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September 4th, 2008 at 7:04 am
We have nothing to fear, but fear-mongers themselves:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a “task that is from God.”
In an address last June, the Republican vice presidential candidate also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it “God’s will.”
September 4th, 2008 at 7:54 am
She had some great lines, gotta admit it..
I also liked the one about “turning back the waters and healing the planet.”…
This stuff plays very, very well with average middle Americans. I don’t think the extreme left from Mass, NY, LA and SanFrancisco understand that.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Sorry Shawn, you guys have gone to that well one time too many my friend.
As George Bush so eloquently paraphrased Lincoln: “Fool me once shame on, shame on you, you fool me twice shame, shame, the point is you can’t get fooled again.”
America is NOT foolish enough to fall for this kind of garbage while they’re losing their homes and jobs and sending their sons off to die in Iraq.
You guys had your chance, messed up everything, but don’t worry, we’ll pick up the pieces and make America even greater than you can imagine!
September 4th, 2008 at 8:24 am
“This stuff plays very, very well with average middle Americans. I don’t think the extreme left from Mass, NY, LA and SanFrancisco understand that.”
I don’t want to understand it. I don’t care if you’re not into Obama. That argument can be made. But I have no tolerance whatsoever for anyone who embraces the misdirected, juvenille rage of Romney, Giuliani, and Palin. Listening to them, my head was spinning last night. What are these people so pissed off about? Their disdain for the concept of “community organizing” was absolutely sickening. Their contempt for the American people boggles the mind - dumb it down to “elites,” “liberals,” and “the media.” Totally vile.
I’d never thought of myself as a democrat or a liberal before. But I want to be as faaaaaaaaar from these horrible people as possible. So if that makes me a democrat or liberal, great. I’ll be a communist if that’s the polar opposite of what I saw at the podium last night. They were despicable.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Was there anything but hate in any of those speeches? They always appeal to the lowest common denominator. Last night Thompson went on and on about McCain being shot down and I imagined every redneck in his lazyboy getting all teary eyed. I’m like, wow, that sucks McCain went through that, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO WE NEED FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008!!! ‘Jesus Christ, give the guy a medal, take him to the Olive Garden, say “thank you for serving your country” and move on to the next of the thousands of veterens injured or killed. Do they all get to be president now? Was that the point? What am I missing here?
September 4th, 2008 at 9:00 am
“But I want to be as faaaaaaaaar from these horrible people as possible”
I actually found it uncomfortable to even look at the people in the crowd cheering as these people spewed hatred. Who are these people that cheer at taking away other peoples freedoms? Pailin spoke well but every word from her mouth just sent chills down my spine.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Palin to me came across as very negative, full of zingers, and not much else. It was a red meat speech for the base, but middle America is hearing about positive stuff and post-partisanship (without mere capitulation to extreme right wing, however) and then they get this speech from Palin. My thought is, they might be saying, “cute, but what else you got, really?”
RE the “turning back the waters and healing the planet” line, that was suuuch a dog whistle to the far right religious. It was an obvious oblique reference to those people spouting that Obama is the anti-Christ, who comes in the guise of a false Christ.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:32 am
lol… Have you listened to yourselves over the last 6 months???
The extreme hatred that pours from the left has diminished your message to the point where regular people just ignore your issues because they don’t want to listen to the messenger anymore.
Sure, the right has a few whackjobs.. (Coulter), but nothing compared to the left.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Shawn, it’s one thing to attack someone on their policies (like tying John “90% Bush voting” McCain to the failed policies of this administration) and another thing to compare Obama to the anti-Christ and calling him unAmerican or unpatriotic. Notice OUR side hasn’t done those things.
Open your eyes.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Shawn–
There is no way in hell that you can look at the two conventions with objectivity and say that the Democrats displayed anything remotely like what was projected from the podium last night. No liberal himself, David Brooks called Romney’s tirade “borderline insane,” and that was being quite generous.
I swear, dipping your toes into these peoples’ world is like stepping into an alternate universe.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Say what you will about media and blogs, but what we heard last night was from the candidate herself. A fair comparison would be with the opposing candidate.
