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  • Posted By: xelaz @ 09/22/2008 4:21:44 AM

    Brilliant article. The editor who slapped on the title should be fired. Likely no more Sam Harris for Newsweek.

    • Posted By: dmento @ 09/22/2008 7:37:50 AM

      Exactly! I read this article when a friend e-mailed it to me and was impressed that Newsweek ran it--then I saw the title they gave it. Come on, Newsweek editors.

  • Posted By: caraprado @ 09/22/2008 7:25:45 AM


    From:
    Head of State
    http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/palin-soft-preparedness-of-lowered.html


    Monday, September 22, 2008
    Palin: The Soft Preparedness of Lowered Expectations

    In all seriousness, expect the following from Palin's "meetings" with leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday:

    -A series of serious-sounding quotes, direct from her days of preparation, that cannot possibly indicate her actual knowledge on the issues, data and risks facing each and with regard to each nation. Quotes, not knowledge, happen in days.

    -A bevy of positive statements from each leader--after all, that's why they were chosen--all being nations seeking U.S. favor, and having nothing to lose and potentially much to gain by doing so.

    -A rush of "surprised" reactions from media at "how seriously she was taken", ready, as so often, to grasp the superfically new.

    -An attempt by the McCain camp to drive through her supposed preparedness as a result, as quickly as possible, before the debates.

    -Still no in-depth, free-form, extensive challenging interviews from this prospective President.

    Don't buy it.

    A few days ago, she was ready to invade Russia (which she could see from her border).

    Remember, for your security and future: A series of rehearsed quotes does not a President make.

    Cite:
    Head of State
    http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/09/palin-soft-preparedness-of-lowered.html

  • Posted By: entheogensmurf @ 09/22/2008 6:31:05 AM

    Other than the title being cringe worthy, tis a great article.

    I saw a mention of "Sam Harris for president:" I agree. Assuming of course, that he'd even want the job.

  • Posted By: GregHere @ 09/22/2008 5:26:38 AM

    .............................Sarah Palin was selected by John McCain for political reasons only. McCain wanted to use Palin to build his support among the Far Right Wing of the Republican Party that put George Bush in office, Palin is McCain's Public Relations Aide and is really not qualified to be V.P. or President with her little experience and minimal education. Palin is from the Bush Coalition, the Oil Companies, Gun Finatics, Big Corporations, Rich Selfish Individuals and Super Christian Fundamentalists. Palin will follow the disasterous philosophy of Bush and the freedoms and civil liberties of Americans will be weakened with Palin who is an attractive woman but just a front for dangerous groups who want to keep control of America for a 3rd Term with new faces and enough trickery with words to fool the American Public

  • Posted By: Cazador1972 @ 09/22/2008 4:23:43 AM


    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/20/al-franken-john-mccain-sn_n_128008.html

    The McCain in this comedy sketch actually makes the same argument Lori made elsewhere on this thread... And she was serious!

  • Posted By: benjaminbranham @ 09/20/2008 5:29:53 PM

    First things first, if you're going to sit there and pretend that you have never felt any kind of a higher power whether you call it God, Allah, Gaia, or Mother Nature then nobody needs to listen to you because you're obviously a liar. Secondly , who are you to tell people what they should beleive in? Thirdly, your obviously a hard-core democrat who doesnt even has the insight or the spiritual enlightment to even seek out the truth about the issues. I'm not a republican by the way and personally I don't like either choice we have. Obama is no better, he's been a community organizer before...... But what else has he done? He's helped pass two laws, one of which lets sex education be taught to kids as early as kindergarten. He has no executive experience at all. His running mate Biden has no executive experience at all. Are you so blinded with hate because they beleive in God that you can't even see this? It's proposterus for you to even write this article... Also I do have one question for you, During sex who does an atheist cry out to? Oh God! I cant beleive he said that, oh wait I dont beleive in God...

    • Posted By: reinadelaz @ 09/22/2008 4:01:03 AM

      Why is it wrong for little kids to be taught how to prptect themselves from sexual predation? To those who say sex ed should be done at home, do you have any idea how much molestation occurs there?

