The good things...

Good things my kids teachers are doing this year:

3rd grade:  

- My 3rd grade daughters teacher is methodical about measuring my daughters reading level then setting a short and long term goal.

- The teacher is drilling the kids on subtraction and addition facts prior to starting the multiplication facts

5th grade:  

- My son and daughters teacher religiously updates their online homework page and also uses an online grade book.

- He also returns all work, and gives the kids an option to correct sub-par work to get a higher grade.  For example if my son corrects a paper that got 6 out of 10, then he can get it changed to a 8.

8th grade:

- OK, I am out of touch with my 8th graders teachers.  She is getting A's and B's though, so no complaints, except of course for the stupid projects.

More BS school projects

My 8th grader has spent the last three hours working on a "government accordian book".  She has used colored paper, glue on letters, stencils, and drawings so far.

As near as I can tell, she hasn't learned a single thing about about the government yet.

I wanted to send a note to her teacher pointing this out, but my wife and my daughter wouldn't let me.

So if by some chance an 8th grade social studies teacher happens to read this, I have a message for them.

Stop wasting my kids time!

Depressions build character

Ever notice how those who lived through the "Great Depression" talk about it like it's a badge of honor.  You always hear about how it built character and taught them the value of savings and thrift.

Just saying...

Why is a financial meltdown such a bad idea?

Why is a financial meltdown such a bad idea?

Will people starve?  

Didn't the Great Depression result in the New Deal?

I can't believe we are being asked to spend over a trillion dollars to perpetuate the status quot.

Topsy turvy

Up is down. North is South.  

The Democrats are supporting Bush.  

Republicans don't want Democrats to help Wall Street.  

Oregon St beat USC.  

I am slowly losing my sanity.  

My only crutch is my utter confidence that whatever bill passes will inevitably cause more problems than it solves.  

You can't beat Murphy or the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Obama can be President

Let Obama be President.  Give us back Palin.  Don't talk to me about USC.

Obama can have the Presidency as long as USC makes a come back

Yeah... USC is more important.

Can't take it anymore...

I can't watch anymore Sarah Palin interviews.  It's like McCain turned her into a puppet.

It ain't right.

And to top it all off, USC is losing 21-0.

Set Sarah Free

I'm with K-Lo over at the Corner.

As everyone knows, she's in New York City through tomorrow. I realize she has a busy schedule. I know she has Katie Couric time to carve out. But as John McCain does anything but inspire, how about a total Sarah charm offensive? Drop by and see old friend Larry Kudlow. Give Elisabeth Hasselbeck and the girls a drop-in. Tell Alan Colmes you really missed him last week. Call Rush Limbaugh (you know, the guy who hailed you as a conservative "babe" months ago, finally.

The McCain campaign needs to let go of their death grip on Palin and let her go on a charm offensive.  Let her answer questions from the media.  Let her go on the View.  

If she can't hack by now, then McCain picked the wrong person.  I happen think she will do fine.

Wow... my Mom hates Palin

I have a confession. I come from a family of very liberal Democrats. I swear I don't think a single person in my immediate family has ever voted for a Republican... never ever.

This morning my mom messaged me, saying that she didn't like Palin. My mom doesn't dislike anyone, yet Palin has somehow gotten under her skin. Weird.

Anyways, politics is now an off-limits topic in my family. Hopefully my Mom doesn't read this.

Just in case... I love you Mom.

McCain wants to limit execs to $400,000

McCain wants to limit execs to $400,000

It may be a populist move, but McCain was the first one to put a number to CEO compensation limits.

He can turn this election if he shouts this to every media person and voter in the United States.

Obama... your turn.  Can you top this?

[UPDATE] The main stream media don't seem to be covering this statement.  I wonder if they are delaying it until Obama can come up with a simular plan?  nahhhh.

Irony of the New York Times and New York City

The New York Times has an inordinate amount of influence on national politics considering they are the local newspaper of the crooks on Wall Street that made money off of the backs of main street.

How many factories are there in New York City?  How much food to they produce in New York City?  How much oil do they drill/produce in NYC?

Should we really trust the local newspaper of all these crooks?

Instead of the bailout...

