Can't wait to see her debate Biden.

Obama noted last night that McCain has questioned Obama's judgement but gave numerous examples of McCain's bad judgement. Here's the Exhibit A example. I guess he's trying to go after disaffected Hillary voters? What a ridiculous stunt. I'm guessing they won't be buying it.

It's not uncommon for Gov. Sarah Palin's husband, Todd, to be included on governor's office e-mails, a fact raising questions about how much influence the "First Dude" has in state government.

Palin critics recently put in a public records request for the state e-mails that Palin special assistant Ivy Frye and Frank Bailey, the governor's director of boards and commissions, sent this spring. They were trying to find proof the staffers had worked on state time to try and get Randy Ruedrich replaced as chair of the state Republican Party. They hadn't found any, last I spoke to them, but were still going through the boxes of e-mails.

Much of the Frye/Bailey e-mail traffic, though, was either blacked out or denied altogether by the state on the basis of "deliberative process" or "privacy/personnel." (UPDATE: Andrew Halcro, on his blog, has posted the whole spreadsheet listing the e-mails that were denied, with subject lines, recipients and dates.)

That includes many e-mails Todd Palin exchanged with members of the governor's staff - e-mails with subject lines like "re: PSEA (Public Safety Employees of Alaska) Ads", "re: PR campaign" and "re: Parental consent abortion bill." It's impossible to know what they are about, since the state refuses to say.

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/127769

Alaska has a lot of potential corruption being investigated

Looks like at least an even dozen....

(link...)

If that is true, in that environment, it would seem to be tough for an honest person to get elected to anything

Anyone know how McCain voted on allotting money to the Alaska 'Bridge to Nowhere?' and other Alaska related peculiarities?

Alaska seems like a foreign land as corrupt as Louisiana

The Alaskan oil industry is nationalized, just like in Venezuela. Maybe McCain plans to share oil company profits with all Americans and not just Alaskans!

...all that much about Palin. Yet.

But you folks who oppose her seem to be clutching at straws.

You should have seen this coming. Now that it's happened, you better come up with better stuff than Landauer's, and with all due respect, Carole's, both of whose critiques seem pretty weak.

This race is so tight. You need to blow her out of the water. My bet is that you'll not be able to.

"OK then, put forward some better ones yourself."

I don't think there are any. That's my point.

About the worst objective thing you can say about Palin is that she's the governor of a state with a population that's about the size of Knox County's.

Today, McCain secured the conservative vote.

Palin has a few things Barry Hussein doesn’t: over seven years of executive experience (um, see, she actually ran something successfully with her approval ratings soaring up to 90 percent! ); an entire political career crusading against the political machine that rules Alaska, which exists in her own Republican party; and more practical experience in diplomacy than Biden or Obama have ever seen.
Obama, in contrast, talked a great deal about “reform” in Chicago but never challenged the party machine, and now people are starting to ask where the $160 million he oversaw on the Annenberg Project (at the direction of his terrorist buddy, Bill Ayers) went. And neither Obama nor Biden have any executive experience.
And let’s face it — Team Obama can hardly attack Palin for a lack of foreign-policy experience. Obama has none at all.

Stick a fork in The Messiah, his terrorist buddies, and his race pimp pastor.
They’re all done.

BWAAA-HAAA-HAAAA-HAAA!!!!! (stops to take a breath) BWAAA-HAAA-HAAAA-HAAA!!!!!

...both of whose critiques seem pretty weak...This race is so tight. You need to blow her out of the water. My bet is that you'll not be able to.

Why don't you try turning that around and seeing how silly that sounds? McSame keeps milking the Obama has too-much-popularity(!) angle, without presenting any reason why we should keep our country hooked to the same Bush/Cheney policies for another 4/8 years. Is that all they have? The GOP had nothing but the same "inexperience" strategy to use on Clinton in '92 and how did that pan out?

There's also Palin's own Troopergate scandal already in progress. And she apparently hates polar bears, even while she supports futile oil drilling that puts the bears at further risk.

Look, the McCain campaign just gave away the inexperience argument. They can't say Palin (with two years as governor) is ready to be President and Obama isn't.

That is, the 72 yr. old McSame.

...and more practical experience in diplomacy than Biden or Obama have ever seen....And let’s face it — Team Obama can hardly attack Palin for a lack of foreign-policy experience. Obama has none at all.