  • Posted By: austinbambrook @ 09/22/2008 3:26:41 AM

    Will somebody ask Palin whether she puts country first or god first?

  • Posted By: austinbambrook @ 09/22/2008 3:25:37 AM

    Will somebody ask Palin whether she puts country first or god first?

  • Posted By: yblat @ 09/22/2008 2:06:08 AM

    I think we need more people in politics with common sense instead of Harvard degrees! I also think people are threatened or intimidated by a women who is bright, can really multi task and she IS NOT setting women back. She is a picture of what almost every woman would like to be. Charlie Gibson is a biased non-journalist. I have lost all repect for him. That "interview" was a sham and a waste of time. You can't go by that to judge her!

    • Posted By: AZtruthteller @ 09/22/2008 3:07:03 AM


      What could justifiably concern Americans more than Palin's qualifications to be VP (and therefore, possibly president)?
      What questions would you rather Charlie Gibson had asked her?

      By the way, common sense and Harvard degrees are not mutually exclusive. I hope we elect the candidate who has both.

    • Posted By: marksgershenson @ 09/22/2008 2:50:00 AM

      You foreget, who is being protected from the press, and why she is protected from the press. Biden is not, Obama is not, McCain was not until this last month, so who does that leave on the list? Something to ponder.

    • Posted By: maxbianco @ 09/22/2008 2:31:04 AM

      And just what the hell do you know about a Harvard Degree?? i wonder if you've even traveled outside of your own zipcode !

      • Posted By: Cazador1972 @ 09/22/2008 2:39:09 AM


        Ha! He also said "you can't go by that to judge her", what do we go by then? She's only giving soft ball interviews to Fox News! Again, if she is so ready, she ought to be giving interviews weekly. I can just imagine if SHE was the one with the Harvard degree and not Obama, they'd be touting that 'till the cows came home... Ahhh, the Shrilla from Wassila.

    • Posted By: Cazador1972 @ 09/22/2008 2:19:17 AM


      Having been raised by a single mother who had ten times the balls than my father did, I can tell you that my problem with Palin is not because of her gender, it's because she is utterly unprepared. How can you pretend to take over when you don't even know the rudiments of most issues. If you think she is prepared, then why is she not giving press conferences often? Why is her campaign setting her up with Hannity, O'Reilly and Gibson, who if anything soft-balls jopurnalism ? I was actually surprised he challenged her but these are things she should know! The lady who'd have to face down Putin is afraid of the mean old media?

      McCain/Palin: He didn't know what the difference between Shiites and Sunnis was and she doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is. This is not a presidential ticket - it's a sitcom!

  • Posted By: ronnie8365 @ 09/21/2008 10:46:42 PM

    Lisa bad example in liberal land ....Bush has 2 degrees Bachelors degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard....yet you call him an idiot.....

    • Posted By: marksgershenson @ 09/22/2008 2:58:12 AM

      Thank daddy for the degrees

    • Posted By: lisaooo @ 09/21/2008 10:52:46 PM

      Where did I call Bush an idiot?

    • Posted By: tpowers63 @ 09/21/2008 10:50:38 PM

      Bush has two *legacy* degrees, bought and paid for through an admissions program open only to high-profile, ELITE alumni. In other words, affirmative action.

      NO ONE can buy their way into law school -- not even a Bush. And he didn't.

  • Posted By: maxbianco @ 09/22/2008 2:36:11 AM

    i am a Bible believing Christian. I think the idea of gov Palin as VP is insane! This article is right on point.

  • Posted By: lesinnyc @ 09/22/2008 2:35:07 AM

    palin...Americas own christian taliban! It doesn't matter what religion when religious extremists get into government the people and the world suffur. She is sneaky enough to not say anything about her true extremist views because she thinks that god has chosen her and she is much smarter than the rest of us. we are a doomed nation and that is because we haven't educated our youth to think for themselves and open up their eyes to the world we live in.

  • Posted By: lesinnyc @ 09/22/2008 2:28:50 AM

    Palin..Americas own christian taliban..we are all doomed to hell if republicans win. It doesn't matter what religion you are, when extremists in any religion get into government the people and world always suffur!