I say screw the bailout.  Let's just pump money into AIG, since we already own it, and take over the credit industry.  So what if the other companies fail, we (the taxpayers) can just buy the assets on the cheap.  We would be one of the only players out there with enough capital to loan directly to the citizens.

Then after everything has shaken out, we just divvy the company up, giving every American a share, and let the free market take over.

I'd also like to see a 85% income/capital gains tax applied retroactively to every single CEO who has had a hand in this crisis.

50/50 vs 100

All else being equal, if we accept that Palin doesn't have any experience or expertise for federal government, then I think she is the perfect candidate for President.

I figure that on any given economic decision, she would have at least a 50/50 shot of getting it right, whereas the politicians currently in Washington running out economic policy have about 100% record of getting it wrong.

Charles Murray cracks me up...

Whether you agree with him or not, you have to admit that Charles Murray is funny as hell.

From his recent New York Times Magazine interview

What do you make of the fact that John McCain was ranked 894 in a class of 899 when he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy? I like to think that the reason he ranked so low is that he was out drinking beer, as opposed to just unable to learn stuff.

I bet there are a significant number of people who spent their college years studying, who look back on it now and wish they drank more beer and got laid more often.  I don't see any of those other 893 people running for President or married to a millionairess.  

Like I have been saying, we need less experience and more common sense in government.

Palin and experience (less genius, more common sense).

It's ironic that the same people mocking Palin for her inexperience are championing the same experts to get our economy out of the position that they put themselves in.

We need a little less genius and a little more common sense.

Don't get me wrong, if she supports this mess then I am done with her as a VP candidate, but if anyone should be attuned to the Main Street aversion to bailing out Wall Street it should be her.

Unfortunately, I think McCain might muzzle what would be her natural position.

Liberals and Wall Street

Let's be clear.  This financial crisis was created because the liberals (and Bush) liked the idea of the poor being able to buy houses, and Wall Street figured out a way to profit of the idiocity of the whole concept until the whole ponzi scheme went bust.

I think there will be an inevitable push against deregulation, but deregulation wasn't the problem.  The problem was the expectation that the government would be there to bailout the companies, since they were the ones pushing for an "ownership society" anyway.  Well it looks like they were right...

I blame HGTV and their endless run of "house flipping" shows.  In a few years we went from a country where the middle class was happy to have 3 bedrooms to a country where they were putting in granite counters in the ghettos.

Government paychecks for a government bailout

Every single person working for AIG right now should have his paycheck cut to a reasonable government salary.

If we go ahead with this bailout of Wall Street, it should be on the condition that any company we (the government) buy toxic debt from should have to cut salaries by half (at least).

My vote is officially up for grabs again, and goes to the first candidate to take a stand against the bailout of the corrupt and incompetent.

Update

No I didn't burn out... I am on 12 hour shifts for an exercise at work.

Obama still scares me.

I am still voting for Palin.

Seriously, how cool is Todd Palin?

Ask yourself this one question?

When a crisis hits, who would you rather be at the helm?  Obama or McCain?  Obama or Palin?

If you answered Obama for either one of those questions, you are seriously deluded. then I disagree.

Don't even talk about experience.  If you really cared about experience, you would of voted for Hillary, since she had the benefit of President Clinton as an advisor.

UPDATE: ms-teacher made me feel guilty.  There are valid reasons why someone would vote for Obama.

Obama reminds me of my kids...

When I first heard about Obama's "pig in lipstick" comment, I thought... no, he ain't that dumb.  Then I found out that he followed it up with an "old pig" joke.

He knew what he was doing.  He was doing what my kids do.  Insulting someone with an innocent look, and them feigning ignorance.

I am calling Obama a liar.  He knew.  He meant it.  

Kudo's to you Obama... now you get to say "burn".

Have you noticed...

Have you noticed the media smears and non-stories written against Sarah Palin are having a shorter and shorter lifespan.

Now, Obama's "lipstick on a pig" smear is lasting.  A smear only lasts as long as the public want's it to.

Hollis French claimed 5x the per diem of Sarah Palin

Thanks to Governor Palin, the state of Alaska publishes it's "checkbook" online for public viewing.

I decided to go and compare Sarah Palin's "per diem" payments to those of State Senator Hollis French, the democrat leading the "troopergate" investigation.

