(Jake Turcotte)
Gotcha? Palin’s encore performance with Couric
By Jimmy Orr | 09.30.08
Anyone complaining about Sarah Palin being inaccessible to the media is just looking in the wrong place. She’s plenty available, as long as you’re Katie Couric.
The Republican nominee for vice president did an encore with the CBS News anchor Monday night. As an added bonus this time, Palin brought along running mate John McCain.
The three chatted about Pakistan, “gotcha journalism,” and her previous interview. Well, in reality the interview was all about Palin. Palin’s comment on Pakistan, whether Couric was engaging in gotcha’ journalism with Palin, and the YouTube extravaganza which resulted from the prior interview.
Pakistan
Last week Palin appeared to tell a voter that she would support a US-led attack on Pakistan to, in her words, “stop the terrorists from coming any further in.” Couric asked her if she should have said that and noted that the position sounded similar to Barack Obama’s.
“We had a great discussion with President Zardari as we talked about what it is that America can and should be doing together to make sure that the terrorists do not cross borders and do not ultimately put themselves in a position of attacking America again or her allies,” she said. “And we will do what we have to do to secure the United States of America and her allies.
Gotcha
Couric then asked McCain if she should have said that out loud. McCain heavily criticized Obama last week in the debate for as McCain put it, “[Obama] said he would launch military strikes into Pakistan. Now, you don’t do that. You don’t say that out loud.”
McCain decried gotcha journalism. Couric disagreed with him which led the Republican to say, “No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth.”
Enter Sarah
Palin then jumped in with,”You’re absolutely right on. In the context, this was a voter, a constituent, hollering out a question from across an area asking, ‘What are you gonna do about Pakistan? You better have an answer to Pakistan.’ I said we’re gonna do what we have to do to protect the United States of America.”
What did Palin learn from the experience, asked Couric.
“That this is all about ‘gotcha’ journalism,” Palin said. “A lot of it is. But that’s okay, too.”
There it is
Note this part in the video (see below). Because this is where Palin expressed some confidence, some feistiness. This is where her supporters say the true Sarah Palin resides. As many conservatives have said, if the McCain campaign lets “Sarah be Sarah,” we’re going to see a different person emerge.
As we discussed earlier, the drum beat for “liberating Sarah from the campaign” got louder yesterday when conservative New York Times columnist Bill Kristol said such an action would be pivotal.
McCain needs to liberate his running mate from the former Bush aides brought in to handle her — aides who seem to have succeeded in importing to the Palin campaign the trademark defensive crouch of the Bush White House. McCain picked Sarah Palin in part because she’s a talented politician and communicator. He needs to free her to use her political talents and to communicate in her own voice.
A tough couple weeks
If what Kristol and others are suggesting is true, it would be quite a change from the last couple weeks. She’s had a rough outing with the press. What little exposure she’s had with the media since being named McCain’s co-pilot has been occasionally wince-inducing. Not appearing overly confident, her answers have been a jumble of McCain campaign talking points.
A scrambled Scrabble game
Her quotes come out like a completed Scrabble game. There are plenty words on the board, but few coherent sentences.
Unfair? Make sense of this answer from last week’s interview on whether Palin supported the now-failed $700 billion financial sector bailout.
“That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, we’re ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out,” she explained. “But ultimately what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Helping the — it’s got to be all about job creation too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans and trade — we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as competitive, scary thing, but one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today — we’ve got to look at that as more opportunity.”
Palin random quotes generator
Now, compare this to a quote you would get from a new website that one of our readers alerted us to: the Palin random quotes generator.
“What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at also bipartisan effort those terrorists who would seek to destroy America and our allies”
Or this one:
And as Ronald Reagan believed that that has to be considered also, not as competitive, scary thing, but one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today.
Or even this one:
Senator McCain also showed great appreciation for what America a multi-faceted solution and we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia.
Sure, this could be a little unfair. After all, she appeared more confident in yesterday’s outing with Couric.
Tin Foil
As to whether we’ll see a confident Palin emerge for Thursday night’s debate is another question. It’s all going to be rigged anyway, according to another one of our readers.
He was able to remove the tin foil from his head for just long enough to send us this email.
“Sarah Palin is preparing for the Debate alright,” writes Jim. “Everything has already been written down for her. To be sure, her handlers plan to answer the questions for her. She will wear a transmitter, possibly an earpiece so as to repeat whatever she is being told.
“To be fair and balanced, the moderator should have a means of jamming all noises,” he offered. “For the debate she will purposefully have her hair down to hide any listening device. The moderator and the debate commission should take the necessary steps to prevent any CHEATING.”
Good tip. Thanks, Jim.
<< After wild September, who knows what McCain will try next? | MainComments
3. Ultra Sonic Palin Zapper | 09.30.08
Maybe Biden can bring along one of those ulta sonic devices that prevents dogs from yapping.
5. josephine thompson | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin is no doubt a good hearted person, but she does not give the image of someone whose driving passion is commanding a troubled country, because if this were the case–the passion within her would drive her answers–her heart would drive her and the answers would come easily regardless of what she ‘knows’ and doesn’t know. One can always learn–but to fake it to stay in a political position of power, becomes transparent when the pressure is on. I believe it is as simple as that. Sarah is trying to be the good girl-the ‘A’ student–but it comes accross as ‘acting a role’ in order to please. The motivation should not be to please so much as to lead a country out of trouble and into clear waters again. Too much is at risk for play acting.
6. LL | 09.30.08
The journalists do what they always have done. Engage in Gatcha, and anything that will sell advertisement and attract readers. If they can’t turn this into a game, no one cares. Few people really want to see this for what it really is, a dangerous reality game, where the wrong person in power could involve us in wars and conflicts that bring us no glory, no money and nothing but death and destruction, and an economic crisis to boot.
But wait, that has already happened under the Republicans, so how much worse can it get? (Soup kitchens?)
7. Rob | 09.30.08
From this article…”There are plenty words on the board, but few coherent sentences.”
Physician, heal thyself.
9. treetracker | 09.30.08
The whole interview came across like McCain was the father trying to get his daughter out of trouble with the principal. Sad. Very, very sad, especially if they are elected. I would be fearful for this country if she were ever in control.
11. Mooseburger | 09.30.08
There was video evidence of Bush wearing a transmitter during his debate with Kerry, If she gets caught doing this, that will be the very end of Sarah Barracuda in the national political scene. If she is really just playing dumb, what a high price to pay for just one debate….especially after the opinions of her have been firmly established. Like Dan Quayle, she will never live this down no matter how well she does from here out. She is just eye candy now for Viagra popping conservatives like Rush Limbaugh because no one will ever take her seriously again.
12. B.vgirl | 09.30.08
I don’t think Sarah is stupid but if she can’t handle the media, how do you expect her to handle Heads of State, Dictators and Kings? She’s already crying that the media is trying “get her”, is she going to cry to McCain when a ranking official from another country makes her look stupid? This is ridiculous and we would never cut a man this much slack. I’m all for women in charge but I don’t want a token that they hope will fade into the background once the election is over.
13. leo90 | 09.30.08
IF YOU VOTE FOR MCSAME/PALIN YOU REALLY HATE AMERICA.
I cant believe people are still talking about this woman. she is plain dumb.All she is good at is saying bad things about everyone that challenges her. As a woman and a mother of one male child, i am so annoyed people are using the feminists card for her. She is no way feminists in her policy. Every gender needs to be treated equally, why is she being overly protected? why is Mcsame in all her recent interviews?
LETS NOT LET OUR EMOTIONS AS WOMEN OVERRULE OUR COUNTRY, PALIN IS FAKE. Mcsame just picked her to get our votes.
I wont be watching the debate on thursday because its just going to be another of the mcsame team playing on our intelligence. She gets to attack Biden, and if he says anything they shout SEXISM. its crazy how desperate Mcsame has gotten.
To all Republicans, Democrats, and everyone inbetween Mcsame/Palin are wrong, if you dont want to migrate to some other countries in search of jobs in 4 years, Better to not vote at all, or Vote Obama/Biden, or we are all doomed.
14. John Krueger | 09.30.08
This is the candidate for the Vice Presidency of the United States at a time where we are in TWO wars and the financial markets are in a melt down that approaches the Great Depression.
Maybe we should elect these fools and let it all go down the tube. The economy stops. Our armed forces are defeated. America is denigrated to second place, surviving only because we have a nuclear arsenal.
Maybe that will cause the childish idiots of America to WAKE UP and SMARTEN UP when America actually crumbles. HEY MORONS IT COULD HAPPEN.
IN FACT, THAT’S WHERE IT’S HEADED. Then all of your union jobs, and churches and boats and trailers will be gone. You’ll be clinging to your guns and hunting TO SURVIVE. When you could have hired someone smarter than you to get us out of this mess.
God, I never thought I would be so ashamed of this country.
15. Dan | 09.30.08
It’s her! J.Jay is Sarah Palin! Just check out that sentence structure! It’s her I tell’s ya!
17. kristianjl | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin is truly frightening. Frightening to think of as a heartbeat away from the presidency. Biden, on the other hand, has proven himself in the public arena as a real man of the people. He demonstrates a depth of knowledge on foreign affairs unmatched by anyone on either ticket. Obama has been through the campaign fires and is now forged into a steel sword. The big push comes now and Obama - Biden are ready.
19. Robert Rowley, Tucson, Arizona | 09.30.08
Look, the woman is clueless, period! She wasn’t vetted. She literally has no experience or clue. And if she is so guiltless in regards troopergate then why not let her Republican controled state house finish the investigation? Then there is her illegal yahoo e-mail accounts through which she was doing government business and her hacking into the now ex mayor of Wasala’s computer…
NOT ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF BUSH/CHENEY (DUMB AND DUMBER) CRIMINALITY!
20. thedeez | 09.30.08
America is facing a very dark future and I dont know if any candidate can handle it.
21. John C | 09.30.08
“Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
The more Americans that see Palin, the better it is for the US. She is quite clearly not qualified for the job of Vice President of the US and it is better that we find out now rather than in December or January.
It also calls into question McCain’s judgment. Anyone who thinks he will make sound, reasoned decisions needs to get their head examined.
23. mike | 09.30.08
Not sure if what is left of the republicans can survive what Mcain/Palin is doing to its reputation. What exactly is the republican party these days? what do they stand for? why on earth would I ever want to vote republican again?
24. Mike | 09.30.08
Ladies and gentlemen … when a fool is paraded around as a problem solver and a solution that’s when you know the party’s over. We are (hopefully) witnessing the last days of the Republican empire and just like most empires … everyone is getting a first hand look at a bunch of people (Bush, McCain, etc…) who have run out of ideas … Sarah Palin isn’t a credible candidate for Governor in any of the 50 states except for Alaska. And now she has a relatively good shot at being president (McCain may be 73 but the abuse his body took in Vietnam has to put his “real” age at 80+). And with McCain’s election strategy of lying at any cost … there is a chance that she could be in office. I am going to move to Canada or Europe if they win.
25. Exrepublican | 09.30.08
If Obama is a puppet with an earpiece, I vote for the guy (or gal) who is prompting him. That dude is good.
26. Anne B. | 09.30.08
It is clear to me that Sarah Palin is completely out of her league. I just wonder why people are handling her with kid gloves. If I made completely incoherent comments like she is making over and over again, I wouldn’t even be considered for a $10 an hour job, and I am an educated woman with a master’s degree.
Finally, I don’t think that anyone in this position would be “playing dumb”. Why give her the benefit of the doubt at this stage in the game. This is serious stuff.
27. larry mcallister | 09.30.08
Doesn’t sound to far fetched. Wasn’t McCain accused of cheating in the Saddleback forum? Instead of being kept in a sound proof room he really was in car?
28. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
I’ve long regarded the Monitor as being quite fair, and this article hasn’t changed my mind. To get a technical point out of the way, Palin would wear a transmitter if she had a wireless microphone. For an earphone, she would be wearing a receiver.
I also love the idea of a Palin random-quote generator. Run long enough, it will create an exact actual quote (monkeys, typewriters, Shakespeare…).
OK, now to my main point. Palin is dismally unqualified *at present* for one of the second-most critical positions in our national government. After a few years of involvement in national government and actual involvement in foreign affairs, she might well be an asset. As it is, I’m frightened (and I don’t scare easily) at the thought of her as President.
Some horrifyingly-large proportion of Americans apparently just don’t “get it” — what the essentials are — when the rubber hits the road (or the firing pin hits the [cartridge primer], in a rifle or shotgun). It’s really appalling to see the emphasis on personality, as if an ability to speak, read, and write with a tolerable degree of literacy, and knowing how to use a calculator and cell phone were the only functional requirements for the job.
Years ago, I watched W speak on TV before he was nominated — a nice-looking guy, and quite pleasant to listen to. From the male standpoint, the guy you’d like to have a beer with is not necessarily at all a man you want to have an President. Far too many of us just don’t understand, or believe, that this position requires exceptional courage, ability, knowledge, and, yes, wisdom, a rare commodity. To those, add diplomacy.
I wish no ill for Mrs. Palin, but I pray that she not become our second to the throne of an Imperial Presidency. God Save America from her (and John McCain).
29. jorjitop | 09.30.08
Did you ever read transcripts of Ronald Reagan’s speeches. They made no sense at all. And yet, he was the great communicator!
30. McBain | 09.30.08
I’d like to see Palin asked, “Why is this the first time that command of the state National Guard has been cited as national security experience?”
Imagine Romney, Huckabee, or Richardson touting their Guard leadership during a debate or in a commercial — they would have been laughed out of the campaign.
31. GP | 09.30.08
**I don’t think Sarah is stupid but if she can’t handle the media, how do you expect her to handle Heads of State, Dictators and Kings? She’s already crying that the media is trying “get her”, is she going to cry to McCain when a ranking official from another country makes her look stupid?**
My thoughts exactly. She is applying for the position of Vice President. “Gotcha journalism” is nothing compared to what she’d face in the position. If she’s going to fail and cry, then the VP position isn’t for her.
And I also agree with Treetracker that McCain’s presence doesn’t help. It really is as if Palin needs supervision.
32. Will | 09.30.08
You Libs are scared …..you are going to lose in a landslide !! 30% of Liberal democrats are NOT going to vote for Obama because he is black…that has been established already. You are going down, so get used to it.Stop your typical liberal whining, and grow up, losers.
33. Bridget | 09.30.08
Oh my gosh … McCain looked REALLY uncomfortable every time Palin spoke up. He even opened his mouth a couple times, as if to cut her off. It KILLS him having to let her speak while he remains silent.
34. Joanne | 09.30.08
I see it’s ok to belittle Obama when he made a comment in the debate about Pakistan but when the Hockey mom says the same thing it is a gotcha comment!! Plesae he is a disaster waitging to happen, he is consantly contradicting himself first he is going to Washington to wait out the bailout and then he is not goingt to the debate, there he is at the debate then takes creidt yesterday for bailout plan that wasen’t, and then trys to blame the Dem. it was his party that 67% voted against the plan, is this really a person we want leading our country??? NO!!! VOTE for Obama/Biden 08
35. Dr.HS | 09.30.08
I’m so tired of the excuses and “poor us” victim mentality of McCain/Palin. If they can’t handle reporters doing their job of challenging and questioning how will they handle true enemies? And thinking she might be wired isn’t “tinfoil” land. Bush WAS wired during his debates and the press let it pass
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2012
Look where that got us.
36. Sara | 09.30.08
If she’s just playing dumb, then it only goes to show how disrespectful the Republican party has been. I live in Texas and I’ve campaigned for both parties in my time. The kind of panderin I’ve seen McCain do is sickening. If it turns out they (McCain and Sarah) decided to play such a disgusting game while the economy collapses and people are being kicked out of their homes, instead of having diginifed debates and treating voters with respect? Then they deserve to lose. And not just now, but every time either of these two runs for a political office.
Free Sarah Palin? From who? Her own party? The people she made the decision to run with? Sarah Palin isn’t being held back. She isn’t qualified, she can’t handle the job. McCain pandered by choosing her, figuring he’d stick it to ol’ Obama. Sarah Palin is the weakest person involved in this election. Not because she’s a woman, not because she’s a Republican (Kay Bailey wasn’t good enough for McCain?). Because holding one political office doesn’t automatically mean you’re qualified to hold another.
37. nathan | 09.30.08
Poor McCain having to speak up for his puppet. So is he going to answer any question she may get from a Foreign leader if god forbid they are able to rig the voting machines to get into office.
38. Lee | 09.30.08
First, set aside the (in)validity of this cry of “gotcha journalism,” and the McCain campaign’s own exploitation of gaffes (especially from Biden). Then, recall that, akin to GW Bush’s call to “Bring it on,” Palin overconfidently issued an invitation to play “Stump the Candidate.” America deserves better than this two-faced bravado/victim politics.
39. Mike | 09.30.08
The other interview didn’t go so swell, so now she has to bring daddy in to help her mop up the mess??? People who support her for the position she’s vying for are delusional. Completely delusional.
40. Jason | 09.30.08
Is McCain afraid to let Sarah interview by herself now? He looks like her dad trying to defend her. Will he come out to the VP debate stage to protect her?
41. JPV | 09.30.08
A vote for Oblama/Biden is a vote for American Communism/Socialism. Look at Oblama’s mentor during his college years…a card carrying Communist! Do your homework liberals…you may learn something. There is no place in America for wealth redistribution (i.e - tax reduction for 95% of Americans = take jobs away) - 1% of the highests paid Americans pay 40% of the tax burden today. I ask; Is this, as Oblama would say, “Fair”? Keep in mind, the small business owner drives our economy and creates jobs. God forbid, if Oblama gets in office and raises taxes, jobs will disappear. I can tell you as a business owner, that’s exactly what I will be forced to do. Afterall, I will be forced to pay the higher taxes somehow. Unfortunately, I will be forced to pay it with what used to be someones salary. That’s the cold hard reality of raising taxes on an already overburdened tax base.
42. Ben -K-D | 09.30.08
1-Female version of Bush that they are trying to home school on foriegn policy just like when condelisa Rice home schooled Bush in 2000. It did not work.
2-McCain wants someone that follows orders and not could have valuable input.
he sits with Katie Curic and tries to answer for her?
This has to be very serious when conservative columnist are screeming about this wrong choice.
they are saying country is more important than party lines.
43. Tinfoil Hat | 09.30.08
Actually, given the fact that communications devices are becoming ever more sophisticated and nano sized, and some fairly plausible arguments that W. was wired for his interviews with Kerry, such a theory is not as far fetched as it seems at first blush. Perhaps such spectacles should be conducted in a Fariday cage sort of construct.
44. John K | 09.30.08
I think the saddest part is that Biden is supposed to ignore her or take it easy on her during the debate.
If he doesn’t he may look like a bully. Oh, no!!! A bully!!!
Have we all gone nuts? I hope he takes the gloves off and treats her like the unqualified Vice Presidential candidate she is.
Kudos for Gibson having the courage to ask the tough questions. Kudos to Couric treating her like a VP candidate.
I hope that Joe Biden has the guts to send her back to the frozen tundra so she can be the regional Ice Queen once again. Then we can get down to the PROFESSIONAL business of putting America back in its rightful place.
The top.
45. sigh | 09.30.08
For those that are saying Palin wasn’t vetted, unqualified, what is she going to do when she talks to heads of state, no clue about issues, blah blah blah.
1. Try looking at some unbiased news sources.
2. Try BEING the head of a state.
3. Issues - try reading something like ontheissues.org and find out where each candidate actually puts his action, and not just his mouth. Obama, McCain, Palin, and Biden can talk all the want, but where do their mouths and votes/actions actually meet up? What do they actually support? You won’t probably find very good information on major news networks and blogs, so try researching it on your own for once.
