Over the last month or so, McCain and especially Palin have been on the offensive to showcase Barack Obama’s “guilt by association” to Ayers, ACORN, and anything else that they could find. In addition, the GOP candidates have highlighted the differences between “real America,” and “fake America.”
The following are two videos of a recent GOP rally in the Henderson section of Las Vegas. Notice those poor “real Americans” for McCain being forced to shout those epithets at the mean “fake Americans” for Obama. I mean, they really didn’t want to shout “Anti-Americans!” or “Communists!,” but what are McCainiacs to do when they see Obama supporters? Those brave, brave real McCain Americans had to defend themselves, you know. Here you are America. Here is “real America” as McCain and Palin see it:
The people in this Vegas suburb are indicative of this hateful insurrection that is festering throughout the US thanks to the incendiary campaigning by both McCain and Palin. Their rhetoric has had an opposite effect on me. Sorry folks, but I can’t take hate speech.
Earlier this year, I was actually leaning toward McCain after the Democratic Primaries were over. I initially thought that this was the John McCain that I remembered from 2000 when he ran against George W. Bush. My leanings are moderate, very moderate. Although I’m a registered Democrat and like to stay just left of center, I do have the ability to reach across party lines if for example, a moderate like Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania was running. I was under the childlike belief last summer that the John McCain of 2008 resembled the John McCain of 2000.
What a difference eight years makes. As opposed to the campaign of 2000, McCain’s campaign this year is just plain mean. Both he and his VP pick, as well as their surrogates have been playing into “real-America’s” most primal fears, perpetuating the myth that Obama and his supporters are “Socialist,” “Communist,” and “Anti-American.” Thanks to the campaign of pointing out the opponent’s “otherness,” the right-wing weirdos, wackos, nuts, and conspiracy-theorists have come out of the woodwork to sing to the chorus of intolerance. If there is any guilt by association, it would be McCain and Palin associating themselves with the worst of intolerant people. Oh John McCain, what happened? Did you honestly think that pandering to the most extreme base while ignoring and shutting out everyone else would get you the electoral votes that you desperately need?
I only need to look at those who are supporting McCain and Palin to know that I have made the right decision in supporting Obama and Biden. When I looked at thoughtful, intelligent people like Christopher Buckley and Colin Powell crossing over to support Obama, I really knew that I was backing what I feel is the best candidate for the job. As a good friend of mine can attest to, it was not an easy decision in the beginning. After a deliberate process of fact-finding and thought, I chose my candidate. The people supporting each candidate served only to validate my decision.
To be fair, I am just as turned off by those in the far-left as I am to those on the far-right. Extremism on either side of the political spectrum is never a good thing. Thankfully, Obama and Biden’s campaign have been more inclusive. These are guys who believe as I do that there is no “pro-America” or anti-America,” but simply America. From the biggest cities to the tiniest town, like it or not, we are in this together.
Sadly, McCain’s campaign has yet to figure this out.
This election has had some extreme ugliness in it. Much of it is unprecedented. There has been racism and sexism by both sides of supporters. I was appalled at some of the things that have surfaced.
There was the woman at McCain’s campaign stop who addressed McCain about Obama’s “otherness.” “I don’t trust Obama,” she said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”
Let’s just say for one moment that he [Obama] is an Arab which he isn’t, but let’s just say he is. I had a couple of friends from the country of Jordan; Achmed and Kasim. I worked with these two, and they were genuinely decent people. We talked, we joked, we learned from each other. From these two, I learned more about what real Muslims believe. I can tell you that it is not the extremist fundamentalist rhetoric that is spewed but rather, a deep abiding respect for all people. While I explained a few things about western culture to them, I learned the significance of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. There are more Arabs out there who are moderate in their beliefs than those who are extreme. Why don’t people hear about this? Simple. It’s just not sensational enough to make the news. If Obama was indeed Muslim like Mohammed Ali and the late Benezir Bhutto, he would be in good company. The woman addressing McCain was implying that all Arabs are extreme and not to be trusted. There was quite a twinge of racism in that comment whether she knew it or not. The “Arab” comment made me sad for all decent Americans who are Islamic, as well as good Arabs all over the world who are trying to break the stereotype.
