The Palin Gamble

She's not ready to be president but she improved McCain's odds.

By Eleanor Clift | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Sep 5, 2008 | Updated: 1:03  p.m. ET Sep 5, 2008

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  • Posted By: cani77 @ 09/27/2008 12:22:52 AM

    Comment: In a few weeks we will make a choice that will decide our future.
    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    Also, he perfectly predicted the current real estate market meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen in the next couple years
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide the largest morgage bank in the world,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch which are 3 out of the top 5 wall street firms. Also, Fanny and Freddy Mae which hold 50 percent of the home loans in the United States.
    The government took them over because they are essentially bankrupt.If they didn't the entire financially system would virtually shut down, the stock market would crash and we would suffer beyond what any of us have seen before.

    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand exactly what is broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use complex mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.

    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He either didn't care or didn't realize that anything was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime.
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a surplus like Bush did but a tanking economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?


    The chairman of McCains campaign recently said that people don't vote on issues they vote on a personality composite. Which means he is trying to sell you personality instead of results.

    He believes people will vote against their own interests.

    Let's teach him we are smarter than that .

    Hold them accountable NOW! while it will still help.

    Elect Obama Biden 2008

  • Posted By: sparkly @ 09/14/2008 3:14:38 PM

    Comment: She's not alone in her belief that global warming is not caused by man: http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/monckton/monckton_what_hockey_stick.pdf

  • Posted By: quasqueton @ 09/11/2008 8:27:22 PM

    Comment: I certainly don't agree with alot of Palin's stances - I might have voted for Biden, if he had won the nomination. But, this hatred you and your ilk are showing, are not helping the new Messiah!

  • Posted By: quasqueton @ 09/11/2008 7:35:06 PM

    Comment: My goodness, bwlear - what is your problem? Seems you hate everyone that doesn't agree with you! That's not a "good thing".

  • Posted By: greghi @ 09/11/2008 9:22:41 AM

    Comment: This is not over until its over . Obama had fired up the young voters .......................PLEASE i BEG THE YOUNG PEOPLE GET OUT AND VOTE .LETS TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK. THE POLLS AREN'T POLLING YOU LETS SHOW AMERICA WHAT WE WANT .........GET OUT AND VOTE

  • Posted By: chrisoph @ 09/10/2008 6:34:08 PM

    Comment: If Sara Palin has nothing to hide, then she should give interviews. I love how the McCain camp has shielded her from questions. This leaves me to thinking that she is not ready to lead. If she is fearful of reporters, how can she handle world affairs and conflicts like Russia and North Korea? Can anyone say W part 2?

  • Posted By: TommyLee @ 09/10/2008 10:37:34 AM

    Comment: I cannot understand the hoopla over Palin. She has not made good decisions regarding her family. I feel that having a 16/17 year old pregnant daughter is serious concerns that require her attention-not politics. To encourage a 17/18 to marry is detrimental to her daughter. (and like it or not, this is not Bristol's first relationship or should I say only relationship.) It would do well to find out what Palin is hiding. Proven fact, the child she is carrying is not Levi's, but belongs to a Black young man who the Palin's want covered up, and Bristol also, as it will prove her disloyalty. It will also expose Gov Palin's racism. If they are proud of their future grandparenthood, why hide the truth?

  • Posted By: denmill @ 09/09/2008 5:30:59 PM

    Comment: There is no gamble Eleanor. Dream on!!!!!! The real gamble is you foolish liberals that want to bet on Barack Hussein Osama.

  • Posted By: dumbwhiteboy @ 09/09/2008 2:04:17 PM

    Comment: Palin is better qualified to be President than Obama. What in the world is wrong with you Democrats? I am beginning to believer Michael Savage. You are all brain dead.

  • Posted By: myjibril @ 09/09/2008 12:13:17 PM

    Comment: The republican trick is to keep the Obama/Biden campaign's hands tied because they do not want to be accused of sexism. That is the only reason they picked Sarah. But Sarah herself said she is a pitbull with lipstick. Good, because the world is run by pitbulls with ties! So, if Sarah is a pitbull with lipstick and she gets ripped by Biden, a pitbull in a tie, and her fans cry sexism, then Sarah is not fit to run this country let alone protect us from the pitbulls in ties that run the world! So when they cry sexism does that mean we need a man, a pitbull in a tie, to come to Sarah???s rescue because she is the victim of sexism, the damsel in distress? Let???s keep it real. World wide, internationally, the pitbull in lipstick will be the ???victim??? of sexism and the pitbulls in ties are not going to care less about her complaining about sexism. Get over it, it???s a trick that is not going to work. Give her hell Biden, just remember, she???s a pitbull with lipstick.

  • Posted By: NobamaforUS @ 09/09/2008 11:51:04 AM

    Comment: Keep dreaming democrat losers.

  • Posted By: Yes! We ALL Can @ 09/09/2008 2:12:07 AM

    Comment: Looks like another mini-scandal for Sarah Palin. Here's the lede from a Washington Post investigation:

    Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

    The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

  • Posted By: Yes! We ALL Can @ 09/09/2008 2:09:43 AM

    Comment: Hey Everyone - we could argue all day long about the tabloid stories and who's being picked on in the media and who's not - but utimately - this election is going to come down to the economy and asking yourselves if you are better off now than you were 8 years ago. And now that Sarah Palin has made it clear she intends to behave like a pit-bull with rabies combined with a mad-as-hell bucking bull (with listick), she's basically promising to play her part in 4 more years of partisan gridlock and fully supports Bush's policies 100% as does McCain. It's a real siimple choice and James Carville (who I don't always agree with) definately summed it up nicely:

    "By every economic measure known to man, Democratic Presidents have out-performed Republican Presidents. And by the way if you believe the economy was better under George W Bush than Bill Clinton you???ve got a real clear choice here.

    "If you think what America needs is a tax cut for people making over half-a-million dollars a year then vote for McCain. If you think middle-class people are struggling ??? that their incomes are going down and they need help ??? vote for Obama. It???s a very simple choice".

    - CNN's Late Edition

  • Posted By: Monetfan @ 09/08/2008 10:03:44 PM

    Comment: Just read Mike Allen's piece (on Politico.com) about Charlie Gibson's upcoming "interview" with Sarah Palin. Good grief! Instead of an honest-to-goodness SUBSTANTIVE hard-hitting INTERVIEW it sounds more like Charlie will be doing a PUFF CELEBRITY PIECE EXTRAORDINAIRE ala Barbara Walters!! This is really pathetic. No hard-hitting Q&A. Disgraceful. Is the rest of the MSM going to let Rick Davis & Co. get away with this? Can you imagine if this were "STEVE PALIN" - a total newcomer to the national political scene - who had not uttered ONE SINGLE UNSCRIPTED WORD IN 11 DAYS since being chosen??? Would the MSM be so meek and frankly, cowardly? Or would they create such a hew and cry about "Steve's" avoidance of answering TOUGH ISSUES questions that "Steve" would feel compelled to hold a press conference, do the Sunday political shows, etc.??? ONLY the WONDERFUL ROGER SIMON of POLITICO has had the GUTS to say that if Palin cannot answer the really TOUGH ISSUES questions from the MSM RIGHT NOW she has no business running to be VP! How about it MSM??? Are you as BRAVE as ROGER SIMON??? Or are you COWARDS who are SHIRKING your journalistic duties?


  • Posted By: CCATT56 @ 09/08/2008 8:26:30 PM

    Comment: I am beginning to think Palin is the one running for President. All I see is McCain standing by smiling and when he does speak its from notes word by word. And all that Palin does is act like a "cattie women" with her emptyminded remarks. Do they think American people can see what they are trying to do? Played the women card; You guys acted like Obama was trying to play the black card. The man is just black he isn't trying to play any certain card. I am 100% sure McCain would not have even asked a women to be his running mate if he wasn't so far down in the polls. I think the American people can see what he is up too.