According to the detailed report of expenses for the dates 1 July 07 to 30 Jun 08, Governor Palin was paid a total of $5,212.91. In the same time period, Hollis French was paid per diem of $25,009.12.

This seems pretty extravagant, especially when you consider that Senator French lives in Anchorage, where I imagine he does much of his work.  Just like Governor Palin.

Now this doesn't include individual payments of less than $1,000, but it's still pretty interesting.

Do you think the Washington Post would be interested... nahhhh of course not.

[UPDATE] - Hollis French collects per diem while in Juneau for legislative sessions, since he doesn't have a residence there.  Still, feel free to go to the links and do your own digging.

Hillary deserves props...

Hillary Clinton, who I am a big fan of, deserves kudos for not being driven into "gutter" campaigning.  She continues to talk about issues, and refuses to follow the Obama campaign into the mud.

I hope Hillary is around for a while.

Obama: "The American people aren't stupid."

Steve Benen over at the Washington Monthly thinks that Obama's like "They must think the American people are stupid" is a good campaign slogan.

I admit that I am not neutral, but I don't think the line works that well, at least for swing voters.

I am not sure what would work for him, but I don't think he can turn Palin into a weakness, best for him to pray that she flubs on her own (though I don't think it's likely).

Democratic candidates don't do well on attacks unless it is on issues of "corruption".

I think a good move would be to take a deep breath for a week or two, then announce some sort of major position in his administration for Hillary Clinton (who was my initial pick). It might be too late, but it's his best shot to shore up his support.

If he had picked Hillary as VP, he robbed McCain the impact of Palin and he would of cemented her base of women voters.

I think in the end, its these two decisions (Hillary and Palin) that will analyzed over and over. This is the year of women. Sort of ironic that the Republicans stole the thunder.

Sarah Palin and the inevitable "experience" question

I think the "experience" question is going to be the most difficult question to answer during Sarah Palin interviews. Sooner or later the "executive experience" answer will get old.  

As a Palin supporter (and one who totally thinks the left and right have the completely wrong impression of her), I would like to see her answer the "experience" question something along the lines of this.  

If by experience do you mean do I know how things are done in Washington, then by that definition, I don't have it, but I am not going to Washington to do things the same old way it's been done for years. But I do have experience in harnessing the best and the brightest of all parties and working across the isle to accomplish things that benefit the people of Alaska. As VP, I will use this experience to work across the isle and help John McCain develop realistic and workable solutions to the problems of energy and the economy.

Pretty balanced article on Governor Palin - by those who know her best

Palin's leadership: Opinion adn.com

The Anchorage Daily News has an op-ed piece up about Governor Palin.

It's definitely no puff piece, but there are some key points they mention that the media and the left aren't aware of.

Palin is the only major political figure in the past 20 years who regularly comes to Daily News editorial board meetings by herself, with no flunkies or handlers.

...

Palin dislikes the give-and-take that usually helps smooth the way for political decisions. She states her case and expects legislators to base their actions on the merits of the issue.

...

One of Gov. Palin's great strengths as a reformer also has a downside. She has a fervent sense of what's right and what's wrong and has little concern for political consequences. This fearless sense of righteousness has generally served her well -- as when she went after Alaska's arrogant and corrupt Republican political establishment.

...

One big surprise about Palin's term as governor: She has been thoroughly bipartisan. Her most reliable supporters on her big three accomplishments have been Democrats. The partisan side that Palin showed in her acceptance speech Thursday is something Alaskans haven't seen in her time as governor.

Republican talking heads are idiots

It is so annoying to see all these Republican talking heads do such a crappy job of articulating Governor Palin's true views on issues.

At least three times this morning I have heard accusations from the left wing about Sarah Palin's views on sex education and creationism.

These are smart people, supposedly, so you would think they would be prepared for the untruths from the left.

Sarah Palin is not against teaching about the use of birth control in schools.

Sarah Palin has not pushed for the teaching of creationism in schools.

[UPDATE] They are less idiotic than the Democratic talking heads, but that is no excuse for not do a little background prep.

This is mandatory reading.  Palin Rumors

Janet Napolitano says "Commander of the National Guard" is "big responsibility."

I was watching a Charlie Rose interview with Governors Palin and Napolitano, and get this... Governor Napolitano is the one that brings up the significance of being a Commander of the National Guard.  She says "It's a big responsibility."

