Hey McCain, if Hillary's so great, why didn't you pick her?

Reckless choice

The more we learn about the charming Palin, the less she has going for her. It makes me think that not only is John McCain ambitious without good judgement, and disdainful of government, in particular the office of the Presidency, but perhaps he could find no other takers. As my charming and absolutely qualified husband pointed out, McCain could have picked any number of better qualified Republican women for the ticket--was his "choice" really a slap in the face to them? Or was it a slap in a face to him? I'm still shocked he didn't pick Rudy, I was sure of it...

Any news that Democrats are fighting/revealing this?

Backfire

Everything of which McCain accuses Obama, McCain is. He puts politics before country, HE wants to be President out of ambition, not patriotism, he isn't trustworthy; McCain is insane. He's volatile, reactionary, desperate and this "maybe I'll get lucky" choice reminds me of that scene in "Nemo" when Gill hatches yet another plan to escape the fish tank...all his fish followers say, "Okay," except the last guy who says, "I think you're nuts!!" But McCain doesn't listen to that guy.

A Republican Woman VP, what now?

I think there are good reasons Republicans have waited so long to put a woman on the ticket. It raises issues for conservatives...just think about Coulter's cheery evaluation of women (we should not vote). McCain, reportedly, has been very disrespectful to his wife; I'm not sure how he is toward women professionally, except that he's generally seen as insane. So, how is he going to handle a strong, vocal woman on the ticket? She may very well have her own agenda--and his reaction to her rising up from her place in the hierarchy might sink his candidacy without word one from Obama.

The only choice argument, for the GOP VP candidate

Abortion happens, whether it's legal or not. Do we make it illegal and dangerous, even for victims of rape and incest, or the critically ill, who have the greatest moral imperative to abort? Or do we do everything we can to make unintended pregnancies rare? Period.

Update: I've heard a lot of conservative women on NPR saying how happy they are that Palin is so strongly "pro-life." I wrote this last night:

I don’t know the governor of Alaska, but I find her extreme position on abortion severely lacking in compassion for women who are raped, victims of incest, or who simply don’t want to risk their lives in an unintended pregnancy (esp. if they are already mothers). Both times I was pregnant I was keenly aware that my life could end, especially at my age (600 women in America die from childbirth). And in any case, women always seek abortions whether they are legal or not, so the question is, will we keep women who do it safe in this country; and do we try to make them rare? I’m not so dismissive of more moderate pro-life positions (setting some legal limits for those who are not in the situations I mentioned above), but not that one—and I wonder if she supports the use of contraception (sigh). I guess she’s a libertarian on other issues (just not for all women I guess!).

The MSM hammer

Obama's "inexperienced" BS! Yes, Vigilante, can we please tear McCain's corrupt, unethical, pandering experience apart sometime soon? And, more important, can we hear over and over and over about Lugar Obama? And transparent government?

Change

Leaving Iraq
green jobs
alternative energy
equal rights
equal pay
constitutional rights restored
healthcare availability
successful schools
efficient government (the bureaucrats and white collar military know it's coming)
help for the poor
transparent government
less power to the lobbyists (the lobbyists know it's coming)

CHANGE

The Evolution of Peace

I keep goading my husband into agreeing with me that violent and non-violent people are biologically different. He's not buying it and keeps poking holes in my theories (he's awesome). But that description is the closest I've gotten to getting his approval..."liberal" vs "conservative" didn't cut it for him and he quickly gave me an example of a violent liberal and a peaceful, patriotic conservative. I myself have been a very angry liberal, a "fighter" and now that I have kids I'm trying to check myself so that they will be more like their father, a judicial, playful, principled and peaceful man (of course, both of my children know this about their father already!).

There are a few reasons I keep thinking about violent vs. non-violent. It has always bothered me that the liberals have been assassinated so much more than the conservatives (attempts were made on Regean, but the liberal list is long: John Lennon, MLK, JFK, RFK, and even the recent killings of the Democratic chairman and the Unitarians.)

