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Sarah Palin To Hold Rally -- In Indiana
Looks like John McCain is playing defense in another state that hasn't voted for a Dem for president since LBJ's landslide in 1964. From the Indianapolis Star...
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, will hold a rally in the Indianapolis area Friday...Palin's visit will come a little more than a week after McCain's opponent, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, held a rally that was attended by about 21,000 people at the State Fairgrounds. Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, was in Southern Indiana in September.
The Real Clear Politics polling average has McCain up by a scant 3.8 points in the state. Multiple observers have rated Indiana a toss-up, but the real tell is that Palin is now heading there. With time running out, that's one less rally Palin can do in a "real" battleground state.
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Just curious: what happened to the Obama 50 state strategy? It seems that once again, only the battleground states are getting the personal touch.
October 13, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
What do you mean? Obama was in Indy, he's been in NC and VA, he's been the NV and NM and CO. It's not like he's going to go campaign in Utah and Oklahoma for criminy's sake.
October 13, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I mean that I'd like to see him before this campaign ends and since I'm in the cobalt blue northeast, it's not going to happen. I understand the exigencies of modern campaigning, but the "50 state strategy" is just another coating of lipstick. Just another case of my idealism running into that reality brick wall thing.
October 13, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
The 50-state strategy never meant that Obama was going to personally campaign in all 50 states. It meant that there was going to be a real campaign organization in all 50, which is a very big change from past campaigns.
Sorry if you misunderstood and got your hopes up. If you want to come down to the DC area for the inauguration, I'm sure we can find you a place to stay. ;-)
October 13, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks to you and Billy for the clarification. I guess it was a hope too high to grasp.
As for the inauguration: we used to live in the DC area and have a bunch of friends who have already invited us to stay. Thanks for the offer nonetheless. There's also a very outside chance that I may get to shake hands with the Man himself within 3 to 6 months of inauguration if certain things break the right way for a good friend of mine who does consulting on health issues.
October 13, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know what you mean. I couldn't get anyone to take my shift for two days so I could see him in Berlin. I was sorely disappointed on missing that event!
October 13, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
50-state strategy means competing in every state (opening offices, fielding volunteers and being in direct contact with local and state elected officials) - it doesn't mean actually campaigning in every state.
October 13, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Me, too, but I'd rather see him in the White House in January than here in SF before Nov. 4.
October 13, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
O word up!!
October 13, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indy is rabid for Obama. Here's to hoping there is a well-planned, celebratory counter-rally for Obama.
October 13, 2008 12:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Plain is preparing for her 2012 run for POTUS.
October 13, 2008 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
God, I can't wait to watch that.
October 13, 2008 12:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can.
October 13, 2008 12:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
of Alaska. That's the only place she has a snowball's chance in hell of being president.
And she's not even going to be able to hold onto her place as governor.
She's going to disappear down an information black hole after this election so fast -
October 13, 2008 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed. She'll have to get re-elected as Gov. first. Good luck with that with your abuses of power, Sarah.
October 13, 2008 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa, there, franklyn - we have to back this up for Gov. Palin a bit.
As an unwise man once asked, "are their Vice Presidential candidate learning?"
October 13, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin: The USA == The United State of Alaska.
October 13, 2008 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's see if she survives the next few winters up there in Alaska first. Especially seeing how there are some highly PO'd republicans and democrats that would like to take her out behind the woodshed for a few lessons in civility.
October 13, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin was also in West Virginia this last weekend. West Virginia! They are running scared.... Please keep ignoring Virginia, Florida, Colorado, and Nevada- McCain camp.
October 13, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
By all means! Run around to all the deep red states you are losing.
LOL!
October 13, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Baby Jesus has been smiling on us, Tena! Who knew there were Democrats two thousand years ago?
October 13, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
There have always been "liberals."
;)
October 13, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone ever tell you your pic looks like you're a caucasian Janet Jackson?
October 13, 2008 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
No - that's a new one.
If only -
LOL!
October 13, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd like to see a bumper sticker that says:
Would Jesus vote Republican? No way in Hell!
October 13, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Apparently they canceled her previously announced bus tour of WV and cut it back to a layover. The campaign planned for her airport stop to be a rally, but only about a dozen people showed up. Hee hee!
October 13, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
thanks for sharing that. made me smile.
October 13, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does Indiana want to secede from the United States as well?
October 13, 2008 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I sure hope not. I don't really want to be forced to move back to the U.S.
October 13, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nothing to see here, national media. Move along...
http://pufferfish.typepad.com/
October 13, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if acamus will attend... ;)
October 13, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, Say it ain't so Barbiecuda, gosh darn it, there ya go again, putting our national security at great risk, by scampering off to Indiana, and taking you eye off of Russia.
Now who will save us, if that Putin fella rears his head?
October 13, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin will either become Alaska's next senator or the host of a show on FOX, having joined -- in name only -- that evil, threatening institution known as the press.
October 13, 2008 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
The later is more likely, she can teamup with Huckabee for the "Huckacuda Hour of Power".
