"With Obama, Yes Yes We Can"

Oh ye of little faith. You didn't think the Sing for Obama crowd could get any creepier, did you?

Bilingual, yet!

All we need is Michael Jackson to add his particular brand of creep-sazón.



(Via Race42008)

Little Ditty

It's apparently a musical day on Sundries, as I bring you this charming little ditty about Barney and Nan.



(Via American Sentinel)

Obama Y Los Niños

(UPDATE: Video has been pulled. Too late, Obama. We all saw it. ANOTHER UPDATE: Found a copy! I'll leave the old one on the bottom)

Kids sing for Obama:





(Via Apathetic Citizen)


Kids love Lenin (they are his little potatoes):




Kids love Fidel:




Kids love Kim Jong-Il:



ADDED: I had written this comment at another blog, when a poster mentioned that these kids singing to Obama struck a Hitlerjugend note. I disagreed:

[T]he problem with many people is that their only totalitarian reference seems to be Hitler and Nazism.

Nazism didn't encourage tenderness towards its Führer. In fact, that would've been un-Aryan.

But that is Communism's approach with their Dear Leaders.

A later comment:

You know, liberals make a big stink about "Jesus Camp" type places, which are practically nonexistent, but when they are faced with children who have been encouraged or allowed to sing in chorus for Obama, looking like zoned out kidbots, they think they're "energised" by the process. Hurrah! A victory for inclusiveness and democracy!

Posit this orchestrated effort to the very spontaneous and cute Kenyan kids singing for Obama, via MP3.

That's the difference between pride and devotion, which coincidentally, is the difference between freedom and tyranny.

It's all there, people. Don't say later, you didn't know.

MORE: Wait, I thought this was just an amateur kiddie group, which busts out in orchestrated political spirituals for their adoring parents to enjoy.

It's actually an ORGANISATION of choristers called Sing for Obama. They make the rounds singing their Obamalieder at events.



"Sing for Obama! Sing for America!"? I am speechless.

Related

Obama's Voluntary Children's Chorus
Even Gawker Is Appalled
Instapundit Says Creepsville
Pastor_Jeff, Alcibiades And LGF All Call It "Obama Youth"
Horrible On Every Level
McCain Version: A Bunch Of Angry Old White Men From Ohio (Heh)
Roger L. Simon Has Rarely Been This Disturbed By a Visual
MP3 Of Kenyan Kids Singing About Obama (Via E.P. Green)

What Media Bias?

Instapundit has received a startling "insider" email about media bias:

A READER AT A MAJOR NEWSROOM EMAILS: "Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working." I asked permission to reprint without attribution and it was granted.

The Anchoress also claims to have had insider info along the same lines -- the fix is in.

My dear, you don't say. MSM in the tank for Senator Barack Obama? The shock of the century! I don't believe a word of it.

McCain Asking For Input

Please send him your debate feedback here.

Palin's Debate Stand-In

When Senator Joseph Biden goes to debate camp, he'll be opposite Governor Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan. She's playing the role of Governor Sarah Palin.



What? They couldn't get an American? They could've asked me, come to that. I'm cute and have an even better accent.

Unrecognisable

President George W. Bush January 20, 2001.




And on 29 September 2008.

Anti-Palin Ad Hits Airwaves

Overheard at another blog:

The first anti-Palin ad surfaced here in Columbus: sponsored by an environmental "wolves-are-people-too" group, it calls Palin cruel and savage, proven by doctored photos of her scowling and looking like Dr. Evil's sister, and by implication one should think that she will start killing human beings, probably the ones inhabiting vegetarian restaurants, Whole Foods, and Michael Mooron film festivals, as soon as she is installed.

"Wolves are people too"? HOWL. Pun intended.

I need to see this ad! If you have a lead, please let me know.

ADDED: Could it be this one? I was literally expecting her to be portrayed as Dr. Evil's sister, Frau Palin.



You know, because Wolfie here is so sweet and cuddly.

You What?

I can't believe this Peter Brookes' cartoon of Senator Obama in The Times (UK).

"And I've decided to spend more time with my bananas!" ...???



NOTE TO PROGRESSIVES: It's not okay for you to make these references anymore than anyone else, even to make a (barely fathomable) point.

This cartoon reminds me too uncomfortably of a Josh Marshall post, which highlighted one of his commenters' replies about the Presidential debate.

I think people really are missing the point about McCain's failure to look at Obama. McCain was afraid of Obama. It was really clear--look at how much McCain blinked in the first half hour. I study monkey behavior--low ranking monkeys don't look at high ranking monkeys. In a physical, instinctive sense, Obama owned McCain tonight and I think the instant polling reflects that.

So McCain may have given away his status as a low-ranking monkey. I'd never even considered monkey rank.

It doesn't matter if you're complimenting Senator Obama by making an allusion to him being the high ranking monkey. It's almost inconceivable to mention monkeys, bananas, or anything remotely similar around human beings, let alone those slurred throughout history by such insults.

My God, what is wrong with people?

CORRECTION: EEEK! The mother of all mistakes has just happened to me. Jules, a commenter, writes:

The cartoon though is not about Obama, but is of David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary. See this Reuters report.

Which is not only indefensibly ironic, since I'm British, but also shows you how much I have the US Presidential election on the brain. I am so sorry! It was the ears that done me in...

Debate Preparations

The scene is being set at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri for the Vice-Presidential debate.

You'll remember that it was Missouri which played host for Winston Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech, so they know a thing or two about momentous political occasions.

Can't wait.

Buckeyes For Sarah

Enormous and enthusiastic crowds at the McCain-Palin rally in Bexley, Ohio on Monday.



Governor Palin with a buckeye bead necklace she was given for luck. I had no idea what a buckeye was. Looks like a giant hazelnut.




Unleash the Sarahcuda!




A lovely study of the Alaska Governor.




Look at that Youth Vote!



These photos are the only things that are keeping my spirits up in the past day.

Obama Mural

The Cult of Obama continues.

A Pittsburgh district has put up what they call an "inspirational mural" to the One. An actress from ER unveiled it, saying that it's part of the beautification process for the neighbourhood.

HILL DISTRICT (KDKA) ― An inspirational mural was unveiled today in the Hill District.

The Hope Mural, located at the corner of Wylie Avenue and Kirkpatrick Street, is of Sen. Barack Obama and reads: "We are the change we seek."

Gloria Rueben, an actress on "ER," was on hand for the event.

The project is aimed at beautifying the neighborhood and promoting team building.

Artist Ray Gerard designed it and members of the community donated the supplies.

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a Pittsburgh native, helped kick off the project last week.

I understand honouring people in death. We all need heroes. But for a person like me, with my historical background, this mural of a living person for whatever reason is scarily close to those cult of personality "Dear Leader" murals. They feel me with dread.

It's but one step from this:



To this:



Even Castro waited to "honour" this man, a person he almost certainly had killed, after his death.

Compare Che's "Hasta la Victoria Siempre" to Obama's nearly imperial "We are the Change We Seek".

I shudder to think what comes next.

Pelosi Raus!