And by the way. Obama-Biden are ready? Ready for what? Obama never answers straight either, he has to qualify everything because he doesn’t want to stand on something that might make him turn out to be wrong; he hates being wrong and will never admit to it. Yay, I want a president who refuses to admit (and believe?) that he’s wrong…
46. Joe | 09.30.08
If she can form a coherent sentence, she will beat expectations for this debate. That said, I honestly would not have thought anyone except maybe Bush could manage to slink below that bar until now…
47. AnotherExRepublican | 09.30.08
Palin is beyond embarrassing, and McCain cannot hold his temper. I am about to go abroad and will have to hide by U.S. passport until Obama gets elected.
48. Teri B. | 09.30.08
McCain’s desperate grappling for something to grab onto is getting sillier by the minute, isn’t it? I’d laugh if it weren’t such a tragedy to see McCain keep sinking and sinking.
And the excuses from the conservative talking heads on Palin is just mind-boggling. Could they possibly make Palin look even weaker. “She’s losing her self-confidence.” “She’s over prepared.” “She needs someone around her who knows her.” SHE’S A WOMAN, NOT A LITTLE GIRL ON THE PLAYGROUND!
This is embarrassing. We don’t need the first woman to rise to this level to be carried and ultimately be a catastrophic failure; it hurts ALL women.
What the heck are these Palin apologists thinking? They’re just multiplying people’s doubt. How WEAK is she? Cripes! Can’t she even manage the words coming out of her mouth?
As if McCain wasn’t making a fool of himself, all by himself, he’s got this ridiculous, pathetic woman needing so much deference, group therapy, and pity.
This is the stupidest reality show I’ve ever seen, because the entire premise of the show isn’t plausable - that McCain/Palin expect to lead the free world. No one would buy that story line. It’s too preposterous!
49. Voice of Reason | 09.30.08
saying one thing and then being called out on it is not “Gotcha” journalism. It’s holding the interviewee up to the same standards of truth that everyone else is held to.
John Stewart of the Daily Show and Stephen Colbert do the same thing: they dig in the video archives to find evidence of someone going back against what they originally said. That’s not gotcha journalism, that’s *investigative journalism*.
Something the Republicans deplore because it goes to show how they cannot keep McCain looking like someone who stays firm on his principles. In the end, this just looks like another ploy on McCain’s part. First it was railing against the newspapers (NY Times Wash Post), then it was the Mainstream Media, and now its Couric. McCain finds a way every step of this election to try and point the finger at everyone but himself for his failing ratings. If he spent more time looking like he could handle what he thinks are the “cheap shots” of “gotcha” journalism, he might look like someone who can lead. Instead he cries foul at every investigation and opinion that is generated against him.
It’s time to grow up and stop whining John. The military taught you to take action, not pass the buck in the blame game. You may wear a presidential tie, but you don’t have the demeanor of a president. You end up acting your shoe size, and not your age.
50. Jackson | 09.30.08
You’re absolutely right B.vgirl, Palin is just a token. McCain makes me sick!
52. Joe | 09.30.08
I am an obama supporter, but some of Joe Biden’s answers lead me to believe he is losing it.
53. Larry Linn | 09.30.08
Someone said that it would be easy for Biden to win the debate. All that he has to do is give very short answers to any questions, and then sit there while Palin babbles.
54. Steve C | 09.30.08
She’s going to wear her hair down? What an idea. Any idiot knows the receiver can be planted directly in her brain. 
55. Mike | 09.30.08
I am so tired of hearing the phrase “a heatbeat away” Get a grip! Even if McCain became incapacitated on Day 1, there is not one thing any VP could do to create this end all fear you all keep spouting about because NOTHING gets done with out it going through congress. You obviously can see where that would lead us. I honestly feel the campain managers should step back, cut her loose and let her rear her head. My guess is she’d rock your world.
56. LanceZ | 09.30.08
Mooseburger - You are a kook. That Bush “transmitter” was debunked long ago. I’d recommend checking the news once or twice a year.
Palin (so far) seems dangerously uninformed and misdirected regarding matters of extreme national importance. Perhaps she’ll do better in the debate. Who knows. But she sure doesn’t seem cut out to be VP.
I agree with Anne B. Palin really seems to be out of her league. And I think the notion that this is all part of some ultra-clever GOP strategy is silliness. She’s not playing dumb. She just isn’t cut out for this job.
57. markm | 09.30.08
When can we expect Couric to ask Obama about visiting “all 57 states”, or ask him to explain his insensitive (and typically ignorant) request for Memorial Day Honorees to “stand up and be recognized” at a memorial service (or maybe the little megalomaniac truly thought he could raise the dead) , and when can we expect Couric to ask Biden (or Kinnock) how FDR came to be president and give speeches on television back in 1929. Again, when it comes to the politically biased CBS, only gaffes by GOP Candidates are worthy of comment (I am still waiting for Bill clinton to show me the “aircraft carrier Missouri”) . Couric is a pawn of the Democrat party and the ditzy little blonde , speaking from in front of a soft-focus lens, is a disgrace tot he network of Sevareid and Cronkite (liberals I could respect).
58. Diana | 09.30.08
Katie Couric would step on her mother’s face with spikes if it helped further her career.
Don’t think for a minute that she won’t pull the same stunts with the Obama family once they’re ensconced in the White House.
I don’t support McCain-Palin, but I do recognize yellow journalists when I see them. Couric is a shark.
59. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
One further thought, if I may, potentially of greater importance:
If Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin believe in the Rapture, then would they not be dedicated to the destruction of the world to hasten that Rapture?
This possibility is far more scary than any simple gross lack of qualifications.
If you trust Wikipedia:
60. Jon Iscream | 09.30.08
The comments to this article are predictable. All the “Commies” are against Sarah, everyone else is for her. Both groups are ignoring the facts in front of them. Is that Christian Science?
Well at least in the 21st century we have a definition for commie ==> a political advocate of socialism. I think I liked the more derogatory stuff better.
61. nobama | 09.30.08
i can’t wait till they start running wiliam ayers adds then we will see obamas true colors!!that is if the drive by liberal media ever reports any thing bad about the massia
62. mark | 09.30.08
# 13 you won’t have to migrate to find a jog if OBAMA is elected !!! Becouse he and all the other bleeding hearts on the left ” WILL GIVE AWAY THIS COUNTRY’S SOVERIEGNTY ”
Wake-up AMERICA do you not remember 911 !!!!!!
65. Julia | 09.30.08
Poor Sarah, dragged out upon the stage, and heard of no more. I feel sorry for her and wish her well as Governor of Alaska.
66. Cecil Flentge | 09.30.08
My,my, my. This is the party of ‘change’ and ‘working together’ and all that rot? “Methinks you protest too much.”
67. josie pilgrim | 09.30.08
The so-called Palin phenomenon powerfully illustrates how sweet it is to be white in America. Here you have a clear case of a reactionary mountebank being fraudulently passed off as a person of substance, “a compelling figure,” which has as much verisimilitude to relity as a clothes manikin has to a real human being. No wonder the Republic continues to drift and we are scorned by much of the world outside the 50 states!
68. dotty | 09.30.08
Obama and Palin are one in the same.
Yet it is important to remember we want change.
We could have no resume and umm aaah ummm ahhh ummm ahhh Captain Kirk stuccato to laugh at selling us the rainbow.
We could have an executive resume that doesn’t interview well…..
Both are more intelligible than Bush.
What is this need for perfection? The smooth talkers are robbing our piggy banks, while the muddled talkers say thinks that make you have that tilted head look all the time.
Obama is as scary as Bush, and just Palin doesn’t interview well.
Bush still doesn’t interview well, but misspeaks the same as Joe.
Biden…..is Bush,unleashed.
He says his running mate unable to make good choices (which include not picking Hillary), and criticizes obama’s campaign ads.
We have a great choice for change.
Stop being so uppity, she is only the VEEP.
69. MJ Griffin | 09.30.08
Wiring Sarah Palin…. Wow. That’s pretty plausible. I believe it would be foolish to think that’s not a possibility. If Palin’s hair is in her trademark style then the device could be disguised as an earring…But seriously, why are we focusing on Palin herself so much? Obama refuses to so I believe we shouldn’t as well. But we should focus on why McCain picked her which is obviously to win over feminists, women rights groups, liberals, and others who might’ve been impressed at first glance by Palin.
71. B.vgirl | 09.30.08
To Sigh:
What makes you think you are the only one out there who has read anything other than this? That’s pretty arrogant thinking and oh so wrong. Many people, Repubs and Dems, support their decision by checking all the facts and ensuring the candidate they support is the best (in their opinion) suited for the job. Your arguments are inane.
1. Try looking at some unbiased news sources. I do.
2. Try BEING the head of a state. This doesn’t deserve a response and shows how defensive you are being. If you’re unsure of your candidate, change your mind.
3. Issues - try reading something like ontheissues.org and find out where each candidate actually puts his action, and not just his mouth. No one source holds the answers.
As I stated, I don’t think Sarah is dumb. I think she’s young and untested. There were plenty of Republican female politicians who could have done much better but they weren’t pretty enough or worse, coachable.
72. Tinfoil Hat | 09.30.08
Joe, I do agree. The bar was set exceptionally low for W. in that he was given points for not drooling or biting anybody. It may be the Palin, her ample endowments not withstanding may be able to limbo under that stick. At the very least, it should provide a great deal of entertainment.
73. JPV | 09.30.08
Considering John Stewart of the Daily Show as a real source of unbiased news and journalism? Are you serious? Only a liberal would be ignorant enough to use John Stewart and journalism in the same sentence. A note to all the anti-Americans liberals threatening to leave the country if McCain takes the White House - Please leave now. I can assure you, if OBlama takes the White House, I will not leave this great country. I will not hold my head in shame just because we could potentially have the most liberal, tax happy President in the history of this great country. No, instead I will fight him every step of the way. I will oppose him when he over steps his position - which he promises he will do (opposes the first and second ammendment as we know it today) I will not leave - I will stay and fight for our founding Fathers foundation of governement (which Oblama opposes - remember - he and his wife were never proud Americans, at least until he was nominated for Pres. That’s a long time not to be proud of something - makes the normal thinking person go, Hmmmmm)
74. RenoDavid | 09.30.08
So, Senator McCain, how is gotcha journalism (not that this was) different than the gotcha campaign tactics you use? Not to mention the out and out lies in your campaign ads.
75. Peter Z | 09.30.08
Nobody could possibly be more embarrassing and damaging to our nation than GW Bush and his puppetmaster Cheney, both of whom are not only incompetent but also corrupt. However, McCain stands on a record of being one of the strongest supporters of the current administration and its policies. The “Are you better off now than you were eight years ago?” question says it all! If you’re better off, you probably own stock in Halliburton. McCain is a better man than either Bush or Cheney. But we don’t reward eight years of Republican failures by giving them another four years with the guy they should have gone with back then. McCain is past his prime. From that perspective Sarah Palin’s qualifications are moot, except that we may get stuck with her despite America’s displeasure with Republican policies- We never wanted Bush in the first place, according to the popular vote, and he got shoved down our throats regardless. So the fact that Palin is embarrassingly unqualified should tip the scales in enough undecided voters minds that the only way the Republicans could win is to steal the election again. Senator Obama may be a relatively new face in Washington, but he is exactly the change we need, a very intelligent and well spoken advocate for ordinary tax paying citizens instead of a dumb guy with no qualifications whatsoever whose sole agenda is to advocate for the petroleum industry and defense contractors. Republicans could hardly have screwed things up any worse, it is mind-boggling to me that anyone would support giving them four more years. Palin’s lack of qualifications is just the tip of the iceberg in a long list of reasons to vote for Obama and take power back from the failed Republican politicians.
76. ronnie simon-westreich | 09.30.08
There must be a way to make sure palin has no wires on her. how dishonest can the republicans get? doesnt she have any self-esteem?
77. Hiram | 09.30.08
So let me get this straight — a political nominee for national office says something really stupid or contradictory on a televised interview. The media replays the interview — and that’s considered “gotcha journalism?” To quote Steve Martin, “Ohhh Plleeeaassse!!”
My take is that if you say something stupid, have enough integrity to own up to it, correct it, and then move on. Trying to paint yourself as a victim just prolongs the affair.
The American people (at least most of us ) are intelligent enough to know the difference.
Hiram
78. maverick | 09.30.08
My feeling is same as one of the Republican voter said on Fox about Sarah Palin “For the first time I am acutally scared that what if this candidate wins?” Being a Republican I feel angry with John Mcain’s desperate move to get Sarah Palin on-board. I would like to know Why? Why her?
80. Nancy | 09.30.08
Every day the woman reminds me more of Bush. If, God forbid,McCain/Palin win the election, in 2010, we can at least look forward to a “Palinisms” calendar.
81. Deborah Harry | 09.30.08
EEEEWWWWW Katie Couric following up an attack with her joker smile…she’s been in the democrats pockets for decades. Sickening. Sarah Palin is growing on me
83. Robert | 09.30.08
JPV
Exactly what is it about these last eight years that you love so much, that you want to do it all over again with John McCain and Sarah Palin? We’ve got 2 virtually unwinnable wars going - and an inevitable draft if we want to keep on fighting and win them - a debt of $10 trillion, a spiralling deficit, the worst partisan rancor I’ve ever seen in my five decades on this earth, dithering on a coherent forward-looking energy policy focussed on renewable resources, environmental spoliation beyond compare, and the rest of the world thinks we’re all a bunch of ignorant cowboys. And you want to hand the helm of the ship of state, currently foundering on the rocks, over to the same crew of clowns that put it there? You really think they’ll have more luck getting us afloat?
85. ElComadreja | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin is a remarkable, bright and articulate woman who many people are understandably jealous of. The left wing attacks on her have been bordering on insanity as you fools see your dreams of Obongo being swept away. I hope you’re all prepared to deal with the race riots after this poseur goes down in flames.
86. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
My second message was also posted; sorry for the cut-off. Just search Wikipedia for “The Rapture”, and you should find it. (Don’t use left and right “angle” brackets to enclose an URL! Save that for geek environments!)
=+=
Voice of Reason said,
“It’s time to grow up and stop whining John.”
I’ve concluded, after considering it for some time, that the USA suffers from an epidemic of retarded emotional development; Sen. McCain is only one of many easily-found examples.
Imho, Sen. Obama has no such problem at all. I see keen intelligence (an asset!), forbearance, courtesy, courage, and even — nascent (and maybe true) wisdom at times.
Bob Herbert (NYT Op-Ed), referring to American politics and society (as best I can recall) said it more concisely: [We are]”…profoundly immature.”
87. Conrad | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin is just not qualify to be the VP or the President of this Country at this moment in our History.Just look at her background.She attended five Colleges to coplete her first degree. Her Husband did not even try to go to College. None of her children are College ready.What does all these dispositions tell you all.Yet, we are told to vote for her because MaCain says so. For God sake folks, what prepare this Lady to play this most important role in our livies?. God help us. Just because MaCain Said so.
88. skooter | 09.30.08
I heard Todd Palin was the secret behind his wife’s political career. Perhaps McCain should dump Sarah for Todd. Republicans wouldn’t have to swap out their bumper stickers.
89. Rodney | 09.30.08
Katie Couric should be ashamed of her Gotcha journalism. Couric has no right to try to find out what the potential President of the United States believes or understands. Couric should be more like Fox News and just read McCain’s press releases and never question his shifting positions. CSM shouldn’t repeat what Sarah Palin has said, but only publish what the McCain team issues as a corrected statement. What good does it do to read what the actual candidate has said if the McCain team has issued a correction?
91. Melissa G | 09.30.08
That’s right use that tired republican ploy blame everything on the media. She is “off message” blame it on “gotcha journalism”. How creepy was it that McCain had to sit next to her and help her out? SNL was right she did get a lifeline (McCain) in this interview with Couric.
92. cba | 09.30.08
Learn Something…….Please
September 01, 2008 Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama
By Gerard Baker
US Editor and Assistant Editor of The Times of London
Democrats, between sniggers of derision and snorts of disgust, contend that Sarah Palin, John McCain’s vice-presidential pick is ridiculously unqualified to be president.
It’s a reasonable objection on its face except for this small objection: it surely needs to be weighed against the Democrats’ claim that their own candidate for president is self-evidently ready to assume the role of most powerful person on the planet.
At first blush, here’s what we know about the relative experience of the two candidates. Both are in their mid-forties and have held statewide elective office for less than four years. Both have admitted to taking illegal drugs in their youth.
So much for the similarities. How about the differences?
Political experience
Obama: Worked his way to the top by cultivating, pandering to and stroking the most powerful interest groups in the all-pervasive Chicago political mac hine, ensuring his views were aligned with the power brokers there.
Palin: Worked her way to the top by challenging, attacking and actively undermining the Republican party establishment in her native Alaska. She ran against incumbent Republicans as a candidate willing and able to clean the Augean Stables of her state’s government.
Political Biography
Obama: A classic, if unusually talented, greasy-pole climber. Held a succession of jobs that constitute the standard route to the top in his party’s internal politics: ‘community organizer’, law professor, state senator.
Palin:A woman with a wide range of interests in a well-variegated life. Held a succession of jobs - sports journalist, commercial fisherwoman, state oil and gas commissioner, before entering local politics. A resume that suggests something other than burning political ambition from the cradle but rather the sort of experience that enables her to und erstand the concerns of most Americans..
93. B.vgirl | 09.30.08
JPV - I too, didn’t like comments made by Ms. Obama. However, as I stated earlier, we each vote for whomever we feel we are more closely aligned with in our views. I believe that going to Iraq was a mistake and could cost us our security which may not be a factor since America is up for sale. I believe that spending $10 billion a month in Iraq has hurt our economy as well as our standing with other countries. I believe that America has been brutilized by greed (Haliburton contracts) and nature (New Orleans, Iowa, Texas)and we need intelligent people to put us back on the road to recovery. I believe John McCain can’t understand what it is like to try to find the money to put a child through college or sometimes, even high school. I believe Sarah Palin can’t understand what it’s like to have no choice in whether or not you go back to work after the birth of your child or how soon. I believe neither understands economics well enough to help us in a time of serious economic problems. I’m proud that I live in a country that allows both of us to espouse our views without fear of retribution. I love this country and I still think, even with all the problems we have, we are the most wonderful nation in the world. I get teary eyed when I think how blessed I am to have been born here. Best of luck to you. No matter who wins, we are going to need it.
94. BeReasonable | 09.30.08
Well said CBA… does anyone with a functioning brain stem really lay this financial mess at Bush’s feet? Get real… can you say “equal opportunity lender”? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE could at least one liberal get some actual facts?
95. The Saint | 09.30.08
All that’s left is for this bimbo to dye her hair blond.
Maybe she and Dan Quayle can run in 2012
96. Laura | 09.30.08
Sorry folks but what denial you are in. Palin will be fine in this debate, what really matters is that McCain has foreign policy experience not so much Palin but she will get it soon enough. She is highly intelligent and if Obama wasn’t the lapdog of the media they would be hammering him just as they are Palin taking every little slip of tongue and every misstatement out of context.
Unfortunately they are determined to win this one and will massage their interviews to keep her down. Whenever Palin says that is right on target it goes into file 13 but any misstatement gets prime time, youtube, and every liberal political analyst is all over it.
It is a double standard most real women are used to but sadly liberals are now the worst sexist jackasses out there. What happened with that?
There is nothing at all wrong with candidate Palin. But America will tell you that at the polls. It isn’t about you mainstream media it is about the voters.
