ELECTION 2008  
AlterNet / By Sanho Tree
comments_imageCOMMENTS: 359

McCain's Palin Gambit: Are Americans Weary of the Culture Wars?

Sarah Palin's acceptance speech was heavy on rhetoric but light on substance. But ginning up the culture war may not work this time around.
September 6, 2008  |  
 
 
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After Sarah Palin's acceptance of her party's nomination to the GOP ticket, the pundits couldn't stop praising her speech as "red meat" for the Republican base. If that was considered a red meat speech, why am I left feeling so undernourished? It was almost entirely devoid of policy substance and focused instead on character and personality.

This was not an oversight. McCain campaign manager Rick Davis has already clearly announced his strategy for the rest of the campaign: "This election is not about issues. ... This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates." In other words, they are going back to the culture war well for more buckets of slime. This kind of red meat, however, offers little protein and suffers from the proverbial Chinese food complaint: An hour later you're hungry again, for something more substantive.

The culture war strategy tends to get better traction when voters are relatively content and prosperous. It's another matter when people realize the treasury has been looted by Republican cronies; their family members have been sent off to a pointless war; their homes are about to be foreclosed; they can't afford the gas to look for a new job; and hurricanes amplified by global warming are backed up across the Atlantic like the landing pattern at O'Hare. At that point, hope is more filling and satisfying than sarcasm and bitterness. When your country is going down the drain, Obama's "happy talk" trumps McCain's (and Karl Rove's) "silly season." Palin's convention afterglow was more of a sugar rush that will wear off quickly than it was a hearty meal that could sustain the party through November.

The McCain-Palin strategists know that their core voters relate to personalities better than policies. They want this election fought over "Access Hollywood" personality-style reporting rather than wonky PBS snoozefests because Americans tend to have more opinions about celebrity "character and misbehavior" than about dry policy details. This is a double-edged sword, however. If Palin is going to attack Obama on personality and character, then she exposes herself and her family to the same scrutiny. Nothing Palin said in her speech will make up for the fact that she wasn't properly "vetted." Given all the political land mines that litter her personal narrative, it seems as if she was "scouted" for the "Jerry Springer Show" rather than vetted for a presidential race. One can imagine the viral videos that will come out of the next "SNL" episode after Tina Fey picks over this buffet of rich plotlines. The inconvenient truths behind Palin's life story are a comedy writer's dream come true -- what the military calls "a target-rich environment." If it's true that nearly everyone has a water-cooler opinion about celebrity scandals, then McCain's early use of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears to attack Obama may yet come back to haunt his running mate.

It's no wonder that the McCain campaign declared that any media reporting on Palin's background should be off limits because it's "sexist" and that the liberal media are "out to destroy her." They cannot quarantine her family and history forever, however, if they are also using them for campaign talking points and photo opportunities. Hence, the devastating "Daily Show" segment on sexism and double standards that aired after her speech should be the first of many hypocrisy fact-checks this season. The facts they turned up are too glaring and funny not to go viral on the Internet and seep into mainstream media coverage. After a few weeks of late-night comedy routines, Palin's convention bounce could land her in a deep crater.

Playing the culture war card has worked for Republicans in the past (and it's the only viable card they have left to play), but to do it through an untested vehicle like Palin is much riskier than doing it through a veteran politico like Mike Huckabee or even Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Moreover, there is a very real danger of culture war weariness in the electorate. Hating liberals won't keep the bank from foreclosing on your home, secure health care for your family or get the kids through college. What worked in the 1990s isn't going to work forever as a new generation of post-baby boom voters come of age. The quasi-fictional Murphy Brown vs. Dan Quayle controversy of the 1988 campaign seems like a quaint museum relic today. Younger voters aren't invested in the cultural and political schisms of the 1960s generation.

The "older" generation remembers the political bruising Bill Clinton received over gays in the military. The reptilian part of our brains learned the lesson of "fire ... burn ... bad ... avoid," but we tend to forget that today's recruits were literally in diapers when that debate blew up in Clinton's face. This generation grew up with "Will & Grace" and "Seinfeld" (not that there's anything wrong with that), and they simply can't see what the fuss was about. The old culture war memes about sex and drugs have a limited generational shelf life; hence the search for new "anger points" like immigration or latte-sipping elitists. A potential danger for the Republican Party is the alienation of the next generation of young voters who view the culture war brand as archaic, silly and embarrassing among their peers. A short-term boost by appealing to baby boomer culture could be devastating for the party brand in the long run.

It's one thing to rehearse a speechwriter's text over and over and over again (with the big words spelled out phonetically), but when Palin next surfaces to attack on the campaign trail, she will be exposed to a barrage of unscripted questions from reporters. The inconvenient facts that should have been caught during vetting will catch up to her very quickly. It's probably no accident that they kept the speech light on facts and policy because so much of this terrain is completely new to her. If Palin gets facts, policies, countries or world leaders mixed up, then she has the potential of becoming a Jean Schmidt-style gaffe-bomb just waiting explode over and over again. Attacking her opponents with a scripted zinger may come naturally to her, but if she swings and misses through an unscripted attack, then it only amplifies her own shortcomings. Last night, she was the tightly scripted Road Runner. Next week she could go back to being Wile E. Coyote. The campaign would be foolish to let her out to attack unless it is in a very tightly controlled situation. After all, loose lips sink ships, and that's not helpful when the campaign is trying to rebrand her as a potential commander in chief and reassure voters about John McCain's judgment.

If it's true that McCain had already called Joe Lieberman and offered him the VP slot only to be forced to back down by the religious right, then the Democrats will likely counterattack by arguing, "If Mr. Maverick can't stand up to the 'agents of intolerance' in his own party, then how will he stand up to 'Islamic terrorists'?" At that point, the Republican talking points about her great qualifications get tossed out the window and the judgment and character issues could boomerang back onto McCain.

By attacking the media for McCain's own scandalously inept vetting process, the campaign has made the proverbial mistake of picking a fight with an industry that buys its ink by the truckload. Palin did well in her speech partly because expectations were so very low. It tasted great to the base, but it wasn't terribly filling to the public. It's a long slog to November, and public scrutiny will only increase.
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Sanho Tree is a fellow and director of the Drug Policy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
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Red meat? more like red herring
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Posted by: ohb0b on Sep 6, 2008 12:42 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A true sign of desperation. After mis-managing the country for eight years, there's not much of a record to run on, so they have gone back to the only thing they know. Maybe the electorate will fall for it again.

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» RE: Prevention Posted by: oregoncharles
» RE: ed meat? more like red herring Posted by: bottom-line

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Palin is a follow the leader pick
[Report this comment]
Posted by: jreal on Sep 6, 2008 12:45 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The only reason Palin has been picked is because the Democrats opened the doors to non-white, and non-male candidates. It seems that the Republicans are following in Democrats trail on how to run for office and play the culture game.

Other than that, she's just a salesperson for the oil companies. That's really all she is. The oil company's salesperson. That's her culture, drill drill drill. Drill Baby Drill. Good if you're an Alaskan, or an oil exec, Sucks if your not.

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» BP sponsored her inauguration Posted by: war_on_tara
» RE: follow the money Posted by: Sushi
» No dickweed..er..Lionheart Posted by: donl51

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Especially since Alaska gets a cut of the oil profits...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: ahmlco on Sep 6, 2008 3:23 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is all true, especially since Alaska gets a cut of the oil profits. Alaska gets a cut from all oil drilled on government owned leases, makes money on selling the leases themselves, and gets a huge slice of the pie on STATE taxes on every barrel of oil.

The more oil Alaska produces, the more dollars flow into the state governments coffers. Worse, oil companies deduct the state taxes paid on their own federal returns, in effect transferring even more federal tax dollars directly to Alaska.

Of COURSE she wants more drilling. Without oil, the state goes back to selling fish and moose burgers.

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Forget culture..tell me what the issues are!
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Posted by: LionHeart on Sep 6, 2008 3:49 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Well, the left has been waging a culture war on this country for some time now.. pro drugs, anti religion, anti patriotism etc... but in this case I don't see this as the problem only because there are more pressing issues at hand...war, economy, our nation.

I have a lot of respect for McCain, as a person, and I think Palin is just an incredible personality with good experience. I do not like the way they positioned her as an "attack dog". MCain talks issues and she attacks..

I didn't like it when it was done to McCain, I didn't like it when it was done to her this past week and I don't like it being done to Obama.

Someone HAS to talk issues. In the end, dumb voters beget a dumb government... (eg. BUSH).

This is why Obama will win.. he is emerging as much more presidential especially if these attacks continue.