No comparison.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I just don’t understand these people. They’re intellectually (oh no, I think that’s a swear now) on par with third graders as far as clapping and laughing at people just being mean and hateful.
Republicans fancy themselves “Mr. Burns” when in reality there are really just a handful of Mr. Burns’s in the party controlling millions of Nelson’s like the stupid puppets they are.
They’re dolts, plain and simple, and they LOVED last night. They thought it was GREAT!!! However, they don’t get to pick the president, and niether do people like us. It’s the back and forth voters, who voted for Nixon, then Carter, then Reagan…..who get to elect presidents.
Last night those people turned on their TVs and saw “more of the same” visceral smears from the GOP. They didn’t even cloak it in the big warm swaddle of “Family Values” (gosh that sounds nice) like they did in ‘88 and ‘92. They were just all out rageholics. Compare that with hope, optomism, virility, etc. and which do you think they’ll choose? Republicans have no idea yet that they just lost this thing, no idea at all.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I heard nothing about education, healthcare, taking care of veterans, climate change, conservation.
I heard more fossil fuel use, censorship, fundamentalism.
Chanting “Drill baby, drill”? They should be embarassed.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
“I heard nothing about education…”
Obviously you weren’t listening close enough. Mitt Romney wants to keep the liberals’ pornography out of our schools.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I don’t understand how this blog calls itself reality based. Look, I advocate a certain philosophy and sometimes for particular politicians, but I pride myself on being able to accurately and dispassionately analyze politics. Lynne and Peter seem incapable of reading the average American voter (who thinks nothing like the lefties in Massachusetts).
Bottom line: Your analysis of Palin has been dead wrong since day one.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Ooooo you wrote “Bottom Line” Josh, so that makes it so.
What part of what I wrote isn’t factual? Answer? Not yet my friend. Come back to me on November 5th and I shall accept your apology.
Love,
Peter
September 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
You know Josh, all I’ve ever said about her is that she’s “a looker.” So what you’re saying then is that I am “dead wrong” about that?
Bottom line: Your analysis of my analysis of Palin is dead wrong since day one, to the tune of all of it, lock, stock and barrel.
I love how the mindless GOPers always talk in cliche’s and think that makes them right. I’m not talking about you Josh, you never do it.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Lucy-
I just meant Sarah Palin. I didn’t get to hear the other speakers. I thought that’s what we were talking about. I’ll check out Mitt’s speech. Thanks.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I just want to point out that the Associated Press did a running Fact Check on Palin and other speeches last night. That story “what a surprize” isn’t included in the Lowell Sun’s coverage of the convention even though another AP story was included along with the daily log of a GOP delegate. Did they do that with the DNC? I don’t recall.
Anyway, Huffington Post dot Com does have the AP story fact checking last night’s RNC speeches including some of Palin’s quotes. Interesting reading.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/ap-attacks-praise-stretch_n_123771.html
September 4th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
From
http://www.factcheck.org
GOP Convention Spin, Part II
September 4, 2008
Palin trips up on her facts, and Giuliani and Huckabee have their own stumbles on Night Three of the Republican confab.
Summary
Sarah Palin’s much-awaited speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night may have shown she could play the role of attack dog, but it also showed her to be short on facts when it came to touting her own record and going after Obama’s.
We found Rudy Giuliani, who introduced her, to be as factually challenged as he sometimes was back when he was in the race. But Mike Huckabee may have laid the biggest egg of all.
Palin may have said “Thanks, but no thanks” on the Bridge to Nowhere, though not until Congress had pretty much killed it already. But that was a sharp turnaround from the position she took during her gubernatorial campaign, and the town where she was mayor received lots of earmarks during her tenure.
Palin’s accusation that Obama hasn’t authored “a single major law or even a reform” in the U.S. Senate or the Illinois Senate is simply not a fair assessment. Obama has helped push through major ethics reforms in both bodies, for example.
The Alaska governor avoided some of McCain’s false claims about Obama’s tax program – but her attacks still failed to give the whole story.
Giuliani distorted the time line and substance of Obama’s statements about the conflict between Russia and Georgia. In fact, there was much less difference between his statements and those of McCain than Giuliani would have had us believe.
