OT: 2008 Elections/Politics thread, Part 2

[XXXIV]

Exactly my thoughts. Put this woman in charge of a bake sale...

I want her doing my laundry.

[SPTO]

Exactly my thoughts. Put this woman in charge of a bake sale...

I want her doing my laundry.

Even when you make tracks in your underwear? LOL

[XXXIV]

Exactly my thoughts. Put this woman in charge of a bake sale...

I want her doing my laundry.

Even when you make tracks in your underwear? LOL

What do you mean when?

[SPTO]

I thought every guy does that once in a while?

I must have serious problems then

[Jared]

Palin's teleprompter never broke...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanm ... ml?showall

Sarah Palin delivered a powerful speech last night, but she did not "wing it."

That is what Erick Erickson, citing sources close to McCain, has written on his blog, RedState.

Erickson writes that "the teleprompter continued scrolling during applause breaks. As a result, half way through the speech, the speech had scrolled significantly from where Governor Palin was in the speech."

This claim has been picked up on Drudge and could quickly enter into the insta-mythmaking about a speech that need not be embroidered.

Perhaps there were moments where it scrolled slightly past her exact point in the speech. But I was sitting in the press section next to the stage, within easy eyeshot of the teleprompter. I frequently looked up at the machine, and there was no serious malfunction. A top convention-planner confirms this morning that there were no major problems.

Erickson writes that the same malfunction happened during Rudy Giuliani's speech earlier in the night. Again, I watched the teleprompter during this speech and it worked without problem. Giuliani, as is his wont, simply decided to go off-script and add some new lines, such as one attacking Obama for his "bitter" comments.

[SPTO]

Erick Erickson? Talk about a redundant name.

Well since the teleprompter never broke I take back some of what I said. Yes it was a good speech to the base and she spoke well but I didn't particularly like it or the image it projected.

[XXXIV]

I've seen some others criticize them for passing the baby along "for show." LMAO People have apparently never tried to hold a baby for 45 minutes...

I baptized my nephew. I had to hold him about that long. That was not fun. It was not easy. Im lucky to be alive

[webdanzer]

Q:

Are you genetically incapable of typing without saying something stupid?

A:

Put this woman in charge of a bake sale....

[RobVarak]

Exactly my thoughts. Put this woman in charge of a bake sale...

I want her doing my laundry.

Agreed. Think of all the sewing that must be piling up at home while she's out here playing at politician and neglecting her family. LMAO

[JackB1]

I thought Giuliani was perfect grist for the base's mill, and Palin was brilliant. And that's before I came here and saw the reactions. Now I think I may have underestimated how good she was.

-----Edit
Just got the Obama "reaction" and a quick had a quick peek at Daily Kos. I did underestimate...

He was perfect for his immediate audience, who would start cheering if he got up there and said anything. But he should have tailored his speech to the undecided voters out there who could help his party win. All he did was whip his lackeys into a frenzy while making an as* out of himself. I don't think that helps win many votes when you behave like a childish clown.

[RobVarak]

He was perfect for his immediate audience, who would start cheering if he got up there and said anything. But he should have tailored his speech to the undecided voters out there who could help his party win. All he did was whip his lackeys into a frenzy while making an as* out of himself. I don't think that helps win many votes when you behave like a childish clown.

Lackeys? You mean lackies or was the Angels pitcher's family there?

80% of the people in the hall would've gone to the barricades if Rudy had won the nomination. As for the content, have you every actually watched a convention before? Firing up the base, not just in the hall but at home as well is Job 1. You mix appeals to undecideds with the rhetoric that will get the people who identify with your partiy to go to the polls. Politics 101.

[MACTEPsporta]

I listened to Palin speak yesterday, and I have to say - I am not terribly impressed. I was expecting more after Rob has been building her up for the last week. The speech was prepared and practiced, so her timing was pretty good, and she had a good connection with the audience. I credit that more to the fact they were excited to see her, than to her actual speech. She spent very little time on herself, which is unfortunate, I think that was the best part, and went directly to attacking O'Biden. Not a big surprise in itself, but I couldn't help but think "Here they are introducing this girl that is supposed to be anything but an old timer in Washington, and here she is trying very hard to fit in, and be one".