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» Oh, my! Posted by: mainspark
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: Lauren
» RE: Oh!!, my Avenging Angel?? Posted by: blurider
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: Quannah
» Keep it up bottom line Posted by: BreeMass
» RE: Keep it up bottom line Posted by: peacefullaim
» Add to that... Posted by: photon's feather
» Patriots Posted by: surfreality
» RE: Patriots Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Patriots Posted by: LionHeart
» Stupidity Strikes - again! Posted by: photon's feather
» Fantasy ideals Posted by: LionHeart
» RE: How absurd... Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: emmas.... Posted by: Quannah
» "Watch your language?" Posted by: war_on_tara
» RE: "Watch your language?" Posted by: war_on_tara
» Far left gone mad! Posted by: LionHeart
» it's all perspective..... Posted by: LionHeart

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Positively shocked to see this constructive comment from you, LionHeart.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Squarehead on Sep 6, 2008 5:02 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Positively shocked to see this constructive comment from you, LionHeart. Seeing as I had thought of you entirely as a message pusher, as a man on a mission of mis-information.

So if yours is a genuine analytic change of position, I applaud you for your honesty. Which, (Honesty) as we all should know, is the most fundamentally important human trait.

Thinking about the problems of US politics, from the point of view of the rest of the world, I was reading this AM a biography of John Foster Dulles. At the part dealing with the Paris Peace Conference in 1954, it is pointed out that ALL the other participants, Vietnamese, Russians, Chinese, English, French, were intent on settlement, Ho chi Minh was pressured into giving up certain things ("which were not justified by the mitary facts on the ground", but the US, as reresented by Dulles, would not agree. The consequence in the immediate was the collapse of talks and in the future was what we all know as the Vietnam War.

The stated reasoning was that Dulles was concerned about the Republican Right, in US politics. So, several comfortable white, male 'defenders of democracy' lived comfortably into old age, when young Americans, and young Vietnamese, who were not yet born at that time, died horribly in battle.

I think I see the same reasoning, in the comments from various GOP activists today. (e.g. vidoe interviews, New York Times)

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The Death Culture is Very, Very Tired, but the Prolifers are ENERGIZED
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Posted by: bottom-line on Sep 6, 2008 5:20 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yippee. Go Sarah. We love 'ya.

We've been marching on Washington EVERY SINGLE YEAR on January 23, since 1973. That is 35 years that a million people converge on Washington, traveling at great expense and inconvenience, to march in the coldest weather against abortion.

And every year the stinking controlled media ignores the whole thing, pretty much, giving a cursory mention to it, and giving equal coverage to maybbe a group of 8 proaborts holding up signs so as to offer "balance."

But we keep trying. We know we cannot forget the babies, the 1.5 million babies each year who are ripped from the safety of their mothers womb, dismembered, and thrown into a garbage bag.

So having somebody like Governor Sarah Palin enter this race proves that success comes to those who wait. Sarah Palin is no less energized to fight for the babies than are we.

McCain got off his leash and ran ahead of his handlers, and the Illuminati are weeping and gnashing their teeth. The power of God is on Sarah's shoulder, and nobody can touch her.

She's going to kick the corrupt murdering butts of the slimy crooks running WAshington, DC, all over the map. Wait until she gets Biden in a debate. It will be a bloodletting like you have never seen. I am going to have to go watch it on my neighbor's TV since I don't own a TV, but this is one time when I'll want to watch and can't wait to catch the clip later on the Net.

So, yes, to answer your question -- we know the Death Culture is very, very tired. But the prolifers? We have only just begun.

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» ORDINARY PRO-LIFE MURDERER Posted by: Moore Hognutz

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Worried
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Posted by: BeckyD on Sep 6, 2008 5:38 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
After Sarah Palin's acceptance of her party's nomination to the GOP ticket, the pundits couldn't stop praising her speech as "red meat" for the Republican base. If that was considered a red meat speech, why am I left feeling so undernourished?

Um, possibly because you're not part of the Republican base? Talk to some evangelicals or conservative Republicans. I work with a lot of them, and they felt very nourished by that speech. And while I think you're right that the culture wars play less well with the young, the big question is will they come out and vote? They'd better, because conservative Christians who were turned off by McCain are back in the game now, and I for one, am nervous.

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» RE: Worried Posted by: oregoncharles
» Downs syndrome Posted by: BlueTigress

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Palin is D.O.A.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Col. Jackleg on Sep 6, 2008 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Any woman that votes for this hood ornament raises the issue of woman's suffrage anew. There are plenty of very fine women in public office today and in executive positions throughout the economy and that is good and should be encouraged. But I'll be goddamed if I intend to sit still and witness the RNC-laden neocons and evangelical assholes attempt to ignore 8 years of the most despicable and corrupt governance in U.S. history by parading this utter incompetent to quiet the criticism and intimidate the media. Her public record is a debacle....read about it before you demur....and then hold it against the Republicans at every level in November. The nomination that should never have been will be D.O.A. in November and the epitaph will be good riddance to this entire despicable crowd of craven killers and pathological liars.

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» WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE NUKES Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Palin is D.O.A. Posted by: Lauren

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As long as the Democrats continue to take economic and even foreign policy issues off the table and
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 6:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the cons keep framing the issues their way with little to no reframing from the progressive/liberal movement, this is going to be a repeat of 2004. To staunch evangelies, it doesn't matter that these same base voters are losing their closest friends and family members to these bloody wars for oil in Iraq. Likewise, on the economy, it doesn't matter to them that they have been economically marginalized thanks to "free" trade, deregulation, privatization, offshoring, outsourcing, tax cuts for the wealthy/corporate elite, critical public infrastructure budget cuts, rising bankruptcies, rising crude oil prices resulting in higher gas prices as well as higher prices on just about everything else tied to oil and it will return right after the election, rising underemployment and unemployment, cuts in wages and benefits, rising foreclosures and other mortgage hell, etc ... And to the same evangelies, it will not be how degrading the environment has become thanks to over-industrialization of food obtained from burning more fossil fuels, more gas guzzlers releasing toxic chemicals in the air resulting in damaged and even dead fetuses, lack of product safety and consumer rights, loss of liberties and freedoms along with the Constitution being torn up, etc ...

I could add more to the list but getting back to it all, as long as the Democrats don't bring it up let alone address them but instead fold their tents and keep voting with the GOP like cowards, these same evangelies will remain conditioned to parrot rightwing BULLSHIT. Thomas Frank and George Lakoff made it very clear that a true progressive/liberal populist from campaigning to legislating would automatically turn a lot of otherwise staunch "conservatives" into swing voters.

I've been raising warning flags for a while that in most crimson red states and even red areas of blue states, the evangelie fundie leaders, be it the James Dobsons or the NRAs or the Terry Randells or whatever, have been working to make voters overlook the current disasters and install social fears such as getting them to believe that they'll lose their guns and bible even though a lot of these folks have or are in danger of losing more of their wages, their jobs, and even their homes to foreclosure, or even be forced into bankruptcy altogether.

You people out there had better find some way to counteract this rising dysfunctional rightwing madness in the next two months if you can because right now, it doesn't look pretty out there.

The good news is Ralph Nader is getting some exposure even in Dick Cheney's state of WY so maybe it'll dampen the red down some.

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By the way, Obama's showing up on Bill O'LIE-ly and surrendering AGAIN on Iraq only strengthens the
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 6:29 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
rightwing base. Until Democrats, progressives, and liberals learn their lesson that unless they're prepared to take down the rightwing puppet station, they should stay OFF of Faux Noise, the party will continue to be used as a DUMBSHOW and ridicule. That is why the die-hard "conservatives" will stay that way, the liberal base will be turned off and may even turn rabid "conservative" as I have been witnessing recently, the swing voters will look at Obama as an opportunist and reckon that if he can't take on the Bill O'LIE-lys he cannot defend America from the tyrants in power and from any foreign enemies abroad.

Hint: The same women voters who are claiming to be former Hillary voters flocking to Mccain (PUMA before Palin or after otherwise) would have been strong Obama supporters had Obama been an economic populist in these past 4 years as Senator and had he voted against funding the war-turned-occupation in Iraq as the money goes mainly to the profiteers while the troops get scraps at best and are economically devastated once they return home unless they were rich before they served.

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There Is Another Side To This Story
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Posted by: Last Chance on Sep 6, 2008 6:41 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What kind of future for Alaska was the Governor planning -- a surging supply of oil for a surging population and a surging boomtown economy to roll over the Alaska wilderness?!

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We can hope
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Posted by: slfiore on Sep 6, 2008 6:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I hope the writer is correct. But the Rovian advisors understand that if you sufficiently inflame the limbic system, the neo-cortex shuts down. Get people riled up and keep them riled up and they can't think.

If one party talks about complex problems and difficult solutions, and the other acts like a junkyard dog, who's more likely to rile people up? It's the mob phenomenon.

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» RE: We can hope Posted by: Lauren

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Palin's Pork !
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Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 7:28 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/palins-pork.html

Palin's Pork
Published by Lindsay Renick Mayer on September 2, 2008 10:29 AM

Alaska's well-known "Bridge to Nowhere" is among the most criticized federal earmarked projects, cancelled last year by the state's governor and John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. Palin, however, has brought home her own share of pork, according to an examination by Taxpayers for Common Sense that was reported in the Washington Post. During the four years she was mayor of the 6,700-resident town of Wasilla, Palin hired the Anchorage-based law firm Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh to represent the small town on Capitol Hill. The result was nearly $27 million in federal earmarks in the final four years that Palin was mayor, including $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs and $15 million for a rail project, the Post reported.