Forget Sarah Palin, you addlepated idiots. This is the woman who was unable to keep her own caucus in line long enough for a vote, and she's two heartbeats away from the Presidency TODAY.



After shutting off the House lights a few weeks ago, she strode up to the House podium on Monday and proceeded to stomp on a fragile coalition just so she could set up the narrative of how the Democrats saved the day from the big bad Republican capitalists.

Every time I think of Hank Paulson going on his knees before this woman, and begging her not to do anything to destroy his Bill, I want to scream.

All she could do is sneer about not realising he was Catholic. How cynical. How despicable.

This is the worst Speaker of the House in my lifetime. If I could, I'd laugh in her frozen kabuki piehole.

Palin's Full Part 3 CBS Interview

EDIT: Deleted due to slow-loading of blog. Will try to find a Youtube version.

Fail Fail Fail

Everyone who had a hand in this failure to pass this Bill failed. There are no winners right now. My family had to recoup whatever little they had in the market, and we bailed on everything to do so.

I'm a fiscal conservative too, but this was a very important rescue plan for all the US economy. The rollercoaster effect around the world has only just begun. Sigh.

Palin And Obama Make Joint Appearance!

At least their impersonators do...



Please. That looks like Tina Fey's older sister, and Keenan Ivory Wayans' less talented brother (or is that Shawn Wayans?).

America's Curmudgeon Weighs In

Andy Rooney, who makes Ebenezer Scrooge seem like Tinkerbell, weighs in on US Vice-Presidents.

Heads up: He calls Palin "very nice-looking", though his fave Veep was Calvin Coolidge, because he represented what a Vice-President should be, "a nice guy who doesn't get in the way."

Finally, the one man on television who makes John McCain look like an utter pup.

EDIT: Deleted the video because of the slow load time. Here is The Andy Rooney Game version.

Weird AOL Debate Poll

Check out this AOL/Slate poll, on post-debate opinions.



Not only did Barack Obama do well according to poll voters in Alaska, but John McCain won according to Hawaiians. If anyone has been to Hawaii, you know that loyalty to anyone from that island means everything.

What is really key about this poll, is that you get to see the respondents' home States. It's awash in orangey-red. Wow.

Please vote here (it only allows you to vote once, by IP, which is another positive).

Blue Star Moms And Sarah Palin

Governor Palin met with mothers of active service personnel this Sunday, at a Philadelphia "gourmet" food shop.

Here are some photos from the touching meeting of these Blue Star moms. Hope that Hater below chokes on them.

Governor Palin enters the establishment, and is promptly greeted by either a small man "in transition" or I just insulted a poor woman from Philly. Sorry...





Crikey, I have that exact Nike tracksuit! It looks 3x better on her that it does on me, though. Also, I notice that Willow is shorter than even I remembered her to be. At 14, she might be on the verge of a growth spurt.

Incidentally, I also have a similar North Face jacket. Unlike Willow, I live in Florida, not Alaska like she does, and am just a poseur.





You think Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty would get these types of gratuitously enchanted smiles? The hell you say.

Every time I look at photos of Palin mixing it up with the public, I know her nomination was precisely the right choice.

Sidenote to Team McCain: LET THE BARRACUDA LOOSE! She'll knock those Dems dead.





It's not mentioned what she was having to drink, but she has an addiction to skinny white chocolate lattes.





Palin listening closely as she inspects some photos of their children, brought for her to view.





Palin with the Blue Star moms: Nancy Harding, Julie Devitt, and Lee Anthony. Thanks for your children's service, ladies.




UPDATE: More info on the visit. The gourmet place is apparently, Di Bruni Bros, a well-known stop in Philadelphia. And hey, she did indeed have that skinny white choc mocha!

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin met Sunday with a group of military mothers at a downtown eatery, the third day of a swing through this Democratic stronghold.

The Alaska governor, along with her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, spent about 45 minutes sipping a skinny white chocolate mocha and talking privately with four women whose children are serving in the military overseas.

Palin's son, Track, 19, is deploying for service in Iraq.

As they sat at a table at Di Bruno Bros. gourmet food shop, one of the women, Julie Devitt, got a call from her son, Glen, who deployed to Iraq with the Army in December. She handed the phone to Palin, who spoke with the sergeant briefly.

Reporters were kept at a distance during the visit, although Palin answered one question about the $700 billion agreement reached in Congress and the administration early Sunday to bail out the financial industry. [...]

"Sarah Palin Is Ruining My Life"

A very telling ask-and-respond email sent to Salon's Cary Tennis, by a PDS sufferer.

Dear Cary,

I am a Democrat, a mother of three, and a full-time attorney. During the primaries, I was torn between Hillary Clinton, who I believed had the experience to be president (and really, really, really wanted it), and Barack Obama, who I believed was not only highly capable (albeit less experienced), but also the more sincere of the two and who inspired me on an emotional level that Clinton did not. In addition, as my kind friends pointed out to me, Clinton was carrying a lot of baggage in terms of her own scandals, not to mention Bill's little problems. So, in the end, I did what my heart really wanted me to do all along and voted for Obama. And then I totally checked out of the election. I've always disliked the pettiness of politics, the lies, the mudslinging, the arguments over meaningless minutiae, the parsing of personalities ad infinitum, etc. My perspective was, short of Obama being caught on video strangling his children with his own two hands, he had my vote, and thus I had no need to pay attention to all the nonsense that would occur in both campaigns prior to the election.

And then came Sarah. My reaction to her, and the way the Republican Party threw her in our faces, and the pandering and hypocrisy that was behind their decision to do so, was immediate, visceral, and indeed, vicious. I have crossed every line I believed should never be crossed in public discourse -- I have criticized not only her policies and her record, but her hair, her personal style, her accent, her abilities as a mother, etc. I've also begun to suffer personally and professionally. I bore my friends with my constant tirades against her, and am constantly distracted from my work by my need to continually update myself on the latest criticism, and indeed, ridicule, of her. In my hatred for her, I have begun to hate myself.

I don't want this woman ruining my life before she even gets a chance to ruin our country. How do I stop? Is there a self-help group for this?

A "Hater"*

*As Sarah Palin calls all those who disagree with her (New York Times, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008)

Dear "Hater,"

I think what disturbs us about Sarah Palin is that she reminds us of the authoritarian personality. My guess is that she is also an ESFJ, or Extroverted Sensing Feeling Judging type, with a strong preference for sensing. Such a person prefers to acquire her knowledge from concrete objects and places instead of from abstract ideas. This would explain why she thinks being geographically close to Russia is a form of foreign policy expertise.

As an authoritarian type, she strikes us as a person who prefers power to reason. The people running John McCain's campaign seem to instinctively understand the uses to which such an impression can be put. Perhaps they know better than we do how deeply the American people long to be done with the problem of democracy, to yield to a powerful father-mother pair of authoritarians.

The very thing that appalls us about Sarah Palin -- her discomfort in the realm of reason -- is her main selling point. This is so mind-boggling that you have to take a minute to let it in. Take a deep breath. Read that sentence again. Face it: Sarah Palin represents what many people want: a retreat from reason; a regression to childhood.