97. Jessica Stein | 09.30.08
How can anybody not question McCain’s judgment? Sarah Palin is worst VP pick ever! Dan Quayle is a sage compared to her. Other making dubious political stunts McCain is incapable of anything. When was the last time Republicans did anything that was the right thing? Start war’s, tax cuts for the rich, enrich Haliburton and the Oil Companies they will jump up to do that. Pass a bill that might prevent a new global economic depression - nah
98. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
A brief historical note to markm (I see it as no. 53), where you say,
“FDR came to be president and give speeches on television back in 1929.”
It’s very likely that FDR never gave a speech on TV that early. If he did, at most a few hundred people watched it. TV didn’t come into wide use until after WW II.
99. TLK | 09.30.08
I find it unbelievable that all of you hammering on Palin as unprepared and ignorant as a VICE PRESIDENT are so VERY willing to put a man who is so much less prepared to be PRESIDENT!!!! Maybe if she ran for president her obvious imperfections would be overlooked much the way Barry’s are. I guess as long as you give good lip service you are undeniably qualified to run a country. Never mind having any real stance on a true issue. Come on Barry man up and make a decision of your OWN on something. Cut the ties to Mother Pelosi and see what you really believe in.
100. Robert | 09.30.08
CBA
Why should I leave my country? Why I am less right than you in trying to make my country better? One only need look at who has been on watch for the past 8 years, and controlling all 3 branches of government for 6 of those years, and 2 of the 3 branches for all 8 years, to find the most likely culprits. If they had not been so focussed on building their thousand-year reich, to retain permanent power, and actually tending to the preservation of the country’s crumbling infrastructure, we wouldn’t be so far up the creek. You can point all you want, but the GOP’s had the keys to this car for a while now. Now it wants to blame the passengers.
101. charles | 09.30.08
Palin surely is power-hungry fame-seeker. She could hire a former classmate, despite without any experience, to a high place in the state of Alaska, and she could retaliate and fire a commissioner. The only purpose for choosing her in GOP campaign is to create a “internet bubble”-like phenomenon for McCain. Nothing more.
102. Lydia | 09.30.08
I agree with sigh in the fact that everyone should choose their candidates based on their stances and should look to other sources other than the main news sources. What bothers me about Palin though is that I don’t think she knows where she stands on some of the major issues. It also bothers me that she had such a hard time in a straightforward interview. If people really are trying to feed her lines, why was the Katie Couric interview so hard? It’s pretty obvious what kind of questions Katie would ask, so why not have prepared some statements about Iraq, Pakistan, Russia and the economy. And if I have to here Palin use the fact that Alaska is near Russia as evidence of her foreign policy experience, I think i am going to be sick.
104. BeReasonable | 09.30.08
NB… I’m not sure who you are looking at. Obama is the empty suit he’s been called. His “intelligence” as you call it is to promise everyone ‘government’ (read ‘my tax money’) will take care of everything.
Bob Hebert and most of the NYT staff are the profoundly immature ones. This country was founded on freedom and individualism. Big government does not, has never, and never will solve social problems. It is the RESPONSIBILITY (awful word for the left) of the INDIVIDUAL to take care of themselves, their family and their community. GROW UP AND FACE THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF TRUTH!!!
105. Dennis M | 09.30.08
Tracy Flick for V.P. - cupcakes on election day! Nov. 2 is bring your daughter to work day! Sen. McCain get to bring along his cute little VP pick!
Palin is an imbecile with a 9th graders understanding of the world. McCain’s a dottering old fool. Match made in heaven.
106. Chris | 09.30.08
SECESSIONIST…we must unite behind Sarah Palin. Her husband, Todd, was a member the Alaskan Independence Party working for Alaska to secede from the United States.
The director of Division of Elections in Alaska reported that Todd Palin registered in October 1995 to the Alaska Independence Party, a radical group that advocates for Alaskan secession from the United States, and remained a member until 2002, when he registered as undeclared while his wife ran for office.
She is more than sympathetic to the cause of secession; she is a participant.
107. Mia | 09.30.08
What is so funny is that you don’t hear the Obama camp attacking Sen. Palin, it is the news media using her own FUBAR’s against her. She is just not ready for this job!! Its not that she will just be the VP, it means if McCain wins, and something happens to him during his presidency this woman, with no experience or exposure or even a clue would be president. Are you people nuts, isn’t one wrong choice in the white house enough?? It would be one thing if she had a 1/4 of the know how and savvy of Sen. Clinton, but she does not and her confidence, only God knows where its coming from is astounding!! No one is jealous of her, people are afraid of her!!!
108. Joan | 09.30.08
I heard an expression the other day that describes this situation.
Palin is a Pole Turtle.
You’re walking along, and you see a turtle sitting on top of a fence pole.
You know she couldn’t get up there herself.
And then you wonder what fool put her up there.
109. Robin | 09.30.08
So as not to be influenced by their words, I turned the sound off and watched this video a second time, just observing John McCain’s body language. When I get nervous, I clench my hands together and rub my fingers against each other. That is exactly what I saw McCain doing. To me, his body language begins to look intensely uncomfortable as soon as his running mate starts talking. He relaxes once he can speak to Katie Couric himself. McCain reminded me when you are at your kid’s piano recital and you know they haven’t practiced their music enough. Palin may be nice to look at, and have a folksy persona, but it sure looks as though McCain would like a little more steak to go with all of her sizzle.
110. cba | 09.30.08
Robert,
Do a little research on Fannie/Freddie my friend. You don’t have to leave the country but I get a little tired of the liberals threatening to do it. I say just do it if they think it is so bad. It may give these liberals some perspective on how good they actually have it here in America. 1000 year reich….your funny
111. Randall R. | 09.30.08
Does this pair remind anyone else of George Burns and Gracie Allen? Say goodnight Sarah.
113. Kathleen Keane | 09.30.08
Y’all are just fraidy catz. Women in America love to watch Princess Sarah. She is exactly what we hope our daughters grow up to be. She is intelligent, beautiful, and well spoken. She also had nothing to do with the present economic crisis. It was the present brilliant Wall Street brokers and present administration who buried their heads in the sand. I will vote for her. I think world leaders will be knocking themselves over trying to interview with her. Wouldn’t you rather interview with a beautiful smart female than some ole dude you can’t stand? I already know your answer. Our country is down the tubes, and it is not because of people like Sarah — whose fault is it? Who didn’t sound the alarm way before now? So, we need a change and she is my choice.
114. CSFurious | 09.30.08
I seriously question the intelligence of anyone who sincerely thinks that Sarah Palin is capable of being the Vice-President of the United States of America.
Simply watching her be interviewed makes me laugh out loud. Moreover, it is a fact that during her impersonation of Palin being interviewed, Tina Fey simply read parts of the transcript of the Palin/Couric interview.
She read her acceptance speech off of a teleprompter quite well just like the sportscaster she once was in Alaska. However, there will be no teleprompter or earpiece on Thursday night. I cannot wait to start laughing again.
115. Be reasonable? | 09.30.08
I don’t ever want to hear another Republican(I am a registered Rep) talk about Democrats raising taxes. Where do you think this 700,000,000,000 government write off will come from? It will come from raising our taxes. BTW, this doesn’t include this years fiscal budget. The GOP really f-ed this one up….
116. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
Josie Pilgrim in No. 62 said “[…]as much verisimilitude to reality as a clothes manikin has to a real human being.”
Of course, Mrs. Palin is a real human being, but, see recent Doonesbury strips for a Sarah Palin talking doll.
117. Skinstinct | 09.30.08
I would be very concerned that after a poor showing on the first interview that McCain had to go back with her for another round.
I guess he wants to micro manage her and to summarize her thoughts for her when she goes off into those long drawn out out, on going and uninteresting thoughts about whatever the question was that was prsented to her to think and look and listen and I guess pray about to be sure everyone understands her work as a governor and mother and a hunter.
118. Arnold conway | 09.30.08
I just don’t think that Sarah Palin knows what she’s talking about. Period
119. Big Mon | 09.30.08
Man, this is a busy blog!
Maybe I missed it, but has anybody pointed out that the McCain campaign has been playing ‘gotcha’ with Biden’s clean coal remarks? Why not turn-about? It’s easy for two people who are not working together to get out of sync on every word. Why don’t they just say it was a mistake, instead of crying about the media. Seems childish.
120. constance griffin | 09.30.08
anyone who believes that the world is only 5 thousand years old, and in creationism… is as dumb as a rock. Look at Bush.. case in point ..
_C
121. Chris | 09.30.08
Palin isn’t being attacked by the media at all. It is expected that they will inform us of who is fit to be holding a post in government, what they have done in office the past, and what ideas they operate by.
Then the job of the press is to analyize the person from various points of view including competence and intelligence.
That is why we have freedom of the press. Our problem in this country is we don’t expose our politicans to enough scrutiny and we end up with corrupt idoits like we have seen in the last 27 years since Ronnie the Dumb came to power and started this whole mess.
Palin’s problem is her intelligence, not her lack of experience!
123. Lauren Cleaver | 09.30.08
For any Hilary supporters abandoning the Dems for a “woman,” the theory must be “Any Woman is Better than No Woman.” Obviously, that can’t be given Ms. Palin. Frankly, I had always hoped that there didn’t exist any national politicians as completely uninformed as Ms. Palin. Any claim by the Republicans, or McCain, that they care about this country and its future flies in the face of Ms. Palin’s selection. Although I don’t lean toward the Republicans (in particular the neo cons and religious right), I know there are many bright Republic women and men suited to the job of VP (and most likely President). I can only imagine what they are thinking right now. The Palin selection leads us all to think the Republicans are worse than our worst nightmare. How could any one imagine that Ms. Palin would be running the United States of America?
124. rose | 09.30.08
You all need to do yourselves a favor and take a look at what Biden stands for. He is all about taking away your constitutional rights and privacy as a citizen of this country.
If you are an intelligent individual and want to know why you should be VERY CONCERNED should Biden become President (and you want to know why companies like: Apple, Microsoft, Verizon, eBay and many others are fearful at his chances) read this article regarding his record:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10024163-38.html
If you like the idea of Big Brother being allowed all over in your private business… then definitely vote for Obama/Biden.
125. Chris | 09.30.08
As I read the above comments, I find it interesting how so many of the social elitist democrats describe people with opposing views as stupid. Now I don’t know how educated these people are but I do know that I have two college degrees (one in Economics and one in Electrical Engineering) and not only read, but understand the likes of Mills, Smith, Ricardo, and Marx. I own a business and a home and feel that I did not need a larger government to help me acquire either. Is it possible that an educated man/woman could just have a different opinion than you with out being an idiot? Argue issues; tell us why you do not agree with Palin without resorting to degrading people who believe what she believes.
126. TJ | 09.30.08
Gees dad, let your daughter speak for herself. By the way, why does McCain keep looking down at her breast when Palin is speaking? The whole thing is starting to look a little creepy.
When is McCain going to explain why he said he was suspending his campaign to rush back to DC and take control of the bailout and then not showing up in DC for another 36 hours. Is he out of money and having to walk?
127. Olna Reeves | 09.30.08
A key in the debates will be Palin’s ability to avoid repeating the same phrase, 3, 4 and 5 times. McCain brought up “Miss Congeniality” twice, and if he’d said it a 3rd time he could have been pronounced officially “senile.”
Palin has an even greater propensity for repeating expressions, since she’s cramming all these phrases that she’s “supposed” to use, to avoid making a huge blunder, and instead ends up speaking them in a jumble.
From the Alaska blogs I’ve read, people who have seen Sarah being Sarah in Alaskan politics, say she is fine, but the topics in Alaska politics are very light stuff, compared to National topics.
I read where she is staying up to late hours practicing. She better get some sleep before the debate. If she goes into one or more incoherent rambles, it is going to be over for her. They will need to replace her with someone who can communicate clearly.
People have to remember, she burst on the scene with a speech, that was carefully crafted, written for her by an expert, to give her no-nonsense wit and spunk. She is little more like that speech, than an actress is the part she’s playing.
Incidentally, I think these collage cartoons the CSM does at the top of articles are terrific! I especially like Bush’s comment in this one.
128. POC | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin was thrust into the spotlight, put up on a pedestal and crowned beauty queen FAR TOO EARLY. She is a close minded individual who processes the same LACK of curiosity to see and experience other things, other places other ideas.
The media built her up just to tear her down.
I am looking forward to the debate tomorrow so that she can continue the bumbling, dim witted remarks on the straight talk express.
Obama 08!
129. dan | 09.30.08
And I thought that nobody could be dumber than Dan Quayle. Boy was I wrong! Let’s do a little counting Dan Quayle, Republican. Bubba Bush, Republican. Sarah Palin, yup a Republican. Makes ya think.
130. Brigitte | 09.30.08
What if Palin re-energizes the terrorists the way she re-energized the Republican campaign! The new war of the 21st century isn’t about terrorism anymore, its about Palin.
131. Karen | 09.30.08
Can you imagine having such a dumb person possible holding power for the most powerful country in the world? What a disaster. People wake up from you sleep. The world expects better from the United States.
132. Arye Michael Bender | 09.30.08
Am thinking every intelligent feminist, and their male supporters, must be cringing by the moment.
133. POC | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin was thrust into the spotlight, put up on a pedestal and crowned beauty queen FAR TOO EARLY. She is a close minded individual who processes the same LACK of curiosity to see and experience other things, other places other ideas.
The media built her up just to tear her down.
I am looking forward to the debate tomorrow so that she can continue the bumbling, dim witted remarks on the straight talk express.
Obama 08!
134. Love, Canada | 09.30.08
Wow…the more she speaks, the scarier she gets. And this woman wants to be runner-up for president?! I would question the judgment and sanity of anyone who would put such an inexperienced (and now clearly incapable) person in such an important position. Didn’t you guys already try the whole retarded president thing? How’s that workin out?
$11 trillion in debt? Check!
Massive deficit? Check!
Two middle-eastern wars? Check!
Millions of homeless American families? Check!
Economy safely deposited into the toilet? Check!! Check!! Check!!
But I see you guys totally took care of that whole “terror” thing…
135. tdub | 09.30.08
“Gotcha journalism”? Let’s see, a student asked a question, she answered the question. It contradicted McCain’s “policy de jour” and McCain complains about unfair journalism? When Biden commits one of his well-publicized gaffes, you don’t hear the Obama camp whining about unfair journalism.
This crutch that Republicans constantly use regarding “media bias” is getting so old and shaky. And people FINALLY see through it.
136. Court | 09.30.08
Gotcha journalism? Well, doesn’t someone have to ask these questions? Doesn’t someone have to hold Palin accountable for her own words? If only Tim Russert were still here…he was the ultimate ‘Gotcha’ journalist in the best sense! It is only a skilled and astute journalist who does their homework that can ask a politician to explain and/or defend their own words when they contradict. Who does McCain think he is that he can manipulate the press into not asking tough questions? This is straight out of Karl Rove’s playbook — it isn’t Palin & McCain who are talking nonsense that’s the issue that people care about! No, it’s those darned journalists playing gotcha!
Americans do not need another administration that hides from the press, disseminates misinformation and restricts access to the truth.
137. Da Mayor | 09.30.08
I don’t wish ill on Senator McCain, but I simply can’t wait for Sarah to become president.
138. Nat | 09.30.08
In times such as these a President needs to have someone who can give intelligent advice. With John McCain this should be particularly important since he is prone to make rash decisions first and tries to apin it later. The capability to make a reasoned response to every crisis and be able to inspire others should be the sign of the next President. Otherwise the next President will just magnify the problems we already have. We can solve these problems by getting the wisest people on the team whether it be the Vice President or the financial team.
All this buzz about Sarah Palin, howevre, has had one silver lining for John McCain. Nobody is looking into how wise John himself is. No question he is a war hero and serve with great honor. We all respect that greatly. However…
- he was 5th from the bottom of his Naval graduating class
- crashed several planes flying recklessly
- would not have made Admiral as his father and grandfather did and is somehow seeking to redeem himself politically
- served as a junior officer in the War - by no means a qualification for understanding or guiding military strategy let alone poitical strategy whihc is even more pertinent
- involved in the Keating scandal
- ran away fom his first wife in her darkest moments (when she was recovering from a serious accident) to marry a multi-millionaire 20 or so years younger to him
- knee jerk reaction to issues and will say and do things he does not believe in to win an election - witness his statements in the 2000 S Carolina elections and many others more recently.
- may have visited Waziristan and other corners of the world but still did not understand the difference between Shias and Sunnis. This latter issue is particularly revealing since this deep hatred between these two communities is not going to be solved militarily. As Gen. Petraeus readily agrees there is no victory here. Militarily we won the local battle a long time ago but not the strategic war. The surge may be face saving but that is not Mission accomplished. There is no doubt military we are the strongest in the world. We don’t need to prove it by imposing ourselves on a weak nation such as Iraq. We also need to be the wisest. As soon as we leave there will be chaos no matter when we leave. Witness history - whenever a strong power leaves all the communal hatred revives. See Yugoslavia when strong man Tito died. See India/Pakistan when the British left.
- selected a VP candidate who any 10 year old could see was not the best choice
Palin appears to be a nice God fearing person caught up in the glitz of being the VP without being able to look in the mirror and ask herself whether she is fit to be the VP. And her handlers are not helping.
The question is not whether Palin is ready. Is John McCain ready?
139. Jason | 09.30.08
McCain must be regretting this pick by now (despite it being somewhat forced on him by his party).
The one move that would move him very strongly towards The White House would be to allow Palin to remove herself as the VP candidate and pick who would have been the strongest choice in the first place: Romney.
140. Mike | 09.30.08
One day we will all individually stand before God and He will not care about IQ but about character. There is an article on the web about a guy jumping in to save his dog from a shark attack. We think how cool and brave that is. Then we ask a candidate if a doctor can jump in and save a baby when the abortion failed to kill the child prior to delivery and he says no. When a nation thinks our own species made in the image of God is not worth saving but a dog or other animal is, I would say our nation is cued up for judgment.
I will never vote for someone who lacks so basic an understanding and appreciation of human worth. Take my house or job or life. I desire nothing more then to stand before God with clean hands and heart.
141. Karen | 09.30.08
Can you imaging having such a dumb person possibly holding power for the most powerful Nation in the world? What a disaster. People wake up from your slumber. The world expects better from the United States a great nation.
Sorry for the mistakes made earlier.
142. Independent leaning left | 09.30.08
# 36 JPV
JPV - I’m not sure where you are getting your information “1% of the highest paid Americans pay 40% of the tax burden today”
That’s simply not true. I’m always troubled when people use made up statistics to make their argument. I quickly checked a govt site http://www.house.gov/jct/x-32-08.pdf
Not that this will change the mind of someone whose mind is already made up. People believe what they want to believe. (This is akin to ~ 80% of those supporting the Iraq war believed Iraq was responsible for Sept 11).
Sadly this group of believers in made up stats, or those who seek information that only supports their pre-conceived notions dramatically affect the outcome of presidential elections.
For those of you with any patience to read on, or care to understand how income tax is distributed within the populace.
I had to crunch the numbers for a minute to arrive at the following.
For income tax purposes (Forget Soc Sec, excise taxes, etc.)
Corporations pay about 25% of income taxes, individuals 75%.
Looking strictly at individuals who pay taxes.
The top 1% pay 20.4% of the total individual income tax burden
The top 3% pay 28% percent of the total.
Those that fall in the 25% bracket, (which is 32% of all tax payers, and clearly a middle class bracket) pay 32% of all taxes.
Those that fall in the 15% tax bracket (45$ of all taxpayers) pay 25% of all individual income taxes.