Despite her success in getting federal funds for Wasilla, McCain introduced Palin as his partner in fighting wasteful spending. Palin said that as governor, she "stood up to the old politics-as-usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good-ol'-boy network." The Alaska governor has been outspoken against Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on corruption charges, though the law firm she hired to bring in the earmarks has connections to both lawmakers.

Palin was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 until 2002 and the town spent $96,000 on lobbying from 2000 until 2002. Overall the town has spent $300,750 on lobbying since 2000. In the first six months of this year Wasilla has spent $20,250 on lobbying efforts, about half of what it spent altogether last year.

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» RE: Palin's Pork ? Posted by: Last Chance
» I already said that, but -- Posted by: Last Chance

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Palin is a Nazi and it has been proven
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Posted by: Bob Horn on Sep 6, 2008 7:46 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Palin's minister said three weeks ago with her in the room, that jews deserve to die because they have not converted to Christianity. Let her tell that to an outdoor crowd in New York, Miami, or in other countries. She also thinks having a world war is great so that only 144,000 will be left alive. This has been documented by Thom Hartman, Rachel Madow, and others.
Anyone voting for her is a criminal and an idiot.

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» Hogwash! Posted by: Last Chance
» RE: Hogwash! Posted by: Bob Horn
» RE: Hogwash! Posted by: Last Chance

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30 second spot on Palin
[Report this comment]
Posted by: bmikkelsen on Sep 6, 2008 8:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Start with a clip of her talking about "Alaska has more money than we know what to do with", and follow with her initials on the Alaska budget slashing over a million dollars in state funding for a program that provides housing, job and parenting skills for unwed teen-aged mothers

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» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bmikkelsen
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: PopRox80
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: Ethical1
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: cmaciain
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: JSquercia
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: nativechef66

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tony
[Report this comment]
Posted by: zmar09 on Sep 6, 2008 8:09 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Palin's readiness for complex foreign policy engagement is best summed up by the way she pronounces the word "Iraq". Can Americans be fooled twice (three times if you count BUsh's second term) into electing another "proud to be dumb" candidate?

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A bunch of Governor Palin's racial slurs
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Posted by: PaulK on Sep 6, 2008 8:16 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Pejorative words for Senator Obama, for Senator Clinton, for the Alaskan Natives (odd that her husband is 1/8 Alaskan Native.

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/
alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-
palin-is-%E2%80%9Cracist-
sexist-vindictive-and-mean%E2%80%9D/#more-954

From the article: “She’s a bigot, a racist, and a liar,” is the more blunt assessment of Arnold Gerstheimer who lived in Alaska until two years ago and is now a businessman in Idaho.

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» So go censor MTV Posted by: edgar1

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FREE LEVI! The Governor is holding him hostage!
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Posted by: war_on_tara on Sep 6, 2008 8:18 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What I want to know is, WHEN exactly are Bristol and Levi ("no kids in my future") getting married? What exactly are they waiting for? She's already 5 months pregnant, and HER MOM HAS A SHOTGUN!

What are they waiting for... they want their kid to be the ring-bearer? They're hoping J. Sidney will let them have a White House wedding?

Could it be that poor Levi is under house arrest? It's not easy to leave Alaska - you need to fly, or take a ferry to Seattle (ID required), or cross into a very wild part of Canada (ID especially required) and you would have to get to the border to begin with....

I think Levi is actually being HELD HOSTAGE until after the election!

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» Rouge Cou Posted by: war_on_tara
» Naked Gun I Posted by: edgar1

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Sarah's pit bull comment NOT CUTE!!!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: johngary on Sep 6, 2008 9:06 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sarah’s comparing herself to a pit bull wasn’t cuts. Pitbulls are vicious...banned in many cities...and are notorious for attacking innocent children. Is this the real Sarah Palin?
You bet, but she aint cute!!! Check out pitbullattack.wordpress.com

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» How long is the prison term? Posted by: war_on_tara

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Bottom-Line, What Planet Do You Live On?
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Carol Burns on Sep 6, 2008 9:30 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bush/Cheney = front men for the military/industrial complex (the one Eisenhower warned against), war profiteers, murdering slime.
McCain/Palin = front man/woman for the military/industrial complex, "Songbird"/hypocrite, Bush/Cheney clones.

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LOL
[Report this comment]
Posted by: GreyFoxThree on Sep 6, 2008 9:47 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think Americans are Weary of STUPID President and President wannabe's. I cannot believe that anyone with an ounce of common sense is actualyl considering McBush.

Jiff
Ultimate Anonymity

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» RE: LOL Yes LOL Posted by: niliadis
» Soda Jerks Posted by: edgar1

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U.S. Has Highest Teen Pregnancy Rate in the Developed World
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Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 10:15 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
from www.electoral-vote.com

Bristol Palin is not alone. There are 400,000 other unwed teenage mothers in the U.S. right now, the highest per capita rate among developed countries. The U.S. is tied with Hungary for the most abortions. One might think that people who believe abortion is murder would be doing everything in their power to prevent unwanted pregnancies to eliminate potential abortions, but that is not the case at all. While everyone should leave Bristol alone now, since the subject is in the news, the public policy issue of how to avoid unwanted teen pregnancies is certainly fair game. This op-ed piece in the NY Times discusses how the policy of abstinence-only education has been a dismal failure that leads to pregnancies and abortions. Other countries have other policies and far fewer abortions.

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» Russia? Posted by: edgar1

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Oops. Here's the op-ed piece: LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX
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Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 10:16 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sarah Palin has a pregnant teenager. And, she’s not alone. According to a report published in 2007, there are more than 400,000 other American girls in the same predicament.
Skip to next paragraph

Charles M. Blow
Go to Columnist Page »Blog: By the Numbers
Multimedia
Graphic

In fact, a 2001 Unicef report said that the United States teenage birthrate was higher than any other member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The U.S. tied Hungary for the most abortions. This was in spite of the fact that girls in the U.S. were not the most sexually active. Denmark held that title. But, its teenage birthrate was one-sixth of ours, and its teenage abortion rate was half of ours.

If there is a shame here, it’s a national shame — a failure of our puritanical society to accept and deal with the facts. Teenagers have sex. How often and how safely depends on how much knowledge and support they have. Crossing our fingers that they won’t cross the line is not an intelligent strategy.

To wit, our ridiculous experiment in abstinence-only education seems to be winding down with a study finding that it didn’t work. States are opting out of it. Parents don’t like it either. According to a 2004 survey sponsored by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, 65 percent of parents of high school students said that federal money “should be used to fund more comprehensive sex education programs that include information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraceptives.”

We need to take some bold steps beyond the borders of our moralizing and discomfort and create a sex education infrastructure that actually acknowledges reality and protects our children from unwanted pregnancies, or worse.

Britain is already taking these steps. London’s Daily Telegraph reported last month on a June study that found that “one in three secondary schools in England now has a sexual health clinic to give condoms, pregnancy tests and even morning-after pills to children as young as 11.”

Furthermore, a bipartisan group from the British Parliament is seeking to make sex education compulsory for “children as young as four years old.” In a letter to the paper, the group laid out its case: “International evidence suggests that high-quality sex and relationship education that puts sex in its proper context, that starts early enough to make a difference and that gives youngsters the confidence and ability to make well-informed decisions helps young people delay their first sexual experience and leads to lower teenage pregnancy levels.”

That may be extreme, but many Americans can’t even talk about sex without giggling, squirming or blushing. Let’s start there. Talk to your kids about sex tonight, with confidence and a straight face. “I’d prefer you waited to have sex. That said, whenever you choose to do it, make sure you use one of these condoms.” It works.

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Deborah Marie Richter
[Report this comment]
Posted by: coyote on Sep 6, 2008 10:28 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Deborah Marie Richter is the person you want to talk to if you want the scoop on the Palin affair. She is the wife of the other guy. Now ex wife.

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1 percent Alaska is privately owned
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Posted by: LillianB on Sep 6, 2008 10:37 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A mere 1 percent of Alaska is privately owned. The rest is state, federal and tribal lands. The "development" argument is bogus.

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» Proves My Point. Posted by: Last Chance

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Cindy McCain thought John didn't want to overturn Roe v. Wade
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Posted by: war_on_tara on Sep 6, 2008 10:43 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I loved that interview where Cindy McCain was sure John didn't want to overturn Roe v. Wade! (Newsflash: he does.)

It sums up mainstream "conservative," "pro-life" "thinking" on that subject... talk a lot about how abortion should be illegal, but never do much about it.

They will be in for a shock if the Supremes ever actually do anything about it.

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Republicans spit on Jesus, then clap and cheer
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Posted by: leafsong1 on Sep 6, 2008 11:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
USA! USA! America first! America First! All the people who chanted these slogans are going to Aych-Eee-double-hockey-sticks. Jesus of Nazareth taught that all the people of Earth are children of God. Those who despise and ridicule compassion for anyone born outside our borders are NOT CHRISTIANS. They are Jesus-haters dancing on Christ's grave to the delight of the enemies of God.

