138 Comments

1. RJ:

Sooner, rather than later, we will see the Chicago Thug machine which supported Senor Obama come to full life. Right now we have the early signs of it stirring to action.

Any farmer worth his salt knows that just having good seeds is only one part of the right equation to bringing in a great crop. More is required, like soil condition, climate, infestation control, disease countermeasures and especially that gambler instinct deeply rooted in the commodities markets.

Obama is a slave to those who sponsored his political ambitions. His narcissism projects this reality out here, onto all those who need to feel “race” should not be important.

Biden is his joker, his safe bet…until the debate with Palin, maybe.

Can Obama seduce his way to the Presidency? Perhaps, but wait till those who he owes come marching up for their payout: Lobbyists, what lobbyists, these are just friends here in Chicago land, brothers my man, brothers.

Angry little boys. Sarah Palin knows all about these types of males. John McCain? I don’t think he sees that clearly on some things. It’s a toss up till the end.

I think the operative notion here just might be “sophrosene” if memory serves me correctly.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:42 am 2. Pops in Vienna:

Wow, Doc…another great article.

Hasn’t it occurred to people that Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George Bush were also former Governors? Why wasn’t the issue of foreign policy experience raised when Carter ran? Is Alaska a more obscure state than Arkansas? Texas borders Mexico, does that count for something?

I think you’ve done a wonderful job of pointing out that there’s a lot more connected to doing well at being president or vice president than having a fancy degree. The foreign policy advisers for Carter were no doubt experienced and well credentialed. What did we get from that administration? We got to witness a total foul up in Iran that bugs us until today.

Yes, it is indeed strange that there’s a full bore attack against Palin. If/when McCain wins this election I wonder if we’ll ever hear about her again.

No matter who wins, I expect they’ll surround themselves with people they deem to be competent advisers. We know who Obama surrounds himself with and that’s what scares me.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:46 am 3. LSD:

Thank you Dr. Hanson! As an architect who first learned carpentry, I appreciate your view.

As the celebrity chorus grows shrill in their effort to convince that Obama represents the ‘people’, Palin continues to engage the task at hand with the sort of moxie she has already shown us.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:47 am 4. Jack Marcotte:

Essential vdh

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:02 am 5. Jack Marcotte:

Essential vdh. Essential VDH

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:04 am 6. Old Sourdough:

If McCain prevails, he will have overcome not just Obama, but all those described by Doc. He has to work twice as hard for each vote.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:13 am 7. Lawrence Kohn:

Hanson is wise and this exemplary essay reveals his wisdom and why he is a gem. Living in Madison Wisconsin and being surrounded by the very attitude Hanson describes among people I respect and love requires a periodic dose of wisdom to maintain philosophical and political sanity. It’s not the issues in this respect but the attitude about those who debate issues or portray them that is most important. Growing up in the Bronx and meeting suburban and Manhattan raised people in college upstate introduced me to the attitudes Hanson so intelligently analyzes. There’s no place it seems in the Democratic Party for Harry Truman democrats any longer.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:38 am 8. ic:

Voters have moved on. They are paying attention to the economy now. When will McCain have an ad on Freddie and Fannie: created by Clinton, chaired by former Clinton budget director, Obama economic advisor Raines; CEO Johnson, Obama VP search committee and economic advisor? McCain’s bill to rein in Freddie and Fannie was blocked by the Dems in ‘05. What is McCain waiting for? For the MSM to look into the connections?

“We taxpayers cannot afford Raines and Johnson, can we afford Obama who took the second largest contributions from them, second only to chairman Dodd?”

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:13 am 9. Allison Aller:

The question is how to “market” your fundamental realizations about wisdom here during this media driven political campaign. Or will we well-educated blue collar types just have to keep “getting it” and trust in our turn-out?

Sep 18, 2008 - 9:46 am 10. Tinfoil Hatter:

“What is wisdom.”

To believe an elderly Jesuit I had for Logic, its the “application of intellect to the practical problems of humanity.”

When your experience of the practical problems of humanity is limited exclusively to the academic hall, or the planter’s field, one’s academic horizon is somewhat limited, regardless of degree.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:41 am 11. John Bailey:

Dear Dr. Hanson

Obama has lived and worked (?) in a culture of other people’s money…and that is the basis of his tax and governing policies. The function of a community organizer it seems is to gather a group to ‘get their share’ of city or government funding or expenditures. Obama has been proficient in ‘ear-marking’ substantial funds to go back to his neighborhood, Chicago and Illinois instead of encouraging them to operate efficiently within budgets. Obama proposes massive government directed and controlled programs and to pay for them, just put more taxes on those who earn the most. Obama subscibes to massive weath distributions. The sooner citizens realize the money they earn is THEIR MONEY and the taxes collected come from THEIR MONEY, maybe they will stop this Obama train wreck. Interestingly, the very rich who believe like Buffet and Gates that government should raise taxes aren’t paying extra into the Treasury each year…instead they place their fortunes into foundations and trusts to help them avoid taxes.

The farmers or workers or salesmen or clerks or small business owners who are the backbone of our nation know what real work and real effort are all about…if they don’t have the money today, they save and scrimp until they can buy whatever to make their lives easier. They are paying their mortgages and loans with the bank. They are not
petitioning for handouts, grants or favors. If they need something done in their neighborhoods or a variance from their city, county or state, they stand in line, fill out forms and hope their requests are answered – and often they run into bureaucratic brick walls because the ‘don’t know anyone’. Yet, they continue with their lives.

My guess is that Gov. Palin knows a thing or two about budgets-for her family, when she was a mayor and now as governor of Alaska. My guess is that she knows a thing or two about common people because she has lived and worked among them. If I recall, the constitution does not preclude the dreams of people who want to be elected and serve the country. The effete notion that only a special few educated and vetted of the ruling class can aspire to higher or important office is a big mistake. It may not be wrong to return to elected leaders who are members of our community, not the community of the Beltway. Palin is attacked, hacked and belittled for doing what so many of us wish we could do, but will never have the chance.

In closing, thank you Dr. Hanson for what you do. However, maybe we should also thank Gov. Palin for all she is doing and has done.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:47 am 12. Alex Harris:

It’s ironic that I found this essay by following a link posted in an Economist column about the depressing revitalization of the culture wars. I don’t believe the person who posted the link realized that this was a perfect illustration of the Economist’s contention.

You follow the same pattern as most writers on either side of the field; you decry what you see as politically motivated and baseless charges leveled against your candidate while providing more of the same against the other. The only difference is that you happen to be a better writer than some, at least in terms of language use.

The central claim that having a rough life or being a plumber or a carpenter somehow qualifies a person to hold high elective office is a little frightening if held by a large percentage of the population. Your use of Reagan is inapt; Reagan was an accomplished politician and public figure, as a five-term SAG president (tell me that doesn’t involve diplomacy!), a two-term California governor, and a two-time presidential candidate.

This article is full of logical non-sequiturs and the same tired old claims of elitism and unfair treatment. Nothing new here.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:53 am 13. TLM:

VDH,

With your background in academics and your work on the family farm, you are in a fairly unique position to write an essay such as this. I’m sure this is the reason why many of your readers keep coming back to this site. It is for me.

Experience, common sense, and American know-how are now passe. The younger generations are fixated on the “wisdom” taught in books and at school. Unfortunately, for the most part, their teachers have a slightly different agenda than instilling wisdom in their charges. And very few students nowadays balance book learning with common sense learned from people who work the land. Truly sad.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:31 am 14. Tcobb:

That’s a simplification, but also an answer to the old Euripidean question “What is wisdom?”

If I had to give an answer to that question, I would say that wisdom is knowing your own limits and being able get a firm idea of the limits of others from observation.

But what do I know?

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:44 am 15. George Best:

To put it more simpler, Palin is an everyday person whose desire to be involved took her into leadership positions. Obama is someone who cant relate to anyone because he does not know who he is so he hides behind the vail of Chicago politics because he can be with people just like him. This eliminates his ability to relate to a more diverse group of people.

Ultimately it comes down to the reason why a person is in politics. When it is to truly help and promote a belief system, it comes across as genuine. When its used to further a career, it seems dishonest.

Palin is a person we can relate to. Obama and Biden are not. This makes experience seem not as important. People want to vote for people like them. Blacks vote for Obama because of the color of his skin. Others vote for Palin because she appeals to a more diverse group.

Experience or electability aside, when a person running for President has to show he is more qualified then opponents Vice President, he is letting everyone know he truly isnt qualifed to be President and also makes the VP candidate appear more electable and experienced.

If McCain wins, I cannot think a bigger political failure then Obamas campaign. He will have grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:45 am 16. mikesf:

Balance indeed! For every Washington,Jefferson,Madison,Roosevelt or Kennedy there is a Hamilton,Jackson,Lincoln,Truman,Reagan or Clinton.(Georgetown/Yale/Oxford didn’t teach ole Bill much that he didn’t know already!)
Wisdom is acquired through both experience and knowledge. Clearly Palin compares more than favorably with Obama but like Dr Hanson said she’s goin for the 2 spot.
Great read!

Sep 18, 2008 - 11:54 am 17. msnthrop:

Heres a nice link for you VDH. The former publisher of your National Review on why he’ll be voting for Obama in November. As Wick says, Obama is thoughtful, pragmatic, and prudent, something McCain and Palin will never be.

http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?nm=Core+Pages&type=gen&mod=Core+Pages&tier=3&gid=B33A5C6E2CF04C9596A3EF81822D9F8E

Sep 18, 2008 - 12:20 pm 18. Bill Bruni:

Your commentary reinforces my fear that we will see an outpouring of hate and vituperation on the part of the Left of Sarah Palin, that will make the hate expressed both in public and private of our President seem like a lovefest. She more than our President shows the shallowness of their wisdom and the fact that they have no “legs” to give it any depth (or they have forgotten from whence they come).

Sep 18, 2008 - 1:24 pm 19. Arrogance Versus 'Yokelism':

Neither trite nor self-evident. The greatest killer in the history of the world is ARROGANCE. America is crowded with brilliant, highly educated people who think they’re too good to fix a toilet. And it wouldn’t occur to them that knowing how to fix a toilet is actually test of character.

Being aware of our own arrogance and appreciating hard-earned knowledge is what keeps us safe. I think the current President, sadly, lacks this capacity and it shows in his decisions and their results (Iraq and the Economy). Barrack Obama, pretty obviously, lacks this capacity and it shows in his sputtering campaign.

During the upcoming Presidential Debates, the candidates should each be introduced to a malfunctioning toilet. Despite his physical limitations, I have a feeling McCain could fix one.

Worth reading again:

“A Ronald Reagan knew more about human nature, and thus what drives the Soviet Union than did all the Ivy-League Soviet specialists that surrounded Jimmy Carter… Harry Truman figured out the Russian communists far better than did the Harvard-educated aristocrat FDR.”

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:27 pm 20. Claude Hopper:

Great posting. I have an unrelated request. Several months ago you mentioned, with disgust, how corporate CEO’s viewed themselves. At some point could you expound on that remark. What kind of companies did they manage? I suppose the worst were in financial, banking or high tech. I worked in the corporate world for many years and did not view the company CEO’s in that manner.

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:37 pm 21. whiskey:

All very well and good, Dr. Hanson, but it does not matter.

What you fail to realize is that today’s America is media driven. It is indeed dominated by Media like nothing else, even as outlets fracture. Because in todays, atomized, lonely, individualized, urban-suburban, constrained society, only Media speaks to people.

After all, the days are like this: get up (to clock radio), hurriedly dress and get out to work. Commute in your car (to radio). Go to work and have a formal, PC-driven interaction with people you present a fake and artificial persona to and who do the same to yourself. Return home in your car (with the radio on). Watch TV. Perhaps surf the net. For leisure, see a movie.

All Media driven. Which has successfully painted Palin as a “stupid” hick from Alaska, with a blue collar husband (women in particularly hate her for this, preferring a guy like Edwards or Clinton, who are at least powerful and status-laden), five kids (the ideal is one yuppie designer eugenic baby at age 39), and hunting, fishing, etc. Instead of Michelle Obama’s fashions, high-powered status job, powerful husband, “hip-cool-trendy” persona.

This matters.

Moreover, with the Wall Street / Economic Meltdown, Obama has now an insurmountable lead, 5% or more, nationally. This election is over, sadly. Obama won, on the strength of the media, people’s inborn snobbery, and the dominance of the city and particularly female voters (who vote status-power) more than anything else.

Instead, conservatives ought to use the Nixon-Clinton impeachment playbook. Obama has violated the Logan Act, a crime. He’s taken money from Hamas (a crime). He’s got sleazy and possibly criminal associations with Rezko, ACORN, Ayers, and possibly Saddam’s money man Auichi. Conservatives must launch an investigation drive, and impeachment effort, to constrain Obama.

Because clearly, this election is already lost. Snobbery, and the “Quayle-ing” of Palin was immensely successful, since in particular, women, who make up the majority of voters, vote on status-power-snobbery. Just watch “the View” or Oprah or check out any women’s magazines at the Grocery Store Check Out Counter.

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:48 pm 22. 11B40:

Greetings:

I grew up back in the Bronx in the ’50s and ’60s. A guy like Senator Obama was referred to, colloquially, as “a Negro with a dictionary.

One of the first things I noticed about him was his “girly arms.” Someone else did all his “heavy lifting.”

