Crossposted from MY LEFT WING
It is the entirely wrong tack to take.
First — it’s mudslinging, for chrissakes. On a nominee. Does that sound like anyone we know?
Second… she’s a fucking GIRL. Did none of you take PSYCHOLOGY One-oh-fucking-ONE?
Stick to the basics. She’s a supremely unqualified nominee. Let the record speak for itself. SHE SUUUUCKS.
Blechhhh. This leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth.
She has to show up for her debate. No matter how hard she studies, there’s no way Sarah Palin can win that debate. No matter how bright and shiny and colourful, no matter how pretty the music, the advertisements they run cannot make up for her TOTAL LACK of EXPERIENCE and UTTER ABSENCE of READINESS for the office they’re trying to sell the American people.
Dragging her through the mud will make US look bad. Not her.
THINK, people. BE SMART about this.
Sigh.
On the front page Geov Parish observes:
The first was the final leg of the drive back from Denver to Seattle, wherein (since virtually nothing else is available on the radio dial) I listened to red-meat conservatives like Rush, Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly, and Laura Ingraham wax uber-enthusiastic over John McCain’s pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
The drum beat will be constant from now till the election. Mudslinging will only full the fire, as another poster here aptly observed: The key issue here is that DEMS don’t get arrogant or complacent. Palin is a figure many conservatives and even moderates can identify with – you attack her personally, and you attack them. You look down on her or engage in personalised attacks, and you inflame them.
As to the debates, in another discussion BooMan linked to the 1980 Reagan – Carter debate. 80 million TVs were tuned in. The Kerry – Bush debates had viewer numbers ranging from 60 million to 40. (BTW, Obama’s acceptance speech drew 38 million viewers.)
The value of the debates in garnering votes is questionable.
Please read scribe’s diary for a very accurate analysis of the very real danger in what has occurred with this choice and what needs to be done. From scribe:
VP pick Sara Palin frightens me.
She frightens me because I fully understand the power of ultra conservative, fundamentalist women and I know how many of them there still are…
McCain/Rove know exactly what I know: that these women, along with their men, all programmed to the core by fundamentalist Christianity and Ultra Conservative values, will be the FIRST at the polls come November. They will be first in line because they are absolutely CONVINCED they are not only doing Gods will, but are also PROTECTING their children and their families.
McCain/Rove KNOW there is no way any new information can ever penetrate minds that solidly programmed by right wing religious/conservative ideology. These people are fighting a “religious war” against evil, in their own minds, and anyone who discounts the power of people coming from a stance like that, is playing with pure, explosive fire.
they are just dragging her through the wrong mud. You mentioned the very mud puddle she needs to be dragged through:
These people are fighting a “religious war” against evil, in their own minds, and anyone who discounts the power of people coming from a stance like that, is playing with pure, explosive fire.
It’s time to pick a fight with these fools, not get all scared and fade away.
She is a cultist right winger. Until someone starts to frame the holy warrior nutbags as just that, we’re doomed.
Take a stand before it’s too late, I say.
Best to use a religious person to combat this as well. Time to start convincing centrist and moderate religious leaders about the threat these folks present to our safety, economy and security. If the pope can call out Mel Gibson’s dad’s cult, then someone should draw a clear line around the nutbags and call them what they are – an human-serving, selfish abomination of Christ’s gospel and it’s obvious message to man.
Do religion wars ever end? A direct challenge to religion, as I noted from another poster, will just involve a whole lot of people ending up defending her.
Rather than direct challenges which are huge distractions, I would rather see someone respond by redirecting or nullifying her effect – for the moderates or undecideds.
For example, any debate or question or interview that brings up Palin’s child with Down’s Syndrome (abortion, choice, Feminists For Life, etc.) would be redirected to something like:
Does the government have a part in a woman’s choice? Certainly. We (Obama, Biden, Dems) believe affordable and accessible healthcare is essential. Prenatal care and postnatal care should be basic for all Americans, not just for elected officials.
In addition, we believe, particularly for special needs citizens, both care and educational services need to be available. A very serious concern for those with special needs children is the worry about who will care for their loved one if something happens to them. Decisions should not be made dependent on the size of one’s bank account or stock portfolio.
I have thought about the prayer in schools issue, wishing I could hear someone respond with:
As far as I know there is no law that prohibits personal prayer in schools. In my opinion, as long as there are tests, homework, “show your work at the chalkboard,” and math, there will be prayer in schools. Next question.
They are at war with he rest of us already. IMHO, it’s long past time to notice and respond (artfully). This crap has been an effective ‘distraction’ for the GOP for some time. There has to be a to stop giving ground or we’ll have none left. Perhaps that is now. Perhaps not. Obama doesn’t have to touch it.
Obama campaign is not only not touching the issue, but Obama himself was supportive.
Dragging through the wrong mud is a good point.
I agree, but is there really any way to stop the MSM from dragging her through the mud? They love any sort of scandal, right or wrong. I don’t think the Obama campaign will get caught in the trap, but there will be plenty of others who will take the bait.
<Sigh> is right.
We just need to avoid NOT ONLY the bullshit DKos is orgasming over right now — “HER BABY IS REALLY HER DAUGHTER’s!!!” —
but also the constant dismissals of her as a glorified secretary/stewardess/beauty queen, et cetera.