Inarticulateness is the weapon of the authoritarian in this way: To speak clearly is to risk being understood and thus disagreed with. To speak clearly is to invite debate. To obfuscate and muddle is to avoid disagreement and debate and force the issue to one of power. The refusal to speak clearly is an invitation for issues to be resolved by power alone: I don't have to speak clearly because you have no choice in this anyway. I'm going to do what I'm going to do.

It can also be a trait, I think, of the sensing type who has not developed her weaker side. She has not learned to imagine how profoundly ludicrous it seems to the rest of us that physical proximityintellectual understanding. would constitute

Why does she get away with exercising her particular magic? Moms exercise power without explanation. We trust them because they are moms. We are children. So we trust them.

As we become adults, study the law and history and begin to run our own affairs, we become accustomed to sharing power by reasoning with each other.

Our intellectual disciplines allow us to agree or disagree about realities separate from ourselves. You are a lawyer. You are trained in the law. The law is built of ideas that we can agree about in a general way. We can agree what most laws mean. We can talk about them. One reason you are so appalled by Sarah Palin may be that every time she opens her mouth she repudiates this tradition.

When a person will not articulate her positions well or clearly, she is asserting a kind of power; it is not possible to predict what she is going to do. She does not allow us to know her. We generally do not let such persons make decisions for us. We do not like to give power to them.

But for some, they do appeal to a dark side, to something in us that desires to give up on reason, to have someone take over, to regress.

The shape this authoritarian has taken is the shape of the mother. We want to give Sarah Palin her due because she is a woman and a mother. A cynical trick has been played on us. She is a Trojan Horse.

Her refusal or inability to speak clearly also seems to devalue our own desire to speak clearly; if one does not speak clearly to you, then you cannot communicate with them; you are held off from them; you are excluded from their world. The only way to enter their world, therefore, is to follow them. There's no time for talk! Follow me! It's time to chase Putin out of our airspace! It's time to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

This is what frightens and angers us: The refusal to follow the rules of discourse, of language, even, implies that there is nothing to talk about. There is only action. There is only faith. There is only taking that hill.

This is my admittedly impressionistic take. Glenn Greenwald can talk about it much better than I can.

I don't even know where to begin.

This is the kind of Liberal reading of a situation (she's dumb = people like dumb = people are dumb) that damns a person without any kind of further argument allowed. It's an opinion leveled as a statement of fact, which only the demented would argue with.

Consider this Hater's trauma: she is obsessed with Sarah Palin.

She doesn't exactly know why, if you read between the lines. It's really a gut feeling of hatred, and being a lawyer, she feels she has been trained to use logic instead of instincts as rationale -- the guilt about her obsession is thus eating her up.

So what is her logical next step? She seeks words of explanation (in reality, words of comfort) from a Salon agony aunt. Oh, sweet irony. That's like a drunk rushing to bar flies for explanation as to why he drinks so much.

I'll give her this though. She realises this hatred is a dangerous downturn in her life. It feels wrong. Of course, it doesn't occur to her that it IS wrong to hate someone at such a primordial level, especially given her OCD behaviour.

In her confusion, she doesn't understand that she has transferred her allegiance and hopes to Senator Obama from Hillary Clinton in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable. She betrayed Hillary when Hillary needed her most, in large part due to outside pressure from friends. This is doubly damning to her character, and in some corner of her psyche, she understands that.

Once she made the switch, though, she tuned out, and consequently absolved herself of any guilt. Senator Obama had her vote, and nothing short of attempted kindercide would change it.

Enter the Moose-Shootin' Mama from Alaska, and all those unresolved feelings of allegiance she had towards Hillary-Obama came pouring out from her in a gush of vitriol.

How dare Palin be foisted on the American public (read, on the Hater herself) so cynically (read, in such a clever move to motivate the Conservative base)?!

Why, didn't McCain realise that the only Party where a woman could have an integral role of leadership is the Party of Clinton and Ferraro?!

Obviously, she now found an "out" to her feelings of guilt.

By so hating Sarah Palin, and doing so in a bitchy way she previously never thought she was capable of, she has absolved herself of any guilt to poor Hillary, who probably will be voting for McCain/Palin when those curtains close behind her on November 4.

Instead of really supporting Senator Obama from the beginning, this Hater needed peace of mind that her choice wasn't a kind of half-hearted support which reeked of betrayal to her conscience.

Of course, there are many other elements at play here (including a very real political antipathy, I've no doubt), but the main one is that she realises she has a problem, but wants to be rewarded and not punished for the feelings of hatred she bears towards Palin. She writes to a person who not only abets her dysfunctional behaviour, but encourages it by making sense of that hatred with all kinds of shibboleths.

I think there is a word for people like this. I believe they are called Scientologists.

This is a very creepy article for a Palin supporter like me to read, but ultimately, a very helpful one. I thought until this year that Democrats operated at a more compassionate, and perhaps even intellectual level than Republicans.

In 2008, after what I saw done first to Hillary Clinton by her own co-ideologues, and now to Sarah Palin in a free-for-all of nastiness, I just don't think that anymore.

When it comes to being uncivil, paranoid, wishing destruction in the form of poisoned political apples, no one has held a candle to Democrats this year. It's like a really bad Disney movie.

I'm Staying In

I recently asked Sundries readers to vote in a poll. Should I live-comment during the Biden-Palin debate, or should I attend a debate party off-blog?

It's evenly drawn at 5 Yes, 5 No, with 2 qualified Yes votes. The poll is officially closed, and this is my decision:

I'm staying in and live-commenting on Althouse on Thursday. I think Ruth Anne's kind words on the topic are the ones which swayed me the most:

Having you in the live-blog thread at Althouse is what makes it fun. It's like we're in our jammies, sharing pedicures, having pillow-fights and staying up watching politics. I would miss you if you weren't on that thread. PLUS: Your unadulterated Sarah-rah-rah helps me keep my happies up.

You know, I feel so much the same way, that I am getting a lump in my throat just thinking about it. Aww mush.

Anyway, it'll be fun! Thanks for the votes, peeps.

Diggbats And Firefox

After Zachary Paul Sire pointed out that Sundries was loading too slowly, I narrowed the posts to a 12 day archive on the front page.

I noticed it was still loading very slowly though. I finally figured it out:

The Digg code in my sidebar was the culprit. I've gotten rid of it, and hopefully it'll be much faster now. Anyway, the Diggbats lean so far Left, that the whole purpose of having their top stories in the sidebar (to see what stories are being talked about in the Blogosphere) is rendered moot.

Incidentally, I am not at all happy with Firefox' new browser version, 3.x.x. I may switch to Google Chrome. I would be grateful for any reviews on it.

The Stockdaling Of Palin

I have realised something about the media and popular culture's portrayal of Governor Palin:

That others have been in her place before. Far too many others, far too many times.

A remark by one of Sundries more liberal commenters, Eli Blake, jogged my memory about Admiral James Stockdale's less than incandescent Vice-Presidential debate performance.

