Cautious optimism.
Map created using Real Clear Politics map generator. Data using FiveThirtyEight’s polling projections. All poll projections greater than 6% margin were deemed ‘solid’, less than that ‘leaning’, and anything less than say 1% were ‘toss up’.
Tags: 2008, election, electoral college, Politics, projections
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
Nothing better than a cowardly racist caught on video tape. From CBS News:
As the crowd cheered at a Sarah Palin rally this morning in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a man in the audience grinned as he held up a stuffed monkey doll with a Barack Obama bumper sticker wrapped across its forehead. [..]
After Palin finished her remarks this morning, the man holding the stuffed monkey seemed to notice that a video camera was pointed at him, at which point he removed the Obama sticker from the doll’s head and crumpling it up in his hand. He then handed the doll to a young boy who was watching the rally from his father’s shoulders. The boy’s parents later told CBS News that they weren’t acquainted with the man who gave their son the stuffed monkey.
Update: Embed code not working. Visit the CBS News blog post linked above to view the video.
Tags: 2008, election, racism
Noted in Politics, Videos | Permanent link
In case McCain decides to dump Palin in the future, I thought it would be beneficial to lay out my case for the VP slot. I would surely consider taking over for her and think I can match her experience note for note.
Here we go:
McCain, hear me out! I think I can do it and I could probably find a few dozen people to back me up when you select me. I can learn on the job (from the master!) and surely be ready on Day One. I’m sure you’d agree, this is an impressive resume.
America first!
Tags: 2008, election, humor, mccain, VP
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
So the current meme on the right is complaining how unfairly Palin is being treated because she is a woman. I’d like to remind Palin et al what she said about Hilary after HRC complained about unfair treatment/sexism/increased criticism and focus:
“She does herself a disservice to even mention it, really,” Palin said. “When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism, or maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, ‘Man, that doesn’t do us any good, women in politics, or women in general, trying to progress this country,’” Palin said. “I don’t think it bodes well for her.”
Update:
And Joe Klein touches on the McCain camp bullying the press over the treatment of Palin:
Steve Schmidt has decided, for tactical reasons, to slime the press. He wants the public to believe that there is an unfair–sexist (you gotta love it)–personal assault going on against Palin and her family. This is a smokescreen, intended to divert attention from the fact the very real and responsible vetting that is taking place in the media–about the substance of Palin’s record as mayor and governor. …There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is “a task from God.” The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme.
(emphasis mine)
As Crooks and Liars said, That’s straight talk, the clear-quill real deal.
Tags: 2008, criticism, election, palin
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
From Real Clear Politics Electoral Map creator, based on current average polls in each state:
Tags: 2008, election, mccain, obama
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
More on the Palin saga, as the vetting process seems to be happening in real time. (Crazy, huh?)
Prior to Saturday, the McCain camp hadn’t gone through the archives of Palin’s hometown newspaper. The archives are offline access only and a democrat charged with researching Palin was told by the staff they were the first to request access. Wow!
Today, Andrea Mitchell reported that McCain lawyers are currently doing a vet of Palin in Alaska. Double wow.
A run down of the current issues with Palin on the HuffPost homepage, right now:
Sounds like a lot of baggage for a VP candidate with little national political experience!
Palin pushes that she is against earmarks, but her administration requested 85 earmarks in the two years as governor.
And finally, a few things to ponder:
Tags: 2008, election, mccain, mcsame, palin
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
Obviously the media is covering her a lot, now that the pick has been made, so we’re gradually learning more about her and the repercussions of his pick. Here are some of my favorites:
Dave Winer says a lot of the same things I’ve been thinking, but says them way better than I did yesterday.
Politico examines 6 things the Palin pick says about McCain:
1. He’s desperate.
McCain officials even admit:
“She’s a fresh new face in a party that’s dying for one — the antidote to boring white men,” a campaign official said.“I think we’re going to have to examine our tag line, ‘dangerously inexperienced,’” a top McCain official said wryly.
2. He’s willing to gamble — bigtime.
3. He’s worried about the political implications of his age. (having just turned 72)
4. He’s not worried about the actuarial implications of his age.
5. He’s worried about his conservative base
6. At the end of the day, McCain is still McCain. People may find him a refreshing maverick, or an erratic egotist. In either event, he marches to his own beat.
(JD note: well, he used to at least, before he got serious about his chances to be president… pre-2000 era McCain was respectable.)
A good read, at least.
Think Progress has an article on her maverick-ness: Palin Repeatedly Professed Desire To Renew Federal Funding For ‘Bridge To Nowhere’. So she was for it before she was against it.
The choice stunned some politicians from Alaska. Choice quotes:
“She’s not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?” said State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican from Palin’s hometown of Wasilla. “Look at what she’s done to this state. What would she do to the nation?”
Anchorage Democratic state Sen. Hollis French said it’s a huge mistake by McCain and “reflects very, very badly on his judgment.” French said Palin’s experience running the state for less than two years hasn’t prepared her for this.
State House Speaker John Harris, a Republican from Valdez, was astonished at the news. He didn’t want to get into the issue of her qualifications.
“She’s old enough,” Harris said. “She’s a U.S. citizen.”
And this surprising news:
Former House Speaker Gail Phillips, a Republican political leader who has clashed with Palin in the past, was shocked when she heard the news Friday morning with her husband, Walt.
“I said to Walt, ‘This can’t be happening, because his advance team didn’t come to Alaska to check her out,” Phillips said.
Phillips has been active in the Ted Stevens re-election steering committee and remains in close touch with Sen. Lisa Murkowski and other party leaders, and she said nobody had heard anything about McCain’s people doing research on his prospective running mate.
“We’re not a very big state. People I talk to would have heard something.”
Which also jives with this post on Firedoglake: McCain Campaign Sending Investigators to Alaska to Check Into Palin’s Troopergate: Did these idiots not vet her?
And finally (for tonight), Palin’s superb leadership as mayor left her former town in a budget crisis that they are still paying for today (six years later), with tax increases and service cutbacks. All due to her wanting to leave a legacy with the town by pushing to build a $15 million sport venue (for a town of 8,500!) – a deal that was badly managed with arrogance and incompetence. [Also, more reflection on her time as mayor, by a long-time resident.]
The more I read about her, I think as people get to know her ideology (she was an avid Pat Robertson supporter for goodness sake!) and her record, I think this pick is going to start looking worse and worse for McCain’s presidential bid. Time will tell, though.
Tags: 2008, election, mccain, palin, republicans, VP
Noted in Politics | Permanent link
If you weren’t one of the 38 million (!) that watched this live, what are you waiting for?
Tags: 2008, election, obama, speech
Noted in Politics, Videos | Permanent link
The latest installment from the DHARMA Initiative’s Dr. Marvin Candle, err Pierre Cheng… can’t wait until next season!
Tags: 2008, comic con, dharma initiative, LOST
Noted in Videos | Permanent link
The biggest news out of the household this weekend was Lucy finally crawled forward! She’s been scooting and going backwards for a few weeks now, but she finally mastered the forward movement. And she is getting faster every day! I can only imagine what we’re in store for now.
We also borrowed a walker from our friends in Rochester. Lucy is doing well with that too, so I imagine walking is just around the corner. As is our exercise. She’s already into everything she can get her hands on, so being mobile will make it that much more interesting for her. At least it is fun to watch her learn and develop!
Here’s a quick video I shot with our new Flip video camera. Still learning the ropes of editing and using iMovie, so please forgive the amateurish-ness of the video! 
Lucy Crawls from Jason Dettbarn on Vimeo.
Tags: 2008, crawling, lucy, Videos
Noted in Parenting, Videos | Permanent link