  • Posted By: Morgan2008 @ 09/08/2008 8:13:20 PM

    Comment: Sarah Palin has more executive experience than Barack Obama. She comes across as a "straight talker" and someone who gets things done for her city and her state. Although I am a democrat I would select Sarah Palin as president ahead of Barack Obama. I don't trust Barack Obama. He is all talk without much substance. Barack Obama might be an intellectual but he is not a leader. I wil not vote for Obama. I think John McCain made a wise choice in selecting Sarah Palin. She brings a freshness and Washington outsider to the ticket and she appears to be more honest thaan most politicians. McCain/Palin has this democrat's vote in November 08.

    • Posted By: bwlear @ 09/11/2008 10:59:22 AM

      Comment: And what has she done that has impressed you so much? Lied about the bridge to nowhere, Abused the power of her office, accepted taxpayer monies for staying IN HER OWN HOME, refused to come before the American people and demonstrate her grasp of the issues, and supported a policy that she could not even enforce in her own family. I will give her credit for being an agent of change for the Republican party, she got put under goverment investigation BEFORE she even made it to Washington. Now thats change i can believe in. Country first my A**.

    • Posted By: greghi @ 09/11/2008 9:03:02 AM

      Comment: Letr me guess you don't trust him because he is black .

  • Posted By: josemarti @ 09/08/2008 6:53:52 PM

    Comment: She talks about being a hockey mom. What is that supposed to mean? All the field hockey moms at Chapin, Horace Mann, and Fieldston are NOTHING like her. Ugh. I hate her.

  • Posted By: blewisrapidresults @ 09/08/2008 1:26:40 PM

    Comment: She's so pretty?

    I just refuse to believe that as a whole the people of this country are that shallow. We are voting for the party and president who we believe will lend this country to a more prosperous and peaceful future, This is not a beauty contest because if it were John McCain would not have made it out of Arizona.

    Anyway, she's not that pretty. She quite average to me, but she is interesting. She is trying to have it all. Most woman know that you can't have it all. There will be tradeoffs. If you work too hard your family will suffer, if you get too included with family life,school and the PTA your career suffers. Her record as Governor is horrible. She has put the state of Alaska $20 million dollars in debt, is being investigated for abuse of power, put the jet on eBay to generate some income, but the plane did not sell on eBay and she earned the nickname in government of "missing in act Palin" because she have personal issue that she had to attend to. You can see that her children have suffered. I doubt that they have a normal, calm or stable daily life. Children thrive best when they are raised with stability and routine. I doubt if her daughter had sex once and got pregnant. That child has probably been having sex since she was a young teen. That's what happens when children are left to raise themselves. Who do you suppose will take care of that new baby with down syndrome, the daughter. That's how they do in the hills.

    Don't get confused, if Obama does not win it has nothing to do with how pretty Palin is, but how deep racism still runs. It boggled the mind that a family in Ohio where the father can't find work and the children don't have healthcare would vote for 4 more years of the same than to put faith in the hope of a better future because if comes in the recognition of a black man. They can't give black people that kind of qualification. They'd rather take their chances with McCain and Palin is all the excuse they needed.

    Just my opinion.


  • Posted By: blewisrapidresults @ 09/08/2008 1:23:36 PM

    Comment: She's so pretty?

    I just refuse to believe that as a whole the people of this country are that shallow. We are voting for the party and president who we believe will lend this country to a more prosperous and peaceful future, This is not a beauty contest because if it were John McCain would not have made it out of Arizona. Creepy!

    Anyway, she's not that pretty. She quite average to me, but she is interesting. She is trying to have it all. Most woman know that you can't have it all. There will be tradeoffs. If you work too hard your family will suffer, if you get too included with family life,school and the PTA your career suffers. Her record as Governor is horrible. She has put the state of Alaska $20 million dollars in debt, is being investigated for abuse of power, put the jet on eBay to generate some income, but the plane did not sell on eBay and she earned the nickname in government of "missing in action Palin" because she have personal issue that she had to attend to. You can see that her children have suffered. I doubt that they have a normal, calm or stable daily life. Children thrive best when they are raised with stability and routine. I doubt if her daughter had sex once and got pregnant. That child has probably been having sex since she was a young teen. That's what happens when children are left to raise themselves. Who do you suppose will take care of that new baby with down syndrome, the daughter? That's how they do in the hills.

    Don't get confused, if Obama does not win it has nothing to do with how pretty Palin is, but how deep racism still runs. It boggled the mind that a family in Ohio where the father can't find work and the children don't have healthcare would vote for 4 more years of the same than to put faith in the hope of a better future because if comes in the recognition of a black man. They can't give us that kind of qualification. "A black man turns the country around." They'd rather take their chances with McCain and Palin is all the excuse they needed.

    Just my opinion, B


    • Posted By: TommyLee @ 09/10/2008 10:54:40 AM

      Comment: I think a lot of people use this opportunity to call names and poke fun at each ones. I appreciate your comments as it is straight forward on the facts. I know their eyes will be opened when Bristol's baby is born.

  • Posted By: Mimi13 @ 09/08/2008 1:09:59 AM

    Comment: John McCain can trot out his dotty 96-year-old mother as often as he likes. It doesn't change the fact that his father dropped dead at 70 and his grandfather died at 63 -- both from sudden heart attacks. McCain is 72. Maybe he's got the dotty mother genes -- but what if he's his father's son? Does ANYONE really think Sarah Palin is fit to be the President of the United States.

  • Posted By: vinman @ 09/07/2008 8:55:24 PM

    Comment: http://www.gallup.com/poll/110050/Gallup-Daily-McCain-Moves-Ahead-48-45.aspx

    WORRY OBAMA ZOMBIES........WORRY!!!

    MCCAIN / PALIN 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: LibertyLumen @ 09/07/2008 11:44:27 AM

    Comment: No one could put Eleanor Clift on the spot to make sense.

    Her response to the question of John McLaughlin as to the reaction to Sarah Palin told it all.

    "They are laughing in the newsrooms ," said Eleanor, a little nervously . "What newsrooms?" "Where are they laughing?said McLaughlin. "In newsrooms all over the country," said Eleanor.

    THis was beofre Sarah palins convention address...they aren't laughing anymore. And they are unlikely ever to laugh again about Sarah Palin because she made monkeys out of all of the laughers and monkeys out of the Democratic ticket and all of their far left boosters.
    This election for the left and Obama ended in a kamikaze flameout of defeat after their 5 day Pearl Harbor type assault of Gov. Palin and they aren't going to recover from it. Sarah responded to their attacks by dropping the big one on them...just like Truman did on the Japanese. She dropped herself, the American on them and they still don't know what hit them. Sarah Palin All American vs the media and the Democrats...no contest...landlslide win.
    Yuck it up Eleanor and all the other newsroom leftists. You are through.

    • Posted By: sirhc @ 09/07/2008 7:27:27 PM

      Comment: TRUTHFULLY -NO ONE CAN LAUGH. REPUBS OR DEMS. ONE SPEECH DOES NOT A CAMPAIGN MAKE. SHE GOT GRILLED FOR 4 DAYS AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD SO MUCH WHINING, BITCHING AND COMPLAINING FROM THE RIGHT. OBAMA HAS BEEN GETTING GRILLED LIKE THIS FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I TELL YOU WHAT-CHECK OUT KARL ROVE'S MAP. AS BIAS AS HE IS HIS MAP HAS OBAMA IN A BLOW OUT-STILL. NOVEMBER 4TH IS STILL 2 MONTHS AWAY. SHE WILL BE GETTING GRILLED THE ENTIRE TIME AND RIGHTFULLY SO. LET'S GET IT STRAIGHT-A REAL MAVERICK WOULDB'E PICKED LIEBERMAN BUT THEY FLOATED THAT OUT THERE AND THE BASE HATED IT. SO HE WENT VERY "UNMAVERICK" AND DUMPED THE IDEA. HE COULDN'T PICK ROMNEY BECAUSE HE CANNOT STAND THE AIR ROMNEY BREATHES AND PAWLENTY OUGHT TO BE YAAAWWWNLENTY.