You remember Jim Stockdale, the mop-haired, wizened old man who famously started his opening remarks with, "Who Am I! Why Am I Here!". The media escoriated him for that, with Saturday Night Live's Phil Hartmann (who I loved) just about destroying him the following Saturday.

This is another Stockdale moment:



Brutal, I agree, but this is Dennis Miller in 1993 coming to his defence.

Now I know (Stockdale's name has) become a buzzword in this culture for doddering old man, but let's look at the record, folks. The guy was the first guy in and the last guy out of Vietnam, a war that many Americans, including our present President, did not want to dirty their hands with. The reason he had to turn his hearing aid on at that debate is because those fucking animals knocked his eardrums out when he wouldn't spill his guts. He teaches philosophy at Stanford University, he's a brilliant, sensitive, courageous man. And yet he committed the one unpardonable sin in our culture: he was bad on television.

That judgement passed on Stockdale in 1992 is almost incomprehensible when looking at this photo of this heroic naval aviator (remind you of anyone?).



All we remember today of this Medal of Honour recipient is that he forgot to turn on the batteries of his deaf aid.

Well, I'll tell you, when I read Miller's words, I felt someone had chucked a bucket of cold water on me. That's exactly what we Palin supporters are experiencing in 2008.

In fact, what Stockdale experienced in 1992 is...

What Dan Quayle experienced in 1988...

And what Michael Dukakis experienced in 1988 too, after the tank ride...

There had been others. Consider Eli's words about some of the finest men this nation has produced:

[I]n my whole life I've met exactly one person who voted for Goldwater and McGovern (obviously an older person.) Two ideological opposites but two of the most honest and principled men to ever run for President, who were defeated in landslides by two of the men of the most questionable character to ever hold the office. So it is about ideology.

So why do people do this to such outstanding persons? Is it as Miller explains, that they made an unpardonable error of not performing on cue, when they needed to most?

And why is the narrative of a person's character and accomplishments so easily demolished by comedians, pundits, and the public at large?

This is Sarah Palin in 2008 -- an amazing story even without the VP nod, a quintessentially American woman. Here's a refresher. Ready? Take a deep breath with me. Let's go!

This Idaho-born Alaskan was a voracious reader and straight A-student, who won her State championship in basketball as co-captain. She didn't have money for college, so she entered beauty pageants. She won a local one, and was second runner-up in the Statewide version. She was graduated in journalism and political science, became a sportscaster, then a PTA leader, then a councilwoman, then twice-elected as her hometown mayor. During all of this she fought entrenched local corruption. She made a run for Lieutenant-Governor, which she lost. The eventual winner appointed her to an Oil Commission, which led to her eventual resignation after being a whistleblower when she saw ethics violations being committed by her OWN Party leaders. They were fined, and had to resign. She then ran for Governor of her State in a hotly contested race against the incumbent Governor (the guy who had appointed her to the Oil Commission) and four other men, won that, and finally defeated an ex-Alaska Governor, a Democrat this time, to become the first woman Governor, the 11th overall, in her State's history. During all of this she was a devoted wife, and mother of 5 children, the last born this year with Down Syndrome.

Tell me:

In what planet, in what cosmos, in what dreamland is this not an accomplished curriculum vitae for a woman of 44 years of age?? Where do people get off trying to destroy this woman's intelligence -- just because she fails smell tests by arrogant journalists who are the public's self-appointed vetters?

Give me a break.

In attempting to be relevant in their professions, whether in journalism or in the entertainment industry, these mooks have nothing better to do but to define a person by tics or moments caught in time which mean nothing, if not posited against the whole sweep of their lifestory.

This is a serious problem in America today, which more than any other country is reliant on information technology.

Its sheer breadth in land mass makes it impossible for its leaders to connect personally like in some other countries where politicians have an almost neighbourly relationship with theirs.

Rather like in Alaska...

Do not allow Palin to be Stockdaled.

(Or Biden for that matter, though I have yet to see one skit of him on SNL -- and they wouldn't even have to try to hard to write one, either. It writes itself)

Judge them instead by their actions throughout their whole career, rather than by a few minutes' worth of showtime. If before we humans had a propensity to make heroes out of duffers, today in modern-day America, we have the opposite tendency.

We are all too eager to dismiss those for their momentary hilarity, and not for the totality of their accomplishments, and that's disgraceful.

Take the narrative back, America, before they come after you next!



Oh wait, they already have. Now what?

The Audacity Of Arrogance

First it was the Presidential Seal thingie.




Then it was the Greek Columns at Invescopalooza.




Then the Obama coins were minted.




Finally comes the President Obama portrait.



I'd like to address these words to no one in particular, or perhaps to many in general:

You're creepy. Get over yourself.

Inspirational

Don't worry, little girl. Being a female President or Vice-President of the United States is no longer just a dream for your generation.

We're going to strive to make sure it'll be a reality soon.

Do Not Paint The Devil On The Wall

There's an old French saying: Do not paint the devil on the wall, for he will appear to you in person.

Anglo-Saxonese translation, "even saying something out loud that you don't want to happen, is testing Fate."

Team Obama have come out with this campaign video. Note it's with another assist by MSNBC.



IN THE COMMENTS: Blake muses.

That's an interesting approach.

So, what, MSNBC just says, "Sure, Barack! We'll help you make whatever commercials you want!"

Given that his campaign texted his supporters (yes, he's still doing the sms thing) to watch the debate specifically on CNN, and then had to go back and send another text correcting that, I'd say that's how it looks, yes.

Please note that Fox News have been going unusually soft on Obama of late. Even the HillaryClintonForum PUMAs have noticed that. Either they're concerned with talk of "racist" backlash, or they're increasingly in the tank too.

DEAL DONE

Breaking News: The government bailout deal has been cobbled together at last. Speaker Pelosi announced this overnight Saturday to Sunday at midnight EST.

Fortis, a Dutch-Belgian bank, is on the verge of collapse, and it threatened to be the first big bank to go under in light of the USA's economic woes. We'll see what happens now, but at first blush I say:

Thank GOD.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional leaders and the Bush administration reached a tentative deal early Sunday on a landmark bailout of imperiled financial markets whose collapse could plunge the nation into a deep recession.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the $700 billion accord just after midnight but said it still has to be put on paper.

"We've still got more to do to finalize it, but I think we're there," said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who also participated in the negotiations in the Capitol.

"We worked out everything," said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., the chief Senate Republican in the talks.

Congressional leaders hope to have the House vote on the measure Monday. A Senate vote would come later.

I'm just hoping that ACORN get bupkus. If they do, I'll be absolutely livid.

Tina Fey Does Sarah Doing Katie

Don't mind me. I'm just trying to increase my traffic with a sexy title.

Without further ado, video of the latest Saturday Night Live skit featuring Tina Fey as Governor Palin, opposite Amy Poehler's Katie Couric.



(Via FloridaVoter)

Too long, but still funny in parts.

Quickie Palin

Governor Palin just after arriving at the Irish Bar in Philadelphia, on Friday.