Giuliani also said McCain had been a fighter pilot. Actually, McCain’s plane was the A-4 Skyhawk, a small bomber. It was the only plane he trained in or flew in combat, according to McCain’s own memoir.
Finally, Huckabee told conventioneers and TV viewers that Palin got more votes when she ran for mayor of Wasilla than Biden did running for president. Not even close. The tally: Biden, 79,754, despite withdrawing from the race after the Iowa caucuses. Palin, 909 in her 1999 race, 651 in 1996.
This is a summary only. The full article with analysis, images and citations may be viewed on our Web site:
September 4th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
“Lynne and Peter seem incapable of reading the average American voter”
Josh,
I would like to think that I am the average American voter. I am a registered Independent with degrees in economics and many years of studying Reaganomics under my belt. I have voted Democrat and I have voted Republican. McCain had a chance for my vote until the announcement that most people in my office dreaded “Sarah Paillin”. “Drill baby, drill” is just a synonym for vote Obama! She is a right wing extremist and will not get the vote from the “average” American voter. Sorry Josh but Obama is just much more middle of the road to us independents. I am part of the 42 million registered independent voters that the Christian right will be hearing no from this year.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I have to agree w/ kpem’s statement, “She is a right wing extremist and will not get the vote from the “average” American voter”.
Having voted to the right, years and years ago, the Palin choice was an interesting one. Overwhelmingly for me, I would not vote for that ticket w/ her on it (were I not supporting Obama), due to her: a.) far right values. Don’t get me wrong, brought up in a Protestant Baptist household. Don’t like someone, anyone in power, telling me what I can and cannot do with my own personal self. b.) My feeling is that most of the independent voters, are “independent” of the right wing and desire much as I do.
Fact is, this election, is not about Obama or McCain. It is about a change of attitude in our nation. Too many folks are struggling to make ends meet, heat their homes, find jobs, too many jobs overseas and so on with too many on the higher end, making lots of dough on the despair of the average American citizen.
Unfortunately, it is easier for folks to sink into despair and accept the abuse w/out a word, becuase their voice, perceptually, has no meaning.
I will be voting for Obama, because I can’t take another 4 years of the past 8.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
Nice article on the Palin/GOP “thing”:
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/354368
Love ~ RealClearPolitics.com
September 4th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I like this video that I saw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmt0rLtgmK0
This woman almost seems like McCains joke for not letting him choose Lieberman by the conservatives.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I really enjoyed Palin’s speech.
It was meant to be uplifting to the party, and it was.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Paige–
This is a little late, but I only now read your message. Hopefully I didn’t truly prompt you to waste your time by watching Romney’s speech. I was only joking about the fact that he covered education, though he did refer to pornography in schools. Because he is totally, absolutely, 100 percent f’ing nuts.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I don’t post here very often so I should probably do a little introduction…I am a VERY left leaning, born-and-bred Democrat who has always lived in Massachusetts. I am also an atheist. I make no pretense of understanding “the average American voter” - in fact, I am quite befuddled by them.
I have been watching the last week’s Sarah Palin saga unfold with an active interest. I care very deeply about this election (as I do every election) and cannot believe that the Democrats are once again falling into the trap of making the election about personalities and speeches rather than issues and actions.
When will the Democrats put up a side by side comparison of where McCain, Palin, Obama and Biden each stand on the issues of the day? While I have already said that I don’t understand how middle America thinks and votes, I believe that most people, when faced with the issues, would say that that Palin in particular and the McCain/Palin ticket in general is too far to the right for them. Abortion in cases of rape or incest? Creationism-only in the schools? Iraq? Iraq? Iraq? Let’s bring their views into the light of day.
My husband and I disagree about whether the Obama campaign should resort to this kind of “negative” action, but I think that if there is any hope for a Democrat to get elected in this country, we need to start talking to people about issues and not defending against personal attacks. Sarah Palin has declared her willingness to be a pit bull….we need to call her on it.
Just my two cents.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Josh: “Bottom line: Your analysis of Palin has been dead wrong since day one.”
