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How about a guessing game as to what the flattering Drudge headline will be after her speech tonight...

I'll go first...

OOOOOHHHH BARACUDAAAA!

"But this lie about anyone questioning Sarah Palin being a sexist"

Who's saying that? Who suggested that anyone questioning Sarah Palin is a sexist?

Personally, I believe there are some exhibiting double standards and hypocracy when it comes to Palin, especially when it comes to gender "roles". But I also believe you can raise gender-specific issues without being sexist. Men and women are different, after all.

And of course, the media loves to float these provocative questions of sexism and racism and other -isms, legitimate or not.

That would be, "hypocrisy".

Who's saying that? Who suggested that anyone questioning Sarah Palin is a sexist?

Mystery, let me introduce you to Hugh Hewiit and Townhall.com, the number one site for the conservative movement:

"The outrageous and frequently sexist attacks and sneers directed at Sarah Palin by many in the MSM have opened a second front in Campaign 2008. Although the Beltway-Manhattan media elite have long been pulling for Obama, the naked partisanship and transparent attacks on Governor Palin have fueled a pro-Palin surge that will continue for some weeks."

That quote says "frequently sexist attacks". "Frequenty" is a subjective quantification, but not what DP asserts. I'll ask again: who suggested that ANYONE questioning Sarah Palin is a sexist? Someone on Fox News? An article in the NY Post? Who?

Don't play dumb, mystery. Go to Townhall and all their columns and commenters are playing the "sexism" angle. All of them are saying this.

You know mystery, your "frequently" willfull ignorance is part and parcel of today's GOP mindset, but you're smarter than that.

Oh, please, the MSM are treating her like the new Princess Diana. Even HuffPost is giving her acres of space. I'm tellin' ya, by Friday all of the bad stuff (pregnant daughter, Troopergate, library cleansing, bridge to nowhere, et al) will be a distant memory and she'll have replaced Laura Bush as our new National Treasure.

And then there's Carly Fiorina: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/02/fiorina-dems-launching-sexist-attacks-against-palin/

So are we agreed that there have been no attacks leveled at Palin that could be considered sexist?

You're clouding the issue. It's not "have there been sexist attacks against Palin", it's "all attacks against Palin are sexist".

This whole election cycle has been painful. No matter the color or gender of the candidate, elections boil down to the same issues: war, abortion, gun control, taxation, etc. I hate when we pretend it's not. Most people knew they were voting Democrat in this election 3 years ago before there was even a candidate. To try to now paint them as having some gender bias is insulting. But it works both ways, all Republicans aren't racist for avoiding Obama, their votes are not in play to begin with.
It's been fun to see the spinners who defend everything blindly try to shine crap like the Palin nomination and Reverend Wright. Glad it's not my job.

I think a good number of the attacks have been sexist. Instead of hearing about lots of legitimate issues, wghat seems to keep getting harped on is will she take birth control in office and what kind of mother is she to have a 17 year old who had sex?

I'm not defending her because I plan on voting for McCain, but this shit is, as they say in Idocracy, retarded.

Also, I think it's been shown that the VP pick doesnt mean a lot in the general sense. Voters vote for the President, not the VP. And assuming it was Palin who put Obama into 50% may be true, or maybe it's the big speeches he just did so well in.

Would it be sexist to point out that maaaaybe a mother of a 5 month old downs syndrome child who has an unwed teen who is preggo miiiight have a few things on her plate right now and that maaaaybe being the second person in charge of the free world miiiight be a little too much on their plate right now?

Or at least can we agree that if you align yourself into the party of "family values" maybe taking care of your family should be more of a priority?

The real issue is that McCain made the most important decision he'll have to make about his Administration until he's actual President and he made it quickly with apparently little to no research and preparation ahead of time. Unless their shocked and scrambling reactions to everything is part of a brilliant act.

The sexist angle comes from the definition that the left and academic feminists themselves have provided for almost half a century now.

Why do they not say the same of men? Find out what happened to Joe Biden in the early 70's. Did anyone tell him to quit politics?

Haven't women been told for years that being a true feminist means you can have a career and a family?

What about Hillary Clinton? How did Chelsea turn out?

Wasn't it always supposed to be the "conservative" argument to keep women "bare foot and pregnant" in the home. Now here is a woman who goes against all of our traditional norms of feminism and cannot be categorized. More to the truth, she is truly a real woman who has lived a real life with real problems and has shown more strength than most of the academic feminists who have been the left's icons for years.

I think Democrat Camille Paglia (whom I have high respect for) said it best. Feel free to google her remarks if you want.

Palin, for all of her flaws represents a real threat to the traditional definitions of the left/right paradigm and can really shake things up. That is why the left - must - take her down viciously and fast.

Perhaps it took Palin to get Obama over 50...but today he is back in the 40's and Palin has yet to speak.

It is still a long way to November.

Call the media waterboarding of Palin sexist, call it business as usual, call it whatever you want.

I call it the smell of fear, which is what the New Left has thrived on since the early 90's.

Also, Palin has not even been out of the gate for a week and she is being exposed to Bush post Iraq level vitriol. We'll see where the polls are in several days.

One mans definition of fear is another mans definition of "this person is in way over her head."

And we all know the neocons are scared shitless, Nicol. McCain picked a perfect time to show how hot headed, off the cuff and ignorant he is. He did it in one swoop too! Awesome.

Nice spin though. We're all still waiting for the list of right wing filmmakers banned from major fests as well as the various other links you've been asked to provide in the last week to back up your hyperbole.

Anyone catch this on Palin? A nice rundown of her time in Wasilla: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/09/03/halperin/index.html

The sexist angle is a smokescreen designed to take attention off of the State Trooper firing situation, the Alaska secessionist party thing, the 'can I can ban library books now that I'm mayor' thing, the Ted Stevens stuff, the general lack of experience thing, and the biggest doozy of them all, McCain's arrogance and lack of judgment in making this hasty decision.

Nicol, you can see whatever you want to see, I know nothing I'm going to say will ever change your mind. Just try and be a little less strident, okay?

jeffmcm-

"You're clouding the issue. It's not "have there been sexist attacks against Palin", it's "all attacks against Palin are sexist".

That was crux of my first two posts: who said that all attacks against Palin are sexist? I've heard attacks characterized as "frequently sexist", but nowhere have I witnessed what DP asserted.

All DP has to do is provide us the basis for his claim, and then we can stand together in condemnation of that debate-chilling rhetoric. And I know that, IF EVER, someone were to assert that an Obama loss could only happen due to racism, DP would stand with me in vocal rejection of such assertions.