EVEN IF IT’S TRUE.
Our task is to ATTACK MCCAIN. His choice of her. His JUDGEMENT in choosing someone so unqualified.
Her record, her lack of readiness — these are low-hanging fruit. She should be treated with kid-gloves as we pick that fruit.
HE should be fucking CRUCIFIED.
Yes. Fight, but fight smart. Do take this seriously.
But I have to say–even I think she’s that child’s grandmother. And I’ve never in my life read a newspaper account that so thinly disguised its disbelief in her story.
Given her Troopergate problem, this would have been icing on the cake to any other campaign to stay far away from this pick. But oh no.
And given that I don’t fancy people thinking they can stick their collective noses in my health care decisions, I’d frankly just love her to be hoisted on that particular petard.
But I think the question for now is this: why would McKept choose her–say that she is his “partner and soulmate”–while she is in the midst of an investigation for abuse of power?
Still not used to Google, I suppose…
Pass the popcorn on this one. The well plugged into the PTB, Steve Clemons, TWN has this morsel:
This clearly has many legs to run and not all positive.
That point, no vetting, perhaps impulsive choice, is coming out. Judgment?, Senator McCain.
…and didn’t even know about this issue until I read this diary. And then when I read this comment, “…the bullshit DKos is orgasming…”, I couldn’t imagine how I had missed it.
So I went back and searched dkos diaries to see what I had missed.
Yeah, sure there are those who support the focus; it’s a huge community. But what I found mostly is a resounding denunciation of a focus on the babygate issue, and a heck of a lot of debate about covering it. Like this first comment with 62 recommends.
And upon going back to look, I found only one story on the Rec list…and it calls for an end to the discussion.
Apparently, the orgasms are apparent only to those who wear a special filter.
We need to soft-pedal any ridicule of Palin. As we know from our own blogging community, there are lots of smart people, knowledgeable people, who hadn’t surfaced in the public eye before they had a forum. We see lots of them here, that we wouldn’t likely know about otherwise. (MSOC, you come instantly to mind. You were @#$bright before we got to know you. Now, I’m not saying she is like you.)
Palin may be one of those smart persons who not only isn’t inside the eastern establishment area, she’s off on the edge of the frontier. If she isn’t bright, well, that’ll be pretty clear without anyone trashing her.
Yes, yes, I know, people who believe as she does are considered by some to be dumb as dishwater – I’m not willing to agree to that, however.
I also know that not all people on the Christian Right will think she’s a great choice. Some will say that women should be keepers at home (Titus, Ch. 2, v.3-5), not serving in government. Others will simply say that she has children at home she should be taking care of before she gets involved in politics. In other words, she’s not staying in her place.
all this hysteria over palin is really misplaced. this isn’t about her, it’s about mcstain. her weaknesses, lack of credentials, and no experience that qualifies her for this position, will become more apparent the longer she’s in the spotlight.
while she has certainly invigorated the fringe, these people were never going to vote for obama anyway.
obama’s response has been the right one…
frankly, if this is all it takes to swing enough of the electorate to pull the lever for mcstain to become president, we’re already fucked.
check out this Alaskan blog–Palin’s truthiness–the bridge to nowhere
I disagree with MSC on this one.Rightly or wrongly Palin has chosen to become the spear carrier for rightwing ideology in this country as McCain’s second banana.
She can be given no quarters by at least by the blogging community even if Barack and Joe won’t have any part of it.
A party that has stolen two elections to propagate a hateful ideology and launched wars at will killing countless millions should not expect business as usual toward its candidates.
Palin herself may be spotlessly clean but she is now the Republican that needs to be mercilessly dealt with in the blogs.
Remember we are in a war for America’s soul in this election season.
She claims she supports abstinence, but apparently did not have the time to teach it to her own children. The political point is well taken.
Here we are with another case of careerism, following in the path of the Clintons.
I think we should throw back the following question:
1)Why isn’t Gov. Huckabee on the ticket, he won a few primary states.
Because a Palin/Huckabee comparison shows the Christian conservatives what they should have gotten. At least they voted for Hucakbee.
Actually, I think a better line of attack is to go after her views — they’re pretty extreme, even nutty. She would force a ten year old to bear her rapist’s child.
That plus her various scandals. Troopergate. Favors to BP, the company that employs her husband. Her husband, sitting in her office and making phone calls from it when Palin’s away from the state on business. What’s that about?
The traditional attacks you can make on any politician, openings for those are abundant in Sarah Palin.
We should go after her hair. /snark
Obama:
Over @ ABC.
but someone has to do it.
and don’t be a fucking misogynist.
She is an adult. She is a mommy. She is a failure.
How can you be a mommy and a failure? Well, by becoming governor, and just dropping the FUCKING BALL left and right.
Apparently, Mommy and Daddy are SO BUSY being BIG IMPORTANT MOOSE-SHOOTING CHEESES that they have not been keeping track of Bristol, who has been using that fine abstinence-only sex ed.
And has anyone heard from BRISTOL or LEVI? Have they SAID THE WORDS “We are going to get married”
Or is this just MORE FUCKING CHILD ABUSE?
Those who deal in facts should continue to do so.
Those who deal in innuendo have some fun days ahead. Enjoy!
exactly. If she’s in the mud it’s because she dove in, headfirst. Politics is like that.