It's like the peace symbol is a target for some people, and it helps me to realize that there are just some people who think that peace is threatening to their future. It helps me realize that peace is really something we need to advocate, stand for, and educate each other about. It means that I no longer take it for granted that people want to be good...being in a state of goodness, tranquility, and peace is a battle inside each one of us to some degree. A peaceful world is worth securing for the safety and health of our families and country.

We have to lie about Cindy to get John elected...

Wow, I'm stunned. I'm adopted and I just see this political lie as a line that should never be crossed. "Daddy, why did YOUR campaign get my adoption story wrong?" Bizarre.

Where do we get the real news, Holland?

I'm pretty sad. It used to be that my father got the real news from the Manchester Guardian, I believe it was mailed to us in northern Missouri twice a month. My brother now reads The Economist for his real news. But I'm thinking...our lobbyists are probably implicated in the Georgia/Russia fiasco. And Tony Blair basically takes hush money from Saudi Arabia, the country that appears to be calling the shots in this world.


What country publishes news that YOU would trust?

We're voting for CHANGE, netroots

I'm becoming weary of the leftist whining for VPs that are the same old Democrats that have been compromised in every way. I'm praying that Obama picks someone brilliant that I've never f-ing heard of--that would be CHANGE. Now I'm reading whining about WHO will speak at the convention, it's not Gore, I guess. WHO CARES?!

Let's just see what happens, Obama's team is brilliant, let's stop second guessing him all day long. Gees.

McCain: Off-shore drilling NOW, IMMEDIATELY!

The link is courtesy of the election website here (courtesy of Schmog). Wow, money talks, eh, McCain? And a reversal, to boot!

Image and the $100 bill

Some might think that Obama has a mistake (the world is full of Republicans who look for mistakes). One being something like saying, "I don't look like most presidents on our dollar bills," (I actually think he resembles Abe Lincoln's physique and possibly some Jeffersonian features, but I digress). Even liberals may see this as Obama injecting racial issues into the debate, but they may not be aware that he was reacting to an ad McCain ran in June that showed Obama on a dollar bill, highlighting his white shirt and dark features (turning up the CONTRAST for us) and as the dollar fades and enlarges Obama's face turns yellow, grotesque and "explodes" out of the frame. I'm trying to find the blog that reported this with images but I can't seem to load any of those websites. Oh, here's one.

So why the retraction? I think Obama's retraction is a wise move to keep race out of the fight. He doesn't need Americans lining up trying to decide if McCain's a racist, or if Obama's sensitive to racism (I think he knows what an insensitive society we are, and how intolerant we are of the sensitive of ANY color, race or gender) but what we do know is that McCain's consciously appealing to racists. Does using racist tactics make someone a racist? Uh, yeah. But who's job is it to call him one? The voters.

Update: Ah, this is what I was speaking of (let's be callous, America! No need to be sensitive to the feelings of blacks, women, Jews, atheists, liberals, Christians, oh, maybe I'm going to far there...): Suck it up

The superficial vs. content

This is the "cling to guns or religion," comment that Obama made that still draws so much judgement. One can say it's stereotyping bitter (not every!) small town people, and if we read the whole quote for INORMATION it's also full of UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY for people who he describes as watching their jobs go overseas and their communities crumble. It's so annoying that we get these quotes out of context over and over and over, like Dana Milbank who turned humility into hubris.

"But the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Lies about Taxes against Obama

Here is a link that outlines the economic plans for both candidates, a good tool to refute the misinformation that so many people have (and plan to vote on). I must say here that I am stunned that Republicans are still, "Taxes, taxes!" when our country is such a f-ing mess economically, structurally, environmentally, and in terms of civil rights, education and health care. They seem just fine to vote indefinitely for lower taxes AND criminal, corrupt, incompetent and crazy politicians.

Sticks to McCain

All the insulting charges against Obama hit McCain:

"He's elitist" McCain and his wealthy wife own 7 houses.

"He's got a messianic attitude!" "Thinks he's the Lord's gift...[Pat Buchanon]" Well, McCain keeps a rabbit foot or some other such nonsense with him at all times...so who's out of the realm of reality here?