She has undeniable cheerleading qualities, from high pitched voice, jestures, to flirty smiles to the crowd, but that doesn't cut it on the big stage. I am sure she would be great leading campaign headquaters, and warming up the crowd for the candidate, but I don't see her as VP. She clearly struggled with some of the words she was made to memorize, you could tell this just isn't her. After hearing Huckabee, Romney and Guiliani speak, there was just this intelligence gap that she couln't fill. I guess, I need to listen to her responding to questions to form a more full opinion about her, but right now I am generally unimpressed.

I am big on predictions, so there you go. Republicans will want to forget this campaign, and will fault McCain for failing it. Years from now he will be viewed as republican version of Walter Mondale, who's made some poor decisions to lose. Naming Palin will be one of the examples of such decisions, even though, I am sure Republican Party, much like the democrats with Ferrraro, will proudly tout the fact they had a woman as VP candidate.

[JackB1]

Are you genetically incapable of typing without saying something stupid? Moms, dads and siblings do that all the time to kids hair...especially babies hair which is still growing in.

I've seen some others criticize them for passing the baby along "for show." LMAO People have apparently never tried to hold a baby for 45 minutes...

Maybe Moms, Dads and Adults....but have you seen where little kids put their hands? Everywhere. And then licking them and putting them on a baby's face and head? I'm not going to go into a whole lecture about germs, saliva and disease here, but lets just say it's not the most sanitary thing for a newborn.

As far as "putting the baby up for show", you are right and that was very disturbing. I guess they couldn't find a babysiter at such late notice
I also see how McCain's wife had it front and center for a while for all to see and now Pain is on a mission for "special needs kids". I wonder how much attention she paid to this noble cause before she had one of her own?

[RobVarak]

She has undeniable cheerleading qualities, from high pitched voice, jestures, to flirty smiles to the crowd, but that doesn't cut it on the big stage.

That will help with her bake sales at least.

She clearly struggled with some of the words she was made to memorize, you could tell this just isn't her. After hearing Huckabee, Romney and Guiliani speak, there was just this intelligence gap that she couln't fill. I guess, I need to listen to her responding to questions to form a more full opinion about her, but right now I am generally unimpressed.

WTF? Struggled how? With pronunciation? She didn't have to memorize anything, and she had better content and delivery than either Romney or Rudy.

[RobVarak]

Maybe Moms, Dads and Adults....but have you seen where little kids put their hands? Everywhere. And then licking them and putting them on a baby's face and head? I'm not going to go into a whole lecture about germs, saliva and disease here, but lets just say it's not the most sanitary thing for a newborn.

Son, you have no idea who you're talking to here.

My first DSP commandment is generally to ignore everythng that you post. I have broken it and gotten myself a bit aggravated. I will now resume my previous postion.

[matthewk]

Jack, do you have any children?

[Leebo33]

Q:

Are you genetically incapable of typing without saying something stupid?

A:

Put this woman in charge of a bake sale....

It used to be fun to poke fun at Jack in a good natured way, but now I just cringe every time he posts in this thread.

[SPTO]

I
I am big on predictions, so there you go. Republicans will want to forget this campaign, and will fault McCain for failing it. Years from now he will be viewed as republican version of Walter Mondale, who's made some poor decisions to lose. Naming Palin will be one of the examples of such decisions, even though, I am sure Republican Party, much like the democrats with Ferrraro, will proudly tout the fact they had a woman as VP candidate.

I agree with you here. I've said it almost from the beginning that the Palin pick is very similar to Ferraro in '84. It's too bad that McCain may end up being the GOP version of Mondale but the similarities are there to an extent. I just hope it doesn't turn into a landslide as I genuinely like McCain. I really wanted McCain to make it in 2000 but unfortunately that never came to pass.

[JackB1]

Looks like Palin's speech didn't accomplish much. All the Rep's now think she's the best thing that could have ever happened to their ticket, while the Dem's aren't exactly enamored with her hokey, PTA Mom, religious right rantings. It will be interesting to see if either candidate gets a bump in the polls after this thing is over.