A little over a month ago, I came upon this disturbing piece from “Think Progress:”
Obama Waffles: Tasty treat, or racist rhetoric?
At the Values Voter Summit this weekend, vendors sold an item called “Obama Waffles” featuring a racist cartoon of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on the box front — with “popping eyes and big, thick lips” — and another image of him wearing an Arab-like headdress on its top flap. Its creators, Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, said it was meant as “political satire,” and sold the box for $10 from a booth at the Family Research Council event. CNN’s Lou Dobbs stopped by the booth and exclaimed, “My wife will love this!” A photo shows Dobbs with a box of the mix in his hand.
While Obama Waffles takes aim at Obama’s politics by poking fun at his public remarks and positions on issues, it also plays off the old image of the pancake-mix icon Aunt Jemima, which has been widely criticized as a demeaning stereotype. Obama is portrayed with popping eyes and big, thick lips as he stares at a plate of waffles and smiles broadly.
Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian.
On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for ”Open Border Fiesta Waffles” that says it can serve ”4 or more illegal aliens.” The recipe includes a tip: ”While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?”
Not only does this capitalize on black stereotypes, it does so with Muslim stereotypes, reducing them to a vulgar caricature.
Sarah Palin has not come out unscathed. Late in September, Larry Flynt-notorious owner of “Hustler” magazine, sent out an ad on Craigslist for a porn actress who looks like Sarah Palin:
Production has now begun on an adult movie titled, “Nailin’ Paylin.” I’m not a big fan of the Vice-Presidential nominee, but this is way over the top. To be certain, Larry Flint is acting within his First Amendment right, but I also believe that that he is displaying his usual poor taste. My heart goes out to Sarah Palin on this one.
The most notorious of these insults came from a local California GOP women’s organization. Its newsletter claimed that if Obama was elected, his face would appear on food stamps, rather than dollar bills like other presidents. The group then included a picture of “Obama Bucks” — a phony $10 food stamp with Obama surrounded by racist imagery:
The president of the organization, Diane Fedele, didn’t understand the charges of racism: “I didn’t see it the way that it’s being taken. I never connected. It was just food to me.” One African-American member of the club said that upon seeing the newsletter, she “cried for 45 minutes.” “This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party,” she added.
First of all, it wasn’t “just food” to Ms Fedele. Of all of the food out there, she just happened to use food from the four most racially-charged food groups? No Ms. Fedele, you knew exactly what you were doing, and most likely had a good chuckle from it. I mean, if you’re going to be flat-out racist, at least have the guts to admit it. Indeed, items like this are what keep African-Americans from joining the Republican Party. What a great way to show sensitivity to the Black members of your group.
Don’t think that I’m getting high and mighty on everyone. I’m guilty too. In recent heated exchanges with my brother who happens to support McCain, I blurted out some pretty sexist comments to him in a fit of anger. I promptly apologized to him, and felt like a jerk. It can be easy to go down that path, but contrition is needed, and certain amount of decorum should be followed. Do I like politically incorrect humor? You betcha! There are Obama, McCain, Biden, and Palin jokes on the web that are funny as hell, and made me laugh. I love edgy humor, but there is a really fine line though, between funny and plain insulting. Let us please take this election back to the issues at hand, and who is best qualified to deal with them.
Only then can we move forward as a nation.
Confidential to my brother: I apologize for my heated remarks on Palin. I know you’re voting for who you believe is the best person to lead us in these challenging times.
Sarah Palin cradles son Trig on her shoulder after VP debate: Can't you just put the poor kid to bed already?
If you the reader thinks that the title of this piece is offensive, take a little time to think about how offensive it has been for Vice-Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin to drag her children-all of them, over the national stage as cheap political props.
