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US Republican line up for '08 McCain/Palin

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19:50 / 26.09.08

I seem to remember something like this swimsuit competition video as a one-liner from pundits considering Ronald Reagan's first candidacy. Him being a B-movie actor and all.

02:17 / 27.09.08

Is it wrong that I found it very funny when I heard someone refer to Palin as "Bible Spice"?

04:02 / 27.09.08

During the debate, did anybody catch McCain *winking* when he described his VP pick as a maverick like him?

10:18 / 27.09.08

Is that what that was? It looked like a nervous tic, probably because it was so forced.

12:49 / 27.09.08

Well, I missed it, but my perceptive spouse swears it was a wink. He was blinking incessantly for the first half of the debate (before the Xanax kicked in, I think), so it's hard for me to tell.

15:48 / 27.09.08

By the way, the general consensus is that Obama "won" the debate, according to early polling. This bodes well for him, in that the foreign policy debate was expected to work in McCain's favor.

17:01 / 27.09.08

McCain's winking a lot lately. There's been some blog talk about him winking when he said he was "suspending" his campaign. A tell, possibly, but I dunno.

Along those same lines: Did anyone else notice the laughter from McCain last night? My opinion, of course, but the laughing was over the top on his part. He also joked a little too much, and waited for laughter when there just wasn't any coming. And he didn't make eye contact with Obama or even turn his head to look at him, that I saw. Obama was looking for eye contact much of the time.

My favorite bit had to be when McCain was smirking and smiling on the split-screen as Obama was discussing terrorism, watching McCain choke on his smile when Obama mentioned "a resurgent Al-Queda".

03:48 / 29.09.08

Wait... so the idea of the Great Schlep is to convince Jewish grandparents to vote for Obama by pointing out his support for Israel's genocidal policies? Does anyone else see a problem with that?

In all fairness, he seemed to be of a more balanced mindset in regards to Israel vs. Palestine until it became clear that he was going to win the nomination and the DNC got their claws into him. That doesn't excuse things, but at least I think it provides some hope that he'll take a more progressive stance on the issue when the time comes.

08:16 / 29.09.08

If by before it was clear he was going to win the nomination you mean ten years before, maybe. Otherwise, not so much (link courtesy of Lenin's Tomb). Even if he had been less bad a year ago, though, I'm not very sure of the idea that that could've in any way been taken as a promising sign over everything he's said since...

13:28 / 29.09.08

I think this youtube video on McCain's health/age is problematic if not out right ageism and prejudiced against cancer victims.

It makes me feel icky to ruminate about McCain's health history because any President at any time could kick the bucket from illness or assassination. So while I'm full on 'no way no how no McCain/Palin' I don't see the need to have talking heads poke about in his personal medical history. His public record as a politician and proposed plans as President are more than enough to vilify him in my eyes.

12:16 / 30.09.08

The Onion, reminding us once again of the nature of America.

15:55 / 30.09.08

If by before it was clear he was going to win the nomination you mean ten years before, maybe. Otherwise, not so much (link courtesy of Lenin's Tomb). Even if he had been less bad a year ago, though, I'm not very sure of the idea that that could've in any way been taken as a promising sign over everything he's said since...

Fair enough. But it's fairly well known that he had several connections with the Palestinian American community while serving as an Illinois legislator, and was at least somewhat outspoken against Israeli aggression.

That doesn't jive, admittedly, with his fawning over AIPAC now. But I think that begs the question of whether it would even be remotely possible for a presidential candidate to win without the support of the Israeli lobb(y/ies).

00:44 / 01.10.08

Sweet resurrected Christ, this has to be some kind of a put-on.

She can't name one newspaper she reads.

02:11 / 01.10.08

I prefer to think that she read some of the more "liberal" newspapers like the NY Times or Washington Post but didn't want to cop to it.

09:13 / 01.10.08

Since she did not give a direct answer, it´s just speculation, but I got the impression, that she doesn´t read any newspapers. That´s a bit rich for a vp candidate who has a degree in journalism.

02:34 / 03.10.08

The debate is over, and people are marveling at her ability to form her mouth into words, her lack of drool, and her folksy tone. Also, it's possible if they win and McCain dies that we'll have another president that says "nukular".
Anyway. Biden did very well, Palin was mostly mediocre but never looked as incredibly lost as she did in the interviews, which was about all the McCain camp could hope for.

Keith, like a scientist

03:25 / 03.10.08

It was basically a wash in the public image department. On the issues, Biden demonstrated he knows his shit, but Palin had some substance to her zingers that probably won her some points against him. My bias is for Biden, so I liked his performance more simply because he isn't a pandering, cutesy conservative puppet... which, as much as Palin wants people to think of her as "just folks," the 'charming' thing really is detrimental to her among those intellectual undecideds, at least. She probably harmed herself a bit there. She did OK, better than most were expected, but so did Biden. He didn't go off on insane rambles or jump up and down and shoot lasers beams at her.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

04:54 / 03.10.08

It does seem that the Republicans are trying to claim that by her evil process of asking simple questions and then broadcasting what Sarah Palin said in response Katie Couric is just part of the evil liberal media out to 'get' Sarah, whether this will get any traction outside of right-wing blogs and Fox we'll wait and see. Did anyone watch the debate to see if Palin had a concealed mic strapped to her like Bush did in 2004?