Sep 18, 2008 - 2:55 pm 23. ET:

The willful ignorance of logic is certainly the most startling development of this campaign – the proponents of Obama, including his Greek chorus in the press (sorry, Professor!) and the leftist blogs seem determined to avoid a discussion of why, specifically, Obama’s proposals are superior to those of McCain. All the dirt-dishing on Governor Palin seems like some sort of circus sideshow of the kind that would absolutely never have been tolerated had the candidate been a liberal Democrat.
I’ve looked around for rational and resaonable discussions of why Obama would be the better president, but haven’t found much beyond frothing, rabid, and vituperative denunciations of anything that doesn’t jibe with the academic theory that America is pure, unadulterated evil.
It’s something like the fellow who commented on a previous post that Obama “Deserves to win” – it’s a very general impression, backed up with only vague pronouncements.
Would that the press would “press” for more particulars, in the same way that they’re always piously proclaiming their job description, with all the attendant solemnity of a Hippocratic-style oath.

Sep 18, 2008 - 4:00 pm 24. Neil:

Good essay. You make me feel good about being a rough handed communications engineer that can build and fix about anything.

Whiskey, while having a good argument about the media is missing two things: First, McCain is still ahead by 1.9% on Real Clear Politics, not 5% behind. Second, I heard an interesting interview by Freakonomics author Steven Levitt about how people behave when surveyed in polls. He believes McCain will win because the Realized Vote will be different then the Polled Vote. People want to represent themselves to a pollster as the person they think people want them to be. The caring liberal media supported type, but they will vote how they really feel. Which is Obama is an inexperienced, super liberal hot air bag while John McCain is an aisle crossing, experienced, straight talking war hero with real women as a spouse and veep choice.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:01 pm 25. JA Lineberry:

You often characterize Biden as plagued by daily “gaffes,” and yet I often don’t know what you’re talking about, and when I do, they’re as dismissable as those the PC crowd tries to capitalize on. Criticism on his demeanor towards Supreme Court justice nominees as well as his past plagiarism, etc. are certainly valid criticisms. But you seem to have a tendency to minimalize all of McCain and Palin’s faults, while harping on the faults of Obama/Biden at length and without context. You seem eager to dress up an interesting but questionable Palin, and just as eager to tear Obama/Biden down. This may simply reflect your own political preference, which is fine, but you’re being a bit more slanted than you may realize – or it may be conscious, I don’t know. What I do know is that I’ve often thought differently of you. I respect your opinions regardless and am an avid reader of your blog, even though I tend to lean the other way.

Of course, ideally all presidential candidates would be renaissance men (or women) in the vein of Teddy Roosevelt. With respect, I still would prefer my president to be someone with a good formal education over a mechanic, et al.

Sep 18, 2008 - 5:03 pm 26. Marino:

Another gem from VDH. I went to medical school. The students who shined in the clinic were not the ones who got A’s in biochemistry but the ones who held jobs before or during school and/or had families.

I’m 56 years old. The smartest person I I ever met was an airplane mechanic for 20 years in the USAF. He never went to college.

Sep 18, 2008 - 6:08 pm 27. Old Jesuit:

“Raise some doubt in their minds.”

If Obama prevails, then the very next day, I will undermine, undermine, undermine.

Sep 18, 2008 - 6:21 pm 28. TLM:

Alex Harris,

“Nothing new here.”

As VDH’s reference to Euripides makes clear, there is nothing new in this essay about the question of what constitutes wisdom, particularly the kind of wisdom we wish our political leaders to have. What is new the past two decades, however, is that Democratic candidates for president have all followed the same path to “wisdom”: Ivy League education…law school…politics. Rarely do they seek to avail themselves of the experiences and wisdom of the working class people who make up the bulk of the electorate, the very people they would govern. In fact, such experiences seem to be viewed as a waste of time for an up and coming young Democratic pol. Better to work on your resume than to work on a farm. Better to be a community organizer, learning Alinsky’s rules for herding people, than to waste your time herding cows to the dairy barn. Better to work through your identity crisis by writing a memoir, than to put in a hard days work and maybe learn something about yourself. And better to understand the nuances of civil rights law than to understand the rules of civil behavior toward your opponents, especially toward one who embodies the kind of wisdom and experience we all used to cherish in this country.

So, you’re right. Nothing new here. To quote a “wise” man:

“Same ol’… same ol’…okey-dokey”.

Sep 18, 2008 - 7:38 pm 29. Ron Kean:

I think that an articular infinitive is an articular that goes on forever.

I think a Yokelism is a peculiar type of singing that sheep herders do in falsetto in the highest Alps of Europe in praise of rural America. And then they listen for the echo.

Bravo Professor.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:07 pm 30. Ron Kean:

Alex Harris,

‘you happen to be a better writer than some’…that’s an understatement.

Some think a carpenter changed the entire universe.

Wisdom is that which can be learned from everybody we meet.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:26 pm 31. TLM:

My first summer during college I worked as a ride operator at the FrontierLand shooting gallery at Disneyland. Great job. You dressed up like a cowboy, took money from the kids and set them up with an air rifle. My biggest worry was one of them would turn around and shoot Mickey Mouse when he strolled by. I met my shift partner on the first day, and within five minutes he told me he was a student at Harvard, majoring in economics and planning to go to Harvard Business School. Had a GPA of 3.7 as I recall. Third day on the job I see him getting dressed down by the boss. He walks off in tears and quits. Apparently he gave a kid change for a $20 bill after receiving only a fiver. That was thirty plus years ago, and I figure by now he must be some kind of bigwig on Wall Street.

Sep 18, 2008 - 8:34 pm 32. Iseult:

Essential VDH x3. I always enjoy reading your thoughtful, witty and poignant articles. I have to say that I especially enjoyed reading your articles on your family’s history and your perspective on WWII. I particularly enjoyed your comment in this particular article,
“While civilization advances on the shoulders of the educated, it is carried along by the legs of the muscular classes.”
And this is absolutely true. It seems to this uneducated person in flyover country that media elites would not be able to fathom a regular day in a regular life of a regular person. I find it absolutely baffling that Dowd & crowd decry Mrs. Palin as an irresponsible mother and a horrible person for choosing to let her children live, and trying to make the city/county/state a better place in which for them to live. It does not take an ivy league education to realize that Mr. Obama has been tainted severely by the go along, get along Chicago political machine (and the Daley machine, but I am being redundant).

I would like to address Whiskey’s comments however, I listen to the talk radio in the morning (on the way to work) and in the afternoon (on the way home) and I rarely watch television (not missing much, it seems) because I am wrangling the kids, helping with homework, doing housework and making dinner – and what I hear, on the radio and from my friends (at work) is how horrible and despicable the media coverage is about Mrs. Palin. Some of the things I’ve read I cannot even repeat, they are so incredibly bad ( and baseless!)

The women I know, do not vote on the basis of status/power. The do not vote because of the way Edwards looks in a 200.00 haircut (the cheater!) They do not vote on status/power/snobbery, or because of what “fashions” the candidate sports. In my opinion, it is ridiculously shallow and incredibly baseless to assume that all women vote on the basis of what one wears or how one looks. Most of us do not watch the view, or oprah – we are at work, contributing to the finances of the family. The women I know can relate to Mrs. Palin (in ways we could not to Mrs. Clinton) and admire her pluck and her intestinal fortitude in standing up to the entrenched establishment. Change you can believe in.

Sep 18, 2008 - 10:02 pm 33. RuleTopia:

For all his Harvard education and scintillating intellect, Obama has lots of silly ideas. He thought the surge wouldn’t work. He thought Biden was a better VP than Clinton. He thought Rev Wright was a man to dedicate his autobiographical book to.

But wait, there’s more.

He thinks we need to dump more money into public schools. He thinks increasing taxes will help the economy. He thinks prohibiting drilling off shore will lower gas prices. He think hiring armies of bureaucrats will improve healthcare.

Best of all, he thinks comparing his experience with that of the Republican VP candidate will gain him points in the polls.

If this is the smartest guy in the room, the room must be filled with sacks of potatoes.

Sep 19, 2008 - 1:00 am 34. Turfmann:

I, too, do not buy into the dark vision put forth by Whisky. The media are putting forth a through-the-looking-glass view of what is going on in politics yet they do not realize that the jig is up with them, irrelevance in the age of the internet.

I have much more faith in the majority of Americans being able to see the disease in what the liberals are putting forth.

Sep 19, 2008 - 2:08 am 35. ajkull:

@ Alex Harris. Hanson’s contention, which he admits sounds trite, is that a person needs both knowledge and experience. Truth does not change: it always sounds the same.

“The central claim that having a rough life or being a plumber or a carpenter somehow qualifies a person to hold high elective office is a little frightening if held by a large percentage of the population.”

Your fear of those grubby little people is showing, isn’t it? As you say, nothing new here.

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:26 am 36. John B:

Thank you Dr. VDH, once again you cut through the fat and get right to the meat.

I might add, the comments section is another reason I read this blog. I get a warm fuzzy feeling to see so many astute comments from people just like me. It makes me feel good about America, (but then, I was always proud to be an American).

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:48 am 37. Cornhead:

One of VDH’s best ever.

And it is not at all self-evident to many people.

McCain-Palin: Man and woman of deeds.

Obama-Biden: Men of words (too many of them) and plain bad ideas.

Sep 19, 2008 - 7:26 am 38. M Myers:

We are either unwilling or unable to to have debates in the public arena about world views. Once defined the motivations and actions of an individual or organization flow naturally from their world view. The age old question “What is truth?” in academia for the most part remains unanswered. Relativism muddles thinking. In the final analysis, the world can never answer two questions – Is man perfectible in and of himself? and How much is enough? Obama clearly believes we can do it on our own and that with government the sky is the limit.

Sep 19, 2008 - 8:01 am 39. J.E. Dyer:

One thing this great VDH piece reminds me of is a particular truth that has come home to me in the last few years.

It is this: that there is a type of wisdom that accrues to people in what I call the “accountable professions,” that people in the others may never develop.

In these remarkably wealthy, division-of-labor days, it is possible for millions of humans to get through life without ever doing anything for which the consequences of failure are concrete, immediate, and dangerous. This is the case for many in politics, academia, and the commmentariat. In many disciplines, the question can legitimately be asked: how do we even know if someone has failed?

But we can’t say that about farming, or plumbing — or firefighting, practicing medicine, fighting wars, accounting, construction, banking, cleaning carpets, running a business, or raising children. The measures of effectivenes in these walks of life are exacting and often merciless.

Irresponsible experimentation is much less common in these callings, and accountability is usually too swift to admit of buck-passing. Engineers, carpenters, bus drivers, and daycare workers all share this work environment. We can tell, very quickly, if they screwed up.

Not so many academic disciplines, many politicians (legislators in particular), or pundits. We appreciate and thank them if they are good at what they do; if they are right; if they do courageous and inspiring things. But nothing much happens to them when they’re wrong — and there is, in fact, a whole segment of society to which they can repair to lick their wounds and be lionized.

Sep 19, 2008 - 9:29 am 40. rosie:

My husband travelled the southeast for many years as a regulatory consultant starting de novo banks. He didn’t just see the investors diplomas and nice suits – he saw their financial statements. The drywall contractor living in a mobile home could very well be the wealthiest and smartest person in his community.
We have forgotten that this is a government by the people and if only one class of people, Ivy League lawyers who live their entire life off of government, are in charge we are not getting the input that we need to make good decisions for everyone. They tell us “”what the people want is…” and they don’t even know the people.
Hallelujah – Sarah’s one of us!

Sep 19, 2008 - 9:45 am 41. Olivia:

Not to mine from the self-help section. But isn’t this election the Character Ethic vs. the Personality Ethic writ large. Obama still strikes me as someone who has never really had to work hard. He uses everything as a crutch. He’s got the race card, the Chicago machine, vague reheated platitudes, his teleprompter etc. I’m still amazed he made it this far. Hopefully this is as far as he goes.

Sep 19, 2008 - 12:45 pm 42. whiskey:

Iseult — that is the result of all sorts of internal polls. Younger women don’t like Palin, and they don’t like her for status/power/credential/fashion reasons. It is by the way, precisely for these reasons that men and older women like her.

You may not like this, but every poll, the internals of which are posted on Hotair.com and other sites for your perusal, has agreed that younger women do not like Palin. For her personal life not her politics. If you disagree, I suggest you go to TMZ.com or Dlisted.com and peruse the comments therein by younger women, expressing their hatred of Palin based on her personal life.

The media has been extraordinarily successful in defining her for this segment, and appears likely to give Obama a win unless McCain can unleash game-changers.

Obama is ahead by five points. Partly due to the economic crisis, where voters just blame McCain (although they also hold McCain more astute and able to handle the economy than Obama). But mostly due to Palin.

Younger women have seen Palin, found her a “hick with a blue collar husband” and dislike her. There is a reason Margaret Cho, and Sandra Berhard, say the awful things they say about and to Palin, to great applause. Because it works, for the young hip or would-be hip crowd. Who, in a closely divided nation between young, urban, hipster-wannabees and rural/suburban families (an endangered species), hold the balance of power.

McCain needs 527 game-changers to hit Obama on all fronts with viral vids attacking: Wright, Ayers, high taxes, drilling, Fannie-Freddie corruption, terrorism, ties to terrorists, money from Hamas, weakness on Iran’s nukes, and more. McCain pencils in everyone as “my fellow Americans” and thinks they are all patriotic. They are not. Obama plans Chavez Lite for America.

Right now, the politics of the “Stuff White People Like” website/book is playing out in Obama’s favor. What Dr. Hanson does not realize is that the kind of urban yuppie Christian Lander of the book/website fame parodies, dominates voting and discussion and control of the media.

It doesn’t matter if the rural/suburban people do much of the grunt work. They are being shouted off the stage in a massive display of intimidation that in fact works. It is the world of the Mac Ad Yuppie Slackers now, and they are the ones who will run things. Unless Joe Average uses the internet to seize the initiative with viral videos.

God knows it should be more useful for things besides Star Wars Kid and Chrissy Crocker.