  • Posted By: LibertyLumen @ 09/07/2008 11:32:13 AM

    Comment: Eleanor Clift's reaction to Sarah Palin as the VP nominee was that"they are laughing in the news rooms all around the nation." She said this on the MCLaughlin Group program.
    Well they aren't laughing now. After a "D-Day" type all out assault by the media in concert with the Democrats and Obama campaign for the first 5 days of her announcement, the hunters have become the prey. Sarah Aplin beat the hell out of them using a tactic of which they have no understanding and are not going to get any. Their attempt to destroy Sarah Palin is destroying them.
    What is Sarah's "tactic" the "tactic" used by the newly reformulated characterization of her as "a tough and smart politician" (get it...she is now calculating ,cunning and tough as nails" the "tactic" is she is a regular American who happens to be more accomplished than most of us and she is exactly the kind of person that Americans want to "serve" the nation. Someone who has proven that they believe in the people and someone who has proven that they are one of us and do things that make sense. Sarah Palin is an inspiration to America just as Ronald Regan was and there is no amount of attacking what is good and right that the left can do that will win this election for them now.
    It's over. Have a good laugh Eleanor...your side just went down and it can't get back up....blub, blub, blub.

  • Posted By: Bdwyre @ 09/06/2008 10:53:51 PM

    Comment: She's Dick Cheney in drag.

  • Posted By: Yes! We ALL Can @ 09/06/2008 7:06:37 PM

    Comment: Comment: Comment: Question for McCain: "Mr. McCain, the argument of your campaign is that the McCain-Palin ticket should be elected because it has more executive experience than the Obama-Biden ticket. But you have no executive experience, while Sarah Palin does. So what executive role will Sarah Palin play in your administration? Will she be in charge of energy policy? Of social policy with regard to abortion and gay rights? Of foreign policy?"

    And if McCain suggests that he will put Palin in charge of a task force or a study group, the follow-up must be: "But that's just writing a report. Your campaign is pinning the argument for your election on the executive advantage that Sarah Palin brings to the ticket. So, again, what job will this essential executive have in your administration?"

    Make McCain DECLARE what Palin's SPECIFIC role as Veep will be...and then see where she stands on that issue or policy.

    Energy?...and then bring up how she cancelled wind farm projects.

    Social policy?...and then point out her exteme views on abortion or on creationism or ...even better..."abstinence-only sex education"?

    Foreign policy?....

    uh...

    Earmarks?....and then ask which "Bridge to Nowhere" she opposed...and which she supported?

    Garbage collection and parks and playgrounds?....sure. That'll work, that's the kind of executive experience she had as Mayor of Wasilla.

    SARAH PALIN IS A COWARD AND SMOKESCREEN/DISTRACTION FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO TALK ABOUT ANY ISSUES!!! Why is she refusing to speak with the press - only give word interviews in Magazines? How will voters determine her character? All we know of her so far is how smug, snarky, damn good liar, and how shrill she can be!

  • Posted By: Yes! We ALL Can @ 09/06/2008 7:06:01 PM

    Comment: Alaska's Republican State Senate President: Palin Not Prepared, Thought Pick Was A Joke. "State Senate President Lyda Green said she thought it was a joke when someone called her at 6 a.m. to give her the news. 'She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?' said 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 Daily News, 8/29/08]

    Alaska's Republican House Speaker Has Nothing Positive To Say About Palin's Qualifications. "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.'" [Anchorage Daily News, 8/29/08]

    Conservative Rick Rydell: Questionable Vetting. "Conservative host Rick Rydell said there are some benefits to the state, but it's a gamble for McCain to pick an unknown with what he considered 'questionable vetting.' 'It seems almost like a Hail Mary pass at the end of a football game,' Rydell said in an interview after his show Friday. Rydell said McCain has destroyed his argument about Barack Obama's lack of experience." [Anchorage Daily News, 8/29/08]

    California Republican Delegates Worried About Palin Pick. California Republican delegates Karen and Robert Bonadio (father and daughter) said they are worried about McCain's pick for VP. "They like her story a lot . . . But the Bonadios heard that Palin and her family are hunters, actually going out into the countryside to shoot wild creatures that weren't doing anything to her. That offends the L.A. delegates greatly, and they really don't want to hear that different parts of the country may have different cultures and views of such things. The Bonadios don't know that they want such a smalltown person as vice president. And they intend to make that point clear this week if they get another chance to talk with the senator." [LA Times, 8/31/08]

    St. Louis Republican Delegate Deeply Concerned With Palin Selection. "Several Republican delegates said they too were shocked by the selection of Ms. Palin and, while they wished her well, were deeply concerned that she did not have the experience in foreign policy or national security to be commander in chief. 'We've been told for the last few months that experience is what matters most in the next White House,' said John Scates, a delegate from St. Louis. 'But McCain is picking someone whose experience is little to nothing or, at best, unknown.'" [New York Times, 8/31/08]



    Conservative Columnist: Palin Pick Near Suicidal. "'The Palin selection completely undercuts the argument about Obama's inexperience and readiness to lead' wrote syndicated conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer. 'To gratuitously undercut the remarkably successful 'Is he ready to lead' line of attack seems near sui

  • Posted By: ImRighter @ 09/06/2008 6:09:07 PM

    Comment: I remember Eleanor saying that newsrooms all start giggling with derision at the mention of her name. Keep laughing Eleanor, but the joke is on you. Sarah is now more popular than Obama or McCain. It has become obvious that the McCain/Palin ticket is the choice for people who want not just change for change's sake, but real systemic change. And please do keep yammering about experience. It keeps the focus on Obama's serious lack of it. When running a campaign is touted as serious experience, you're in deep trouble. Regarding the Liberal reaction to the Republican VP being a woman; all I can say is that watching all the liberal women eat their own is gruesome, but it's hard to look away.

    • Posted By: ihavehadit @ 09/06/2008 10:33:52 PM

      Comment: Potatoe, Potato, it all depends on what side of the arguement you're on.
      You say if the Dems talk about experience it will effect Obama negatively.
      The Obama people say that her inexperience works to their benefit.
      We'll just have to see who is right.
      My bet is that there are more skeletons in this woman's closet and we will soon find out what else she may be hiding.
      Umm. The plot thickens.

  • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 09/06/2008 4:00:08 PM

    Comment: More Random Thoughts On The Passing Scene[shamelessly plaegerizing African American conservative columnist Thomas Sowell here,who gets a big hat tip]:

    Sally Quinn of the Washington Post and NEWSWEAK went on O'Reillys ''FACTOR'' with her feet held to the fire and finally apologized for her stupid comments on Palin.[what business this harridan has in covering matters ''On Faith''is beyond me,but perhaps NEWSWEAK can illuminate].

    Ditto Obama Finance Chairman Howard Gutman,whose pain in his mouth was that which was provided by inserting his foot in it,after making crummy comments on the Palin family.

    The Denver Post reports today that the hundreds of American flags used at the INVESCO Center for the screaming Obamaites were bagged as trash after the DNC event and were to be taken to a landfill for dumping. On his own,an INVESCO maintenance employee gathered the American flags,still in their trash bags,and blew the whistle to a local veterans organization which first took photographs, and has retrieved the flags,intending to bring these on stage to the upcoming McCain rally where they will be displayed still in the trash bags,removed,and redistributed.

    We now find,through yesterdays INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY ,that Obamas ''communty service''types reflect a rather oddball ideology,which is not unknown to Obamas lefty pals. One of those slated to recieve federal funding in an Obama administration is PUBLIC ALLIES, an organization he helmed during the 1990s, whose creed is that:

    ''Heterosexism is a negative byproduct of white supremacy,and patriarchy'' and that capitalism breeds ''homophobia''.[Heh. Try telling that one to the Swiss].

    Democrat Charlie Rangel is the head of the House Ways and Means Committee. POLITICO is trying to find out how Charlie found the ways and means to dodge paying a penny of interest on his vacation home in the Dominican Republic for more than TEN YEARS.[all the while,ranting over the ''ripoff''of American homeowners by the subprimers].The IRS is coming to call on Mr. Rangel,who has some 'splainin to do.