Now that's funny! Maybe you mean diplomacy in the sense that Alaska can seem almost like another country? Still your statement is preposterous.

I am married to a man who typically votes Republican and when I forwarded him the links to Wikipedia and Palin's website, his comment was that he thought McCain had just cost himself the election. I don't know that hubby is ready to pull the lever for Obama just yet, but he said that, hand's down, he would support Biden over Palin. Now that's just the view of one 50-something republican-leaning male but, I'd say there are others who think just like him.
On the flip side, Obama's speech firmly cemented my support of him. He thoughtfully and succinctly laid out his platform and qualifications and did it while praising McCain's patriotism and service thus proving (to me) that he really does believe in a UNITED States of America. Yes, he can!

P.S. You are racist, hammer. Not surprising from an Obama hater.

Another way of looking at her credentials. 5/7 of her short time in government represents weak experience compared to Mike Ragsdale.

Troopergate will probably turn out not to have legs. Some people suggest that it's all about harassment by a disgruntled former employee of the state.

There you go again. Is that what you said about the other infamous troopergate?

inquiring minds want to know.

Is this a Harriet Miers-like selection?

I assume Palin is more competent, but it has a similar, out-of-left-field type feel to it.

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

Indeed. How many days will the media carry on with this theme next week?

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

Apparently Palin wants everyone to learn about Jesus in public schools.

In a 2006 gubernatorial debate, the soon-to-be governor of Alaska trotted out the usual creationist education canard: "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

Praise Jesus! Go Vols!

I wonder if Palin's views on ANWR are reflective of her views on what is allowed in national parks and national forests?

From Yahoo News "Palin views on oil, polar bears may be liabilities"
(link...)

Suggested Biden statement, "I know Hillary Clinton, I've worked with Hillary Clinton, and you are no Hillary Clinton."

Just heard Pat Buchanan gushing over her. Apparently she was one of his fundraisers in '96.

That should appeal to moderates. As should her opposition to abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

From the Washington Post:

The McCain campaign had make little secret of the fact that they wanted to pick a woman as the Arizona senator's running mate, believing that the rift caused by the protracted primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton gave them an opportunity to pick up scads of disgruntled women.

So they figure they can pick just any woman and snag the would-be Hillary voters? Surely they're not that dumb.

Still, I wonder if they considered this one.

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So they figure they can pick just any woman and snag the would-be Hillary voters? Surely they're not that dumb.

Not dumb. Desperate.

I've not heard a Republican locally who thinks this was a good choice.

The words they've used are "Ridiculous" and "It's over." Not a good sign.

Palin is less like Harriet Myers and more like Jesse Ventura. Her opponents in Alaska did themselves in and had worn out their welcome in Alaska politics. Plus, she had the Vandergriff factor, which counts for more in Alaska that it will in the lower 48.

aka Tom Delay, Mitch McConnell, other Bush apologists and neocons..at least she doesn't seem to be from that camp...I see her as still way too conservative with nothing special about her views or proposals in anything...
Her selection seems a definite reach to me.
I don't see the southern repubs voting for her and they were suspicious of McCain anyway...so I expect they will stay at home on election day.

I was thinking tonight that some, shall we say "old-timers?, might have their heads explode trying to decide whether to vote for the ticket with the woman or the ticket with the black guy.

Then there's the more common response, such as this from Kevin Drum:

...[McCain's ]staff spends its time gleefully churning out juvenile attack videos; McCain himself has retreated into robotic incantations of simpleminded talking points; and now he's chosen a manifestly unqualified VP that he knows nothing about. I've honestly never seen anything like it. ...

I'd really love to read one of our wingnuts describe Palin's experience, especially relating to foreign policy. At least any U.S. Senator, not even one on the Foreign Relations Committee or Chairman of the subcommittee on European Affairs, is one of 100 people out of 300 million in this country who does get experience to be POTUS. That is a type of elitism, BTW, and it's also pretty damn useful for someone in the office or a heartbeat away.

Obama's main obstacle is convincing people he's up to the task. Thanks to Palin, that's all been settled now. I'm glad we're both happy about this, JB1. I shudder to think she could be president, though. She might as well have been plucked from the street at random.

BTW, don't miss Kevin Drum's list on Palin's record. This is but one doozy (where I added the emphasis):

...Palin, who portrays herself as a fiscal conservative, racked up nearly $20 million in long-term debt as mayor of the tiny town of Wasilla — that amounts to $3,000 per resident. She argues that the debt was needed to fund improvements. ...

