bmags

QUOTE (DrunkBomber @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 10:00 PM) Not everyone is b****ing about it because half the country is reaping the benefits. I know myself, and a few others on here will absolutely contest it is blatant irresponsibility, especially in an election of this magnitude. I guarantee you if Pawlenty was picked, none of this would be happening. He was a common name who ran a good state and had known opinions on a national stage. McCain opened pandora's box. This isn't bad journalism, this is what you'd expect. She made no real opinions in her first speech. When everyone is going "who the hell is this person" you can't blame people for going up to find who the hell she is. So this great pick is completely overshadowing the GOP convention that was already overshadowed by a hurricane. but it's the liberal media, this tried and true argument that you mr. genius feels in his gut but can rarely prove. You're right, this has been a poor election coverage year...by the AP. They've been the worst. The AP's story was a one source tidbit from McCain's head of vetting, when the rest of the newspapers in their country not run by Fornier are all saying the same thing "we didn't know". If McCain did know, why the inconsistent answers? Why?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 07:25 PM) This is ridiculous. How much more s*** are you going to pick up? Come on, that's hilarious. It's a town of 9,000 people.

zing boom bam

The AP is a joke right now run by ron formier

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 05:10 PM) Which is a shame, because minorities in this country pretty much owe their civil rights to LBJ. For all the flowery talk that Kennedy gave, he never planned on delivering more than that. And Truman!

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 05:09 PM) I find it increasingly frustrating that people assume that no thought or vetting went into this VP pick. Clearly, there are numerous news articles about "how much" vetting was done and how it was conducted. You're right, they say not much. Except for the guy in charge of it all, who said he did a great job. Oh, and my favorite, the aides that said they had an FBI check on her, very official. Of course then the FBI says what are you talking about we don't do that.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 05:09 PM) I find it increasingly frustrating that people assume that no thought or vetting went into this VP pick. Clearly, there are numerous news articles about "how much" vetting was done and how it was conducted. However, there seems to be this impression out there that Palin was picked on some whim in order to attract Clinton supporters. Palin was brought in to energize the Republican base (which I believe she has), solidify the social conservative vote (her issue positions certainly match here), to reinforce McCain's "maverick" nature (which she does to some degree, though maybe not as much as picking Lieberman), and to represent change (both from the current administration and in general from business as usual). As for the lack of vetting, so far the "dirt" on her is that she has conservative social views (e.g. creationism, pro-life), has been affiliated with a party that might support Alaskan seccession, has a pregnant teenage daughter, that her issue positions do not 100% match McCain's, and that she is potentially involved in the least scandalous political "scandal" that I've heard about in some time. If this is the worst that can be found on her, I'd say she (and the McCain/Palin) ticket are in pretty good shape. For someone that was virtually unknown in the general public (though she'd been discussed as VP candidate for months), it is not unusual at all for these things to appear surprising to the general public (who didn't know her anyway). In other words, she was a completely political pick with no thoughts as to whether she could run the country. "Least scandalous scandal" ever...maybe if you didn't pay attention to the BUsh administration. Maybe if you think you should be allowed to use your political power to take care of family differences. Maybe If you would like another presidential administration that again acts like it was just their aides. But I remember the U.S. attorney scandal and the politicization of most every department during the Bush administration, and I don't want it repeated.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 04:38 PM) Well isn't that kind of the risk they assumed when they made the pick? Remember everybody saying this was going to either make or break the election for McCain. Of course the McCain camp could've done a better job assessing the risk if they knew jack s*** about her (it took the left-wing blogs about 24 hours to scrape up enough dirt on her to force a public announcement). But who would replace her? If you kick her off and put in Pawlenty or Romney that wouldn't generate much buzz in the base and talk about alienating the woman vote. It's a screwed up situation for them, keep Palin and just hope the bleeding stops or just save some of the parties image and try not to lose damn near all of their seats in Congress? I'm just wondering how much they weighed the risk at all. I mean McCain won this thing back in late march. He's had 5 months to pick a VP, did he really not know how mad conservatives would be with Ridge or Lieberman for FIVE mo.? NY Times said he had one interview with Palin and gave it to her soon thereafter. In my mind, all they saw was pro-choice, woman, you can get Clinton, alright go with it. In the modern presidency the pick of VP means a lot, and if this is the amount of consideration that went into it, it's certainly telling.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 04:41 PM) A kind of parliamentary system who's chief executive is really nothing more than a figurehead. Putting one man in charge of the largest military in the world is just dumb. A team of brothers would be better. Like the Coen Brothers.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 04:34 PM) I would be very curious as to what form of government you would advocate. you'll enjoy it. Also, LOL from huff post: It turns out she had a somewhat different approach. If a small-town mayor ever ruled with an iron fist -- it was Palin. Eleven days after taking office in 1996, she mailed letters to each of the city's top managers requesting that they resign as a test of loyalty.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 04:25 PM) Awww snap somebody read their HuffPost this morning! I dont think they'll drop her unless the corruption really starts to seep through. Like Stevens throws her under the bus to save his own ass or Troopergate goes nuclear. This family issue stuff wont do it even if there is sex involved. but it's already poor. It should all be pos. for the republicans now, it's their convention week. And all you are getting is defensiveness about Palin. but even with all this, I still say the most important part is McCain's judgment. Now the NYT is saying that McCain only had people go up to Alaska one day before she was selected. She was a very rushed pick.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 03:47 PM) So Palin has been worth 3 points so far? you are confusing polls.

you know I think you conservatives read dailykos more than any of us do. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/polit...amp;oref=slogin

well what was a black woman doing at the republican national convention anyway jkjk

sadly. sadly.