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Back to the subject of culture war
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Posted by: AsteroidMiner on Sep 6, 2008 11:54 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Reference: "The Republican War on Science" by Chris
Mooney, 2005, Basic Books.

It has the following URLs:
http://www.waronscience.com/home.php
http://www.chriscmooney.com/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05268/576883.stm

See also:
"Undermining Science, suppression and distortion in the
Bush Administration" by Seth Shulman, 2006
www,ropercenter.uconn.edu

"The Republican War on Science" by Chris Mooney says:

Because Trofim Lysenko convinced Josef Stalin that
genetics is wrong, 12 million people died of starvation.
The coal companies convinced President George W. Bush
[and Senator Inohe] that global warming hasn't happened
and 12 hundred people died in hurricanes in 2005. For the
same reason, people died in the wildfires in Oklahoma. 12
hundred is less than 12 million, but GWB is still comparable
to Stalin. Both adopted anti-science policies for ideological
reasons and thereby murdered large numbers of their own
citizens.

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Community Organizer
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Posted by: JSquercia on Sep 6, 2008 11:58 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The disdain shown by Palin for Obama's work as a Community Organizer should be turned against her . Obama was helping Steel workers
who lost their jobs when a steel plant closed . These were people who were middle class and quite probably white . What the republican's want to spin is the idea thaat Obama was aiding Poor BLACKS and we all know that is a NO NO . It ties in well with their usual Racism . We already have seen Ga Rep Westmoreland refer to Obama as uppity . A none to subtle reminder to his target audience of Obama's race

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» RE: Community Organizer-NOT Posted by: edgar1
» RE: Community Organizer-NOT Posted by: BreeMass
» RE: Community Organizer Posted by: maestra

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Palin/Experience
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Posted by: Hapa on Sep 6, 2008 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
She has done nothing but been offered to the white-wing extremists as payment for their support of the broken-down tamed "Maverick". She is their "Show-Pony". Governor of a Legislature that meets 90 days a year?, sounds like a "free home-trial". "If you tell a lie enough times it begins to sound like the truth. She is a typical conservative of the "I've got mine, you get yours"mentality.

"She can't even run her own life
I'll be damned if she runs mine"

Vote Issues
Vote Early
Vote Often

The difference between George Bush and Sarah Palin? Lipstick

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» RE: Oh, ANOTHER Posted by: Moore Hognutz

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A star was born! and the Dems are in panic!!!!
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Posted by: niliadis on Sep 6, 2008 1:12 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yes Palin is a go go go getter and the Dems are running around with their head cut off looking for dirt..Well no matter what dirt they may bring up it will never be the kind of dirt/truth about their Radical liberal who talks about change and is nothing of change except that he is black! Did Obama say change?
Biden change??? Biden is the Broken Washington Obama was going to fix! Give us a break..Obama will say and do anything to get the vote...like denouncing his friend, preacher, uncle like, MENTOR of Twenty Years:
The Radical Black Theologist Anti-American
Jerramiah Wright!!!! Obama denounce him you would say...and I say Why?
for Pure Self Serving political gains-
What a joke on the Obamamaniacs and they have all fallen for the Change..What Change????

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» C'mon... Posted by: Ahimsa

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Obama is "uppity" article
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Posted by: Slappy Whyte on Sep 6, 2008 3:11 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
funny pic and article about the Obama is "uppity" comments:

uppity article at megasizzle.com

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Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Posted by: boing007 on Sep 6, 2008 4:49 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
'The Scarlet Letter' rides again.

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Take a look
[Report this comment]
Posted by: macdon1 on Sep 6, 2008 5:38 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you want to see the real Sarah Palin take a look at her blog.
http://sarahpalin.typepad.com/
Is it just me or does this quote from Sarah's blog seem like a racist dig
"#1: University of Hawaii
This was where I started out but it turned out to be a little too "urban" if you catch my drift. I don't want to spell it out but HINT: Barak Obama's parents met there."

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» RE: Take a look Posted by: sasha40

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ba
[Report this comment]
Posted by: mnstra on Sep 6, 2008 5:44 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The writer has been saying things about the power elite like he is surprised at all of this. Is this a high school term paper?.Where is the substance. Are you a critic. Where are you values to counter balance this republican crap// Where is your destiny? Vision?
We grow tired and weary of this democratic complaint based reactionary dribble.At least the Republicans are for something and they are clear about it.: More oppression that the last 8 years........ Bring in some vision in your writings on alter net;
that would get my vote.We don't go to the polls to not vote. we go to pick a candidate we believe in. Vote Nader

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CommonDreamer
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Posted by: CommonDreamer on Sep 6, 2008 6:20 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Brilliant article. And another thing we must stop is "cultural terrorism" at which the right is so very good. What is it with sports, anyway? I'm an artist type who respects sports...I think they're great...(even if I'm not personally very good at much of it...and not too proud to admit it)...but I don't think playing sports makes you a better patriot than me (so you're a hockey mom - I'm the mom of a potential documentary film maker studying in college.)...we should all be proud of whatever path our children choose. And we should be proud of diversity - not picking off what types of activities we deem to be "American small town" - as if other activities such as acting, painting, filmmaking, activism, and so on are suspect and not of the same import.

Your child's sports participation (being a soccer mom, a hockey dad) - is this the low bar for being a true patriot? Give me a break. A real patriot doesn't buy this drivel .....instead let's look at a person's actions on behalf of the people - not just a priveleged few. A real patriot is an activist and a thinker first - and ideally should use sports or whatever it is he/she does to change the world for the better, not to validate his/her political stance as some kind of small town zealot.

Let's hope this empty dreck that presumes citizens with only certain kinds of interests are patriots dies as it should and is seen for the divisive hypocrisy it is.

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Regarding Last Chance
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Posted by: Bob Horn on Sep 6, 2008 10:20 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Like others who prefer to discuss things with people who are not from the 1500's I decided to block all comments from the right wing idiot going by the name of "Last Chance". If I want to debate with a conservative I can do that with one of the few conservatives with an IQ above zero. Some faculty members where I have taught have conservative ideas but are not retarded. They are more human than Last Chance and nobody with a brain should have to look at his crap.

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» RE: egarding Last Chance Posted by: maxpayne
» RE: egarding Last Chance Posted by: Last Chance

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oxheadone
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Posted by: oxheadone on Sep 7, 2008 1:00 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It's not only the old religious bigotry. It's also simple anti-black bigotry.

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Where Pro Choice & Pro Life Agree-Reckless Endangerment
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Posted by: Purple Girl on Sep 7, 2008 4:49 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Regardless of your stance on the 9 moths in utero, Women are strong advocates regardling the safety and welfar of children.
Palins 'Birthing Story' offendes even those of US who would have made a different decsion regarding this child with Down syndrome.
Once you have CHOSEN to give birth to a child it is the responsiblity of th emother to do eveything she can to assure it's health and walfare. Palin Did Not. She decided to prioritze a Speech, a 6 hour flight and travel Out to BFE before she sought Medical attention for her One Month Premature child!She CHOSE to by pass numerous hospitals, Fetal Monitors and Ultrasounds which would have determined if that child was in Fetal Distress!!!
So this Mommy facade she is tauting has serious Flaws in judgement.
As far as I'm concerned her actions (INactions) constitute Reckless endgangerment and Indifference to Life!

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Political Flakes (warning: this product may contain nuts)
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Posted by: blogoffanddie on Sep 7, 2008 7:29 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the Democratic Party is a lot like a box of chocolates, you’re never sure where the nuts are - whereas the Republican Party is a lot like a chocolate fudge sundae, they tend to put the biggest nuts right on top.

http://www.blogoffanddie.wordpress.com

I would never hit someone with a hockey stick, unless of course, we were playing hockey. Then I swing at anything that moves.

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Sarah Palin is a mad dipshit with delusions of Christhood.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Nightstallion on Sep 7, 2008 8:57 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This subhuman slattern claims not only to be Christian but takes her humanity as preordained substantiated fact, and this fornicating shit ain't the Christianity I was taught, these people are not Christians I do not know what or who they are but If I ever see this in front of me I will try my best to kill it or be brought down myself. This Sarah Palin subcreature is anathema to the Constitution of the United States, its People for whom (if) she speaks, will make an enemy of me and every Veteran I know who can think.

This is the same kind of shit thinking that got us into that damn Bay of Pigs fiasco, Nam and the shit we pulled on the Panamanian Village we wiped out in '82. What does it take? Who do I see about this stupid horseshit? When do we stop killing people for monetary gain? Why are there no survivors of the attack on Hussein’s money laundries? Who sold Sarin Gas in American Packaging to Hussein? Where are the Snowdens of Yesteryear? View this videotape to see where :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNU4DXHR1Fw

It appears I cannot stop myself this fecal material will continue until I am dead or the bastards stop doing the WAR thing.


http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/articles/warisaracket.htm

Major General Smedley D. Butler USMC ret.

Two time Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient!
War is a Racket!
Make use of the Addy above or order the book from Barnes and Noble.