One more before I leave for a week's vacation. This woman has a young baby, which also has special needs. How much one-on-one care can the VP of the U.S. (or even such a candidate) provide to this child? Or how much prezidentin' can a truly devoted young mother really manage?

What does this say about John McCain's family values and his judgment that he would ask her to do this, and what does it say about her own family's value and her judgment that she would say yes?

This woman has almost nothing in common with Hillary Clinton, yet this choice must have been only a desperate pander to get her supporters. Any of that bunch who follow over to McSame/Palin because she's female would be the true sexists.

What exactly does The VP do everyday?

Perhaps Vlad Cheney can help with that.

You start out by shooting a lawyer.

Perhaps the Republicans plan to just have Cheney pulling different strings as a ghost VP should they manage to steal win the election.

One thing we must admit about Cheney, he does have experience.

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Yeah, That ghost VP is what I worry about. Most likely it would be a whole committee with Rove as moderator.

____________________________________
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."

FWIW (and it's only a sample of 1):

My mom is 80. She's an independent. She's voted more Dem in recent years but at heart she's a Howard Baker Republican (i.e., not a winger).

She was a strong Hillary supporter. She has come around to saying she'll vote for Obama, but she's not real happy about it.

In short, she is exactly the kind of person McCain needs to appeal to.

I got an email from her this morning. It said: What do you think about McCain's pick for VP? I think he's lost his marbles.

Farmgirl, thanks for posting, it's great to hear a fresh perspective. But I'm curious about your objection to Biden. Are you saying you'd have preferred it if Obama chose someone with less experience?

To me, the VP does 2 things, assists the president and stands by in case of death or inability to serve. I felt Biden was a good choice because he is very strong in foriegn policy experience and understanding. Plus he's competent to be president in the (I hope) unlikely event that came about. My huge concern about Palin is she is just not ready to be president. Perhaps if she were running with someone younger you could cross your fingers and hope for the best, but the possibility of McCain not serving out his term seems very high.

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"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."

Avocado Lime Pie

Cool and creamy; avocado is the 'secret' ingredient ! Use very ripe avocados.

Ingredients:

1 cup sieved fresh avocado pulp
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
1 - 9 inch pie shell, or vanilla crumb crust
whipped cream

Directions:

1. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, lightly beaten egg yolks, and salt; blend until mixture thickens. Stir in avocado pulp. Pour filling into pie shell.

2. Chill pie several hours. Garnish with whipped cream, and serve.

Makes 1 pie

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Now as to Al Gore, he is the one who claims that he invented the Internet.

Is there an 'independent researcher' who could not debunk that old chestnut in three mouse clicks?

Every election cycle KnoxViews gets an infestation of DPGs as though somebody left a bunch of bananas on the kitchen counter too long.

Go Away Troll.

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What I wonder about this pick is what the supposed strategy was behind it?

We know the presidential candidates are running internal polls all the time. What showed up on McCain's internal polling that triggered this?

We know it wasn't a gut decision, not with all the micro-targeting and robo-calling and strategizing based on number-crunching. What led to this decision?

It's a question a lot of stalwart Republicans and engaged Independents are asking.

Every election cycle KnoxViews gets an infestation of DPGs as though somebody left a bunch of bananas on the kitchen counter too long.

You should see the server logs and the bandwidth meter. It seems like every time these clowns show up it corresponds to major scooping, slurping, spamming, and other generally abusive slamming of our server that frequently crashed it. We were rebooting three or four times a day there at one point.

We managed an expensive emergency upgrade during the week (to four processors and 4X the amount of RAM) and it seems able to handle the suspiciously unusual load so far.

Which is ridiculous overkill for a site that should be able to run on a $20/month shared hosting account (and did for a long time before all this).

(I should also mention that our hosting company stepped up above and beyond to get us migrated to the new server in a hurry and didn't charge for their services, and also gave us 2X the capacity we contracted for at no extra monthly charge.)

Experience issue aside, I can't help but get the feeling that many of the comments here would be different (not necessarily positive, but different)or non-existant if a man of similar qualifications had been picked.

I assume Palin was picked as a double dip - try to snare some of the Clinton Supporters and appeal to the religious right at the same time. Well strategy A might have worked had he chosen an moderate with some experience like Olympia Snowe, as it stands he just gets the RR, and maybe alienates some of their hardcore adherents who don't see women in leadership positions.

