than anyone on getting Bush to agree to the surge strategy.

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:41 am 13. Anita Hope:

EVERYONE SHOULD READ ” BILL WHITTLE’S” ARTICLE. I PULLED IT UP ON “ROGERS” ABOVE BLOG. CK OUT THE
WORD ” SOMEONE “. A BETTER ANALYSIS I HAVE NOT SEEN…..

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:54 am 14. WorkinStiff:

The Messiah with a malfuctioning teleprompter…check out the youtube video: “Obama Lost Without His Teleprompter”

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:14 am 15. Jeff Weimer:

This exchange with O’Reilly fits in nicely with my sentiments below, he has not a lick of integrity in him. Bonus: He can’t be seen as mistaken on ANYTHING.

McCain congratulated Obama for his nomination. It was a classy thing to do. The video and the response from the Obama campaign can be seen here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/08/obama-campaig-1.html.

I hadn’t seen Obama’s response on TV. It’s easy to miss, as I record a lot and watch on weekends, so I could have missed it. So I went to Obama’s youtube channel, figuring they’d have it there.

This is what I found searching “mccain congratulations ad” : http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=BarackObamadotcom&search_query=mccain+congratulations+ad&search=Search

It tried every combination I could think of, even just mccain, congratulations, convention, republican. I browsed through all 1228 videos on the site. Nothing was there, as promised by David Pluffe, Obama’s campaign manager.

I am a Republican. I was probably going to vote for McCain by default. But I’m not THAT strong a Republican. I was looking for a reason to vote for a candidate, Democrat or Republican, not against one, and Obama has many things about him to recommend. I WANTED to like him.

The last two weeks of conventions and speeches and actions have solidified my opinion and position, and these two links are but one stark example of why. It’s not the candidates laundry list of kitchen table positions on everything from unions to abortion to gun control to school reform to just who is going to make you better off and win the war on terror and bring back our standing in the world. It’s the measure of the men and women in this race. The more I have looked into the records, and the history of the people in this race, I have found Obama, Biden, and the people with whom they surround themselves wanting. They do not have integrity and they do not have my vote.

Now, I follow politics like most people follow football. I find it fascinating. But until now, I’ve been an interested, if somewhat partisan observer, but not an activist. I’m not even registered with any party. That has changed. For the first time, I have donated to a political campaign of any type.

McCain/Palin ‘08

For me the choice is now clear. For everyone else across the political spectrum you I suggest you look very closely at all the candidates and the people that have influenced them throughout their lives, and then let your conscience be your guide.

Jeff Weimer

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:27 am 16. Zhombre:

That is a fine piece of writing by Bill Whittle. And by Jeff Weimer too. I decided to vote for McCain right after the Florida primary. But now I’ll be voting with passion and not resignation.

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:41 am 17. Godzilla:

OT:

After reading up on the Troopergate fiasco, the evidence points to the entire affair being nothing more than some scummy democratic politician’s spearhead attack to derail Palin’s career. This is going to backfire in a big way when it becomes know how much of a lowlife the trooper involved is, and that the two key people involved have already refuted the investigation’s premise. “Good old boy” politics indeed.

Sep 6, 2008 - 12:09 pm 18. Godzilla:

UPDATE: The new Clueless Old Media Award goes to Peggy Noonan who, scrambling to make up for her open mike gaffe of the other day, lavishes extensive praise on Palin, only to end this way: John McCain also made a speech. It was flat.

I think Peggy should have waited a while longer before judging McCain’s speech as flat. Palin gave a great speech, and I had some laughs over some of her quips, but the image of McCain pumping his arms at the end, extolling everyone to fight with him, was inspiring, the more effective because its power didn’t immediately bowl you over, but kept building up inside, slowly, into a powerful delayed reaction. I’ll probably be able to recall those words, the timbre of his voice, the emotion in it, ringing in my ears for the rest of my life.

Sep 6, 2008 - 1:50 pm 19. Minerva:

Kaus and Sullivan sound scared. Troopergate and the alleged affair didn’t pan out (an Alaskan and California Gold Rush expression). Meanwhile, Obama attacks PALIN over earmarks. Yeah, Barry — I want this country run like Jackson and the Daleys’ Chicago…

Sep 6, 2008 - 1:54 pm 20. srlucado:

Why should Palin appear on Oprah, anyway? Oprah is yesterday’s (last year’s) news.

I imagine Palin’s phone is ringing off the hook with invitations from every show in the country anyway, even those that aren’t talk shows.

