Palin Reignites The Culture War

Where we got the idea our leaders should be people we could relate to I don???t know. All the leaders I admire were people way over my head in knowing how and understanding what was going on in the world. The idea that we want someone in the oval office just like me is??? stupid. Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower were all remarkable people with an incredible capacity to figure out what was going on and what to do about it. Way beyond my capacity or anybody I know. Kennedy, even Nixon were remarkable people. I don???t know anybody as complicated as Nixon. In my more paranoid moods I suspect this ???Just Folks??? kind of president is a conspiracy by the right to destroy America.

Governor Palin does not appeal to this average American. Palin's financials are due out today - correct? (Just needed that disclosure extension until after the debate?) I think we'll see that she is way above the average income of the audience to which she is playing. A household income of $250,000 and a private plane is NOT average to anyone I know. Perhaps a new definition of ???average??? is in order or did I miss a memo?

Can I call you, Joe? A rehearsed line straight from Sedona that later allowed Palin to quip, ???Say it isn???t so, Joe.??? There she goes again reaching backwards to the 1921 White Sox and Shoeless Joe Jackson . . .

I don't want a VP on either ticket who winks at cameras, gives a 'shout out' to 3rd graders and speaks as if she were text messaging a teenager. Palin's presentation is may be 'homey' to some but I find it patronizing. If I want to talk to a soccer mom I'll go to a soccer match.

I don't want to have a beer with any of these candidates. I want my president and VP working on important issues of our country. Ms Palin antics was a turn off to me. These debates are not a game to me. Bush won because people had a feel good wanting a beer with Bush mentality. Senator Kerry won all the debates but the republicans made him look foolish. I don't think people are going to take it this time around. We can't afford game playing now. Sen McCain shooting from the hip antics is not the man I want as president. Being a marvick to me is dangerous. He wears it as a badge of honor. I like McCain and Ms Palin is nice but both are not prepared to be president. Sen Obama and Sen Biden both come off better prepared on the issues and are looking forward. We need change and the republican party isn't it. They put Corporations first and Country last.

Palin was out of her league in the debate. When the moderator asked the biggest question of the debate: what caused the current financial mess, Palin didn't even answer her. Instead, she rattled off some prepared diversion about who raised taxes. Biden called her on it, but she avoided answering the question in her rebuttal, also. The least educated "Joe Six-pack," as Palin referred to the average US male in the debate (believe it or not) could see plain as day that she was afraid to even talk about it.

Worse yet, she sat on a national stage doing tacky little tricks: she actually tried to wink at intervals--a pathetic act (it seems to be so ingrained in her routine that she couldn't suppress it--even on a national stage); she kept nodding to try to underscore her evasive chatter and when she began to tell false info she actually shook her head as if to say NO, repeatedly. She kept making weird little expressions that a Miss Wasilla contestant might try in a high school gymn: out of place smiles, bleacher cheer blather (she gave "extra credit" to her sister's 3rd grade students who were watching---15 seconds on that, absolute zero on why Wall St. wants your money NOW, or else), and she made numerous winky house frau gestures--mostly hypnotic puff as if to show her solidarity with semi-literate homemakers.

It was all about trying to appeal to Middle American viewers, a game that Biden beat her at soundly---his logic was clear, tempered and to the point for average viewers, while Palin didn't even resemble a person ready for the national stage. I'm surprised she didn't quote TV reality shows as if they are gospel.

At least she didn't blame it all on "muk-luks," Palins derogatory way of referring to Inuit native people of Alaska.

Palin was out of her league in the debate. When the moderator asked the biggest question of the debate: what caused the current financial mess, Palin didn't even answer her. Instead, she rattled off some prepared diversion about who raised taxes. Biden called her on it, but she avoided answering the question in her rebuttal, also. The least educated "Joe Six-pack," as Palin referred to the average US male in the debate (believe it or not) could see plain as day that she was afraid to even talk about it.

Worse yet, she sat on a national stage doing tacky little tricks: she actually tried to wink at intervals--a pathetic act (it seems to be so ingrained in her routine that she couldn't suppress it--even on a national stage); she kept nodding to try to underscore her evasive chatter and when she began to tell false info she actually shook her head as if to say NO, repeatedly. She kept making weird little expressions that a Miss Wasilla contestant might try in a high school gymn: out of place smiles, bleacher cheer blather (she gave "extra credit" to her sister's 3rd grade students who were watching---15 seconds on that, absolute zero on why Wall St. wants your money NOW, or else), and she made numerous winky house frau gestures--mostly hypnotic puff as if to show her solidarity with semi-literate homemakers.