I tried overlooking the whole Bristol Palin/Levi Johnston deal because I felt as though the media was giving this heartwarming tale of the result of abstinence-based education a life of its own. I even tried overlooking McCain’s photo-op with the two on the airport tarmac during the Republican National Convention. I did find it strange that Bristol and Levi were being paraded through the media at the airport while McCain’s campaign was begging the press to lay off of Sarah’s daughter, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
My suspicions began to grow just after the first Vice-Presidential debate. While it is true that Joe Biden’s entire family was there, I couldn’t help but object to her newborn Trig being carried around by seven year old Piper, then by Sarah herself. I work a morning job and I was beginning to feel a bit sleepy after the debate was over. Imagine how a newborn baby must feel. Yes Ms. Palin, you have lovely children despite their strange names. Seriously though, did you absolutely have to drag your poor baby to this event? Did the babysitter cancel? Did the nanny quit, or was this pretty much what I suspect as a cheap political gimmick? Sarah, oh Sarah.
What confirmed my suspicions of Palin using her kids as unwitting pawns in her campaign, was when she dropped the hockey puck at a Philadelphia Flyers opener. Apparently, Ms. Palin must have known that Flyers fans are a tough crowd. Palin came out on the ice with her daughters Willow and Piper, the younger girl dressed in a Flyers jersey. A Fox News producer, Shushannah Walshe, says that Palin intentionally dressed Piper that way to discourage boos:
“The GOP Vice-Presidential nominee said at an earlier fundraiser that she would stop some of the booing from the rowdy Philadelphia fans by putting her seven year old daughter, Piper in a Flyers jersey. She said, “How dare they boo Piper!”
Um, Ms. Palin? They were booing you.
Again, the Alaskan native doesn’t seem to know how we conduct national politics down here in the lower 48. Presidents like Carter, Clinton, and yes, even George W. Bush took great pains to keep their kids out of the public eye as much as possible so that their children could be well, children. Good job Sarah. You knew that you were going to be booed at this event, so you dressed your seven year old daughter in a Flyers jersey as some sort of human shield to try to deflect some of the rancor. As a result, your kids got to share in your humiliation. Your parenting skills boggle the mind.
I met former President Jimmy Carter. He is a fine man and a very decent human being. To you Sarah, I suggest that you meet with this elder statesman to learn how to properly handle your young children during what has come to be a very intense political season.
Over the last week, I learned something extraordinary about John McCain. His campaign showed me in no uncertain terms that if you aren’t able to actually debate the issues, attack, attack, attack.
And attack they did. With Palin as the pitbull hopped up on Maybelline, the Vice-Presidential hopeful followed the McCain playbook and even added a few plays of her own.
Last week in Strongsville Ohio, Palin decided to ignore the economic crisis and the two wars that are going on, to go after Obama’s character:
“Our opponent … is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country,” she said, referring to a co-founder of the 1960s-era Weather Underground, an organization the FBI labeled as a domestic terrorist group.
“This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America,” she said. “We see America as the greatest force for good in this world. If we can be that beacon of light and hope for others who seek freedom and democracy and can live in a country that would allow intolerance in the equal rights that again our military men and women fight for and die for for all of us.”
To be fair, Palin’s rallies weren’t the only ones targeting Obama’s association with Ayers, John McCain brought the theme up at his own Obama political “lynchin’ rallies.”
Rabid attendees in the crowd of both McCain and Palin rallies shouted epithets of “Treason!,” Terrorist!” and “Kill Him!” Although Palin and McCain ignored these remarks, Secret Service is still investigating to find out who yelled the “Kill Him” comment.
“As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign,” Lewis said in a statement. “Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.”
McCain/Palin are playing with fire in these stump speeches, and most reasonable people recognize that. The Obama campaign responded in kind:
“…John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists.’ As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead.”
Since the backlash, McCain has been trying to tone down the rabid attendees at his stump speeches.
From the Huffington Post:
McCain was responding to a town hall attendee who claimed he was concerned about raising a child under a president who “cohorts with domestic terrorists such as [Bill] Ayers.” Despite the fact that McCain and his campaign have repeatedly used Ayers to hammer Obama in recent days, the Arizona Senator tried to calm the man.