Guest shot on CSI–who gutted that suspect?
Contestant on Jeopardy–”I’ll take Empty-Suits Democrats for $200, Alex.”
“Are You Smarter Than an Alaskan Governor?”
Guest commentary on an NHL broadcast.
Dr. Phil is probably dying to hand her a handkerchief on camera.

Palin needs exposure on Oprah like Jay Leno needs to do a supper club in Mosinee, Wisconsin.

Scott

Sep 6, 2008 - 2:14 pm 21. Boyd:

“The tedious Dr. Laura says she shouldn’t run.”

I have worked for years to try to come up with the perfect adjective for Dr. Laura. Tedious. No wonder people admire your writing.

Sep 6, 2008 - 3:55 pm 22. Mike_K:

David Frum, and probably Noonan and Krauthammer, are very depressed about the future of the Republican Party. I think he has some good points. All three are probably negative on Palin because they think this will take focus away from the problems that worry them. I just don’t agree, however, that losing the election to Obama will help. If McCain had been elected in 2000, I think we would have less debt and would have done a better job on Iraq. Obama will blow the roof off the debt and probably tank the economy. I remember Carter too well to want a rerun. Sarah will help elect McCain and that will be enough for her to accomplish. If she turns out to be another Margaret Thatcher, that is icing on the cake.

Sep 6, 2008 - 4:30 pm 23. nobozons:

Is this just a disguised example of reverse discrimination? Do you think she would be objecting if BO was white? Guess we will never know because no one will ever ask. Sad that it’s not a two way street!

Sep 6, 2008 - 4:36 pm 24. Ravalli County News » Blog Archive » Honesty:

[...] Roger L. Simon: “… Obama acknowledging that the Surge was a great success while seemingly not being able to admit that he was wrong about it. You would think it wouldn ‘t be that difficult, but he struggled as if admitting an affair. Compare that with McCain who in the midst of his acceptance speech… acknowledged to the world that he was broken under the pressure of North Vietnamese torture. What we have before us is the pretension of honesty (Obama) versus honesty (McCain).” [...]

Sep 6, 2008 - 4:59 pm 25. Charlie (Colorado):

What am I missing??

I don’t know about you, but clearly what Palin is missing is the essential letter: D.

Sep 6, 2008 - 5:00 pm 26. nobozons:

I think that I am alone in thinking that McCain’s speech was brilliant. He laid down the dots but since you have to connect the dots on your own most of the pundits and MSN just didn’t get it. One dot was a smaller government; another he will discipline the democrats if he gets help from the republicans — no earmarks, no spending increases; no need for tax increases ;economic problems will abate given the above; no growth in government; he will try to get government out of your life; it’s your life do something and he will help you do it. Most of all he is not Bush, he and his VP will bite back. He will engage the world and only use military force when diplomacy fails as it usually does. He doesn’t have the community organizer approach ask what your country can do for you but the he has the Kennedy approach ask not what your country can do for you … A stark contrast to BO. This message in incomprehensible to the dems. The can’t get this message for the are missing a chromosome and their world is monochromatic. They can’t see the colors of life.

I doubt that it would take him six years to hit the Taliban in Pakistan as Bush has.
Did Bush learn this from the Russians or is it that he wants to kill Binny Baby.

Sep 6, 2008 - 5:00 pm 27. Mike Shuster:

Nobozons writes:
I doubt that it would take him six years to hit the Taliban in Pakistan as Bush has.

I’ve actually been wondering about what McCain’s (and Obama’s) views are of the recent strikes in Pakistan. Because they seem to be the sort of thing that McCain is against and Obama is for– striking within sovereign ally states to hit AQI targets. Remember this whole dust-up: http://mediamatters.org/items/200802220007 . When Obama said he’d go after Al Qaeda leaders within Pakistan if Musharaff wouldn’t do it himself, McCain criticized him for being reckless. And now that’s exactly what Bush is doing.

This is the kind of issue it would be nice to see the campaigns and the media talk about, instead of this dumb back and forth about Oprah.

Sep 6, 2008 - 5:46 pm 28. Mike Shuster:

oops, typing fast, for ‘AQI’ in the prev post just read terrorists.

Sep 6, 2008 - 5:49 pm 29. Godzilla:

OT:

I hope this link comes through all right (still not sure of the html capabilities with this format), but if the link does work, scroll down to the interview that Greta Van Sustern has with the head of the Alaskan National Guard, regarding Palin’s involvement with it. Very commendable to her.