So this idea that the top 1% pay 40% is wrong. It’s bunk, it’s made up.
If you want to define the middle class as those in the 15%, 25% and 28% brackets, the middle class pays 69% of all income taxes (Or 57% if you consider the 28% bracket above middle class)
I love a good debate and a good discussion, but let’s agree on some of the basic facts, readily available from any one of a number of non-partisan, or bi-partisan sites (like http://www.house.gov there are some really good charts here http://www.house.gov/jct/x-32-08.pdf)
143. Obligatory | 09.30.08
Couric: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the United States on a world map. Why do you think this is?
Palin: I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as in, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.
144. steve | 09.30.08
Palin not only lacks a firm foundation of understanding of world affairs, she lacks an appreciation of the importance of world affairs, a curiosity about world affairs, and even lacks the motivation to study world affairs that directly affect her family and her professional duties.
She commented that she really knew little about the surge in Iraq, except what she heard on the news, in spite of the fact that her Alaska National Guard was serving in that theatre, followed by her son’s enlistment in the U.S. Army with a unit likely to be deployed to Iraq.
It matters little whether she is intelligent, talented, or even a quick study. As Barack Obama might say: “She just doesn’t get it.”
145. njm | 09.30.08
How does an increase in taxes necessarily lead to a decrease in jobs? On the contrary, I believe that there are several ways government spending can create jobs; it is how Japan got out of their financial crisis two decades ago (viz. by using tax money to develop Japan’s infrastructure). Government spending, enabled by tax increases, is what the New Deal was; it is how we got out of the Great Depression. On the other hand, cutting taxes for wealthy simply leads to stagnation in money flow. If you have your basics covered and see a bleak economic future, you are more likely to save your money. The less money you make (after a certain point), however, the more likely you are to spend any extra money you have, particularly if you are struggling to acquire necessities for day-to-day living—put simply, you have a greater marginal propensity to consume. By giving tax cuts to those making over $250,000/year, as opposed to funding government programs, will not stimulate the economy as effectively as lower taxes for the middle and working classes (made possible by tax increase to those making over $250,000/year) and certain government programs that create jobs and put money back into the economy. I keep seeing this idea in blogs and political ads, and I don’t understand how one can so easily move from higher taxes to less jobs (in the aggregate).
146. kg | 09.30.08
Now I believe GOP can BUY even Katie Couric.
PITY to Americans and congrats to Evagelicals.
Meanwhile, BUSH is printing $700 Billion to his in-direct accounts.
147. Adri | 09.30.08
I am bothered by the pundits advocating that Biden “take it easy on Palin” during the VP debate. As a woman, I see this as a form of sexism in its purest form. What the underlying message is, is that a woman needs to be handled with kid gloves or else the man appears to be abusing (bullying) her. Whatever happened to the notion that women can be just as effective as men? That women can handle the pressure of being in a high powered position as well as a man?
We will see how the debate goes, but I would interpret any “hands off” stance from Biden as an affront to the strides that women have made in the realm of the workplace.
Why should we feel sorry for her? She gladly accepted McCain’s offer to be VP. If she had done a personal inventory of her knowledge about world affairs, her ability to speak fluently, and how the basic U.S. government operates, she would have had a moral obligation to turn that offer down.
If I were offered a position in a high powered job that required what being a VP requires, I would HAVE to decline because I am not qualified. The only way I could accept such an offer is if I had deluded myself into thinking that I could learn (and retain) a vast amount of knowledge prior to coming to the public stage. This, my friends, has not come to pass.
Vote your conscious on November 4th. I am voting Obama/Biden, but to each his own. Just give thought to what the ramifications could/would be if either party were elected. I’ve done my homework…have you?
148. A Gilroy | 09.30.08
The whole Sarah Palin things sounds like the plot for a bad Disney movie:
Respected, patriotic, brave, beloved elder statesman [very elder] is elected President and has a fatal heart attack. In this touching story, the small-town hockey mom struggles to balance the needs of her family with her new job as head of the country.
Hilarity ensues as - against all odds - she faces down Vladimir Putin, Osama bin Laden and the Axis of Evil armed with nothing but charm, plenty of pluck, and the down-home wisdom she learned on the ice rink — all the while still being there for her family as a wife and mother; cooking dinner every night for her supportive husband, her patriot son, her single, unwed daughter, the two little ones, and her special needs child.
EEEEK!
150. norma | 09.30.08
Did anyone else find it odd that McCain TOTALLY spoke for Palin? I mean he took over. Bottom line: he’s afraid she’ll once again say something ignorant. She didn’t “jump in ” with anything –after McCain ranted about “gotcha journalism” he asked Sara to chime in and only after Katie asked for the Governor top speak for herself. And it wasnt gotcha journalism. it was a question. God forbid Americans demand answers from their candidates. Seriously.. if Palin were a man we would all be disgusted. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. SHe speaks in sweeping generalities that don’t even make sense. She didn’t know another supreme court case outside of Roe V. Wade. WHen asked about McCain;s economic record which she so highly touted, she couldn’t give one.. not one answer. She has to get back to us? Please. If Iran decides to come after us.. is she gonna get back to us when she feels like it? Maybe she could bring up McCain’s role in the Keating FIve when he was nearly indicted. Palin is a scary choice, and one only made to please ultra conservatives. As a young voter, I am sickened to see this in our country. I have more foreign policy than Sarah Palin. Should I be Vice President? NO. And neither should she.
151. Britt P. | 09.30.08
In the end, a good portion (not all) of die-hard conservative republicans are going to vote McCain/Palin regardless of how unprepared Palin is to be second in line to the presidency. She could have gone into the Katie Couric interview babbling like an infant and people would still be shouting “Gotcha’s! Gotcha’s! ooooo!” The fact is, as long as Palin gets up there and gets all puffy-eyed and stern about a)VICTORY!, b) the pure goodness of our great American way, and c) all other sacred emblems of our nation that lack (true substance) any relevance to actually leading this country, she’s golden. Many republicans aren’t voting for Palin or McCain, they’re voting for the sacred idea of a great, imaginary America that the party represents…and then there’s some of them that just don’t trust that guy whose middle name is Hussein.
152. John | 09.30.08
After reading some of Sarah Palin’s responses, all I can say is, “Eek!”. God, please help our country!
153. Chris in Seattle | 09.30.08
A couple of things: 1) The Reps. want Sarah to “be Sarah,” and that would be great if she knew anything about most of the issues in her interviews. The reason she is spouting McCain campaign soundbites is because they had to drill those into her brain because she is not knowledgable. She may be a good politician, even smart, but she has not been paying attention for years. She admitted not even knowing much about the war in Iraq when questioned a few weeks back; also she didn’t know what the duties of a vice president would be (also caught on tape). This whole thing reminds me of the Miss Teen contestant from South Carolina who really butchered her response to a question on live TV. Then, about 5 days - and a million You Tube hits later - later, she appeared on the Today Show and gave a better - though not really stellar - answer to the question. That’s what Sarah Palin was trying to do on Monday with Katie Couric and John McCain. If Palin and McCain really put “country first,” as their slogan proclaims, they would most certainly have her drop out of the race.
154. Lori V. | 09.30.08
To John K.
The “Professionals”? Would those be the Barnie Franks of Washington who have been doing such a fine job so far?
155. Olna Reeves | 09.30.08
Let’s assume McCain has a valid point, and the Pakistan question is a bit of a “gotcha” situation. Well, we as the public haven’t gotten a chance to know or question Palin any other way. She was kept from the media. A journalist has to go at some angle, rather than letting a candidate babble trained phrases, which in Palin’s case, sometimes come out incomprehensible.
Candidates should be able to answer any question, even a trick one. Have you ever seen a beauty pageant where a contestant’s father stepped on stage, and said, “that’s not a fair question!” Well, that was McCain at this most recent interview. Ridiculous!
I for one, was deeply concerned, that Palin didn’t seem to understand, that people needed to know how being near a foreign country — Russia — constituted understanding something about that country. My father learned some things about Canada, from being near the border and watching their news every night. If Sarah understood Russian, and had been doing that…or whatever.
Or, how stopping to refuel her plane in Ireland, constituting a visit or understanding of that country. Maybe being beautiful, ambitious and a pathological liar is enough to get you high up in Alaskan politics, but it takes more for the top offices in the U.S., like VP.
Just how stupid does McCain think we are? Maybe a lot of people learned something from having a likable fool of a President for 8 years, someone whose legacy as WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY is written in stone as of this recent financial crisis.
Palin simply is not educated enough to be VP, and no Eliza Doolittle transformation is going to be what she needs. This is not a beauty contest! The fact is, if she looked like Janet Reno, she wouldn’t have been considered. The fact is, if she hadn’t been pretty, AND passed out oil money to every Alaskan, her popularity in Alaska would have been average or lower. There’s not going to be a lot of money to pass out to us, believe me. The U.S. is not Alaska.
156. JPV | 09.30.08
Robert -
Your first mistake (a typical failed attack tactic used by the Dem’s) is linking McCain to Bush. McCain is the only candidate I have seen in years that didn’t ALLWAYS vote the party line. Take Oblama for example - he always voted the party line or just voted present (which would be a fireable offense in most jobs). I think he did this so he wouldn’t have a voting history. His puppeteers knew this could be used as an advantage. Especially for voters who could care less if someone (other than VP candidates) is qualified to be Pres of U.S. Seems people care more about whether the VP candidate is qualified…People - look at Oblama’s lack of qualifications…PLEASE! Just Look! He has done NOTHING…Nada, Zilch. At least Palin has done something with her life. At least she is not George Soros’ (the most anti-American, non-American liberal on earth….really, he’s not even a US citizen yet he funnels millions of dollars into liberal campaigns every year)puppet…
Also, I am better off than I was 8 years ago. Not because of anything the Govt did, but because I worked my butt off. I and a bus. partner started a business from nothing. It now employs over 35 people. I can’t afford to pay any more taxes. If I have to pay one more cent in taxes, jobs will be lost. I will be forced to use the money I pay salaries to instead pay more taxes. I know other business owners who feel the same way. Send that message to Obama’s campaign…I am. I also sent it to McCains. The difference is, McCain understands business. He knows small business drives our job growth. He knows that higher taxes mean lost jobs…for some reason, Oblama doesn’t understand this fact. All you have to do is look at history. Increase capital gains taxes, less money is available to invest in business. Less money to invest in business, means less jobs. Less jobs means a slower economy. Slower economy means less tax base and small tax revenues.
Same principle applies to those making over $250,000/year. If you increase taxes on the “rich”, they will spend their “expendable” income on taxes, not on things that drive the economy - like kitchen remodeling, new cars, TV’s, investments (see above) etc. By the way, someone making $250,000/year is already paying close to %50 in taxes - between Fed, State, Med, etc…
The Govt does NOT CREATE jobs…they report on jobs and track them but it DOES NOT CREATE JOBS!!!
This fact has been proven over an over again - look at our tax history and see for yourself. This is what you are voting for if you vote Oblama. Who knows, you may lose your job over it.
157. When man and dinosaur walked the Earth | 09.30.08
Next time, ask her about those dinosaur foot prints.
Wasn’t the rationale for Sarah Palin selection her appeal with the religious right in the Republican party. Well, let her come out clean on this issue, and not fool either side.
She was happy her daughter chose to have the baby. Does it make her pro choice? What if her daughter’s choice were terminating her pregnancy?
She tried to ban objectionable books from the city library, or maybe not. Quite a few fundamentalist churches are indeed in favor of banning books.
Is she in favor of teaching creationism in the state school curriculum?
All of this is very relevant. She is either taking advantage of her religious constituency or trying to hide her views from everyone else.
158. Ed Gordam | 09.30.08
If Palin is scary at number 2, then if Obama wins as number one????
Dems are so hippicriticle.
159. Bruce | 09.30.08
As an ex-dittohead and arch fiscal conservative, I woke up to these weasels and started thinking for myself - came to the conclusion that as I am not a multimillionaire, what does the right have to offer me - and the USA?
100mph down the military-industrial complex route - scaring citizens into 2 $$trillion dollar wars - all because a handful of idiots with flying lessons and an xacto knife leveraged $10k into a national nightmare.
We have lost all sense of common decency and civil-civic focus. Where in all this nonsense - all our vaunted leaders - is any of the STUFF that made America great? From “win at any cost” McCain, to “big mouth” (can’t you even shut up long enough to put a tourniquet on the economy) Pelosi. I mean, it’s depressing.
Maybe we should let a new depression clear out some of the moss this country has gathered ever since we started thinking that we knew everything, and the world should run by our rules. bye bye respect -
Hey…. we’ve still got Zimbabwe beat.
160. midas | 09.30.08
will the debate end or just pause so she can fix her make up, when she starts crying
161. Mike Lieman | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin’s incompetence makes me wonder, “What happened to Christine Todd Whitman”?
Christine Todd Whitman was Governor of a REAL STATE, *and* has Federal Executive experience as a Cabinet Member.
Kay Bailey Hutchenson would have been a good choice too?
Why are we insulted with someone like Palin when there are real EXPERIENCED and COMPETENT women out there.
162. Steve | 09.30.08
So Katie has now become the hero. How many tmes have Obama, Biden, or McCain negotiated with the Russians.
The question was totally unfair because none of the candidates have negotiated with the Russians.
Katie has the lowest nightly news ratings and for good reason.She should go back to the Today Show where the viewers are closer to her in IQ.
And to the non US comment O’Reilly gave Obama respect while Katie treated Palin like she was dirt. Fair questions are fine but Katie’s questions were unfair displaying her obvious bias.
I wish Katie would interview Obama and ask him bout the Rev Wright,Tony Rezko,and his pal William Ayers.
It will truly be a sad day for America if a man with his background becomes the president of the USA. John McCain is the lesser of two evils.
163. who what | 09.30.08
Glen Dahl has it right, this is not gotcha journalism, it is journalism. Do You really want her interviews to be nothing more than puff pieces? Palin is a complete joke, McCain knows that which is why he has been keeping her away from the press. She has freely admitted to not paying attention to world events so of course she has no idea what she is talking about. Her world is her state and her family, which is where she should stay. Kudos to Barak for having a REAL interview, lord knows not many other politicians have the guts to do that. It is just too bad the debate will not be real, the McLame camp has made sure to tweak the format to their favor that will not allow any real back and forth. A real debate would be Barack/Biden vs Dumb/Dumber in a town hall setting with all questions coming from the crowd. I am sure the Dems would be up for it…
164. pgo | 09.30.08
Be awake, Democrats! When Republicans have winning Presidential and Vice Presidential tickets they have a perceived-as-qualified candidate and a ‘peoples choice’ candidate. We Democrats always make the mistake of thinking that the peoples choice candidate is SO unqualified that the Republicans will surely lose. THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE. HIstory shows that it is the exact opposite. The more outrageous the peoples choice is, the more LIKELY it is that they will win. The SOLE purpose of the peoples choice end of the ticket is to reassure voters that the Republicans are not smarter than the voters and, will not “look down at them”. The more they convey that to their base, the better chance they have. The LESS the peoples choice knows about anything the more effective they are. A key trait is to be demonstrably NOT CURIOUS and decidedly anti science. The message is reinforced by the media which treats the ‘peoples choice’ as though they should know something, anything, anything at all. This allows the Republicans to run against the ‘liberal press’ who are snobs and look down on the peoples choice and of course look down on YOU as well. Please note that ten seconds after Palin finished her convention speech, the Rovian right was ALREADY attacking the press in the spin room for being against her. Go back an check it out. It’s such a tried and true tactic that it’s institutionalized. From that instant foreword all the right wing-nuts have spewed daily Norquist talking points bashing the media for being unfair to Palin.
2008: Qualified: McCain…….Peoples Choice: Palin (Creationist, hockey mom soap opera family)
2004: Qualified: Cheney…….Peoples Choice: Bush (Fractured syntax, pretend good old boy, thumbs nose at world)
2000: Qualified: Cheney…….Peoples Choice: Bush (Never traveled abroad, like to have a beer, bankrupted everything he touched)
1988: Qualified: Bush (sr)…..Peoples Choice: Quale (Vapid and empty, Deer in the Headlights, looked pretty)
1980 Qualified: Bush (sr)…..Peoples Choice: Reagan (movie actor in Bedtime for Bonzo could read one-liners..Well, there you go again.)
1968: Qualified: Nixon….Peoples Choice: Agnew (took bribes and went to jail, Scorned anti-war movement)
165. Tracy | 09.30.08
Tina Fey would be a better candidate than Sarah Palin. She certainly is a better speaker and is a catchy writer. At least Tina Fey can hold her own in front of a crowd - I wouldn’t be whincing everytime she got near a microphone. I question the mental stability of John McCain for selecting her as a running mate. What does this say about him? That he is so desperate to win that he would sink to selecting the lowest common denominator among women, which is a strong woman who thinks she’s smart, tough and a leader, but who in reality, is a frustrated hockey mom with an over-inflated ego and thinks that dressing for the part makes them the part?
If it weren’t happening to us, it would be all too funny. Please everyone, keep her up in Alaska where she belongs.
166. Sarah Palin | 09.30.08
People please, I am to do my own free willing because we as Americans will prevail. Wall street will be the consummate effort to intrude into Russia sovereignty while Putin rears his head into Pakistani air space. My words are spoken without lipstick. And just like the ordinary people of this country, I buy them from Walmart. I will be the leader who will protect the people’s interest in Wall Street, Main Street, First Street, and even Third Street. Let McCain be McCain and Palin be Palin. I have a dream.
167. Dave in Ma. | 09.30.08
Why does Joe Biden have to take it easy on her during the debate? If she can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch…… the one that overlooks Russia. Take off the gloves Joe! Enough said.
169. Brian | 09.30.08
It’s not just that Palin can play stupid - It’s just that she does it so well.
I can’t wait to see what she’s like without her babysitter, McCain.
170. Colorado Conservative | 09.30.08
There are very few “Christian” comments on this site. There is way too much anger. If you really believe that Senator Obama is more qualified than Governor Palin, then by all means please articulate HOW he is more qualified. I’ve asked this question to dozens and dozens of Obama supporters, and NO ONE can articulate WHY he is more qualified. Seriously, someone stand up for Obama instead of tearing down Palin.
And, if you take up this challenge, then please also have the courage to address the following: Justify why Senator Obama said NOTHING/ZERO/ZIP/ZILCH/NADA when the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac congressional hearings in 2005 warned of major problems pending. Did the fact he received over $125k in contributions from these organizations have anything to do with his silence?
171. jim weston | 09.30.08
You insinuate that the nonsensical quotes were actually said by Palin:
“Sure, this could be a little unfair. After all, she appeared more confident in yesterday’s outing with Couric.”
Also the spacing would cause a reader scanning your article to come to this conclusion. Please do not try to confuse people.
173. Greg L. | 09.30.08
I’d trust the nation in the hands of Sarah Palin (yes, even a President Palin) in a heartbeat (pun intended) before I’d trust it in the hands of Barack Obama. Both have approximately the same level of experience, but she’s real. Talk about government of the people, by the people and for the people! That certainly describes one of them. And it ain’t Obama, a….ahem….politician. Going back and forth between the 2 parties is not change. It’s more of the same. Old same or new same. It’s still the same. Yes, she’s still a Republican, but she would still bring some badly needed freshness to Washington–the kind Obama promises but can only pretend to deliver. Both parties are doing a pretty poor job, but the Democrats are a collective hypocritical embarrassment. And the media is right there with them. Both Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric can barely contain their contempt. In those interviews, they both look like they have gas.