PS ALTERNET your linked text function does not work

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READY ON DAY ONE?
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Posted by: gan on Sep 7, 2008 9:09 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The McCain/Palin Campaign says that they are the ones who are ready to assume the presidency on day one...but they are not even ready to take questions from the PRESS on day one! They are keeping her away from the press right now because behind the scenes they are trying to pump her full of talking points, as a substitute for any real knowledge on the issues. This is Bush all over again!

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I think Sanho missed it almost entirely
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Posted by: MartianBachelor on Sep 7, 2008 9:43 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There was nothing (or very little) in the way of traditional "Culture Wars" stuff in Palin's speech, or in the RNC presentations in general. Even the post-speech PBS commentators discussed this: no mention of such hot button items as gay marriage, putting the ten commandments in schools, the increasing tawdriness of popular culture, etc, etc.

So I think Sanho is way, way off base, is the one who's stuck in the past, and is exaggerating (projecting?) wildly in virtually everything in this article, and thus has it all wrong IMO.

I don't see either McCain or Palin as being lock-step culture warriors of the sort we associate with the South and certain parts of the Baptist church. The R's have already got the South. So if the fundies and wingnuts support them thinking they're carrying their banner, they're going to be disappointed.

The current political battle is being fought primarily in the West and the rust belt mid-West, where fiscal conservativism, freedom/liberty, and smaller government, and, yes, patriotism, take precedence over cultural issues by a large amount.

Not that I've heard Obama say he's for shrinking the military by 50%, putting an end to the drug wars, or any of a number of other things which might appeal greatly to the current taste for issues with a fiscally conservative dimension to them - not to mention that morally they're the right thing to do, too.

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Kurt Vonnegut said it best
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Posted by: AMerrickanGirl on Sep 7, 2008 11:00 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
From Wikipedia.

Kurt Vonnegut described countries and other political entities as "granfalloons", defined as: a group of people who outwardly choose or claim to have a shared identity or purpose, but whose mutual association is actually meaningless. The most common granfalloons are associations and societies based on a shared but ultimately fabricated premise. As examples, Vonnegut cites: "the Communist Party, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the General Electric Company, the International Order of Odd Fellows—and any nation, anytime, anywhere." A more general and oft-cited quote defines a granfalloon as "a proud and meaningless association of human beings."

"If you wish to study a granfalloon, just remove the skin of a toy balloon."

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Lionheart gone mad...er ..stupid?....er
[Report this comment]
Posted by: donl51 on Sep 7, 2008 12:53 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...I'm really impressed !feel outnumbered in your views do you?...probably not,need a mind for that...You are absolutely entitled to your own opinion on things,just wish you had a clue what you are saying..but that could be asking for too much!...good to hear from you...we need the entertainment!

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Culture warriors still virulent
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Posted by: cave17 on Sep 7, 2008 1:47 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
While this article might have a point, I find an element of self-delusion in the writer's optimism. He forgets that the reason Culture War strategy has served the Right so successfully over the years is precisely that it provides a meta-reality displacing any discussion of real-life issues. Wrestling with complex issues is effete, concern about the consequences of war is sissification, mindless action is manly.

The Culture War substitutes reptilian noise for sober thinking and, pathetically, we have a critical majority of Americans who have been conditioned to perceive reality only in cartoon form. In a degraded political culture emotionalism will trump rationalism every time.

The dumbing down of America that everyone talks about but can't seem to do anything about is, in fact, the grand strategy of our power elite culture to facilitate their rule, and they have super-imposed it on our electorate over the years magnificently. I could be wrong (wish I were), but I can't imagine our stupider fellow citizens coming to new conclusions just because their lives are crap. They'll just blame whatever they're told to blame because it makes their groin warm.

It's possible that Culture Warriors may falter, but I think powerful symbology will carry the day for them - and Klodike Barbie is, if nothing else, powerful symbology.

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Sanho Tree...
[Report this comment]
Posted by: Ghoulman on Sep 7, 2008 4:53 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
... I don't know if that's a guy or a girl, but I'm loving it. Great read, spot on references to the GOP culture war memes.

Thanx! :)

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Sarah Palin appropriate as Republican VP pick
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Posted by: David Baker on Sep 7, 2008 5:00 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Only two qualifications are necessary to be a 21st Century Republican VP: you gotta be into shooting stuff and your motto is "drill baby drill." On that score Palin is absolutely appropriate for the job.

However, despite these plusses, she doesn't possess the primary qualification for being a C21 Republican President: she does not play golf.

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President Palin's radio address, 2010
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Posted by: Jasonix on Sep 7, 2008 7:01 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Using my gift of prophecy, I foresee the following radio address given by President Sarah Palin in 2010:

"My fellow Americans - the last two years have been trying times for us all. For the day when President McCain was found dead in the Oval Office two months after taking office, I have waged the best fight I could against liberals, environmentalists, and even other evangelical Christians who aren't as truly Biblical as my own Assemblies of God denomination, which is now America's state church. The $9 per gallon gasoline has enabled me to give 6,000 Euro rebate checks to every resident of Alaska.

"As proud as I am of these triumphs, I come before you today with a heavy heart. I must inform you all that I have launched our nuclear arsenal against Russia, which has retaliated by launching its missiles against us. Russian president Medvedev was resolute in pursuing sanctions against Israel and selling arms to Israel's Muslim neighbors. As we know from Scripture, all nations that oppose Israel must be destroyed, and God has laid this task on our great nation.

"Do not fear, my fellow Americans, because this turn of events was foretold in the book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, and interpreted with verve by great theologians like Hal Lindsey and Tim LaHaye, the latter a member of the Council for National Policy which forced President McCain to accept me as VP. A nuclear conflict between Russia and the United States, in which both nations are destroyed and the way is then opened for the rise of the European anti-christ, has long been taught by true Bible-believing Christians like my own beloved AOG denomination. I feel profoundly honored to be the hand of God in this matter.

"In these last few minutes of our earthly lives, I want all fellow Americans to ask Jesus into their hearts. Are you sure when your atoms are blown apart in the next ten minutes that you'll spend eternity in the arms of Baby Jesus? If not, say this prayer with me, and accept Him as Lord and Savior of your soul."

This is a real possibility, I'm sorry to say.

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This part made me laugh:
[Report this comment]
Posted by: sln70 on Sep 7, 2008 7:35 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...then the Democrats will likely counterattack by arguing, "If Mr. Maverick can't stand up to the 'agents of intolerance' in his own party, then how will he stand up to 'Islamic terrorists'?"

Dems don't counterattack, and that's their biggest mistake. Fuck, you guys actually conceded to the Howard Dean scream thing!!!

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Change is in the air!
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Posted by: thinkverybig on Sep 7, 2008 8:01 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM58nqX1ehE


Please share this video with everyone you know. We can change the world, together!

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By the way, please read "DEAR HUNTING WITH JESUS" by Joe Bageant.
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 7, 2008 8:38 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And here's his site:

http://www.joebageant.com

If anyone lives in the DC/Northern VA area, just go on I-66 West 40 miles from the capital and well, it'll almost look like Kansas once you get to Fauquier County.

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Tired
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Posted by: BCcovers on Sep 8, 2008 10:55 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I am so sick and tired of these culture wars where we are distracted as a people from the real and difficult tasks confronting us. Personally, I don't care if gays can or can't get "married", Roe v Wade will never be overturned (despite what either side claims), or whether or not black people prefer McDonald's over Asparagus and why. These are all divissive issues meant to separate and segment ourselves into smaller and smaller groups. Eventually (and you can already see it happening) we begin to forget that we all have a hell of a lot more in common with each other as Americans than either party admits.

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» Dude, same here. Posted by: maxpayne

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Republicans manipulate national emotions
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Posted by: tazlmo on Sep 11, 2008 2:30 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In a new book, The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, Dr Drew Weston talks about politics in America being driven by emotions rather than logic. In Weston's analysis the Republicans are much better at manipulating the emotional icons that stir American emotional responses like patriotism, religion, mom and apple pie. I think there is some validity to this theory, and I think the Republicans are once again, attempting to win by establishing an emotional response to gloss over their lack of substance.

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Culture Wars are a bone to the Religious Right
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Posted by: tazlmo on Sep 11, 2008 2:36 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
McCain had to find a way to cater to the religious right neo conservative members of the republican party and Sarah Palin was his answer. Together they can revive those issues that people like James Dobson hold dear, and try to defeat abortion, evolution, sex ed, LGBT rights, and any other issue that doesn’t jibe with the interests of a christian theocracy. People like us are tired of hearing about it, but there is a select group that is salivating to have those issues be front and center once again.

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MUST see video
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Posted by: FactsOnly on Sep 12, 2008 12:40 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This about sums it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

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Alternet Comments:

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Red meat? more like red herring
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Posted by: ohb0b on Sep 6, 2008 12:42 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A true sign of desperation. After mis-managing the country for eight years, there's not much of a record to run on, so they have gone back to the only thing they know. Maybe the electorate will fall for it again.

