I truly think they chose her in a panic.

The houses gaffe ruled out Romney. Karl Rove ruled out Lieberman and Ridge (and Ridge was my biggest fear). They saw the Democratic convention was a wild success and that McCain couldn't steal the news cycle by naming any of the people on his short list. They knew their convention would not get the coverage or interest that the Dems got and saw hurricane Gustav threatening to steal even more coverage away from them. It truly was a hail Mary pass, and while we shouldn't help them win the expectations game by expecting her to be a drooling idiot; we also shouldn't cower in fear of the genius of Karl Rove.

The best thing is: all those GOPers have to scurry back home and scrub their convention speeches, removing all the lines about how experience is the only thing that matters when choosing a president.

Posted at August 31, 2008 2:09 PM in response to The Backlash Cometh: MSM Op-Eds Make The Anti-Palin Argument For Obama

That's why we should keep reminding people that Palin is another Bush: She's a global warming denier. She'll fight anything that reduces our dependence on oil because Alaskans get paid for the oil drilled in their state.

We also need to use the issue of Gustav to remind people why the GOP's desire to decimate the government hurts us all:
* Do you want a minimalist government if a natural disaster hits your town?
* Do you want the money to maintain the infastructure of your state vetoed in favor of military spending and corporate handouts?
* Do you want funding for first responders slashed in order to lower taxes for the very rich?
* Do you want the National Guard fighting in Iran, Iraq, Afganistan and Georgia all at once, when the next flood or earthquake or forest fire threatens your state?
* If you lose your home in a disaster, do you want the government to side with the insurance companies when they deny your claim, then tell you they won't help you either, because you're just a whiner, looking for a "handout?"

Gustav is the perfect example to use to remind people why we need a functioning, funded government. Remember, the "ownership" society means "You're on your own."

Posted at August 31, 2008 1:56 PM in response to The Backlash Cometh: MSM Op-Eds Make The Anti-Palin Argument For Obama

I don't think the focus on her inexperience is very useful. The right will make a false-equivalence to Obama--even though he was vetted by the American people, has demonstrated his insight and knowledge and wisdom, and has proven himself on a national and global stage.

It makes much more sense to emphasize the fact that McCain appears to have picked her on a whim, without fully vetting her, because Karl Rove wouldn't let him pick who he wanted. We all know he wanted Lieberman or Ridge. Why didn't he go with one of the people HE believed would make a good vice president? Why did he let the religious right push him around?

Right now, as hurricane Gustav prepares to slam New Orleans again, what the Dems should be emphasizing is how much this proves McCain really has embraced Bush-Rove: She is a global warming denier; she thinks creationism is science; she does not believe in abortion even in cases of rape and incest. That means we will continue to have our science and our education system and our medical care influenced by the particular religious tenets (in her case Pentecostal) of the people at the very tip top of government. That's not just that NASA and EPA and FDA reports get edited. It has real consequences. It means four more years, potentially eight, of nothing being done to combat global warming. Will we be able to get birth control anymore? Or will the FDA suddenly announce that condoms aren't safe?

The Troopergate scandal is also very reminiscent of Bush. She used her power to enact a personal vendetta. She used her power to get rid of someone who refused to abet her in doing something illegal. Then she lied about it. When caught, she lied again. She removed associations with Stevens from her website and edited her own wikipedia page. These are not the actions of a "reformer" or one who believes in transparent government.

The experience argument is a waste of time and goes against Obama's argument that judgment is what matters. This pick revealed that McCain makes his most important decision on whim or pandering or buckling under pressure, not gathering all the facts and using sound judgment.

Posted at August 31, 2008 1:24 PM in response to TO ALL BLOGGERS: Policy, NOT Misogyny

I don't think the focus on her inexperience is very useful. The right will make a false-equivalence to Obama--even though he was vetted by the American people, has demonstrated his insight and knowledge and wisdom, and has proven himself on a national and global stage.

It makes much more sense to emphasize the fact that McCain appears to have picked her on a whim, without fully vetting her, because Karl Rove wouldn't let him pick who he wanted. We all know he wanted Lieberman or Ridge. Why didn't he go with one of the people HE believed would make a good vice president? Why did he let the religious right push him around?

Right now, as hurricane Gustav prepares to slam New Orleans again, what the Dems should be emphasizing is how much this proves McCain really has embraced Bush-Rove: She is a global warming denier; she thinks creationism is science; she does not believe in abortion even in cases of rape and incest. That means we will continue to have our science and our education system and our medical care influenced by the particular religious tenets (in her case Pentecostal) of the people at the very tip top of government. That's not just that NASA and EPA and FDA reports get edited. It has real consequences. It means four more years, potentially eight, of nothing being done to combat global warming. Will we be able to get birth control anymore? Or will the FDA suddenly announce that condoms aren't safe?

The Troopergate scandal is also very reminiscent of Bush. She used her power to enact a personal vendetta. She used her power to get rid of someone who refused to abet her in doing something illegal. Then she lied about it. When caught, she lied again. She removed associations with Stevens from her website and edited her own wikipedia page. These are not the actions of a "reformer" or one who believes in transparent government.

The experience argument is a waste of time and goes against Obama's argument that judgment is what matters. This pick revealed that McCain makes his most important decision on whim or pandering or buckling under pressure, not gathering all the facts and using sound judgment.

I loved Kerry's speech: How pathetic that McCain would embrace the people who smeared him. How disgusting that he would abandon his principles.

Posted at August 31, 2008 1:18 PM in response to TO ALL BLOGGERS: Policy, NOT Misogyny

I loved that riff too. But I think he stepped on his best line: the one about "Now they have to own their failure."

Posted at August 29, 2008 8:03 PM in response to The Republican Party and Their Ownership Society -- Just Got Pwned

I loved that riff too. But I think he stepped on his best line: the one about "Now they have to own their failure."

Posted at August 29, 2008 8:01 PM in response to The Republican Party and Their Ownership Society -- Just Got Pwned

The really sad thing is how pathetic her last minute resume-padding is. The words in bold were her additions this morning:

Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship, in 1982.

Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She hunts, eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles.

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics.

Talk about a non-sequitor addition:

Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.

Posted at August 29, 2008 7:54 PM in response to Palin scrubs her own wikipedia page!

I think the houses thing, combined with the success of the bread-and-butter Dem convention, made them rethink Romney and Rove apparently vetoed Lieberman, and they hadn't really come up with a plan C. I'm thinking McCain made the decision late last night after he'd taken some ambien.

Posted at August 29, 2008 7:31 PM in response to McCain met Palin ONE TIME? Is he high?

Oops. Let me try that second link again.

Posted at August 29, 2008 7:27 PM in response to Palin scrubs her own wikipedia page!

For some reason this comment won't post.

The user name is actually Young Trigg and has only made edits to Sarah Palin's page.

You can see her edits here.

Notice, in this edit, href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sarah_Palin&diff=prev&oldid=234746622">here, she removes the mention that Wooten is her brother-in-law entirely and labels the edit "better wording."

Posted at August 29, 2008 7:26 PM in response to Palin scrubs her own wikipedia page!