Is there anyone here willing to state that Palin as VP is proof positive of Peikoff's dire prediction of the coming US Theocracy?

And if so, are you still willing to cede leadership to Obama - someone who's guilty of equally idiotic religious liaisons?

Sigh!

Wouldn't it be refreshing if there was an objectivist political party? Still, qudos to the ARI for entering the heart of darkness at least. Maybe there their ideas might gain more leverage. I hope it happens soon. With political candidates like this anarchy is looking better all the time!

because I'm not sure what to make of Palin myself...

Just what sort of internal contradictions are you willing to accept in a Presidential or VP candidate?

I ask because some of the most venerated Presidents in US history were slave owners. John Adams signed off on the despicable Alien and Sedition Act and once successfully defended the British troops responsible for the 'Boston massacre.' In the context of his election he could have been literally accused of lending aid and comfort to America's mortal enemy.

You see in the absence of an Objectivist political party, just where does one draw the line? Palin's religion appears to be of a particularly exotically fruity variety, but she is only the VP after all.

Moreover, unlike Obama, she isn't attempting (as yet) to wriggle out of it. And, as far as I know, she & McCain have no plans (unlike Pelosi et al.) to reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine - an affront to free speech if ever I saw one.

'Tis a hard road finding the perfect candidate it seems...

Anyone voting for Ron Paul (snort!)

She's definitely a tough woman. 

Olivia, I don't think strength entirely wins the fight.

Agreed. But this conversation is in the context of the upcoming election where the candidates are pledging the stuff they're made of. It is yet to be seen what they will actually *do.* But someone like Sarah Palin gives me hope that right will be done.

See?  Powerfully.

edit.  Olivia, I don't think strength entirely wins the fight.  I can't think of a single Vice President more strong and intimidating than Quadruple-Bypass-Cheney, nor a Vice President with fewer American people that trust him to do the right thing.

WSS

We're not all in love with McPalin flinging back the Obiden horde.  Some of us just can't work up the energy to truly believe whoever is in the White House right now can change a damn thing with a bought Congress and sell-out governors to work against, and lack the energy to post much about it.  

So, yes, I cut my wrists whilst stating that I do, indeed, agree with your assessments.

Except for the snarking.  A girl as pretty as Olivia does not snark.  She pouts.  Powerfully, I assume.

I understand that Barack Obama is held to be just slightly more evil than Pol Pot or Jimmy Carter, and that the skies will fall and the earth will heave and seas will boil should he make the White House, but it doesn't mean that his opponents are all glorious filials of joy. Olivia's snark is hilarious for it's "all must praise the lordly righteous one" priggery.

It has nothing to do with all praising the Lord, William. And I haven't heard anybody saying that she's an all glorious filial of joy. Your unswerving dedication to hyperbole is nothing short of paedomorphic.

America needs strength in its leaders right now, you have the almost-nuclear- powered Eastern barbarians looking on waiting to strike and hoping like hell piss-weak demagogues such as Obama and Biden get to captain the ship of state.

Personally, my admiration for Sarah Palin stems from the fact that her and McCain look unpredictable to the likes of America's enemies. Tough-mindedness and the guts to kick butt are much needed virtues for the forthcoming election candidates... and they're only coming from one side. I prefer to rejoice in the face of virtue rather than smear it, but we've had this argument before....

By the way, I don't think anybody hates religion more than I do... it is a terrible plague on all our houses, and for me, a personal sting. But if it takes someone with those convictions to tackle the war on terror aggressively, they'll get my vote of confidence for trying to do what is right... because it is right.

The lovely and intelligent Olivia is angry or disappointed or something . . . with WSS.

Is it not good to know that Palin has a firm, unshakeable faith in Lord Jeebus, is implacably opposed to abortion in any situation short of death for the pregnant woman, is firmly opposed to (but prevented by a Supreme Court ruling from toying with) any law that provide same-sex couples the legal standing of any other legal coupling?

Is it important to know what she believes and what she stands for? I find it odd that some here (especially in the minority who call themselves Objectivists) are all tea-party cosy about the fell hand of religion -- except for Matty. The rest seem to presume that even though Palin talks like a crazed fundagelical wingnut in church, she can put her crazed fundagelical beliefs aside when and if she gets elected to national office.

Having said that, I admire her stellar aplomb, her poise, and her ability to play hardball politics (even in lowly Wasilla). When she ran for mayor one of her talking points was "It's time for a Christian Mayor" . . . when in office she attempted to fire the town librarian for not banning books Palin did not like. This is a tough, ambitious and determined woman, a gifted populist who read her community and state very well, and who was ruthless in mounting the onramp to power.