Link to Greta interview on Palin’s National Guard involvment

It’s at redstate, if the link doesn’t work.

Sep 6, 2008 - 6:02 pm 30. Dick Stanley:

Noonan has seemed to be teetering on the ragged edge of good sense for some time now. What she said seemed not so clear to me to be an absolute dismissal of Palin, so I wasn’t excited about it. But to dismiss McCain’s speech–which was passionate and moving, and quite non-partisan–as “flat” is just lazy. But it’ll help save me reading time now. I can safely ignore her. As for Oprah, why would Sarah want to sit on her crying couch, anyhow? Sarah’s much too upbeat and positive for that dreck.

Sep 6, 2008 - 6:57 pm 31. Mike @ Naught Relevant:

Obama is getting political advice of the worst kind. He is being guided in a way which does not allow him to admit to any vulnerability or admit his idea might have been good, just not better than the one which was used (the “surge” versus “withdrwal”). I watched the O’Reilly piece and actually felt bad for Obama. He just could not say the “surge” worked. People need to be able to be honest with themselves.

He actually looked and sounded like Kerry and it was bad for him. As much as I support McCain (though I supported Rudy in the primary), I did not enjoy watching Obama slightly implode in the O’Reilly interview.

Maybe Shrum is around trying to keep is perfect all defeated record.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:00 pm 32. Onecoyote:

As a long-time Palin fan (I voted for her in 2006) and an even longer Reagan fan (my first presidential vote in ‘80 was for Reagan), I find that Peggy Noonan, even when I want to disagree with her, is a very thoughtful (as in deep-thinking) person. My first take agreed with her view. It was only after a period of reflection that McCain’s speech grew in power. Ms Noonan may be many things, but she’s not a liar.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:03 pm 33. From Inwood:

One has to remember what Peggy N means when she criticizes a speech she didn’t write: she means, of course, that she would’ve written a better speech.

As for McCain’s speech being flat, she must’ve fallen asleep in the turgid middle. Did she not hear the end? She couldn’t have written a better ending for a speech.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:09 pm 34. Mike G in Corvallis:

“Mike” wrote:

… we’d be better with a president who was right on the war in the first place

But under the Constitution, George W. Bush is limited to two terms, so we can’t vote for him this time.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:17 pm 35. RKV:

Oprah is every middle aged white suburban college graduate woman’s imaginary black friend. She doesn’t speak “ghetto” (at least on TV), has weight and man problems, and from a timing perspective (and geography - Chicago) her rise parallels Obamas. She’s the comforting liberal female magic negro for the NAGs and their sympathizers. Sadly for the white middle aged suburban liberal college women, you can’t actually be friends with a character on a TV show.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:30 pm 36. tim maguire:

I didn’t read the ABC article but laughed out loud when I saw the link on Drudge earlier. Of course Oprah is biased, she has endorsed Obama! Derr!

So what? She’s not a journalist, she does not host a news program. She is free to be as biased as she wants. And her viewers are free to stop watching if they don’t like the way she has made her show a captive to her politics.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:31 pm 37. MarkO:

“Noonan!” Think Caddyshack. That’s a Noonan we can trust.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:33 pm 38. Alice Finnegan:

Oprah doesn’t invite a woman on unless she thinks she can get her to cry. Can you imagine Oprah getting Sarah Palin to cry? More like Oprah crying when she sees what is happening to her favoured “the one” and his campaign.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:33 pm 39. C Smith:

Dr. Laura makes the error of viewing Palin as a purely tactical move by McCain. Maybe so, but don’t neglect the strategic importance of 2012/2016, depending on McCain’s stamina for a second term.
We all really want to see the ‘Cuda in a bit of raging one-on-one political basketball with Hillary, now, don’t we?

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:37 pm 40. Neo:

I have always believed that there would be not AGW without the culture of narcissism

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:38 pm 41. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Roger L. Simon, et al.
RE: Oprah

The typical hypocrisy of Oprah and her ‘progressive’ ilk is blatantly obvious. She claims that she doesn’t want her show to be a political podium, and yet Matt Drudge is kind enough to remind US of her having a cozy little tete-a-tete with Senator Obama not too long ago.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Liberals aren't. Progressives won't.]