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» RE: Prevention Posted by: oregoncharles
» RE: ed meat? more like red herring Posted by: bottom-line

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Palin is a follow the leader pick
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Posted by: jreal on Sep 6, 2008 12:45 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The only reason Palin has been picked is because the Democrats opened the doors to non-white, and non-male candidates. It seems that the Republicans are following in Democrats trail on how to run for office and play the culture game.

Other than that, she's just a salesperson for the oil companies. That's really all she is. The oil company's salesperson. That's her culture, drill drill drill. Drill Baby Drill. Good if you're an Alaskan, or an oil exec, Sucks if your not.

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» BP sponsored her inauguration Posted by: war_on_tara
» RE: follow the money Posted by: Sushi
» No dickweed..er..Lionheart Posted by: donl51

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Especially since Alaska gets a cut of the oil profits...
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Posted by: ahmlco on Sep 6, 2008 3:23 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is all true, especially since Alaska gets a cut of the oil profits. Alaska gets a cut from all oil drilled on government owned leases, makes money on selling the leases themselves, and gets a huge slice of the pie on STATE taxes on every barrel of oil.

The more oil Alaska produces, the more dollars flow into the state governments coffers. Worse, oil companies deduct the state taxes paid on their own federal returns, in effect transferring even more federal tax dollars directly to Alaska.

Of COURSE she wants more drilling. Without oil, the state goes back to selling fish and moose burgers.

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Forget culture..tell me what the issues are!
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Posted by: LionHeart on Sep 6, 2008 3:49 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Well, the left has been waging a culture war on this country for some time now.. pro drugs, anti religion, anti patriotism etc... but in this case I don't see this as the problem only because there are more pressing issues at hand...war, economy, our nation.

I have a lot of respect for McCain, as a person, and I think Palin is just an incredible personality with good experience. I do not like the way they positioned her as an "attack dog". MCain talks issues and she attacks..

I didn't like it when it was done to McCain, I didn't like it when it was done to her this past week and I don't like it being done to Obama.

Someone HAS to talk issues. In the end, dumb voters beget a dumb government... (eg. BUSH).

This is why Obama will win.. he is emerging as much more presidential especially if these attacks continue.

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» Oh, my! Posted by: mainspark
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: Lauren
» RE: Oh!!, my Avenging Angel?? Posted by: blurider
» RE: Oh, my! Posted by: Quannah
» Keep it up bottom line Posted by: BreeMass
» RE: Keep it up bottom line Posted by: peacefullaim
» Add to that... Posted by: photon's feather
» Patriots Posted by: surfreality
» RE: Patriots Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Patriots Posted by: LionHeart
» Stupidity Strikes - again! Posted by: photon's feather
» Fantasy ideals Posted by: LionHeart
» RE: How absurd... Posted by: photon's feather
» RE: emmas.... Posted by: Quannah
» "Watch your language?" Posted by: war_on_tara
» RE: "Watch your language?" Posted by: war_on_tara
» Far left gone mad! Posted by: LionHeart
» it's all perspective..... Posted by: LionHeart

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Positively shocked to see this constructive comment from you, LionHeart.
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Posted by: Squarehead on Sep 6, 2008 5:02 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Positively shocked to see this constructive comment from you, LionHeart. Seeing as I had thought of you entirely as a message pusher, as a man on a mission of mis-information.

So if yours is a genuine analytic change of position, I applaud you for your honesty. Which, (Honesty) as we all should know, is the most fundamentally important human trait.

Thinking about the problems of US politics, from the point of view of the rest of the world, I was reading this AM a biography of John Foster Dulles. At the part dealing with the Paris Peace Conference in 1954, it is pointed out that ALL the other participants, Vietnamese, Russians, Chinese, English, French, were intent on settlement, Ho chi Minh was pressured into giving up certain things ("which were not justified by the mitary facts on the ground", but the US, as reresented by Dulles, would not agree. The consequence in the immediate was the collapse of talks and in the future was what we all know as the Vietnam War.

The stated reasoning was that Dulles was concerned about the Republican Right, in US politics. So, several comfortable white, male 'defenders of democracy' lived comfortably into old age, when young Americans, and young Vietnamese, who were not yet born at that time, died horribly in battle.

I think I see the same reasoning, in the comments from various GOP activists today. (e.g. vidoe interviews, New York Times)

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The Death Culture is Very, Very Tired, but the Prolifers are ENERGIZED
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Posted by: bottom-line on Sep 6, 2008 5:20 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yippee. Go Sarah. We love 'ya.

We've been marching on Washington EVERY SINGLE YEAR on January 23, since 1973. That is 35 years that a million people converge on Washington, traveling at great expense and inconvenience, to march in the coldest weather against abortion.

And every year the stinking controlled media ignores the whole thing, pretty much, giving a cursory mention to it, and giving equal coverage to maybbe a group of 8 proaborts holding up signs so as to offer "balance."

But we keep trying. We know we cannot forget the babies, the 1.5 million babies each year who are ripped from the safety of their mothers womb, dismembered, and thrown into a garbage bag.

So having somebody like Governor Sarah Palin enter this race proves that success comes to those who wait. Sarah Palin is no less energized to fight for the babies than are we.

McCain got off his leash and ran ahead of his handlers, and the Illuminati are weeping and gnashing their teeth. The power of God is on Sarah's shoulder, and nobody can touch her.

She's going to kick the corrupt murdering butts of the slimy crooks running WAshington, DC, all over the map. Wait until she gets Biden in a debate. It will be a bloodletting like you have never seen. I am going to have to go watch it on my neighbor's TV since I don't own a TV, but this is one time when I'll want to watch and can't wait to catch the clip later on the Net.

So, yes, to answer your question -- we know the Death Culture is very, very tired. But the prolifers? We have only just begun.

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» ORDINARY PRO-LIFE MURDERER Posted by: Moore Hognutz

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Worried
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Posted by: BeckyD on Sep 6, 2008 5:38 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
After Sarah Palin's acceptance of her party's nomination to the GOP ticket, the pundits couldn't stop praising her speech as "red meat" for the Republican base. If that was considered a red meat speech, why am I left feeling so undernourished?

Um, possibly because you're not part of the Republican base? Talk to some evangelicals or conservative Republicans. I work with a lot of them, and they felt very nourished by that speech. And while I think you're right that the culture wars play less well with the young, the big question is will they come out and vote? They'd better, because conservative Christians who were turned off by McCain are back in the game now, and I for one, am nervous.

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» RE: Worried Posted by: oregoncharles
» Downs syndrome Posted by: BlueTigress

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Palin is D.O.A.
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Posted by: Col. Jackleg on Sep 6, 2008 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Any woman that votes for this hood ornament raises the issue of woman's suffrage anew. There are plenty of very fine women in public office today and in executive positions throughout the economy and that is good and should be encouraged. But I'll be goddamed if I intend to sit still and witness the RNC-laden neocons and evangelical assholes attempt to ignore 8 years of the most despicable and corrupt governance in U.S. history by parading this utter incompetent to quiet the criticism and intimidate the media. Her public record is a debacle....read about it before you demur....and then hold it against the Republicans at every level in November. The nomination that should never have been will be D.O.A. in November and the epitaph will be good riddance to this entire despicable crowd of craven killers and pathological liars.

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» WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE NUKES Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: Palin is D.O.A. Posted by: Lauren

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As long as the Democrats continue to take economic and even foreign policy issues off the table and
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 6:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the cons keep framing the issues their way with little to no reframing from the progressive/liberal movement, this is going to be a repeat of 2004. To staunch evangelies, it doesn't matter that these same base voters are losing their closest friends and family members to these bloody wars for oil in Iraq. Likewise, on the economy, it doesn't matter to them that they have been economically marginalized thanks to "free" trade, deregulation, privatization, offshoring, outsourcing, tax cuts for the wealthy/corporate elite, critical public infrastructure budget cuts, rising bankruptcies, rising crude oil prices resulting in higher gas prices as well as higher prices on just about everything else tied to oil and it will return right after the election, rising underemployment and unemployment, cuts in wages and benefits, rising foreclosures and other mortgage hell, etc ... And to the same evangelies, it will not be how degrading the environment has become thanks to over-industrialization of food obtained from burning more fossil fuels, more gas guzzlers releasing toxic chemicals in the air resulting in damaged and even dead fetuses, lack of product safety and consumer rights, loss of liberties and freedoms along with the Constitution being torn up, etc ...

I could add more to the list but getting back to it all, as long as the Democrats don't bring it up let alone address them but instead fold their tents and keep voting with the GOP like cowards, these same evangelies will remain conditioned to parrot rightwing BULLSHIT. Thomas Frank and George Lakoff made it very clear that a true progressive/liberal populist from campaigning to legislating would automatically turn a lot of otherwise staunch "conservatives" into swing voters.

I've been raising warning flags for a while that in most crimson red states and even red areas of blue states, the evangelie fundie leaders, be it the James Dobsons or the NRAs or the Terry Randells or whatever, have been working to make voters overlook the current disasters and install social fears such as getting them to believe that they'll lose their guns and bible even though a lot of these folks have or are in danger of losing more of their wages, their jobs, and even their homes to foreclosure, or even be forced into bankruptcy altogether.