Visiting The In-Laws

Just thought you might be interested in seeing Jenna and Henry Hager in one of the first newlywed photographs since their wedding. The happy couple on the White House lawn on Saturday.

I am struck by just how wonderful that girl has turned out, and actually, how much she looks like her father. It's uncanny.



(Love how she went the traditional route, and took her husband's name -- just like I will)

Todd Palin Is A DILF

I feel so naughty and reckless saying that! Now I know how all you guys who view Sarah Palin as a MILF feel like.



That's Todd Palin, the First Dude, ferrying the Governor of Alaska around in his snowmachine (I even say that now, without blinking).

I know why the Obamessians feel so threatened by this woman and her family. They are beyond the coolest politicians in America today.

Alaska Winter Weather: -40 Fahrenheit
Iron Dog Championships Won By Todd Palin: 4 times
Comparing this Photo To Obama On a Bike: Priceless

Palin And Willow Eat Cheesesteaks

Governor Sarah Palin ordering a Philly cheesesteak at Tony Luke's in Philadelphia, Saturday.

(What, not Pat's or Gino's? Clever!)

That's Willow shyly at the back, the only family member still with Palin after husband Todd, son Trig, and daughter Piper went back to Alaska this past week.

The Mortician's Zombie Stare

Prime Minister Gordon Brown showing George W. Bush just why he's one of the best loved premiers Britain has ever had.

Everytime This Happens

It makes me love Sarah Palin more -- Jack Cafferty mouths off at Sarah Palin.

This isn't politics any more. It's personal.

The Subtle Make-Over Of Rachel Maddow

Before



After



Aww, I liked the purply, spiky hair.

Maddow is a Rhodes Scholar who was up at Lincoln (Oxford), at a remarkably similar time that I was at a rival college. I was like THIS with many Rhodies, as I always cultivated friendships with Americans and Canadians, but try as I might, I don't recall her at all. She's kinda hard to miss, too.

Fresh Angle On The Debate

You've heard the pundits. You've read the live-blog comments. You've replayed the TiVo.

But are you ready for the geek approach in dissecting the first debate?



Leigh Anne Rayburn is a blogger after my own heart. As an old Oxford Union member, I know what it is to parse another person's oratory on my feet, but I tip my hat to her for this blogpost:

And the Winner of the Presidential Debate is...

ANAPHORA! It was the rhetorical device that was thrown around most.

Here's how nerdy I am. While watching the debate, I kept a chart of rhetorical devices and logical fallacies. It is not comprehensive. I got distracted by chatting with Mr. Lundin about it, so I didn't catch everything.

But here's yet another glimpse into the Word Nerd who is your English teacher.

McCain
Pathos (sad news about Kennedy)
Antimetabole (2)
Allusion to Eisenhower
Epistrophe
Ad Populum (The American worker, I still believe in the United States)
Anadiplosis (We came to power, and power changed us.)
Red Herring (Bear study)
Begging the Question (He has earmarked $ for pork barrel spending.)
Ad Hominem (maybe that’s not a lot of money to Senator Obama)
Red Herring (I didn’t win Miss Congeniality in the senate)
Red Herring (Ireland pays 11 percent business tax)
Ad Populum (look at them, my friends, you’ll be appalled)
Parallelism (walking the walk, talking the talk)
Anaphora (we have to, we have to)
Polysyndeton
Tricolon and Epistrophe (how we leave, when we leave, what we leave behind)
Pathos (let us win, we don’t want our kids coming back here)
Red Herring (this business about Pakistan, let me tell you my record)
Ad populum (one of the most popular presidents, one of the men I admire most)
Anaphora (I have a record)
Pathos (I will wear your dead son’s bracelet with honor)
Red Herring (you would think that with that kind of concern Senator Obama would’ve visited…)
Ad populum/Bifurcation (We cannot allow a second holocaust)
Bifurcation (if you sit down with that person, you legitimize his comments)
Red Herring (the average S. Korean is three inches taller than the average N. Korean)
Pathos (I love veterans)

Obama
Tricolon – many times
Anaphora (he’s right that…he’s also right that…)
Repetition
Hyperbole (this gas cost that is killing them)
Polysyndeton (and, and, also, also)
Begging the Question (opposing George Bush’s wrong-headed policies)
Hyperbole (health care problems are crushing people across the nation)
Parallelism
Anaphora (we hadn’t, we hadn’t)
Epistrophe (wisely, wisely)
Red Herring (I’m very proud of my VP choice, when asked about not going to Iraq)
Red Herring (General Petraeus has done a brilliant job)
Anaphora and Epistrophe (you said that, you were wrong)
Anaphora (we need, we need)
Bifurcation (if we don’t, Americans won’t be safe)
Allusion (McCain’s bombing Iran song)
Anaphora
Epistrophe (he may be a dictator, but he’s our dictator)
Pathos (I’ve got a bracelet, too)
Ad Populum (No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain)
Anaphora (we took our eye off)
Anaphora (you don’t muddle through)
Anaphora (they have funded)
Parallelism, allusion (walk the walk, talk the talk)
Pathos (my dad was a determined Kenyan)

If you ask me, I think the real winner of the evening is General Petreaus, because we wouldn't be having this debate with John McCain without him.

Palin On SNL Tonight?

According to rumours, which I heard on another blog, Sarah Palin might make a cameo appearance next to Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live. Her security detail scoped the studios ahead of a possible visit.

I cannot WAIT, if true.

UPDATE: Didn't happen. That was a bad publicity stunt, SNL.

Should I Go Watch Biden-Palin Off-Blog?

I value your opinions on this.

Just like when I asked you if I should go to the Obama rally at the Univ of Miami, now I need your advice if I should stay home, blog-comment real-time during the Vice-Presidential debate, or not.

Should Victoria Go Watch Biden-Palin Off-Blog?
	Yes
	No
	Yes, but only with Republicans
	Yes, but only with Democrats
	Yes, but only if with varied voters
pollcode.com free polls

View From The Left Side

You know, when I was live-commenting at Althouse, I knew my instincts about the debate were right. So were those of many of the commenters there, who lean centre-right. Don't believe the pundits today, who wish to shore up their man because he did merely "okay".

McCain did a much better job during the debate.

He was more proficient in his references, statistics, and anecdotes.

At times, it even seemed like a total rout, with Senator Obama playing schoolchild to Senator Obama's past master. Of course, the Illinois Senator had his moments, but overall the presentation was frustrated, and overly hesitant just like I said real-time.

Don't believe me?

Check out the live-blogging at Eli Sanders' SLOG. In a quick poll before the debate began, his commenters came out as 99% Obama, 1% McCain. It's safe to say they lean Democratic.

This is the entire debate, in highlighted comments. If you think I played fast and loose with the excerpts, go check them out yourself.

6:06	[Comment From ica] Wow, McCain went to Kennedy first.

6:06	[Comment From GrammarCop] Ohhhhhh ... it was McCain who brought him up. Sneaky.

6:09 Eli Sanders: The visual contrast here is so striking. Young vs. old, forceful vs. weary, and, of course, black vs. white.