I understand that Barack Obama is held to be just slightly more evil than Pol Pot or Jimmy Carter, and that the skies will fall and the earth will heave and seas will boil should he make the White House, but it doesn't mean that his opponents are all glorious filials of joy. Olivia's snark is hilarious for it's "all must praise the lordly righteous one" priggery.

The Republicans are likely doomed to lose this presidency, regardless of the meaty bone Senor McCain has tossed to the fundagelicals.

WSS

that is so painfully typical of you to troll through to find the Achilles heel and then post for all to view. When you meet people of substance in real life, what do you do - stand there bending over and peering around them to scrutinize the back of their feet?

We get that the woman has religious convictions, but remember that throughout history, people have used the basis of those convictions to achieve great things too.

Do you ever celebrate the good in people? Ever?

I prefer the daughter's boyfriend! ...he is so yummy! ...(and has learnt a brutal life destroying lesson in the evils of both females and heterosexuality, silly boy)

On election day...tick the LIBERTARIANZ box...

DANG! He is so handsome!!!  

Urban S. Parks

Mainspring Comics

There are times when we have to put politics and partisan divide aside and come together as a people. With that in mind...

Lindsay, wouldn't you agree that Todd Palin is one big chunky piece of MAN?

Sullivan is not left wing. He does support Obama. It would be hard to explain this without writing his biography. Google him if you have any more questions.

Palin's speech is not yet up on Youtube, but here she is several months ago, addressing a graduating mission at her then church, the Wasilla Assembly of God. She asked for prayers to help build a gas pipeline, and let the congregation know that US soldiers in Iraq are "out on a task that is from God."

Palin makes no bones about the task, and the responsibilities of the faithful: "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

Of interest is her pastor. Not a Jeremiah Wright kind of guy. No, he is a believer in a War Jesus, according to this story from the Ur-Liberal Huffington Post.

What you see in a terrorist -- that's called the invisible enemy. There has always been an invisible enemy. What you see in Iraq, basically, is a manifestation of what's going on in this unseen world called the spirit world. ... We need to think like Jesus thinks. We are in a time and a season of war, and we need to think like that. We need to develop that instinct. We need to develop as believers the instinct that we are at war, and that war is contending for your faith. ... Jesus called us to die. You're worried about getting hurt? He's called us to die. Listen, you know we can't even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. ... I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say "war mode." Now you say, wait a minute Ed, he's like the good shepherd, he's loving all the time and he's kind all the time. Oh yes he is -- but I also believe that he had a part of his thoughts that knew that he was in a war.

WSS

great speech, real ease in delivery. Lots of sharp lines.

"The oval office is not a place to continue your journey of personal discovery"

Glenn, of course McCain especially has ESP. Learnt it in Hanoi, or so his spirit voice tells me.

You got a thing against abbreviations, haven't u?

This woman is magnificent! Knocked 'em out of the park all right. She came, she spoke, she KASSed!! Boy, I'm beginning to think there's hope the vile Obama may not triumph after all.

I was ready to dislike Sarah Palin on the basis of the religious nonsense...but man she's knocking out of the park with this speech. I'm not ready to endorse her but I definitely like her so far.

Rasmussen has Palin with a 52% favourable rating vs 36% unfavourable in polling [yesterday]....and yes I quite realise the numbers are meaningless until after the convention, but it is a good trend.

36% is considerably less than the 'partisan' Democrats and 52% considerably higher than the partisan Republicans...so she has a level of appeal to many Democrats, and also independent voters (much more than Joe Biden) despite them never having heard of her 5 days ago.

On election day...tick the LIBERTARIANZ box...

As for abortion Palin wasn't even able to stop her own states supreme
court from throwing out a sensible Alaskan 1997 law that required
underage girl to get parental consent before getting an abortion. So
there's no chance of her banning it nationally.

My American friends tell me that if the McCain and Palin get in, they can seed the Supreme Court (several members of whom are elderly, and thus due for replacement) with conservative, pro-life judges.  They could then overturn Roe vs Wade and do various other conservative, anti-freedom things.  That's the argument, anyway.

The Supreme Court has historically been balanced between liberal and conservative judges, but one or two more conservative judge and we could see some lamentable decisions coming from them.

I'm just watching Meg doing a warm-up speech for Sarah Palin who's about to speak at the RNC. Terrific! "John McCain knows that what is needed is not more federal government but more self-government." No God bullshit either!

 Christ Matty you have taken that left wing clown you reads propaganda to heart.