Well, there was the press conference held by Jane Swift, Carly Fiorina, and a few others:
"We want to call attention to the outrageous smear campaign against Sarah Palin," said former Mass. Gov. Jane Swift. "With her years of executive experience and legislative accomplishments, she is more experienced than Sen. Barack Obama" to become president.

Basically an indignant, phony smokescreen.

Big Perm: negated. Mysteryperfecta: Negated. Nicol D: departed to New Foundland in a player to be named later trade.

Seriously though; Palin is pandering suckage. She was never pregnant with Trig, covered it up for her scuzzy daughter, and has the gale to act as if we should just accept her bullshit on face value. Fuck that noise. BRING THEM DOWN! BRING THEM ALL DOWN.

This is playing for keeps time. People like Big Perm are the cows heading for the slaughter. While the rest of us our the plucky Disney heroes, that are strieving with all we can to avoid becoming someone's next meal. Yes; this is a comparison to Home on the Range or whatever, but I went there anyway.

So here's to the future finally beating down tired, cynical, and bent yesterday. If it does not happen. We should be ready for 2012, when everything really sucks. Fuck the man, fuck his VP, and fuck his supporters. John Connor...signing off.

I do apologize for the typos. So here's how I really feel about McCain/Palin. McCain/Palin: "GO FUCK YOURSELF POOR PEOPLE!" This means you should excuse me for being blunt in all of this, because I feel a Candidate and his party are telling me to fuck off.

And why is no one particularly shocked and then outraged at the way protesters at the RNC are being treated?? Has the 8 years of Bush just wore people down to where they can't even bother with the b.s. any more? I mean, I guess that could be the one thing Bush and Co. accomplished that they set out too: everlasting apathy.

It's not apathy as much as it's acceptance. People accept bullshit is going to go down when republicans are involved. This is why people let them whine on countless radio shows, get away with actions that no Democrat ever could, and piss all over the Constitution on a semi-regular basis.

So people just accept that the Republicans are assholes. They are assholes and we accept it. Acceptance is always the first step for a reason.

the whole thing seems pretty Rovian to me - create a controversy - divide the country - and hope to grab the bigger share - deny everything
- and blame the media and the angry left creating resentment and more divisiveness

I am sick of this all - especially trying to pass it off as "country first"

the experience thing is bull - the issue is temperment - character - judgement - how many times do you think Ms Palin has ever contemplated the issue of what is America's place in the world and what can I do to assure it??

McCain has been described as a risk taker ( plus impulsive and quick to anger) - Obama as "cautious" - I want a cautious man( or woman) with their finger on that nuclear button - not a risk taker -

So yeah - I do fear this Palin ploy - cause if it works - we are screwed

That's also called apathy.

"Well, there was the press conference..."

And was there in said press conference an instance where it was explicitly or implicitly stated that all criticism of Palin is sexist?

"I want a cautious man( or woman) with their finger on that nuclear button"

Gee whiz. They said that about Reagan. And W. And all the way back to Goldwater. Didn't happen. And there is no button. There are two keys that have to be turned simultaneously by two different people.

"And was there in said press conference an instance where it was explicitly or implicitly stated that all criticism of Palin is sexist?"

Implicitly, yes. You understand how politics works, obviously: take something the other side said, distort it just enough to maintain plausibility while reshaping it to suit your needs.

This is pretty excellent: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/09/sarah-palins-vp.html

Here's a view from the other side of the spectrum, right after they praised the choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG8w4bb3kg

Beat ya to it...

Hmmmmm, still not seeing the equation, jeff. Might have to show your work to get credit (not that you memorized the press conference). If there's an associated article, I'd like to read it.

As for DP's assertion, I may have tracked down the NY Post article he read:

http://tinyurl.com/5ptzju

If this is indeed the article, I think DP's assertion is a big stretch.

Is this broad going to try to ban SAW movies?

That would SUCK.

OBAMA IN '08, SON.

Hey LexG, she wants to ban books, which is an important first step to banning whateva. That's real TOTAL OWNAGE.

Welcome back to the fight.
This time I know our side we'll win.

Well, that's what I get when the LAT refuses to load on this end.

Er, uh, "This time I know our side WILL win."

Mystery, I can't help you if all you want to look at is the smokescreen.

Peggy Noonan, this morning: "[S]he is a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy. She could become a transformative political presence. So they are going to have to kill her, and kill her quick."

Nicol this afternoon: "Palin, for all of her flaws represents a real threat to the traditional definitions of the left/right paradigm and can really shake things up. That is why the left - must - take her down viciously and fast."

Peggy Noonan today, thinking she was off mic: "It's over... I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Nicol, you're up.

That Noonan video went wildfire... NYT, Yahoo, Politico, Huffington, LAT...

That Noonan thing is just classic! Finally, the GOP noise machine accidentally let someone look behind the curtain. Nicol will soon cry "pay no attention! pay no attention!!"

Karl Rove wouldn't have let this happen.

I thought what Vietnam Vet Jessie Venture said on "Larry King Live" last night was quite pointed, that how odd is it that this election year the Republicans are making John McCain's service in Vietnam EVERYTHING while during the last presidential election their view of John Kerry's service was that it meant NOTHING.

Sorry: Jesse "The Body" VenturA. :)

Well, Kerry never got himself captured. That's the gamechanger apparently.

Well, he did get shot in the ass. That counts for something...

It allows people to belittle everything else he did and then turn around and list all of the things that were done to McCain by the Vietnamese, while carefully not mentioning that many of the same techniques are currently on our official "okay for interrogation" list. Which is why you'll hear a lot of those details this week without anyone calling it "torture". Because if he was tortured, then we torture. And if we torture to get good information and it works, then McCain meant it when he signed anti-American propaganda under duress.

Things never get easier once you've sold your soul.

BOOM goes the dynamite. She's over. She can fight, McCain can fight, but the National Enquirer have been proven right already. They will be proven right... again!

Sometimes I think you are living in a different time zone as me, mystery...

Who on the right WASN'T selling the sexism crap today?

There were THREE op/eds on the same thing in one paper today.

And Palin's "I was mayor of 8500 people... he was just a community organizer" scam, delusionally overlooking 8 years in the Illinois State Senate.

She is not close to as qualified as Obama... or Biden... or McCain... or Clinton... or Kucinich... or Bill Richardson... etc, etc, etc.

But all they really want to sell is feisty Juno can change the world. Juno... the story of an unmarried teen not even attempting to use birth control giving her child to an anally retentive divorcing woman that she didn't really like much, except for how beautiful and needy she was. Great.

