All well and good, but the argument doesn't fly with Obama as nominee.
The self-delusion of Democrats on the question of Obama's readiness to be President (in the eyes of voters) is not going to change the reality, which is that experience is not the area Obama should be staking out a fight in.
jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a Governor...just saying...
Posted by phidipides at September 6, 2008 11:49 AMbullchips MarkL - the Economist is a conservative magazine. For them to point this out is powerful stuff and your attempt to somehow tie this to Obma is laughable.
Thanks for highlighting this,Turkana. And yes, it is about McCain.
Posted by the young Judith (tyj) at September 6, 2008 11:51 AMBe very, very afraid of Palin. Be very afraid of the backlash if you criticize her as if she were just another candidate for political office. She is untouchable. Of course, that fearful avoidance of facing conservative attacks head-on is what leads to Democrats losing elections and voters buying the mantra that Democrats are weak, fearful, and don't stand for anything. Oh, and be very afraid of criticizing Saint McCain too. He was a P.O.W.
Posted by DeanOR at September 6, 2008 12:35 PMAh Phid, you seem to like the Bible a lot. Try Romans chapter 13 verses 1 through 6, read the rest it's all good.
MarkL has it right, experience isn't Barry Obama's best suit.
Posted by peter at September 6, 2008 12:41 PM(paste in the obligatory three paragraph preface about what a great guy and hero McCain is and what a great Mom and heroine Palin is).
I was supporting Clinton in the primary. She criticized Obama on the experience factor, but the issue with Palin isn't just political experience, it's KNOWLEDGE. I have no doubts about Obama's knowledge and insight on the issues., but how much does Palin know about international affairs, how much has she thought about any issues other than abortion, gun lobby rhetoric, and religious right creationist dogma? If she is so lacking in knowledge and comprehension of national and international issues that she has to be quarantined and coached before being allowed out in public without a script, how responsible was it for McCain to select her?
(omit the obligatory three paragraph preface about what a great guy and hero McCain is and what a great Mom and heroine Palin is). I'm not gonna repeat the standard bullshit.
"...how much does Palin know about international affairs..."
Zip, zero, nada.
"how much has she thought about any issues other than abortion, gun lobby rhetoric, and religious right creationist dogma?"
Good point, but wasn't it adorable the way she managed to memorize (and badly mispronounce) a list of foreign-policy-sounding items about places she has mostly never heard of and certainly could not locate on a map just in time for her "speech of a lifetime"? Made me just want to pinch her little cheeks and pat her on the head. WHAT a clever girl you are to memorize all that in such a short time!
Posted by Shirin at September 6, 2008 01:49 PMAh, feminism rears it's ugly head again...
"Pat the dear girl on her head, pinch the girl's cheeks. WHAT a clever girl you are to memorize all that in such a short time!"
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows Barack Obama attracting 46% of the vote while McCain earns 45%. When “leaners” are included, it’s Obama 49%, McCain 46%. …
As McCain has begun to chip away as Obama’s convention bounce, most of his gains have come among women voters. Obama still leads 51% to 44% among women, but that seven-point edge is just half the fourteen point lead he enjoyed last Tuesday. McCain leads by three among men, little changed in recent days.
Anyhow, she's a quick study. The world is already wishing they had someone like her in many of their countries. I know the English do right now.
Posted by peter at September 6, 2008 02:02 PMThe Economist points out that while the Republican base is enthralled, Palin is neither the reformer she claims to be, nor of political benefit to McCain with critical swing voters. . . The Economist also points to the absurdly cursory vetting process by which McCain apparently decided to pick Palin, compares it to the incalculably more serious approach Barack Obama took to selecting the clearly qualified Joe Biden, and concludes by ominously noting, yet again, that the Republican Party itself continues to be held hostage by religious extremists, who apparently vetoed McCain's preferred running mate selections, Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge.
The Economist just misses the days of congac and country clubs, and despises the health and wealth theologians that now run the Party.
Nuevau Riche . .
Posted by idiosynchronic at September 6, 2008 02:23 PMI hope someone tells Caribou Barbi that Hillary is on the trail next week. Keep hiding, Sarah. You're about to get your clock cleaned. You only thought you were newsworthy.
Posted by phidipides at September 6, 2008 02:27 PM'peter'? oh dear, so you want some kind of NIN Year Zero regime in say 10 years or so?
Firstly we BRITISH don't really want any part in some fantastical Theocracy of Gilead actually, well why would we being extremely secular and more progressive, and, and! that's just our Tories ha-ha!