Palin has run a commercial fishing operation a town and a state while Obama has run...

Oh that's right community projects and he's at the top of the ticket were as Palin only running for VP.

As for abortion Palin wasn't even able to stop her own states supreme court from throwing out a sensible Alaskan 1997 law that required underage girl to get parental consent before getting an abortion. So there's no chance of her banning it nationally.

"We reserve the right to live"

Benjamin Netanyahu former prime minister of Isreal

 "...even though JFK hated LBJ.."

I do not really think that is true, Robert...it was Kennedy's entourage who hated Johnson, but I think JFK himself was in a situation where he viewed LBJ as a 'colleague' whom he worked well with in the Senate but did not know particularly well.

As President JFK was well aware of how unhappy Johnson was and tried to make allowances for that, and was also embarrassed and apologetic at the way many Kennedy people treated Johnson...something which did not come from JFK.

On election day...tick the LIBERTARIANZ box...

His political stance doesn't make him universally attractive to Republicans and independents.

But pandering to sub-sections of the electorate is what happens. JFK picked LBJ to pander to the South, even though JFK hated LBJ. Ronald Reagan wasn't Bush Snr's twin either. Likewise Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Hell, Obama's platform of change isn't exactly congruous with his choosing the quintessential Washington insider as a running mate.

That is the way the 'game' is played. The fact that it has become a game is the problem.

And fear not Matty; even if Roe v Wade is overturned at the Federal level, State governments can still make their own rules.

But beware of Obama's stance on abortion. Apparently his plan is to remove all federal laws preventing government funded abortions... Yep, that's right: tax-payer funded abortions!

I'm pro choice, but I'm anti paying for the bloody choice unless I'm the father!

The senate is Gridlocked too so it miht be hard to get an anti abortion rights judge approved. McCain supports repealing Roe V Wade too though. Palin's pick just shows how seriously he might take courting the evangelicals.

to become number one and start picking new SC judges both McCain and at least one of the current judges must leave office within the next four years...

Palin may or may not be a heart-beat away from being President, but the safe-guards built into the American system will not dissolve any faster if John McCain dies in office.

Hasn't been mentioned here yet I don't think but the US Supreme Court is in a virtual gridlock at the moment as far as Roe V Wade is concerned. Palin's religious views do inform her politics, not just her personal life. From all I've read she's staunchly pro-life...As is McCain although perhaps less sincerely, that's something I'd need to look in to.

Something to consider.

Robert wrote: "The difference between us Matt is that I couldn't give a rat's arse
about someone's religious beliefs provided that (as Jefferson said)
they neither break my leg nor pick my pocket"

No, that's not a difference between you and I. I (unlike many here, I imagine) totally agree with that statement. Can you point me towards something I wrote which made you think I do not?

I'm an agnostic, I'm friends with Christians and I don't dismiss anyone because of their religion...Andrew Sullivan is a Catholic for instance and I read his blog daily. 

I hope you're not suggesting that in his dotage he's starting to make calls based on his psychic abilities, Sam.

Yes, brilliant move by McCain. He's catalysed the Repubs, and left the Dems gobsmacked & demoralised just when "the moment" was meant to be theirs. It's risky, but really low risk. Plugs into the American historical soul which is a maverick action one, compared to the long-winded, umming & arring, euro-Obama diplomatic waffle-speak. Sends a message to rest of world that a McCain presidency could be rather unpredictable. That's a good message right now. McCain is expressing himself. Even better if he decided on her in 15 mins. I mean, who needs longer than that? Esp at 72.

...good and bad, is killing off Obama's oxygen if you ask me.

Obama needs media attention in order to survive.

The Washington Post article confirms that McCain had his first and only interview with Palin just before announcing her as his running mate, Bosch. (Although they did have a phone conversation earlier in the week) 

The substance of the Post report is that Palin had long been in the picture. Why? Because he had met her for 15 minutes back in February and was impressed. Give me a break.

If McCain had been serious about her for some months then surely he would have met with her a number of times. If she was being seriously considered since February then why was the whole vetting/interview process so late? Even McCain’s advisers, while talking about the depth of the vetting process, won't talk about the actual timeline- a sure indication that the background checks were last minute.

‘McCain's advisers conducted interviews with a number of the prospective choices, but McCain did not. Most he knew well enough to have a sense of their personalities, policy positions and character.’ Washington Post

Well, clearly he didn’t know Palin very well. Nor does he seem to have made the effort to do so.

It just strikes me as odd and a little scary that someone running for the Presidency has been procrastinating so. I just can't see any inspiration or resolve here from McCain. That doesn't mean Palin wont be inspirational though.