See the link below at approximately 11:20 into the interview.

http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/10/12/2/a-conversation-with-governors-janet-napolitano-sarah-palin

Left wing nuts provide hours of entertainment

They are desperate... all sorts of rumors flying about affairs, racial comments, etc...

I am thinking of registering at the Daily Kos and at Demographic Underground and adding some extra rumors.  The more they chase these smears, the more unhinged the appear.  It's like watching rats gnaw at their own tails.

What no one mentions about Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin meets and greets returning troops at the airport, at Elmendorf AFB, and at Fort Richardson whenever they arrive.  She has shown up at 2am just to say "welcome home".  This isn't a publicity stunt.  She does it because she cares.

Alaska and Pork Barrel spending

I have read about a lot of accusations about Alaska being a welfare state, and how it takes a lot of federal funds.Publish Post

What people fail to note, is that Alaska provides a significant amount of energy and raw materials to the rest of the United States.  Alaskans provide food, wood, minerals, gold, oil, and soon natural gas.  They do it in extreme weather conditions.  The economic benefit of all this far and away out weighs any Federal funding that is provided.  Federal funding helps fund the roads and infastructure that America requires for economic growth.

If anything, Alaska is ripped off in the deal.  Thank god that Sarah Palin at least struck a deal to keep a small part of it in Alaska.

More Governor Sarah Palin on education

I am completely remiss.  I should of pointed out Christina Samuels rebuttal of the false claims of Sarah Palin cutting money from special needs.

Gov. Palin's Budget for Special Education

The difference in funding, however, is because the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy moved to a budget line item of its own. In the fiscal 2009 budget, you can see that the academy alone has a budget of $6,082,100. When you add that to the $3,156,000 that is being spent on all the other projects, it adds up to $9,238,100--an approximately 12 percent INCREASE in spending on all those particular programs, put together, since fiscal 2007.

It should also be noted that Alaska spends far more on education than just these few programs indicate. Education is typically one of the biggest parts of any state's budget, and in Alaska lawmakers plan to spend about $1.2 billion for fiscal 2009.

Edweek also has a few more Sarah Palin related articles up.

Palin Has Not Pushed Creation Science as Governor

When asked during a televised debate in 2006 about evolution and creationism, Palin said, according to the Anchorage Daily News: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

In a subsequent interview with the Daily News, Palin said discussion of alternative views on the origins of life should be allowed in Alaska classrooms. "I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum," she said.

VP Choice Backed School Funding Overhaul

Alaska has one of the nation’s most unusual performance-incentive programs, which rewards school employees with payments for gains in student achievement. The state-run program is distinct in that it includes many different kinds of employees, from administrators and teachers to custodians and secretaries, offering them payments for increased student performance at their school.

and

Members of education organizations in Alaska generally spoke favorably about Ms. Palin’s record on school issues since she took office in January of 2007. The governor has become a popular figure among the 13,000 members of the Alaska National Education Association, said Barbara Angaiak, president of the state affiliate of the National Education Association.

The union official credited Ms. Palin for having backed a legislative proposal, which became law this year, that overhauled the state’s school funding system. That plan brought more money to the state’s many rural and remote school districts and raised spending for students with special needs. ("Alaska Legislators Overhaul Funding," April 30, 2008.)

www.hotgovernor.com

I own the website hotgovernor.com (nothing but a holding page right now).  I thought about selling it and donating the money to the McCain campaign, but I am afraid whoever bought it would use it for nefarious means.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

Snowmachine vs snowmobile

Alaska calls them snowmachines.  The rest of the U.S., uses the word snowmobile.

I predict a drastic shift in word usage thanks to Todd Palin.

Secret service dreads Alaska

Do you think the secret service is having nightmares about trying to guard Sarah Palin while she is hunting in the middle of an Alaskan winter?

Just a thought?

Two lawyers vs a hockey mom and a service man.

The election has come down to two lawyers versus a hockey mom and a veteran.

Hmmm, I wonder who would understand the needs of the common man more?

Palin smears burn out...

A certain someone who got in a certain situation, was hardly mentioned in the media today.  I guess having that person's significant other on state with her wasn't such a bad idea after all.