6:10

[Comment From Chris B]
Obama's speaking specifics, McCain is saying it'd be neat... not so good

6:12

[Comment From raisedbywolves]
oh obama, stop stuttering!

6:13

[Comment From Jubilation T. Cornball]
Lehrer is orchestrating stupid stuff

6:14

[Comment From Julie in Chicago]
The trying to get them to talk to each other thing didn't work because they sort of agree on the bailout conditions...

6:17 Dan Savage: Will he mention Palin's earmarks? She's the Welfare Queen of the Known Universe.

6:18	[Comment From Brian] obama needs to talk about palin's earmarks

6:18	[Comment From Chris B] They've been dodging Palin nicely so far....

6:18

[Comment From Chris B]
I was called the sheriff???

6:19

[Comment From AMB]
I have to hand it to McCain, he's a way better speaker than Bush.

6:19 Dan Savage: SARAH PALIN! I have "fought against" earmarks, says McCain, and then he picks Palin, who never saw a dollar in DC that she didn't think Jesus wanted Alaska to have. C'mon Obama! Bring up Palin!

6:20

[Comment From ica]
Engage Obama! Engage!

6:20	[Comment From Jen Graves] I don't think Obama can bring up Palin. It will backfire somehow. Just my instinct.

6:20	[Comment From NaFun] Palin isn't the issue here. It's been said before, Obama is running against McCain. bringing up Palin is a dead end

6:21	[Comment From Brian] He can't talk to him! maybe it's because he's black...

6:21	[Comment From Battybuddy] If Obama brings up Palin, you KNOW it's going to bite him in the ass.

6:21

[Comment From Krizpie Kreme]
Mention Palin already, Barry!

6:21

[Comment From Trstr]
"My friends." Drink!

6:22

Dan Savage: McCain is doing well here. You're right, Eli—they need to get off this subject. But Obama is LETTING MCCAIN RUN AWAY WITH THIS.

6:22

[Comment From Meinert]
I hate to say it, but McCain is holding his own and Obama isn't going after it too hard

6:23

[Comment From April in KC]
obama thus far is doing considerably better than he did in most debates with hillary.

6:23

Eli Sanders: No. Obama is missing a huge chance here...

6:23

[Comment From fruitcakepuppet]
Obama's hanging back, just like Kerry.

6:24	[Comment From Big Sven] Both candidates are doing well tonight. Although McSame's smile is disconcerting.

6:24	[Comment From Jen Graves] Yeah, what the hell is going on with Obama? DO IT, MAN.

6:24

[Comment From kerri harrop]
here comes obama...serious, he better him him hard now

6:25

Dan Savage: I'm hating this.

6:25	[Comment From Ian] Of course he's got Bush's accent. He's got Bush's policies.

6:25	[Comment From Joey] THANK YOU ECB! I was just saying the same thing. When did you have to affect a bad southern accent to be a conservative?

6:26	[Comment From jj] obama needs to stay a step ahead...he's letting mccain set too much of the agenda

6:26	[Comment From used to blog] Obama needs to smarten the f*ck up and pull this thing out of the weeds. Take big strategy, not small ball.

6:26	[Comment From Meinert] obama better make a point people can understand and relate to pretty soon

6:27

[Comment From The CHZA]
jim lehrer is the last straight-up dude ever since peter jennings and tim russert died

6:29

[Comment From frizzelle]
Why is this SO BORING?!

6:30
[Comment From Meinert]
obama has the opportunity to go straigth at McCain and he's totally blowing it

6:30
[Comment From raisedbywolves]
oh, mccain just stole the defense spending thing from him.

6:30
[Comment From Tricia]
Why why why is Obama letting McCain get away with the argument that the government has gotten "out of control" without pointing ut that McCain has been IN thta government forever?!

6:31

[Comment From Medina]
McCain is scoring points by stating specific examples of how his experience has solved problems.

6:31

Dan Savage: I agree: McCain is winning this debate—why, I wonder, did he work so hard to avoid it? Was it simply to push back the Palin/Biden debate?

6:32

[Comment From Rose]
Obama needs to stop agreeing with "John."

6:32

[Comment From fruitcakepuppet]
All I'm hearing is how much these two clowns agree.

6:32

[Comment From mike k.]
jim lehrer is winning the debate

6:33

[Comment From Banna]
I hope Obama has a Steve Jobs-like "One more thing" up his sleeve.

6:34

[Comment From The CHZA]
if this is only an hour long obama's already taken a good dicking

6:36

[Comment From Medina]
McCain is controlling the debate, even though he is not saying anything substantive. C'mon Obama, say something!

6:38

[Comment From demo kid]
Orgy! DRINK!

6:38

[Comment From Ian]
Miss Congeniality, DRINK

6:39

[Comment From Mr. Poe]
They're pulling more than that, PopTart. This is indescribably disappointing. I'm glad I'm in a bar. If I were at home it would be epic. For the love of God, McCain is playing every card we mock him for. And you know they're working. Hey, nice Palin remark.

6:39

[Comment From Original Monique]
The BF says: Obama should combat the 'maverick' line by saying "I don't believe you were in top gun"

6:40

[Comment From Original Monique]
Let's start refering to Palin as Goose

6:41

[Comment From Medina]
McCain is playing this perfectly. He is hittng his points such as "maverick" and now "victory"

6:41
[Comment From OhHeyLisa]
yes, obama. tell us where you disagree.

6:41
[Comment From Banna]
Finally, get to the differences, Obama. Bring up...oh, he brought up the opposition to the war.

6:41
[Comment From whatwhat]
He better f*cking nail this

6:42

[Comment From fruitcakepuppet]
Too measured a response. No passion. Hang M. out to dry on the war or go home.

6:43

[Comment From mike k.]
all of Obama's statements start with a bang then fizzle

6:44

[Comment From Zephyr]
Oh f*ck, he's falling back on Joe Biden.

6:44

Dan Savage: This. Is. Bad.

6:44

[Comment From Dubcek]
He. Is. Not. Attacking.

6:44

[Comment From Nic]
Worst. Debate. Ever.

6:45

[Comment From Julie in Chicago]
Obama didn't go to Iraq for 900 days. Didn't request a meeting with Patraeus. Not good.

6:45

Eli Sanders: Here we go. "You were wrong... you were wrong... you were wrong."

6:45

Dan Savage: "You like to pretend like the war started in 2007. It started in 2003." Good one. Okay, now Obama is on a roll. "You said you knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said we would be greeted as liberators. You were wrong."

6:46

[Comment From Jen Graves]
Whoa: Not understanding the difference between a tactic and a strategy. This McCain is actually not a bad debater. F*cker.

6:46

Dan Savage: Sen. Obama just acknowledged the sucess of the surge, you wrinkled old fart.

6:47

[Comment From Jessica]
Mr. McCain, can you show me the peace and prosperity in Iraq? Anywhere? Anywhere?

6:47

[Comment From yucca flower]
YOU CAN'T WIN IN IRAQ!!!