Yes, Dems are scared... because they have been beaten for decades and the one guy they got in got blown by his loudmouth intern, forcing all kinds of political consequences for his supporters, especially women.

But it looks like the Reps are going done that road now. I guess they will have the good fun of being strident while losing... but there is a very narrow chance here for anything but a loss. As loose cannons go, McCain is looking to make Bush seem conservative... and the risk is too much for voters who are actually thinking about making a real choice.

'Loudmouth intern'?

What's great about all this dirt coming out? The fact that the Liberal Media is getting its ass kicked, TV especially.

What the right wing wants is no criticism of the government, period. That's how Communist countries do business.

Am I just confused, or do Chucky's "politics" do a 180 from post to post, even sentence to sentence, seemingly to say whatever is the most bluntly inappropriate thing at that second?

You're not confused.

When Nicol imagines who he's arguing with around here, Chucky is what he sees.

Watching the RNC is scary. They have no plan, only platitudes. It's all about Palin. They expect her to crest McCain to victory. Except Peggy Noonan.

I'm just wondering how many desks McCain earned for me. We lost that one, didn't we?

Republicans laughing at community organizer? I guess the notion of community is pretty foreign to them after all.

Man, the GOP stage design is horrible. That big screen?...

DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

So is Cindy going to get stuck babysitting for now on?

This crowd is going f*&#ing NUTS for Sarah Palin. She's giving them everything they want.

I can't imagine them getting this excited tomorrow night.

"Sometimes I think you are living in a different time zone as me, mystery..."

You'd be right. I'm in the Central Time Zone.

"Who on the right WASN'T selling the sexism crap today?"

It was everywhere. There's no denying it (or any reason to). What is debateable is whether anyone said that ANY questioning of Palin is sexist, as you claimed, and is the raison d'etre of this blog entry. You still haven't produced that evidence. And by your tone, you seem ready to deny any sexism on anyone's part. Personally, I'm hesitant to apply that label, but I have heard some interesting arguments made about gender roles and expectations.

The other big point of contention is this: you seem to equate experience to 'time served', while others (myself included) are equating that qualification to duties and accomplishments.

One thing going for her is, she doesn't seem the least bit nervous. But sometimes it seems like she's talking to a grade school assembly-- she really enunciates, and makes these cute facial expressions.

Mystery, there's nothing sexist going on. McCain didn't vet Palin, and neither had the media. So the media cried "bullshit" at the cynicism of her nomination and went digging. And it blew up in McCain's face.

Sexism? Why did he boycott CNN? Oh, because a WOMAN attacked Palin's credibility. That's why.

Sexism my ass. Incompetence more like it.

Her speech is good, though it's going on too long. Sportscasting in the '80s helped.

Giuliani's was horrible. Ugly, surly.

Well, there was _some_ sexism - just enough for the campaign to hide under.

Is there some dude at the convention with a very particular yell who managed to get himself right next to a microphone?

mutinyco-

Follow this link, http://tinyurl.com/5ptzju and read that short editorial, if you're game. I think it makes an interesting point on the specific issue of sexism (and not the separate issues you mentioned).

And here I was thinking Dave might've wanted to discuss the trailer for Milk. Oh well.

jeffmcm-

"Well, there was _some_ sexism - just enough for the campaign to hide under."

OK, now I understand what you're saying. Without that small concession, your argument was a little abstract. I'm certainly not naive to the fact that a campaign will see an opening and move to exploit it.

Sorry for not being clear before.

C'mon, Mystery, you can do better than Andrea Peyser. Nobody in NY takes her seriously.

The thing I was thinking at the end was, Palin made this big speech about this great American hero, and then this small, frail, old man walks out. Even her family seemed out of its depth.

Palin should've given the keynote speech this year. But she shouldn't be the VP.

Tracy Flick is all growed up.

Palins speech has made me a believer. As such, I too am in the running for VP. My speech is as follows:
"blah blah blah McCain hero blah blah blah Obama spectacle blah blah blah national security blah blah blah spectacle blah blah blah all talk blah blah blah maverick blah blah blah country first

Zzzzz

I can't judge things at the RNC objectively. Palin knows how to read a teleprompter and she did good with what she was given.

But is what I just saw really speaking to the independents and those on the fence? This was all red meat for the Republicans. And the more I think about it, this is one very far right-wing ticket.

I liked the "last people at the party" look they all had at the end. You've revved up the yahoos, at least enjoy it.

the whole thing seemed so - well - old - the look of it all - the ideas - (especially the energy talk designed to give her gravitas) her hairstyle everything about this convention and its candidates seems so out of it - so time warpy -

For a second there I was worried. She was a scary bore. Now we have to listen to the MSM overreach to praise her in penance for their reportage.

Cobhome: ssssssssssssshhhh. We are supposed to act like an all white delegate party are seemingly "WITH IT". We have to act as if this message is some how CONTEMPARY. We have to act as if the republicans and their supporters represent a better tomorrow.

We have to act as if these cynical, twisted, and bent people know what's right for America. This is why the republican convention has been like the lamest party ever. While the Democrats were celebrating because our candidate is not a total ponce.

He actually believes in change, and hope, and tomorrow being brighter for Americans. While republican dogs insult him for it, as if change, hope, and believing in a better tomorrow are bad things. Only republicans could be NEGATIVE about hope. No wonder the last eight years have seemingly sucked it out of us.

Here's to hope, change, and a better tomorrow. If you think it's an empty shirt. I think it's not the guy in the shirt whose empty. Hmmm. I wonder where I am pointing?

I love the disdain they have for community organizers. You know, because you have to commit yourself to something larger than yourself. Unless it's in an inner-city. Because small towns are where it's at.

Scary bore. Excellent description. Tracy Flick up and down.

"Palin knows how to read a teleprompter and she did good with what she was given."

Ever see Obama off book?

Uhhhh...uhhh...uhhh...uhhh..."that question is above my pay grade."

Seriously, she did great. Even the left wing commentators on CNN gave her props. Feel free to disagree with her ideology but saying she did poorly makes you look like ideologically driven partisans.

Oh.

No, it makes us not sold on PTA scolding fundamentalists. The "left wing" CNN? Hilarious.

"ideologically driven partisans"

And you're what exactly?

Nicol, if everyone here is an 'ideologically driven partisan', why do you come here? This is not meant to be a 'go away!' statement, it's an attempt to reconcile this bizarre contradiction.