There is an email out there, supposedly from another hockey mom, criticizing Governor Palin.  What a great time for it to come out.  Any thing short of earth shattering is pretty much ignored.  People are burned out with the negativity.

Fun fact of the day:  Michelle Obama makes more money by herself than Governor Palin and her husband combined.

Governor Palin supports special needs contrary to left wing smears

As the Weekly Standard pointed out, there is an evil smear going about, which I was able to get retracted at Washington Monthly.

The Weekly Standard pointed to this article over at edweek by Sean Cavanagh which also disproved the notion.

Gov. Sarah Palin and state lawmakers have gone ahead with an overhaul of Alaska’s school funding system that supporters predict will provide much-needed financial help to rural schools and those serving students with disabilities.

The plan, enacted in the recently concluded session of the legislature, is based on recommendations issued by a legislative task force last year. It will phase in a greater flow of money to districts outside of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, over the next five years.

Advocates for rural and remote schools have lobbied for years for more funding, in particular noting the higher fuel, transportation, and other costs associated with providing education in communities scattered across the vast state.

A second part of the measure raises spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.

But I have even more information. The original smear is based on funding documents for "Special Schools". What they failed to note, besides for the movement of the Alaska Challenge Academy funding to a separate category, is that Alaska special education funding is also covered under the Department of Education and Early Development Student and School Achievement.

The Department of Early Development Student and School Achievement is responsible for special education for Alaska schools, gifted education, and the Special Education State Personnel Development Grant which provides money to train and recruit special education teachers. These are all state funded mandates per the budget document.

In 2007, the State contributed $5,429,000 in General Funds Receipts to the department.

In the 2009 Governors budget, this was increased to $6,253,800

This was an increase of $824,000 which is a 15% increase in state funding.

How much do you want to bet this was increased before the Governor even found out about her son Trig?

Update:  Soledad O'Brien makes a complete fool of herself, only she doesn't realize it.

We already know that I debunked this like in a few minutes, so we can only conclude that Soledad is either incompetent or a complete liar.  We also know what sort of blogs she reads as well.

The Washington Monthly Fact Checked

CREDIT:  The original fact checker was Stuart Buck.  Let's give him credit for being way on top of things.

He has a blog called The Buck Stops Here 

[UPDATE #2] Also see my latest post which shows that Governor Palin increased special needs funding by another 15%.

Washington Monthly makes false accusations against Governor Palin.

The Washington Monthly: Fact Checking Palin

Palin: "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

Sarah Palin might have changed her mind on this one recently. However, a comment here notes that Palin actually slashed funding for schools for special needs kids by 62%. Budgets: FY 2007 (pre-Palin), 2008, 2009 (all pdfs).

Now 45 seconds of googling led me to his comment over at the Washington Post blog, "The Trail"

A commenter (Jim Syar) accused Sarah Palin of reducing the special education budget by 62%. That is false. The special education budget actually increased by nearly 12%, as explained below.
As Syar correctly notes, the Alaska 2007 budget for special education was $8,265,300. But that included $5,352,000 for the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy.
In the 2009 budgetary document to which Syar links, astute observers will note that there is no mention of the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. Instead, you have to look elsewhere. And guess what: There is now a specific document providing $6,082,100 for the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy.http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/09_omb/budget/EED/comp2837.pdf So combined with the $3,156,000 that Syar notes, the total is $9,238,100. A nearly 12% INCREASE, not a 62% decrease.
Posted by: SB September 3, 2008 3:38 PM

Burn. I posted in the comments. Check back to find out if a retraction is printed.

UPDATE - Washington Monthly printed a correction. Yglesias picked up the story though, and hasn't.

Also stay tuned for a post where I prove that Governor Palin significantly increased the support for special needs children even more than I have shown here.

Michelle Malkin gives me props.

Screw politics, pee-chee folders are back!

Screw politics...

They are making pee-chee folders again!

My wife found them at Fred Myers.

I can't wait to start doodling on it.  All I need now is some brown paper to wrap around my text books to have a total 80's high school flashback.

p.s. I know I have no tan.  I live in Alaska!

More predictions...

The Obama campaign will try and divert focus away from Palin, and try and redirect it back to McCain.  He has a better chance against him.

On vetting...