174. Nick P. | 09.30.08
I hope there is no Cheating by Palin or by her folks. And she’s a master, not of facts, figures, or insightful policy recommendations, but at the fine art of the nonanswer, the glittering generality.
175. Robert | 09.30.08
JPV:
Thanks for your honest response - and Congrats. Obviously, you are better off. The world, and the U.S. however, are unquestionably not. Moreover, in respect of each of the issues I raised before - the wars, the environment, the deficit, the debt, the attitude to our international partners, both McCain and Palin echo Bush. Also, McCain doesn’t understand any form of business - he admitted so himself not long ago. I fail to see how you can blithely blinker off the catastrophe that the GOP has been for the country as a whole, with the rationale that you are making money. Allianz and Siemens did that about 70 years ago. You’re in good company my friend. I hope you sleep well.
176. mara diaz de tuesta | 09.30.08
Remember when in 2004 banner headlines read “how can 56,000,000 be so dumb”? I was offended by the Brits because of their insult to our collective intelligence. Now I know they were onto something, and now I fear that once again those same voters may once again choose style over substance.
All I can if anyone watching the Sarah Palin interviews can still support the McCain ticket, they most certainly be still the ranks of the aforementioned 56,000,000 and have learned NOTHING!
177. JPV | 09.30.08
Billybob, I was with ya there for these things you said:
“America bails out all these third world countries while our own infrastructure is failing. Let’s take care of our country first. Safe work places. Shore up our financial house. Incentives for small business owners.”
But disagree with you on these things:
“And get real. Communism is a failed political theory not practiced anywhere in the world. Guaranteed health care for everyone.” Yes, Communism is a failed ideology, but one very much in front of Oblama. Guaranteed Health Care is very much a Socialist/Communist idea. 40 million people are uninsured today. Not sure of the exact number today, but I think it’s close to 50%…and they chose not to get coverage for whatever reason. Also, health care is not cheap - who’s going to pay for it? The “rich” again? When will it end? Who defines “rich”? I make a decent living, but I’m not rich. I don’t have millions stashed away in some Swiss bank account. And, with Obama’s “rich” definition, I will never have the chance after his tax increase.
178. BOO-HOO | 09.30.08
Poor Sara, she had to take Senator McCain with her to her follow-up interview with Katie Couric.
179. mwzephyr | 09.30.08
I know they are gonna try to trip her up, but actually they are doing her a favor in a backwards sort of way… He who gets tripped up often enough learns how not to trip… This has been bootcamp of sorts for Sarah. They have been doing her a favor and they didn’t know it. She will come out better and stronger for it I’ll bet. She is not a whimp or stupid, maybe she was naive, but not anymore. She IS strong!
180. Will C | 09.30.08
The whole idea of Sarah Palin being one cardiac arrest from the Presidency comes across like a bad plot line from Battlestar Galactica. At least fictional Secretary of Education turned President Laura Roslin could speak articulately and had the decency to know she was in way over her head and be scared to death at the prospect. I don’t get why McCain chose her (at gunpoint from the conservative base, I expect) but I also don’t know why she was nuts enough to accept. When you’re that obviously unqualified for a job, you should at least be smart enough to turn it down…
Interesting, um…. “debate” being waged here. Could those of you who throw the term “liberal” around like it’s a curse word actually take three minutes to understand what it means? Look it up on Wikipedia and then tell me what part of that definition/label you have such an issue with…
I can skin a moose, too. Can I be Vice President?
181. anna | 09.30.08
Since when did asking a question and expecting an answer become “gotcha” journalism? That’s just a dumb Republicanism, like “activist judges.”
182. Sarah Palin | 09.30.08
Some people wrote that I am no Rocket Scientist. They are correct. I did not take rocket Scientology in college. I studied journalism for five years. Most people finish in just four, but I showed my dedication to my studies by extending my stay in school. Others are too lazy to stay in school.
183. Cindy J | 09.30.08
Under any other circumstances interviews like this might be funny. Like on SNL or its fosterchild shows. But this is the future of the US we’re looking at in the person of a failed beauty queen who is just dying to be closer to the crown than she has been …..and a has-been politician who has gotten by on his one-note war-hero platform for too long. This not funny even in the disgusting sense that ignorance and mockery can be in satire. I can’t believe any thinking person would find either of these candidates viable. They are clearly unbalanced, incapable and lacking in character. Not appropriate unless that is the kind of leadership people value. Duh!!! WAKE UP and smell the cow pie!
184. mwzephyr | 09.30.08
“165. Tracy | 09.30.08
Tina Fey would be a better candidate than Sarah Palin. She certainly is a better speaker and is a catchy writer. At least Tina Fey can hold her own in front of a crowd - I wouldn’t be whincing everytime she got near a microphone. I question the mental stability of John McCain for selecting her as a running mate. What does this say about him? That he is so desperate to win that he would sink to selecting the lowest common denominator among women, which is a strong woman who thinks she’s smart, tough and a leader, but who in reality, is a frustrated hockey mom with an over-inflated ego and thinks that dressing for the part makes them the part?
If it weren’t happening to us, it would be all too funny. Please everyone, keep her up in Alaska where she belongs.”
The part about being frustrated and playing a part sounds like a theme some you have been playing in your own life. Don’t try to transfer your own experience upon another woman. Lowest common denominator you say? Sounds like you have low self esteem. Why not stay home and work on that and let
someone who has the guts and courage to accomplish great things do so?
If you can’t contribute, go back into your closet and hide!
185. pxt | 09.30.08
If I had a nickel for every mispeling of the words “hypocrite” and “hypocritical”, I’d be rich enough to save the economy.
186. independent voter | 09.30.08
Whichever pair wins this election, this country is in for another turbulent four years. Personally, I don’t like a government controlled by one party. It’s dangerous and if it’s the Democratic party, expensive.
Why do people applaud (loudly, I might add) when the Democrats promise to raise taxes on the *evil* corporations? Or personal incomes? Corporations do *not* pay taxes. They are a cost of doing business which is rolled into the prices and services you pay! Paying tax on the same money already taxed before they cut your pay check. Which we do many times over. Some folks in the mid 1770’s didn’t like a similar idea in their day….
If Palin is a mere puppet, so is Obama. Who is pulling his strings? Hint, jeopardy style - Who is the speaker of the House? Who is the majority leader of the Senate? Obama is little more than a rubber stamp for a Democratic party controlled congress. You remember those folks, the ones who have actually been in charge for the last two years.
Long gas lines with little to no fuel - high prices, bad economy. Sound familiar? Anyone remember the days of Jimmy Carter? Not to say it was Carter’s fault. He was just the temporary head of the monster. Who controlled congress then (for up to 40 years!)? The Democrats have not presented any new ideas. Nothing revolutionary about Obama. Now, if they were to say “Government is already taking too much of your money and just doesn’t know how to spend wisely what they do take,” that would be revolutionary! Not, we need more and more. How does that help? What infrastructure do we need to repair? Want to keep jobs in this country - you can start by doing away with corporate taxes. Money they could use to hire more people, more R&D = more jobs, lower prices, etc. If we didn’t live in a free enterprise republic, I would like to see the salaries and compensation for CEOs directly linked to a company’s performance. The company goes down, so do they. This is how they turned around the economy in Japan, by capping compensation and making those in charge more responsible. They have one of the lowest CEO to worker compensation gaps in the industrialized world.
Move away if you must - more room for the rest of us. For all it’s faults, I am thankful I live in a country where I am allowed to express my humble opinion. Many around the world are not. Good luck to all of us in November and January! We are going to need it.
187. IIell | 09.30.08
36. JPV | 09.30.08 said, “i.e - tax reduction for 95% of Americans = take jobs away”
You sound just like every other republican. Tax breaks to the rich didn’t create more jobs. (Bush proved this.) And increasing it will not take jobs away. (Clinton proved this.) Jobs are not created because a company has profit to waste, idiot.
188. Sonny | 09.30.08
I am neither a Democrat or a Republican. However, the tactics of the media almost want to push Independents to the Republican side with their biased so-called journalism.
Sorry, but Couric had an agenda going in, and it was not fair and balanced questioning designed to be informative.
If Palin had made the Roosevelt/TV comment Couric would have done an entire show on it, and Bill Maher would have devoted a whole season to it.
The reason Palin is hated is because the Dems fear her - and not because of any damage they feel she will do if elected, but because she embodies everything the Liberals hate, and they are intolerant of annyone with a view point that differs from tehir own.
And the underlying factor that the Garafalo’s and other mannish boys won’t ever admit to is they are jealous of the fact she is an attractive women.
The degree of hatred shown to her is actually having the effect many pundits predicted - it is turning possible voters away from their party.
The women is a Governor for God’s sake, and a popular one. That is more of an accomplishment that 99% of her detractors will ever achieve.
And final thought - when she said “I’ll have to get back to you” I thought “How refrsrhing! A politician that admitted to not knowing an answer (to an obscure question by the way; Biden would not know every lean Obama made in the course of his career, either.) I’d much rather hear “I don’t know, I’ll have to get back to you’ then five minutes of unrelated rhetorical drivel, which is what you get from both Obama and McCain in asnwer to many questions.
I mean, come on - do people really listen to the debates, with open ears and minds? No. Most people go in with prearranged agendas, based on party affiliation. If they did listen, they would notice that most of the times these days the candidates don’t even answer the quesition asked, they spout pre-rehearsed canned answers that they practiced all week (which reminds me -that man-thing they have on MSNBC these days was making fun of Palin for being prepped for the debate this week, while failing to mention that Obama’s people are doing the same thing wqith Biden. It is standard political practice, used as GOTCHA material by self-grandizing whic h hunters posing as unbiased journalists.)
I never thought there could be anyone as despicable as nancy grace, but there she is, just a few channels down the dial . . .
189. kris | 09.30.08
As for Gotcha media - she didn’t only express this idea in a “pizza parlour” to a voter, she said it in her recent interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC. Here is the transcript:
CHARLES GIBSON (ABC NEWS)
(Off-camera) Do we have the right to be making cross-border attacks into Pakistan, from Afghanistan, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government?
GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN (REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE)
As for our right to invade, we’re going to work with these countries, building new relationships, working with existing allies, but forging new also in order to, Charlie, get to a point in this world, where war is not going to be a first option. In fact, war has got to be, and military strike, a last option.
CHARLES GIBSON (ABC NEWS)
(Off-camera) But Governor, I’m asking you, do we have the right, in your mind, to go across the border, with or without the approval of the Pakastani government?
GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN (REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE)
In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America, and our allies, we must do whatever it takes, and we must not blink, Charlie, in making the tough decisions of where we go, and even who we target.
CHARLES GIBSON (ABC NEWS)
(Off-camera) And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there. Is that a yes, that you think we have the right to go across the border, with or without the approval of the Pakistani government to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?
GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN (REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE)
I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell-bent on destroying America, and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table.
Now, th problem is not that Palin believes this, but that she is marketing herself as a tough reformer who is outside of Washington, yet she cannot acknowledge that she ever expressed this idea because it differs from McCain’s response in the debates. Biden doesn’t agree with Obama on 100% of the issues either, but he never apologizes for that, we Democrats know that is a strength. Obama didn’t pick a yes man, and that will be valuable as they work as a team in the Oval office.
190. JohnnyG | 09.30.08
In reading the comments it’s clear that CSM readers are overwhelmingly left wing liberal Democrats, but that is to be expected. But some of these liberals are not too swift, to think first of all that Sarah Palin would agree to a bug in her ear; secondly that someone off-stage could speak in her ear and she would repeat each word in conversational style; to think of the earpiece as a transmitter, instead of a receiver. I think it is refreshing to hear someone running for office to speak like we do instead of speaking lawyer-eze like most politicians. Therein lies the problem, most all policticians and legislators are lawyers.
192. Elvis Costanza | 09.30.08
When you’re desperate, not very smart, hold the public’s intelligence in complete contempt,don’t have an honest and thought-out position on a single issue, and your opponent is 400 times smarter than you are, all you can do is re-run the Rove playbook: claim the “liberal elite media” is the root caue of your gross incompetence, and throw red-meat soundbites and mindless cliches at ” the base “. McCain is seriously unprincipled and Palin is just in WAY over her head. Obama has his weaknesses, too, but at least he is an informed and clear thinking person who can inspire people. McSame just makes me want to hide under the bed.
193. Gary | 09.30.08
Christian Science Monitor? It is not Christian at all, certainly not scientific, and more gossip than monitoring anything. More of the same…liberal media that is.
194. palintologist | 09.30.08
i think her appearance made her look like a desperate housewife. she needs to show up to the debate and try to be articulate and likable. Biden should just try to show up and look articulate (any attempt to make him likable backfires in a gaffefest).
if mccain is forced to dump her, fine, i just hope he picks someone from http://www.womenwholooklikesarahpalin.com as i’d hate to look at mitt romney for 4 years. LOL!
195. GR | 09.30.08
**- Regardless of how the media biases it’s self, Palin’s state is one of the only states with a surplus. Her people are getting checks from oil companies.
Obama or any one else could be boxed in under attack by masters of spin.
He has been favored, to bad our country still tolerates such bias.
196. Steve | 09.30.08
Biden doesn’t have to do anything in the debates. Just let Palin talk and she will hang herself.
197. Matt | 09.30.08
I don’t understand what her appeal is - she read a canned speech on a teleprompter, and immediately she’s trumpeted as qualified to be the President of the United States. It’s crazy! And as far as her personal qualities - she’s nice, she’s feisty… I don’t get that either. To me she comes off as just another corrupt, strident, ignorant, unread right wing religious fanatic. She’s Phyllis Schafly, minus the menopause. And there is nothing nice about Phyllis Schafly.
198. Brian Hitchcock | 09.30.08
Q: What do you call a word or phrase that reads the same forwards or backwards? A: palindrome.
Q: What do you call a person who prattles on until her sentences make just as much sense backwards as forwards? A: Palin-Drone
199. Laura F. | 09.30.08
It is “gotcha” journalisim. Specifically, the liberal media is looking to discredit the Republicans by pointing out any discrepancies between McCain and Palin. Joe Biden recently told a supporter that he and Obama would never support coal plants in the United States. However, Obama supports developing clean coal plants. Why doesn’t Katie Couric question Biden and Obama about this? Or why doesn’t she grill Obama about his position of meeting with rogue states without preconditions? It’s because the liberal media is not about to make their candidate look foolish with the election one month away.
200. IIell | 09.30.08
JohnnyG, maybe you speak incoherently and maybe you’ve enjoyed 8 years with the dumbest President this country has ever had. I do not and I cannot see why anyone in the right mind would vote for McCain/Palin. Let go of your extremism, let go of your liberal hate and let go of your selfishness. It’s time to start thinking about your damn country, which desperately needs the American people to stand together before there is nothing left of this great nation. Wake up America! WAKE UP!
201. teacher | 09.30.08
Let’s see whose more dumb:
Let’s start with a true or false question….
Do corporations pay taxes?
a.) Yes
b.) No
Answer: No, corporations pass on the cost of taxes, just as they do any other overhead cost such as steel, electricity, rent, etc. The rest they use for R&D, marketing, payroll and other operating expenses and, of course, they keep a profit. In effect, companies just collect the taxes for the government.
So when Barry says that corporations will pay for all the government programs in his “Blueprint for Change” (have any of you who plan to vote for him read this?) he’s either lying or he’s dumb or both. Corporations will just pass on the cost to you, the consumer, and you’ll be paying for it, paying for it with inflation, fewer jobs, less expansion, etc.
Let’s see how you do with this question…..
Do you believe that the current subprime mortgage crisis was a result of
a.) George Bush
b.) Bill Clinton
Answer: Bill Clinton’s National Homeownership Strategy (Carter’s Community Reinvestment Act on Steriods) Don’t believe me? Do some research.
But hey - Promise to rob Peter to pay Paul - and you can get Paul’s vote.
202. Charlie | 09.30.08
It has long been my opinion that many people do not understand Bush, that he is a Christian and a Texas cowboy. I find it consistent that if your accent isn’t northern US and your grammar perfect then your “stupid”. It also doesn’t mean your “insincere”. Civil War all over again. Actually, it never ended. Also, you judge people by yourself. Think about it people. Start writing comments worth reading for the rest of us! All our time is valuable.
203. No longer borderline | 09.30.08
I realize this is old news but if being a prisoner of war makes you qualified to be president, shouldn’t we have his cellmates running also?
204. wally | 09.30.08
Only rubes like yourselves would consider a question based in fact to be “Gotcha” journalism. When attempting to defend herself, she said she was just talking to a “voter.” Which implies that what she says to a voter is different than what she would say at a Press Conference? When asked the same question. She said her position was the same as Obamas - that she would go into Pakistan. That is what happened - if you disagree you are wrong.
205. IsItJustMeOr | 09.30.08
“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to pull himself up by the handle.”
Winston Churchill’s observation illustrates the differences between liberal and conservative orientation on tax policy.
Some people believe government is responsible for the solutions and improvements that will provide for opportunity. Some people believe individuals are responsible for the solutions and improvements, and government should only ensure their opportunity to try.
206. ericmiami | 09.30.08
Cindy must be furious. She’s stuck taking care of the Palin kids while Sarah and John are sequestered “preparing for the debate.”
207. Michael Bantham | 09.30.08
Palin sounds just like Obama when he’s not around a teleprompter. He speaks in fragments, jumbles his words and tries to overcome his inexperience with platitudes. But he’s running for President, not V.P.
Good Gravy! What a state the country will be in if he wins.
208. IIell | 09.30.08
199. teacher | 09.30.08 said, “Do you believe that the current subprime mortgage crisis was a result of
a.) George Bush
b.) Bill Clinton
Answer: Bill Clinton’s National Homeownership Strategy (Carter’s Community Reinvestment Act on Steriods) Don’t believe me? Do some research.”
Haha! You’re so smart huh? You should have done some “research” instead of just reading bias news. This mortgage crisis goes back before even Clinton, it goes back to Carter and EVERY president and politician since then is at fault. Don’t blame just Clinton when G.W was promoting these two mortgage giants not too long ago.
209. mwzephyr | 09.30.08
@201″I realize this is old news but if being a prisoner of war makes you qualified to be president, shouldn’t we have his cellmates running also?”
At least you’d get people who loved their country and showed it…For you to bring this particular point up and use it to mock a former prisoner of war shows your insensitivity and inability to comprehend the horrors of war much less captivity… Sit in your soft armchair and play “mocking bird” like a fool…
211. Craig | 09.30.08
We would not need Equal Opportunity Lenders if there were no people like the people who still defend Sarah Palin despite what they have seen or heard. McCain could have made a better choice but he felt like he had to shake up the election to ensure a win. Obama is an elected nominee for President that means people voted for him. Sarah was a choice we will see how many votes she gets, I presume it will be the people that think we dont need Equal Opportunity. All things being equal why is that such a big concern dont you want to be treated equally.
212. kris | 09.30.08
Colorado Conservative
Where are your sources? In 2005 what Did McCain do about Fannie and Freddie? What did Bush do? What did the Republican majority in Congress do for seven years? And why?
As for Obama vs Palin, there is plenty of information out there, whether your conversations with Democrats have brought much of Obama’s qualifications to light or not. I find many folks on both sides of the political fence often have no clue about the candidate’s voting records or history or even their policy positions, let alone their accomplishments, and so I share your frustration in that way.
Here is a good article, which states it better than I can:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEED81431F935A35750C0A9619C8B63
If the link does not work, it’s called Obama: Man of the World and it was written in the NY Times. Not a conservative paper, I know.
Good luck to you.
213. Nate | 09.30.08
“Personally, I don’t like a government controlled by one party. It’s dangerous and if it’s the Democratic party, expensive.”