Sep 19, 2008 - 2:02 pm 43. Gary Ogletree:

I suspect the relentless trashing of Palin, with umpteen exposes of misreported trivia, is partly to blame for Obama’s catch up in the polls. But most of the phony scandals will soon be exhausted. Palin just keeps soldiering on, beaming at us and talking good sense. Ancient Chinese wisdom warns us to never underestimate the power of Virtue. I believe we see it at work in this campaign.

Sep 19, 2008 - 5:30 pm 44. H Stevens:

You right wingers have tunnel vision and if we let you; you would drive this country straight back to the robber baron days. When an honest person wants to do something for his country; you try to bring him down with lies and smears, and when he fights back; he is sinister, uppity elite and negative. You are always right and everyone else is wrong. All of your beliefs and theories are good and everyone else’s is bad. You can smear, but don’t like to be criticized for it. You are always crying wolf when things are not going your way. Your McCain’s views on the issues have been flip flopping like pan cakes in a busy diner, but all you can do is cry, cry, and cry……about how unfair the liberal media is. You may be proud, but what have you done for your country today, or any other day? How many wars have you fought? How many sons have you sent into battle? How much time have you spent serving your community?

Sep 19, 2008 - 6:29 pm 45. H Stevens:

Iseult:

“While civilization advances on the shoulders of the educated, it is carried along by the legs of the muscular classes.”

Those are the most elitist words I have ever had the displeasure of reading.

Sep 19, 2008 - 8:22 pm 46. Bill Bradley:

Actually, Obama figured out several days ago that he should ignore the intellectual featherweight Palin.

That’s one reason, though hardly the main one, why he is again ahead in the race.

There is this little, well, epic, global financial crisis.

Sep 20, 2008 - 10:11 am 47. Bill Bradley:

Yes.

Well.

I would be more impressed by Palin if she hadn’t dropped out of five colleges in six years.

And if she had more accomplishments in local government by age 42 than I had by age 18.

And if she knew McCain better than me.

And if …

Sep 20, 2008 - 10:13 am 48. Descartes:

Hillary may not be President…now, but…

— what if she is appointed to the USSC?
Many high officeholders have been appointed to the Court.

— What if CJ Roberts takes ill again? Associate Justices have been appointed CJs…

— What if President Obama falters?
At least one justice in modern times has resigned from the Court to run for office.

— What if Chelsea leaves investment banking (it’s a good time to get out) and gets into politics?

Sep 20, 2008 - 12:01 pm 49. Marauder:

Very good column, Mr. Hanson. My old man called it “book-learnin’ as opposed to common sense” and I suspect that accounts for most of the divisive factors in the so-called culture wars.

Committed leftists object to her candidacy with such frantic vehemence that they either forget or deliberately ignore the fact that Governor Palin has more executive experience than anyone else in the race – on either side.

Sep 20, 2008 - 12:19 pm 50. Turfmann:

H Stevens:

“When an honest person wants to do something for his country you try to bring him down with lies and smears…”

Fine and dandy, Mr. Stevens. Present an honest Democrat as candidate for President of the United States and I’ll consider casting my vote for him/her. Mr. Obama is not even honest enough to admit that it is the liberal mindset to which he ascribes. He knows that proclaiming such will cost him votes, not so with someone like Mrs. Palin, who wears her conservative bona fides with pride.

As to the rest of your cut and paste liberal screed, I’ll have none of it. Please be reminded that the only candidate of the four running for the executive that does not have a dog in the fight vis-a-vis the War on Terror is Mr. Obama.

Sep 20, 2008 - 3:55 pm 51. Ron Kean:

H Stevens

‘uppity’ ???? What are you saying?

‘cry, cry, and cry’ You’re doing that now.

‘what have you done for your country today, or any other day? How many wars have you fought? How many sons have you sent into…’ I typically don’t like to brag but I give to the DAV and so should you!

Sep 20, 2008 - 7:30 pm 52. Pajamas Media » Who is Wiser, Barack Obama or Sarah Palin?:

[...] Read the entire piece here. [...]

Sep 20, 2008 - 9:42 pm 53. Myno:

My respects, Mr. Hanson. As I was raised on a citrus orchard in the SoCal desert, and made my way through Stanford’s grad school, I always found and to this day find myself aligned more with the mores of the “working class” from which I came than the ivory towers of academia. I heartily agree that the native intelligence and wisdom of the “common man” is critical to the vitality of the West. In another venue, authors such as Robert D. Kaplan extol the virtues of the NCOs on whose broad shoulders our military often rests. We depend on wisdom at all levels of our society, and it is foolish to set one set above another in importance. As Kaplan points out, it is the ability of the American military to honor the wisdom of both its commissioned and non-commissions officers that is the heart of its strength and durability. Bravo both to you for your insights, and to Ms. Palin for her evident strength of character as she demonstrates the best that conservatism has to offer the nation. Personally, I am neither religious nor leftist, and I appreciate seeing someone who so clearly knows who she is, make her mark on a political scene that is overflowing with those whose opinions (appear to) shift with the slightest breeze. I dare say Senator (hopefully soon President) McCain would do well to learn from her in that regard.

Sep 20, 2008 - 10:23 pm 54. Jeremayakovka:

Pardon the self-marketing, except that the points VDH affirms here fit with something I blogged recently. For I had the rare opportunity to buttonhole a longtime Wasilla, AK resident who lived there when there was only a City Councilwoman and then a Mayor Palin.

From “Wasilla Remembers Sarah”:
http://jeremayakovka.typepad.com/jeremayakovka/2008/09/wasilla-remembers-sarah.html

“In this and other ways, Hank said, he formed over the years strong, up-close impressions of Sarah (whom he always referred to as “Sarah”). As Sarah gave birth to new children, the town paper ran items about them. She and her husband gave them funny, marvelous names – “Piper,” he explained, is named after the piper cub airplane (a fixture in long-distance Alaskan transportation). Sarah typically attended Wasilla’s high school’s graduation ceremonies, including his own child’s graduation. Her mayor’s office was ‘a shack.’”

Sep 20, 2008 - 10:58 pm 55. AKBigBoy:

The democrats have no desire to see McCain succeed either in the election or as president should he win. Thus I believe that the reaction to McCain’s selection of Palin has much more to do with their fear that she will help McCain to be successful in both areas. After all, if she does get elected and is good, many people might get the idea that we don’t actually need them or their policies. Clearly this risk is too great to be permitted and thus they will destroy her, or immolate themselves in the attempt.

Sep 20, 2008 - 11:52 pm 56. Demwitha9mm:

I’m guessing that dissenting opinions are not allowed here based on the unrelenting groveling and support of Mr. Hanson’s “wisdom”.

Delete this as you likely will, but I find your commentary neither wise or even insightful… just more of the same kool-aid induced hate-speak from an eroding class of ditto-heads who have destroyed this country and want to keep digging it deeper into oblivion.

TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MESS THAT YOUR PARTY HAS CREATED AND HAVE AN OUNCE OF HUMILITY FOR A CHANGE!

You are all just a plague that we did not deserve. I have an endless supply of contempt for what you’ve done to this country. Obama may not be able to make a cake with the sh*t ingredients you’ve left, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt because republicans no longer deserve it.

BUSH IS YOUR PRESIDENT… STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND FESS UP. YOU CANNOT DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM HIM AND NEITHER CAN MCCAIN.

McCain has sold his sole to the base and will therefor only continue Bush’s march of doom.

You think that the $1T bailout isn’t going to raise your taxes? How long do you think it will be until China cuts us off? It only adds up in McCain’s “say anything” fantasy campaign.

Equating Palin with Obama is just the kind of ridiculous nonsense I expect from Republicans. Keep your heads in the sand… If Palin is your savior, then you deserve what you get… and I firmly believe that it will be the loss of your wealth and your status.

Sep 21, 2008 - 12:28 am 57. DavidN:

This has been a really strange election season, and it gets curiouser and curiouser as we go along. Obama complains regularly about the racist attacks that are being made on him, and then lets loose the surrogates to make sexist attacks on Palin. He also attacks McCain by misquoting Rush Limbaugh, of all people, trying to connect McCain to Limbaugh to boot. And Palin gets everything from all angles, from rumors about her son to someone hacking her email to Sandra Bernhard apparently threatening her with a gang rape. There’s a list of books she tried to ban floating around the internet (though of course it’s fake), she supposedly thinks dinosaurs walked on the earth with cavemen (again fake), she wants to convert gays and Jews to Christianity. Anything to energize the left base to vote once, vote twice, vote often to defeat her and McCain.

My favorite is the Troopergate thing. This guy divorced her sister, messily, and in response to his actions the Palin family complained to the Alaska State Troopers office. The office investigated and suspended him for 10 days, which was reduced to 5 days after his union complained. Supposedly, after she was elected governor members of her staff pressured the guy in charge of the State Troopers’ office to fire the guy. Now, if her staff did this, I want to know what’s wrong with it. The guy was suspended for five days for: illegally shooting a moose while on duty, drinking a beer in his patrol car while on duty, shooting his 10-year-old stepson with a Taser, and threatened to shoot his father-in-law and soon-to-be ex-wife. Admittedly, the stepson *asked* to be shot with the Taser, which everyone seems to think makes it OK. Never mind that CBS a few years ago documented 70 deaths connected to Tasers. You do anything dangerous that your 10-year-old asks for, don’t you? I suppose if he’d actually shot the governor’s father, then the union involved wouldn’t have challenged the 10 day suspension, but they probably would have rioted if he’d been fired. Palin says she did nothing to pressure the idiot, and that she fired him because she was trying to cut the states budget and the guy wouldn’t go along with it, and I believe her, but even if she *had* put pressure on the guy, *SO WHAT?*

Sep 21, 2008 - 2:02 am 58. SAF:

Turfmann:

Liberals cannot put a dog in the fight vis-a-vis the war on terror because they believe, in their heart of hearts, that we have deserved what we got. Keep in mind John Kerry was honest about all of this, he saw terrorism as a police problem.

Of course, there are may liberals who feel the entire terrorism thing is overblown. 911 wasn’t compelling enough evidence of it. I’m sure if Obama is elected they will finally get the evidence they need.

Sep 21, 2008 - 4:39 am 59. Debranne:

I prefer the Harvard intellect as opposed to the four time community college intellect. (or was it 5 or 6 times Palin tried to graduate from a community college?)

Sep 21, 2008 - 5:26 am 60. Ken Besig:

Dear Dr. Hanson,
I read with great interest (pardon the compliment but I always read your commentary with great interest because you are very interesting and very informative)your most recent posting on the Democratic Party and Barack Obama campaign and how it seems to be losing it’s charm and messianic fervor, and by it’s use of juvenile, tawdry, and largely untruthful negative attack ads on John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, is also losing the enthusiasm of the American voting public.
I don’t disagree with part of your analysis, indeed, I agree with you that Barack Obama should have had this whole thing locked up by now, given the unpopularity and failures of the Bush Administration, and the political connection between the Republican candidate John McCain and the Bush government.
I do however disagree with you as to the reasons behind the Democratic Party and Barack Obama’s failure to capture the election already.
There are really two simple reasons, first Democratic Party and Barack Obama arrogance, and secondly, the clever and well thought out McCain campaign.
I believe that you would agree with me that certainly the senior Democratic Party leadership, and much of the committed Left/Liberal American community firmly believes that most Republicans, and all conservatives, are Neanderthal in our thinking and really congenitally incapable of original and creative thought and that none of us could ever hope to develop a campaign which could even begin to challenge the intelligent and progressive multiculturists on the American Left. Indeed, to a certain extent you too accept that thesis when you write that the Democratic Party and Barack Obama have been shooting themselves in the foot so to speak with their silly and patronizing attack ads on John McCain and even more so by the possibly even more loathsome personal and family attack ads against Sarah Palin. Mind you, I agree that Obama is doing his best to lose this campaign and his fanatic and often pornographic Left/Liberal supporters in the media, on the internet, in the universities, and in the Democratic Party leadership are all doing their part to assist him in crashing and burning his candidacy.
However, secondly, and to me more importantly, I believe that John McCain and his organizers are running an absolutely disciplined, organized, goal oriented, surprisingly creative, and effective political campaign. Have you ever asked yourself or even just wondered how it can be that John McCain is even the Republican candidate at all? Where are Romney, Giuliani, and all the rest of the potential candidates who are now sitting on the sidelines cheering John McCain on? Did they too just fail, shoot themselves in the foot, or perhaps the McCain strategy for victory in the primaries was simply effective? Remember, at the very beginning, the McCain campaign got off to an apparently very shaky and improbable start, apparently lacking funds, organization, and even a spokesperson, and yet now he is carrying the Republican standard and could very well beat Barack Obama and win the Presidency. Of course, the McCain choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin was a huge and wonderful surprise that completely knocked the wind out of the Democratic campaign and left the usually glib and charismatic Barack Obama himself groping for a message. The Democrats and Obama have of course tried to trivialize her nomination and minimize her impact on the campaign, not to mention that they have tried their best to make if seem as if John McCain made a huge mistake by either accidentally or coincidentally choosing her, when in fact, John McCain knew perfectly well just how effective Sarah Palin would be to his campaign and chose her accordingly.
The Democratic party and Barack Obama have for months and are even now grossly underestimating the political savvy of the Republican party, John McCain, and his VP pick Sarah Palin, just as they have underestimated the intelligence and common sense of the American public, and this real hubris may well, and probably will, cost them this Presidential election too.
I especially want to thank you for your excellent commentary over the years which I feel has enriched me intellectually and morally, and also thank you if you read this long letter of mine.
All the best, and Shalom

Sep 21, 2008 - 5:32 am 61. Ziggy in jc:

Excellent article Mr Hanson. Todd Palin has to be laughing at the lack of testosterone that is displayed critiquing his wife. The Washington-New York elites do not understand who he is. Long before his wife was picked as VP for the ticket; he was famous as a champion snow machine rider. Todd Palin races the 2000 mile “Iron Dog” race. This man rides a snowmobile over 250 miles a day in Alaska. Most experienced riders can barley ride 150 a day on weekends. This guy does 250 miles a day for 8 days and wins the race. Your point will be missed by the metro sexual’s who do not understand what “keeping it simple” actually means. Sarah Pal in and her husband live what the left can only dream, think and nuance about. Tough has been replaced by the elites’ dishonesty and lies.

