McCain's Conservative Base

(H/T Oliver Willis)

Must Reads

Gene Sperling: Fact Checking the Fact Checkers: The Washington Post Gets its Pinocchios Dead Wrong on Biden, Palin and Health Care

The Rude Pundit: Joe Biden Beats Up A Woman With Glasses

New York Times Op-Ed: Dick Cheney, Role Model

Carl Bernstein: What The Palin-Biden Debate Really Told Us

Matt Taibbi: Mad Dog Palin

I ♥ David Letterman

Palin "Annoyed" By Couric

Can you believe this whiny bitch? She imitates a moose in the headlights during the Katie Couric interview and then blames Couric for asking the wrong questions, and then claims Couric "missed some really important things" in order for Palin to rail on Obama.



Did you catch that? This is what she said:

"In those Katie Couric interviews, I did feel that there were lot of things that she was missing in terms of an opportunity to ask what a VP candidate stands for, what the values are represented in our ticket. I wanted to talk about Barack Obama increasing taxes, which would lead to killing jobs. I wanted to talk about his proposal to increase government spending by another trillion dollars. Some of his comments that he's made about the war, that I think may, in my world, disqualify someone from consideration as the next commander in chief. Some of the comments that he has made about Afghanistan -- what we are doing there, supposedly just air raiding villages and killing civilians. That's reckless. I want to talk about things like that. So I guess I have to apologize for being a bit annoyed, but that's also an indication of being outside the Washington elite, outside of the media elite also. I just wanted to talk to Americans without the filter and let them know what we stand for."

So what Palin "stands for" is talking points against Barack Obama. Seriously - because if she really wanted to talk about what she and her party stands for, this would have been a perfect opportunity to do so. Instead, the Thrilla from Wasilla™ figured she could get her punches in and spew her craptacular talking points on Fox News.

You know, like the reckless Obama statement that air raids in Afghanistan had killed innocent civilians. That didn't really happen, did it? Of course it did, Sarah. And if you'd read a newspaper once in a while, you'd know that.

Or maybe the increase in taxes that would "kill jobs." You mean the jobs, 759,000 of which we've lost since this January alone, after 7½ years of Bush's economic policies that McCain would continue, are those the jobs you're talking about?

But she was annoyed at Couric for asking her softball questions like what newspapers she reads, as if anyone gives a fuck that she's only read the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman her entire life, and only for its comic strip section. She was annoyed at Couric because other than Roe v. Wade, she froze when trying to think of another Supreme Court decision - including one that affected her entire fucking state. She was annoyed that Couric called her out on her Biden slight of him "making speeches while I was in LIKE 2nd grade" ageist joke and had to backtrack to make it seem she was complimenting his experience.

How does talking about Barack Obama figure in letting us know what Palin stands for or what the values are represented by her ticket?

She was annoyed... Well now you know how the rest of us feel about you, Sarah.

And The VP Debate Winner Is...

... obviously Joe Biden. Look at these stats:

CBS Poll for Uncommitted Voters -

Who won the debate? Biden 46% Palin 21% Tied 33%

Overall image -
Biden: Improved impression: 53% - Worse opinion:5% - No change - 42%
Palin: Improved impression: 55% - Worse opinion: 14% - No change - 30

Knowledgeable about important issues -
Palin: Before debate - 43% After debate - 66%
Biden: Before debate - 79% After debate - 98%

That being said, the conservative pundits are elated that Palin didn't fall off the stage, vomit on the podium or run off in tears and since the bar was set so low, some say low enough to have to dig a ditch to set it, nothing has changed. The Republicans will insist she won even though she didn't answer the questions asked of her, choosing instead to meander into answering questions she herself posed. If by chance she did happen to answer an actual question asked by the moderator, she got it wrong. And here is where she lost the debate:

Q: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?

PALIN: 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. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also.

So Ms. Hockey Mom didn't even know what the duties of the Vice President are as written under the Constitution and wants to expand those powers. She agrees with Cheney - MOTHERFUCKIN' 18% APPROVAL RATING DICK CHENEY! - when defining to which branch of government the VP office belongs. Is agreeing with Cheney the right answer? No. Here's the right answer, Mooselini:

BIDEN: 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.

BAM! KAPOW! THWAPP!! Everyone who's taken a high school history class knows that the separation of powers is a fundamental key of our Constitution. Everyone that is, except for Dick Cheney and Sarah Palin. Actually, Cheney probably knows but doesn't give a shit. So that leaves Palin.

And since when has it been acceptable to dismiss debate rules and announce that you're not going to answer the questions of the moderator and instead blurt out a list of memorized talking points?

PALIN: ...I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also.