Either -
(a) You think you're injecting a breath of fresh air into a community of close-minded liberals,
(b) You think you're challenging a group of close-minded liberals to investigate their beliefs amid the rough-and-tumble world of even-handed give-and-take debates,
(c) You're naturally contentious and like to annoy others who you know will never agree with you,
(d) something else?

That said, I think Palin gave a good speech tonight, albeit with the proviso that I don't think I agree with a single thing she said.

I couldn't abide the sound of her halting off-pitch voice.

I could deal with her voice better than Senator Droopy Dawg's from yesterday.

Leave it to Republicans to turn the phrase "community organizer" into a racial epithet.

They were all awful, bitter, and have nothing to offer the nation. Already the liberal MSM is overpraising Palin's perfectly uninspired speech. Wake me when the spin is over...

To be fair she delivered it all right and it did its job of winding up the base (which is what's scary- that they're that easy).

But to be additionally fair, it was a speech written for whoever was going to be in that spot and was made less "masculine" and more specific in the last couple of days by the campaign. And I got that right from the McCain campaign manager's mouth. Clearly the zingers were new. That accounts for the generic quality of it. (And the faulty research- Bridge to Nowhere, etc.)

But yes. When your candidate's main theme is committing yourself to something larger than yourself, by all means shit on community organizers. What good are they anyway?

LB: this seems to be the point of contention with many people against Obama. They simply see no way that he can change a thing. They are either too blind or too scared to believe in a politician wanting to change the system.

The funny thing is with republicans: Reagan based his entire first campaign around CHANGE. Sure it was not the best CHANGE for the country at the time, but he ran on that platform. So to hear and read the repubs responding in such a way to CHANGE as if it were terminal cancer. Really cracks me up.

That was some scary shit and this chick is SERIOUSLY annoying.

And that crowd? Buncha corn-fed boring old white people. You know what? I'm sick of SMALL-TOWN VALUES. I don't care. Keep in mind, I AM A BUSH FAN and decidedly NOT a particular Obama fan, but what is with these SMALL-TOWN VALUES and this attitude that some cornpone white people in the middle of farm country ought to set the standard by which the entire rest of us should live?

This whole PLAY FOOTBALL, SHOOT GUNS, get married or have kids when you're 18 and go to church and live two blocks down from the rest of your family and have big BBQs and only watch clean-cut TV shows and sports and be all rah-rah and go hunting and shit... DOESN'T WORK FOR EVERYBODY. The Left can be plenty condescending in their own right, but is their anything more exclusionary and judgmental than this "my way or the highway" where anyone who doesn't conform to the SMALL-TOWN VALUES lifestyle of complete douchitude is some kind of "liberal weirdo"?

All these middle-aged nerds in the audience OVERREACTING to these CORNBALL FUCKING AMISH BROMIDES. Don't you old fat white people want to get laid and party and shit and listen to metal and play violent-ass videogames?

I can understand W. owning and being a cowboy and awesome and stubborn and sending out 600-dollar checks. I can even get behind McCain being unpredictable and funny and a little off-kilter in his sensibilities. But what's NOT COOL is some Stepford Mom who probably doesn't watch violent movies and believes in abstinence standing up there with some SHRILL LOUD VOICE revving up the Limbaugh crowd.

I'm sure the folks at Nicol's 'winger sites think this was their I HAVE A DREAM speech, and I hate to have him speak for others, but really, Nicol, do you think those people were cool or fun or interesting or awesome in any way? THEY ARE SQUARES. Why would anyone want to be this boring?

The combination of reasonable sense (blind conformity bad!) and sheer mind-boggling nonsense (Bush is awesome cuz he gave me cash!) in a single post confuses and distresses me.

Bush is not a cowboy. He has never been a cowboy. Crawford was set up by Rove and others to give the illusion that the DALLAS BOY was all RUGGED.

Once he leaves office. Crawford is finished, and he will live outside of Dallas. It was all an illusion that people believed. No wonder conspiracy nuts persist... folks can be so fucking gullable.

"They were all awful, bitter, and have nothing to offer the nation."

Take another look at this thread and tell me - who's really coming off as awful and bitter?

IO: If you ever get a chance to see this one, do so:

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=review&id=2850&reviewid=VE1117936479

Dave said, "She is not close to as qualified as Obama."

I think she is more qualified than Barak Hussein Obama. What kind of qualification is 'community organizer?' Obama has precious few accomplishments. And his association with terrorists should disqualify him.

"Once he leaves office. Crawford is finished, and he will live outside of Dallas. It was all an illusion that people believed. No wonder conspiracy nuts persist... folks can be so fucking gullable."

I can't believe how gullible people are to believe that a wealthy Texan would live on a ranch! How gullible to take the situation at face value, and not assume that it was all some elaborate, exceedingly meaningless and unnecessary hoax!

Yes, IOI, the conspiracy nuts persist...

"And his association with terrorists should disqualify him."

I don't know about that, but it does speak to the enormous hypocrisy of the Dems and the MSM. If a Republican candidate had the same sort of association with a famous abortion clinic bomber, and went to Fred Phelps' church for 20 years, the torch and pitchforks would be lit and sharpened, respectively. There would be daily front-page, above-the-fold articles in the NYT looking into every split second of face time. Every member of the congregation would be interviewed; every 'Amen' would be counted, and attached to its subject.

I would think that Lex would like Palin since she wants to ban books.

Mystery, is that not what happened with Reverend Wright, was every bit of minutia not gone over and cut into destructive soundbites that were played ad nausem by the MSM. How is it hypocrisy that the someone from Phelp's would hypothetically go through what Obama actually did.

And as far as labeling people terrorists. I am not an advocate of violence in any way but there is a difference between attacking the government power structure and killing people who are participating in acts you disagree with.

Someone beat me to the Tracey Flick comparison but I totally agree. The left's problem will be that she is able to use the snarkiness to her advantage. I don't agree with what she said but the delivery was excellent. She can actually tell a joke (the right had to travel almost to artic circle, but they found someone who can deliver a joke), and is going to give the less animated Biden some problems in the debate. I don't think she is going to take Hillary's voters but don't underestimate her appeal with women who are on the fence. Turns out McCain made the best choice, she seems to be the most competent person in their campaign.

I watched almost the entire night and the whole thing seemed to me that this ticket is running against the Republican Party. Palin mentioned Alaska power brokers, oil companies, good ole boys. Isn't that their base? Every thing Romney railed against is something his party has brought about.

I know this is long but Palin asked how higher taxes would help business and individuals. Well the answer is we can drop down the incredible deficit the republicans have irresponsibly run up over the years and increase the strength of the dollar so we can better compete in the global economy.