Sep 21, 2008 - 5:55 am 62. Sioux Lady:

Dr. Hanson, I prefer to call what Palin possesses “judgment” rather than “wisdom” as the latter covers too much territory. My father had a 7th grade education, but was elected four times as our tribal chairman. During those sixteen years, he presided over a legislative body, was chief law enforcement officer, and administered multi-million dollar tribal budgets and enterprises. (He ranched in his spare time.)

He dealt, successfully, with doctors, lawyers, merchants and other chiefs, rich men, poor men, and . . . white politicians. He told me one time how he coped with these “smart” people. He’d get a letter from some “smart” U.S. Senator, (like Barry) that he did not fully comprehend. He’d take the letter to “Smart Person A” and ask what “A” thought it meant. However, he said, “If I just listened to him, he would have me.” So, he would take it to “Smart Person B” and not just ask “B” what he thought it meant, but tell “B” what “A” said it meant. Dad said, “People always want to believe they are smarter than someone else, so “B” will say, ‘No, it means . . .’” Then he’d take it to “Smart Person C” and repeat the process. He said, “When I was done, I had a pretty complete analysis of the letter and could make up my own mind.” And a keen mind it was. He’s been dead these thirty plus years and I still meet “smart” people who tell me how much they admired and respected him.

I think Palin has this same kind of judgment, but she’s too young to be really wise. Notwithstanding, she has my vote because “smart” Barry has no judgment.

P.S. I wish people would stop calling “smart” people like Barry “intellectuals.”

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:11 am 63. Carlos Echevarria:

Great post…

Sarah Palin has more executive experience, more personal courage and is more prepared to be CIC than either Mullah Barack Obambi or Uncle Joe Bin Biden, D-Tehran!!!!

The events in Pakistan demonstrate how utterly inane and clueless Bin Biden is…he called up our SOB Musharraf to pressure him after the death of Bhutto in Dec. so Mr. Ten Percent and all those anti American factions in Pakiland got get power…..look at the mess now.

BTW, he did the same thing with the Shah of Iran, carrying water for James Earl Carter in order to put in power that psycho the Ayatollah Khomeini….

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:20 am 64. LeighB:

I loved the article, Mr. Hanson.

No question the MSM is trying to stack the deck against Gov. Palin and it is hard to ignore their campaign against her on radio, TV, and in the opinion sections of newspapers and magazines. As many others have said before, it isn’t what they call you, it’s what you answer to. So far, she has chosen not to engage and to keep moving forward. She has the benefit of knowing she does not have to take this on alone, Gov. Palin has the support of her party in ways that Sen. Clinton did not have with the Dems. In fact, I would argue they were the most eager to push her off stage in favor of a far weaker candidate.

It appears that Sarah’s strategy is similar to Pres. Reagan’s, she is more concerned with connecting with the voters and far less interested in engaging with the chattering classes. She hasn’t just passed through stages in her life to build a resume, she has taken risks to get involved, make unpopular decisions, and taken responsibility.

Why is she such a target? Because she represents such a challenge to one of the important coalitions in the Democratic Party-women. Although the Dems talk a good game of supporting issues that are important to women, I’m tired of waiting for action. And I can’t be controlled by fears about Roe v. Wade. I am old enough to have fought for it and fought to preserve it. With all of the other issues facing the country, if the Republicans make overturning it a top priority, I’ll fight again.

Regarding the “first Dude”, I think he is great. He works hard and knows how to do things. His many interests and his accomplishments make him someone anyone would want on their team. He loves his family. What’s not to like and admire? He could probably learn to read well from a teleprompter, might look good in an underwear ad, and could lecture at a local college on his area of expertise (commercial fishing). Todd’s just fine the way he is, most women would love to have such a supportive partner.

Likely the MSM would consider my views typical of someone living in “flyover country”; the beauty is I don’t need their help knowing what to think and I get to vote. I am not voting for the Democratic candidate for the first time in six elections because he’s too far left, too inexperienced, and too vague. The MSM has done us a favor in so clearly favoring one candidate, their liberal bias is on display for all to see. That did not surprise me but you know what did? The amount of hate-filled speech and personal attacks. If The One does not win, it is because he could not unite the party and the MSM could not close the deal for him either.

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:21 am 65. TomJW:

If I want an argula selector, I know where to go. In everything else, Palin is the choice.

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:37 am 66. LeftBrainFemale:

Very well put – and as one of those whose “formal” education has been limited, but who has educated herself in the school of experience and self-teaching, I must make a minor correction – I believe that when you write “Ivy-League cache”, you really mean “Ivy-League cachet”. Cache and Cachet are two very different words, the first properly pronounced “cash”, the second “cash-ay”.

Sep 21, 2008 - 7:31 am 67. Lynn:

To Stevens
I am supplying a short list of “what I do”, hope you do the same.
We have two of our kids serving in Iraq for the fourth time.
My family has served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, part of the Air Force serving in Alaska.
For 8 years I have organized a Bike Safety Rodeo for my community and given away 100 bikes per year.
This summer I spent three days building a playground, sponsored by Ka-Boom and KOOL-AID.
I organized a fund for local children for school uniforms. Very successfully I might add.
I am the owner operator of a construction company.
I have raised 2 children, one adopted from Vietnam.
I am a Democrat for McCain and campaign for him in my community.
What do you do, or have given, or sacrificed> back at you.

Sep 21, 2008 - 8:02 am 68. Jennefier:

The Politics of Personal Enrichment: Chris Dodd – Countrywide’s Sweetheart
9/21/08 | dirtboy

Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2008 08:55:59 by dirtboy

In early June 2008, Americans learned of a VIP loan program provided to influential politicians by Countrywide Mortgage at the direction of its chairman Angelo Mozilo – and that one of the so-called ‘Friends of Angelo” was none other than Jim Johnson, a former CEO at Fannie Mae who had just been tapped to head Barack Obama’s vice presidential vetting committee.

Countrywide Friends Got Good Loans

Countrywide Financial Corp. makes mortgage loans through a vast network of offices, brokers and call centers. But a few customers have gotten their loans a special way: through Countrywide Chief Executive Angelo Mozilo.

These borrowers, known internally as “friends of Angelo” or FoA, include two former CEOs of Fannie Mae, the biggest buyer of Countrywide’s mortgages, say people familiar with the matter.

One was James Johnson, a longtime Democratic Party power and an adviser to Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign, who this past week was named to a panel that is vetting running-mate possibilities for the presumed nominee. Another was Franklin Raines, a onetime Clinton administration budget director, who left Fannie Mae amid an accounting scandal in 2004.

Initially, Obama did what he did best, namely, obfuscate: Obama Defends Jim Johnson’s Role as VP Selecter

At a press conference today, Sen. Barack Obama said he will not ask Jim Johnson to step down from his VP selection committee despite his ties to Countrywide Mortgage. Obama said he will not vet the vetters.

Obama: “These are not folks who are working for me.”

But that only lasted one day: JIM JOHNSON STEPS DOWN

Jim Johnson, who had been leading Barack Obama’s vice presidential search committee, has stepped down from the campaign.

“Jim did not want to distract in any way from the very important task of gathering information about my vice presidential nominee, so he has made a decision to step aside that I accept,” Obama said in a statement. “We have a very good selection process underway, and I am confident that it will produce a number of highly qualified candidates for me to choose from in the weeks ahead. I remain grateful to Jim for his service and his efforts in this process.”

Under the bus you go, Jim. Say hi to Reverend Wright for us.

So apparently Jim Johnson’s sweetheart Countrywide mortgages were grounds to disqualify him from vetting Obama’s veep candidates. But receiving similar favorable Countrywide mortgages were not sufficient from preventing another Friend of Angelo from drafting legislation that stood to benefit the new owner of Countrywide, Bank of America, at the expense of the American taxpayer. Namely, one Senator Chris Dodd, D-CT. Chair of the Senate Banking Committee. And at the time, busy crafting bailout legislation for the mortgage industry – legislation of considerable interest to Bank of America.

The story was initially broken by Conde-Nast Portfolio (link only) and picked up by other media outlets as well.

Two Senators Appear to be “Friends of Countrywide”

The Senator, a Democrat from Connecticut and Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee which regulates mortgage lending, was named in an article by Julie Hirschfeld Davis of the Associated Press and earlier by Conde Nast Portfolio magazine, as one of two senators – the other being Senator Kent Conrad (D – ND) – as having received preferential treatment from Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo in obtaining mortgage loans. Dodd had earlier this year called Countrywide’s lending practices “abusive.”

So, what was Dodd’s reaction to this revelation of preferential treatment? Why, to pull out the Dem scandal management playbook. First, he denied that he got preferential treatment. When it was revealed that he knew he was getting a special deal, he claimed he thought it was for his being a longtime customer. When a former Countrywide loan officer said that Mozilo demanded of his employees that they inform the recipients of VIP loans of their special treatment, and that Dodd had received FOUR sweetheart mortgages instead of just the two initially reported by Conde Nast (saving him a total of $70,000), Dodd just simply clammed up and stonewalled.

Some called on Dodd to halt his work on crafting the mortgage bailout bill, given the allegations. But Dodd refused. After all, there was vital legislation to draft for his new patron, Bank of America.:

WASHINGTON (Map, News) – “We call it the ‘Bank of America bill on steroids.’” A House staffer told me that, demanding anonymity, but speaking on behalf of aides to GOP members of the House Financial Services Committee.

He was talking about the bill whose Senate version has been brought to the floor this week by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CN, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL. Dodd-Shelby would let mortgage lenders off the hook for bad loans, shifting the burden ultimately to taxpayers. Dodd has received approximately $70,000 in campaign contributions from Bank of America in the last year-and-a-half.

Dodd-Shelby hit the Senate floor this week amid controversy over sweetheart loan deals Dodd and other powerful politicians received from Countrywide Financial, the lender with the most exposure to subprime mortgages at risk of default.

Some journalists and Republican lawmakers are asking if Countrywide bought a bailout bill with its VIP loans to Dodd, who is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee

And it appeared that Bank of America was pleased with what their money bought:

NRO Doc Drop: BofA-Scripted Bank Bailout Looks Awfully Similar to Dodd-Drafted Housing Bill [Stephen Spruiell]

National Review Online has obtained an internal Bank of America “discussion document” (pdf here) on the subject of the FHA Housing Stabilization and Homeownership Retention Act of 2008, a.k.a. the Dodd-Shelby mortgage-lender bailout bill.

Yesterday, Tim Carney reported that the prevailing sentiment on Capitol Hill is that the Dodd-Shelby bill “is exactly what Bank of America and Countrywide wanted.” BofA is in the process of acquiring Countrywide. Countrywide is currently embroiled in a scandal over its V.I.P. program, under which several powerful politicians, including Sen. Chris Dodd, got preferential loan rates.

This discussion document (dated March 11, 2008) would appear to support the contention that BofA essentially wrote the bailout section of the bill. Almost all of BofA’s preferences are mirrored in the Dodd-Shelby legislation. The BofA document even offers PR tips, such as “We believe that any intervention by the federal government will be acceptable only if it is not perceived as a bail-out of the bond market.”

And the estimated cost to taxpayers for that bailout of BofA and other mortgage lenders? Estimates range from $300 to $500 billion. So for $70,000 in campaign cash and $70,000 in mortgage discounts … well, you do your own math as to what that costs each taxpayer.

And the sorriest part of this affair? After all these revelations, Dodd was still on Obama’s short list of veep candidates. Which goes to show just what Obama thinks of the Politics of Personal Enrichment – that it is business as usual for the Democratic Party. Change? Try chump change. As in, Obama and Dodd thinks we are the chumps because they stick us with the costs. There’s only one way to prove them wrong. Make their corruption cost them their jobs.

Sep 21, 2008 - 9:04 am 69. Tennwriter:

Demwitha9mm,

Unlike a lot of the cowardly Republican punditry, Prof. Hansen did not run away from Bush before the Surge, and instead stayed the course which is the path of honor, and as it turns out, the path of success.

Bush had his faults, but overall, he was quite good.

Now as to the issue of intelligence, it seems to me there is another way of slicing the issue. The modestly educated in academics tend to be correct in their impulses, the half-educated tend to be wrong, and the well-educated tend to be right.

The average American Joe and VDH are likely to agree on a great deal of things. Obama is the half-bright person in the middle.

Or as Pascal put it….a little philosophy takes you away from God, but much philosophy takes you back to God.

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:06 am 70. Typical White Person:

Here is to hoping that Obama’s quest for discovering his identity ends on 4 Nov when the voters will finally have their way. I can totally understand and relate to Sarah Palin and her difficult climb up the ladder. Nothing could happen to change my vote for McCain/Palin. This is one of the better opinion pieces I have read since Palin arrived on the scene.

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:09 am 71. MartyH:

I hope the Bill Bradley who posted above is not the same one who has a blog on PJM because his ignorance is embarassing. Palin did not “drop out of five colleges in six years.” She attended four different colleges and graduated in five years. Regarding Palin’s intelligence, she’s sure beaten a lot of people who thought they were smarter than her. As one long time Alaskan family member says, “She’s no bimbo.”

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:26 am 72. David P:

Both are extremely fallible, high self monitors who lack the basic skills, knowledge and experience to lead our nation.