"The ultimate result of shielding men from folly is to fill the world with fools."

-Herbert Spencer 

I long for the day when, for the most part, the president is irrelevant to my daily life. And then I won't really care whether the Prez (as Jefferson did) likes to meet foreign dignitaries in his dressing gown or (like Winston Churchill once did) in the bath...

...but she IS pretty and feminine and still a strong lady. I think it's a Great message. Women in politics until now have been kind of masculine (Janet Reno, Michelle WNBAma, Hilary Clinton). We have to hook her up at Barneys though!!!!!!! What NOT to Wear's Clinton and Stacey should get on that!

Urban S. Parks

Mainspring Comics

I'm just pissed at how easily people get distracted from the real issue. In November, Americans will seed the authority to make laws to another President and his retinue.

Unfortunately, the vetting process (in the MSM and large portions of the web) seems to have devolved into a wet T-shirt contest as opposed to a thorough interview for the position of the world's most powerful head of State.

Besides, I'm not running short of that which her daughter is 'putting out.' Also, the girl is an infant and her mother is married with nearly a half-dozen rug-rats. So I'm quadruply disinterested in the effect her 'sexual health' will have on her ability to be VP.

In other words, I'm more interested in her mind and her spirit. I've no interest in her body. Quite frankly I'm heartily fucking sick of hearing about how cute Obama & his brood are. Do we really need more of the same useless white noise about Palin?

The left are pro choice are they not? Well both women made a choice.

As for the BS about Palin allegedly taking responsibility for the baby. Ever heard of adoption? Or are you saying that the only true adoptions are those approved by the bureaucrats?

Because in my parent's generation, it wasn't unknown for the extended family to take in the orphans of dead adult family members, without (gasp) asking the 9th floor of the Beehive or the 4th Estate for permission. And even in this generation, well healed members of the family are permitted to make financial provision for cousins, nieces and nephews?

And given the fact that no one objects to this, how is Palin's (now utterly discredited) act of psuedo-motherhood immoral?

This is the subtle message given inadvertently by the left here when they criticize Palin for being a bad mother and for keeping the child: The Palin(s) can't be trusted to make a choice, the licensed officials should have had the final say. Which is to say that the State/society/the village should have the final say.

Those ladies made their choices. If a woman's right to choose is to mean anything, it must mean that she has the right to continue the pregnancy as well as the right to abort. And in continuing this criticism, the Left and their supporters are letting their Statist undergarments show.

As for abstinence, it is a scientific fact that you can't get pregnant if you abstain from sex or in vitro fertilization. The issue is whether it should be part of a tax-payer funded campaign of birth control. And the words you should take issue with there are tax-payer funded.

The difference between us Matt is that I couldn't give a rat's arse about someone's religious beliefs provided that (as Jefferson said) they neither break my leg nor pick my pocket.

Provided that Palin restricts her actions to preaching religious dogmas (as opposed to funding them out of my wallet as Bush did with his faith-based initiatives), I've got no problem with the fact that she goes to church every Sunday.

You see a lot of very smart, very capable people believe in God. I do not. But I think it is a mistake to equate devout belief in god with a low IQ. Humans are capable of holding contradictory premises and still conducting themselves with distinction.

My best example here is Winston Churchill. Go back and read some of the god-awful, utterly despicable things he wrote, stated and agitated for in the period between WWI and his realization that that Adolf Hitler was a psychopath. Churchill's moral and historical redemption only came after that awakening when he thereafter began advocating the destruction of both Hitler and his Nazi party and the necessity of never surrendering to them.

Churchill can be rightly accused of being someone who wrote and spoke the wrong thing before finally doing the right thing.

My point is that you need to Fisk Palin on actual issues - as George Reisman has done if you want the true measure of her potential worth as a VP.

Before the waters get too dirty here with rumors and flat out lies regarding how McCain picked Palin, here's a thorough take on that from the Washington Post. It opens with:

'Their first encounter was last February at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. Sarah Palin was one of several governors who met privately with Sen. John McCain, by then well on his way to capturing the Republican presidential nomination, and her directness and knowledge were impressive.

Later that day, at a largely social gathering organized by his campaign, McCain spent 15 minutes in private conversation with the first-term Alaska governor. "I remember him talking about her when he came back," a McCain adviser said. "He said she was an impressive woman. He liked her."

But few people outside McCain's inner circle were privy to just how much of an impression Palin had made that day...'