    After some time in trying to deduce who is holding the ''hoops for the media dogs to jump through'',two candidates have now been firmly established. DAILY KOS and Andy Sullivan. Working on a tip from either of these two unimpeachable hard news sources[insert: Heavy Irony Here],the National Inquirer has now splashed a ''Palin Affair''deal across its front pages,and its off to the Wasilla Races for the Lamestream Press,who are descending in droves to find out more about Palins sex life as detailed in a piece in yesterdays POLITICO,with Sullivan and KOS holding up the direction signs. Garbage. Thy Name Is Media.

    • Posted By: ihavehadit @ 09/06/2008 11:02:10 PM

      Comment: How do we know that these flags were actually from Invesco Field, and even if they were, what were people supposed to do with them when the event was over, and even if they did, how is that Barack's fault?
      I mean really, you have to ask yourself what your motivation is in all of this, and why you would go to such lenghts to participate in this farce.
      Are you getting paid? And if not, what's your motivation? PLEASE STOP with the pettiness.

  • Posted By: gvillagran3 @ 09/06/2008 3:34:02 PM

    Comment: sethinlondon.

    I will answer your question.

    We all know that President Bush was Governor of Texas before he bacame president. We all can agree that since W Bush was the governor of Texas for 6 years, and Texas is much larger than Alaska in terms of budget and population we can therefore conclude that Bush was more expericned than Sarah Palin........ Correct so far my friend?

    Furthermore we safely say that Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld were considerably more experienced than Obama, and Palin...... I hope we are still in agreement .

    So my friend setinlondon...... How come not one of these men showed up at your Republican convention? How come that all these "experienced" men will go down in history as one of the worst administrations ever??? How come that the Bush administration has the secod lowest poll ratings ever (Only Nixon was worst)????

    Let me help you here with your answer. You see experience is very important indeed...... But experience will not do you any good if you believe in the wrong thing. If you don't believe me, believe the numbers in the Bush administration..... That's the beauty about Math...... Numbers don't lie.

    The fact is that the Republican "base" that supported Bush 100% of the time (and still does) put the man they supported for 8 years under the rug in your convention to proclaim that you are the "experienced" ones, and the agents of change, while putting your support in a man (Sen. McCain) that you used to dislike and attack his honor as a POW back in 2000...... When you selected Bush over Sen. McCain.

    So my friend in answer to your question "What makes Obama qualified" ...... the answer is HIS IDEAS..... For if we all agree that WE WANT CHANGE my friend, then it stands to reason that we most change the party in power. After all the way a Democracy is supposed to work is by trowing out the party that did not produce, not by rewarding them with more power.

  • Posted By: sethinlondon @ 09/06/2008 2:54:33 PM

    Comment: Cliff says that Palin isn't qualified, what about Obama? What makes him qualified? The difference is that she is a red meat conservative and they are hated by the left wing Elenor Cliff media; while Obama is a socialist tax and spend liberal like most o fthe media. Where is the scrutiny of Obama, where are the questions about what he has done? Worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chiago--what did he accomplish the SOuth Side South is made of drugs, murder and gangs (I'm a Chicagoean); he was a professor at the U of C but never publihsed or did any research while he was there, then he went to the state senate where he wasn;t a leader, then a lost campaign against bobby rush then a senate race. Obama has zero qualifications to be president and it is about time we moved off of the question is mccain's #2 ready to be the president and start asking why is the #1 on the democratic ticket qualified. BE FAIR ELENOR stop being a liberal and start being a journalist.

    • Posted By: ihavehadit @ 09/06/2008 11:16:50 PM

      Comment: You say that the left hates red meat conservatives, well the right hates liberals, so what's your point?
      And let me ask you a question. Did you go to collegeand have you ever had to fightget ahead in life, or did you have everything handed to you like all of the others who criticize Barack for being successful?
      Until you walk in someone else's shoes, it's just dumb to make comments like the ones you made about what he's achieved in his life, when it is so evident that he has achieved more that most have.
      So the next time you want to ridicule this man, look in the mirror and ask yourself if you could ever have achieved what this man has, and done it so well? I doubt it because it takes a certain amount of wisdom and vision and it seems by your comments that you lack both.

  • Posted By: mccainsupporter @ 09/06/2008 2:36:19 PM

    Comment: John McCain picked Governor Sarah Palin because he intends to follow through and make his Project Lexington for United States energy independence the dominant issue in this campaign. Governor Sarah Palin is a strong supporter of increased offshore drilling and she knows that Alaska has an offshore coastline greater than the rest of the country combined and is also comes in second among the states in oil production. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and John McCain understand that Obama and the Democrats would never consider government loan guarantees or tax breaks for a sure thing that will produce energy for the American gas tank. In fact Democrats are trying to put together a so-called windfall profits tax which will have the effect of discouraging future investment in the United States oil industry. John McCain also knows that Governor Sarah Palin family situation also illustrates that longterm Democratic leadership hostility and policies toward United States owned energy companies have caused our current energy crisis. Her husband who works for British Petroleum should be working for the former American owned Arco Oil Company. Arco Oil Company developed and explored the Alaska North Slope and formerly owned eighty percent of our proven Alaskan reserves. With its substantial oil reserves Arco Oil Company should have bought British Petroleum instead of British Petroleum buying out Arco Oil Company during the second Bill Clinton administration. With the right business environment and support from both political parties in the United States, Arco Oil Company might have been more successful and been able to buy out British Petroleum instead of British Petroleum buying out Arco Oil Company. Look at Apple Computer and Microsoft. Their success in the computer world have made them bullet proof to corporate takeovers. Longterm Democratic hostility and opposition to offshore drilling and periodic talk of windfall profits taxes contributed to the takeover of Arco Oil Company.

  • Posted By: shillalagh @ 09/06/2008 2:29:40 PM

    Comment: i am disappointed in eleanor's remarksamerica fall in love with her? of course, she has a soft spot for mccain because he apologized to her-that was nice-mccain said chelsea clinton was so ugly because janet reno was her fatherhaha!cruel she has lies at the convention and beyond-her views are not in the mainstream-remember that!!!!!!!!please make this on the issues-not personalities!!!

  • Posted By: sirhc @ 09/06/2008 1:05:50 PM

    Comment: I DON'T KNOW WHATS FUNNIER-THE REUPUBLICANS TRYING TO ACT LIKE OBAMA CAME STRAIGHT FROM BEING A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER TO RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OR THE WAY THEY DOG COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS.

    1. OBAMA WAS 3 YEARS OUT OF SCHOOL WHEN HE WAS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, WHICH WAS BEFORE HE BECAME A CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY AND A CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR. AS WELL AS YEARS IN THE STATE HOUSE.

    2. COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT -ESPICIALLY IN THE INNER CITIES. THEY LITERALLY SAVE LIVES. THE GET KIDS CLEAN OFF DRUGS, HELP PARENTS GET INVOLVED, GET CHURCH GROUPS TO ORGANIZE"WHICH WAS OBAMA'S DEAL", AND TRY TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY DRUG AND VIOLENCE FREE-WITH LITTLE HELP. THEY PUT THEIR LIVES IN DANGER. NO WONDER REPUBLICANS DOG THESE PEOPLE WHICH IS STUPID BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY AND THE HELP SO MANY.

    3. YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE WHAT WAS PALIN DOING 3 YEARS OUT OF SCHOOL.........RUN WAY MODELING?

    IT'S ALMOST-ALMOST-HILARIOUS HOW REPUBLICANS TRY TO ACT LIKE THEY AHVEN'T BEENRUNNING THE COUNTRY SINCE 2000. PALIN AND MCCAIN COULD RUN ON CHANGE IF THE HADN'T BASICALLY SIDED AND OR VOTED WITH THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT 90% OF THE TIME. THIS LADY IS OUT THERE.................SHE'S AGAINST A FEMALE'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE EVEN IN INCEST AND RAPE? SO A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL KIDS KIDNAPPED AND GANG RAPPED AND IS PREGNATED BY THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE TO KEEP IT?!! THAT'S SICK. UNFORTUNATELY THAT SCENARIO HAPPENS TOO MUCH BUT IT TAKES SOMEONE WHO WORKS IN SHELTERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT-LIKE A FREAKIN COMMUNITY ORGANIZER!