Sep 21, 2008 - 10:49 am 73. john from cinncinati:

i keep running into this attitude all the time, your wisdom has to be credentialed by some authority, otherwise you aren’t wise… NCO’s, aren’t they the guys that train officers?

Sep 21, 2008 - 11:27 am 74. LeighB:

Sioux Lady, I enjoyed your comments, your Dad sounds like a great man.

I agree with you about Barack, smart but not an intellectual.

Sep 21, 2008 - 11:40 am 75. Kiseta50:

I was raised in Yugoslavia in the sixties, by a father that only had 3 years of education. Four of us where left motherless young, and he tried to do his best to raise us right. He read every book we brought home and encouraged us to be independent thinkers and speak our mind. When I turned 18, i was asked to join the communist party, like any other good citizen. I was a fraid to give them my answer, but my father said, you will find the right answer by your self. I told them that since being in the party is a very important job, I don’t feel mature enogh for the task. My father thought that was a good answer. That is the reason I live in the USA, because my barely educated father (who spoke 2 languges and learne to read and write by the third grade)let me immigrate ,with the hope that least one of his chirldren will live and enjoy the freedom this country can provide. I am gratefull for his vision and big heart.

Sep 21, 2008 - 12:13 pm 76. BobNC:

Doesn’t matter! This has nothing to do with wisdom. Obama is a trojan horse, put on the ticket by anti-Americans to win the White House for them. Should Obama be elected, they will take over and destroy the country. If he is elected, the next attack on America will be planed and executed by Obama’s masters. It will give them the rationale to have anti-hate speech,action laws passed and then begin moving middle class folks to reeducation camps. Obama will make Pol Pot look like a piker!

Sep 21, 2008 - 12:24 pm 77. Pee Wee Herman, Community Organizer:

I agree with you about Barack, smart but not an intellectual.

Actually, the more I watch him operate, the more I realize that it’s the other way around; he’s intellectual but not smart.

Sep 21, 2008 - 12:34 pm 78. danviento:

Being later in reading this than usual, i’ll be 70 comments out or so from the top of the list. Nonetheless, I hope this comment reaches the author’s notice. Let me say, Bravo! There’s someone out there that has a similar take on the worth of the knowledge in its many and various forms.

I may only be in my mid-20’s, but I’ve operated under the premise that all knowledge is useful, given the right circumstances, and no skill is worthless, when properly applied. There are specialists, generalists, and generalists with areas of specialty. I’d say I stem from the 3rd category, using an understanding that many, if not all, of all skills and knowledge is connected and can be used in conjunction.

The worth of knowledge and skills is relative to the interested party. If you want to know how to do a thing and what knowledge is useful for consideration when making decision on the how and why of the doing, then you would find such knowledge useful. This is especially useful when wanting to accomplish a task or creating a thing by yourself. Others not interested or wanting such products might not find it particularly useful, so here the value is relative to the want or need.

When a prospective employer has a position they need filled, then they can often place a dollar value on the skills and knowledge needed for the position. Abundance and scarcity of people with required and applicable knowledge and skills is part of the employment market- supply and demand. This was something to consider when choosing what kind of education to pursue towards what type of job and lifestyle I wanted. I can only hope my children will come to this realization they decide what they want to do with themselves.

With this reasoning in mind, I find Obama’s rise in offices to be ridiculous. Just by an association through a school, doors are opened and positions offered that require knowledge of many and various factors that are beyond what he knew. Not only that, but what he does “know” amounts to an anti-american pile of lies, leaving him a very fallible touchstone to work with. Just as bad is the fact that he accepts this “knowledge” and its associated perspectives without looking at statistics beyond kool-aid study points. The man on display is a puppet with Axelrod controlling the jaw and tongue as best he can. He amounts to the run-of-the-mill greenie that soaks up all of the popular “news” yowling that the earth is going to collapse under our weight in a decade, just extending this to socialism, elements of communism, affirmative action, race bating, and chic elitist mantra.

Pardon me, but I find this development contemptible and non-sensical. A leader doesn’t have to be genius or a jack of literally all trades, but having a realistic, AMERICAN perspective is an absolute must. That, and good judgement in picking on which experts have their heads on straight. On this point, he is an utter failure- picking the vaunted Ivy-league talking heads that have already perpetrated some of the biggest acts of corruption and larceny as well as betraying the public trust for their own self-interest. And why? Because that’s what the ‘wise’ people he listens to advise. That’s not good judgement, that is evidence of naivety and any sort of judgement that borders on horrific when he’s considered for the American presidency. The fact that he has a noted past of willingly dealing with such people to get ahead shows that it’s not so much naivety as a lack of compunction or normal morality whatsoever.

Sarah, in contrast, has uprooted embedded corruption and ousted shady characters from within her operating apparatus. She brings the knowledge and perspective of an entirely different development path and skills base. This path has shown that she has leadership qualities to win the acclaim of her constituents instead of pandering to individuals in power. Her speeches and interviews show that even though she doesn’t have a vested background in politics, she grasps the reasoning and value behind the american tenants of conservatism when it comes to domestic issues and foreign affairs. Not only that, she has the steel spine to back up principles when as they’re constantly challenged by an utterly partial media query team.

These elements leads me to believe she can accomplish what GWB hasn’t had the time or force to do- not only work in opposition to the encroachment of liberalism/larger government and threats to the American people, but to put an unerring public face on this fight and put the lie to such advancements. GWB may have been content to put all of the efforts of his administration to the task at hand – protecting the American people from assaults at home and abroad – while ignoring (staying above) the yapping coming from Hollywood and media soapboxes. The likes of Palin could yet win the American people away from these naysayers and bring a strong, united American sentiment to bear against our enemies, wherever they’re at.

Here’s to some real hope.

Sep 21, 2008 - 1:40 pm 79. Paul T.:

Well said….Bravo!!!!

Sep 21, 2008 - 2:19 pm 80. Blogs For Victory » After Weeks of Smears, Why Do We Still Love Sarah Palin?:

[...] 21st, 2008 at 05:43pm Mark Noonan Victor Davis Hanson answers it perfectly: I have been asked by many why I have such confidence in a rookie Alaskan governor, given the [...]

Sep 21, 2008 - 2:43 pm 81. yochanan:

when hillary walked out of the anti iran nuke rally it showed it was all about her and not israel and the iranian nukes and when the donks theatened the jewish community for having Gov’r Palin speak at this rally it showed how little they really care about the jewish people

i already knew this i think some nu yawk jews will see this for the first time.

Sep 21, 2008 - 4:26 pm 82. After Weeks Of Smears, Why Do We Still Love Sarah Palin - Palin, Sarah? | Sarah Palin - Sharpy News:

[...] Davis Hanson answers it perfectly: I have been asked by many why I have such confidence in a rookie Alaskan governor, given the [...]

Sep 21, 2008 - 4:36 pm 83. H Stevens:

Lynn:
I commend you; you are one of the very few who indulge in this cyber rhetoric that can back up their claims of patriotism with a real history. What have I done? Well since you asked; I was 2 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed. My oldest brother was there and answered the call. My other brother wore the uniform of the U.S. Army during Korea. My son served 4 years in the U.S. Marines. As for me; at the end of WWII my school mates and I had a song we would sing to celebrate the end of the war. I don’t know where it came from and I don’t remember all of the words, but the main words were; “No one in the world can beat the Red White and Blue”. I still believe that today, and I enforced that belief by having spent almost one third of my life ready to defend this country in the U.S. Navy. Even during the Vietnam War; when men in uniform were being treated like dirt. I would never use the path that I choose for my life; to degrade value of some on else’s service to the country or their community. Some of these cyber blabs and sound byte specialist who feel they have the right to so; don’t have a patriotic leg to stand on.

Sep 21, 2008 - 4:59 pm 84. Sarah, Still Smiling! « New Wars:

[...] Sarah, Still Smiling! This is good from Victor Davis Hanson: [...]

Sep 21, 2008 - 6:58 pm 85. Bob D.:

Sarah Palin is amazing. I think she can shine light into the dark corners of the beltway, and when corruption is exposed it can be removed.

Sep 21, 2008 - 8:22 pm 86. frieda:

Did you watch Obama’s 60 minutes interview? When asked what qualification he has to run for presidency…The only two that he could come up with was:

DISPOSITION & ABILITY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER

and they have to Audacity to go after Palin’s qualification..

how could Hillary lose to this egghead!!???shame on you Hillary

Sep 21, 2008 - 8:52 pm 87. H Stevens:

Turfmann:

That’s fine for you to have such admiration for Mrs. Palin? The only problem I have with that is; the person that I saw accepting the nomination for president was Senator John McCain. Are you so caught up in Governor Palin’s one liners that you lost track of who, what, where and when. Now tell me; how is John McCain wearing his “conservative bona fides”? After you figure it out, then we can talk some more about honesty; including yours and the real reason you are in Senator McCain’s corner. As for Senator Obama and the war; would it please you if he tried to enlist his ten year old daughter? By the way; how many dogs do you have in the fight?

Sep 21, 2008 - 11:09 pm 88. GodsWill:

I would say that Sarah Palin is far wiser because God is on her side. Sarah only needs God’s blessing and she will learn everything that she needs to learn in 4 years. With McCain by her side, with God’s love, and her unwillingness to blink, she will lead our country to 4 years of greatness.

Sep 22, 2008 - 2:45 am 89. Jeff:

What people don’t understand is why some of us are so against the current Republican ticket, but we have an obligation to fight against history of ever being repeated again. Many of us out here are not fighting for the Democratic campaign but are fighting against an ideology.

1) An ideology that completely mirrors the ideology of this past 8 years.
2) An ideology that recognizes the few while completely disregarding the masses.
3) An ideology that believes in taking military action against Iraq, an incident that is completely unrelated to 9/11, without solidifying our claims beforehand. In the present, we have found no evidence of weapons of mass destructions or a tie to Osama Bin Laden. The devastation of this war has cost us over 4,000 of our brave troops and counting, over 1/2 trillion dollars of taxpayer’s money and counting, and over 1 million Iraqi lives unrelated to the terrorists or insurgency.

Cost of the Iraq War — http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

4) An ideology that still believes that the Iraq War is the right war on terrorism when the Afghanistan War should had been the right war on terrorism, where Osama Bin Laden actually was until he slipped into the mountains and into Pakistan’s territory now. The Iraq War also diverted our attention away from the Afghanistan War. We now have extended our resources in two separate places and have heightened our risk to our troops, our expenses, and creating another dilemma that will take quite some time to finalize. The Iraq War will not go away overnight and it is now our obligation to see it all the way through for God knows how many more years. This has also been the most unpopular war in the eyes of the world’s communities.
5) An ideology that believes that we are at our safest state since 9/11, when a recent terrorist plot was still trying to enter Great Britain’s airports with liquid explosives heading directly to us, but thankfully the plot was foiled. While in Afghanistan, the terrorists are regrouping and strengthening and we have recently suffered another high casualty to our troops yet again within this past month. We currently have the least amount of alliances in the world’s communities due to this unpopular Iraq War. True national securities are the ties that bind us to our world’s communities and the ties that bind them to us.
6) An ideology that vetted one of the most inexperience VP ticket in history, from foreign policies to national defense. If God forbids that anything happens to this President if elected and is stricken with illness, this VP will be running the country. For a more compelling look at Sarah Palin’s VP readiness, please look at this link below —

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loUHRv3ipLE

7) An ideology that believes in “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” while we are facing the highest mortgage foreclosure crisis, high unemployment rate, and the largest collapse of our financial infrastructures since The Great Depression of 1929.

This is an ideology that many of us in America are against. Whether this ideology is in the Republican or Democratic ticket is not the main issue but the fact is that America does not want to fall into another 4 more years of devastation. We cannot afford this anymore.

Sep 22, 2008 - 3:46 am 90. Ed Wallis:

“Jeff” 3:46am –

Name and define the so-called “ideology” you yammer about.

You have done nothing but air dirty laundry. Your laundry list is nothing but that.

I’ll guess you mean : “Capitalism” …

…as opposed to Socialism (not that you or Zerobama would ever admit to that being the driver behind his policies…no, no, we don’t mean Soros’ checkbook here…)

Given that choice, I trust Americans to vote for Capitalism – warts and all – every time over Socialism.

More than that, however, cannot really be expected from Axelrod Astroturf writers and their wannabe copycats…

“Jeff,” tell Axelrod he needs to send someone else in here; you’ve ruined whatever credibility you may have once had.

Your “sincere caring” is gone baby gone.

(…by the way, this must be about the 7th or 8th time you’ve posted almost exactly the same thing elsewhere here…how original!)

Sep 22, 2008 - 4:25 am 91. Sarah:

Hi “Jeff”
To those of us that follow PJM regularly we’ve already seen and dismissed your “ideology” that you’ve posted about ten other places on this site. How about trying to have an original thought once in awhile instead of falling back on your “tried and true” here ok? We’re all bored by you, go post your liberal tripe masqerading as concern somewhere else!