You mean, all the ethics investigations, our countering of her spinning of her actual record, etc, that’s all dead wrong? You ignore it and its impact on your ticket at your own peril. It’s not us! It’s the fact this candidate was not vetted. But we get to take advantage of it - attack her strengths like Republicans always do to us. Like, the fact her own history undermines her “reform maverick” narrative. Or the fact of her mostly extreme social conservatism. (You might not like it, but the majority of Americans are pro choice.)
That said, yes, I agree with -b on her speech. She gave a speech (that someone else wrote) that really played to the base like gangbusters, and did that well. I’ll even go so far as to say “united the party” who was desperately looking to be united because they are leery of McCain’s extreme-right creds. Too bad that base needing to be convinced is only about 20-30% of voters and to appeal to that extreme is to not appeal to the moderate swing voter.
Why do you think W ran to the middle after winning the nomination? Compassionate conservative etc?
September 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Rudy, Romney and Huckabee made Palin sound like Winston Churchill.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Maybe that was their aim? “If you thought that was a speech full of spin and lies and personal attacks, look how bad we were first!”
September 5th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
What that says is that the Republicans have tossed away the old. The alleged hurricane kept Bush and Vader in DC. No one has explained why they cancelled their visit to Minnesota yet either. Did they also call off school?? It’s a way of distancing themselves from the past and having those three “warm up” the crowd was brilliant. It reminded me of the May Crowning when I was in Catholic school. Three old guys before the shining virgin.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
But in regards to how that played at home (Rudy, Mitt and Huck), I suspect not so well…
I dunno, I just feel like the whole Republican convention was really short on ideas…real shallow.
I mean, they couldn’t have pretended to have a plan to get us out of our economic nightmare?
This is what happens when you are a top-down, authoritarian party. You can’t quite disown your own, despite the failures and the fact they are seen as total failures, but if you admit that there’s a problem at all it’s seen as disowning your own. Like mentioning the economic woes…for instance, the rank greedy predatory lending, etc…either they really don’t believe it was predatory (which would at least be consistent, since they tout “personal responsibility” as their Prime Directive), or else they are afraid to cop to the fact that allowing such a deregulated market to take advantage of people because they would have to face the failure of their own economic system…
Either one is an election loser. So better not to mention anything of substance affecting the American people at all.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
The people in the hall that night are not having an economic nightmare. That’s what’s wrong with Republicans. Most of them never have to go to bed hungry.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
lucy-no issue-I got it- I still should catch Romney, if only for the hair-do. The all black with gray on the edge is a bit like the uncle from the Adams family.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I find it annoying that Pailin is coming across as some “middle class hero” McCain said that she understands what its like to pay the increased price on groceries, a mortgage payments, gasoline etc.. Her family makes over $240,000 per year. This is so out of touch by using her family as an example. If I made $240,000 per year I would be going to the grocery store singing a song! I can not believe the lack of compassion from these people. We make much less money, but can not pretend that we can understand what it feels like to not be able to put food on the table, have bill collectors calling, and living in fear of losing our home. Maybe the Pailins should stop buying fancy sleds and new guns.
September 6th, 2008 at 12:53 am
I will sum up Sarah Palin in two words, (or one if you already know how to pronounce it) “new-clear” that was the part of her speech where they phonetically spelled it out so she wouldn’t say “nucular” again…I just wonder how they will phonetically spell out all that foreign policy and economic stuff. Enough said.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Love it.”..fancy sleds and new guns…” I feel a string of the deliverance music theme beginng in my head..(riotous giggles!)
September 6th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Keep in mind, kpems, that’s $240,000 a year in ALASKA, where the cost of living is likely very different than eastern MA…
September 6th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
In case $240,000 is not enough,
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Riding the wave of high energy prices, nearly every Alaskan will get $3,269 starting next week as a record payout from the state’s oil savings account is fattened by a rebate championed by Gov. Sarah Palin.
Palin, Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s surprise vice presidential pick, advocated a one-time $1,200 payment, which was approved by the Legislature last month, to help residents of the oil-rich state cope with high energy prices.
Alaska Revenue Commissioner Pat Galvin and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell said Friday the dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund, which derives from oil revenue on state lands, reached $2,069 in the fiscal year ended June 30.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I went online in her town to see what I could get for my mortgage payment…new 4 bedroom home with lots of land! Poor middle class Sarah. Could McCain be more out of touch?