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:43 pm 42. Tcobb:

I have to confess that I have only watched Oprah a very few times, and that was only because my ex-insignificant other insisted on watching it. I am sure there are many exceptions to this, but it seemed to me that most of the material presented there could best be described as the glorification of the dysfunctional. Even if Oprah changes her mind, Sarah Palin should avoid putting in an appearance there like the plague.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:45 pm 43. Sheila:

Oprah’s Hypocrisy is showing big-time and she may indeed be planning a show around Palin because of the scrutiny- but I’m sure with a twist- got an email today on it:

http://theactivistnextdoor.blogspot.com/2008/09/sound-like-somebody-you-know-hypocrisy.html

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:48 pm 44. GregTex:

Obama CANNOT admit he was wrong about The Surge because that would destroy his argument that he has better judgment than McCain, regardless of who has more experience. But now that I think about it, I haven’t heard the better judgment argument from Obama for a while, so I’ll take that as an unspoken admission that he was WRONG about The Surge.

Nevertheless, I doubt Obama will ever admit he was wrong about The Surge, because he knows such an admission would immediately result in McCain TV ads contrasting the admission with past Obama statements that his judgment is superior to McCain’s on all things.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:50 pm 45. Nostradamus:

The Arctic Fox has fangs, and the fox can hunt. All Palin needs to do now is destroy Biden in that VP debate. That will be your “October Surprise”, and this election will be history at halftime. I love an election where Californian votes don’t matter.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:54 pm 46. Chuck Pelto:

TO: GregTex, et al.
RE: Indeed

Obama CANNOT admit he was wrong about The Surge because that would destroy his argument that he has better judgment than McCain — GregTex

It would also destroy the myth of Messianic Infallibility.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The only Guy I know who WAS perfect, got nailed to a tree for it.]

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:55 pm 47. Elroy Jetson:

tim maguire:
Your points are well taken. Oprah should have remembered that her persona is not a political animal before she dove head-first into the democrat primary. She will come to regret that move if she hasn’t already.

Sep 6, 2008 - 7:56 pm 48. belloscm:

Mike,

I think that you are being inconsistent here: Despite “McCain’s public criticisms of the Bush war tactics, he didn’t actually manage to get anything changed about it.” Wow, come to think about, nor did any of the war’s more passionate, vocal and senior opponents (Kennedy, Durbin, Harkin, et al) “get anything changed.”

Btw, McCain also broke with the Bush Admin on Rumsfeld’s performance as SecDef at a fairly early juncture and had a role in getting him replaced. He did all of this at considerable political risk, offending both Democrats and Republicans alike.

Sorry, Obama was “right” on the war in the same sense that a broken clock is right twice a day. Given his constituency as an Il State Senator, to say nothing of his personal politics, he would have chosen no other path. Just to be clear here, as a U.S. Senator, and although given full access to the available intelligence and Field Commander’s reports, he was wrong on the surge. Obama didn’t exercise superior judgement or insightful analysis, he just played the political odds. Unlike 2002, this time he lost the bet. Unlike McCain, I have yet to hear of Obama doing anything that runs counter to his immediate political interests.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:12 pm 49. DavidN:

Everyone’s gone on endlessly about why McCain chose Sarah Palin for his running mate. I think the answer is obvious, though it’s also subtle. They’re different in political opinion and tone. He’s something of a moderate, and she’s definitely a doctrinaire conservative. They’re from opposite ends of the country, very warm Arizona and very cold Alaska. He’ll be the oldest president in history, and she’s within a couple of years of JFK and TR, our youngest presidents. However, there’s a key thing here that *I* expect he admires about her: the Republican party in Alaska (the politicians, not the voters) are pretty unhappy with her. She’s gotten rid of several Republican politicians in the state, including the Oil and Gas Commissioner she was serving alongside and the Republican governor, Murkowski. She’s not afraid to buck her own party if she thinks they’ve done something wrong, and I think frankly that he sees a bit of himself in her. A sort of a younger, female maverick.

PS No one has explained to me the ethics complaint against her yet. She tried to get this guy fired because he threatened to kill her father, tasered her nephew, drank on the job and poached a moose while he was supposed to be on patrol. If he *wasn’t* related to her, the idea of him being a sworn law enforcement officer, carrying a gun, etc., would be frightening. Apparently since he’s only threatened the family of the governor, a 10 day suspension for this behavior was thought excessive and reduced to only 5. I must be missing something. I wouldn’t want the guy working as a crossing guard in my town.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:16 pm 50. GregTex:

Hmmm…I wonder if she and her staff were planning to invite the candidate’s spouse on the show. If they were, I bet that idea is out-the-window now, too! Todd Palin would be too much of a reminder of what he and his WIFE represent for Oprah’s purposes. Will be interesting to see if Oprah and The View and similar TV shows invite the Presidential and VP candidate’s spouses on before the election now that Ms. Conservative Palin is the Republican VP candidate.