October 13, 2008 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice one! I was trying to think of a clever title (Nobody from the North, Palling with Palin, etc) but gave up. You hit it! The Huckacuda show could be a Christian variety show featuring prayer, sermons, two-bit political analysis, music (no dancing), recipes for moose and 'possum and maybe even some slapshots tossed in for the sake of exercise.
Oh, there I go being a liberal elite again; education is a damn hard thing to suppress.
October 13, 2008 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
She and Ann Coulter would make a great comedy duo!
October 13, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
LMAO!
Then she'll end up going down Tammy Faye's path and have a lot of gay male friends. Come on - she was in beauty pageants - you know she'll end up there!
October 13, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whether she goes there or not, she'll have a bunch of male impersonators who will be so good and over the top, we'll wonder why we once thought that Tina Fey's SNL skits were so funny.
Can't you see it: A drag queen revue of Liza Minnelli, Tammy Faye, and Sarah Palin.
October 13, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
O the flute playing drag queens in bathing suits - I can't wait!
October 13, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin seems to be doing a helluva lot more appearances and rallies than McCain lately. Now I understand that McCain has his last debate to prepare for, but that would only explain his lack of Monday-Wednesday events, Palin's been all over the place for weeks, McCain not so much.
Also when was the last time McCain appeared without Palin? There is an article over on the HuffPo where Obama/Biden has made 95 appearances in the battleground states, compared to McCain/Palin's 55.
After the final debate on Wednesday, I hope Obama and Biden are planning to campaign each and every day right until Nov 4th. Three weeks straignt, if they're seperated and do two a day, they could pound out 80 more appearances between them. 80 appearances between Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina and hopefully more more swing to Iowa, Colorado and New Mexico along with another visit to Minnesota and Wisconsin, and that's not counting Michelle and Jill dates and some special Clinton appearances.
October 13, 2008 12:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
North Dakota?!!
Sending good vibes to my great Uncle Dean and Aunt Ruby in Mott, N.D....
October 13, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL!
Hustler releasing "Nailin' Paylin" porno.
http://thesuperficial.com/2008/10/sarah_paylin_makes_a_porno.php
October 13, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Firewall screen at work keeps me from taking a peek, but I'm listening to "Big Fat Funky Booty" at the moment, so I think I have an idea....
October 13, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
We're going to take Indiana and Hillary's going to have made the difference
October 13, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of Palin and appearances - have y'all seen the picture of her on the front page that accompanies the electioncentral page ledes?
Look at her hair - that's outrageous. I'm sorry, it's probably shallow, but no women who aspires to be vice president, let alone president. should be running around with hair like that. It's bimbo-hair - not stateswoman hair, godfuckingdamnit!
October 13, 2008 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like a rat's nest to me...
October 13, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
October 13, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
it's been Britney-fied. Who's the celebrity?
October 13, 2008 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I want the Barbiecuda to be the Republican's 2012 nominee. She has a good shot at it, because the rabid fundy base of the party will back her all the way. With her as the nominee, they would lose all moderates and independents, and be reduced back to just the regional party of Jefferson Davis.
The country needs a good rational two party system. The only way that the Republican party can be restored, is to first have Palin take the party down in flames in 2012, so that the grip, which the rabid right wing fundies have on it, will be broken. Once rational Republican candidates see that they no longer have to submit to the Hill Billy Ayatollahs, then they will be liberated to restore their party.
Look at what submitting to those Hill Billy Ayatollahs has done for McCain. They forced him to pick their crackpot holy princess from the Tundra.
The Republican party needs to restore it self back to what it was during the Eisenhower years.
October 13, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
In my opinion, it remains to be seen just what "base" is left for the Repug Party after this election. There's a power struggle between the extreme right, including the religious right, and the conservative intelligentsia.
I'm praying the intelligentsia wins because then they will build a viable opposition party and we need a viable opposition party.
One party states make me nervous, regardless of the party.
October 13, 2008 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
My guess is that if Obama wins, we will see the Republican party turn on itself and wage a decisive war over it's divided soul, pitting the Christian Right against the what's left of the libertarian/Goldwater Republicans.
Think Sarah Palin vs. Ron Paul.
The victor will represent the Republican party in 2012 (probably that will be the Christian Right). The loser will reemerge as a powerful 3rd party, Ross Perot style but stronger.
Neither, however, will be strong enough to overtake the Democratic party. Unless, of course, Obama crashes and burns in his first term... but we all know that won't happen.
October 13, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
O hell no on overtaking us.
Look, I've run this into the ground, but never forget, peeps - we held the majority for 40 years before they stole it from us. They had it for about 12 and failed so epically that I think we'll hold it again for god knows how long.
I hope and I do think so. I think these last 12 years are going to end up in the very long run being nothing more than a blip.
October 13, 2008 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
That article by Wm. F. Buckley Jr. was a real eye-opener. Seems the normal republicans are a tad bit upset with the way the rabble-rousing religious right and neo-con have terrorized the Party leaving them no place to go on election day but to the Democrat column. It's the only way to save the Party - starve the beast controlling it.
October 13, 2008 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
A small point, but I think you mean Christopher, not William Jr.
October 13, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. I goofed on that one. Had the article right in front of me. I got Palinated stupid.