I think all these conventions do is create a bigger divide between blue and red. It confirms why I like my side and I would suspect the opposite is true for the Rep's. So in the end, is all this a good thing?

[MACTEPsporta]

WTF? Struggled how? With pronunciation? She didn't have to memorize anything, and she had better content and delivery than either Romney or Rudy.

I should talk about pronounciation.

You know how a person that didn't have to use a computer until they are fifty is uncomfortable using it, even though it's twenty years later, and they've been using it every day since? Well, kinda like that. She learned many of the big words she used very recently (which is understandable given her educational background), and while she felt she needed to use them and pronounce them right, she still didn't look comfortable doing it. Which isn't a problem in itself, I don't know half those words either, and president Bush will not recognize fifty per cent of the words used in this paragraph, but the fact that she is not in her natural surroundings while she tries to act as she is, is very apparent, at least to me.

EDIT: Huckabee and Romney are terrific speakers. Rudy as well, but to a lesser extent. Their speeches were not as prepared and far less enthusiastic for obvious reasons, but when they were actually talking, not reciting standard party lines and praises, they come off very educated and very bright.

On an unrelated subject... What's up with the "iside joke" at the convention about community organizers? Every time the term was mentioned, audience giggled like a bunch of school girls. I understand the origin, but I just don't see it as being funny. It's in very poor taste, I think.

[SPTO]

I think all these conventions do is create a bigger divide between blue and red. It confirms why I like my side and I would suspect the opposite is true for the Rep's. So in the end, is all this a good thing?

Well Jack, remember conventions used to be very important. The conventions were often used to actually pick the candidates or at the very least the VPs. They were also used as a very public display of the parties' actually putting together their platform for the upcoming election. Conventions used to mean a lot but now they've morphed into cheerleading sessions and idolatry of the party nominee.

The last convention that was similar to the old time ones was '76 when Reagan and Ford were battling it out for the GOP nomination.

[Slumberland]

I also see how McCain's wife had it front and center for a while for all to see and now Pain is on a mission for "special needs kids". I wonder how much attention she paid to this noble cause before she had one of her own?

QFT... and by that I mean quit f*cking talking.

[Jackdog]

Looks like Palin's speech didn't accomplish much. All the Rep's now think she's the best thing that could have ever happened to their ticket, while the Dem's aren't exactly enamored with her hokey, PTA Mom, religious right rantings. It will be interesting to see if either candidate gets a bump in the polls after this thing is over.

I think all these conventions do is create a bigger divide between blue and red. It confirms why I like my side and I would suspect the opposite is true for the Rep's. So in the end, is all this a good thing?

If all Dems think like you....YES!!! My God man do you think about anything you post? You belong to a party that is supposed to be the Party of peace, love, and acceptance. I ain't getting that vibe from you at all.

[Jackdog]

QFT... and by that I mean quit f*cking talking.

QFT

[RobVarak]

There are three rhetorical tasks that McCain must accomplish tonight.

I am going to overstate some things here for the sake of shorthand. I'm NOT endorsing all of them.


First, he has to formulate a counterattack to the "voted with Bush 90%" meme. He should draw personal, policy and character differences with Bush. The trick is that he can't do so as aggressively as he may like in front of a GOP audience.

Secondly he needs to make it clear that his record shows that he will implement the policies that Americans need in Washington and outline what those policies will be. Obama's record shows no similar willingness or ability. He emerged from the most corrupt urban political machine in the nation and never did anything to reform it. He served in one of the most decrepit state governments in the nation and made virtually no effort to change it. The one baby step he did make was in, ironically enough, campaign finance reform.

Finally he needs to demonstrate that Obama has poor judgment on matters of international policy. Inexperience isn't the issue, judgment is. Obama is just another Ivy League lawyer with a Blackberry and a huge address list of advisers. But we've seen for the last 8 years what can happen if you have an executive who relies overly much on adviers. McCain has immersed himself in foreign policy. He knows the world like Obama knows the South Side of Chicago. And his track record is one of sound judgment.

I don't think he needs to have the speech of his life, as some are saying. I think he needs to serve up a substantial alternative to Bush's mistakes and Obama's liberalism.