It was all about trying to appeal to Middle American viewers, a game that Biden beat her at soundly---his logic was clear, tempered and to the point for average viewers, while Palin didn't even resemble a person ready for the national stage. I'm surprised she didn't quote TV reality shows as if they are gospel.

At least she didn't blame it all on "muk-luks," Palins derogatory way of referring to Inuit native people of Alaska.

The last "every man/woman" who appealed to "Joe Six-Pack elected was The current President. I don't know how many Red-necks want to be called REd-Necks or "Joe Six-Pack" but the connatation in my mind is not good. Her First aspiration was to be a Sports announcer. That's where she learned how to read notes/tele-prompters and to speak, smile and wink at the same time. Are those not good qualifications for a Sports Announcer? They are but their not indications of the ability to lead our nation specially after the mess the Republicans have left it in. I don't blame all Republicans. There was a time when the party stood for some values. No more with the current lot in power. I can't help think that a person first elected to office by 625 votes, then 990 her second temr as Mayor of Wasilla Population 5000 at the time. Her next election she actually didn't pull a majority of votes. She had 123,000 while the other four candidates had 141,000. This in a state having less population than over 20 cities in the rest of the country. Indeed her Governorship vote was smaller than 200 cities in the rest ot the country. She and McCain have not only inflated the importance of Alaskan oil by saying they account for 20 percent of our energy when in fact all the sources I read put that number at 3.5 percent. "Maverick" McCain who voted with bush over 90 percent of the time did so. He had Big Oil on his mind just like the Bush Cabal when he chose Palin. She, like other Alaskans have a more than passing interest in the production of their Oil. I think it's one reason she hurried back to Alaskan soil to have her last child. Their entire state economy is based on Big Oil which includes such perks as no State income-tax, very little State sales tax and I understand that native Alaskans get a nice piece of change yearly from their Big-Oil buddies.
Remeber when Bush/Cheney had their big secret meeting with "experts" form big Energy (OIL) To decide how to move forward on energy policy and we asked who was there and what was discussed? They refused to this day to tell the American people who was there or what was discussed. Need I point out This policy of hiding was inititated by a "Good old boy" known for his history of proving he was a "Hell-rasin Joe-Six-Pack" in his day down in Texan whose main skills were driling dry wells and getting paid for it and the other "good old boy" is a Bird hunter that can't shoot straight with anybody unless he's actualy shooting at them.

Calling Obama an elitist is an excuse not to listen. America, it worked so well the last two terms to have "a guy that we could have over for a beer" lets do it again! The world stage laughs once again.

@Johnwaco

Not everything in journalism is meant to be objective. Ms. Clift is a columnist for Newsweek and is expressing an opinion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columnist). Her opinion is not going to be the same as everyone elses. People who tend to agree with her opinions may wish to hear some of her other opinions. Even if you don't agree with her opinion, doesn't it help you define and strengthen your own opinion in response to hers?

If you're looking for objective, investigative journalism, don't read columns or editorials. Those are the part of news publications that express OPINIONS!

I want a VP who is intelligent enough to know what is going on re the economy and the world. Especially one who would be a heartbeat away from a 72 year old man with a history of cancer. She's still a cheerleader only now for McCain & herself! Her statement that she's only been on the scene 5 weeks is extremely telling. What was he thinking when he picked her. She's an insult to women to pass her off as qualified. He first question was incorrect; she should have asked, "May I call you Joe? Not, "Can I call you Joe?"

What's wrong w/"elitist"? you don't mind them running our country b/c they're smart? :-) Just b/c they're elitists doesn't mean they're smart. It just means they think they're smarter than you and you're not worthy, nor can you think for yourself. And just b/c they "think" they're smarter, doesn't mean they are. MANY smart people have their PhDs and are scientists... and they're not elitists. You can be rich and not be elitists.

The Bush Depression

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.Bush created a national debt larger then the first 42 presidents combined
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 isnt obama 25 points ahead
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.
Let's teach him we are smarter than that .

31 states are voting now, dont wait
Elect Obama Biden 2008




Check out this video of sarah palins interview before you vote


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