By my memory, daytime talk shows such as Oprah’s usually had the spouses on in the past…but in 2008???

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:20 pm 51. materialist:

To mike10:35:
Palin had a huge teleprompter problem, as reported by Fox New all day on the basis of first-person reports. Your politico cite is just plain wrong.
But her smooth handling of the problem makes it understandable how politico could have erred. Unlike the messiah, she can function without a puppeteer to pull her strings.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:22 pm 52. belloscm:

DavidN,
This TrooperGate “scandal” is about to crash and burn. In 2006, it was determined by a professional review board that Palin’s bro in law was, in essense, “guilty as charged” and a POS law enforcement officer. His union helped him keep his job and got his suspension reduced.

Maybe the “real” reason Palin fired the Public Safety Commissioner (Walt Monegan) was for being such a wimp in the face of union determination to protect bad state troopers.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:30 pm 53. Regina:

Roger, I absolutely agree with you about McCain’s speech. I only read it - mind you - but it made me remember reading his story in the Readers Digest at the age of oh, 13. I couldn’t understand him. I knew about martyrs (old fashioned Catholic kind). He just seemed stubborn to me - though I felt I shouldn’t think that. Now, older and more roughed up by life in general, hearing that he had been broken and then began to love, or that’s what I understood him to be saying, I was overwhelmed. He is greater than Palin and I think she believes in him the same way I do now.

And, of course I love Sarah - I agree with her in principal and, darn it, I do love her normalness. I have 5 kids, 14 and under, work full time in IT - not a typical profile, obviously - and so it is VERY much fun to watch her wipe up the floor. As for Noonan - I’m prolife, Catholic, Republican and never knew why I didn’t like her. Her column previous to her ‘off air’ remarks - ha - that Palin would be very big in a good way or very big in a bad way? Well, no s**t. She was the VP pick, genius. Noonan is one of the beautiful, successful former Demo’s that gave themselves the other side and you just can never understand the sacrifices she has made. I guess.
Thanks for PJ Media.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:33 pm 54. FPR:

Mike_K:

I think what gets Frum, Noonan and Krauthammer is that their lives are all about politics and Palin’s is not. They went to the right schools, did all the right jobs, interact with all the right smart people, read all the right books and articles, and then take their years of wisdom and experience to write intelligent, thought provoking articles and books. Sarah Palin gets up in the morning and changes a diaper, goes to work and fires an incompetent bureaucrat, runs 10k at lunch, vetoes a pork bill in the afternoon, cooks dinner, then gives a great speech at church function on personal responsibility. Frum, Noonan and Krauthammer are hard working intellectual conservatives. Palin is a hard working instinctive conservative.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:34 pm 55. Nostradamus:

Liberals made sure all America became familiar withthe phrase “Don’t Tase Me Bro.” That’s a no-no! Except if it’s a renegade State Trooper that does it to a 10-year old. Am I in an alternative Universe?

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:36 pm 56. dougf:

Re: McCain’s flat speech.

You know that I what I thought WHEN I first heard it. But then because it was on the net, I went back and re-listened. Lucky thing I did.

It was surprisingly well done. He did FAR better than he usually does in these formats.

Far better.

And he said something. About himself. Politicians promise all sorts of goodies. But they NEVER deliver. But giving a true insight into oneself is hardly ever done. That made a big impact on me anyway.

Why?

Because the system is broken and cannot perform. McCain did not promise very much and supplied few details but he did say that his goal was to fix the structure.

Without that nothing else will ever happen. Who knows — he might just do it.

Sep 6, 2008 - 8:53 pm 57. William of Orange:

It has been an interesting two weeks and — for those of us not favoring Obama with our votes this November — a delicious bit of schadenfreude.

The missteps he has taken when knocked off stride, like being forced into selecting Biden because of McCain’s “experience headfake” in June and finally showing up for an interview with the terminally self-referential O’Reilly, must speak volumes of the man’s inability to think and plan strategically..

..I just hope the people of this country are listening.

(By the way, how is it that this site has so many coherent and thoughtful responses without the drone blog posters cluttering up the landscape?)