Farmgirl, I first formed my opinion of Biden from a Sunday morning talk show where he was discussing the situation in Iraq. I was absolutely blown away by the depth of his knowlege about the region and its people and leaders. He strikes me as very intelligent.

He did have an odd look during Obama's speech - I wasn't quite sure how to interpret it but I didn't see smug. I don't hold his primary losses against him, the first time in the 80's he was very young plus he made a faux pas in one of his speeches and that drug him down. This time around he simply wasn't a media darling. I was disappointed how the media ignored the candidates with the most experience (Biden, Richardson & Dodd) and put their spotlight on the flashy ones.

____________________________________
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."

NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday ran an interview with a Republican strategist who billed Palin as an 'energy expert' and, of course, a 'fellow maverick'. That was the first I had heard about that part of her resumé. It seems that now the McCain campaign will have all the answers regarding cheap plentiful energy for the middle class*.

Audio of the entire interview wasn't available at the time I posted this but is promised by twelve eastern.

What a find!

Energy Expert
Maverick
Alaska Fisherman (photo op on the Time Bandit? Steal Bon Jovi's music next.)
Ethics Champion (some restrictions apply)
A Republican Maggie O'Connell
Former Mayor of Alaska's Oliver Springs

*Middle class is defined as those earning less than $5M which definitely includes me.

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Gore is the one to have claimed that it was his legislation that allowed for the development of the Internet as it is today.

From Snopes:

In May 2005, the organizers of the Webby Awards for online achievements honored Al Gore with a lifetime achievement award for three decades of contributions to the Internet. "He is indeed due some thanks and consideration for his early contributions," said Vint Cerf.

For the benefit of those with 'impressive scholarly research credentials', rolling a cursor over this word and pushing the left mouse button will take you to a page with information about Vint Cerf.

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. . . the most significant event in America's history, save for 9/11

Most of us have read about the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Some of us lived through it and remember it very well. We also remember exactly where we were when we first heard about John Kennedy's death. In the fall of 1961 the Kennedy administration believed that a nuclear exchange between us and the Soviets was inevitable, not over Cuba, but Berlin.

Those of us who are a bit younger remember watching Richard Nixon's I'm not a crook speech and his subsequent resignation. Most thinking citizens agree that we were living through an American crisis.

And those are only four significant traumatic events in American history. We as a people have endured two revolutionary wars, two world wars, Korea, Vietnam, the Great Depression, and Jim Crow.

Troll Joey attaches this significance to the 1979 hostage crisis because it salves his hatred for the likes of Jimmy Carter.

The upcoming election will mark the 28th anniversary of Republicans conspiring for Iranian assistance in defeating Jimmy Carter. Soon after the beginning of the Reagan administration, promised Iran-Contra arms shipments began.

"The Original October Surprise - Part 2"

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I'm not so sure. To me this reeks of McCain's storied impetuosity.
Decision made three (3) hours after Obama's home-run speech.
Met with her ONCE.

I think McCain was grasping for some mojo. Instead what he got his hands on was a person whose shine is going to wear off real quick, and whose liabilities are mounting fast.

It seems that McCain feels that the campaign is along the lines of America's Got Talent one-up-man-ship.

Experience issue aside, I can't help but get the feeling that many of the comments here would be different (not necessarily positive, but different)or non-existant if a man of similar qualifications had been picked.

I think the comments I've heard from Republicans over the last two days, almost all negative, would be different if it had been a Christine Todd Whitman, or a more experienced female. The debate among Republicans has been about her experience and the wisdom of McCain's judgement.

Christine Todd Whitman

That's an interesting observation.

She's exceedingly more qualified as a two-term governor of a far larger and more consequential state, with GOP administrative level credentials going way back (although I couldn't stand her while she was head of the EPA, a Bush/GOP cabinet position, by the way, held by someone who's actually been inside the White House for policy meetings and stuff).

As it turns out, she suddenly remembered she had a shred of dignity and integrity and decency left, and couldn't stomach the lies and BS any more and resigned from the EPA.

Then she wrote a book critical of the whole Bush GOP experience.

She gained some respect from me for that. If we were going to be saddled with four more years of sociopathic government from the White House, I'd much prefer her being there whispering in McCain's hearing aid.

She would have been excellent choice. Of course her being a tough, strong woman, her resignation, her book, and people like me preferring more Republicans like her instantly disqualified her, I guess.