You people out there had better find some way to counteract this rising dysfunctional rightwing madness in the next two months if you can because right now, it doesn't look pretty out there.

The good news is Ralph Nader is getting some exposure even in Dick Cheney's state of WY so maybe it'll dampen the red down some.

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By the way, Obama's showing up on Bill O'LIE-ly and surrendering AGAIN on Iraq only strengthens the
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 6:29 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
rightwing base. Until Democrats, progressives, and liberals learn their lesson that unless they're prepared to take down the rightwing puppet station, they should stay OFF of Faux Noise, the party will continue to be used as a DUMBSHOW and ridicule. That is why the die-hard "conservatives" will stay that way, the liberal base will be turned off and may even turn rabid "conservative" as I have been witnessing recently, the swing voters will look at Obama as an opportunist and reckon that if he can't take on the Bill O'LIE-lys he cannot defend America from the tyrants in power and from any foreign enemies abroad.

Hint: The same women voters who are claiming to be former Hillary voters flocking to Mccain (PUMA before Palin or after otherwise) would have been strong Obama supporters had Obama been an economic populist in these past 4 years as Senator and had he voted against funding the war-turned-occupation in Iraq as the money goes mainly to the profiteers while the troops get scraps at best and are economically devastated once they return home unless they were rich before they served.

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There Is Another Side To This Story
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Posted by: Last Chance on Sep 6, 2008 6:41 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What kind of future for Alaska was the Governor planning -- a surging supply of oil for a surging population and a surging boomtown economy to roll over the Alaska wilderness?!

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We can hope
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Posted by: slfiore on Sep 6, 2008 6:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I hope the writer is correct. But the Rovian advisors understand that if you sufficiently inflame the limbic system, the neo-cortex shuts down. Get people riled up and keep them riled up and they can't think.

If one party talks about complex problems and difficult solutions, and the other acts like a junkyard dog, who's more likely to rile people up? It's the mob phenomenon.

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» RE: We can hope Posted by: Lauren

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Palin's Pork !
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Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 7:28 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/palins-pork.html

Palin's Pork
Published by Lindsay Renick Mayer on September 2, 2008 10:29 AM

Alaska's well-known "Bridge to Nowhere" is among the most criticized federal earmarked projects, cancelled last year by the state's governor and John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. Palin, however, has brought home her own share of pork, according to an examination by Taxpayers for Common Sense that was reported in the Washington Post. During the four years she was mayor of the 6,700-resident town of Wasilla, Palin hired the Anchorage-based law firm Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh to represent the small town on Capitol Hill. The result was nearly $27 million in federal earmarks in the final four years that Palin was mayor, including $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs and $15 million for a rail project, the Post reported.

Despite her success in getting federal funds for Wasilla, McCain introduced Palin as his partner in fighting wasteful spending. Palin said that as governor, she "stood up to the old politics-as-usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good-ol'-boy network." The Alaska governor has been outspoken against Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on corruption charges, though the law firm she hired to bring in the earmarks has connections to both lawmakers.

Palin was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 until 2002 and the town spent $96,000 on lobbying from 2000 until 2002. Overall the town has spent $300,750 on lobbying since 2000. In the first six months of this year Wasilla has spent $20,250 on lobbying efforts, about half of what it spent altogether last year.

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» RE: Palin's Pork ? Posted by: Last Chance
» I already said that, but -- Posted by: Last Chance

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Palin is a Nazi and it has been proven
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Posted by: Bob Horn on Sep 6, 2008 7:46 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Palin's minister said three weeks ago with her in the room, that jews deserve to die because they have not converted to Christianity. Let her tell that to an outdoor crowd in New York, Miami, or in other countries. She also thinks having a world war is great so that only 144,000 will be left alive. This has been documented by Thom Hartman, Rachel Madow, and others.
Anyone voting for her is a criminal and an idiot.

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» Hogwash! Posted by: Last Chance
» RE: Hogwash! Posted by: Bob Horn
» RE: Hogwash! Posted by: Last Chance

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30 second spot on Palin
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Posted by: bmikkelsen on Sep 6, 2008 8:04 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Start with a clip of her talking about "Alaska has more money than we know what to do with", and follow with her initials on the Alaska budget slashing over a million dollars in state funding for a program that provides housing, job and parenting skills for unwed teen-aged mothers

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» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bmikkelsen
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: bottom-line
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: PopRox80
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: Ethical1
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: cmaciain
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: JSquercia
» RE: 30 second spot on Palin Posted by: nativechef66

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tony
[Report this comment]
Posted by: zmar09 on Sep 6, 2008 8:09 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Palin's readiness for complex foreign policy engagement is best summed up by the way she pronounces the word "Iraq". Can Americans be fooled twice (three times if you count BUsh's second term) into electing another "proud to be dumb" candidate?

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A bunch of Governor Palin's racial slurs
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Posted by: PaulK on Sep 6, 2008 8:16 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Pejorative words for Senator Obama, for Senator Clinton, for the Alaskan Natives (odd that her husband is 1/8 Alaskan Native.

http://www.laprogressive.com/2008/09/05/
alaskans-speak-in-a-frightened-whisper-
palin-is-%E2%80%9Cracist-
sexist-vindictive-and-mean%E2%80%9D/#more-954

From the article: “She’s a bigot, a racist, and a liar,” is the more blunt assessment of Arnold Gerstheimer who lived in Alaska until two years ago and is now a businessman in Idaho.

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» So go censor MTV Posted by: edgar1

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FREE LEVI! The Governor is holding him hostage!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: war_on_tara on Sep 6, 2008 8:18 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What I want to know is, WHEN exactly are Bristol and Levi ("no kids in my future") getting married? What exactly are they waiting for? She's already 5 months pregnant, and HER MOM HAS A SHOTGUN!

What are they waiting for... they want their kid to be the ring-bearer? They're hoping J. Sidney will let them have a White House wedding?

Could it be that poor Levi is under house arrest? It's not easy to leave Alaska - you need to fly, or take a ferry to Seattle (ID required), or cross into a very wild part of Canada (ID especially required) and you would have to get to the border to begin with....

I think Levi is actually being HELD HOSTAGE until after the election!

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» Rouge Cou Posted by: war_on_tara
» Naked Gun I Posted by: edgar1

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Sarah's pit bull comment NOT CUTE!!!
[Report this comment]
Posted by: johngary on Sep 6, 2008 9:06 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sarah’s comparing herself to a pit bull wasn’t cuts. Pitbulls are vicious...banned in many cities...and are notorious for attacking innocent children. Is this the real Sarah Palin?
You bet, but she aint cute!!! Check out pitbullattack.wordpress.com

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» How long is the prison term? Posted by: war_on_tara

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Bottom-Line, What Planet Do You Live On?
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Posted by: Carol Burns on Sep 6, 2008 9:30 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Bush/Cheney = front men for the military/industrial complex (the one Eisenhower warned against), war profiteers, murdering slime.
McCain/Palin = front man/woman for the military/industrial complex, "Songbird"/hypocrite, Bush/Cheney clones.

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LOL
[Report this comment]
Posted by: GreyFoxThree on Sep 6, 2008 9:47 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I think Americans are Weary of STUPID President and President wannabe's. I cannot believe that anyone with an ounce of common sense is actualyl considering McBush.

Jiff
Ultimate Anonymity

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» RE: LOL Yes LOL Posted by: niliadis
» Soda Jerks Posted by: edgar1

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U.S. Has Highest Teen Pregnancy Rate in the Developed World
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 10:15 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
from www.electoral-vote.com

Bristol Palin is not alone. There are 400,000 other unwed teenage mothers in the U.S. right now, the highest per capita rate among developed countries. The U.S. is tied with Hungary for the most abortions. One might think that people who believe abortion is murder would be doing everything in their power to prevent unwanted pregnancies to eliminate potential abortions, but that is not the case at all. While everyone should leave Bristol alone now, since the subject is in the news, the public policy issue of how to avoid unwanted teen pregnancies is certainly fair game. This op-ed piece in the NY Times discusses how the policy of abstinence-only education has been a dismal failure that leads to pregnancies and abortions. Other countries have other policies and far fewer abortions.

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» Russia? Posted by: edgar1

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Oops. Here's the op-ed piece: LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX
[Report this comment]
Posted by: maxpayne on Sep 6, 2008 10:16 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sarah Palin has a pregnant teenager. And, she’s not alone. According to a report published in 2007, there are more than 400,000 other American girls in the same predicament.
Skip to next paragraph

Charles M. Blow
Go to Columnist Page »Blog: By the Numbers
Multimedia
Graphic

In fact, a 2001 Unicef report said that the United States teenage birthrate was higher than any other member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The U.S. tied Hungary for the most abortions. This was in spite of the fact that girls in the U.S. were not the most sexually active. Denmark held that title. But, its teenage birthrate was one-sixth of ours, and its teenage abortion rate was half of ours.