Sep 22, 2008 - 8:02 am 92. Jennefier:

WorldNetDaily
Obama adviser spun Enron-like accounting scandal
Former Fannie Mae CEO to repay millions in bonuses, stock options

Posted: September 20, 2008
2:47 pm Eastern

WorldNetDaily

NEW YORK – Former Clinton administration budget adviser and current Obama housing adviser Franklin Raines perpetrated an Enron-like accounting scandal as chief executive officer of Fannie Mae, resulting in his receiving millions in compensation over a six-year period.
Raines and two other top Fannie Mae executives agreed to pay $24.7 million, including a $2 million fine, to settle a civil lawsuit filed in December 2006. It accused Raines and the two other executives of manipulating Fannie Mae earnings, allowing executives to pocket hundreds of millions in bonuses from 1998 to 2004, according to the Associated Press.
The AP also reported Raines was forced to give up Fannie Mae stock options valued at $15.6 million as part of the settlement.
As recently as July 17, the Washington Post ran a profile piece on Raines claiming he “has been quietly constructing a new life for himself,” in which Raines takes “calls from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters.”
Prior to the settlement, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, known as OFHEO, the government regulator that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, had sought $100 million against Raines and the other two executives, plus restitution totaling more than $115 million in bonus money tied to the accounting scheme manipulation.
Fannie Mae separately paid a $400 million civil fine in a settlement with OFHEO and the Securities and Exchange Commission in an agreement to make top-to-bottom changes in its accounting procedures to avoid future Raines-like accounting manipulation scandals.
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s top account accused Fannie Mae under Raines’ leadership of misstating earnings for three and a half years, leading to an estimated $9 billion earnings restatement that wiped out 40 percent of Fannie Mae’s profits from 2001-2004, according to Business Week.
(Story continues below)
Central to the Raines accounting scandal was a strategy to “cook the books” of Fannie Mae to show the type of earnings that would trigger hundreds of millions of bonuses to Raines and other key Fannie Mae executives.
When the scandal surfaced, Raines resigned from Fannie Mae in December 2004, with a $19 million severance package, according to the Associated Press.
The Raines scandal surfaced in 2004 when charges Fannie Mae accounting manager Roger Barnes had been making since 1999 surfaced. He said Fannie Mae had been manipulating its earnings through “cookie jar” accounting to justify payment of hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to top executives.
In his 26-page testimony before OFHEA, Barnes detailed multiple Fannie Mae deviations for Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, or GAAP, and his repeated efforts to bring these irregularities to a wide range of Fannie Mae managers and executives, all without positive result.
Barnes said he left Fannie Mae in October 2003 because he felt “forced out” once it excluded him from working on the OFHEA investigation.
“As a result of Fannie Mae’s refusals to take the concerns I had raised about financial and accounting practices seriously, and the retaliation I faced for raising these concerns, I had no choice but to separate from the Company in October 2003,” Barnes said on page 25 of his written Oct. 6, 2004, testimony to the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services.
Still, the OFHEA report on the Raines scandal cited Barnes 34 times in the first 80 pages of its 200-page report.
Barnes, an African American, reportedly received a $1 million settlement after threatening a whistleblower lawsuit citing racial discrimination, according to USA Today.

Sep 22, 2008 - 8:06 am 93. Around The Campaign 2008 Sphere:

[...] There’s a lot more so read it in its entirety. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE TOOK A SWIPE at Sen. John McCain for his ads in a skit that comedy writer/Senate candidate Al Franken helped writer. Details and video HERE. WHO IS WISER? BARACK OBAMA OR SARAH PALIN? The view at Pajamas Media. [...]

Sep 22, 2008 - 8:12 am 94. Jane R:

Obama’s Real-Estate Bust
He did for Illinois taxpayers what shady mortgage lenders have done for the economy.

By David Freddoso

Last week, Sen. Barack Obama compared the Savings and Loan bailout of the late 1980s to the situation of the mortgage-securities markets today:

Too many S&Ls took advantage of the lax rules set by Washington to gamble that they could make big money in speculative real estate. . . . [T]hey made hundreds of billions in bad loans, knowing that if they lost money, the government would bail them out. And they were right. The gambles did not pay off, our economy went into recession, and the taxpayers ended up footing the bill. Sound familiar?

Indeed, it does sound familiar — it sounds a lot like what Barack Obama did to Illinois taxpayers as a state senator in Springfield. Using his elected office and his clout, Obama helped Tony Rezko and other unscrupulous low-income housing developers obtain millions of dollars in state grants, tax credits, low-interest loans, and regulatory advantages.

Taxpayers had no serious chance of recouping these “investments” in Rezko and other developers. And many beneficiaries went one step farther, depriving the public of even the benefits they could have gotten. These developers took government help to build low-income housing, and then let their buildings deteriorate into uninhabitable slums.

To date, the most complete account of this sad story is Binyamin Appelbaum’s piece in the Boston Globe. Not only does it demonstrate the monumental failure of the low-income-housing policy that Obama vocally championed as a state senator, it gives a detailed look at how some of Obama’s donors and friends — the beneficiaries of that policy — neglected their own housing developments at the expense of the inhabitants.

There is no indication that Obama approved (or even knew) of the massive and systemic neglect of these properties in his own state-senate district. But there is also no question that he was an enabler in these transactions. He cosponsored at least six bills to give special tax breaks, tax credits, building-and-maintenance subsidies, and zoning exemptions to the developers. In 1998, he wrote letters to state and city officials requesting $14 million for a project developed by Tony Rezko and another close Obama friend — the politician’s old law-firm boss, Allison Davis.

In his Globe piece, Appelbaum describes the low-income Grove Parc Plaza complex, which was developed by Davis:

Mice scamper through the halls. Battered mailboxes hang open. Sewage backs up into kitchen sinks. In 2006, federal inspectors graded the condition of the complex an 11 on a 100-point scale — a score so bad the buildings now face demolition.

Sewage backups seem to be a common problem in Davis’s low-income slums — another of his buildings, Appelbaum reports, was cited in 2007 “after chronic plumbing failures resulted in raw sewage spilling into several apartments.”

Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s campaign adviser and the subject of a recent fawning interview by Katie Couric, is the chief executive of the company that managed that Grove Parc slum until just recently. Appelbaum writes that her company managed another housing complex until its condition became so poor that the federal government seized it in 2006.

Cecil Butler, another Obama donor, had his Lawndale Restoration complex confiscated by the government in 2006 “after city inspectors found more than 1,800 code violations.”

Appelbaum’s piece gives some sense of just how closely Obama was, and still is, tied to the slum-lord world. He’s taken contributions from its big players and pushed legislation favorable to them. His closest ally in that sphere has been Rezko, who raised $250,000 for Obama’s campaigns before being convicted on unrelated corruption charges earlier this year.

Rezko had been leveraging his fundraising abilities to win alliances with other politicians long before Obama got his start. He applied for his first subsidized-housing loan from the City of Chicago six days after Mayor Richard M. Daley’s election in 1989. Within the first six years of Daley’s reign, Rezko’s company, Rezmar, received $24 million in government loans and $8.5 million in federal tax credits. Over the following decade, it would rake in more than $100 million in loans from the city, state, and federal governments, as well as private bank loans to fix up 30 Chicago buildings for low-income public housing.

Despite all this cheap and free taxpayer money, all of Rezko’s 30 buildings eventually ran into financial difficulties. As of 2007, 17 had gone into foreclosure. Six were boarded up and abandoned.

The City of Chicago sued Rezmar at least a dozen times for failing to heat its properties. During the winter of 1997, Rezmar claimed it lacked the funds to heat a 31-unit building in Englewood on the south side of Chicago — one of eleven Rezmar buildings in Obama’s state-senate district. Tenants there went without heat from late December 1996 through mid-February 1997. Despite his company’s financial hardship, Rezko signed a $1,000 check for the campaign fund of the newly elected state senator Barack Obama on January 14, 1997.

When Barack Obama talks about risky real-estate investments and failures of government oversight, remember how he put Illinois taxpayers on the hook for some of the worst real-estate investments of all — investments in his close friend and in other slum landlords who took the public’s money and betrayed their trust.

Sep 22, 2008 - 8:48 am 95. tanstaafl:

Second, I have seen no difference in intelligence levels between those who inhabit the world of the physical and those who cultivate the life of the mind.

I grew up with a prejudice towards the academic and the life of the mind.

It has taken a very long time to throw off that very narrow perspective and learn to appreciate the depth of wisdom and intelligence that can come from any quarter of society, at any time.

Most academics take themselves way too seriously.

Real intelligence rarely presents itself as holier than thou.

Sep 22, 2008 - 9:40 am 96. tanstaafl:

I would be more impressed by Palin…if she knew McCain better than me.

I would be more impressed by BB…IF that second sentence were slightly more grammatical.

Snark.

Sep 22, 2008 - 9:52 am 97. Will Becker:

Palin is wise,Barako is cunning.

Sep 22, 2008 - 10:45 am 98. Sarah Rolph:

Kiseta50, thank you for sharing your story. I am glad you are here, and I hope you are happy and successful. America was created by, and created for, people like you and your father!

Sep 22, 2008 - 11:20 am 99. Agoraphobic Plumber:

“You right wingers”

…

“You are always right and everyone else is wrong.”

I just thought that was an interesting juxtaposition. More so if the writer would look in the mirror and apply his own words to himself.

“All of your beliefs and theories are good and everyone else’s is bad. You can smear, but don’t like to be criticized for it.”

Welcome to politics. You just described both sides, in case you hadn’t noticed.

“You may be proud, but what have you done for your country today, or any other day?”

I tried to enlist in the armed forces in the run-up to the first Gulf war, but was disqualified on a medical. Not much, but at least I tried. Have you?

How many wars have you fought? How many sons have you sent into battle?

McCain fought and suffered greatly in one. Palin sent a son to Iraq recently. How many did Obama send? How many wars did your messiah fight in? You may want to dial back that particular line of argument just a bit, in light of who you’re trying to defend and who you’re attacking.

“How much time have you spent serving your community?”

I spend several hours every day off and on. I provide full-time foster care for kids in trouble, plus I occasionally volunteer at the local Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity. I also sponsor 4 kids through Compassion and WorldVision and spend a lot of money, time and effort through the local church. How about you?

Oh…and I’m not a Republican, but I imagine I fit under your umbrella “right-wingers” label. Maybe in some respects you’d call me an “ultra-right-winger.” But you and the rest of the Left really, truly need to get away from the whole Republican/conservative=selfish equation. It rings very, very false once it gets outside your echo chamber, what with Biden’s charity record and Obama/Dodd topping the list of those on the take from Fannie and Freddie and all. Maybe as bad as the self-righteous pontificating of social right-wing preachers who get caught in sex and other scandals.

Sep 22, 2008 - 1:17 pm 100. On the Bailout: It’s okay to pray for wisdom | The Anchoress:

[...] Davis Hanson on Wisdom in an election [...]

Sep 22, 2008 - 1:20 pm 101. Ed Wallis:

Here are FOUR examples of “wisdom” not typically found – or taught – on the Ivy League campuses:

http://www.gunbanobama.com/Default.aspx?NavGuid=430d7335-d158-44f5-aab6-bb7d1226f3fa

Sep 22, 2008 - 2:39 pm 102. Robert Ashton:

This essay was a fascinating read. My father was a master brick mason. From him I developed an appreciation for people who perform supposedly mundane activities that result brilliant and beautiful outcomes. As I scrolled through the comments there were many that were well crafted. I found it very up lifting that so many people took the time to produce well crafted, intelligent and thoughtful comments that brought honor to the original essay. A community of critical thinkers.

Thank you.

Sep 22, 2008 - 2:54 pm 103. daveinboca:

I lived in Chicago for close to ten years working for Amoco Corp & met most of the Chicago thugs—top echelon libtard division—and found that they simply mimic the fakery of the DC crowd like Dodd & Biden, both dishonest insincere ninnies who should be under indictment [or Biden's kid should for FanFred]. The Daley Brothers are a mini-mob in themselves.

Obama is a cypher and a mere sock-puppet for a hidden hand that will use this callow lad for nefarious nonsense—all for everyones’ best interest, of course.

P.T. Barnum was right, only nowadays you get a four-star sucker rating if you swallow the libtard medicine straight. Gotta have a very weak mind to do that.

Palin is from the true grass roots, and every snob and supercilious nitwit in the MSM/Hollyweird/academicide cacophony of phonies wants to bring her down. She’s terrific and McCain with all his foibles will get my vote.

And thank you for A War Like No Other and for this magnificent column—it’s in my permanent bookmark already.

Sep 22, 2008 - 2:55 pm 104. nohype:

Good article.

Many years ago I was successful in earning a Ph.D. because a friend of mine told me that a Ph.D. was the triumph of perseverance over intelligence. If I had not had that insight, I do not know if I would have made it.

Some of the smartest people who entered college with me flunked out. Many of the smartest people who were in graduate school dropped out before they finished. A few of the most intellectually brilliant people I have known have had no common sense whatsoever.

Credentials are a very imperfect way of measuring intelligence.

Sep 22, 2008 - 3:18 pm 105. Matt, Esq.:

I had a lib friend argue Obama was more qualified (then Palin, of course) because he went to Harvard.

I asked her if she knew anything about Harvard law. She didn’t. I asked if she knew how he got into Harvard. She didn’t. I asked if she could tell me what real world lessons Obama learned at Harvard that qualifies him to lead. She couldn’t tell me.

I’m convinced this election is simply about the Left trying to wrest control of the country so they can remake it in their own socialist image.

And daveinboca sounds like he’s talking conspiracy about the people behind Obama but I think he’s 100% right. Look who he’s surrounding himself with … everybody see’s him as a meal ticket and if he’s elected, they’ll ride that train until it crashes into something. If he doesn’t get elected? Well, my guess is he won’t be back as an Illinois senator come re-election. He put all his chips into this bet (which was foolish but hey, thats our Barak) and if he busts (which he will), I suspect he’ll be John Edwards (possibly without the cheating) in 4 years.

Sep 22, 2008 - 4:27 pm 106. Matt, Esq.:

Oh and as an addendum, I could never go to Stanford- the hippies, the west coast, etc. But if I did, I’d load up on any class VDH was teaching.

Sep 22, 2008 - 4:28 pm 107. gs:

McCain’s continuing remarks about the financial crisis are dismaying people who want to support him.

VDH, your post may be even more relevant in 2012 than it is today.