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:03 pm 58. Willys:

Peg - “And - it seems that many of those Kennedys have a whole lot of kids.”

Seems there footage of John John playing in JFK’s oval office. So…. like what…. was Jackie off having an affair?

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:08 pm 59. Godzilla:

Maybe the “real” reason Palin fired the Public Safety Commissioner (Walt Monegan) was for being such a wimp in the face of union determination to protect bad state troopers.

The guy wasn’t fired, he was reassigned to another department in her administration. He has already refuted the investigation’s key premise. The trooper involved is a lowlife of the first order.

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:15 pm 60. Barry Dauphin:

Actually, the dirty secret of the Troopergate scandal is that she used troopers to procure sex partners for Bill Clinton or Elliot Spitzer or did Clinton and Spitzer simply do that for themselves? Details, details.

Let’s see, Clinton and Spitzer used troopers to get or cover up affairs to benefit themselves. Pailin supposedly got some creep fired in order to benefit…well somebody else. Well, dole famously said, “Where’s the outrage?” But that didn’t get him very far. Better to simply just kick a##.

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:20 pm 61. Godzilla:

OT:

And thanks to the comatose “do nothing” Democratic-controlled congress, the idea of shaking up Washington has some real appeal. Which reminds of another fantastic phrase from McCain’s speech, regarding earmarks: “I’ll make them famous. You’ll know their names! You’ll know their names!”

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:21 pm 62. Diane:

Peggy Noonan writes the same “speechy” fluff over and over. It’s like she’s thinking that someone is going to read her column out loud only nobody does. She’s a barely right of center version of Oprah. I do appreciate that she helped Reagan get the word out back in the day, but that was then, this is now, and like Gloria Steinem at the LAT, Noonan is taking up valuable space at the WSJ.

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:30 pm 63. rachel:

tedious Dr. Laura?

You are so kind. If you asked me, I’d say she is just a raging post-menopausal bit**. I can’t stand the show for more than 3 seconds as that is about as long as she can wait before ripping into the willing saps who call in to be verbally abused by her.

lol! I think it is funny that the women of the left are now on the same side as Dr. Laura. It seems such a perfect fit.

Sep 6, 2008 - 9:57 pm 64. fedya:

I often like Noonan’s writing. She can achieve insightful appraisals of social and political situations that –at her best — compass breathtaking insight of morality, spiritual reality and humanity. On the other hand… she can bomb, big time. But, so?

So, she was caught with a hot mic and thoughtless banter? Right, her mea culpa was less than authentic. Her bad.

She isn’t the only Right-Side MSM person suffering from disorientation. Look at how Mr. Conservative for the Ages Bennett was spraying spittle and fulminating on national TV at purported appalling moral bankruptcy of Sarah Palin for excusing her daughter’s irresponsibility and then daring to show her face in public.

Well, gosh, I think Mr. Bennett was even more wrong than Ms. [Mrs.?] Noonan but the proximate cause for their errors of judgement is the same: Sarah Palin, by accepting “Johnny Reb” McCain’s call to serve, has confused the heck out of the chattering, nattering nabobs of Washington-DC-ism.

They’re out of their element. Ms. Noonan even admitted as much in her mea culpa. So, like, give her a break, already!

If you are a conservative, you might find such disorientation — even among “the conservative punditos” — to be refreshing and a harbinger of better things to come. Why, did not Jefferson himself have something to say about regular bloodlettings of the punditocracy serving to benefit democracy? Er, something like that…

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:03 pm 65. Deagle:

Really getting worried here… Usually I only agree with about 70% of your commentary. Have to say that you broke the record today with 100%. Thanks and keep up the great work with PJ media.

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:29 pm 66. schnargley:

So? What’s wrong with narcissism? Isn’t it just another words for having good self-esteem?And the science of psychology has proven that self-esteem is the most important virtue a person can have, that talking about ourselves, our angst, our needs, our emotions is a really good thing! Psychologists would not be able to charge so much if people didn’t think so. And is it really so bad hat we choose a Presidential candidate who is young and suave, and perhaps totally self-absorbed but in a really healthy way, and is somebody that we can project all our hopes upon in order to assuage all of our ugly fears that threaten our inner peace? What would happen to our nation if a large number of its citizenry suddenly went into depression or worse, acting out repressed aggresions? Oprah’s so-called “bias” can be interpreted as more of a concern for the mental-emotional health of millions of Americans. Admittedly this would be mostly Democrats, but it is certainly not partisan-motivated but rather therapeutically directed. She understands that Obama came to heal us all.