And what have the republicans cost this country over the past 8 years? Neither party has a fiscally responsible bone in their bodies. Money isn’t the issue, rather how it’s spent, how much government intrusion into our lives will there be, what will the usa and world be like after 4 year of a given administration? If you want more of the same bush/cheney administration vote mccain., if you’d like to see a change vote obama.
and for those of 95% who do not make $250,000 or more the independent tax analysis groups report that obama will be better for your taxes then mccain who wants to make the rich a bit more richer. so that does come down to $$.
214. Craig | 09.30.08
WHEN YOU SAY BARRY OR MESIAH YOU LET EVERYONE KNOW RUSH LIMBAUGH THINKS FOR YOU HE IS NOT A SECRET.
215. Harry | 09.30.08
For all those die hard republican, at least accept the fact that Palin is just not ready. Do you want someone who can just help you win votes or someone who can really support mccain, who is already very old.
These are difficult times in America and the last thing we need is a celebrity like Palin who says little about solving real problems and yet gets massive support. America needs more than a war veteran to lead to it forward. There a lot of challenges the 21st century presents even in terms of terrorism. Dont expect Bin Ladin to fly a plane into a building next time. All he may do is click a button and press “Enter”. He does not need a gun to do that does he
216. Matt H. | 09.30.08
Gotcha journalism? Words like that make me lean in a little more.
Why are you so worried that your pants are down?
217. Independent leaning left | 09.30.08
185 - corp taxes
Salary Expenses are not double taxed. Dividends are. A coporation pays taxes on profits (after much accounting wizardry)which inherently are reduced by the costs of running the business. In short, your claim is false.
218. mwzephyr | 09.30.08
Television Journalism of late appears to be simply another attempt by the “journalist to score points for themselves and to look clever”… Compare the questions asked in the last 4 months to canidates with questions asked 1 or two years before. The spotlight wasn’t on and the questions and the interviews were proffesional and direct…
Now we are playing let’s see if I can cause them to look the fool…
If this weren’t an election year they wouldn’t get away with this ploy.
“Lets see if we can steer ‘em in the ditch Charles!”
219. Jerry | 09.30.08
Sorry Repubs, but if your (chuckle) Vice Presidential candidate can’t handle softball questions from a (giggle) journalist like Couric, or for that matter, is unable to stay on point with the McCain strategy when asked a question by joe six-pack, then she needs to hang it up. And tell her to take her Grampy McSame with her.
220. Rick | 09.30.08
McCain accuses Press of ‘Journalism’! At least someone’s doing their job, and not using the bailout as a political ‘look at my leadership’ stunt…
“WAAHHH WAHHH, stop asking us questions we don’t know the answer to! Don’t make us contradict ourselves and each other! It’s a conspiracy by the liberal media elite!” (repeat last line ad nauseum).
221. Nicholas Bodley | 09.30.08
Robert said (No. 98, when I saw it):
“[…]If they had not been so focussed on building their thousand-year reich…”
222. Bill Shirka | 09.30.08
I am confused this is a woman who went to 5 schools to get her 4 year degree in broadcast journalism??? and she wants to say its “gotcha journalim”??? i guess she missed out on that???
224. Bob L | 09.30.08
This is unfathomable. Palin saying she did not know what she was saying when she spoke to that voter; doesn’t she realize that voters vote?
225. freelisa2000 | 09.30.08
I don’t think Palin should be judged on her recent interviews. Some of her mistatements were hilarious. But, as an ex radio dj and tv host, I know that many, many, many otherwise bright, educated, talented, smart, etc., etc. people freeze in front of a micrphone or tv camera. They call it ’stagefright’, and it’s a rather well known phenomenon. Most people would go brain dead and start to babble if put on the air with a ’star’ like Katie Couric, or even at the podium at their local Rotary Club. She’ll get better. Obama does better on a stage in front of a huge crowd with a prepared speech than he does in one on one town hall style engagements where the questions from the audience aren’t preselected and pre-answered, and no one suddenly believes he stupid. He’s just not a great personal speaker. But, I saw Sarah’s speech at the convention, and she has the same charisma as Obama, just more executive experience. And she’s a VP candidate.
226. Rick | 09.30.08
“I find it consistent that if your accent isn’t northern US and your grammar perfect then your [sic] “stupid”. It also doesn’t mean your [sic] “insincere”. Civil War all over again.”
You’re = you are. I don’t think anyone has criticized Palin’s accent or her grammar, it’s her basic sentence structure which is all over the place, and completely obscuring whatever point she might be trying to get across. You’re not just a bit paranoid? Everyone in the country has a right to be a bit thick or a bit smart, whatever works for them, but if you’re running for VP, then you need to be one of the sharper tools in the shed, North or South.
227. TJ | 09.30.08
I do not understand the commonly expressed opinion that under an Obama Presidency, Democratic Administration, “jobs will disappear, taxes will go up, etc.” A review of the history of Democratic Administrations, especially the one during WW II and Depression years, Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, Clinton, all have vigorous programs in place for jobs, social policies, stable if not thriving economies, etc. None of them bankrupted the economy are ended in the kind of economic crisis we are in now, preceeded by unemployment for years now.
While we are finishing up 8 years of precisely what is feared would happen in a Democratic Administration, I do not understand how these people can predict that will happen with a different and Democratic Administration. They cry “socialism”, yet, the Republican President and the Republican Congress have brought us to a socialist solution to stop the bleeding in the markets. “Tax and spend, tax and spend”, commonly assigned to Democrats is rendered ineffective now. This Administration has spent us into a huge deficit and borrowed money from China into the trillions; we operate in the red and are close to non operational in any color. We have spent millions of dollars pushing Bush’s concept of democracy onto Iraq. And for all of this spending and manipulation of tax cuts to the very ones who can afford to pay taxes, we have an incompetent, ineffective government with agencies run by cronies who cannot perform. So, not only have we spent ourselves into oblivion, we also have nothing to show for it.
And you fear a Democratic Administration because they will wreck the economy and your life style, financially?
In truth, it sounds just like the campaign bites from the McCain campaign. Just lots of words thrown out there to fill up a space and to hope that they are caught for first impression or surface value by people who do not allow themselves to think very critically. Maybe, these remarks are not made by ordinary, thinking people; perhaps, they are made by ideologues to whom nothing matters except that “their side wins”, kind of like their favorite sports team.
228. Tansi | 09.30.08
The Political arena aside, Katie Couric is good at two things, she can’t
hide her smirks and does “yellow” journalism at it’s best.
229. snoopy08 | 09.30.08
Defense Secretary - Jim Webb
Secretary of State - Chuck Hagel
Treasury Secretary - Charles Grassley
UN Ambassador - Al Gore
FEMA - Rudy Guiliani
National Security Advisor - Noam Chomsky
Obama/Biden 08
230. Thouston | 09.30.08
Obama is a media choice and they want us to elect him as the next President. They are mad now since this is a close election. Tell me one accomplishment Obama has as a US Senator. He is one of the most liberal politicians in the senate. Yes, Palin has no experience in the big stage as Biden. So what. Tell me one major decision Biden took in all these years as a Senator. As a middle class working family we gave more to charity last year than Biden. Electing Obama will make this country more like a socialist country. I lived in one of those countries. I am asking every Citizen to think twice before Voting for Obama.
231. Independent | 09.30.08
The media loves Obama and hates Palin. Numerous studies provide proof positive that the media heavily favors Obama. Katie is as biased as Rush or Hannity, she’s only different in that she acts as if she’s objective. Look, Obama does not have once ounce of experience more than Palin, and one can easily argue that he has LESS experience (and far fewer REAL accomplishments). He’s just been campaigning a lot longer. What he does have is the love and support of the mainstream media. There is nothing SHE can say that they cannot and will not spin to her disadvantage. There is nothing HE (O) can say that they cannot and will not spin to his advantage. These are the facts. Life goes on.
232. howard | 09.30.08
Let’s face it, most of the electorate has decided and it is the few moderates out there who’s votes are to be garnered. Will McCain’s pick of Palin attract these voters? Recent polls suggest not. She will have a chance to redeem herself and bolster the ticket Thursday, but clearly the chart shows a down trend and that trend is from the moderates seeing Palin negitively.
To me it seems as if McCain has played it backwards. Usually the top of the ticket solidifies the base and then, with the running mate, moves toward the middle. Because the right was luke warm w/ JM as their choice, he had to cover ground usually already captured. Sarah P. did that, but at a “moderate expense”. In an election so close, where both parties have a freverant base and where an increased Obama turnout will be cancelled by democratic racists, so much is riding on so few.
Go Obama!
233. Moose Brain | 09.30.08
She shoots moose because she can’t outwit them. Being a hockey Mom doesn’t take brains, it takes a uterus.
234. john cunningham | 09.30.08
Look at Senator McCains eye blink rate. There are some interesting physcological reasons why someone does that,
235. Rick | 09.30.08
“Let’s start with a true or false question….
Do corporations pay taxes?
a.) Yes
b.) No
Answer: No, corporations pass on the cost of taxes…”
So, the answer is yes, they do pay taxes… and they may or may not pass those on to consumers by raising costs. Depends on the market at the time of course.
“Let’s see how you do with this question…..
Do you believe that the current subprime mortgage crisis was a result of
a.) George Bush
b.) Bill Clinton”
Well, it would just be silly and as disingenuous as your first q&a to blame the financial crisis on one person. You fail. I’ll make it easy for you: Clinton economy = very very good, Bush economy = very very bad. Back to school teacher.
236. Gotcha Dummy | 09.30.08
We need Gothca journalism because the public doesn’t know her, McCain doesn’t know her, she has barely been Governor in her obscure state. She has minimal education, minimal success in the private sector and no national experience. Someone has to question her sometime, don’t they? Just vote for her because she is a good looking woman of the ‘right’ color and religion? That’s what the right wing wants but clear-thinking independents use their brains.
237. Truth Teller | 09.30.08
It is incredible to me how many people just sit and absorb all the media’s bent towards the democratic party and their candidates. First of all every voter should look at past performance of the candidates, Obama has simply not done much for his State nor Country during his time as a Senator, so what qualifies him to be the leader of our country? At least Palin has created some real change for her State. My second point is simple…go find out who you are, take the time to actually read the Democratic and Republican Party Platforms, this will tell you what the party stands for and what your best candidate should be trying to accomplish as an elected official, my guess is many liberal democratic types will find out that they are supporting the wrong ideology. I only make this statement as I believe most people are hard working, responsible people who want to keep more of what they make and not squander it to those who have not worked for nor sacrificed in an effort to improve thier families life. Lastly, the bottom line is that the economic situation we are faced with today is a direct result of early socialism, we tried to get people into homes that could not sustain living in them and now all of us are paying for it by virtue of devalued homes and the inability to use credit wisely and guess what folks the democrats controlled Congress and were asleep at the wheel. It is funny that the failed bail out plan listed many of the same oversight committees as what we have had for years, where were those committees two years ago, who chaired them, ask the questions do the homework for yourself dont leave it to Katie Couric to do for you!!
238. jj | 09.30.08
josephine thompson- that was awesome. Really well put. Everyone should read that one. I completely agree.
239. Hey Charlie | 09.30.08
“I find it consistent that if your accent isn’t northern US and your grammar perfect then your “stupid”.”
Dishonest and unintelligent remark there Charley. Bill Clinton has a hillbilly accent, Bubba nickname and is widely regarded in the North as extremely intelligent. George W. Bush is a fake Texan. He did most of his formative drunk driving up in Maine and Connecticut.
240. jj | 09.30.08
Seriously, having McCain chaperone is just embarrassing. If you can’t leave her alone with Katie Couric, don’t make her the heartbeat away Vice-President.
241. Thomas | 09.30.08
Grade for Bush as President C-, however, lets examine if the ecomomy, and other policy rated decisions is his fault…he is just one man…who governs the country really…is it the US House and Senate…or the President…who controls the house….I submit that a lot of the bad legislation has been coming from the legislators…and I am an Indepedendent!!!!
Obama and Palin are both poor choices because they lack real experience.
Problem is who wants the # 1 guy with no experience…I agree that ideally you’d like # 2 to have a bit as well. Obama is great as a speaker but he lacks experience and it shows…sometimes when he doesn’t know he simply goes along with McCain on the issue…he simply doesn’t have the depth…sorry!!!
242. Gotcha Sarah | 09.30.08
We need Gothca journalism because the public doesn’t know her, McCain doesn’t know her, she has barely been Governor in her obscure state. She has minimal education, minimal success in the private sector and no national experience. Someone has to question her sometime, don’t they? Just vote for her because she is a good looking woman of the ‘right’ color and religion? That’s what the right wing wants but clear-thinking independents use their brains.
243. neoconpoop | 09.30.08
Teacher??? you’re a conservative trained dog who, like the rest of the dogmatic imbeciles, learned to ignore the truth even if it whacks your face clean off.
A) It was deregulation under Reagan and deregulation “on steroids” under the Cheney Bush regime that is more than anything else responsible for our current mess - YOU DO THE RESEARCH, pal.
B) Yes, corporations pass on the cost of taxes. Like everything else, it is factored into a free market balancing act of supply and demand. Prove to me that ONE TAX BREAK given to big business by the thieves in power resulted in LOWER COST TO THE CONSUMER rather than ENDING UP AS A BIGGER EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION and I will happily grant you the argument.
Please, keep your dogma to yourself. it wreaks.
244. Leslie | 09.30.08
How can you call it “liberal media bias” when these are the ONLY media outlets Palin herself has participated in? Give me a break…if McCain thought she wouldn’t make a complete idiot out of herself, we would see her engaging the press all the time, similar to Biden, who has given 89 national and local interviews since being named the VP candidate.
Bottom line…she isn’t qualified to be VP, let alone president (yikes). I can guarantee she wouldn’t even be elected to congress if she were to run.
She doesn’t discuss the issues because she doesn’t know what they are. She give these confusing answers because she is repeating a list of things she was told to discuss, except she can’t organize her thoughts.
I’m a Corporate Recruiter and I’ve interviewed people who can’t organize their thoughts and never really answer your questions. We never hire these people.
If you think that being Governor of Alaska (3rd smallest state in population size) makes you presidential material, you’re crazy. I’ll move to Mexico if McCain wins, dies, and Palin becomes President.
245. Cataplasm | 09.30.08
I think Katie Couric would make a better VP for McCain. She has all of Palin’s sparkly personality and a brain to boot! But I still like Biden better.
246. Honest_Abe | 09.30.08
Gibson: What is the ‘Bush Doctrine’?
Sarah: Duhhh
USA: Gotcha!
The questions will be getting much tougher from here on out. Good luck with that McCain-bots!
LOL! Come on Thursday night!
247. Charlie is Wrong | 09.30.08
“I find it consistent that if your accent isn’t northern US and your grammar perfect then your “stupid”.”
Dishonest and unintelligent remark there Charlie, not even considering your incorrect grammar. Bill Clinton has a hillbilly accent, Bubba nickname and is widely regarded in the North as extremely intelligent.
George W. Bush is a fake Texan. He did his formative drunk driving up in Maine and Connecticut.
248. Wade | 09.30.08
One can’t help but wonder if those who are making excuses for Sarah Palin are addicted to reality TV or Rush Limbaugh or just have an overly simplistic view of the government and how it is run. They have populist fantasies straight out of “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” wherein the plucky, down-to-earth heroine gallops in to town to show the old boys a thing or two. I wonder if these people are so detatched from their government and are so used to being spoon-fed platitudes that they simply cannot grasp the complexities of this country’s problems and how we’re going to get out of them. You have your insults, your childish rants about the so-called “liberal media” and “cappucino-sipping elitists” and you think this is some sort of game. To you I say, your ignorance would be laughable if it weren’t so scary; and that we don’t have the luxury for any more of this kind of nonsense.
249. LibertyTN | 09.30.08
I believe that these are valid questions about Palin’s statement. I just wish that the press would follow Biden as closely. I steps in s**t every day. Maybe that would take up too much air time. They could still do a ‘Biden’s Top Ten’ or something.
250. justamoment | 09.30.08
Katie (chipmunk) Couric is a power hungry pig who would sale her own grandmother on the air if she thought it would help boost her ratings. Sarah Palin is being taken advantage of … all the biased, sexist, liberal media knows that she is new to national scene and they are going to exploit and try to defame her in any way possible. Sarah Palin is a very strong person, and she will bounce back from all this. Go Sarah !!!
251. Edwin | 09.30.08
What makes really means: When you pick a ‘Cat’ like Palin in a bag, you ain’t see what you’re picking, but when you pick a ‘Cat’ like Romney then you have already seen what you’re picking. Isn’t that simple logical. Where then is the logic of the ‘Maverick’?
252. Edwin | 09.30.08
What Max really means: When you pick a ‘Cat’ like Palin in a bag, you ain’t see what you’re picking, but when you pick a ‘Cat’ like Romney then you have already seen what you’re picking. Isn’t that simple logical. Where then is the logic of the ‘Maverick’?
253. Tor Grogan | 09.30.08
I thought it was so cute the way Sarah told us about the lesson she learned (Gotcha journalism!) I wanted to give her milk and cookies to celebrate.
254. Cataplasm | 09.30.08
Responding to the comment about whether McCain’s POW status qualitifies him for President, the real heroes were on the ground, in the jungles and in the tunnels. If they were captured they almost never made it to a prisoner of war camp.
I think the term hero is overplayed. Fighting at 20,000 feet and spending every night on a carrier is not at all the same as hand to hand combat and living and dying out in the jungle. McCain deserves our heartfelt thanks but the grunts on the ground did more and suffered more. They are the real heroes. McCain’s war history is just that. It should not be the basis of electing him to be president.
255. LaughinLast | 09.30.08
JPV, c’mon out of your bomb shelter. It’s nice out here.
———————-
36. JPV | 09.30.08
A vote for Oblama/Biden is a vote for American Communism/Socialism.
257. Jose | 09.30.08
Wow. One of the lowest moments in television history. Couric asks Palin a question, Palin answers, Couric says, “is that something you shouldn’t say on TV?” McCain says, “Of course not.” Ouch. Then, McCain says something about “Gotcha Journalism” being a “pizza place.” At this point, I’d say McCain certainly isn’t ready to be President, and you can take the blame off Palin, who answers, “It is” when he asks about the pizza place. Come on.
258. Edward | 09.30.08
All I have been hearing a lot about Gov Palin, can she be president lately from my liberal friends.
I would Like to say in recent history we have 3 great Presidents
Gov. George W Bush of Texas
Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas
Gov. Ronald Ragan of California
All three of these were Governors’ of states
All three had NO experience with international AFFAIRS but had good advisors.
Well one had an affair but it was local.
The point is this, dose the character of a candidate have the capacity to make good decisions under the advisement of staff members. Does she have the same values for life as I do? Does she care for children as I do? Does she elevate environment over man? Will she seek balance?
Not one of these Governors has ever been really tested until you actually get into the executive office.
Don’t forget to apply the same question to their opponents.
I like Gov. Palin at least she will getting the advisement of the one person that really counts, God. Just because her terminology or speaking skills is not what we expect, this is not revealing that she is unable to make good decisions.
If she has gotten as far as she has and is able to make great deals with oil companies that every Alaskan gets yearly revenue checks from the oil being pumped out of their lands. This seems to be a good deal for the people of Alaska.
259. Independent leaning left | 09.30.08
199 Teacher
You bring up a good point about Clinton’s National Homeowner Strategy. You are correct that home ownership increased as a result of this, rising from 64% in 1996 to just under 69% in 2004. The assumption is that the last 4-5% to own a house, was probably at the fringes of financial viability. This may be true.