6:47

Eli Sanders: McCain is doing a very good job of sucking up time, interrupting Obama, interjecting. Obama, by being more polite, puts himself at a disadvantage...

6:48

[Comment From Ed]
Obama is warming to the game. A bit smoother than at the start.

6:48

[Comment From Meinert]
Obama is almost as good as Kerry at debating...not a good thing

6:50

[Comment From raisedbywolves]
call him a L I A R

6:51

[Comment From Zander]
This thing will score too closely. Obama needs to knock him down.

6:52

Dan Savage: "Pretty evenly matched debaters," says Josh Marshall at TPM. Sadly true.

6:53

[Comment From Balt-O-Matt]
But Dan. McCain won the Republican debates. He's a good debater.

6:53

[Comment From eric sic]
Obama is calm and confident. I don't think that's a disadvantage; McCain looks impetuous by comparison.

6:53

[Comment From Krizpie Kreme]
Evenly matched my ass! Obama's destroying Grandpa Simpson!

6:53

[Comment From jana]
pahkeestahn and taahleebahn...wtf Obama?

6:53

Dan Savage: WHAT? Did he just mention our "helping the Afghan freedom fighters"? Those same Afghan freedom fighters that became the Taliban? Al Kay-duh?

6:55

[Comment From Nic]
McCain: Knew Alexander the Great, Invented the Blackberry

6:55

[Comment From Matthew]
Obama is WAY too polite.

6:55 [Comment From Mother] They are evenly matched. BUT this might work. When Gore and Kerry handed Bush his ass, they lost. So, this might work. I don't know how. But it might.

6:57

[Comment From yucca flower]
Die, geezer, die!!! Crush him under your heel, Obama!

6:59

Dan Savage: John McCain wears bracelets.

7:00

[Comment From Original Monique]
John McCain is gay....only the gays wear bracelets

7:00

Eli Sanders: You know, McCain is doing a much better job of swinging between specific policies, personal anecdotes, tales from the trail, and bold statements.

7:00

[Comment From Brian]
face it: McCain's doing pretty well in this debate. For a dead guy.

7:00
[Comment From Karlheinz Arschbomber]
Bracelet wars!

7:00
[Comment From Squidder]
WHAT! DUELING BRACELETS!

7:00
[Comment From Mr. Poe]
WTF is wrong with them? Bracelets are gay.

7:00
[Comment From brooklyn]
"I have a bracelet too..." Why?? Why???

7:01
[Comment From Jessica]
I've got a bracelet, too. Oooh, can Stephen Colbert get in on bracelet wars?

7:01
[Comment From levide]
Bracelets after Labor Day?

7:01
[Comment From Medina]
This is brutal. Neither are saying anything substantive.

7:02
ECB: Obama is being a little too cerebral here. The American (whoops, Ahmuhrcun) people speak retardese, remember?

7:03
[Comment From Elliott]
Missed opportunity. Obama should have said "I have a bracelet too, what I don't have is 12 cars and 8 houses."

7:04
[Comment From dave37]
holocaust reference! My Jewish brothers drink!

7:04
[Comment From Original Monique]
Omg, I got a REAL Alaskan here at my party....he is giving hilarious anecdotes about Palin

7:05
Eli Sanders: Ok, I'm going to run a quick poll. Everyone can keep writing and commenting while it's running, don't worry... But tell me: Who do you think is winning?

[The poll was 57% Obama, 43% McCain]

7:06
Dan Savage: Sorry, Sloggers. I detect some wishful thinking in your voting on the poll. I think McCain is winning. Think middle Americans, not drunk libruls in bars in Seattle and New York and SF.

7:07
[Comment From Big Sven]
STOP SAYING "SENATOR MCCAIN IS RIGHT!" JEBUS!

7:08
[Comment From j]
stutter...first sign of a stroke. let's hope.

7:09
[Comment From John]
Actually f*cking up that name with probably endear him to middle America. F*cking breadbasket motherf*ckers.



7:10
[Comment From matt]
Obama's answer here pwns McCain - Kissinger!! Ahmedinejad is not the most powerful man in Iran

7:10
[Comment From Big Sven]
Kissinger- no preconditions- OUCH!

7:11
[Comment From Spidey Kat]
Obama is being way too cerebral here... What Amuricans thrive on is hate...hate...hate....

7:11
Eli Sanders: "I recall that I was called naive..." Memo to Obama: Don't bring up a criticism if it's not being lobbed at you. Just shoot down the ones that are already on the stage.

7:12
[Comment From pam]
McCain looks like something out of a horror movie. Or a Scooby Doo episode.

7:12
Dan Savage: Spain dig—good!

7:13
ECB: Obama just gave McCain a Cleveland Steamer

7:15
[Comment From The General]
Oh god. This is not good.

7:15
[Comment From John]
McCain just kicked Obama's ass all over the stage

7:15
[Comment From Jubilation T. Cornball]
Henry Kissinger. Wow, what staying power he has. That old ego-maniac must be loving this.

7:15
[Comment From drinking heavily]
Oh, god, stop letting McCain interrupt, Obama! F*ck! Take charge!

7:16
[Comment From Liz]
I'm not feeling good about this right now...

7:16
[Comment From Nic]
GAWD DAMNIT OBAMA! Shut this sh*t down!

7:16
[Comment From kerri harrop]
i wish mccain would say something crazy, like he nailed nancy reagan. or babs bush

7:17
[Comment From Medina]
Obama has been on the defensive the last few minutes. He needs to go on the offensive and make a point that will resonate with Americans.

7:18
[Comment From AMB]
McCain is kicking his ass, I think. Obama is kind of coming off like Kerry I think.

7:19
[Comment From Ryan]
You down with K-G-B?

7:19
Eli Sanders: How many times is McCain going to say "he doesn't understand"? (Answer: As many times as Obama allows.)

7:19
[Comment From pam]
The MSNBC gang says the debates didn't really affect the outcome of the last election. Thoughts?

7:20
[Comment From pjneet1]
This debate is lacking in the kind of simple bitchslaps that get average Americans interested.

7:20
[Comment From Zephyr]
How many, say, undecided Florida or Ohio voters would you guess are still watching this?

7:20
[Comment From pjneet1]
This debate is lacking in the kind of simple bitchslaps that get average Americans interested.

7:20
[Comment From Zephyr]
How many, say, undecided Florida or Ohio voters would you guess are still watching this?

7:20
[Comment From AMB]
Obama comes across as wimpy. Too professorial.

7:21
[Comment From Mac]
Is there any place John McCain hasn't been? (I mean, besides the Senate floor this year.)

7:21
[Comment From Dominic Holden]
I think sex is the only thing that can help me now

7:22
[Comment From Beth]
Sex would be a very welcome relief from this boredom.

7:22
[Comment From fruitcakepuppet]
I'm convinced. Obama is John Kerry.

7:22
[Comment From Zephyr]
Oh christ. Senator McCain and I agree. Except for on this tiny, boring wonk-point which I will discuss for those of you who are taking notes in my PoliSci course.