“Senator Obama is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared about as President of the United States,” he said, before adding: “If I didn’t think I would be one heck of a better president I wouldn’t be running.”
The crowd groaned with disapproval.
Later, McCain was again pressed about Obama’s “other-ness” and again he refused to play ball. “I don’t trust Obama,” a woman said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”
“No, ma’am,” McCain said several times, shaking his head in disagreement. “He’s a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all about.”
Too bad McCain. You reap what you sow.
I noticed that nobody in the Obama camp mentioned that Palin was “palling around” with secessionists who hate our flag:
And then there’s John McCain who had served on the advisory board for “The U.S. Council for World Freedom,” an international organization created by retired Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub that is linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. They were heavily involved in the Iran-Contra affair, and are anti-Semitic.
The Obama campaign could have brought this up and played the guilt by association game, but oh yeah. There are those darned real issues to deal with.
Those who live in glass houses, McCain, Palin . . .
Well done Palin. If nothing else, you demonstrated to us that you truly are a pitbull wearing lipstick. You and John McCain showed Americans this week that it is indeed possible to go even lower than Karl Rove and George Bush in smearing and character assassination. Both of you must be very proud of the high discourse in your campaign. This “guilt by association” ploy smacks of McCarthyism. After your amateurish job of serving as Governor of Alaska, (I’m referring to the wonderful way you handled the State Troopers) you’ve brought your shameless, Machiavellian “small-town” politicking to a national audience. I don’t know how they play politics up in Alaska sweetheart, but that’s not how we do things here on the national stage. Kathleen Parker of the “National Review” was right; you are clearly out of your league. You said in one of your speeches, “Who is Barack Obama?” What? We first heard of you five weeks ago. Who the hell are you? God willing, you and McCain will lose Nov. 4, and you can go back to the farthest state in the Union where we will never hear from you again.
And Kudos to you John McCain. Apparently, you listened to your pitbull, let her off of her leash, and was surprised by the carnage. Whatever your record is in the military or the Senate, you have conducted the most disgraceful and dishonerable campaign in recent history sir. I never thought I’d say that Karl Rove never even went this low. I think your pitbull ultimately wound up biting you in the ass.
Since you’ve resorted to this sort of neo-McCarthyism, I’d like to quote that famous quote from Joseph Welch to Senator McCarthy:
“You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
So what’s next for your stump speeches? Is this what we have to look forward to?
When I was a young kid living about 15 miles away from Canada, we had three Canadian television channels that could be picked up; CBC, CFTO, and CHCH. This was before the advent of cable.
I liked CFTO and CHCH, but was lukewarm toward the CBC. Their shows weren’t bad, they were just a bit bland for my taste. CFTO for example, had more entertaining shows. CFTO sitcom, “The King of Kensington” was the first time that I had seen Michael J. Fox years before he ever starred in “Family Ties.”
I suppose the CBC still prefers being bland.
They decided to crack under pressure from of all places… FoxNews, in the wake of an op-ed written by Heather Mallick. (FoxNews actually knows about the CBC?) Her humorous exaggeration is almost her trademark. It is this writing style that landed her in hot water with her editors at CBC’s website.
Mallick wrote a rather colorful article about our favorite winking candidate, and Republican men. The New York Times Online reports CBC execs have since removed the article from the website.
Really? You, the CBC were bullied by FoxNews, and FoxNews won?
Watching your television channel as a kid and reading your site as an adult, I am saddened. As Palin would say, “Say it ain’t so, Joe!”
While FoxNews smears and is not even amusing about it, Mallick’s article was at least funny, if not bawdy. As opposed to trying to rally its viewers to launch a phone campaign to get the article removed, FoxNews should have learned from it. God knows that after the dreadful “Half Hour News Hour” which was promptly cancelled, Fox needs to not only cultivate, but achieve a sense of humor.
Shame on you FoxNews for Bullying the CBC into making a retraction, and shame on you CBC for letting it happen.