The rest is here...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/30/AR200808...

http://fawstin.blogspot.com/

So, she's 5 months pregnant and marrying the father? It's her CHOICE. Besides.....what were YOU doing when you were 17? A lot of us are just VERY lucky that we haven't had to make those difficult CHOICES. 

Redistribution of wealth is disgusting (especially when one is NOT wealthy), but less redistribution is better than more *sigh*. 

All you Haters, what would you do? NOT vote? Vote for Jo'Bama? Seriously here, we have no other option......

Urban S. Parks

Mainspring Comics

From The Times
September 2, 2008

Democrats search for evidence of Sarah Palin's inexperience

Tim Reid in St Paul

"Mr Daschle, like surrogates for Mr Obama on Sunday, also questioned her scepticism about global warming."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections...

"On the political talk shows, Democratic surrogates for Mr Obama fanned out to decry Mrs Palin’s lack of experience and her staunch conservatism. She is pro-life, a global warming sceptic and favours drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, something even Mr McCain opposes.

Mr Kerry described her as a member of the “flat Earth caucus”, a “Cheneyesque social conservative” chosen to satisfy the Republican base. “John McCain is a prisoner of the right wing, not a maverick,” Mr Kerry said."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections...

The Alaskan Thatcher

SIR – After seeing Governor Sarah Palin accept the Republican nomination for vice-president in a powerful speech, I was struck that she has the potential to become the most successful woman politician since Margaret Thatcher.

Alec Yates, Colyford, Devon

SIR – Why the controversy over Mrs Palin’s selection as Republican running-mate for the presidential election? Surely, enlisting someone with experience of running an administration 100 miles from Russia makes sense in these difficult times.

Richard van Dulken, Earls Colne, Essex

SIR – Your leading article and Simon Heffer’s column are right to raise questions about Barack Obama’s capacity and intentions (August 30). But did Roosevelt or Kennedy really come over as more specific in their campaigning days, before they were elected? We tend to back-date our memories, as though they had foretold what they were going to do, when they did nothing of the sort.

James R.J. Lewis, Wembley, Middlesex

SIR – Speculation continues on Mr Obama becoming the “first black president”. Given his mixed-race parentage, should we, by the same analysis, celebrate Winston Churchill as the greatest American prime minister of Britain?

Charles Spicer, London, W8

Thriving polar bears

SIR – If polar bears are dying because of “global warming” (report, August 30), how did they survive the extended period of warmer-than-present conditions in the Arctic about 5,000 to 7,000 years ago? The governor of Alaska is one of a number of informed people to point out that the polar bear population is thriving. There is nothing unusual about bears swimming in open water, nor any reason to ascribe weather as being the driving motive for bears swimming anywhere.

Trevor Holcroft, Wallingford, Oxfordshire

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/09/01/no...

'With time running out — and as McCain discarded two safer choices, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, as too predictable — he turned to Palin. He had his first face-to-face interview with her on Thursday and offered her the job moments later.

"They didn't seriously consider her until four or five days from the time she was picked, before she was asked, maybe the Thursday or Friday before," said a Republican close to the campaign. "This was really kind of rushed at the end, because John didn't get what he wanted. He wanted to do Joe or Ridge."' International Herald Tribune

 Well if that is true the decision is more about McCain than Palin isn't it? He barely knows her, but picks her anyway? Doesn't sound like he had a moment of inspiration, more one of desperation.

"The ultimate result of shielding men from folly is to fill the world with fools."

-Herbert Spencer 

Robert, you need to calm down.:P  I don't give three flying flips if this silly bitch or any other silly bitch gets elected.  I'm just glad her daughter puts out, per the previous statement on her tight-assed-ness. wooo

For the record I agree with Robert. I don't give a shit about Palin's daughter being pregnant. I don't think it's any of my business really. There are perhaps debates to be had about whether this underlines the fallacy of abstinence only programs but I think we should just avoid using this as a spark for such a debate. It's not her fault that her mother has retarded political positions, why drag her in to it?

Would have been different if the initial sensational rumors about Trig being the daughters baby were true, they have willingly made the baby a center point of Palin's character so they would deserve to be called out on such a thing wouldn't you agree? It's virtually (if not literally) impossible though for the girl to have had that baby and be five months pregnant now so Sullivan's call to make the medical records public in order to definitively shoot down those rumors seems excessive. I do however think that's why he wants them released, to categorically end speculation. Isn't it pretty much standard protocol for someone running for one of the highest offices in the land to release their medical records? It doesn't really strike me as invasive, just a little redundant given what we know now.