Sep 22, 2008 - 6:23 pm 108. dman:

Sarah Palin has run a small
city in Alaska and later the
state of Alaska. The only
thing Barak Obama has run is
his mouth – and based on the
number of gaffes none too
sucessful…..

Sep 22, 2008 - 8:25 pm 109. Red Blooded American:

The only people comparing Palin and Obama are ideologues on right-wing blogs who promptly accuse their imagined opponents of having started the comparison. So let’s just skip it.

The fact remains that the prospect of Palin as V.P. makes one nostalgic for Dan Quayle, and that is quite a feat. Had Palin not been nominated, no one in either party would seriously advance the notion that she is qualified for high national office. People leaping over themselves to defend her qualifications show just how slavishly they follow ideology over common sense…just the sort of behavior attributed to the “elites” without real-world experience. Funny how that works.

Having fixed many toilets in my day, as recently as last week in fact, I can tell you that there is nothing difficult about it, and that the ability or willingness to do so is qualification for nothing beyond being a handyman. Electrical wiring is a bit more challenging and the stakes are certainly higher if you’re not careful. I’ve done plenty of it as well. And again, it qualifies you to run some more wire, but not to make important policy decisions for a nation. I’ve dug holes, built fences, poured foundations and pounded plenty of nails. And I’ve worked with a lot of other people in the process doing similar work. And I can tell you it’s a complete fiction that any of this experience qualifies me or anyone else to hold high office or any office for that matter.

Not that I’ve heard anything about Sarah Palin holding any actual blue-collar jobs. She was an Alaska television personality and then a hockey mom and p.t.a. member, before moving on to the city council and mayor of a very, very, small town which she managed to burden with huge amounts of debt by the way. So she is really just another person cashing in on celebrity, albeit a very minor celebrity until a couple of weeks ago. The first actual qualification for high office I have seen is that she was elected Gov. of Alaska. Now that is impressive, no doubt. But she has only been in office since the beginning of last year and she should not be put into high national office based on that experience. Let’s see if she runs for national office in 2012 after losing with McCain in 2008. That will be a real test of her viability as a big-time politician. It will taking more than dodging interviews and cheerleading to even get an exploratory committee going though, let alone to win a primary and become a serious candidate.

Sep 22, 2008 - 9:53 pm 110. Jeff:

We live in a troubled time indeed. We live in a time when human mentalities have not transcended beyond fear of the different and unknown. We live in a time where we have not bridge the differences in color, creed, religion, and cultural backgrounds of this world. Mankind wants to co-exist in this world for a peaceful future but have broken every bridge that embraces our differences. God created and brought variety to this world for a reason, a purpose. He could have simply made everything in this world the same. He could have simply made one type of human race; one type of animal on land, sea, and air; one type of flower; one type of plant; one type of tree; and one type of weather season. God had a greater vision for this world and a greater vision for mankind. It is our utmost importance to figure out this Master Plan of God for the sake of future generations to come.

Why has God bestowed such varieties upon this world? What are God’s purpose and His reasons for taking such actions? What has mankind learned in the thousands of years since His Creation? Is He looking down upon His Creation everyday to see if everything that He had created met His reason or purpose? Has mankind’s mentalities been able to achieve what He has hoped for in this world that He had created? Has mankind, in the thousands of years since His Creation, been able to bridge the divides that separate them?
Has mankind been able to even tap into the true meaning of God’s Master Plan?

We, as a society, need to ask ourselves these questions everyday. In the thousands of years since God’s Creation, have we even come close to achieving God’s Master Plan for us? While we are great in all of our current physical achievements in this world, has our mentalities transcended above and beyond all of our physical achievements in this world? God gave us His greatest gift of all, “the human mind and heart”. Have we achieved the full potential of this Gift to meet with God’s Master Plan?

We are currently facing one of the most devastating time in Earth’s history with war, famine, natural disasters, economic tragedies, and a huge uncertainty for the whole world. In order for Good to prevail in this troubled time, the Gift that God has bestowed upon us must be put to the test. The human mind and heart must transcend above and beyond to bridge all of the divides of this world to set a turning point for a better future for the generations to come.

Sep 23, 2008 - 12:44 am 111. Ed Wallis:

RBA 9:53pm,

Thanks for the laugh…and the attempt to “re-write history” (I use this phrase to avoid the more accurate “lie, lie and lie”):

OBAMA and HIS CAMPAIGN began this admittedly-odd comparison.

Tell THAT to Axelrod when you go to pick up your paycheck….

Sep 23, 2008 - 2:40 am 112. Ed Wallis:

“Jeff” 12:44am – I find your post (also found word for word elsewhere at PJM) contradictory at best.

On one hand, you note God “could have simply made one type of human race; one type of animal on land, sea, and air; one type of flower; one type of plant; one type of tree; and one type of weather season,” yet did not.

On the other hand, you say we “must transcend above and beyond to bridge all of the divides of this world to set a turning point for a better future for the generations to come.”

So, it seems you are either saying that God made a mistake by creating these differences…

…or you are suggesting that Mankind go against the, shall we say, “intent” of having these differences in this world of ours.

HAVING SAID THAT, if you are a different “Jeff” from the person posting nonsense elsewhere on PJM, then please clarify just what you wish to convey with all this “transcendental” talk.

Should you be the same “Jeff” posting “pseudo-Independent-100%-anti-McCain” nonsense elsewhere on PJM, then please tell your Astroturf employer Axelrod that attempting to apply religious jargon in a superficial manner won’t convince anyone to vote for your Holy Thug of Chicago, but IS rather counterproductive.

Sep 23, 2008 - 6:20 am 113. Janet:

This u tube video is the final nail in the coffin and death of the McCain campaign
must see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Sep 23, 2008 - 7:52 am 114. Jane R:

How Obama Applies Alinsky’s Rules
By INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Monday, September 22, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Election ‘08: Barack Obama’s mocking of John McCain, while urging his followers to “get in their face,” are tactics right out of his radical hero Saul Alinsky’s playbook: ridicule and agitation.

IBD Series: The Audacity Of Socialism

At a recent Las Vegas rally, Obama poked fun at Sen. McCain for what he described as bragging about “how as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, he had oversight of every part of the economy.”

“Well, all I can say to Sen. McCain is, ‘Nice job. Nice job,’ ” Obama said in a sarcastic tone. “Where is he getting these lines? It’s like a ‘Saturday Night Live’ routine.”

Then he belittled the 72-year-old McCain for vowing to take on the old boys network. “In the McCain campaign, that’s called a staff meeting,” he sneered.

The late Alinsky, a trench-warfare socialist who despised American capitalism, advised community organizers like Obama to “laugh at the enemy” to provoke “irrational anger.”

“Ridicule,” he said, “is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.”

At another rally in Nevada, Obama called on the crowd of about 1,500 to join him in sharpening their elbows against McCain and his supporters. “I want you argue with them and get in their face,” he said, in a naked attempt to “fan hostilities” in the tightening race, something Alinsky also advised from his bag of agitation tricks.

Obama doesn’t look or talk like an angry radical. He speaks in measured tones and is rarely seen out of business attire. That, too, is borrowed from Alinsky’s playbook. “Don’t scare” the middle class, he guides urban revolutionaries in his 1970s manual, “Rules for Radicals” (which he dedicated to mankind’s “first radical, Lucifer”).

Instead, look like them, talk like them, act like them.

And work for radical change from the inside — “like a spy behind enemy lines,” as Obama said in his first memoir. He wrote it before entering politics, while still working with hard-left Alinsky groups and training street agitators known as “community organizers.”

As he wrote, he became a community organizer in 1983 because of “The need for change. Change in the White House, where Reagan and his minions were carrying on their dirty deeds.”

That’s when he set out to “organize black folks” for social revolution, first in Harlem, then the South Side of Chicago. Now he wants to do it on a “large scale.” Though most average voters wouldn’t know it, he’s applying Alinsky’s radical rules to achieve his goal.

Alinksy stressed that his rules be translated into real-life tactics responsive to the situation at hand — which right now happens to be something he never could have dreamed of: a disciple who would find himself in a viable battle for the most powerful job in the world.

Obama has already translated several of Alinsky’s rules into battle tactics, including:

• Rule: “Rub raw the resentments of the people; search out controversy and issues.” In the mortgage meltdown, for instance, Obama vows to prosecute “predatory lenders” for “abusing” minority borrowers. He’s also stoking class resentment by painting Wall Street and other executives as villains.

• Rule: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” In an ad to woo Hispanic voters, Obama demonized Rush Limbaugh by falsely claiming he made racist statements against immigrants.

• Rule: “A mass impression can be lasting and intimidating.” This explains why Obama moved his acceptance speech to a football stadium and bussed in 85,000 supporters. Alinsky’s son was so impressed, he praised Obama for learning his father’s “lesson well.”

• Rule: “Multiple issues mean constant action and life” for the cause. This is why Obama never harps on one issue, as Hillary did with health care. His platform is packed with grievances from “economic justice” to “reproductive justice” to “environmental justice.”

Obama is following almost to the letter the blueprint for socialist revolution drafted by the father of community organizing.

While Alinsky may help him behind the scenes, however, he becomes a liability when brought out of the shadows. Sarah Palin proved this in St. Paul when she ridiculed his community organizing. Within hours, Obama surrogates whined about how just bringing up the phrase was racist code for “black.”

No, it’s code for communist. And McCain should make that point instead of legitimizing such radicalism, as he did recently when he said, “I respect community organizers; and Sen. Obama’s record there is outstanding” — which contradicted his running mate.

There’s nothing to respect about such anti-American radicals, even if they have traded their tie-dye for business ties.

Sep 23, 2008 - 7:58 am 115. Ed Wallis:

“Jeff” 12:44am – I find your post contradictory at best.

On one hand, you note God “could have simply made one type of human race; one type of animal on land, sea, and air; one type of flower; one type of plant; one type of tree; and one type of weather season,” yet did not.

On the other hand, you say we “must transcend above and beyond to bridge all of the divides of this world to set a turning point for a better future for the generations to come.”

So, it seems you are either saying that God made a mistake by creating these differences…

…or you are suggesting that Mankind go against the, shall we say, “intent” of having these differences in this world of ours.

HAVING SAID THAT, if you are a different “Jeff” from the person posting nonsense elsewhere on PJM, then please clarify just what you wish to convey with all this “transcendental” talk.

Should you be the same “Jeff” posting “pseudo-Independent-100%-anti-McCain” nonsense elsewhere on PJM, then please tell your Astroturf employer Axelrod that attempting to apply religious jargon in a superficial manner won’t convince anyone to vote for your Holy Thug of Chicago, but IS rather counterproductive.

Sep 23, 2008 - 10:05 am 116. tanstaafl:

I’m convinced this election is simply about the Left trying to wrest control of the country so they can remake it in their own socialist image.

Fundamentally, yes.

Sep 23, 2008 - 1:17 pm 117. H Stevens:

Jane R: & Others

As if Obama has never been ridiculed by McCain and Palin. Remember that ridiculous celebrity ad that started all of the negativity. In case you don’t remember this either; every speaker at the Republican convention ripped him to shreds. Palin went one further and ground the shreds into the floor. Oh! I forget; a black man is not suppose to express any indignation or fight back, because it scares us. When Obama attracts a large audience, he is an elite celebrity. When Palin does it, she is connecting with the people. Suddenly a Harvard education has become a liability, something to be avoided at all cost if you want to become president of the US.
Stop! Look and listen to yourselves. Think about the crap you’re trying promote.
Now let’s look at this word “wisdom”. In this case I believe wisdom is being able to look at yourself truthfully and say “I don’t like this guy, and I’m not going to vote for him”, rather than try to promote all of this garbage about wisdom of farmers, plumbers and John Doe down the street.

Sep 23, 2008 - 1:38 pm 118. Ed Wallis:

“H Stevens”,

I think both you and “Jane R” have a point, but I think you’re making a mistake:

While “ridicule” may indeed be a part of Saul Alinsky’s playbook,

that does NOT NECESSARILY make all ‘ridicule’ “socialist.”

(In the same vein: Just because Hitler was a vegetarian does not mean all vegetarians are Nazis)

Sep 23, 2008 - 1:47 pm 119. carla:

The Simonization of Barack Obama
Savage Politics ^ | September 3, 2008 | M. Corrigan

Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 15:56:14 by 2ndDivisionVet

simonize |?s?m??n?z| verb [ trans. ] polish (a motor vehicle). ORIGIN 1930s: from the proprietary name Simoniz + -ize .

Sitting on the sidelines, I have watched the unfol 10f8 ding drama of this presidential election. There has been a simonizing of Barack Obama that has been breathtaking to watch. Where has the mainstream press been to examine all the unanswered questions and events that have arisen? Any reporter’s career might be made by investigating anything that is contained in this article.

A great story could be found in the nauseating treatment of HRC by the DNC, media and Democratic Party. A story could catch on about the failed POTUS candidates, who sprang to support Obama and malign Hillary because of their jealousy. An expose’ could be written about the deep under current of misogyny, and sexism that promoted an unqualified candidate. A morality tale could be told about loyalty, truth, and courage which are dismissed because officials covet a piece of the power pie. However, there are more important and compelling questions that should be deeply investigated about Obama by mainstream media:

Questionable relationships- Ayers, Qdinga, Khalidi, al-Mansour, Farrakhan, Rezko, Auchi, Wright, Pfleger.

Possible Nefarious Behavior- Annenburg Project failure with the money improprieties.

Racism- Michelle Obama/Farrakhan “Whitey Tape” speculation.

Campaign Big Money-Obama Campaign’s true money sources.

Fabrication- the great uncle of WWII

Historic Gaffs- Obama’s lack of understanding of historical events

Primary Double-Dealing- Caucus Fraud, Super Delegate and delegate threats and payoffs, Manipulation of the DNC Roll Call, Threats and intimidation by campaign thugs.