    • Posted By: ihavehadit @ 09/06/2008 11:23:09 PM

      Comment: I understand you frustration, I'm frustrated as well, and I am tired of the constant negative comments about Obama and his qualifications, but let it make you so angy. You will never convince people otherwise because they want to believe this trash.
      Take comfort in the fact that you know better.

  • Posted By: Sarahh @ 09/06/2008 1:04:11 PM

    Comment: What Palin does accomplish is the end of Hillary's presidential hopes except maybe in 2016 if Obama wins.

    in 2012 Palin would take all conservatives and compete for independent women. Hillary needs lots of conservative and independent woment to make up for the animosity her campaign created among AAs and many other liberals.

    Democrats would have to run someone else to have a chance.

    • Posted By: NeverSurrender @ 09/08/2008 12:04:05 AM

      Comment: Hillary should run as an Independent in 2012. The Democrats have shot themselves in the foot again. Vote Country - Not Party

  • Posted By: TulsaMom @ 09/06/2008 12:18:36 PM

    Comment: Karl Rove said Palin is a political choice, not a governing choice. The same is true with Obama. Both Palin and Obama have "a compelling life story," but neither is in any "sense ready to assume the presidency." The difference is that Obama is at the top of the ticket.

    • Posted By: Dduellman @ 09/06/2008 1:08:15 PM

      Comment: I respectfully disagree. A two year public vetting of Obama, his 12 years of legislative experience, his superior education and finally his ability to run a highly disciplined campaign that beat the greatest political machine of the past 20 years makes him more then qualified when compared to Paliin. But this election isn't between him and Palin, it's between Barack Obama and John McCain. McCain is the past, Obama is the future. It's time we set our feet firmly in the 21st century.

  • Posted By: jrsweld @ 09/06/2008 12:16:05 PM

    Comment: If Bush & Cheney (hardly celebrities) could wrench the 2004 election away in Ohio, and b/c Pennsylvania has some folks VERY resistent to change, I am VERY AFRAID for my country. The gamble on Palin seems to be working with folks in the middle who do not read much between the lines. All many of them needed was an excuse to vote against Obama. It's true that in 6-12 months- if McCain/Pain are elected, the country will realize that we have the Religious Right again dictating the decisions at highest levels of the federal government - the Justice Department, the EPA, the IRS, the Departments of Treasury, State & Defense. Yes, at that point in time, the country will know that we not only have 4 more years of neo-conservatism, we have 2 folks at the top who make decisions based more on political ideology than the cold, hard facts before them, seen in the light of advice from seasoned experts in the fields. But, I truly fear that enough Americans are going to, once again, fall for the "Smoke & Mirrors" so successfuly invented by the Republican Party. Mean-spirtedness really does sell here. I am so happy that I will be retired from government in a few short years - the past 8 have been the most painful of my nearly 30 years as a fed.

    • Posted By: ImRighter @ 09/06/2008 6:11:58 PM

      Comment: Do everyone a favor and retire now! Unless you're waiting to collect that nice fat pension check...

  • Posted By: TulsaMom @ 09/06/2008 12:10:39 PM

    Comment: It's true of both Obama and Palin: Karl Rove's comment that Palin is a political choice, not a governing choice. It's equally true of Obama. Both have a compelling life story; but [ neither of them are in any] sense ready to assume the presidency.
    Except, Obama is at the top of the ticket. Both are risky. While I also have all the mentioned qualms about Palin, (even though I am a conservative, pro-life Mom of three) I can't help but realize that Obama is equally flawed as a governing choice, despite his Ivy League education.

  • Posted By: Kate10 @ 09/06/2008 11:38:50 AM

    Comment: Delores, I assume you are referring to Saddle back. There is no evidence at all that McCain heard any of it before hand. What is bothering you is the realization tha Obama is fantastic when scripted but cannot think or make a decision quickly on his own about his own core values. A presidents job is to know before an event happens what his position will be because he is on top of it all of the time. Witness Obamas wavering on Georgia, he did not know what to say but McCain was immediate in condeming the action and was in lockstep with our allies. Obama does not have enough experience or the ability to make decisive actions crucial to a world leader. McCain is his own man and always has been. He is not about the past but about what we need to do now.

  • Posted By: Kate10 @ 09/06/2008 10:34:56 AM

    Comment: Sarah Palin has more executive experience than Biden, Obama and McCain put together. The Presidents job is decision making. None of the above was ever under the gun on a daily basis to do so. Being a mayor (however smal the town) and a governor is 24 hr. decision making. Her history of taking on her own party and bringing corruption to an end in Alaska is amazing to say nothing negotiating the gas pipeline finally to a reality and during the time she was preparing her speech she was deploying the Alaska National Guard to the South. This woman is amazing. Obama has written two books about himself and voed present on most of the legislation before him.

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 09/06/2008 10:25:16 AM

    Comment: Did anyone see Obama interview with Bill O'Reilly ? Barack Hussein Obama can't speak to a person one on one without stuttering and struggling to find an answer. This guy Obama is just winging it...he's got no substance , no experience, no change , no hope, no accomplishments , no honesty , no morals, no qualifications, no patriotism ....like I mean come on Americans !....you guys are smarter than that....just can't see it...Barack Hussein Obama..a Muslim too....being elected as President of the United States..can't be.

    • Posted By: swdemocratforchange @ 09/06/2008 3:28:23 PM

      Comment: Intelligent people "think" before they respond, as opposed to just regurgitating words!!!!!!! Senator Obama isn't just winging it....he's the real deal! However, since you're a Canadian.....what's your concern about it? He's not an issue for you and shouldn't you be more concerned about your country??? Honestly, I thought that Canadians were smarter than you appear to be.......?

    • Posted By: Dduellman @ 09/06/2008 1:11:28 PM

      Comment: I saw the O'Reilly interview. We must not have watched the same program. Barack Obama more then held his own against Interrupting Iggy. I'm looking forward to the rest of the interview this week.

  • Posted By: georgianna @ 09/06/2008 9:57:52 AM

    Comment: \Great article! I voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries. Say no more I'm a convert of Barack Obama. He has my vote. You can also count on me to participate in voter registrations, any activities to help win this election.

  • Posted By: swdemocratforchange @ 09/06/2008 9:22:15 AM

    Comment: People...even if we take the experience argument off the table, we are left with a senile old man, who yes, has served his country, but can't keep facts straight in his own muddled mind, a vp nominee that spent 6 years at 5 different colleges to get a bachelors degree and 3 days after giving birth to a special needs child, went back to work????? Or an intelligent & extremely articulate man who was editor of Harvard's Law review and is able to keep facts straight and make intelligent decisions regarding the direction of this country and his vp has more than a grasp of facts & policy!!!! If people in this country aren't smart enough to see the chasm of difference between the two.....then god help us!!!!

  • Posted By: Perusing-through @ 09/06/2008 5:19:18 AM

    Comment: .
    [1.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #1: THE "WE DON'T KNOW HIM" LIES
    After 19-months on the campaign trail, detractors of Senator Obama (mainly GOP constituents), claim they "still don't know Obama" well enough to make an informed decision as to how they should vote. But within 48-hours of Sarah Palin's introduction to the GOP, Obama's critics suddenly knew everything there was to know about Sarah Palin. How is it that the religious-right cannot know Obama after he endured 18-months of brutal media scrutiny, but suddenly 'know' Palin within 2-days of popping up on the national stage and without one public interview?