Sep 6, 2008 - 10:59 pm 67. Deagle:

schnargley,

That is the best definition of Obama that I have seen on the net. I say, let the folks decide - heh!

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:19 pm 68. Lem:

Obama interprets the Sunni-Shia dichotomy in the most conventional sense. He appears not to realize that Shia Iran has on numerous occasions aided Sunni terror groups, including Al Qaeda.

In the latest “diarist” attack they have someone claiming to be an Iranian dissident, relating how Ahmadinejad is using a bereaved mother as a propaganda plant and somehow comparing the Iranian propaganda machine to Palin.

First off. I would doubt any Iranian dissident would consider Obama a reliable partner. It would be interesting to find out what does Obama think of Iran this week.

Second. If democrats want to compare McCain-Palin to Ahmadinejad… that’s a fight McCain would probably have wet dreams about

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:22 pm 69. dirigible:

“What’s wrong with narcissism? Isn’t it just another words for having good self-esteem?”

Not even close. Look it up.

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:40 pm 70. Lem:

BTW.. I’m going to come clean, fess up..

Palin’s midwestern accent had me at hello. I dont know why - I haven’t even been outhere. I do have Fargo near my top 100 films of all time. But I dont think that’s all of it. I just love how she sounds.

I think I’ve seen every youtube of her… but I want more.

If loving Sarah is a sin… I hope there is a legal voting booth in hell

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:43 pm 71. vnjagvet:

McCain and Palin scare the fool out of the pro-Obama supporters and the chattering classes all along the political spectrum because they are authentic and human in their presentation to the public.

Public servants. That is what our leaders are supposed to be. Servanthood, not grandiosity, is the quality that most of us respect and desire in political leaders. That isn’t glamorous, but it is refreshing. Bill Whittle’s eloquent recognition of the authenticity displayed in John McCain’s speech should be preserved in a political science textbook and read by everyone thinking of running for public office. But it probably won’t be. It makes too much sense.

McCain’s speech reminds me of the old story of an middle-aged famous sword fighter who was challenged by a wreckless young man. The older man discouraged his challenger, telling him that there would be nothing to be gained by a fight. When the youth insisted, they began the duel. It didn’t last long, and quickly, the older man had a small nick on his arm. The young man crowed that he had won. The older man said no. The youth pointed out that he had drawn blood and was unscathed. The old swordsman replied, “just wait until you shake your head”.

In several deft, scalpel-like cuts, McCain picked the best running mate for the theme he wanted to run on — the old sheriff cleaning up the town, cut himself off from an administration (of which 70% of the country disapproves), stated his goal of cleaning out the Congressional den of thieves (of which 90% of the country disapproves), and co-opted his opponents theme.

It’s taken a few days for the Dems and chattering classes to shake their heads.

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:52 pm 72. Godzilla:

OT:

Politico is making a big deal out of the fact that Palin hasn’t met the press yet. I mean there was an article solely devoted to this, and it’s, what? only the first weekend after the convention? This is getting laughable…hell, one day’s worth of cribbing up with McCain and even I could sound like a foreign policy expert. I think trying to trip her up on a question about Pakistan or something is their next big hope. I’ll lay money that she’ll have all the major foreign leaders’ name memorized, and show some foreign policy acumen to boot.

Sep 7, 2008 - 12:04 am 73. Godzilla:

Real OT:

Petraeus is going to make a hell of a Republican when he retires. He’ll be good for 2016…Palin/Patraeus! HaHaHaHa

Sep 7, 2008 - 12:13 am 74. Martin:

The first time I listened to McCain’s acceptance speech, I thought it was all right, but nothing special. The second time, I was standing and had tears of joy in my eyes, pumping my fist and shouting “YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!.”

So, no, nobozons, you’re not alone.

Maybe Peggy-chan et al should give McCain’s speech a second listen as I did

If I could afford the time and money, I would fly back to the States just to cast my vote in person for McCain-Palin on Nov 4.

Sep 7, 2008 - 1:30 am 75. M.P.:

I’m not surprised that Obama likes ‘The Godfather’. They were very effective ‘community organizers’.