But you do? you don't mind pushing the button for future fascism, great! but when you get that state of Gilead, Sarah's chums so want, your day will come when 'they' come for you and your chums...
oops where is there to hide from the Bureau Of Morality!
Go Obama!
Posted by capital_I at September 6, 2008 02:56 PMSarah Palin's appeal is to the same wing nut fringe that rallied about Terri Shivo. These are the "Terri" republicans and if memory serves, the American public recoiled in horror from that display.
Posted by nlacey at September 6, 2008 03:01 PMGlad to see you coming around to praising Hillary, phid.
Posted by Mary at September 6, 2008 03:23 PMThe Economist is a Brit periodical so my guess is they dont miss the days of cognac at all but indulge rather regularly. :-)
I like their book review section - Picked up a great book on Voltaire because of them.
Posted by the young Judith (tyj) at September 6, 2008 03:36 PMphi phi - the barbie reference makes you look like a dick. But maybe you like that?
Posted by the young Judith (tyj) at September 6, 2008 03:37 PMGlad to see you coming around to praising Hillary, phid.
Thanks. She's always been competent.
phi phi - the barbie reference makes you look like a dick.
Thanks. I've always liked dick.
oops where is there to hide from the Bureau Of Morality!
We'll all flop about with our hands in the air mumbling expletives in tongues and drooling like St. Bernards over a bone. Then we'll have sex with our husband's business...partner ...wait... that's Caribou Barbie. I'm not sure what we'll do.
Posted by phidipides at September 6, 2008 03:59 PMAh, feminism rears it's ugly head again
Goatblower, that is the problem with you Republican fucks...you have no idea what feminism is.
A coffee-clatch does not feminism make. Just because there are one or more women in a room or one or more women supporting something - it is not automatically "feminism".
Feminists actually give a shit about issues that are important to women.
Posted by Anjha at September 6, 2008 04:00 PMThe GOP has got a paradox on their hands (apologies to TLC's paradox). They are trying to present Sarah Palin as everywoman - the sexy family-first anti-abortion ultra-Christian supermom government reformer maverick who can do things as well as a man but knows how to take instructions at the foot of the master. That schmushed-together agglomeration is going to coming spinning apart in the next month, I suspect.
Posted by Meteor Blades at September 6, 2008 04:03 PMSarah Palin is doing exactly what Karl Rove chose her for: Take the attention off McPOW and excite the NutWing of the Party ( who found McPOW as dull, boring and nutty as the rest of us). I think Obama has the right tactic...just ignore her. If Hillary wants to take part in the election, she can be the designated Palin monitor.
Posted by T2 at September 6, 2008 04:06 PMYes what we need now is a quick study peter....after nearly 8 years of your party's results and such records...you know like yes record deficits and an off the books war that has nearly bankrupt our gov't and will our children and their children, a military and national guard that has been used abused for the past 6 years, rising unemployment, rising prices for everything and anything while wages stagnate or decrease, record foreclosures, banks failing as well as wall street financial co's (bear stearns)and institutions like fannie and freddie all being bailed out taxpayers, our standing in the world a laughingstock, ..yes what we need right now is another quick study repuke with Bushie's vision/ideology...yup that ought to do the trick.
Face it she's just another neocon/conservative republican front guy (just like the puppet junyah) who was selected for many reasons,but one of which was to make their party brand/ideology a bit more pleasing/ palatable and an easier sell to the establishment media and the electorate. She's essentially the female version of a guy you just wanna have a beer with.... I'd say it would be impossible to market that type of brand again to the masses (but not the establishment press) but after 2004 election results...I'm not so convinced.
Oh btw and OT, I read that Bushie's put in the order to ramp up finding OBL...before he leaves office...amazing and wonder why it's so imperative now (ok I don't really wonder why because it's just such a typical repuke bushitter move). These people really have no shame...and their ideology suxs.
Posted by emal at September 6, 2008 04:28 PM"The surge has worked beyond our wildest dreams." -Barack Obama
Posted by Ken Smith at September 6, 2008 04:49 PMThanks. I've always liked dick.
ROFLMAO
If Hillary had the ability to "clean clocks" you would not be stuck with such an un-electable candidate as Barack Obama.
You already know that though.
Do you feel stupid?
Posted by jj at September 6, 2008 05:24 PMInane bitch Palin is being "tutored" on foreign policy by a bunch of Bush lackeys.
What kind of a fucking joke of a VP nominee requires tutoring on foreign policy??? One who bounced around between 6 colleges in 6 years, I suppose.