I find a more startling statistic is the increase of sub-prime mortgages which more than quadrupled during the Bush years.
I took the time to research your thought, and found it compelling, and likely a contributor to this whole mess, but not the whole story.
If you are still here, take a gander at this.http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/02/subprime_market.html
Deregulation and separation of risk and debt ownership were larger contributors. The bad loans were not made as a result of Clinton’s initiative. Otherwise they would have shown up earlier.
260. Praetorian | 09.30.08
Barack Obama is the guy who hangs out with the Serbo-Greek lobbying people and last year made remarks about how sorry he was for the situation in Serbia and basically that they lost Kosovo, and now, since the Albanian people are pretty political ones and they tend to vote 90% of the families in states where they are a lot like NY, NJ, PA, MA and FL he said a week ago that “he supports Kosovo”. Now which one is it Senator Obama ? Or do you want the 500,000+ potential vote of the Albanian Diaspora ? Not an influential one by any means but it’s still about 500,000 vote counting proper Albania, Montenegro and Macedonia. This Senator will do ANYTHING to get elected. He made some remarks on Jerusalem too, that first it was not to be entered in negotiations between Israelis and Pakistan, and later he said that Jerusalem should be entered into the negotiations.
Unbelievable and we are talking about Sarah Palin every single day and depicting her as a monster of somekind ?
Wake up.
261. barrett hays | 09.30.08
It is not easy being the President of the USA. The world changes so quickly in nanoseconds, the President must be quick, adroit at handling many complex tasks all the time. There’s got to be a basic fund of knowledge avaiable so if there a direct observation, a report ,or deduction based on other information to handle a crisis, the President must be quick on his feet. There won’t be much time for muddling or plodding along. I suspect that Palin just doesn’t have that fund of knowledge. I suspect that her answers are simply what she knows. A dangerous lack of knowledge in a world of nanoseconds. Such a peril for us all. God help us, the American people.
262. Hemi | 09.30.08
It looks like McCain sent her to interview lessons. She even threw in a few big words. When is she gonna give a press conference on Putin’s activity on the Alaskan front.
264. Jim | 09.30.08
Like Palin was supposed to know John McCain’s voting record on regulations!! As if Al Gore knew Clinton’s? He would answer DUH as well. That IS GOTCHA… remember when some reporter started asking Gov Bush what the leaders names were like it was some world current events test. I don’t think Obama would know who is the leader of Belize is. Gov. Clinton was from a small state with no foreign credentials except dodging the draft in England. Reagan only played in movies on a sound stage that took him to Europe. Please.
265. AussieObserver | 09.30.08
I’ve been an admirer of the US for most of my life, and saddened to see the way that the once stellar reputation of your country has been shattered by the appalling Bush years. You NEED someone like Obama to rebuild the world opinion of America, and not the threats of McCain and his hawkish sidekick that will only serve to alienate even more.
You’re never going to eliminate all those who wish you ill, but why try to add even more?
As for the conservative posters here - deliberately mis-spelling the name of your opponent, resorting to lies about Obama’s religious beliefs, and snatching at the old scare-tactic of accusing people of being communists shows that you have very little in the way of rational argument.
The world wants to respect the US, not fear it. Obama might just be the answer to starting down the right track.
266. Are we this naive? | 09.30.08
In this interview, McCain states two governors that were suppossed to have little experience. They had many other qualities that Palin lacks. First Clinton was a Rhodes scholar, he may be very charming but he has the intelligence to back the plans he proposed. Reagan was a governor of a population that is larger than many countries in the world. Palin is simply not in a class with either of these two. It is ok to to not be in that class. There is nothing wrong with not being a Rhodes scholar but she does not have the proper level of education,experience and wherewithall to be at this level of leadership. She clearly shows it in her interviews, she freezes up and is dumbfounded at the questions leveled at her. Let me clear on this too, it is not because she is a woman that she is not a good choice. She is the wrong PERSON for his VP choice. Go to wikipedia and look up Alice Stokes Paul. Now here is woman that has the intelligence level of the persons that McCain mentioned before. She had considerable education and leadership skills almost 100 years before this pretender to the throne known as Palin. This a woman who could lead this country in the advent of the president not being able to fulfill the role of presidency. McCain will be 72 if elected and be the oldest person ever to reach this position. Now, not to render any misfortune upon him but his chances of being able to make one term and possibly a second expound several times over with each passing year. Then Palin will take over the helm then. We have already have a very inept person running the country, can we afford another. I appeal to you to look at it logically. You may not be a Obama supporter but do you have any other real choice here? If she takes over the office and things do not bode well, the only option then is impeachment. We need to move forward and elect someone who can lead. “Not just someone we would like to have a beer with and chat.” God Bless us all.
267. dm | 09.30.08
How could you allow Comment # 82 to be posted? It is obscene, defamatory, and intended to incite fear and bigotry. It is not even veiled racism………
268. JJ Carbon | 09.30.08
“Gotcha” journalism is quite right. The fact is, the media spin is immensely thick around Palin; so thick that even party constituent’s comments are being twisted far out of context and requireing constant corrections. This type of negative press is the leftist media’s answer to the Palin effect.
JJ Carbon
http://thepatriotknight.blogspot.com/
269. Thanks for the lies | 09.30.08
At what point do people realize that because you can say “tin foil hat” in a sentence it doesn’t mean that the ridiculous stage production that we call ‘democracy’ has any basis in truth whatsoever?
You and your media buddies get paid to lie for a living. Note that you have a soul and it is not so good for your soul to screw over humanity for your own selfish interest. Maybe you should take off your “ego hat” and realize you are screwing yourself over by trying to beat down humanity into submission, that is, if you have any soul left to consider yourself human.
270. asdf | 09.30.08
Like in the debates, McCain’s body language says it all.
He sure looks uncomfortable.
271. Hemi | 09.30.08
Omana got McCain good in the debate when McCain hit him with that (you don’t say out loud what your gonna do in another country.) Obama said, Like you John, singing Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran in front of a bunch of people. McCain sure knows how to put his foot in his mouth.
272. Fred Gore | 09.30.08
If you like socialism, you will love Obama. Sara is like a breath of fresh air.
273. BAW | 09.30.08
Stop blaming Dems for the mortgage crisis. Google “Bush home ownership” and you will find facts like this:
************************************************************
Bush seeks to increase minority homeownership
By Thomas A. Fogarty, USA TODAY
In a bid to boost minority homeownership, President Bush will ask Congress for authority to eliminate the down-payment requirement for Federal Housing Administration loans.
In announcing the plan Monday at a home builders show in Las Vegas, Federal Housing Commissioner John Weicher called the proposal the “most significant FHA initiative in more than a decade.” It would lead to 150,000 first-time owners annually, he said.
Nothing-down options are available on the private mortgage market, but, in general, they require the borrower to have pristine credit. Bush’s proposed change would extend the nothing-down option to borrowers with blemished credit.
*************************************************************
The fact is that both parties thought it was a good idea to increase home ownership in America.
275. Pappu | 09.30.08
My 7 year old has more self esteem at defending her stand than Sarah Palin.
Palin brought daddy McCain to defend her against Couric’s reasonable questions.
Will McCain accompany Palin in every meeting she has with foreign dignitaries?
Electing Palin-McCain would be the worst lesson we could teach the American kids.
276. maude arnold | 09.30.08
I am daily amazed at the pseudo intellects who demean anyone who does not agree with their predisposed position without any apparent thought as to the issues…it is a given the media has a bias…Why ? maybe they have an agenda… I see very little news reported , mostly opinions…..
277. Tess | 09.30.08
BeReasonable #74: Obama Biden; Osama Bin Laden Hmmmmm…
Very clever; did you think of that all by yourself? How’s this for all the Republicans who will ONLY go on Fox News (which Rudy Guiliani side-stepped the courts to push through when Fox’s application was rejected).
FOX=666=The Number of the Beast in Revelations.
See? We can ALL put up some bs that means nothing; just like you did with two good men’s names. People like you shouldn’t even be allowed to post comments.
278. Tom | 09.30.08
Republicans have been very hard on McCain and criticized him harshly during the primaries along with the MSM. But, Democrats don’t seem to have the ability to disagree with Obama on even the most minor thing. Democrats are very paternalistic to Obama and feel the need to protect him at all costs. They act like a parent who has a very bad behaving child and whenever someone points it out they say “Not my child.” It’s really bizarre that they can’t even criticize him just a little bit considering Republicans have heavily criticized McCain for his work with Ted Kennedy on Immigration and his work with Russ Feingold on Campaign Finance Reform. When you bring up Rezko helping him buy a house they act like members of the “Know Nothing” Party. Or if you bring up that he seems to have voted an inordinate amount of times in his career in the Illinois legislature they don’t want to hear it. Or if you point out that he was heavily involved with lobbyists from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which has caused the curren Bailout Crisis they won’t even consider that he was anything other than above reproach. I wonder why Democrats don’t have the ability to critically look at Obama’s record. Probably because they think he’s basically perfect I guess.
279. Marilyn Jones | 09.30.08
As to what’s coming next, some sites are suggesting that the Shotgun Wedding of the Century is right around the corner. The official pairing of Palin Spawn and her dropout significant other (the girl named after a body of water wed to the boy named after pants–what are they going to name the baby? Muskeg? Tundra?) is supposedly going to make a significant number of undecided voters go all mushy-headed and jump on the McCain bandwagon.
280. Nancy Heiser | 09.30.08
While some of the remarks bring a chuckle, there is nothing funny about this dangerous woman possibly holding the office of VP (and maybe the Presidency) during our nation’s most difficult time both at home and globally. Any hint to the rest of the world that she is not the sharpest tack in the shed puts our country in a horrible light. This is no laughing matter and if Sarah was the patriot she claims to be, she would have said “NO” when McCain asked her to run on the ticket. She is even too stupid to know her own limits.
281. Scott | 09.30.08
This likely won’t get read by many as there are 202 posts ahead of me, but I’ll say it anyway.
If you support the McCain/Palin ticket, you are either sorely misinformed, grossly ignorant, or just plain stupid. It takes only a little bit of research on these two to realize that they are incapable of leading our country. Palin and McCain have both been caught in double talk (look up McCain Double-talk in YouTube), and they’ve both been involved in criminal scandals while in office (search for “Palin doesn’t return federal bridge money” or “Troopergate” and search for “McCain Keating five”).
Now compare to them the opposition… Obama and Biden both came from ordinary upbringings and made a name for themselves entirely on their own. Both men have had their moments of misspeaking, but who in politics hasn’t. What they don’t have is more than half of their own party dissatisfied with their performances. And, they’re both great speakers, highly educated, and NOT the same old song and dance that we’ve been subjected to for the last 8 years.
282. ernie | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin continues to talk in sentences that go nowhere. A lot of words, not much substance. It’s inconceivable that she might be elected to become Vwould vote for her - with or without McCain.
283. lori | 09.30.08
It’s no wonder we have a financial crisis and 2 wars. It’s that Republican philosophy of offering less than stellar perfomers for the political arena and keeping the real talent in the private sector to rape ravage and plunder through the goverment, i.e. CEO’s with the golden parachutes. Sarah Palin makes W look like a genius. 6 years, 5 colleges and a degree in sports broadcasting.
284. Tina F | 09.30.08
Agree with Nancy on above. Sarah Palin is not exactly lighting the world on fire with her intellect. While there are some other fires she is igniting I would hope that Americans (men and women) would look beyond the cute glasses
285. bartonizer | 09.30.08
Since conservatives love to bring up the “experienced” issue, I must submit to you that George Bush had plenty of executive experience, and his presidency has been an unmitigated disaster. A more apt word to assess the presidential candidates would be whether or not they are “prepared” I’d prefer that my president is a rational thinking person with a grasp of world and domestic issues. The Republican ticket features a shoot-from-the-hip, gambling, impulsive ex-fighter pilot along with a person that until a month ago, never considered the president or VP position. It’s obvious that she never even paid attention to the news outside of Alaska. The choice of such an ignorant person is reckless, and shows poor decision-making skills. Folks, the last thing that we need is an irrational hothead and an ignoramus on deck. Turn off FoxNews and Rush and think about it. We have serious problems to face, and the Republican choices for President and Vice-President are embarrassing, and quite possibly dangerous.
286. jimbo | 09.30.08
I think that you who support Barak Husein Obama and Joe Popoff Biden deserve them. If socialism is your thing, you are right on target with Obama, Instead of robbing the rich to give to the poor, why not divide up the wealth of the nation every Saturday night. If Obama is president, don’t come crying to the thinking person for pity, you will have created your bed and deserve to sleep in it. Unbelieveable!
287. thelastmoderate | 09.30.08
What’s this about coherent sentencing? Pakistan, if they were NATO member they would be like Georgia. Life begins with misconceptions. Three out of five jobs were caused by global warming. Not manmade but maybe made by man in my opinion, I think. Most of all, the people are against and never will be for any of the issues that carry all of the weight of what you want to do with the rest of your life.
Okay? Did I cover the Palin Doctrine adequately? Next, Sarah attempts to pronounce the word “nuclear” just before an important meeting with the “Grecians”.
If you don’t take the neo-cons seriously, please read the book, “1984″ by George Orwell. Especially worth noting are the chapters, “Ignorance is Strength” and “War is Peace”.
288. Paul Stewart | 09.30.08
If the debates support what we are seeing so far, then Palin is not competent to be the Governor of Alaska. She might not even be qualified to be the Mayor of Wasilla.
Let’s hope she has just been kidding us, although that is pretty rank deceit. If she comes out as a great country bumpkin with a great personality. Then let’s send her back to the moose country where she belongs.
Can’t afford her being the back up to the leader of the free world in times of trouble. Not even in good times.
289. Paul Stewart | 09.30.08
I would like to comment on item # 286. posted by jimbo on 09.30.08:
“I think that you who support Barak Husein Obama and Joe Popoff Biden deserve them. If socialism is your thing, you are right on target with Obama, Instead of robbing the rich to give to the poor, why not divide up the wealth of the nation every Saturday night. If Obama is president, don’t come crying to the thinking person for pity, you will have created your bed and deserve to sleep in it. Unbelieveable!”
Well you know what, your ignorance is unbelievable. I have seen this kind of scare mongering posting going on for some time. First off, Obama is no socialist. You could check it out by looking at his views in his book, at his web site, whatever. If you don’t know what socialist means, you might look it up.
Now, what Obama stands for quite simply, is building an economy, call it an engine representing the American economy, that is bigger than the one we have today. And to build one based on industry and enterprise that are geared to tomorrow as well as today. To drive that engine in a way that will keep it leading the world. And to then take the output from that engine and distribute it back more fairly to those that created it and are running it. All the American people.
He is about giving the middle class a fair shake and a safety net in bad times. Not a nursery from cradle to grave. Not to coddle these people, but to give them enough support to hold their head up, to be able to cope in crises that inevitably come to everyone in life.
He is about leading an economy in the right direction. About doing the job government should do. About making sure the economic mess built by Bush and the Reflublicans does not happen.
If that is scary, then I will eat my hat. I tell you what scares me, its you and people like you, parroting lines fed to you by people that want to keep you full of the party propaganda.
I am confident though that the majority of right thinking Americans are going to vote common sense. They are going to vote with intelligence instead of with the gut. They are going to vote for the ticket the gets it. And that understands it, can manage it and drive it in the right direction. Not down into the bowels of the earth.
290. KK Canadian | 09.30.08
To paraphrase Graham Greene… America has taken taken the admirable principle that anyone COULD be president and contorted it into the idea that anyone SHOULD be president.
Viewing this debate from the outside, from a world very much affected by US politics but not considered by them, I sincerely hope that you all think hard before you cast your very valuable votes.
291. frank burns | 09.30.08
On abortion Palin is being very hypocritical — until she gets into office (if she does). She always reverts to “I would choose life” or, “No one disagrees with me that there should be less abortions,” and “People have different opinions.”
But that is just the pro-choice position. Against that position are those who would make abortions illegal, crminalizing the woman and the doctor who performs them. That is a judgment, imposing her “choice” on other women, and effectively robbing them of theirs.
Now, if she came out and said, “Abortion is murder, and should be illegal in every case” I would disagree with her, but I wouldn’t call her a hypocrite. HYPOCRITE!
292. Wade | 09.30.08
I actually thought this transcript was a joke until I saw the clip:
Tonight on the CBS Evening News, Sarah Palin was asked by host Katie Couric asked which sources she relies on for her news consumption. Three separate times, Couric tried to elicit a response from Palin about which specific newspapers she reads. Seemingly caught off guard, Palin could not name a single news source:
COURIC: And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this — to stay informed and to understand the world?
PALIN: I’ve read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media —
COURIC: But what ones specifically? I’m curious.
PALIN: Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years.
COURIC: Can you name any of them?
PALIN: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news.
Hmmmm, maybe she is just like Incurious George who can’t be bothered to read newspapers, either.
Amazing.
293. Gotcha This | 09.30.08
We need Gothca journalism because the public doesn’t know her, McCain doesn’t know her, she has barely been Governor in her far flung state. She has minimal education, minimal success in the private sector and no national experience. Someone has to question her sometime, don’t they? Just vote for her because she is a good looking woman of the ‘right’ color and religion? That’s what the right wing wants but clear-thinking independents use their brains.
294. K L | 09.30.08
Has anyone else noticed how many times she has mentioned her favorite world leader President Zardari?
Obviously she has learnt his name well, and is comfortable in producing his name even though mentioning his name each time Pakistan is mentioned is not a necessity.
I notice she hasn’t mentioned Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai, Iraq’s Jalal Talabani, or, Israel’s outgoing and incoming Prime Ministers, Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni, or even Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, although I have a feeling Palin still think Putin is the Russian President.
I haven’t heard her mention any other European leader’s name either.
What’s the betting that President Zardari gets yet another mention by Palin in her debate on Thursday.
The question might be posed to Palin: “Which other world leader do you admire most?”
Answer from Palin: “Hmm I’d guess I’d have to say President Zardari!”
295. qdome | 09.30.08
“with the stunts she (Couric) pulled”
Ladies and gentlemen, on the main stage tonight, someone asks questions live on camera and the person next to them answers them…WOW WHAT A STUNT.
You righties are friggin lemmings. How dare those darned journalists ask questions and expect answers on the record. The biased nerve of them expecting world leaders to know something about the role they seek to be elected to. We should all just shush up and let her pass on by without a thought. Afterall, she’s a, eh hem, maverick.
296. Gabe | 09.30.08
lol this is very amusing. I’ve noticed a pattern with repubs. If the media links obama to such figures as Write or Ayers or suggests that he has muslim roots it is OK “fair and balanced” but as soon as the media paints the same picture of their hero it is “gotcha” or yellow liberal journalism. what a bunch of nit wits
297. AverageJoe | 09.30.08
Hi Folks:
This is not about “gotcha” Journalism-if you can even call it Journalism, or define what it means.
Ms Palin is a “pain” to watch. She does not speak in coherent sentence; and that is what scares me. If she is scripted, she does well.
In a spontaneous response she tries to “cover all the bases” in an unclear,convoluted statement. Now I am hearing,”cut her loose” from her “Bush” style handlers! Why is Bush even remotely connected to Palin, and why does she need to be “handled”?-is she a piece of meat being processed at a slaughterhouse?
This “opinion” of mine is based on six or more times that I have watched her. I see a person who I am sure cares about our country, but is caught in some kind of Media induced schizophrenic xd
298. Bob | 09.30.08
Sarah Palin Is the best choice of the 4 on the tickets , I think time will prove it . The problem that many on this comment stream seem to have with her , is they have only seen a bias view of her and are focusing on her bloops and blunders , and they really are not so bad , considering the pressure she is under. Oboma has made far worse blunders , Have you even heard them ?? How about 57 states ? Just an example ! Ha Ha! Talk about clueless !