From my point of view the most important thing was that Biden made it through the debate without appearing to bully her, this seems to have been achieved?

07:42 / 03.10.08

It seems so; although a caller to NPR later last night had what seemed to be a good point when he asked why the expectations had lowered so much for a debate to be seen as a good performance from VP candidates, in that it was only hoped that Sarah Palin wouldn't faint dead on stage or say "Um..." too many times, or that Biden wouldn't jam his foot in his mouth.

At any rate, personal bias it may be, but I think Palin did look like she was about to pass out. Or, at least, that she was relieved she was able to recite the rhetoric she'd just crammed for the night before the debate.

09:33 / 03.10.08

whether this will get any traction outside of right-wing blogs and Fox we'll wait and see.
I don't think that the persecution angle has been playing as much lately outside the far right, since in the interviews it was apparent that Couric was just asking questions, and Palin was very obviously flailing. I heard Fred Thompson on Fox News last night lamenting the media skewering, and any time you turn on Limbaugh he'll be railing on how the media is evilly trying to destroy her, but that's just how it's going to be; they've got to spin some excuse for her poor performance.

From my point of view the most important thing was that Biden made it through the debate without appearing to bully her, this seems to have been achieved?
Absolutely, he was exceedingly polite for the most part, and when disagreeing always turned the debate to McCain, never addressing Palin's shortcomings.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

07:28 / 04.10.08

Sarah Palin says Katie Couric interviews were 'unfair'.

"Ok I'll tell you honestly the Sarah Palin in those interviews is a little bit annoyed because it's no matter what you say you are going to get clobbered," she told Fox News. Oh well, that makes sense, after a week of TV ridicule the McCain campaign goes crying to Fox News about the liberal TV asking Palin questions and expecting her to have answers that were halfway intelligent.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

08:29 / 04.10.08

Video here. The idea to spread about this may be that Palin believes that the sole job of a VP candidate is to attack her opponent, not advance any ideas for what her side would/could do and that it's unfair if the media try to direct her towards the latter rather than the former.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

16:01 / 12.10.08

The Sunday Times seems to be resigned to McCain losing, which makes me wonder how the fight is being perceived Stateside right now. Although they have some autonomy the Times is part of News International, does Fox News look like it's cutting it's losses and giving up, or are they still pushing for McCain to win?

17:58 / 12.10.08

I live in a rather liberal part of the US, but over the past few days it seems like nearly every realistic Republican has come around to the feeling that, barring a major new development, the election is Obama's. I think it has a lot to do with McCain choosing Palin, and the swingable voters figuring out that this was a pretty sketchy judgment call in election where judgment is key.

ONLY NICE THINGS

17:59 / 12.10.08

The CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, is very much not in the tank for Obama, and Rupert Murdoch has a long-standing policy of not interfering with Fox News, even though he is apparently personally keen on Obama - Americans get very twitchy about the idea of foreigners controlling their media.

Fox appears to be responding to Obama's lead in the polls by having a nervous breakdown - the latest line is that if Obama wins it will be because of voter fraud.

22:57 / 12.10.08

They certainly are playing up that angle, much as some liberals tried to make an issue of the Diebold voting machines last time. Obama has a tenuous connection to ACORN (an organization that gets out the poor [and usually democratic] vote and has turned in some number of bogus voter registrations), and Fox and other media have brought up the issue. I think it's relevant news, but it's being especially blown out of proportion by Fox. Limbaugh and many other ultra-rights have been ranting about this for months. I was watching Fox news the other day, and I'm still amazed at how partisan what they're calling "news" is. You can argue that a few journalists on CNN are biased, but both ways, really. You can argue that it sucks, which it does. But it doesn't have near the bias. Fox will never give up the Republican cause, the whole culture there is created to foster it.
You know, it's funny in an unfunny way, the vitriol that has been on display lately at McCain/Palin rallies is so obviously a bubbling up of the raging ignorance that comes from Limbaugh and the like. The statements that have been in the news are people parroting the talk-show blowhards nearly word-for-word.

But, yes, the consensus among all sides currently is that barring an extreme event, Obama's got it. The subverted racism factor may not even make up for the margin of victory that's looking likely now. A terrorist attack or finding out Obama is a pedophile is about all that would change it now.

04:56 / 13.10.08

I wonder if that vitriol on display at the McCain Palin really is going to change a significant number of formerly independent voters over to Obama.

I have a Japanese manga called EAGLE: The Making of an Asian-American President (recommended read, by the way). In it, Kenneth Yamaoka, the democratic nominee for President and his top adviser, knowing the potential racist backlash that could cost Yamaoka the election, donate a sizable amount of money through several secret accounts to various racist organizations. This gives them the funds needed to stage large rallies against him, which in turn makes voters previously shaky on the thought of voting for a person of Japanese descent realize exactly how ugly that ideology and train of thought is.

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