October 13, 2008 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. I goofed on that one. Had the article right in front of me. I got Palinated stupid.
October 13, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. I goofed on that one. Had the article right in front of me. I got Palinated stupid.
October 13, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. I goofed on that one. Had the article right in front of me. I got Palinated stupid.
October 13, 2008 1:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, that is why I want them to be a check on excesses within our own party. Absolute power corrupts.
October 13, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, the Republicans actually do a decent job as opposition, historically. They just don't have a clue about how to be in charge.
October 13, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's a difference between being a check and a brake. During the last 8 years, in the first 6 the repugs disengaged the brake completely. And in the last 2 they've been going out of their way to physically break the system - no checking just total destruction. Mean spiritedness is not a check on governing the majority for the good of the whole.
October 13, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alternatively, they could decline far enough that they go the way of the Whigs. I'm not sure there are enough sane people left in the Republican Party to rehabilitate it (at least not in or near any kind of leadership position; I'm making no judgment about the rank and file.)
I'm completely serious about this, not just engaging in schadenfreude. The state parties, where any sort of restoration would have to emerge from, are if anything more whacked than the national party. The VA GOP, for example, has been completely taken over by the anti-tax crazies as the older moderates have retired, and I don't see how it could take less than a generation before anyone else is running the show.
October 13, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think that's a great comment - not schadenfreude.
I don't know what's going to happen, actually. I can't tell.
October 13, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Liam, First:
LOL!
Second:
Why should they restore themselves to an earlier incarnation? Why not just rebuild on a different foundation? Why not build up on ideals and principles that the American people can identify with.
Or they could just shrink to the point where they're just a regional minor party in the South, which is where they seem to be headed.
October 13, 2008 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Obama has McCain playing some really tough defense. I mean, Indiana? North Carolina? Shouldn't these be 'slam-dunk-red-states'?
Yeah, I thought so. So did McCain!
If the Obama campaign can get McCain to spend lots of money in states that he wasn't expecting to, then I think we are looking at some really good news gang.
http://thepajamapundit.com/
October 13, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've been having fun listening to my Republican friends feed me talking points about the race. The line today is about how the national polls are actually tightening.
And while I could explain how some folks like Gallup are switching methodology and likely voter models, I'm sort of just letting them run with it. I've spent the past two election cycles reading and examining the heck out of these polls and am finally getting a good sense of how to read them. If they want to pin their hopes on Drudge's and Hannity's spin on the polls, well, then they have a heck of a lesson to learn.
October 13, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please let them continue with that and let them continue with this latent "Bradely Effect". The complete wipeout of their party will be beyond enjoyable.
October 13, 2008 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
To see real videos of real women discussing their reactions to Sarah Palin & the misuse of gender issues in this year's presidential race, please take a look at the following blog:
www.speakoutonpalin.blogspot.com
October 13, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pittsburgh Palin Fundraiser Becomes Big Obama Rally.
Watch the video at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/13/94720/657/443/629090
October 13, 2008 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
On Palin's West Virginia bus tour, you may want to see this one: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/13/85810/305/780/628761
October 13, 2008 12:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Palins are the The Traveling Road Show Version of The Jerry Springer Show.
October 13, 2008 12:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
The von Trapp family they're not.
October 13, 2008 8:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
There she plans to explicate Paul Krugman's theories of economies of trade, globalization, and the role of free trade.
October 13, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Help! I no longer exist... sort of...
October 13, 2008 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let's not bury the Republicans just yet. Pundits were doing that after the Goldwater debacle in 1964, and look what happened in 1968--and 1972--and 1980--and 84--and 88--and 2000 and 2004. In fact, I'm still a little worried about 2008. Who knows whether General Petraeus may hand John McCain Osama bin Laden's head on October 31? This is the 19th one of these quadrennial's that I've lived through. And Ive cried more than I've laughed on the first Wednesday morning of November. I think my best laugh was 1948, and my worst cry 2004.
But I'm guardedly optimistic. We do need a viable two (or three) party system. I would like to see a moderate center-right party. The Republicans have moved so far right that you can't see them unless you're in Alaska. Yallerdawg here
October 13, 2008 8:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
When Sarah Palin spoke recently in Omaha the rally was held in the Music Hall off the Civic Auditorum. That's right; the venue was basically a theatre that seats roughly 3,000 people. Most of those were young Republicans bussed in from the two college campuses here in Omaha. The article from the local Fox channel put the crowd size at 8,000. Somehow I doubt the Fire Department would allow 8,000 people into a 3,000 seat theatre. Within 25 miles of downtown Omaha live roughly 600,000 people. Including those bussed in, 3,000 showed up. Obama attracted 20,000 at a rally before Nebraska held its caucus in late February. The contrast could not be more sharp.
October 13, 2008 11:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I seriously hope Palin tries to run in 2012 and gets her party's nomination. I doubt that can happen though with so many conservatives openly admitting how utterly incompetent she is but it would be a great sight nonetheless. That would make for the easiest re-election of Obama that we can imagine.
October 14, 2008 6:20 AM | Reply | Permalink