First, my apology for not writing "foreign policy" event but in many ways, it is the most important event of the current era.

My bad, I guess the Cuban Missile Crisis was not really a foreign policy issue. And who knows about the Berlin Crisis?

I was also assuming that your comment encompassed a time span of American history instead of the current era since that is what you wrote.

I'm having a difficult time accepting that a person with such communications skills took a university degree. Were you perhaps an athlete? It suggests that you have either forgotten most of what was presented or the institution needs to rethink their academic standards.

The Embassy event set into a motion a precedent that shaped US foreign policy and brought about the true beginning of the Terrorist Era.

The embassy event set into motion a group of individuals Republicans who conspired with a hostile foreign government to install their candidate into the White House, subsequently paying them off in promised arms.

I expected you to either ignore the linked article completely or to pick out the negative bits about Jimmy Carter and regurgitate them here. It appears that you either didn't read it or you read it without comprehension.

Such is the behavior of a troll.

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Helpful Hint:

Only read troll quotes that have been posted by a trusted user, that way somebody else has waded through the droppings and picked out the significant stuff.

Hat Tip to the Waders!

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I don't know Palin very well. What I do know, I like. First, she's conservative. Second, she's pro-life (as opposed to pro-abortion). She's for drilling. She's kinda hot especially considering that she's given birth to 5 children. She has more executive experience than Nobama.

I too can't wait to see her debate Biden. Is it possible for Joe to plagerize debating points? That would be cheating.

She's kinda hot especially considering that she's given birth to 5 children.

Have another PBR, there cup. She'll look even better to you.

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What I don't understand is how anyone can call themselves "pro-life" and then support all the killing in Iraq? Especially the children and elders, and anyone who gets in the way of a bullet or bomb.

____________________________________
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse."

In a bid for the evangelical vote we have another abstinence-only advocate.

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I have yet to read any post here that denounces what the Iranians did with the Embassy incident nor has anyone denounced them for their support of terrorist groups since 1979. Support that brought the world into the Terrorist Era.

You have also yet to read (or comprehend) the link provided. Therein you would find an account of the supposed original reason for the embassy incursion (documents proving US attempts to return the hated Shah to power).

It could be said that US support for Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was the beginning of the terrorist era.

It is more likely the activities of the Seven Sisters that brought the world into the terrorist era.

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Before I retired from the Bomb Factory we were assigned our user IDs and passwords by a group in the Department of Energy. It was terribly complicated and difficult to decipher as you might expect. It consisted of the employee's last name followed by the initials, all lower case. They changed the password regularly, about three days after the user had finally memorized the one in use.

When I came here the moniker just sorta stuck.

There you have it. I'm sorry it was a problem for you.

Hi, I'm Abigail Wearybottom, President and CEO of Wearybottom Associates. Feel free to Google my company. We bubble up to the top of the page.

Nice to meet you I'm sure.

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Hoooooray! You finally read the damned thing and maybe absorbed a little of it.

Now go Google the Seven Sisters.

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You need help. I like reading some of your posts, but I am tired of having to reread them three times because of your bad grammar.

I have quit wading through these droppings. My twit filter is now activated.

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_________________________________________________
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
"I never said I wasn't a brat..." ~ Talidapali

I have noticed that the 'back' (thumb) button on my mouse doesn't reset the 'discussions' counter on KVs main page when using Firefox. I use the horizontal bookmark bar for often-visited sites so I installed this handy button. It takes me back to the home page nicely and resets the counter.

It'll have to do until somebody writes a twit filter extension.

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Just heard some Republican hack (or maybe it was a pundit, hard to tell them apart) say that Palin was a "game changer."

The narrative all day has been that she has energized the GOP base, this is her convention now, and it's all about Palin, the obscure politician no one has ever heard of from a state with a population about the size of Nashville.

So what about John McCain, who has been campaigning hard for six months? What is he, chopped liver?

It just gets better and better.

How much lower can they lower the bar?

The selection of Palin is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. She is being used to mask the failed policies of the republican party. Everyone needs to remember, McCain is still the republican party's presidential nominee, not Palin, and his selection of her is doing nothing more than changing the focus of attention away from him and his failures as a senator and re-directing them to her. At this time, the country seems confused how to react to her selection. I think it was a brilliant move by the Republicans. Now, the Democrats needs to figure a way to 'one up' them with a counter move to put them back on offense.

This comment.