299. Palin Truther | 09.30.08
“Palin is not competent to be the Governor of Alaska. She might not even be qualified to be the Mayor of Wasilla.”
Both are true. Her own Republicans backed the investigation into her Governorship. As Mayor she had a City Administrator doing most of the executive work as Palin put the city into debt with rabid spending.
301. ralph | 09.30.08
Colorado conservative,
How about intelligence? Don’t we all want a president that is smarter than us. Wouldn’t it be a refreshing change to have an intelligent, thinking person representing our country. I think Obama has demonstrated that he is an intelligent person and that he will to use his intelligence (problem solving, thinking skills, advisers) to solve the problems of our country. Do you see anyone else in the contest with those attributes?
302. Spitfire | 09.30.08
Dear Kathleen Keane,
I’d say the problem with Paine is that she’s just about the same kind of idiot that made this mess.
As for “I think world leaders will be knocking themselves over trying to interview with her”, I don’t think “interview” is the right word here.
As President or even Vice President, it’s self evident she’d just be as useful as roadkill with lipstick…
303. John | 09.30.08
Gotcha journalism??? No sorry, Katie isn’t smart enough to pull that off.
Palin for the time being is a gaffe machine but why hold her to a higher standard? Obama with “My Muslim faith” among others, and Biden’s (like I really need an example here) are falling from their pie holes every other day. But I guess that’s expected and excused after you intern in Washington for the two year minimum rule.
304. Ray Lew | 09.30.08
“She is HIGHLY intelligent” ??
Enough of the party lines. Many of you Republicans are highly educated, so you can’t be serious. It doesn’t take a Democrat or a Republican to realize you don’t go to 5 different colleges to get a bachelors degree.
“Highly intelligent” would imply the ability to form coherent sentences. The first time I ever heard her speak my jaw dropped in disbelief. I am neither Dem. or Republican, so I try to be objective and unbiased in viewing both sides.
Ms. Palin seems to be a very nice person, energetic, and obviously loves our country. However, I feel objectively from a qualification standpoint Ms. Condi. Rice would have been the better VP candidate.
305. erik | 09.30.08
Dont worry guys, this isn’t the last you see of Palin. a year or so from now she will be in posing for playboy. This of course after she is sent home, loses her current position and hops on the d-list celebrity TV bandwagon… Who knows maybe she will have her own talk show on CMT, we can only hope for the best…
306. Jeanie Schneider | 09.30.08
It was painful listening to Bay Buchanon trying to defend Sarah Palin. No matter what the handlers have done, this woman has not got what it takes to stand next to the President of the United States. It is an insult to make comparisons of Ronald Reagon, Bill Clinton. They knew the issues, and had a strong grasp and depth of knowledge which came through despite any lack or over preparation. It is sufficiently clear with these interviews, there is no one at home here. This woman’s answer to what newspapers and magazines she reads to get her information, is “all of them.” She really is not pulling the intellectual well read thing off. The jig is up.
307. Dave | 09.30.08
I truly hope Obama and Biden win. I’m a long-time Republican, but I really want to see these two buffoons win. Barak Obama as President… someone please tell me what has he done for this country besides run for president??? What has he done that qualifies him to be the leader of the greatest, most powerful country in the world? Oh sure, he speaks well when he can read the words. He looks cool and dresses well. And he’s black! Er, I mean African-American. He’s been to all 57 states… he did say that. What? No funny skits about that from SNL? Hmmm… I guess Tina Fey wouldn’t play a very good Obama. How about Biden and his belief that Roosevelt appeared on TV to talk about the Great Depression? No funny parodies from the libs at NBC for that one?
Here’s the deal… all of you liberals are hypocrits, self-serving, socialist, and selfish, and if Obama/Biden win you all will absolutely deserve what they bring. It won’t be pretty.
308. TJ | 10.01.08
Snoopy 08
FEMA—Ret General Russell Honore
Rudy Giuliani is a big NO, a NADA. He can get a late night comedy show or a HBO comedy special with Sarah Palin, produced by Romney.
309. Shepherd Moon | 10.01.08
#141. Independent leaning left
Great comment. Thanks for adding some reality to counter the Palin denialists posting on this page. I’m sure Palin herself believes these falsehoods about who pays the taxes in America.
Obama is clearly the better choice in this election, regardless of whether one believes the lies about how he supposedly will raise taxes on everyone, or whether one is scared that his middle name is Hussein, or whether he is accused of being simultaneously too slick and too naive, of having too little experience and too much time in Washington at the same time, or whether he is allegedly the Anti-Christ. Obama promises to be a stable, thoughtful, intelligent president with a chance to get this country to cooperate on resolving its problems. The McCain-Palin ticket promises only to prolong the national disgrace that began with Bush.
And that’s not including the remarkable double standard being used against Obama. Imagine if Obama had needed several tries to graduate from college, or had a pregnant 17-year-old daughter, or could not name a single newspaper he had read, or could not name any Supreme Court decisions besides Roe v. Wade. Do you think Republicans and their apologists would give him a pass on those?
Now consider that they have given Palin a pass on them. And she had the nerve to try to ridicule Obama as not having had “actual responsibilities”?
Palin’s not someone I want honored with the second-highest office in the nation. After her arrogant speech at the Republican National Convention, I think she deserves to be put under the brightest possible spotlight and faced with the tough questions that have been asked of any number of previous aspirants to the White House.
310. Scott | 10.01.08
You know what bugs me about this interview? McCain won’t let her answer the question. And he is really sarcastic and nasty about it. He really turns me off.
311. Kelly Lightfoot | 10.01.08
Katie Couric needs to learn how to do an interview , I think she does not have the capability to interveiw fairly since we know where she stands .
Govener Palin did not have to do an interview with her and she did , she held her own against a no talent hack katie coric that is who does not even know how to dress , did you get a load of her in her hideous bathing suit in Malibu .
Back to Sarah Palin , she is real with real answers , answers that the American people can understand , not a smooth talking guy who thinks he has movie star status and can do no wrong Barack Hussain Obama , give me a break !! Thats about all Barack knows how to do is smooth talk , why not all of you liberal reporters (the View) etc . pick him a part , he does not always know the answers to everything but manages to get away with it , ask Obama where all his campaign money comes from ?? You would all be surprised . Well I will be voting for Mcain and Palin for sure and its interveiws like this that make it all that much easier !! Thanks Katie you just helped me decide !
312. calvin | 10.01.08
Anyone is better than RACIST Obama & RACIST Jeremiah Wright in the White House
313. jim kentro | 10.01.08
I don’t think Biden is going to attack Palin at all. Can he be seen as attacking a woman? He’s got to be real careful or there wll be a backlash.
Point out her deficencies in a nice way.
314. Jon B | 10.01.08
I’m a independent who has voted Repub for many years. But not this time….no way I can stand by and allow this travesty.
SHE DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE AND IT IS SO OBVIOUS.
I have always felt that there are some very naive voters in this country but I did not ever believe that there are so many.
Wake up people-
1) A vote for McCain is to extend the misery of the past eight. I am not voting for a person I am simply voting for a direction. I am voting for a direction that is changed from our current path. It is not so much McCain as it is the fact that we will get pretty much the same agenda that Bush has followed.
2) An issue that hardly gets mentioned - our Supreme Court is beginning to lean too far to the right. I am a believer that we need a good balance in the top court. We currently have at least two members who are close to stepping down. A conservative pres for another term could tip the court too much resulting in further erosion of our civil rights.
3) Palin is a very poor choice and I shutter to think where we would be if anything happens to JM. In every choice that politicians make there will be an element of politics - no doubt. However, in this choice McCain based his choice on politics ONLY. He might as well have just picked Rachel Ray.
Again I am voting for a direction not a candidate. I am voting to take the country away from the policies of the past 8 years…..away….as far away as possible.
God Bless,
JB
315. John Locke | 10.01.08
When the fiasco is over OBAMA IS NEXT: Obama quotes: “57 states” “Massattoosetts” “Inhilator” “My Muslim Faith” “Breathalizer” “Our next President Joe Biden” “10,000 died in the Kansas tornado” (there were 12 fatalities) Duh Duh Duh Duh Duh.
316. Mark | 10.01.08
“McCain decried gotcha journalism. Couric disagreed with him which led the Republican to say, “No, she was in a conversation with a group of people and talking back and forth.””
Gotcha journalism ? THe candidates need to realize what they say in public, no matter the forum, *is* public.
317. dullard | 10.01.08
So if I were to interview someone for a job, I would ask questions that go to their qualifications and traits that make me believe they could perform. If I was given an answer that contradicted a previous statement they made, or contradicted a company policy, I would ask a follow-up on that point so that I could understand what the job candidate means.
Am I a ‘gotcha’ interviewer?
318. teacher | 10.01.08
Independant leaning left - thanks for actually taking the time to research it. No, it’s not all Clinton, but he holds the majority of it. And this entire subprime mess was predicted long ago. It was written about in the NY Times in 1999 by Holmes
319. jody | 10.01.08
OMG, I am so tired of McCain’s patronizing tone of voice and his speaking for Palin.
320. William | 10.01.08
If This was a mistake on her behalf it is acceptable,but how does she explain the incoherent rambling Mrs Palin gave in the same first interview about the relationship Alaska shares with Russia. The true mistake, if not flaw in this candidate is that McCains campaign shelters her and does not let her do interviews without conditions (that would even make Communist Dictators blush).
The Democrates pretty much let Biden make an *** of himself freely. All the RED FLAGS are flying, will this Candidate reveal herself and her views in an unscripted free flowing manner, this is yet to be seen . Voters should take a long deep refelection and ask, if this is the person they want
to be second in command.
McCains attempt to postpone the first debate would have rescheduled, or may i say put off the Vice Presidential debate indefinately with so little time left to scrutinze the #2 candidates can the American system of Democracy survive with unqualified leadership for another four years?
321. Wade | 10.01.08
“Govener Palin did not have to do an interview with her and she did , she held her own against a no talent hack katie coric that is who does not even know how to dress , did you get a load of her in her hideous bathing suit in Malibu.”
You are an absolute nutcase.
322. pogo | 10.01.08
“Her quotes come out like a completed Scrabble game. There are plenty words on the board, but few coherent sentences.”
sorry, but no. You must spell correctly in Scrabble and use proper words that are challenged with a dictionary.
From the amount of incoherence in her speech, I doubt seriously if Palin has a vocabulary that could crack a dictionary and definitely, not terse or deep enough to utilize all those troublesome high value letters that land on the draw.
When I read traanscripts and she screams “gotcha jounralism” or makes the false claim that journalism has changed its ethics, I wonder how she could ever passed a high school exam on geography or world issues or learned the basics of of how, when, where, why of a elementary news article. As for being a journalist, many claim it, but few succeed at it. As for being the victim of “gotcha”, forget it.
The woman is totally competent of eating her toenails without duress, but she obviously can’t see beyond the studio stage to realize that the world is watching her make an idiot of herself.
Indeed Putin might rear his head, but she’s by no means any match for his leadership or intellect. As a head of state, she’s laughable and invites scorn with her grossly inarticulate responses and mewings. She’s a serious disaster in-making for the world.
Press coverage before election is easy, but after election it gets tough. Pravda labels her an “worthless bag of hair” and it’s very apt description of her intellectual capabilities displayed so far.
325. GR | 10.01.08
-to Shepered Moon
can’t deny ,
Sometimes words mean nothing, Palin the governor, has reduced taxes in her state, her state has a surplus and her people receive checks from oil companies.
O’ Blame ‘a - people got “low income mortgages” they couldn’t pay for under the community reinvestment act. easy “O” (Barry) got more then $42,000
We on the main land got screwed!
Thank you for the debate. GR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p1Wc2NFa3w&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njy-5X2huFQ&feature=related
326. Vote | 10.01.08
– Careless comments about, Republican Palin and her Bible.
Abraham Lincoln (republican) freed the slaves, despite logic of the time on the basis “all men are created equal”.–
That Palin library story, dose anyone know what book she wanted out? Are all books, magazines and videos available to everyone ?
327. thelastmoderate | 10.01.08
One thing really befuddles me. Okay, imagine you are John McCain and your objective in picking a running mate is the following: shore up on the right and pick an attractive woman. Our own little pitbull from Tennessee was a speaker at the Republican Convention. Her name is Marsha Blackburn. She is like an articulate Palin with experience. She isn’t hard on the eyes and she could do quite well in a debate. She is actually well versed on the issues. She is already well known in neo-con circles. Why would he pick Palin when he could have had Blackburn? Don’t get me wrong, Blackburn wouldn’t entice me to vote for McCain. She is just more of the us-and-them mentality, blaming everything on the Liberals and the media and not taking any responsibility for selling out on REAL conservative principles (You know, stuff like balanced budgets and non-interventionism). She would, however, have been a much better pick than an inarticulate, clueless, inexperienced Sarah Palin.
328. John | 10.01.08
JPV and others talking about how letting “the rich” keep more of their money means job creation and a better economy…um, nope.
Years of allowing tax breaks for the wealthy meant that the wealthy had money to invest. Banks thus had a bunch of money to lend out, which they did…in the form of deregulated mortgages. Those mortgages got bundled up and bought by investment houses, which traded them around. When interest rates climbed and people couldn’t afford them and the banks foreclosed and the mortgages were junk…well, that’s what led to the mess of the last few weeks.
If you put a lot of money in the hands of someone who’s already *got* a bunch of money, they might build a business and create jobs, or they might invest it in non-tangibles like mortgage investment and watch it crumble. But if you put money in the hands of someone who doesn’t already have a lot, you can guarantee that they’ll either spend it on material goods, which is good for the economy, or they’ll invest it, and probably in something basic like bonds or CDs…not something like mortgage investment.
This is ridiculously oversimplified, and surely people will argue it, but that’s how I see it. More money in the hands of more people will do better overall than more money in the hands of a few.
330. GR | 10.02.08
Gotcha?
Couric asked her if she should have said that and noted that the position sounded similar to Barack Obama’s.
Couric unintentionally matched Palin-VP with the inexperience of Obama
331. GR | 10.02.08
Good evening 282. ernie
“Palin speaks in sentences that go nowhere”
Yes she is learning politics and once she masters that small detail she will do great.
332. Robert Alu | 10.02.08
Hi all,
I am in East Africa.
I enjoy reading the CSM once in a while online, though I have never been to the USA. Some of the comments (here and elsewhere) have led me to comment for the first time.
I have plenty of questions but I guess one will suffice, for now:
How could Obama teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago FOR 11 YEARS and win elections to the Illinois senate and then the US Senate IF all he is is ‘a mouthpiece’?
- Alu
Dar es Salaam
333. ear | 10.02.08
Alu’s point is exactly why I find Obama frustrating. He has a depth of character and intellect lacking in many politicians, including his opponent, and he’s allowing his handlers and advisers to rein it in, as if we’re stupid morons who need even more condescension from the Washington idiot-cracy.
Speaking of reining it in, Palin’s being reined in big time, and if we have a chance to see the real Palin, I hope America will be as horrified as I was when McCain named her. I have followed her for several years because her environmental record is abysmal. Just what we need when we desperately need to play catch-up on climate change because Bush policies not only didn’t deal with it, but actually set us back about 30 years. To wit: Her response to Katie Couric’s question about whether she believes humans accelerated climate change. After ducking the question once with one of her non-answers, when Couric posed it again, Palin said, “it doesn’t really matter….”
That answer certainly made the mostly unflappable Jon Stewart show some real indignation (something he does rarely, but when he does, his indignation is righteous). I would add to his outburst that this woman is as ignorant of science as Bush is. The scientific process doe not ALLOW us to ignore the cause of a phenomenon. It’s like saying it doesn’t matter that we know polio is caused by a virus in order to prevent it, except that the vaccine uses the virus to create antibodies in the immune system!
Unlike Mr. 92 IQ, Palin is very intelligent. Like him, however, she is incredibly ignorant. Which makes her very scary because ignorant intelligent people tend to come with very narrow agendas. They are even worse when it comes time to actually pay attention to the reality-based world because they apply their agenda to it, whether it fits or not.
Just like the current VP and his man-sized safe.
334. GR | 10.02.08
Dear Robert Alu
It is not his education that is in question, it is his intentions. We are after all America people before Dem/Rep or Black and white. His words and actions have been in a consently changing state of conflict. Americans are accustomed to this type of politics.
The media and politicians are experts, when it comes to manipulating our minds, it is important to realize we are all victims, it gets more complicated when they themselves fall into their own trap.
It has become apparent to us that Obama’s education has little merit against the realization of true suffering and a life time of experiences.
example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Lge-__OOE&feature=related
Other radical views:
335. GR | 10.02.08
Topic: Education
Answer to: Robert Alu
It is not his education that is in question, it is his intentions. His words and actions have been in a consently changing state of conflict. Americans are accustomed to this type of politics.
The media and politicians are experts, when it comes to manipulating our minds, it is important to realize we are all victims, it gets more complicated when they themselves fall into their own trap.
It has become apparent to us that Obama’s education has little merit against the realization of true suffering and a life time of experiences.
GR, USA
336. GR | 10.02.08
Palin’s folly
Palin’s folly-The Magic art of politics.
1) Different view different audience.
2) How many states are there?
3) Hurry make something up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Lge-__OOE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njy-5X2huFQ&feature=related
337. GR | 10.03.08
Sometimes we are allowed to see so little of the truth we have forgotton what it is.
Prepare for change?
338. Tess | 10.03.08
Palin’s performance in last night’s debate reminded me of a wide-eyed college girl running for the student council. I half expected her to bring out a pair of pom-poms (rolls eyes). While Biden gave me information and facts; as well as a sense that he knows what he’s doing.
Obama/Biden is the only responsible choice there is-imho.
peace…
339. Tess | 10.03.08
Palin’s performance in last night’s debate reminded me of a wide-eyed college girl running for the student council. I half expected her to bring out a pair of pom-poms (rolls eyes). While Biden gave me information and facts; as well as a sense that he knows what he’s doing.
Obama/Biden is the only responsible choice there is-imho.
peace…
340. WillNotBeFooledByObamaNATION | 10.03.08
BAMA COMMITING TREASON
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/
2008/09/19/opinion/main4460105.shtml?
source=RSSattr=Opinion_4460105
Thanks to reporting from Amir Taheri, the gist of which the Obama campaign has confirmed, we now know that while Obama is telling the American people he wants an end to the war, he has secretly negotiated with the government in Iraq to extend the U.S. military mission there. That is a black-and-white violation of federal criminal law.
Yet, during Obama’s heralded trip to Baghdad in July, he asked Iraqi leaders to ignore Bush and delay resolving the legal status of our forces until next year - by which time the Senator hopes no longer to need a phony presidential seal.
Under the “Logan Act” (now codified at Section 953 of the federal penal code) it has been against the law since the late 18th century for U.S. citizens to carry on “intercourse with any foreign government” that is aimed either “to defeat the measures of the United States” or to influence the foreign government’s dealings with the United States. Being a senator is no immunity from this statute - as any Republican senator would find out in a hurry if he dared to pull a stunt like this during an Obama administration.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. J.Jay | 09.30.08
Like Jim mentioned in other article, What would McCain pull out next! I think this is it, Palin comes hard on Biden! oops that seems a dream but if he and she does than whoa! Repubs are back in the game. I still think she is playing dumb on purpose but hey I like that it tickles to think that way.