QUOTE (striker62704 @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 03:32 AM) The Whitesox remind me of an old beat up car. They think because it's still running that it's a good car when it's not good. Even if this team makes the playoffs they aren't going anywhere. They'll be on the road the first round of the playoffs and they suck on the road. oh okay.

It seems like political conventions are like the real life whacking day from the simpsons for police. Except people instead of snakes.

I mean in all likelihood the sun-times will be down in 6 months. It's just garbage.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 08:14 PM) No, doesn't matter in the least. Abstinence-only education really really really works. Honest. And even though Palin is rabidly anti-choice and doesn't believe in choice, she and the rest of the McCain camp are going to try to score political points by stating how proud they are of Bristol Palin's "choice" to have the baby and to mary the unnamed father. A 1985 DUI for Palin's husband doesn't matter. This will matter, and should matter, even though I agree I'd like to see Bristol Palin's privacy respected as much as it could be. Okay, I note your point. BUt this girl is going to be pushed into the spotlight when undoubtedly she did not want this attention. It was probably hard enough for her to get taken out of her schooling and kept like a secret,, now she's the fodder for a political fight. If McCain-Palin don't politicize it, then this side shouldn't either.

QUOTE (Disco72 @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 08:02 PM) I've been reading and lurking for awhile as I've tried to make up my own mind on the Palin VP pick. I disagree with Bmags on this... there seems to be a lot of discussion on troopergate (lol at the 'gate'-ization of it already), but I really do not see it as a major issue. Worst case, it is one firing (it does not make it right, but it is not a systematic process of firing a group of people) of an individual that, if the facts are true, deserved to get fired. However, since Palin was brought on as a social conservative, as I believe she was, then there are certainly some 'family values' implications of her daughter's pregnancy. It will not affect my vote, but I can see it being a bigger issue for some than the so-called troopergate. (Note: Just before I posted this, I did post in the "read and acknowlegde" thread for the 'buster) It wasn't one firing, it was pressure from the governor's office to fire a trooper, and then that person refused and was fired. I doubt the governor cared so much about that person's performance to start a purge in the office, especially since the subsequent hiring had a sexual harassment case against him.

naw, this shouldn't matter. Troopergate might.

For a far more accurate portrayal about how I and probably all of the people on here feel, this is from talkingpointsmemo.com JUST REALLY ODD We haven't touched it. But you probably know there have been internet-based rumors claiming that Sarah Palin's newborn son Trig is actually the son of her 17 year old daughter, Bristol. In an effort to knock down these rumors, Palin and the McCain camp have now put out a statement claiming that Bristol Palin is currently five months pregnant with child, which she plans to keep and that she will soon marry the father. I really do not know what to make of this story. But we wanted to keep you up on the latest and particularly the McCain/Palin statement. Late Update: I'll note also that the McCain campaign is lashing out at 'liberal bloggers' for this story coming to light and even perhaps the Obama campaign. I think we can chalk that down as another intemperate falsehood emanating from their campaign. I will note this. Vetting works in a fairly established way with most campaigns. The standard procedure in a case like this would have been for the campaign to have gone to a trusted reporter -- and by that I don't mean a hack but someone the campaign knew would deal with the story in an appropriate way -- and given them the story about the family drama the Palins are going through, how the daughter is planning to have the baby, how it confirms the family's values, etc. In an ideal world, the daughter's life would be her own business. But in the world we live in the best for all concerned would be to give it a respectful airing on day one or two and take it off the table rather than have it come out in some more jagged and painful way. We don't care about Palin's daughter. Her life is her own. She's not running for anything. What this does show is much more confirmation of what Republican operatives and pols are saying loquaciously off-the-record: that they don't think there was any real vetting of Palin. Acting out from the McCain camp will not change that. (ed.note: In the original version of this post, I wrote that "Bristol Palin is currently five months pregnant with another child, which she plans to keep ..." The meaning of another was to distinguish this pregnancy from the rumor that she carried Palin's son Trig. Several readers read this as an insinuation that this was Bristol's second pregnancy. That wasn't the intention and that doesn't strike me as a logical reading. But to avoid any misunderstanding, I revised.) I didn't link it because this was on the left side comments by the editors/writers

Moved per lostfans rec.

There were so many funny parts to that video. When pangea was breaking apart, the mini explosions had me lol'ing. Every time Barack Obama speaks, an angel has an orgasm.

well, you also have jackson firing all of his cabinet because they were spreading rumors that one of the wives was a whore.