What Dan Froomkin Said
Writing about the coverage of the Palin selection, Dan Froomkin of the WaPo says:
One of the problems with modern political journalism is that when something manifestly absurd takes place, as long as there are people willing to argue both sides, our top reporters feel obliged to treat it as deserving of serious debate…
What possible reason is there to nominate someone so lacking in gravitas for the vice presidency? In this case, of course, it couldn’t be more obvious that Palin’s selection has everything to do with politics and nothing to do with governance. Palin’s gender and her hard-right credentials were clearly seen by McCain’s top advisers as just what the campaign needed.
Whether that was a clever or suicidal political calculation remains to be seen. It’s certainly looking more and more like it was a reckless one. But it doesn’t just strain credulity – it pulverizes it – to suggest that she is the best and most qualified person McCain could find for the job.
It’s a tremendous failure of political reporting that such patent spin from McCain supporters is being treated like a supportable position. By contrast, it seems to me that anyone suggesting that Palin was selected for anything other than political reasons should be considered presumptively a liar from this point on.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:15 am
I totally agree. Watching last night’s theme at the convention, “Country First”, was hillarious. Oh, the irony!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Also, after watching a little bit of the convention last night (couldn’t watch too much, it was extremely boring) I now realize why McCain and his party support Viagra coverage…
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:58 am
NL, yes that is a textbook case of irony.
Unless… naaah it coudn’t be, but just maybe there is no irony at all: the Republican theme of “Country First” might instead reflect back to the famous quote: “Europe Today, Tomorrow the World!” That fits with Rove’s ambition to establish a Republican rule in America forevermore, and fits the neo-cons plans for American Hegemony over the rest of the planet.
“Country First, Tomorrow the World!”
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:02 am
Of course, that would mean that Dumbya’s administration got the required sequence back-asswords and that the Rethuglicans new slogan is an attempt to regroup and get the players back on the same page instead of messing about in Iraq, Georgia, and Afghanistan.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Maybe Palin is a sideshow, but who actually believes that electing Obama would turn back the hands of time 8 years?
Does this look like freedom or Fascism? It looks like her neck was broken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV04eDoKRRU
Ten thousand people listened to this message from Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, as he points his finger at the start of the slippery slope into fascism (about the 5 minute mark):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV04eDoKRRU
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
freedom or Fascism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzrBYF99QKI ?
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
img364.imageshack.us/img364/4628/sarahpalinla4.png
we watched w’s speech (just flicking around and caught the start) and it was about as leaden as could be. Fred Thompson finally woke up and delivered a fine performance (he is an actor, just like Ronnie). Bravo!
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy caught on a open mic discussing the Palin pick
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-mike-murphy_n_123647.html
Sure, Palin will do fine tonight, deliver a good speech, but the writing is on the wall: gramps shook the dice and crapped out. Listen to these diehard GOOPers discuss this when they don’t think the mic is on and hear the real story. Anyone with two frontal lobes to rub together knows this is a disaster. Sure you guys will spend many millions trumpeting how great this is, but it is a disaster.
It goes to judgement and the GOP is lacking.
It’s bullshit.
It’s political.
It’s over.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Enk,
The November 4 election is two months away, that’s like an eternity in a political campaign.
BTW, your imageshack link didn’t work even when cut/pasted into address line in various formats.
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
try again, it worked for me
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:39 pm
http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/4628/sarahpalinla4.png
try it without the www.
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Thanks Enk, that decision tree says it all.
Here’s what I’d anticipate as the R spin on that decision tree:
That speech, and her work, were critical to the people she serves and Sarah was very brave to risk her baby’s life to deliver (the all important speech.)
The risk to the child wasn’t that great because she was praying, her faith in God was unwavering, and it was His guidance that brought them home to give birth in Wasilla.
Resuming her duties as Governor 3 days after the birth is not such a big deal, after all baby water buffalo are up on their feet walking within an hour of birth!
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
What Sheryl Jackson said: http://www.rense.com/general83/packs.htm