Obama? He serves on the Foreign Relations Committee in the fucking US Senate. There is no comparison between him and Miss Nasty.
She's a complete fucking joke. McCain picked her for one reason: To suck Dobson's cock. In the process he demonstrated that he is willing to put America at risk and is thus unfit to lead.
It's all a fucking farce, and a very dangerous one at that.
Posted by The Creator at September 6, 2008 06:17 PMDo you feel stupid?
Nope. Hillary is not some evangelical flat earth small time, small town wannabe. Hillary is the real deal and has been for a long long time. Hillery is a player. You see, Hillary made a damn fine and close run for the Presidential nomination. Sarah Palin was chosen by the republi-con evangelicals because of her tits and backwards ass attitudes towards women's issues. They didn't think women would notice, what with her being a woman and all. republi-cons are stupid that way
You assclowns are about to find out that there is a big difference between being a woman and understanding women's issues. And there is absolutely no comparison between Hillary and Caribou Barbie. Hillary is a class act. Palin is a crass hack.
Judith, iac. Don't make me stop this car!
I am a little surprised that you still have confidence in a lady that got where she is on the coattails of her husband. Without him, she most likely would still be losing files at the Rose Law Firm "Real deal" would mean she's candidate for president. She came up a little short there. Although I have to admit that she would definitely been a stronger candidate; hell, she could have even won. The one you have now won't. The wheels are coming off. It won't be close.
You already know that though.
Hillary is a class act. Palin is a crass hack.
good one. true, too.
Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, hosted more than 100 people for dinner on their mansion lawn by the Navesink River in Middletown, N.J. The price was $30,800 a person, to be divided between the Obama campaign and the Democratic National
How do you suppose this will play where the votes really matter?
You already know.
Posted by jj at September 6, 2008 06:50 PMTurkana,
I really think this is the wrong tack to take.
Aren't you on the edge of calling him mentally incompetent? People do not like to hear attacks like that---merited or not.
Reagan benefited in 1984 because his obvious mental defeciency actually seemed to shield him from criticism.
Isn't it enough to say that McCain is an honorable man, but one who happens to be gravely wrong in his politics?
Look, I am not going to have any enthusiasm for Obama, but I am resigned to the the fact that he really is the clear better of two choices.
What makes him better is the D by his name, and almost nothing else: but that is enough.
I am a little surprised that you still have confidence in a lady that got where she is on the coattails of her husband.
I'm surprised you have so little wariness of the woman who can make Bill Clinton toe the line.
And just FYI: Hillary is now, after her run, her own politician. There is no doubt she is cleared of any claim that she is running on Bill's coattails. You see, running for president as well as she did is transforming. If Obama loses in 08 it is very likely Hillary wins in 12. If Obama wins, Hillary will run and win in 16. She will be a master statesman at that time and a force to be reckoned with.
I think she should take Reid's place in the Senate...but, and I know this is a push, I would like to see her as Sec. Def. (okay, that's my own weirdness), but certainly as Sec. State. I know, I know. But I think she would be incredible on the World stage. Then Bill and Carter could be appointed honorary World Ambassadors...I see lots of potential here.
My..you are thinking ahead...also, a little nuts.
Posted by jj at September 6, 2008 07:30 PMMy..you are thinking ahead...also, a little nuts.
Cough...cough...nuts is running Ace McOld and the Wannabe from Wasilla. THAT is nuts.
Posted by phidipides at September 6, 2008 07:54 PMJudith, iac. Don't make me stop this car!
Hey! She started it!
Posted by iamcoyote at September 6, 2008 08:30 PMAfter a week of this nonsense, I've come to believe that we're being duped once again. I now believe that Sarah Palin was specifically picked by John McCain after negotiation with James Dobson, a negotiation brokered by Karl Rove - the Rove/Mitt story being a smoke screen. I believe that the "lateness" of the pick was to keep the Press from being able to "vet" her. I believe she was picked because she is the highest ranking official in the United States who is a life-long Assembly of God Pre-Life Evangelical - Dobson's bottom line. In return, Dobson quickly endorsed McCain, something he said he'd never do...
Hillary was part of the team and a major force supporting Bill to become governor and president. Give her some credit.
"Palin is untouchable" ...actually Palin is nuttier than squirrel poop and fair albeit small game.
Look for "The Wasilly Hillbillies" TV show, a sure hit for the low info voters.
phi phi - ha ha - ya got me with that wit of yours - and the old Judith and iamcoyote loved it!
chuckle.
Posted by the young Judith (tyj) at September 7, 2008 03:22 PM