If that's the point, why bother having the debate?

Is she stupid? No, of course not. Calculating. Manipulative. But not stupid. Is she out of her element? I'd have to say yes. There was nothing in that debate that made me think she would have known answers to some of those questions two weeks ago or nothing that gave me the confidence to trust her. And there was nothing that made me think twice that I may have initially misjudged her.

Best line of the night -

Biden: "So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 [health insurance] plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the 'Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere.'"


Worst line of the night - it's a tie (besides the Cheney thing).

Palin: "Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that's for sure. And it's not what our nation needs to be able to count on."

Palin: "Oh, yeah, it's so obvious I'm a Washington outsider. And someone just not used to the way you guys operate."

Palin: "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again pointing backwards again... Now doggone it, let's look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future."

Palin: "And how long have I been at this, like five weeks?"

Or you can go with any of the 'dart tootin's, 'gosh darnit's, 'Dagnabbit's, 'fiddlesticks', 'gee willikers', or 'confound it's Palin used; or the 847 times she used the word "also" to continue a run-on sentence.

I'm afraid to turn on my TV and watch Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan gush at her performance even though poll figures disagree with them. But I'm curious as to what the spin is in spite of the polls. So maybe I'll have more later unless it's too depressing to keep talking about it.



UPDATE I (9:35am): Thankfully, I missed Buchanan and Scar. Unfortunately, I caught Nancy Pfotenhauer spinning her plastic face off. But I did find this interesting.


CNN/Opinion Research: Biden 51 Palin 36
CBS: Biden 46 Palin 21
Fox: Biden 61 Palin 39


Those Fox numbers are down to 59% for Biden by 9:45am today. Here's a screenshot before Fox decides to take it down. (Click on image for full size.)



You can participate in the poll here. Scroll down to the bottom right to vote.

Also read: The Rude Pundit - What Biden Ought To Say (Rude Version)


UPDATE II (10:12am): What's with the fucking winking?!




UPDATE III (12:02pm): Here's FactCheck.Org's list on the VP debate last night.

Palin's Just Too Smart

Palin spokesperson Meg Stapleton was just on MSNBC explaining that the reason Palin couldn't offer up any newspapers or magazines that she reads is because having a degree in journalism herself, Palin was way ahead of Couric and was "thinking of the next question" for fear of getting caught in a "gotcha" moment. And we should know she's very well versed in all things political.

Nora O'Donnell then challenged Stapleton on why she couldn't name one SCOTUS decision that she disagreed with when she was already on record with her disappointment on the Exxon v. Baker decision... and she used the same excuse! She was thinking about the next question.

So in other words, Palin is so astute, she's so far ahead of her interviewer in anticipating future questions, she can't answer the present questions. Also, apparently Palin is wearing a bandage on her hand (looking for sympathy?) after falling while jogging in Sedona... sort of like falling off a bike.

Pre VP Debate Predctions

- Moderator Gwen Ifill will get an unsatisfactory answer from Palin, ask a follow up for more specifics, and it'll be spun as an attack on Palin and being in the tank for Obama.

- Joe Biden will be gaffe-free tonight.

- Palin will be fact-free tonight, choosing instead to attack Biden and Obama instead of articulating her ticket's policy issues.

- Most of Palin's answers will be verbose without saying anything (see Supreme Court decisions on which she's disagreed).

- Palin will not be heard from after November 4th.

I Used To Like Chuck Todd...

...when he was the unknown MNSBC numbers guy in front of the magic screen with all the pretty colors, especially if those colors were blue. Now, the numbers that he so loved to give us are not as believable when they are leaning Obama.

On the still craptacular Morning Joke™, Chuck Todd is seeing the trend in the polls lean to Obama including +9 in Virginia and said he didn't believe it. So when is it okay to believe the polls and when is it okay to dismiss them, Chuck? When you want to make it seem like the race is closer than it appears?

And Mika, Mika, Mika, what happened to you? Out of everyone, co-host and guest alike on these horrific morning panels, it seemed that you tried to be the voice of reason even though most of the time, you couldn't get a word in edgewise. And now we see you desperately trying to figure out a way for Sarah Palin to do well in tonight's vice presidential debate as if she were your sister, pulling for her to do well. You sit there with a forlorn look on your face as the bar is continually lowered so much on Palin, that even if she met expectations, she would still be destroyed.

And everyone on the panel is going along, figuring out ways Joe Biden can make the mother of all gaffes and Scarborough giving Palin advice that if she doesn't know the answer, she should just not answer the question, defer to McCain and that as VP "she should know her place." His words, "know her place." So his great plan, his awesome advice, is to sit there and not answer anything. Excellent advice, Joe. And there Mika sits, looking like she's about to cry and saying, "I hope she does well." So much for objective journalism.