    .
    [2.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #2: THE "EXPERIENCE" LIES
    After Senator Obama spent 19-months running a campaign that has totaled $350-million; and after 3 ½ years in the Senate negotiating legislations for the nation and for his 12.8-million Illinois constituents; and after 8-years in Illinois State Senate fighting for the middle-class; and after 3 ½ more years fighting as a community activist and organizer; it is genuinely hypocritical for McCain to pound Obama on the experience factor, and then turn around and install Sarah Palin with NO national and foreign experience, to be a single heartbeat from Commander-in-Chief of the United States. This is a GARGANTUAN HYPOCRISY and a RECKLESS decision that puts the nation at risk just so McCain can win the presidency.

    .
    [3.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #3: THE "CHANGE" LIES
    Up until last week, McCain's campaign has been on "EXPERIENCE", while Obama's mantra has always been on CHANGE. After watching the DNC performance, McCain 'blinked' and changed his campaign to run on the same mantra as Obama's which is CHANGE. This is after McCain accused Obama of saying anything to win!!

    .
    [4.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #4: THE "APPEASEMENT" LIES
    Bush and McCain accused Obama of wanting to "appease" Iran so they would stop their nuclear program. Obama blasted back and said McCain and Bush hold hawkish views and poor judgment, and their refusal to open diplomatic channels with Iran amounts to failed international policies. Ironically, Bush followed Obama's strategy and began backdoor talks with Iran. As it has turned out, neither Bush nor McCain are calling their own talks with Iran "appeasement", or given Obama credit for what Americans wanted the Bush-McCain leadership to try prior to military exercises. And by the way, Bush and McCain supported 'appeasements' to North Korea in exchange for shutting down their nukes. Again, how ironic, appeasement was the very thing Bush / McCain hypocrites accused Obama.

  • Posted By: Perusing-through @ 09/06/2008 5:18:50 AM

    Comment: .
    [5.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #5: THE "TAX CUT" LIES
    McCain accused Obama of trying to raise taxes. But Obama has continually advocated tax cuts for the middle-class with annual salaries of less than $250,000.00, which is about 98% of the population. However, McCain doesn't tell the public his health insurance plan is going to effectively raise taxes for all Americans that have health insurance, while making permanent tax cuts for the riches upper 2% of Americans.

    .
    [6.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #6: THE "BRIDGE TO NOWHERE" LIES
    Sarah Palin claimed on several occasions that she turned down $350-million of federal government earmarks for the "bridge to nowhere". But what actually happened is Sarah campaigned to get the money for the "bridge to nowhere", then flip-flopped after McCain voted the bridge down when she won the Governor's office. Ironically, Alaska still got the 'bridge to nowhere' funds but it was used instead to build a "highway to nowhere".

    .
    [7.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #7: THE "PLANE SALE ON EBAY" LIES
    Sarah Palin insinuated she sold state plane on EBay for a profit, and more recently McCain repeated it as a fact that the plane was actually sold on EBay for a profit. That lie has now been debunked, and the good Christian Sarah Palin has no shame that she was caught in another lie. The plane could not sell on EBay so it was taken down and sold "privately for a lost".

    .
    [8.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #8: THE "ABSTINENCE-ONLY" LIES
    Sarah Palin as an Ultra Extreme Religious-Right advocate uses her State office bully-pulpit to knock down public school sex-education, while plugging her "abstinence-only" religious views to public schools. Ironically, her 17-year old daughter Bristol fails to practice the "abstinence before marriage" views her mother is trying to push in Alaska schools. Then Sarah tries to hide it with another lie by telling the school where Bristol attends that her daughter must drop out because she has Mono. Sarah continued to hold fast to the Mono lie until rumors break loose just after her VP announcement. It was only then the "abstinence-only" hypocrite came clean.

  • Posted By: Perusing-through @ 09/06/2008 5:18:19 AM

    Comment: .
    [9.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #9: THE "TROOPER-GATE" LIES
    Sarah Palin claimed she never called the State Trooper Magistrate to have her ex-brother-in-law fired. Soon after investigators got on the seen, emails were retrieved to dispute that fact, and now all seven of Sarah's state appointees have refused to testify. It has been learned that more than 20+ plus calls were made to the State Trooper Magistrate regarding the firing of Sarah's brother-in-law, and because the seven witnesses have 'lawyered-up', the investigators must use subpoenas to get the seven that initially volunteered to testify to give an account of what happened.

    .
    [10.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #10: THE "POLITICS BEFORE COUNTRY" LIES
    McCain and Rove accused Obama of picking Virginia Governor Tim Kane as VP for political expediency, and also because Tim Kane would bring a southern state into the Democratic "Win Column". Instead Obama went for Senator Joe Biden to sure up the leadership ticket for the White House. McCain assuming it would be an Obama-Kane ticket, wrongly accused Obama of putting politics ahead of country. Well McCain and Rove got busted. The whole world (except blinded Religious-Right) witnessed McCain picking the least qualified Republican to be his VP in hopes of: (1.) stealing Hillary's voters from Obama; (2.) pleasing James Dobson's religious-right. Clearly a hypocritical VP pick by McCain for the "sole purpose of political ambitions", is now on record for the world???s eternal observation.

    .
    [11.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #11: THE "SADDLEBACK CONE-OF-SILENCE" CHEATER-LIES
    It was McCain's responsibility to be in Pastor Rick Warren's "Cone of Silence" before Senator Obama got the first question. McCain was not in the cone-of-silence. Therefore McCain cheated. The issue is not whether McCain heard any of the questions posed to Obama, the issue is that cheating did occur when McCain did not follow the rules to be where he was suppose to be, at the time he was suppose to be there.

    .
    [12.]
    "McCAIN / PALIN / GOP" HYPOCRISY #12: THE "IRAQ TIMETABLE" LIES
    Senator Obama was consistent in his call for a responsible U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq under an agreed timetable. McCain and Bush said "absolutely" no timetables and anything like timetables was tantamount to "cut-and-run". It was Bush and McCain's desire to stay in Iraq indefinitely. Only after Obama took McCain's challenge and went to Iraq & Afghanistan, and secured an informal agreement to pull U.S. troops out by 2010, did Bush and McCain changed there views to accept timetables. Now Bush and McCain don't call timetables cut-and-run any longer.

  • Posted By: jefflz @ 09/06/2008 2:54:03 AM

    Comment: McCain has turned this election into a soap opera about Sarah Palin and her family. Is this what we need to be talking about during these critical times when people are losing their jobs, their homes, and soldiers are losing their lives? Why is it that we are forced to deal with a hockey mom and her problems that can fill the National Enquirer ten times over? McCain clearly has contempt for the electoral process and the American people deserve so much more.

  • Posted By: kennedymc15 @ 09/06/2008 2:21:57 AM

    Comment: Con't -

    Parents, side note for you, Military recruiters are very slick and will use every trick in the book to get you (mom and dad) to sign the enlistment paperwork for your kids. Here was one of my favorite sayings: Mr. and Mrs. Jones...the form you are signing today is authorizing the Army to medically and academically test your child. What they don't tell you is that once your child is done with his academic testing and the physical....your child will immediately be administered the oath of enlistment and will now be part of that services Delayed Entry Program ( for up to one year.) This process usually occurs for high school students between their junior and senior school year. REMEMBER, IF MCCAIN IS ELECTED AND HE HAS A CHANCE...YOUR CHILD WILL BE SENT TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. SO TELL ME...DO YOU HAVE FOND MEMORIES AND LOTS OF PICTURES.

    If you are planning to vote for McCain because in your good conscience you can not vote for a black man...GUESS WHAT... OBAMA IS ALSO WHITE. If your vote against Obama is based on race...then you're an ignorant fool and I hope your child has a nice visit with a Marine Recruiter and signs up for the infantry. If you're a Hillary voter...and you will not vote for Obama...well, karma is pretty ruthless...and just think of that house that you'll be foreclosing on because your husband lost his job. A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS A VOTE FOR CHANGE AND AN END TO THE WAR IN IRAQ. A VOTE FOR MCCAIN MEANS FOUR MORE YEARS OF WAR AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE YOUR CHILD IS HEADED!

    What do you think about that?