I CERTAINLY wouldn't compare Sullivans call for the medical records release to exposing a journalists private sex life for no other reason than to humiliate him in the hopes of ruining his career. Don't suppose you took the time to read the whole article linked on that page did you Bosch?

Excerpts:

“Here is a short blurb from an email sent me recently: "Everyone knows what a hypocrite you are, from your sexual behavior - care to talk about your pronouncements about barebacking, you fucking liar? This also applies to your pronouncements about your supposedly getting HIV from oral sex. You are a fucking joke of the highest order. And I think it's time that some newspaper took you to task for your lies." From a crank? No, this email was sent to me by the editor of Bay Windows, Boston's leading gay paper. Michelangelo Signorile, the author of this week's cover-story on me in a New
York gay paper, LGNY, sent me an instant message two weeks ago, telling me that I should think twice before I "attack gay people" again if I wanted my private life to remain private. I think a fair assessment of these tactics would be blackmail and intimidation.”

“It is true that I had an AOL screenname/profile for meeting other gay men. It is true that I posted an ad some time ago on a site for other gay men devoted to unprotected sex. Both personal ads were anonymous; both were designed to find and possibly meet other gay men who are HIV-positive. The motive for doing so was simple. For a few years now, I have tried to date and have sex only with other men who are HIV-positive. I am scared of infecting HIV-negative men; and I believe that sticking to men who are HIV-positive is one step I can take to avoid contributing to this epidemic. I have never hidden this fact; indeed, as Signorile was forced to concede, I have even written about it in my last book, where I describe the relief of finally having real sex with an old friend who was also HIV-positive. Hypocrisy? When I have written about it in a publicly available book, published five years ago? Has any other openly gay man actually written about their own unprotected sex so explicitly? The hypocrisy charge, as even Signorile concedes, is ludicrous.”

Just as the hypocrisy charge in relation to the privacy issue is.

Thanks for giving me something to do while waiting for my root canal appointment Bosch.

Speaking of MYOB, here's what Matty's hypocritical Andrew Sullivan is up to on the privacy front:

http://patterico.com/2008/09/01/sullivan-on-privacy/

http://fawstin.blogspot.com/

MYOB.

Yes, I'm aware that this woman is standing on a platform of christian family values, but so f...ing what if her daughter is 5 months pregnant?

Please, let us not ape the Daily Kos and the other moonbats and indulge in Palin derangement syndrome.

You don't like the lass because she is a christian. OK, I Got that. Do we really need to comment on her daughter? Does anyone, other than her husband, have a right to comment on her choice to bring a Down's syndrome child into the world?

The kid(s) aren't being raised on welfare - that in and of itself is laudable I'd have thought.

At least one of the Palin women puts out.  Her 17-year old unwed daughter is knocked up.

What difference would it make?...Tight ass evangelicals.

Got her phone number, Matty?

It had chicken in it. Not a fan of that tuna stuffed in rice and seaweed crap.

Oh yeah and by the way: Fuck Sarah Palin. 

... that's why I cook the shit out of raw fish. On two occasions Sushi nearly killed me with some freakin' alien bacteria. I don't care what the nips say: it's just not civilised.

I stopped eating it in 1995, so I'm not sure how to explain the present day dizzy-bitchness.

... is an atrocity. It makes bitches dizzy. I understand everything now.

Matty: it's ongoing. Kasper: no hyphen in unconstitutional.

Nothing wrong with sushi, by the way. I love mine pan seared and poached in a nice lemon butter sauce. Or is that pan-seared?

Cask wine!!!!!! Well if that is not un-constitutional it should be......
kkulak

I'm quite happy with my blog roll thanks Bosch.

Linz, I can never annoy you enough so on top of my on going spelling errors I'd like to let you know I'm having sushi for dinner right now...with a glass of cask wine! Oh I can practically hear the indignant spluttering from here!

Of coarse it will, Linz.  You don't have to be course about it. geez.

... is that Mr Sullivan knows "coarse" from "course" and that it rubs off.

Please see Marcus and Bosch for a list of acceptable reading material, immediately.

Sheesh.

"The ultimate result of shielding men from folly is to fill the world with fools."

-Herbert Spencer 

Matty wrote: 'The great thing about his [Andrew Sullivan's] blog is you can actually read him slowly changing his mind over the coarse of a day.'

Matty, I suggest you wean yourself from your daily trips through Sullivan's mental slush before you continue writing things like the above.

http://fawstin.blogspot.com/

Nice thoughtful post as always. You conclude:

I agree with Linz re the American Airhead to the extent of politics in America. Don't make too much of this, Linz, because America is not wholly comprised of Paris Hiltons and Oprahs, regardless of their press coverage. This is especially true of those working in professions here, which is easy for outsiders to dismiss. But there is a definite failure of understanding the proper fundamentals of government, and the morality that supports them.