  • Posted By: AZtruthteller @ 09/22/2008 2:22:38 AM

    This is an excellent, excellent piece, except for the ridiculous title (a sop to Palin supporters, I'd guess). Count on Sam Harris to give the most clear, emphatic voice to our concerns. I regret that the title may deter many non-atheists from reading, much less seriously considering, Harris' arguments. One needn't be an atheist to appreciate his observation that electing leaders because they seem "just like us" is crazy, inconsistent and dangerous. And, ironically, Palin is NOT "just like us": her religious beliefs are extreme to the max. Thank you, Newsweek and Sam Harris for this gem of sanity and insight.

  • Posted By: JordanJordanJordan @ 09/21/2008 6:52:58 PM

    "Vociferous, erudite LeftistDemocrats embrace death and lies as Life and Truth. The word "hypocrisy" cannot be applied to their subhuman system of belief. Hypocrisy is for humans."

    • Posted By: marksgershenson @ 09/21/2008 7:03:23 PM

      Now I am a college graduate, and I cannot decipher what your saying. How about saying it one more time in English. I love tossing big words out too, if they make sense. Perhaps my genius IQ is failing me today.

      • Posted By: Simpleton @ 09/21/2008 9:09:58 PM

        Not "what your saying", but "what you are saying".

        Which college did you go to, and did you graduate?

        • Posted By: marksgershenson @ 09/22/2008 2:19:04 AM

          I made a typo, thanks for the proof reading

  • Posted By: ronnie8365 @ 09/22/2008 1:58:53 AM

    Yeah just like Clinton told you he wouldn't raise taxes and then he got in office and said "well I've looked at the books and I don't have a choice" he gave us the biggest tax increase in history...which led to the republicans taking over in 1994 remember that,....didn't think so.

    • Posted By: Dr Rick @ 09/22/2008 2:04:50 AM

      No, you're wrong about that, too: http://www.factcheck.org/treasury_tax_expert_to_bush_clintons_increase.html

  • Posted By: yblat @ 09/22/2008 2:01:52 AM

    I do have to say that I think some people are being totally disrespectful and downright nasty towards Sarah Palin. I could hardly even watch that so called interview by Charlie Gibson, whom I have now lost all respect. He was totally biased and asked her the same questions 3 different ways to try to trick her up. I think some people are threatened by her. Some of the brightest people have more common sense than Harvard grads!

  • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/21/2008 7:13:04 PM

    The bar seems to be set much higher for Sarah Pain than for others who have run for high offices in the past. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, for example, what particular foreign policy credential did the have when elected? Furthermore, Governor Palin is running VP, not for president. And, to imply that she is somehow intellectually inferior or impaired is absurd. To have arrived at the position she is in Alaska, certainly takes a




    lot of smarts. Bu the elitist media does not like her becaue bbecause she is not one of "them".

    • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/21/2008 7:25:38 PM

      Maybe you are an atheist. I don't know and I don't care what you are, but to imply that to invoke God in a situation is somehow ill advised and dangerous is a very scary notion to me. God is sovereign and can take your breath away in an instance, should he so choose. Sarah Palin is not shoving her religion down anyone's throat, but to imply she is discualified to be VP due to her religious beliefs is absurd. There are millions upon millions of believers in this country,.

      • Posted By: Simpleton @ 09/21/2008 9:08:18 PM

        What is scary is that you have this irrational belief that a god exists. A three-in-one god, born of a virgin, who killed himself on the cross to spare his creation from his own wrath, no less.

        • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/22/2008 1:59:17 AM

          The Bible declares in the Psalms: "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God..." There you have it.

      • Posted By: gulsbyja @ 09/21/2008 7:59:23 PM

        There are millions and millions of Muslims and they run some countries as theocracies. Iran is probably the most obvious. Even the Afghanistan constitution that was implemented after the Taliban, has the death penalty for people who convert away from Islam. The bible has stories of God (the God of Abraham, that Jews, Christians and Muslims worship) commanding the death of people for such things as gathering wood on the Sabbath and other things that we would hardly give a thought to today. This un-changing, all powerful, all merciful God is a jealous and vengeful God, that demands obedience to whatever laws that someone interprets He has promulgated! It's very much open to interpretation (witness the hundreds and hundreds of religious sects) and I'd rather live under a goverment that is restricted from enforcing their interpretations or 'God's plans' on me!

        • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/21/2008 8:17:10 PM

          I am sorry , but my reference was to Christians, not Muslims. And they vote.

      • Posted By: tpowers63 @ 09/21/2008 7:31:08 PM

        Do you always talk to yourself?

        • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/21/2008 7:41:31 PM

          No, my response was aimed at d_in_abq above. My mistake. Are you always such a nitpicking bore? I surely hope not.

    • Posted By: rwoods13 @ 09/21/2008 8:32:25 PM

      Lets see: Carter and Clinton were nominated to represent their party after winning a NATIONAL Primary election where the amercian people Had time to consider their postions and politicsw, further both were succesful Governors, for at least one full term in Carters case, before running for office.
      and, If you are suggesting that executive experience Palin posseses justifies her placement on the ticket is suggesting that the small business owner, ($100 Million in Annual Revenue) could step in tomorrow and assume the responsibilities of GE, MSFT. Google, General Motors, etc. or lets just say Treasury Secretary is an insult to common snese. She doesn't have the requisite background and/or experience. Let's quit suggesting otherwise and Yes, I would take and Harvard and Colubia educated former state and US Senator who has whon the Nomination of his Party with 19 M plus votes and two years of running for office

      • Posted By: lisaooo @ 09/21/2008 9:24:47 PM

        Bill Clinton was well travelled as a youth and was a graduate of Georgetown's prestigious Foreign Affairs school. Then he went on to be a Rhodes Scholar studying Government at Oxford in England. He also has a Yale law degree. Clinton is a man who had comprehensive knowledge and awareness of world affairs throughout his life and he is a brilliant man. We have no evidence (ZERO!) from Palin that she is capable of thinking about the complex matters that are so critical to our Nation (Obama and McCain and Biden have proved it, with their careers and through the campaign and debates so far) or has any interest in these subjects. We don't see anything in her past pointing to this. Show me a college thesis or some involvement in an international group, or something of significance. In fact, she has admitted that this is the case. I don't blame her for having these limitations - I just blame her for accepting the nomination to be VP in light of these limitations. The fact is she is irresponsible or naive (doesn't know what she doesn't know).

    • Posted By: Simpleton @ 09/21/2008 9:06:59 PM

      There is a bar set for Palin?

      Who dug that deep to do so?

    • Posted By: tpowers63 @ 09/21/2008 7:20:34 PM

      This is almost funny, but pathetic, at the same time.

      Do you have ANY idea how up-to-speed Clinton was on world affairs? The guy was a freakin' RHODES SCHOLAR who studied international politics his entire life.

      Please, do yourself a favor and talk up Caribou Barbie's dapper choice of pageant gowns. But don't try to pad her credentials. She's a moron who doesn't know the difference between Angola and angora.

      • Posted By: Tommypie @ 09/21/2008 7:37:47 PM

        What are you going to do when the "moron" as you so gentlemanly call Governor Palin is elected VP? Move to China? Obama is running even with McCain in many recent polls, and several of the "toss up" states are leaning McCain's way. There is much racial prejudice in this country, and a believe that the "race issue" might determine who is elected president. And it is not Obama. It is a sad notion, but unfortunately it is true.

  • Posted By: ronnie8365 @ 09/22/2008 1:36:46 AM

    Yeah Im gonna hate all those lower taxes and less goverment in my life ...I went from $16.00hr when Bush first got in to almost $24 an hour and I don't know anyone who isn't working. I bought a house @ 6.375% and have 42,000 in my 401K starting from 0 in 2002 yeah sucks to be me....Maybe I need to be "patriotic" and give the govt. more of my money.....I also give 10% a year to chairity ..but no I need the threat of jailtime to force me to give to someone..dam n if they deserve it or not I don't have that choice...the only choice democrats want is a womans "choice" to murder a child..... so don't lecture me!!!

    • Posted By: Dr Rick @ 09/22/2008 1:54:09 AM

      In your income bracket, Obama's economic plan would give you a much bigger tax cut than McCain's would: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html

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