I am loving all of the digital advertising over at McCain central. First, John McCain wins debate the morning before the first Presidential debate, and now this gem:
Many thanks to the online publication, “Wonkette” for bringing this to light. In my 40 years of living on this earth, this has got to betheweirdest campaign I’ve ever seen.
On a recent reporting trip to Alaska, National Review Online senior editor Noam Scheiber recently obtained a a Wasilla budget document from 1996 at the home of Laura Chase, a former colleague of Palin’s on the Wasilla city council who later managed her first race for mayor. When he flipped it over, he found miscellaneous notes and doodles from GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin back when she was running for Mayor that year. Click this image, then click again to show this full-size. Yes, this is real.
Today, Douglass K. Daniel of “The Associated Press” called Palin’s remarks about Barack Obama in her recent fiery stump speeches racially tinged. He cites these quotes from the Alaska Governor:
“Our opponent … is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough, that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country … “This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America. We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism.”
Palin of course is questioning Obama’s association with William Ayers, a man who Obama had denounced long ago.
I actually laughed when I read the part of the article where he writes,
“It’s a giant changing of the subject,” said Jenny Backus, a Democratic strategist. “The problem is the messenger. If you want to start throwing fire bombs, you don’t send out the fluffy bunny to do it. I think people don’t take Sarah Palin seriously.”
Oh really Ms. Backus? I have video that suggests otherwise:
Nobody expects the Palin resurrection. Perhaps if that strategy doesn’t work, they could use “The Holy Hand-grenade of Antioch.” Hey, however way you want to throw those firebombs.
So McCain released the pitbull, fluffy-bunny or whatever she’s being called today to go after Obama. I was expecting this in the final month and with almost impeccable timing, the attacks are unleashed. Historically, it has always been in the final month of the election when the candidates go after each others character. To be fair, Obama has been going after McCain for being “erratic” during the financial meltdown. McCain is not at all taking this lying down, complaining that Obama is smearing him because of his age. Obviously, McCain must not have seen what conservative columnist George Will and Sam Donaldson said of him the other week on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that almost mirrored Barack’s claim:
Get ready folks. We’re in the final stretch and boy, is this going to get ugly. As I live in a solid red state, I won’t have to endure nearly as many campaign commercials interrupting my viewing of “CSI.” My thoughts go out to all of those in the swing-states who will have to endure the commercials and stump-speeches in their respective home states.
My thanks to the comedy troupe, “Monty Python” for allowing me to loosely use their footage, and sincere condolences to former Python, Michael Palin for the misfortune of Sarah having the same last name. My heart goes out to you.
Yes, the distraction question of this week is; “Is Sarah Palin attractive, and who are the ones who who are allowed to say that she is?” This little side “red-herring” issue came to the forefront in the wake of what conservative writer Rich Lowry of “The National Review” wrote:”
“I’m sure I’m not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, “Hey, I think she just winked at me.” And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America.”
According to the clip, Republicans have been saying this quite a bit about the GOP Vice-Presidential Nominee. No offense to Limbaugh, but Rush was kind of sounding creepy at the end:
Wow! Now there are some compliments toward the Alaska Governor. No doubt Obama and Biden would want to jump on the Palin complimentary bandwagon. What have you to say about that . . . McCain campaign of a few weeks ago?
So McCain is treating Palin’s attractiveness like the “n-word.” We can say it but if you say it, we will rip into you with ads.
I don’t believe that I was as “mesmerized” by Palin’s performance last night as Rich Lowry or at least, she didn’t “excite my base in the sub-prime area.”
To be honest, I thought that last night would be a mis-match. It reminded me of when I would watch a fighting match, thinking that the one fighter would just clean the floor with the other guy, only to find the “underdog” holding his own and making it to the final rounds losing only by a “TKO.”
I can’t speak for all of the swing-voters in the battleground states, but I can offer my own insight as to how last night’s debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin went.
The fact is, Palin did better than I expected.
Sadly, that’s not saying too much. What I’m actually saying is that her talking points during the debate were generally cohesive, and she didn’t make any unbelievably stupid gaffes with the possible exception of mispronouncing our Commander in Afghanistan.