You want a run down of the misleading spin and lies being perpetuated? Here is a rundown from last night's speech by Palin. And this isn't even from the Democrats.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check;_ylt=AvvQ9Z0TtVYX96RZoQ7pcgayFz4D

"Mystery, is that not what happened with Reverend Wright, was every bit of minutia not gone over and cut into destructive soundbites that were played ad nausem by the MSM."

The MSM did not take the lead on the story. It was outlets like Fox News (O'Reilly and Hannity) and other conservative outlets that pressed the issue. Obama said he wasn't aware of the provocative comments; then he said he was (and rightly condemned them); he condemned them again but said he couldn't disown Wright; he then disowned Wright. Since then, how much have you heard about it? The Ayers connection never got traction.

The point is (IMO of course), these associations would have never stopped following a GOP candidate around.

Newsflash, Obama is going to win, so get over it.

Anybody want to talk movies?

"In an encounter that could have come straight out of the movies, Mankiewicz and Lyons found themselves face to face Tuesday with Ebert and Roeper at a screening of "The Women."

By all accounts, the exchanges were cordial and friendly. "

R Troll R: "And his association with terrorists should disqualify him." Didn't hurt G.W. Bush any now did it.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a baby used as a prop to that degree before. Everybody was passing that baby around like it was a bag of Ruffles or something. Look, there's Cindy McCain holding the baby! There's Todd Palin quickly passing the baby off to his young daughter because he knows he's about to stand for applause!

Who would bring a 4-month old baby to a convention like that where people are constantly screaming? Any other baby (and I mean a baby without Down Syndrome) would've been crying its head off...

One more thing.

Palin proving herself competent is a double-edge sword. It makes her look better, of course. But it also means she isn't weak or helpless, and Biden can go after her in their debate.

In a world where the RNC created a police state around their convention and a media blackout on the home arrests of peaceful protestors, and an extreme right-wing fundamentalist PTA hockey mom is treated like the rebirth of Ronald Reagan...uh...I forgot.

Oh and Josh? I think we have a right to be angry and bitter as citizens under a proto-fascist government. The Republicans onstage are always complaining about other's complaints, I would think they would maybe offer some HOPE instead of RAGE.

Shit, they've been in charge for 8 years. What's their beef?

I couldn't believe my ears when Huckabee warned against Obama creating a 'big brother' government after what Bush has been trying to get away with for the last eight years.

And the sexism charge of would a man have been questioned about having a big family would have been better delivered by Romney and not Rudy.

Rudy: "No one has ever asked me about if my job would interfere in my raising of a family, and I no longer have a blood relation, ex, in-law, or pen-pal that would piss on me if I was on fire."

Speaking to Dp's original post, Biden called some of the Palin coverage as sexist...on the evil Fox News Channel, or all places! Guess Biden's a fascist too.

Joe can feel what Joe wants, but Palin has it coming. The repubs have it coming. If you freakin forget to vet your VP candidate and expect people to just LET IT GO. You are obviously out of touch with more than just the people of this nation.

Josh: you miss the point. Repubs are pretty much a party that consist of white people that have decided that other white people and other ethnic groups do not deserve shit from this country. They support keeping the rich richer, and making the broke broker. They support a pointless war, anti-community policies, and a police state.

So excuse me for telling (figuratively) to fuck off with your bitter comments. Why? It's not bitterness. It's anger. It's anger at people like you who have all of these freedoms, but enjoy pissing on the memories of the founding Fathers with every wretched breath you take.

By Jim Geraghty has an article at National Review which shows some of the sexism. You can say that if people claim that ALL complaints against Palin are sexist then that is a lie, but clearly there are SOME very sexist comments that have been fired off and it didn't take long either.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YWJmMTk2MzlhYWI1OTU1MmUzMGEyZGFmMzY0OGE3NDU=

"The media, in particular, has been sterling in keeping sexism out of the discussion of Palin and her qualifications for high office. Sure, ABC News correspondent David Wright said, “In small groups, Palin can seem like the young, trophy running mate.”"
. . .
Sure, on MSNBC, the phrases “daughter’s pregnancy” and “Palin’s judgment” were used in conjunction so many times, liberal bloggers who disagree with Palin were grinding their teeth.

Sure, Maureen Dowd calls her the “Vice in Go-Go Boots.”

Sure, the Baltimore Sun’s Susan Reimer dismissed her as “a skirt on the ticket.”

IO, I think you literally told him to fuck off just now.

don lewis said, [his association with terrorists]"Didn't hurt G.W. Bush any now did it. "

How can you be so confused as to think that someone who is fighting against terrorism is associated with them? Sadam Hussein is no longer in power in Iraq, or haven't you heard.

I really can't see how the Republicans didn't vet Palin. That would be minor league shit if they didn't. Just because she has skeletons in her closet doesn't mean she wasn't vetted...all politicians do. It's just that with her, we didn't know about them until all at once because who had heard of her? Biden has his problems too, btu we already knew about them.

R Scott R-

Saddam Hussein DID NOT attack us on 9/11. Osama bin Laden did.

If you don't understand the difference between these two people, you're either a liar or just plain unintelligent.

Perm: your candidate talked to her once and met her once before last week. This is the truth. He also -- according to those supposed INSIDER -- want Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge, but the RRCL (Religious Right Conservative Leaders) told him they would not fly. So he went with them one that did fly with them, and that's how it goes.

McCain's campaign is very bush-league. The only way they have gotten anywhere is by heeding the words of the late and great Eddie Guerrero. So I am not shocked that VIVA LA POW did not do his work with Palin.

I also love that the press is bending backwards for this hack. Oh wow she's competent. Wooo!!! She did go to college for this after all. It's not that the press should be slamming her as much as they should not be bending over to be pegged by her.

INSIDERS and WANTED for those playing at home, and IRAQ is only the home of terrorism. Thanks to US! GOOD GOING US!

Why do Republicans always have that wack country music at their events?

"How can you be so confused as to think that someone who is fighting against terrorism is associated with them? Sadam Hussein is no longer in power in Iraq, or haven't you heard."

Well, R Scott R is officially a complete idiot.

"Sadam Hussein is no longer in power in Iraq, or haven't you heard."

Wonder who was stupid enough to put him in power?

"How can you be so confused as to think that someone who is fighting against terrorism is associated with them?"

Aside from the fact that the Bush family has been in cahoots with both the bin Laden family and the other anti-West Saudis for decades, Bush and Cheney did nothing to prevent 9/11 (remember "Bin Ladne Determined To Strike Within U.S.?"), and may well in fact have hoped for it, as it's well known to anyone who doesn't watch Fox that they desired "another Pearl Harbor" that would give them license to seize control of the entire government, which they pretty much have done. Knowing that an attack was imminent and doing nothing to stop it makes them just as guilty as the hijackers, in the same way as the man who orders a killing is just as guilty as the one who actually pulls the trigger.