7:22
[Comment From Chris in DK]
Unfortunately, Obama's using rather big words, too

7:22
[Comment From Liz]
Obama's too good for the presidency. F*ck this.

7:23
[Comment From elenchos]
I don't get why he doesn't slaughter the old man. I hate old people. Does he feel sorry for them because they're old?

7:24
[Comment From bearseatbeats]
I think that Obama just went totally off the question.

7:24
[Comment From matt]
Obama is shaken

7:25
[Comment From ambiturner]
Did it go from Russia to nuclear energy?

7:25
[Comment From OhHeyLisa]
where are obama's balls? must he continue to let mccain bowl him over?

7:25
[Comment From Cow]
Okay, interrupting is tricky, politically--if it makes him look strong or bitchy. But interrupting and failing is -bad-.

7:26
[Comment From raisedbywolves]
oh don't let him take the conversation away from you!

7:26
[Comment From Guest]
9/11! Drink!

7:27
[Comment From Skeets]
because he doesn't want to come across as an angry black man, sigh

7:27
[Comment From Thisbe]
Seriously, getting angry, interrupting, having bad manners, and being generally an asshole is Not Presidential. Even if it makes us mad that Obama acts like an adult because we would like to punch McCain, it's better that he stay calm.

7:28
[Comment From Cow]
Obama can nail this if he mentions rights including the second amendment. (Ugh second amendment, I know, but remember gun-toting f*cks in PA...)

7:28
[Comment From Zander]
Obama's mistake was treating this like a debate. It' not about McCain's record. It's about Obama's plan for the future.

7:29
[Comment From John]
Look Im a Republican and Obama is killing McCain.

7:29
[Comment From John]
Dude, torture is a no-win issue against McCain, are you f*cking kidding me?

7:29
Dan Savage: I have to agree with KC. Nothing memorable has come out of this debate. No killer line, no killer moment. We still have about two minutes, so... who knows? But I think this debate isn't going to make much of a difference. Back to the Palin Show tomorrow.

7:30
[Comment From Medina]
Obama looks much better than McCain. That might be enough.

7:30
[Comment From Tom]
why is Obama letting so many of McCain's bullsh*t answers go unresponded to? (torture current example)

7:30
[Comment From Will in STL]
yay! torture!

7:30
Dan Savage: "This is the greatest country on earth..."

I hate that. I think Denmark is the greatest country on earth.

7:30
[Comment From My Friends]
Has anyone figured out McCain's blinking pattern? I think it's a blink for every third syllable...

7:30
[Comment From matt]
again agrees with McCain f*cking a - Dan there will be soundbytes - but maybe not anything that will be remembered through the ages

7:31
[Comment From leda]
compulsive liers tend to blink a lot

7:32
[Comment From matt]
maybe I'm a liberal who is self-defeating, but I just don't feel Obama can call this anything but a draw at best - I think McCain has scored way more hits

7:32
Eli Sanders: I don't completely agree. I think McCain's mocking of Obama sitting down and talking with Ahmadinejad is going to be replayed quite a bit—it's a moment TV pundits will love—and I'm not sure there was an equivalent Obama slam. And, in general, McCain's mocking of Obama wasn't answered forcefully. But no substantive mistakes on either side, so probably a wash on that score.

7:32
[Comment From Medina]
oh, Obama is looking good now.

7:32
[Comment From Max]
yeah. this one's a draw.

7:33
[Comment From Scott]
Drudge Report has McCain winning 72% OUCH.

7:33
[Comment From Amanda]
I think Obama did not do well in this debate. But, the economy stuff now is good work.

7:34
[Comment From Balt-O-Matt]
This chat is full of a bunch of self-defeating liberals. Grow some, people. Jesus.

7:34
[Comment From superg]
all i have to say is I bet Hillary would have kicked McCain's ass

7:36
[Comment From Ian]
Good that Obama is speaking directly to the camera again.

7:36
[Comment From GrammarCop]
"My father came from Kenya" = "NOT THE MIDDLE EAST DUMBASSES"

7:37
[Comment From Mike Dinosaur]
I see your Kenya and I'll raise you a prison camp

7:37
[Comment From jj]
kenya vs. prison, not good folks

7:37
[Comment From drinking heavily]
Obama looks defeated. Not good.

7:37
[Comment From raisedbywolves]
goddamn, that was a bad ending

7:37
[Comment From Justin X]
God the VP debate will be a comedy show.

7:37
[Comment From elenchos]
There will not be a VP debate

7:37
[Comment From Nic]
You can't believe that Palin will actually debate, can you?

7:38
[Comment From Free Lunch]
That debate won't happen.

7:38
[Comment From jonathan golob]
I'm f*cking furious at Obama for being so unprepared tonight.

[Poll, "Who won?": 23% Obama, 20% McCain, 56% Lehrer]

7:38
[Comment From Original Monique]
Hahahaha the conservative here won't vote for McCain. He is just not voting \

7:38
[Comment From Julie K]
Ugh, That was painful

7:38
[Comment From Banna]
Is michelle obama wearing a couch cover?

7:39
[Comment From Jessica]
There is an excess of girlcrush on Michelle Obama at this party.

7:39
[Comment From GrammarCop]
Was Wolf Blitzer even LISTENING to the debate?

7:39
[Comment From Balt-O-Matt]
On PBS Brooks and Shields are giving props to Obama.

7:39
[Comment From Krizpie Kreme]
McCain definitely didn't win

7:39
[Comment From Nearly Normal Jimmy]
fox news is teasting the repeats of "I agree with. . .". Wait, why am I on Fox?

7:40
[Comment From pam]
Need cheerleading? Watch MSNBC

7:41
[Comment From Balt-O-Matt]
Remember, though, folks A DRAW IS AWESOME!! This is McCain's property.

7:42
[Comment From roots]
thanks for the live slog, folks

7:42
[Comment From GrammarCop]
I bet Obama agreed backstage not to talk about Palin. There were three or four moments he could have taken cheap -- but highly effective and legitimate -- shots. Even Republicans are embarrassed by her.

7:44
[Comment From jonathan golob]
This felt like a disaster to me. Am I alone?

[...no, you weren't alone. Ed. vbspurs]

Thoughts:

I can't believe how obsessed this liberal crowd were with Governor Palin. Until the bitter end, they were raising her spectre both mockingly and hoping against hope that Obama would somehow mention her for cheap shots. That would've been suicide, and he knows it, and furthermore, he wasn't EVER going to do so.

And look -- these are informal comments, which few of us should take overly serious. But they are telling because they reflect the condenscending tone to (a) America (b) average folk (c) the aged.



It's one thing to rail against MSNBC, but I personally found these comments so much more depressing. People really feel this way about their own countrymen.

Tell me how these people think that anyone who remotely reflects their values will be given the keys to the American state? It's mindboggling.

Palin was right, but wrong too.

Maybe Obama would speak to people one way in San Francisco and another way in Scranton -- but his supporters speak the same dismissive way all the time.

So don't believe the talking heads today. Check out the commentary sections of all kinds of blogs.

The truth, as they say, is out there.