If there is a shame here, it’s a national shame — a failure of our puritanical society to accept and deal with the facts. Teenagers have sex. How often and how safely depends on how much knowledge and support they have. Crossing our fingers that they won’t cross the line is not an intelligent strategy.

To wit, our ridiculous experiment in abstinence-only education seems to be winding down with a study finding that it didn’t work. States are opting out of it. Parents don’t like it either. According to a 2004 survey sponsored by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, 65 percent of parents of high school students said that federal money “should be used to fund more comprehensive sex education programs that include information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraceptives.”

We need to take some bold steps beyond the borders of our moralizing and discomfort and create a sex education infrastructure that actually acknowledges reality and protects our children from unwanted pregnancies, or worse.

Britain is already taking these steps. London’s Daily Telegraph reported last month on a June study that found that “one in three secondary schools in England now has a sexual health clinic to give condoms, pregnancy tests and even morning-after pills to children as young as 11.”

Furthermore, a bipartisan group from the British Parliament is seeking to make sex education compulsory for “children as young as four years old.” In a letter to the paper, the group laid out its case: “International evidence suggests that high-quality sex and relationship education that puts sex in its proper context, that starts early enough to make a difference and that gives youngsters the confidence and ability to make well-informed decisions helps young people delay their first sexual experience and leads to lower teenage pregnancy levels.”

That may be extreme, but many Americans can’t even talk about sex without giggling, squirming or blushing. Let’s start there. Talk to your kids about sex tonight, with confidence and a straight face. “I’d prefer you waited to have sex. That said, whenever you choose to do it, make sure you use one of these condoms.” It works.

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Deborah Marie Richter
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Posted by: coyote on Sep 6, 2008 10:28 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Deborah Marie Richter is the person you want to talk to if you want the scoop on the Palin affair. She is the wife of the other guy. Now ex wife.

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1 percent Alaska is privately owned
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Posted by: LillianB on Sep 6, 2008 10:37 AM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A mere 1 percent of Alaska is privately owned. The rest is state, federal and tribal lands. The "development" argument is bogus.

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» Proves My Point. Posted by: Last Chance

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Cindy McCain thought John didn't want to overturn Roe v. Wade
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Posted by: war_on_tara on Sep 6, 2008 10:43 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I loved that interview where Cindy McCain was sure John didn't want to overturn Roe v. Wade! (Newsflash: he does.)

It sums up mainstream "conservative," "pro-life" "thinking" on that subject... talk a lot about how abortion should be illegal, but never do much about it.

They will be in for a shock if the Supremes ever actually do anything about it.

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Republicans spit on Jesus, then clap and cheer
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Posted by: leafsong1 on Sep 6, 2008 11:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
USA! USA! America first! America First! All the people who chanted these slogans are going to Aych-Eee-double-hockey-sticks. Jesus of Nazareth taught that all the people of Earth are children of God. Those who despise and ridicule compassion for anyone born outside our borders are NOT CHRISTIANS. They are Jesus-haters dancing on Christ's grave to the delight of the enemies of God.

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Back to the subject of culture war
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Posted by: AsteroidMiner on Sep 6, 2008 11:54 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Reference: "The Republican War on Science" by Chris
Mooney, 2005, Basic Books.

It has the following URLs:
http://www.waronscience.com/home.php
http://www.chriscmooney.com/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05268/576883.stm

See also:
"Undermining Science, suppression and distortion in the
Bush Administration" by Seth Shulman, 2006
www,ropercenter.uconn.edu

"The Republican War on Science" by Chris Mooney says:

Because Trofim Lysenko convinced Josef Stalin that
genetics is wrong, 12 million people died of starvation.
The coal companies convinced President George W. Bush
[and Senator Inohe] that global warming hasn't happened
and 12 hundred people died in hurricanes in 2005. For the
same reason, people died in the wildfires in Oklahoma. 12
hundred is less than 12 million, but GWB is still comparable
to Stalin. Both adopted anti-science policies for ideological
reasons and thereby murdered large numbers of their own
citizens.

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Community Organizer
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Posted by: JSquercia on Sep 6, 2008 11:58 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The disdain shown by Palin for Obama's work as a Community Organizer should be turned against her . Obama was helping Steel workers
who lost their jobs when a steel plant closed . These were people who were middle class and quite probably white . What the republican's want to spin is the idea thaat Obama was aiding Poor BLACKS and we all know that is a NO NO . It ties in well with their usual Racism . We already have seen Ga Rep Westmoreland refer to Obama as uppity . A none to subtle reminder to his target audience of Obama's race

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» RE: Community Organizer-NOT Posted by: edgar1
» RE: Community Organizer-NOT Posted by: BreeMass
» RE: Community Organizer Posted by: maestra

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Palin/Experience
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Posted by: Hapa on Sep 6, 2008 12:14 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
She has done nothing but been offered to the white-wing extremists as payment for their support of the broken-down tamed "Maverick". She is their "Show-Pony". Governor of a Legislature that meets 90 days a year?, sounds like a "free home-trial". "If you tell a lie enough times it begins to sound like the truth. She is a typical conservative of the "I've got mine, you get yours"mentality.

"She can't even run her own life
I'll be damned if she runs mine"

Vote Issues
Vote Early
Vote Often

The difference between George Bush and Sarah Palin? Lipstick

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» RE: Oh, ANOTHER Posted by: Moore Hognutz

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A star was born! and the Dems are in panic!!!!
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Posted by: niliadis on Sep 6, 2008 1:12 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yes Palin is a go go go getter and the Dems are running around with their head cut off looking for dirt..Well no matter what dirt they may bring up it will never be the kind of dirt/truth about their Radical liberal who talks about change and is nothing of change except that he is black! Did Obama say change?
Biden change??? Biden is the Broken Washington Obama was going to fix! Give us a break..Obama will say and do anything to get the vote...like denouncing his friend, preacher, uncle like, MENTOR of Twenty Years:
The Radical Black Theologist Anti-American
Jerramiah Wright!!!! Obama denounce him you would say...and I say Why?
for Pure Self Serving political gains-
What a joke on the Obamamaniacs and they have all fallen for the Change..What Change????

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» C'mon... Posted by: Ahimsa

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Obama is "uppity" article
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Posted by: Slappy Whyte on Sep 6, 2008 3:11 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
funny pic and article about the Obama is "uppity" comments:

uppity article at megasizzle.com

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Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Posted by: boing007 on Sep 6, 2008 4:49 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
'The Scarlet Letter' rides again.

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Take a look
[Report this comment]
Posted by: macdon1 on Sep 6, 2008 5:38 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you want to see the real Sarah Palin take a look at her blog.
http://sarahpalin.typepad.com/
Is it just me or does this quote from Sarah's blog seem like a racist dig
"#1: University of Hawaii
This was where I started out but it turned out to be a little too "urban" if you catch my drift. I don't want to spell it out but HINT: Barak Obama's parents met there."

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» RE: Take a look Posted by: sasha40

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ba
[Report this comment]
Posted by: mnstra on Sep 6, 2008 5:44 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The writer has been saying things about the power elite like he is surprised at all of this. Is this a high school term paper?.Where is the substance. Are you a critic. Where are you values to counter balance this republican crap// Where is your destiny? Vision?
We grow tired and weary of this democratic complaint based reactionary dribble.At least the Republicans are for something and they are clear about it.: More oppression that the last 8 years........ Bring in some vision in your writings on alter net;
that would get my vote.We don't go to the polls to not vote. we go to pick a candidate we believe in. Vote Nader

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CommonDreamer
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Posted by: CommonDreamer on Sep 6, 2008 6:20 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Brilliant article. And another thing we must stop is "cultural terrorism" at which the right is so very good. What is it with sports, anyway? I'm an artist type who respects sports...I think they're great...(even if I'm not personally very good at much of it...and not too proud to admit it)...but I don't think playing sports makes you a better patriot than me (so you're a hockey mom - I'm the mom of a potential documentary film maker studying in college.)...we should all be proud of whatever path our children choose. And we should be proud of diversity - not picking off what types of activities we deem to be "American small town" - as if other activities such as acting, painting, filmmaking, activism, and so on are suspect and not of the same import.

Your child's sports participation (being a soccer mom, a hockey dad) - is this the low bar for being a true patriot? Give me a break. A real patriot doesn't buy this drivel .....instead let's look at a person's actions on behalf of the people - not just a priveleged few. A real patriot is an activist and a thinker first - and ideally should use sports or whatever it is he/she does to change the world for the better, not to validate his/her political stance as some kind of small town zealot.

Let's hope this empty dreck that presumes citizens with only certain kinds of interests are patriots dies as it should and is seen for the divisive hypocrisy it is.

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Regarding Last Chance
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Posted by: Bob Horn on Sep 6, 2008 10:20 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Like others who prefer to discuss things with people who are not from the 1500's I decided to block all comments from the right wing idiot going by the name of "Last Chance". If I want to debate with a conservative I can do that with one of the few conservatives with an IQ above zero. Some faculty members where I have taught have conservative ideas but are not retarded. They are more human than Last Chance and nobody with a brain should have to look at his crap.

[