Sep 7, 2008 - 4:01 am 76. BAP:

“I don’t remember very much of Palin’s speech, only her presence and poise”

I remember a lot of her speech (and so do many of my friends–one commented yesterday that she hadn’t stopped thinking about it), mostly because we’ve waited for so long for someone to stop pussyfooting around and just tell the truth. To act like an adult and quit playing games. The fact that Palin did all that with poise, humor and style, despite the other side trying to bully her into quitting before she even began, well that was just the most delicious gravy.

Sep 7, 2008 - 4:29 am 77. RE:

So Oprah turns out to be more racist than feminist. Well, there’s no surprise there.

The inherent contradictions of Democrat identity/greivance politics had to turn on itself at some point. The media has been lying, manipulating, and distorting to advance their own social agenda. The bankruptcy of it is on full display of all the world to see.

Finally the sham is exposed such that even the most naive (this includes Oprah’s audience) can sense that something is very wrong with this picture. And it took a member of a allegedly victimized group to shatter the lies and expose the fraud!

Welcome Sarah Palin! I welcome the common sense you bring to the freak show. It’s no wonder the media is trying to destroy you. Well, I’m enthusiastically behind you 100%!

Sep 7, 2008 - 4:52 am 78. rightwingprof:

Indeed. And the only thing more annoying than Dr. Laura are the idiots who call her.

Sep 7, 2008 - 6:10 am 79. Simon: Can Obama admit he’s wrong | Jack’s Newswatch:

[...] [Continue reading] [...]

Sep 7, 2008 - 6:31 am 80. Mary Grabar:

Right you are, Roger. Oprah insults women. I cringe at the tears, the make-overs, the false sisterhood, the false salvation. . . .

Sep 7, 2008 - 6:59 am 81. PokerGuy:

Mike said:

“When Obama said he’d go after Al Qaeda leaders within Pakistan if Musharaff wouldn’t do it himself, McCain criticized him for being reckless. And now that’s exactly what Bush is doing.”

But you don’t know that, do you. Obama erred by saying he would invade a friendly country without, even in spite of, its leadership’s position on the act. You are *ass-u-ming* that is what Bush did. Ever wonder why there is not a great outcry from the international press (like the NYT) about the “unilateral action”? Wake up.

Sep 7, 2008 - 7:58 am 82. Mo:

Revelations to John -

That’s the best thing ever.

Sep 7, 2008 - 8:44 am 83. Promoguy:

Snargley: With respect to your high regard for self esteem!!! May I remind you that both Ted Bundy and Richard Ramirez were loaded with self esteem.

Sep 7, 2008 - 9:00 am 84. Lightnin' Hopkins:

“She understands that Obama came to heal us all.”

I had to read that a few times in order to believe my lying eyes. You would have been an easy mark for Jim Jones, my man.

Sep 7, 2008 - 9:33 am 85. jedrury:

Robespierre - “C’est l’epoque des Jacobins. A bas les moderes”
Let’s start with Mark Shields and then go to David Gergen and end with Peggy Noonan.
It is time to delegitimize the media from its position of power and opinion.
The only claim these three and others have is their appointments by the networks or papers to speak for the voter and form opinion.
Shields by his position on Newshour is a fraud who gets his talking points from the DNC.
Gergen by his service in the Reagan and Clinton Administration has no stalwarts in DC so he moved to Boston to be with the Kennedy School.
Noonan, a former speechwriter for Reagan is hired by Rupert to write a weekend column for the Journal as she masquerades a conservative. Doing to much Hardball with Matthews she loses her bearings and gets caught on live mike bashing McCain and then falls all over herself in an apologia the next day.
Go back to Old Maximilien, this is the age of the Jacobins. He had it right.

Sep 7, 2008 - 3:13 pm 86. Rosemary:

Glad to see I’m not the only one who did “buy” Peggy Noonan’s “explanation”!

Sep 8, 2008 - 7:37 am 87. Maiz:

I watched McCain’s speech on CNN in China; I’m still here. Regrettably, I had meetings, I missed Sarah Palin’s. I’d been wavering and angry with McCain for many months. Voting for Obama has never been an option; not voting absentee was. McCain, even without Sarah Palin, won my vote the night he gave the speech Peggy Noonan called “flat.” Like Bill Whittle, I’ll play mouse to McCain’s pied piper. I only got internet service today, so I’ve gotta go scrounge around the web to listen to Palin. His choice, from all that’s on the blogs, is a great one. From watching CNN International here, watching how the libs are frothing at the mouth over her, she’s a brilliant choice! Farewell Obamessiah!

Sep 8, 2008 - 9:35 am

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