Much is being made of McCain's vetting process.  Let's be real folks.  He went with his gut instinct, which is what the President must do in a crisis.  Weigh the options and make a decision.  Well I am here to tell you that the decision that the media has been decrying all weekend is starting too look like a brilliant choice.

Instead of asking, why did he pick her, we should be asking ourselves, what would of happened if he didn't pick her.  Hindsight is 20/20, but brilliance is often nothing but strategic luck.

In their own words...

Quotes from the comments over at Washington Monthly.

After tonight, I was so worried that I coughed up another $100 to the Obama campaign. And $10 to ActBlue.

This will test the Obama campaign.

Posted by: John O on September 4, 2008 at 12:02 AM | PERMALINK

I agree with the poster who said this will launch a comeback for McCain. This speech is going to be very well reviewed, and not just on wingnut sites. The MSM is going to cream big time, and tomorrow we'll see many, many Sarah puff pieces. At minimum, tonight will end all the distracting silliness about Palin leaving the ticket. She was everything they needed her to be.

On the positive side, Barack in his speech laid down a kind of gauntlet for the Republicans when he challenged them to run a positive campaign on the issues. Now that they've done exactly the opposite, no one can blame him for responding in kind. I only hope he's capable of actually doing so.

Posted by: mib8 on September 3, 2008 at 11:54 PM | PERMALINK

The chances of her leaving the ticket just dropped to approximately zero.

Yes that's true. I was wrong. She is in.
But thats the best news imaginable.

She is all about base.
But base isn't enough to win this time around.
She is an alienator and a divider.
That's the wrong tack to take in 2008.

Posted by: koreyel on September 3, 2008 at 11:00 PM | PERMALINK

This chick is good. But not good enough. Obama, just like in the Primary, will find another gear. Voter turn out. Voter turn out. Please don't let them steal yet another one. Please.

Posted by: getready on September 3, 2008 at 11:36 PM | PERMALINK

She is all about base. But base isn't enough to win this time around. She is an alienator and a divider. That's the wrong tack to take in 2008.

It worked before, it can work again.

Sorry, kids, Governor Palin is delivering. The RNC and the fascist machine are going to go "all in on Palin". How many low-information voters can the DNC reach before November?

What will be interesting to observe is how the trad media reacts. Brooks, Coulter, Limbaugh, Boortz, Hannity, O'Reilly, Krauthammer, Broder, Will, et al, aren't going on vacation for the next 9 weeks. How tightly they embrace this ticket, and how the rest of the crew (National Enquirer included) goes about the business of journalism is going play as big a role as in 2000, 2004.

Complacency for the Democrats puts McCain and Palin in the West Wing.

Posted by: GuyFromOhio on September 3, 2008 at 11:12 PM | PERMALINK

You're all wrong. This speech, despite its bullshit, is going to launch a huge McCain comeback.

Red meat for the droolers. Pitch perfect, and Biden will get hassled if he's too mean to her.

Did I mention that McCain was a POW?

I, for one, am worried. Most of the electorate doesn't give a flying shit about reality, nor do they view politics as having any impact on their lives. Think, "sporting event," or, if I may, "beauty contest."

You'll see. McCain will keep her away from the press (that groundwork is already laid) and it will be another nail-biter, despite any objective evidence for what it should be.

Posted by: john O on September 3, 2008 at 11:09 PM | PERMALINK

God help me, I can't stop watching (train wreck, maybe).

She's likable. Cute. Perky. Might play well with some mom's in the midwest. She has that upper midwest twang (which I have to say is getting to me. I didn't realize Francis McDermond from Fargo was on the ticket). Too bad she's as full of shit. But this is their convention so it's to be expected.

Posted by: MsJoanne on September 3, 2008 at 10:56 PM | PERMALINK

You get the point.

I tried to warn them.

Prediction.  Democrats will start saying "Nice speech, but wait until the press conferences."  She will rock at press conferences too.  Then Democrats will say "Wait until the debate.".  After Biden's defeat at the debate, it will resort to stuff like "She's lying, she has no experience, wahhhhhhh."

Folks, you watched the launch of a super start tonight.  She will be President some day.

No gloating...

America sees what the Alaska already knew.  Whether you support her politics or not, she is good.

I believe we have a race.

Oh, ok, I can't resist... I told you so part 1.