  • Posted By: kennedymc15 @ 09/06/2008 2:20:33 AM

    Comment: ....IF IT NEVER HAPPENED THERE WOULD BE NO SURGE. McCain's argues that he had the judgment to support sending additional combat troops to Iraq to quell the rise in extremist violence. Fine, the surge was successful and exceeded the expectations of many, however, if our intelligence community spent more time collecting reliable data on Iraq's WMD situation and Saddam's ties to Al'qaeda, we never would have invaded a sovereign country based on lies and conjecture.

    McCain wants Obama to acknowledge the success of the surge. I would agree with that request if McCain would acknowledge that invading Iraq was a monumental mistake.

    Now to a more serious issue. OBAMA. I am white, my wife is white, my kids are white...you get the picture. I live in the south...as does the rest of my family. I am Republican, so it the rest of my family. I am voting for Obama, so is the rest of my family. Here is what I'm seeing and hearing. Many disgruntled men and women who were big supporters of Hillary are going to place their vote for McCain. They're upset that Obama got the nod. Well I want you to think about this as a mother and father...your 17 or 18 year old child (that will be graduating on 2009 and 2010) will be called by recruiters (I was a Marine Corps Recruiter). We (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) already have your address and phone number. The schools give that information to us annually. Military Recruiters are at your child???s school, meeting with their teachers, developing contacts, working ???very closely with athletic coaches??? (Recruiters areconstantly looking for strong, athletic and intelligent males). Anyhow, we're going to call your house, we're going to send your kids (again males are the primary target for our advertisements) information about our particular service, we're going to get them in our offices where we use the advanced sales techniques (taught by Achieve Global) and communications skills (taught by Freiberg.com) that we learned in recruiters school (military sales schools that you as a tax payer - paid for) and we're are going to get your kids to enlist. If it's done right, you'll have to admire the skill and cunning with which this happens. (Side note - young men and women in the Delayed Entry Program can terminate their enlistment up until their final oath of enlistment and final signature of enlistment paper is completed at the Military Entrance Processing Station.)

  • Posted By: cmkansas @ 09/06/2008 2:13:37 AM

    Comment: I think what is confusing to me are a couple of things. 1) His pick of Palin was political and eveyone is ok with this like the fate of our future is a game. 2) On her first night she was not a winner, she was smug and bitchy with her kids right there to see and the Repugs ate it up, so much for the moral majority and by the way after all these years the Repugs still can't get color in their party? If they can't do that how can they say they will work for all the people. 3) We have had women running for President and had our first VP years ago, and now they pick one and the only reason they did was because they were losing, what does that say?
    4) She is not a good mother, after giving birth to the last child she went back to work after 3 days, where was the bonding especially with a child like this and why keep the pregnancy quiet could it be that Todd did not want any more children or is it his????? 5) It is not the fact that her daughter is pregnant things do happen it is that she preaches all these moral things and look what happened and by the way where were both of the parents that this happened? 6) She has done nothing for special needs children and that is on record and because we do not know her she can stand there and say all kinds of things. 7) Is McCain going to expose her about the earmarks? Is she going to get him for all the lobbyists in his camp?? 8) She really has no experience and that is ok with us because GOSH DARN she is a woman and just so cute and we as women are so deparate that we will except any woman! 9) Instead of telling her story the first big night she lets them be this attack dog (She describes herself as a Pittbull and that is ok with us?) and even talks about foreign affairs and the surge and she has no clue what that means and the crowd goes wild? Everyone exclaims in a climax including the media she hit it out of the park, she is wonderful and look out Obama not realizing she was beauty contestant and she was a sports commentator so she did know how to read a telepromter and the most important thing! She did not write the speech Bushes people did, so much for trying to get away from Bush! Oh the HIPOCRACY! Obama took the high road and said lay off the family her and Mitt Romey just spit right in his face and tried to demean him and Michelle and the crowd went wild! SO I just want to know what is wrong with us, American, the Repugs and the Media are so scared of putting Obama in office that it has come down to this. GOD HELP US ALL!

  • Posted By: nedustbunny @ 09/06/2008 1:40:11 AM

    Comment: It took me from Wednesday night till now to figure out what bothered me so much about Palin.

    She gave one of the most vicious speeches at the convention (and there were plenty). The fact that she did it with her children only a few feet away bothers me.

    As a mom of four, my heart breaks for what she is teaching her daughters and son. From youngest to oldest, what kind of message is that as to how you treat people.

    • Posted By: ImRighter @ 09/06/2008 6:22:43 PM

      Comment: Let's see, if the national press were dumping on you and your family, I guess you'd just look sheepish and stand in the corner. What she taught her children was that you stand up for each other. Plus, her speech was certainly not vicious, especially compared to what the Obama campaign people were saying about her.
      Have a nice life, doormat.

  • Posted By: nedustbunny @ 09/06/2008 1:36:33 AM

    Comment: It took me from Wednesday till tonight to put my finger on what bothers me the most about Palin.

    This woman stood on stage on Wed. night and gave one of the most vicious speeches I have ever heard (in a convention of some mean speeches) and she did it with her children setting several feet away listening.

    As a mom of four, that really bothers me.

  • Posted By: smdurst @ 09/06/2008 1:21:36 AM

    Comment: What makes you think Obama is ready to assume the Presidency? His resume is no thicker than Palins.

  • Posted By: Tearlach61 @ 09/06/2008 1:05:41 AM

    Comment: I don't remember the Democrats being worried about Bill Clinton's foreign policy experience in 1992 and Sarah Palin has more foreign policy experience now than Bill Clinton did then. Árkansas is surrounded by other states. Alaska is surrounded by other countries, Sarah Palin just put together an agreement to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48. I goes through Canada.

    She necessarily has to deal with Canada on this.

    What negociation has Obama conducted with a foreign country?

  • Posted By: dbleagleus @ 09/06/2008 12:35:04 AM

    Comment: What Was He Thinking?

    Everytime the Republican Party mentions what qualifies Governor Palin to be VP, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison must cringe.

    The Republican Party "once upon a time" owned "Family Values." Not anymore.

    The Republican Party forgot one very old adage, "Be mindful of the behavior you condone." Especially, behavior that you're displaying before the whole world.

    Who inserted teen pregnancy and all the associated issues "into" the Republican Party ticket? The Party seen by many as the Guardians of Family Values.

    America is the Daughter of England born from royalty...Lady Diane, ring a bell?

    Senator Obama an elitist, uppity, because he carries himself with the same dignity and high-mindedness that one should carry in their laudable pursuit of the highest office in the land?

    As America puts the McCain/Palin and Obama/Biden tickets on display before the world, America is saying, "Here are examples of our best leaders, and here are their families."

    The vetting process doesn't only to protect a candidate's party.

    The vetting process protects the American electorate from being an embarassment throughout the free world.

    Remember, the whole world is watching.

  • Posted By: TBinSD @ 09/05/2008 11:46:14 PM

    Comment: What will it say about her if she DOESN'T begin a relationship with the media? If she can't answer questions, whatever they may be, she should not be able to step in, oh so gently, into the second most powerful position in the WORLD. She's one Evangelical vote away . . . and McCain may not survive the inauguration.

  • Posted By: JamesPaese @ 09/05/2008 11:41:24 PM

    Comment: I don't think this political gimmick will survive 60 days of national scrutiny in what might be the most closely watched campaign in our history.

    I was rooting for McCain in 2000 and had we won his primary, I would have seriously considered voting for him. My first choice this year was Biden, and he was knocked out pretty early (although being selected for VP made me happy). Even though I was leaning D this year, I was willing to listen to McCain and his plan for the country. I was dismayed when the GOP trotted out Palin. If it wasn't a desperate political ploy, it sure looked like one. All of the super secrecy, and the fact that she checks so many boxes for the Republican party that looked terrified after the DNC has made me very suspicious.

    The GOP may gain some voters with this tactic of selecting a VP based on their ability to bring a victory instead of picking the best person for the job, but they lost me and I know for a fact that I'm not alone. What they did felt cheap and insulting to us as a country.