After what we've seen in presumably softball interviews, with all the "hard" questions that were asked of Palin in her three interviews over the last 35 days since she's chosen by McCain and introduced to the nation, not being able to name a Supreme Court decision other than Roe v. Wade that she disagreed with, after expressing her disappointment in the Exxon Valdez payout but unable to recall it under pressure; not able to name one specific newspaper or magazine that she reads, with Palin's positive polls tanking the more the American people see her, how can anyone think that she might hit one out of the ballpark? And there the talking heads sit, thinking of ways to make it seem like what we are going to watch tonight is going to be close.

I can't wait to hear the spin tomorrow.

ADDING: What initally pissed me off about Todd was his claim that we're losing jobs but neither candidate has talked about jobs. Neither candidate has said the word "jobs." I guess Todd has too many numbers dancing around in his head to actually listen to Obama talk about "green jobs" created by manufaturing the cogs for alternative sources of energy in the U.S.

McDouchebag

Hybrid Trucks...

... are a complete waste of time. I just caught a Cadillac commercial touting their new Escalade Hybrid. Let me say that again: an ESCALADE HYBRID! Guess what the small print at the bottom of the screen said: Estimated MPG 12 City/19 Highway. The website touts 20 City/21 Highway. Well fuck, put me on the list or one of those!

Can someone tell me what the point of a luxury hybrid is? It's not about the affordability, because if you can afford an Escalade, then you probably can afford the gas. Environmentalists aren't going to run out and buy one just because it's a hybrid when then can get 2½ times the gas mileage with a Toyota or a Honda, are they?

So what is the point exactly? Is it because this way rich people can feel like they're doing their part? I hate to be cynical, but name me another reason.

Bill Clinton Stumping In Florida

Two quick points -

1 - He's on fire! and

2 - What the fuck took him so long?! It's 34 days before the election and he hasn't been out before today.

More later, hopefully with video.

UPDATE (3:25pm): No video yet, but here are a couple of quotes:

In his first major stump speech on behalf of Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton praised Obama's "good ideas" for the economy, energy independence, and healthcare.
"He's got a better philosophy, he's got better answers," Clinton told voters at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Between the proposals of Obama and Republican John McCain, "It's not a close question."
"He's got a better vice presidential partner," Clinton added.

UPDATE (6:45pm): This isn't the speech that I saw, but it's just as good.

OOPS!

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was just interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today show. Here was their first exchange:

Lauer: First of all, how is your father... your father? Yes, how is your father doing?

RFK, Jr.: My uncle?

Lauer: (with a look of horror on his face) Yes! Yes! I'm sorry, your uncle. How is your uncle doing?

Matt Lauer: Tool of Epic Proportions.

T Minus 111 Days

"I am here to make an announcement that this Tursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport."

- Washington, DC, October, 2001

Playing Gotcha Journalism?!

This is by far the most pathetic excuse for a presidential campaign I've ever witnessed in my short political lifetime, but judging by other more experienced pundits, it seems like they're in agreement. Trying to put out the brushfire that the Katie Couric interview started, Sarah Palin went back on to smooth over her initial answers, this time with Grampa Moses at her side.



Playing "gotcha journalism"? What the fuck is McCain talking about? So now, not only is it bad enough that Palin has been sequestered from the press and doesn't answer any questions, now she can't even answer a constituent's question "from across an area" regarding foreign policy, while meeting and greeting in a "pizza place." Next thing they'll claim is that Gwen Ifill will be playing "gotcha" by daring to ask questions during a goddamn debate!

McCain and Palin should just do us all a favor and go away. But I guess that'll happen in about 35 days.


UPDATE (7:50pm): Is this what we're to expect from Palin on Thursday? Joe Biden age jokes?



Age jokes from McThuselah's running mate? And the kicker is that when she's confronted on it, she doesn't play it off as a joke, she becomes just like every other Republican coward and tries to say she was implying that Biden is very experienced. Fuck you, Sarah. Go back to the shithole you came from.

It's A Girl!

Our bundle of joy, Sadie.

-777

Market down. Bill fails. Market tanks. House Republicans cry and blame Pelosi for their hurt feelings and their failure to get enough Republican votes. McCain takes credit for the passage of the bill before it passes, then blames Obama when his own party doesn't support him. Can a script like this be written in Hollywood and be accepted??



Note - Sorry for the light posting. We have a new member of the family. Her name is Sadie. Pictures will be posted soon.

T Minus 113 Days

"Border relations between Canada and Mexico have never been better."

- Press conference with Prime Minister of Canada, 2001