Suggestion for McCain and Obama

Obama and McCain should refuse to talk to any reporter representing a news organization that has anything currently published about Governor Palin's daughter.

The media would be free to report, but no questions would be answered.  I bet the media would get their act together pretty quickly.

Politics

I would never, ever, ever survive a media vetting even 1/10th as intense as Governor Palin.

Seriously, I have skeletons people.

Remind me to never run for political office.

Is There a Particular *Reason* that Former Elementary Student Barack Obama and his Surrogates Refuse to Acknowledge that Sarah Palin is a Governor

Is There a Particular *Reason* that Community Organizer Barack Obama and his Surrogates Refuse to Acknowledge that Sarah Palin is the Governor of Alaska?

LINK DELETED

NOTE: Original post deleted because Independent George pointed out I was out of line, which I was. I apologize.

I told you so

This post is a preemptive "I told you" so for me to link to in the future, after the following events take place.

1. Sarah Palin's speech at the RNC kicks ass.

2. Sarah Palin performs awesome at her first interview/press conference.

Oh, and to really enjoy it, I am including this video for all my doubting thomas readers.



Oh, it's going to be so enjoyable. Feel free to use it as well.

Big yawn over Sarah Palin smear campaign

Folks, it looks like the smear machine is running out of oil. Fortunately the left wing outsmarted themselves. They piled up so much shit in such a short period of time, they forgot to realize that it all gets ignored for the big scandal of the daughters pregnancy. In the long term, the only thing that the public is going to remember is that a poor 17 year old was put through the ringers because of the left wings invasion of privacy.

Prediction: The heat will intensify out of desperation on Thursday after Governor Palin's highly successful speech.

Obama has nightmares about Palin

You know it's true. Obama lies in bed at night thinking about Palin. In the last few days, the only argument that the Obama campaign can make against McCain is that he picked Sarah Palin.

I say, yes, yes he did choose her. She isn't going away. He should be scared.

It's pretty sad when a Presidential candidate finds himself running against a VP candidate, and still loosing.

Irony of left wing attacks of Sarah Palin...

Let's be absolutely honest here. McCain gambled. I am not denying it. I understand the left wing attacks on her. They recognize that she is charming, and has the potential to destroy Obama/Biden in the election, but here is the irony in their concentrated attacks.

McCain can not cut her loose period. If McCain cut her loose, nothing short of capturing Obama on video having crumpets with Osama Bin Laden would be enough to win the election. That is a fact.

All the attacks and dirt dug up in the next week (I doubt it will take longer than that, and I suspect most of the major dirt has already been found), and unless they come up with a true smoking gun, it will all fade into memory within two to three weeks.

At that point, the McCain/Palin ticket will simply rest on how well she handles the media.

Now I am going to wait right here, but go over to youtube and watch every Palin video you can find. Go... now... I'll be here when you get back.

Ok, your finished finally.

Now honestly, what were your opinions.

Exactly. "Wow" is exactly what I thought. She is frickin good.

The media will start every interview with the full intention of ripping her to shreds, but once she flashes that smile and lets out that self depreciating laugh a few times, the reporters or more importantly the audience will be putty in her hands.

The haters will always be haters, but we don't need their votes. We need the votes of those middle class working Americans who will realize that Palin is just like them.

Sorry, got off track there. Bottom Line: concentrated attacks help us since they will blow over sooner. McCain won't get rid of her, so no use trying.

Where is Sarah?

Kevin Drum - Mother Jones Blog: Where is Sarah?

WHERE IS SARAH?....Has Sarah Palin granted an interview yet to the national press? Just curious. I haven't seen one yet. They're going to have to let her face the media mob eventually, aren't they?
UPDATE: Here she is in People magazine. It's the obvious choice, and I imagine that Fox News and GMA and Parade are on deck too. The national political press corps that might actually press her on serious issues, though? Wait and see.

I have been wondering the same thing.

So here is my prediction. She will give a knockout speech Wednesday, which will overshadow the fading dirt dug up on her over the weekend. Then she will warm up with the Fox News channel, moving on to charm the pants (figuratively) off of the rest of the national media.

She will be the hottest ticket in town to get an interview with, since every producer in TV news land is dreaming of being the one to trip her up, but I am guessing that within two weeks, all the hatred will turn into Obama squared type love. The key difference being, she actually has substance and executive experience.