Bush isn't fighting terrorism--he's breeding it, in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"Sadaam Hussein is no longer in power in Iraq, or haven't you heard."

And when Sadaam Hussein was removed from power, flowers bloomed, birds sang and there was never a single attack on American soldiers ever again.

Please peddle your paranoid trolling elsewhere, R Scott R.

The media is puffing up Palin now for a reason. It'll make her stumbles look that much worse. And by promoting her as a "Pitbull With Lipstick," it'll give Biden a green light to go hard on her during the debate.

Mysteryperfecta, I'm sure you know that what you said earlier equating Obama's church and Wright with Fred Phelps is a misleading distortion.

It also raises the question about Palin and her husband belonging to the anti-American Alaska Independence Party.

So IO, since McCain only talked to her twice, you assume that NO ONE ELSE looked into her at all? I guess McCain was personally going to fly to Alaska and ask her those 70 questions?

Since Palin flew with the Republicans, wouldn't you think that means they know about her and where she stands? Isn't that what "vetting" is, my man?

There's two types of vetting: Campaign vetting and public vetting.

McCain's team may have done the former, but the public, and the media by extension, had not done the other. Remember, Hillary's line was always that she had already been publicly vetted.

All that said, the missteps on McCain's part was that he either didn't think the pregnant teen or Troopergate or anything else would be a big deal, and that he believed he could control Palin's image and the flow of info about her.

I think it's still too early to see if he was right or not. Any candidate who came out of the blue would have had a bunch of shit come to the surface...now the question is, will that matter? You're right though, that the other candidates had been publically vetted already, so their scandals weren't as big a deal. Would someone like that have been a better play?

I still think a VP is not that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. People are voting for McCain or for Obama. A good VP may help, but do they truly hurt?

If he had gotten Lieberman, which I keep hearing about...that would have been interesting.

"I still think a VP is not that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. People are voting for McCain or for Obama. A good VP may help, but do they truly hurt?"

The big issue isn't Sarah Palin, but John McCain's hasty and faulty judgment. It reminds too many people of the sloppy, half-baked reasoning that led to the Iraq War.

If McCain didn't think through a decision like this properly, it comes across as rather dangerous to elect him to make even more important decisions.

I wouldn't disagree with that.

Sounds like, though, that he was fighting for Lieberman up tp the last minute, couldn't get him, so had to choose the VP that worked best for him. If the Republicans hadn't gotten in his way, he wouldn't have made an impulsive decision.

Exactly. It's not about experience, it's about judgement.

When people clamor for experience, what they're really saying is that they want enough information about you to see if you'll make good judgments. By all accounts McCain used pretty bad judgement in his VP pick (at least in the hasty process) and as more and more information comes out about her it appears that Palin herself has poor judgement.

One thing about that. McCain is trying to establish himself as a maverick and an agent of change. But his capitulation to the right in choosing Palin pretty much illustrates how limited his options really are.

Mutiny, I also agree with that.

"If the Republicans hadn't gotten in his way, he wouldn't have made an impulsive decision."

That pretty much sums up a lot of his decisions since he became the front-runner unfortunately. I had a lot of respect for McCain. Would have been strongly tempted to vote for him in 2000. And it was because of his willingness to go against the grain and shuck off his party if he felt he had to. His recent kowtowing to the base has locked in the feeling I've had for him since he backed off of the torture issue- that his principles are for sale to anyone who will get him where he wants to go. That's altered all the ways I thought of him before.

Honestly, I thought that if he won and was serious about only going one term that he'd get in, say "Okay, this is my ballgame now", and possibly revert to his old ways. But when you have a VP like that taking up the rear that's damn near impossible. He's not going to make it where his VP has to run against his record. So, the choice gives a good window into what his Administration will be. So that fixes it for me.

I won't pretend that I'm not partisan. Never have. But I can honestly say that the way he's run his campaign has eroded my opinion of him for good.

That being said, I look forward to him returning to the Senate next year with a huge chip on his shoulder against the die-hards who cost him the election. Assuming the Dems replace Harry Reid (please God!), then we could see some serious shit.

McCain is apparently planning a town hall-style speech tonight with a redesigned stage. Basically, a 180 from Obama.

A stage designed to look like...a cross.

"If the Republicans hadn't gotten in his way, he wouldn't have made an impulsive decision."

I think the mark of a leader is the ability to have a backup plan for the times when you can't get your first choice, instead of just rolling the dice.

Also it looks like Palin is doing a specific job for him - rousing the base. Which means that McCain's priority for her is to use her to win a Rove-style slash-and-burn campaign, which isn't really putting country first.

Why didn't somebody tell me months ago that Jessica Biel supports Obama? Between finding that out and this TERRIFYING schoolmarm, I am doing a 180...

BARACK OWNS.

Apparently, Palin's speech last night drew nearly the same TV ratings as Obama's speech. No publicity is bad publicity, huh?

"No publicity is bad publicity, huh?"

In this case I pray it is. But the liberal MSM meme has gone out:

SARAH PALIN = TOTAL OWNAGE

This hen is the exact opposite of total ownage.

Wheeling out the kid/baby was CREEEEEEPIER than the fucking Grady Twins.

But Jeff, how do we know she wasn't his second choice? Or even his first? I have no problem believing she wasn't his first choice, but after that, who knows...except for what unnamed sources may say. And as strategy, I think she's not a terrible choice. I'm talking about getting him into office, mind you...I don't really like a lot of her positions.

Is that so bad that her speech hit the same number as Obama? Are there normally huge ratings increases for those? I wouldn't think so, but I don't really follow that stuff.

If she was higher on his list, the campaign would have leaked her name earlier as a contender and the stream of weird news about her would have been managed better, over a longer period of time, instead of all coming out in a torrent.

Oh, and for all the "it's all over" folk out there...just heard on NPR that new polls show they're dead even. I think CBS did them.

Just as Obama got his bump after his speeches, and Dems wrongly (I think) attributed his bump to Palin, now Palin speaks and bumps the Repubs. Will they get more traction after tonight?

According to Gallup, Obama is still leading with 49% to 42% -- which has been about the average for the past 8 days.

I swung by there to see what they said, and you're right...but it also says that poll does not reflect after her speech. I think the new poll did.