I appreciate that America is not comprised solely of Oprahs and Parises, but I submit that such types now define America. The Culture of Cool = Airhead America. Obama is your ultimate icon for airheads. That doesn't mean he's an airhead, or lacking in substance: he's bright, and has substance: statist substance. As a statist with airhead appeal, he'll win. The only way to make America safe short of the philosophical revolution we all know is necessary is to raise the voting age to 50. Young SOLOists excepted of course.

example

From what I can gather Palin has barely glanced at these issues. It's not going to look good. 

I disagree with Sullivan all over the place but I agree with him 100 percent on this, hence the quoting him. I never accuse you of letting the daily telegraph think for you on your Global Warming threads so why don't you shut your gob?

I've made my own arguments for why Palin is a god awful pick and I stand by them.

...you have Andrew Sullivan to tell you what to think. He can think through these issues for you. Where would you be without him?

...Matty, or the ill iterate kind?  Some people are more easily satisfied than others.

I read him daily, I know he's an Obama supporter.

You can't however accuse him of not being a thinker. The great thing about his blog is you can actually read him slowly changing his mind over the coarse of a day. Palin is a good example, he starts out being mixed about her, then liking her then finally just being furious over the decision as he reads more.

He's been pretty fair on McCain and he's right to be pissed about this, it's an atrocious decision. You don't have to support Obama to observe that much.

EDIT: I might also note that he didn't write the polling stats. Just quoting them. 

...Andrew Sullivan is a supporter of Obama?

He's been attacking Obama's opponents for months already!

Early polling should scare McCains Camp:

"The headlines
are about the broad polling reaction to Palin. But the most fascinating
part of the first Rasmussen poll on the matter is how those who are
currently undecided in the election feel. They, after all,
are the votes both campaigns are trying to win over with their veep
picks. The key data is in the cross-tabs, which have been missed in
some of the coverage so far.

On the critical question, "With Palin As Vice-Presidential Nominee,
Are You More Or Less Likely To Vote For McCain," there's a striking
result. Among those already for McCain, 68 percent say it makes them
more likely to vote for him; only 6 percent say less; and 23 percent
said no impact. Among those already for Obama, Palin made only 9
percent of them more likely to switch to McCain, 59 percent less
likely, and 30 percent said it would make no difference.

But among the critical undecideds, the Palin pick made only 6 percent more likely to vote for McCain; and it made 31 percent less likely to vote for him. 49 percent said it would have no impact, and 15 percent remained unsure. More to the point: among undecideds, 59 percent
said Palin was unready to be president. Only 6 percent said she was. If
the first criterion for any job is whether you're ready for it, this is
a pretty major indictment of the first act of McCain's presidential
leadership.

One other striking finding. If McCain thought he could present Palin
as a moderate, he was wrong. A whopping 69 percent view her as
conservative (37 percent as very conservative), and only 13 percent see her as moderate.

From this first snap-shot (and unsettled) impression, Palin has
helped McCain among Republicans, left Democrats unfazed, but moved the
undecideds against him quite sharply. I totally understand why."

"and snaffling some of those disenfranchised ladies in the Hillary camp."

You Really think the Hillary voters will fall for this? "Fuck all of her political views, she's got a VAGINA!!!!"

This is obviously McCain's thinking, He's being a jackass. It's just not going to pan out that way.

As I said all the Obama campaign needs to do is just not attack her for the experience thing. It's a moot point now, McCain can't push it too hard.

And her lack of experience will shine through more than Obama's on the campaign trail. She admittedly hadn't even thought much about foreign policy until late last year. Obama has at least showed a keen interest in the subject, and now seems to have enough knowledge to answer a foreign policy question articulately enough to satisfy a lamen.

But she's not even going to debate Obama, she'll be debating Joe Biden, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. So long as he doesn't come off like a bully she'll be left for dead after that performance. She simply doesn't have the background to handle this campaign. On top of all this she's got a history of putting her foot in her mouth, I've got a feeling it's going to be a game of count the gaffes over the next few months.

So her nomination takes media attention away from Obama's speech? A speech that more Americans watched live than the opening ceremony of the Olympics anyway? Big deal. One week victory. Palin is a long term disaster. If you don't get that you're either delusional or just need to read a little more about her.