Keep the Sarah Palin hits coming...

The hits and dirt coming flying faster than the right can reply, dilute, rebutt, or explain; but it occurred to me, what's the point. I don't think it matters, because the majority of voters aren't blog reading political junkies, and are going to end up loving Governor Palin, and here is why:

1. Pregnancy - The only thing voters are going to take home from this pass weekend is that her daughter is pregnant and she was forced to talk about it because of horrible Internet rumors. Palin 1 - Left 0.

2. Flip flops on the bridge to nowhere. The general public doesn't care. Every single politician they have ever heard about has been accused of flip flopping. Once the words bridge and Alaska are mentioned, the rest is going to sound like "blah, blah, blah..."

3. Troopergate: any 60 minutes investigation is going to end up with this simple conclusion. The trooper in question did for a fact at least do the following: taser an 11 year old, threaten to kill Governor Palins parents, drink on duty in his patrol car, and all he got was 5 days suspension.

4. Charm. The simple fact is that she is very very charming and articulate. As soon as the first interviews are shown on network TV, the public will come away with the impression that she has her shit together.

5. America will identify with her. She has more in common with the average American than any national politician in decades.

So bring on the dirt, the rumors, the accusations; All publicity is good publicity, at least in Governor Palin's case.

I hate myself for this...

Sarah Palin Facts · Little Known Facts About the Alaska Governor:

- Sarah Palin isn’t allowed to wield the gavel at the convention because they’re afraid she’ll use it to kill liberals.

- Sarah Palin can divide by zero

Sorry, but it's funny, and I don't think it will do major harm to her reputation. Palin certainly has replaced Obama as the most interesting politician. She makes Obama look like Joe Biden.

Lisa Bloom OK's personal attacks on Obama's Children.

Howard Kurtz - A Blogger, a Baby, a Cry of Concern - washingtonpost.com:

"It is hardly unusual for a teenage girl to become pregnant, and unless she is Jamie Lynn Spears, who sold her baby pictures to OK! magazine, the news value is minimal. But some media commentators say Palin is fair game, not just because she is running for national office but because she is a self-described 'hockey mom' who told the nation that her eldest son is headed to Iraq.

'Once she's brought her children in as selling points, unfortunately the bad comes in with the good,' says Lisa Bloom, a Court TV anchor. 'She's integrating her mom quality as a key part of her résumé. We didn't do that in the press; she did that.'"

According to that logic, the fact that Obama let an interview of his family be released, it's A-OK to gossip about his family.

Disgusting.

Democratic Underground surfs teenagers myspace account for dirt on Governor Palin.

Quick, before it's scrubbed - Democratic Underground

Screen shot before its taken down...

I sent a myspace message to the girl warning her... hopefully she makes her myspace profile private.

Going to try and take the day off from blogging...

Every time I go online, I come across another drive by on Governor Palin, in what is turning out to be the largest organized smear job in political history.

Going to go watch TV.

Barack Obamas campaign issues press release demanding to see DNA proof that Sarah Palin's kids are hers...

Today the Obama campaign demanded that Sarah Palin offer concrete proof that her children are really hers.

Not content with photo's showing Sarah Palin pregnant 5 days before giving birth to her youngest son Trig Palin, they are demanding that she produce birthing videos, and DNA analysis for each and every child.

An Obama spokesman was quoted as saying "She is much too hot to have given birth five times, besides everyone knows it is way to cold in Alaska to conceive children. We have reason to believe that her kids are the prodigy of Hitler and Stalin."

Meanwhile, Obama tauts his executive experience as a community organizer in Chicago.

"I remember the struggles with getting the residents to march in a straight line during a protest march, but by chanting "Yes, we can" over and over, they overcame, and by god, they marched in a straight line."

Sarah Palins Baby

I feel dirty even having to post this, because the disgusting rumors about Governor Palin and her son Trig are the lowest of slimeball politics I have seen, at least since the evil rumors about Senator McCains daughter brought by the Bush campaign 8 years ago.

All I have to say is that the liberal blogosphere is going to come out of this with a lot of mud on their face. It's to bad, because I use to respect bloggers like Kevin Drum, Mathew Yglesias, and Andrew Sullivan.