I think the last poll concluded last night before her speech, so there isn't sufficient data yet to gauge its impact. Even if McCain does well tonight, he has a lot of ground to make up. Obama's been averaging 6%, and if you look back at the past month, although they've been tied a few times, there was only one day when McCain topped Obama -- and that was the first night of the Dem convention.

'creepier than the fucking grady twins'...it doesn't get much creepier than that. (maybe the grinning chauffeur in 'burnt offerings', he's pretty fucking creepy)

R troll R:
Jim Geraghty is lying. Ed Schultz never, EVER called Palin a bimbo. All he said about her was her speech proved she could read a teleprompter. However Jim Geraghty said Schultz said THAT annnd that he called Palin a bimbo. Not true...he combined 2 statements about 2 people.

What he really said was Cindy McCain made a "bimbo statement" by saying Palin knew foreign policy because Alaska is so close to Russia. And lets face it, that is one of the more stupid things any person in politics has ever said. Ever. It actually reminded me of FAMILY GUY whenever Brians hot (but vacant) girlfriend Jillian speaks.

And now McCain is echoing it. Brilliant!

Apparently, Obama's campaign is claiming to have raised $8M since Palin's speech last night and they expect to hit $10M by the time McCain makes his speech.

And I'll be donating for the first time to Obama/Biden to kick it up.

$10M means 10 million, christian. FYI.

Did you think I was going to donate 2 million?

Wouldn't be legal even if you wanted to.

I'm watching a bunch of straight whiteys dancing to the Stray Cats...

I see the Palins are using their Ruffles bag prop again...

"Mysteryperfecta, I'm sure you know that what you said earlier equating Obama's church and Wright with Fred Phelps is a misleading distortion."

Oh, I wasn't equating them. I was just trying to quickly think of an infamous church for my analogy. What Phelps and Wright preach is bad, but clearly, Phelps trumps Wright with despicable actions.

This McCain bio film is so hokey. It's practically satire.

-McCain Votes Against Vets!

-USA! USA! USA!

Is he capable of saying more than one word per breath?

Joe Pesci's Oscar speech was more electrifying this.

If this speech was filmed in slo-motion it wouldn't be slower or longer...

Palin = 1 step forward
McCain = 2 steps back

They're actually playing Barracuda by Heart...

Dedicated to Cameron Crowe, of course...

That "Raisin' McCain" post-speech song seriously sounded like something from THE SIMPSONS.

Good speech though, seriously. I mean, it changes nothing, but good speech.

I've been more entertained watching golf on TV on a Saturday afternoon...

Thing is mutiny, I really used to like McCain and was planning on voting for him 8 years ago should he get the nom. I was never a Gore fan. But ever since he got thrown under the bus that year, man...what a little bitch he's become. He's like a right-wing puppet and the guys handling the strings just reminded him he's "a maverick." A maverick who voted with the guy he's trying to distance himself from over 90% of the time....

That speech screwed up my internal clock. It feels like it's an hour later than it actually is.

Forget about old people fucking...

The new line is:

"You climb obstacles like John McCain gives speeches."

The Democrats should make an ad out of clips from this speech and just be like: Do you really want 4 years of this?...

I did like my email from Obama, that called out the Republicans on OFFERING NOTHING NEW TO THIS COUNTRY! All they did was attack Obama. That's it. Millions of people watched Sarah Palin show herself to be an ass and offer nothing new for this country. Only the Republicans could think their convention was successful. When they offered NOTHING NEW FOR THIS COUNTRY!

High schools should force kids in detention to watch that speech as punishment...

McCain gives us a recitation on the Bush economic policy - and calls that change?? The only enthusiasm that crowd showed during his speech was when he mentioned Palin's name - weird - as if they really don't support the guy - Palin is who they want

I think Palin's speech really served to mobilize the Democratic base - she was really nasty and if she keeps that up - it wont be helpful - woman voters do not like nastiness in pols and male voters wont like a woman being nasty - the mockery of people who do community organizing really offended several people I know -

Well, if nothing else, once the election is over McCain can always do Viagra spots like Dole...

You want to see a chick who OWNS, Lex? Scroll down to the video.

http://www.stopthinkvote.com/palin/palincos.html

Smart AND cute as hell.

The video background was awful, too. The shot of the green grass was hilarious. The medium shot of McCain against it made the speech look a lot like a continuation of Stephen Colbert's McCain Green Screen Challenge.

I was watching it on MSNBC. A few moments after McCain asked others to teach illiterate adults they cut to an old man holding a sign that read "McCain is a Mavrick". Awesome.

Saw "McCain is a MAVRICK" earlier and was ROLLLLLLLING. HA!

Frankbooth, she seems cool as hell (and funny) but in general I'm not attracted to smart women.

Dancing white nerds = SO EMBARASSING.

"in general I'm not attracted to smart women."

I give you credit for having the big hairy balls to be completely honest, but goddammit, be more ashamed! Keep this shit to yourself!

They're not attracted to Lex, either.

And by that I mean women in general, not just "smart" women.

Although any woman who doesn't date Lex is at least a LITTLE smart!

What I ooved about McCain's backdrop (which you can see in full here: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/mccainhousebackdrop.jpg) is that it's of Walter Reed.

But it's not Walter Reed memorial hospitol. It's Walter Reed Middle School, in North Hollywood.

Someone did a lazy job on their image search.

Let's try that again:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/mccainhousebackdrop.jpg

Is McCain's speech over yet?

Gallup's new poll, factoring in the first day after Palin's speech, gave McCain a 2-point bounce to take Obama's lead down to 4%. I can't imagine McCain's speech erasing the remaining 4%.

Yet that psycho rapture queen Palin is more popular?

Maybe not for much longer.

Hillary is set to go after her on Monday.

And with them hiding her from the press and events "for a little while", I'm sure they'll do a great job of building on her momentum. (Or is that Eskimomentum?)

It looks like McCain's speech was watched by more people than the Demorat's. So much for Hussein and those ridiculous Greek columns.

You're a racist idiot.

So much for Hussein and those ridiculous Greek columns...and the football stadium, and the 80,000 rabid fanatics, and the braindead celebrities, and that idiot Oprah and her eyelashes.

Ibid.

Go catch some flies for dinner, Renfielding.

Which reminds me...doesn't McCain look a bit like Gary Oldman in the Transylvania sequences of Dracula?

I'm just sayin'.

Dracula had more hair.

I love how Palin's lawyer is criticizing the legislature in the Troopergate mess for talking to the media, meanwhile, he's coordinating his efforts with McCain.