Excellent point: this is a gambit to expose Obama's inexperience, while outflanking Obama's race card, whitewashing his King-a-ling speech, and snaffling some of those disenfranchised ladies in the Hillary camp.

Personally I think he should have gone with Condi and soaked up the negro-American votes as well ~ but I imagine this was off the cards because of her Bush baggage.

Never mistake contempt for compassion, or power lust for ambition.

http://www.myspace.com/wickedlakes

She is under investigation for her reasons behind replacing the head of the state troopers.

She has been accused of "firing" him because he refused to fire her ex-brother in-law who had a messy divorce with her sister. Before she was governor she laid a complaint against her ex-brother in law requesting he be removed from the force for a list of offences including illegal hunting and shooting a relatives kid with a taser gun. He was found guilty of these two offences and given a fine and five days suspension.

She claims that she replaced the head of the state troopers because she thought someone else would do a better job saying it had nothing to do with ex-brother in law thing. As governer is within in her mandate to so so. When the controversy come up she requested an investigation on her self.

Personally I don't care either way, her ex-brother in-law looks like he should have been fired of course the Dem's are gonna try and make a big deal of it.

Politically its a brilliant choice its simultaneously appealed to woman voters and brought conservatives who were considering making protest votes for Bob Barr back on board.

"We reserve the right to live"

Benjamin Netanyahu former prime minister of Isreal

Does she have any faults?

I have to disagree with Matty, here. Watching the cable news shows, the attack on her experience brings into greater focus Obama's lack of experience.

Observe that each time they attack her experience, the rebuttal (from a Repub) is a comparison and analysis with Obama's experience. While before the attack on Obama's experience was vague and floating, now it brings greater attention and focus to the actual extent of Obama's political career (i.e. What were his political positions? How many years of experience does he have? etc.). Now it is easier to see that his political career is comprised wholly of the campaign trail--and that's it. Considering Obama is at the top of the ticket, it makes McCain appear like an old veteran in comparison.

The timing of this pick was very shrewd. The liberal pundits praising Obama's speech as "one of the 3 greatest of the century" and stories about Oprah crying her eyelashes off are buried. There is a huge buzz and elation among conservatives and independents, which has absolutely dominated the internet and airwaves. It is dominating the shows on the liberal news networks. The timing of this pick completely took the wind out of the sails of Obama's speech, which should have been titled "A Chicken in Every Pot".

That being said, this pick highlights my problem with this election--i.e. it was a great pick for modern politics. Much will be made of the fact she is a woman and a host of concrete policies have been put forth. But where is the political philosophy? Where is the discussion of the fundamentals of government?

This is keeping in line with McCain who, in my mind, seems to have some amorphous blob of concrete policies he considers "reform" and "maverick" with no underlying ties to a cogent political philosophy. Hence, the platitudes about "change" and "building bridges" and "reaching across the aisle" and "reform" etc. etc. HOW are things going to change? In WHAT direction and according to WHAT principles? WHAT is the nature of the reform?

Obama is worse. He does not even discuss substantive policies, but makes lavish promises buried under meaningless rhetoric and platitudes--with absolutely no mention of how he plans to fulfill those promises. His running mate is such an unoriginal liberal hack that he has to plaigarize the speeches of a British liberal hack without ideas.

One of the greatest ironies, perhaps, is that the Framers represented an unprecedented and enligtened break with the history of all the political philosophies that went before, yet Americans remain ignorant of political philosophy. This election seems to underscore and bring home that point.

Forget James Madison, he is a fantasy by today's standards. Even Coolidge or Dem Grover Cleveland. I would have like to have seen at least one candidate who could inject a decent amount of cogent and consistent political philosophy into the election, even if McCain got trounced. That would do a hell of a lot more to change the political landscape than winning the election (a la Goldwater's defeat).

I agree with Linz re the American Airhead to the extent of politics in America. Don't make too much of this, Linz, because America is not wholly comprised of Paris Hiltons and Oprahs, regardless of their press coverage. This is especially true of those working in professions here, which is easy for outsiders to dismiss. But there is a definite failure of understanding the proper fundamentals of government, and the morality that supports them.

for plastic surgery to fix the voice ..?

... with this nominee is her nasal voice. She'll have to be shot.

hahaha. No offense to Olivia..... but perhaps not in my case...

If it were up to me.
But her pro- life stance worries me. This entire election is frightening at times, and at others they seem as harmless as jellyfish invading the shore.
Anyway I am back from carousing around the caribbean and eluding hurricanes.
Watch out.

She would be the 1st VPILF

She certainly is a MILF then.....

Here's why you guys should not