    That said, if they manage to win, I will support them fully, until they give me reason to do otherwise. :)

  • Posted By: edabel @ 09/05/2008 11:36:23 PM

    Comment: In Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain has found a fellow maverick to be his running mate -- one who can help bring the right kind of reform to Washington. Ms. Palin, like Mr. McCain, has a strong record of battling the status quo, restoring accountability and effectiveness to government, and working to secure energy independence, root out corruption and curb wasteful spending. As the chief executive of the nation's largest state, Ms. Palin oversees some of the country's largest energy reserves. She came into office at a critical time in Alaska politics, facing a system plagued by corruption. Her response was to immediately begin cleaning it up. The results of her leadership today speak for themselves: Ms. Palin's approval ratings top 80% -- more than 60% higher than that of the Democratic Congress.
    Ms. Palin has a tangible, impressive record of achievement and executive experience. She is head of the Alaska National Guard and the chairman of two multistate agencies that make energy decisions that affect all Americans. While Barack Obama spent almost all of the past two years running for president, Ms. Palin has been running a state.

  • Posted By: rational777 @ 09/05/2008 11:15:24 PM

    Comment: If, God forbid, anything happens to McCain, I cannot see Palin stepping up as President. No way.

    Her views are fringe, far rightwing views shared by few: opposing abortion rights even for victims of rape and incest, opposing contraception, opposing sex education and supporting abstinence education only, supporting teaching Creationism in public schools, not believing global warming is man-made.

    As Mayor of Wasala, she asked the city librarian how she could go about banning books that had "inappropriate language??? in them.

    She fired the police chief for opposing a gun law that she and the NRA, her campaign contributors, supported. She told her city department heads that they needed her permission to talk to reporters.

    Citizens in the town tried to organize a recall election against her.

    Less than two years into her governorship, she is already embroiled in an investigation about abuse of power: firing a public safety commissioner who did not fire a state trooper who was divorcing her sister.

    This is a pattern of behavior that is better called abuse of power than ???maverick.???

    Although she claims to be against the "bridge to nowhere," she was actually for it when she was campaigning for governorship in 2006. After winning $220 million pork-barrel earmark money from the federal government and winning the governorship, she flip-flopped and scrapped the bridge project and kept the money for other purposes. Yet now she is part of McCain???s campaign,promising to be against pork-barrel spending. I am not to believe anything Palin says. Palin is basically crooked, and by extension, McCain is also seriously questioned. Any presidential candidate who chooses a VP who is unfit to be president is automatically disqualified as a serious contender.

  • Posted By: LMAO @ 09/05/2008 11:06:45 PM

    Comment: I was depressed last Thursday night. But on Friday after Palin was avnnounced I am back to my own cheerful self. How surreal that the Obama camp spent almost two years trying to claim to be what they are not (smokes and mirrors). Then along comes Palin and she embodies all of those qualities plus some. And in case you guys miss it - she is a real Annie Oakley (not the fake one that Obama accused Clinton of being). And to make matters worst she is the "blue collar" folk Obma claim to want to help, the bitter folks that cling to their guns and religion ...

    All I could say is the Republicans are great listeners and reached into the pack and pulled out the very person Obama painstakingly described. So to see how he reacts to Palin tells me they are hyprocites. Can you convince me that the "blue collar" folk cannot be a part of the decision-making process? What qualifies him Obama and not Palin? And I am expected to believe that this man is not an elitist? Give them hell Palin and we will be with you every step of the way.

  • Posted By: Concerned Canadian @ 09/05/2008 10:58:28 PM

    Comment: The US media has left the building !

    • Posted By: joel99 @ 09/06/2008 1:35:43 PM

      Comment: Why are always posting the same point over and over? Nevertheless, you come across as ignorant

  • Posted By: air35 @ 09/05/2008 10:43:31 PM

    Comment: people need to do their homework before they vote. please click the link below
    http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/senator-barack-obama-in-kenya-obama-and-odinga-the-true-story/
    or google odinga and obama

    as for palin and hilary
    palin is a true feminist by the original conception of a feminist. i hate to say it but todays libral view of "feminism" would make the founders of the movement sturr in their grave.

    • Posted By: execwoman @ 09/05/2008 10:56:49 PM

      Comment: Agree! While you're clicking -- try this link
      http://webpages.charter.net/suasponte/

  • Posted By: TechBizGuy @ 09/05/2008 10:21:58 PM

    Comment: ps continuing my last comment re: differences between an executive role and legislative roles which place even the minimal experience of Palin ahead of the others in terms of how qualified she is (even if I won't vote for her due to policy differences).

    If anything the problem with eg Obama is that he acts as if he knows more than he does and seems to misunderstand the executive role (eg his strange view that governments aren't negotiating or communicating simply because the leaders haven't talked.. when the real work is done by underling policy wonks.. or that lack of "official" diplomatic relations means there isn't similarly communication through underlings and the issue of diplomatic relations being one of the negotiating cards in a complicated process he should be trusting experts to deal with). Again, chief executives of entities (govt. or private) need to be able to delegate and trust experts when the entities they run are far too large and diverse for any human to know everything about them. There is a difference between legislating high level laws.. and implementing them, ie "executing" on them in the executive branch.

  • Posted By: TechBizGuy @ 09/05/2008 10:19:46 PM

    Comment: note: I won't be voting for McCain or Obama

    However its a shame that there is time wasted questioning the qualification of Palin to serve rather than sticking to debate over the policy issues of the various candidates since she is more qualified than McCain, Obama, and Biden if you consider the nature of the *executive branch* position she is running for since none of the others has served in an executive capacity. Yes, she has only been governor for a short time but has 85% approval ratings and regardless of whether her policies are agreed with she has managed to get things done there from the executive branch.

    It may be a small state.. but it has enough employees that an executive can't know them all and needs to delegate work to lower levels of management and learn what experts to trust due to the fact that an executive can't be an expert in every possible area. If someone can do this for as large an entity as a state they can manage an employee pyramid which has more layers underneath it due to its size than the one in Alaska. All the other 3 have dealt with have been small congressional staffs and they haven't been managing a goverment, they've simply been legislating. The executive branch only has a bully pulplit where it can ask the legislative branch to pass new laws, it can't even introduce new bills.

    Only the legislative branch can introduce new bills so you need to look at what bills Senators have introduced (something they can't do from the White House) to see if they are truly in favor of change.. or haven't bothered to even try to introduce bills along the lines of the change they claim they wish to see.
    Its easier for them to later blame congress when it doesn't do the work to introduce change just as eg Obama failed to do while in the Senate. Perhaps bills might not have been passed.. but at least they could have attempted to do change rather than just following along the status quo and magically claiming now they are in favor of change they never proposed from the Senate when they had the chance.

    True change will come best from outsiders who of course won't have years of "insider" experience in washington (or those who were there and then reformed themselves to leave the major parties having seen the light and reversed themselves on major issues due to having taken time to think things through, like Libertarian Bob Barr who repented from his Republican ways).

    • Posted By: neos @ 09/05/2008 10:23:58 PM

      Comment: Interesting post. Remember, though, that W. had a 90% approval rating early into his term of office, and we all can see how THAT turned out.

  • Posted By: timrogers @ 09/05/2008 10:15:44 PM

    Comment: Gov. Palin provides some sorely needed energy to the McCain campaign, for now. As the public learns more about her values and beliefs the enthusiasm will fade, except among the true believers like herself. Republicans have come a long way on anti- abortion, anti-global warming, anti- evolution, anti-immigration, anti-tax but not anti-spend,and of course anti-terrorism. While they have been making us poorer but safer in Iraq and Afghanistan most Americans have become more anxious at home. Something is wrong and it can't be blamed on abortion, immigration, global warming, evolution, the terrorists or the Democrats. Gov. Palin distracts voters from the Republican record. She didn't do us wrong and she likes hockey for Gods sake. All those failed Republican policies will still fail under her and Sen. McCain's guidance, but by God she has a great smile. She has enough exp