Palin did go to the final rounds, and the debate in my opinion, had no knock-out by either side.
So who won the debate? It depends on who you ask.
Personally, I give it to Biden by a “TKO.” Biden looked far more Vice-Presidential, going over the facts that he had gained in his decades in the Senate. He attacked John McCain’s record, and backed it up with facts:
“Look, past is prologue,” said Biden as he countered Palin’s remarks that he keeps looking to the past. “The issue is, how different is John McCain’s policy going to be than George Bush’s? I haven’t heard anything yet. I haven’t heard how his policy is going to be different on Iran than George Bush’s. I haven’t heard how his policy is going to be different with Israel than George Bush’s. I haven’t heard how his policy in Afghanistan is going to be different than George Bush’s. I haven’t heard how his policy in Pakistan is going to be different than George Bush’s,”
Palin countered by repeatedly going back to energy and accused Obama of voting for a bill that gave big tax breaks for big oil companies:
“In Alaska I had to take on those oil companies,” she says. “I had to break up a monopoly and say the people had to come first.”
The problem with Palin was that while Biden could come up with a good answer for every single question, Palin sounded as though she was regurgitating all of those talking points that were fed to her by her debate coaches. I will concede that she seemed to be more cohesive than in those interviews with Gibson and Couric. I will say that she memorized most of her talking points fairly well. At times however, she refused to answer a question, but would revert to something that she somewhat knew. At one point, she flat out told Biden and moderator Gwen Ifill in her own “Fargo” way, that she’d darn well only answer the questions she wanted and was going to ignore them and talk to the American people about the topics she came to talk about. Congratulations Ms. Palin. I see you’ve graduated from the “Dick Cheney School of Vice Presidentin’.” A hint to Ms. Palin: There is a reason debates have moderators.
My greatest difficulty with the debate was when Sarah Palin was seemingly in agreement with Dick Cheney:
“Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president’s agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we’ll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation.”
Dick Cheney went down that road, and we see where it got us. Joe Biden was only too happy to counter an admirer of Dick Cheney’s policies:
“Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.
And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there’s a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.
The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he’s part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.“
My thanks to Joe Biden for at least keeping his ambitions in check. Of all of the remarks in both the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates, I’d have to say that this was the most dangerous remark that I’ve heard. It is certainly one to keep in mind as election day approaches.
Biden’s moment in the debate was when he was visibly overcome with emotion when he rebutted the idea that “just because I am a man” he didn’t understand what it was like to wonder whether or not a child would “make it” in recovering from a life-threatening medical situation. At the time, he was likely recalling the tragic automobile accident that killed his wife and daughter and severely injured his two sons. I looked at it again, and knew that this was genuine. It was not some sort of contrived stunt. Anyone who knows Biden though, knows that he wears his heart on his sleeve.
Palin’s moment in this debate was a bit less authentic. She answers Biden’s connection of McCain’s policies to George W. Bush:
“Oh say it ain’t so Joe. There you go again, pointing backwards again. I know you prefaced your whole comment with the Bush Administration. Now doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell the Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future.”
Why did it sound as though she stole not only from Ronald Reagan, but the movie “Fargo? Yah! You betcha!
I noticed a few of those moments from Palin throughout the debate. While Biden was playing it straight, Palin was hamming it up with the “folksy” style, winking at various people, and giving “shout-outs” to teachers in her family and some middle-school class. Really? In the middle of a Vice-Presidential debate? I didn’t see it as cute or endearing. I saw it as contrived and rehearsed. Quite frankly, it was beginning to get annoying.
Confidential to Ms. Palin: The top American Commander in Afghanistan is Gen. David McKiernan . . . McKiernan, not McClellan for whom the Army base down the road from where I live is named. I suppose it’s a little too late to clear that one up for you.
After seeing the debate, I watched the spin-people work their magic.
From CNN:
And from FoxNews. Notice that the sponsor is Budweiser. Hey, doesn’t Cindy McCain’s company distribute that brand? Probably just a coincidence:
After all of that spinning from the cable news spindoctors, I need a rest. Bleh!