And the focus of the investigation now seems to have shifted from whether Palin sought to have Wooten fired to whether Wooten's confidential files were breached. Which shifts things from an ethics issue to a criminal issue.

She's had too many hockey pucks to the head. Nicht Geliebte, lest she get preggers again.

Since this is the de facto political thread du jour, anyone watch God (ie, Bill Maher) tonight?

KERRY WASHINGTON OOOOOOOOOOOOWNED.

All HOT and AWESOME trying to be smart and shit. Yep, yep, it's boner o'clock.

Wonder if she has MySpace.

I'd like to lakeview her terrace, if you know what I'm sayin'.

BONE.

Here, Lex, I think Defamer posted this just for you: http://defamer.com/400927/summer-isnt-over-until-christina-ricci-says-its-over

YES!

RICCI = TOTAL OWNAGE.

Ironically, though, as to her quote... I in fact did spend that very day trapped in a depressing office. It must OWN not to have to work.

RICCI FOR PRESIDENT '12.

Plus Hussein's speech was carried by more network suckholes than McCain's and Palin's. And they still beat him.

Now wait - what constitutes a 'network suckhole'?
And since more people watched Palin than McCain, by logical extension, she should be at the top of the ticket, right? More executive experience, too.
Lastly, referring to Obama as "Hussein" is clearly a blatant trollish provocation. You wouldn't bring it up otherwise, which means you're only posting to annoy people, which means you're an asshole, and so on and so forth.

Commentators on Fox like to use that middle name with some frequency. Mere minutes after his speech last week, the anchor/commentator chiming in made it a point to call him by his first, middle, and last name.

Yeah, and it's a cheap provocation.
If John McCain's middle name was, say, "Ronald" Fox would be repeating it ad nauseum too. If, on the other hand, it was "Cheney" we'd never hear it.

"It looks like McCain's speech was watched by more people than the Demorat's. So much for Hussein and those ridiculous Greek columns."

And that's because millions of Democrats and independents watched it because this is a historic election. Not a big surprise there. I watched too and so that MUST mean I love this frightening Team America.

The GOP spin is staggering -- these adults will just lie through their teeth about everything.

And that's because millions of Democrats and independents watched it because this is a historic election. Not a big surprise there. I watched too and so that MUST mean I love this frightening Team America...

IO made the exact same argument in favor of Obama last week. Why didn't you bother to correct him?

Save the spin talk. You guys are out-of-Fing-control.

And I highly suggest to anyone here that is center-right politically to stay out of the fray. Poland didn't intend, nor wants, to have actual discussions per his previous column. It's his server space and wattage. If he wants an echo chamber, the request should be respected.

Interestingly, regarding the TV ratings, I think for Obama CNN beat Fox 2:1, but for McCain Fox beat CNN 2:1.

"IO made the exact same argument in favor of Obama last week. Why didn't you bother to correct him?"

I rarely respond to IO's hyperbolic posts. And have you noted when I pointed out that his tone is not likely to help? What spin was that?

And if you include PBS, which the national figures do not, Obama still beat McCain.

Latest poll has Obama up by 2%.

S factour [I do not recognize your first name anymore]: The Republicans watched the Republican national convention. Those people who betray the American spirit decided to watch their boring little convention with their boring candidate and their absolutely daft vp candidate. This is what happened. This is why FOX NEWS was so highly rated last week.

So you need to realize that Obama's speech was watched by everyone who would never want to spend time with a Republican. Those would be independents and republicans who are waking up from their eight year comas.

Again this thing is not even close. It has never been close. That's a media illusion, and this time fat fuck Roger over at Fox... loses.

"What spin was that?

And if you include PBS, which the national figures do not, Obama still beat McCain. "

...Nielsen said that 38.9 million people watched McCain accept the GOP nomination Thursday on either ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel or MSNBC. PBS, which has a more imprecise estimate based on samples in a few big cities, said 3.5 million watched on its network.

Last week, Obama's speech in Denver was seen by 38.4 million on 10 different commercial networks, and an additional 4 million on PBS.

Add it up, and that's McCain, 42.4 million, to Obama, 42.4 million.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D930S7U81&show_article=1

Obama = 11 channels, McCain = 7 channels. NBC did not carry McCain on Telemundo. Univision, BET and TV One were the other three Obama had that opted not to carry McCain. So two latino-centric channels and two black-centric channels won't cover the white guy, yet the white guy gets the same number. So, a guy who's been a Senator from the Southwest for over twenty years, of the State with the biggest Latino explosion in the country, doesn't get covered by the Latino channels. I understand BET and TV One, but Uni and Mundo are indefensible.

I suggest you write a sternly worded letter.
Obviously, then, the numbers are the same because the same number of people were interested and, if their channel of choice wasn't running a speech, they changed to one that was.

BFD.

I am sure all of those nice hispanic folks, were real interested in Senator McCain and Sarah Palin. You know they are the part of NON-INCLUSION. Obama at least does not want to enforce ridiculous and over the top immigration policies.

et tu, Jeff? Replies like that will only lead to you "seriously losing credibility" with me...

While I agree that there is a ballpark number of who watched both conventions, there's somewhere around 4 million that has to be divided into Obama's numbers between BET/TV One/Uni/Mundo and C-Span, while C-Span is the only variable for McCain. That same number, though, can be found in the overall RNC/DNC viewership averages...

This week's ratings, with an average of 34.5 million viewers watching the GOP convention over three days, proved people are becoming more interested in what the Republicans have to say. The Democrats had an average audience of 30.2 million over four days, Nielsen said.

...and it gets more interesting as more men watched McCain than Obama, but more women watched Obama than McCain, yet more women watched the RNC convention overall because of Palin. I'm not insinuating some massive shift. I think what it shows is that this is now truly 50/50, and not Poland's 60/40 or his fantasyland 70/30. It unquestionably shows that Biden didn't help at all, hence the full-court press on MTP and with Hillary on Monday. If Obama took Hillary, all this would be moot.

Any woman who votes for McSame. Should immediately pick up her DOOM ticket afterwards. I also hope they have no problem with losing the right over their own bodies, as well as the real chance their son or daughter can get killed in a pointless foreign war. So I hope they get behind Obama without Hillary, or they will get what they have coming to them from the repubs.

It's rather scary and bewildering for me to hear some of my "democrat" friends here in LA say they're voting for McCain. I ask why and get bromides: "I like him."

What about the past 8 years of GOP disaster?
"Oh, well that was Bush."

And how about a fundamentalist wacko next in line to be VP?
"She's hot."

I'm fully prepped to leave this dying country if we become a genuine confederacy of dunces.

"i