Murders- Bill Gwatney and Gay Choir Director of Trinity Baptist, Donald Young.

Undisclosed Meeting- Brazile/Rove.

Non-transparency about records- tax, State Senate, law firm, law practice client list, legislative accomplishments, small donar’s/fundraiser’s/bundler’s figures.

Personal non-transparency- birth. baptism, medical, Selective Service, Occidental/Columbia/Harvard records, Columbia thesis paper, University of Chicago scholarly articles, published Harvard Law Review Articles, Obama’s Wall Street work.

Obama has received passes from the mainstream media (MSM) about “backroom remarks” such as Canada/NAFTA, Teamsters/Ear of the President and most recently Biden’s “behind the scenes” remark that Israel should accept that Iran will have nuclear weapons, which now he denies.

MSM continues to lightly gloss over words and actions that should signal a bright red flag. There was Obama’s frightening non-connection to the Georgian situation. Also, Obama’s policy shifts, regardless of what they are, should give pause, as to what he stands for and the media should have called attention and explained these following reversals:

opting out of public campaign financing, revising Iraq withdrawal plans, voting against the death penalty in child rape cases, reversal on hand gun bans, voting for FISA, reversal on NAFTA, and lifting the ban on off-shore drilling.

The press has enabled Obama’s evasive tactics, so that the public projects a reflection of whatever they dream about him.

The media’s decline began in the Bush Administration, cheerleading for a trumped-up war and rubber stamping, as unpatriotic, those that questioned the war. And so it continues as the lazy/paid-off press has refused to vet Barack Obama and has enabled big money to simonize Barack Obama. I have watched this dazzling spin of which many of my friends and family are victims because they have no real sources of information, The truth about Barack Obama has been insulated from the general public by mainstream media by perpetuating a polished image and this could “polish off” the very foundation of our Democracy.

Sep 23, 2008 - 3:57 pm 120. nlcatter:

Lying is not wisdom
- She has lied about the Bridge To Nowhere. She ran for office favoring it, wore a sweatshirt defending it, and only gave it up when the federal congress, Senator McCain in particular, went ballistic. She kept the money anyway and favors funding Don Young’s Way, at twice the cost of the original bridge.

- She has lied about her firing of the town librarian and police chief of Wasilla, Alaska.

- She has lied about pressure on Alaska’s public safety commissioner to fire her ex-brother-in-law.

- She has lied about her previous statements on climate change.

- She has lied about Alaska’s contribution to America’s oil and gas production.

- She has lied about when she asked her daughters for their permission for her to run for vice-president.

- She has lied about the actual progress in constructing a natural gas pipeline from Alaska.

- She has lied about Obama’s position on habeas corpus.

- She has lied about her alleged tolerance of homosexuality.

- She has lied about the use or non-use of a TelePrompter at the St Paul convention.

- She has lied about her alleged pay-cut as mayor of Wasilla.

- She has lied about what Alaska’s state scientists concluded about the health of the polar bear population in Alaska.

You cannot trust a word she says. On anything.

Sep 23, 2008 - 8:43 pm 121. Red Blooded American:

Ed Wallis:

“Lies, lies, lies” you say while saying you won’t say it. You are in the right party, that’s for sure, able to say a thing while claiming not to say it, to smile politely while spitting in someone’s face. That’s quite a feat.

I don’t recall anyone except Palinistas making the comparisons. If Dems have done it I really can’t understand why. In any case, I have heard and read dozens if not hundreds of right-wingers do it. So your point does not pass the sniff test.

And you believe people are paid to post here. That’s a good one. I’d be surprised if even the featured writers here get paid. But it’s all good fun. I can’t imagine there would be any economic value in posting reasoned views deep in the comments of an obscure rabid right-wing blog.

Sep 23, 2008 - 11:43 pm 122. Ed Wallis:

DO NOT FEED THE 8:43pm TROLLS.

Sep 24, 2008 - 1:18 am 123. Marc Malone:

to nlcatter: talk about spewing the talking points! Let’s address your accusation of lies, shall we?

Bridge to nowhere: No, she didn’t tell Congress no. But when the funding died, Alaskans still wanted it, and she told them no, after the projected price went way up. The money was from a transportation fund, and was hers to keep. She used it for roads. She didn’t use it to enrich cronies like Congress does.

Firings: Actually, everyone was let go, and she rehired most of them later. Very common transition strategy. When Bush leaves office, all his appointees will tender their resignations.

Pressuring the police commissioner: Um, no. No evidence anywhere. Political blowback. Remember, the entrenched establishment, whose applcart she overturned, don’t like her. She could simply have fired her ex-brother-in-law. I would have. He’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.

She hasn’t lied about her climate change position. She actually disagrees with McCain on this, but she is toning it down, because she’s the #2.

She overstated the amount of AK’s percentage of energy contribution, but the numbers are right if the potential is actually exploited. So, wrong tense.

She did not lie about her kids input. she kept it a surprise until the last moment, but they were all for it when asked.

No lie about the Gas Pipeline. It’s something that’s been planned for 30 years. She finally got it approved in July. No one else had. That’s a huge accomplishment! It also required… International negotiation with Canada!

Obama always says people lie abouthim when they have him dead to rights. He agreed with the court decision. He may be right or wrong legally, but it’s still unconscionable! He’s a true lawyer alright.

She didn’t lie about the teleprompter. Bloggers misrepresented that. They did have trouble when she went off-script a couple times. A non-issue. The point is, she doesn’t go um, uh, um….

She’s clear on her position regarding homosexuality. She holds conservative views, but she did veto the gay-benefits ban. She governs from the Constitution. You got a problem with that?!?

I could go on, but the point is, her record is pretty danged good! Everybody puts their experience in the best possible light they can, including you. Everything you’re doing is nitpicking. You’re looking for little blemishes on a fine record. You’re missing the big picture. But then, you don’t want to see it, do you troll?

Sep 24, 2008 - 3:11 am 124. Melly B:

Wow, so many brilliant points. My father and mother being just such rennaisance people, both carried Masters in Education (plus just enough NOT to have to step up to the PhD level). Both were and are Farmers. Dad has a patented varietal of Pecan which he propigated himself. I won’t talk about their politics, as they both sadly believe that the Democratic party of FDR still exists.
I have in my life known many truly brilliant people and have always been struck by the dichotomy of giant brain vs. complete lack of sense in a few of them. My sister, bless her is one. She is book smart and fairly insightful at times, but needs to be led by the hand in many instances.
I find it ironic that the same people who above tout the need for HaaahVudd, or some such degree as a qualifier for THEIR president, manage to intimate that W got HIS by some fluke, and that the man is a mental midget and the worst thing to happen on the continent since the ice sheets came to Kansas. The man has made mistakes undoubtedly, but I have watched him doing his best to protect us (silly Me, I thought THAT was the job). Conversely, they laud another ivy covered lad whose main accomplishments in office were to lower the deficit by gutting things like intelligence and defense to the point that we were WELL prepared to be a fish in a barrel for 9-11… And taking plenty of time for his peccadillos and dalliances on OUR TIME.
I am not a conspiracy theorist, but the timing of the collapse of so many giant banks and corps which seem to have so many HIGH level liberals fingers all through the pie is “interesting” to say the least.
To Whiskey who says that “all women vote status” or some such garbage… I smirk in your general direction. Do you actually KNOW any women? Most that I know can neither abide 2 minutes of the View, nor tolerate the rags you vouchsafe as the oracle behind our every decision. PLEASE! We were impressed by the Breck Girl??! Amazing.
Things that are merely shiny on the surface have never much impressed me. Nor have things that prove to be shallow after the first scrutiny… and there is where I find nobama.

Sep 24, 2008 - 5:50 am 125. nlcatter:

mely B – you wandered and said nothing!

Sep 24, 2008 - 7:41 am 126. nlcatter:

–Bridge to nowhere:
–No, she didn’t tell Congress no.

She told COngress YES YES YES

but then told us she said NO

that is LIE #1

–Firings: Actually, everyone was let go, and –she rehired most of them later. Very common

BUllshit – not in a tiny town!!

– Trooper gate
she used office for personal gain

– She overstated the amount of AK’s percentage

then she is friggin DUMB

–about the Gas Pipeline. It’s something
–t also required… International negotiation

She lied about PRogress of developing – there is NONE

and it DID not require foreign negotiation wiht CANaDA
1 its agasint the a law!
2 it was with a company in canada

– She didn’t lie about the teleprompter.

WSJ – Gov. Palin’s telling was a Canton crowd-pleaser: “There Ohio was right out in front, right in front of me. The teleprompter got messed up, I couldn’t follow it,

Sep 24, 2008 - 7:54 am 127. nlcatter:

We are now on Day 27 of Sarah Palin’s refusal to take questions from the press

because she is a bloody moron!

Sep 24, 2008 - 9:52 am 128. Ed Wallis:

DO NOT FEED THE 7:41am, 7:54am, 9:52am TROLLS.

Sep 24, 2008 - 1:14 pm 129. j. Barnett:

I have a idea this women can handle her own, she is sent to us for a reason. i believe she and McCain could put this country on the right track, she strong, she isn’t in the dirt of the dome, this women has plenty to say, and believe me i think her time is coming very soon, you don’t run families, children and personally family problems in the ground as getting to know someone, she’ll be hated but she’ll do her job, because she already knows what has to be done, shut up and let this women do it.

Sep 24, 2008 - 3:44 pm 130. Marc Malone:

You’re right, Ed, I should’ve known by the raw anger that it was a troll.

Sep 24, 2008 - 4:47 pm 131. JFo:

A very good example of one seeing what one wants to see. Perhaps she possess a substantial amount of comment sense. But having now seen her interviewed, no one will convince me she posseses great intelligence.

Ms. Palin has been added to the Republican ticket in order to be the current day Spiro Agnew. Let’s not confuse common sense with insight. And please, let’s not elect someone again because we feel we could have a beer with them. Or ride in their Minivan.

Sep 24, 2008 - 5:07 pm 132. nlcatter:

Agnew! great analogy! thanks!

Sep 24, 2008 - 8:22 pm 133. Marie:

Excellent dissection of the empty core at the center of Ivy worship – all manufacture, too little earned.

Palin’s achievements are far more remarkable and out of the box than Obama, who merely fawned at the right people along the Ivy/Chicago highway and was labeled a superstar.

Palin has simply lived, rather than calculated. The difference – and the attendant substance – is plain to all of us willing to see.

Sep 24, 2008 - 8:46 pm 134. Ravalli County News » Blog Archive » Palin and Obama—What Really is Wisdom?:

[...] Victor Davis Hanson [...]

Sep 24, 2008 - 9:18 pm 135. Jeff:

We all need to really look at this election objectively. Since the completion of the vetting process of both VP candidates, Biden has gone on to accommodate roughly about 84 interviews with the press while Palin has done less than 4 interviews with the press. That is a MAJOR unbalance in the two comparisons and it truly shows McCain’s apprehensiveness about her ability to speak on her own accord, without his physical presence. What does this portray, first and foremost? It portrays that this Presidential ticket does not have the full and utmost confidence in his VP ticket to fend for herself and answer any questions that the American public needs to know. It truly shows that his vetting process was not done in a wise manner but more so in a political manner. Here is a woman that exudes family values; taking care of 5 kids while being the Governor of Alaska, maintaining a healthy marriage, having decent morals and values, and is completely a Washington outsider. This is a classic profile of a candidate that has never been tainted, in the eyes of the American public that has lost faith in the judicial system. This pick was merely done to appeal to the American families with values and tradition but what else could be said about this VP ticket? Does it show the American public anything about her ability to make all the necessary decisions in regards to foreign affairs, national defense, economic legislation, and the overall ability to govern the most powerful country in the world?

We must keep in mind that McCain IS in fact 72 years old and if elected, he WILL be the oldest President to ever be elected. The last oldest elected President was Ronald Reagan at 69 years old, when he was elected in 1980, but he was in fairly good health. McCain, on the other hand, will be 3 years Reagan’s senior, if elected. He also does have a history of skin cancers which are not completely cured, among other ailments that he suffered during his years as a POW in Vietnam. Can we, as the American public, be completely confident that if anything happens to McCain while in office, that Palin will in fact be fully ready to tackle anything and everything that this country will have to face? America MUST search deep down and answer this question, honestly.

Sep 25, 2008 - 3:13 am 136. Moultrie:

Another great VDH feature article. Mostly good comments too…I am a little surpeized at the smallish number of O-Bots commenters…they must have been distracted yesterday by something.

Sep 25, 2008 - 6:42 am 137. Josh:

I am trying to understand nlcatter’s posts but it’s difficult because this person can barely string a few sentences together, unlike those in the intelligentsia or the common man who finds that he needs to learn to express himself in a clear, understandable fashion in order to get a good job.

If nlcatter can’t stand the fact that Gov. Palin is a conservative, than he/she should stop disseminating and just say it. Nlcatter’s lists of supposed “lies” are very telling. If only they set the bar as high for Obama, but of course if they did that then they’d have to admit (due to an extremely long list of significant issues) that they’re only voting for him because of his party affiliation and not actually voting for the man. “Progressives” like this have already let their masks slip, so now they need to come out and stop being disingenuous about Palin and should just say they can’t stand her because she is not a liberal.

Sep 25, 2008 - 6:53 am 138. Marc Malone:

Jeff, I have to disagree with you about why the small number of interviews. McCain’s not worried about Palin’s ability to handle an interview. He just knows that the press is working against him. Every interviewer is going to be asking gotcha questions, and also taking whatever she says and spinning it unflatteringly a la Katie Couric’s “Great Depression”.

Myself, I would never, ever, ever let her talk to the press, and I would announce it to the world! Let that be the issue of the day!

Sep 25, 2008 - 3:26 pm

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