What I have Been Struggling With Since Friday regarding Palin

[AldebTX]

I came out of Thursday night and the Obama speech feeling very upbeat. I thought all the right points were made, lingering questions the pundits have been tossing at the campaign had been addressed and well DAMN it was just an awesome speech. Watching Obama and Biden walk down the stage with their families when it was over gave me new hope and I felt like, "Yes we have finally woken up from this long nightmare of the last 8 years"

Then Friday morning rolled around. I was almost giddy when it was announced that Palin was picked. It was obvious she was SO WRONG. Their body language together was bad, and I admit I laughed when she pulled away when McCain came in to give her a peck on the cheek after the speech.

Then I made the mistake of watching too much TV.

I found myself just aghast that NO ONE, not a single one was questioning this pick. They were all giddy over the re-emergence of the "maverick." They raved on about what a great pick it was. How the base was re-energized. I actually found myself screaming at the TV begging for SOMEONE, ANYONE to say what was the obvious fact. Would you trust this woman who was Governor of state with less people then the City I live in to run the free world if by chance that ticket was elected and something was to happen to McCain. Not a word.

When I heard one of the pundits who I have always found to be at least reasonably intelligent say "She's a mother of 5. If she can manage that household that size then running the country would seem like child's play". I just had to turn it off. Yes I know I should of done it earlier. I always smiled at the smears at the MSM but this was the first time that it REALLY hit me.

All this being said I don't doubt for a minute we have a superior ticket, a superior plan and superior people. I *DO* think people are waking up. I don't see myself as one of the hand wringers and doubters that I sometimes see post on here.

I just think some of us worry just a bit....that well, there is a group of people that can be swayed with this whole manufactured MSM crap. That this group will vote for the "hockey mom" and "she's someone I could have a beer with", completely overlooking just what her and McCain's polices would do to their life and families.

I guess I want to end on a good note tho. I live in ONE of the MOST conservative counties in Texas (please don't flame me for that). I have not seen ONCE McCain bumper sticker. I see Obama bumper stickers everywhere. Several of my neighbors that I would of thought would NEVER vote Democrat are saying they are voting for Obama. So I think there is real hope he is touching a thread and some of these people are waking up.

Just my thoughts. Sorry if I went on too long.

[Bread and Circus]

1. You echo my sentiments exactly, and it mirrors how they treated Bush as the

"likeable lightweight". They got him elected (twice, no less) and we've all seriously suffered as a result.

[Bullet1987]

2. It won't last long...as the criticisms of Palin have been steadily coming in

since Friday. Nobody's gushing over her now (I don't think). Especially after the two recent polls. But you also have to remember it's GOP Week. Obama got major buzz surrounding his pick of Biden too.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

3. I think she's the shiny new object to talk about that no one really knows much about.

As usual, the blogs have vetted her quicker then "journalist". That, and what I would guess is a reluctance to pile on the newbie is why she's not really being hit very hard on anything. There is also the MSM inclination to keep it a horse race as well. I'm hoping that as more is found out about her and as she has to answer more questions that the real picture will emerge. I also think that when she inevitably goofs stuff up, that piranhas will smell the blood in the water and get the ball rolling.

[WA98296]

4. I understand how you feel. BUT...Did you miss Joe Scarborough on Friday morning?

He was nearly having a seizure at the mere prospect of Palin (before it was confirmed). He was nearly angry, "This will not work....She's been a governor for HOW long...This will not work." While his sidekick (sorry, don't know her name) kept whispering "Something is up with this."

I have it on tivo, and it's worth saving. I am really anxious to see what Morning Joe has to say next show.

[adamuu]

7. so its like a drug. if a little bit makes you feel bad, try a higher dose. n/t

[eshfemme]

9. Wow, someone needs to throw that vid up on YouTube for everyone's enjoyment

I never realized how much Scarborough loves to flip out on people though. His row with David Shuster was just so funny in how obviously obnoxious he was. I'm kinda scratching my head a bit in why people watch him in the morning-- is it to make themselves feel smarter than him and thus gain the confidence needed to go to work?

[AldebTX]

10. He was who I was talking about

He did have a seizure over the pick. He and Andrea Mitchell were saying NO WAY.

That all changed in an hour. They were giddy over the pick and found it to be a masterful stroke. Mika was the only one that was still in shocked disbelief but of course she is not allowed to talk. She has to sit there and smile a lot.

Like I said I had to turn it all off.

In all fairness it was actually an intervention. My partner came into the family room and unplugged the TV saying he feared for the safety of the electronics and suggested I go get a beer.

[snowbear]

17. Hey WA..... When you look at that tape again...

I was watching that program too.. but since it comes on here at 2:00 a.m., I kept drifting off an on..

At one point though when I believe "Meka" said "I just got a report that Sarah Palin is at the State Fair in Alaska to show off the new state quarter"

And one of the guys there... Either Joe or Willie ... or .. I dunno, there were quite a people sitting around, but one of the men said something like .."talk about another Harriet Myers apppointment that would've been" and then there's laughing by the group before they start talking about something else...

Did you catch which one of them it was?


~~~~~

[kestrel91316]

5. Even here in Los Angeles the tv news people are fawning and gushing over the

prospect of this DUMBASS "HOCKEY MOM" being VP. Their attitude is a direct slap in the face to all hardworking women (and men) who pay their professional dues and earn their stripes and are aware of national and international affairs and KNOW THAT THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS NOT WRITTEN ANYTIME NEAR THE FOUNDING OF THIS COUNTRY.

I probably have a dozen clients genuinely smart enough to be a great VP if their life circumstances allowed, and hundreds who are far more qualified than this twit. Yes, she is a TWIT. And a tool of the christofascists. She makes me want to vomit.

[grantcart]

6. Rush Limbaugh punked McCain and McCain punked the MSM

Limbaugh got McCain to believe that there were millions of disaffected Hillary voters that were happy to jump.


McCain bought that and then when the reporters have been spending the last 18 months going around with the candidates reporting on all of their news and action and now all of a sudden McCain finds this magical neophyte in Alaska.


He insulted all of the Republican candidates for Pres who the media vetted and spent time with and they are pissed.


The media is pissed because McCain is trying to do an end around.


All of that hostility and the media is looking for blood. Once they find a soft spot they are going in full steam ahead. Will make the crazy paster look like a saint.


So just relax the circus just arrived in town and the elephants just broke free and here come the lions and tigers.

[rabbits4love]

8. sorry to burst ur bubble

but unfortunately i have a feeling the reason youve seen more obama stickers and signs is because we are usually a lil more enthusiastic about our candidate than they are...

back during the primary, i saw nothing but Obama signs in my county...
the day of the election hillary signs popped up everywhere and i believe she won the county 60 something to 30 something... so, you really cant go by signs...
they just dont love McCain like we love Obama..

keep on keepin on tho... ive ordered some signs to place around my town ;)

[AldebTX]

11. I have No Doubt

I have no doubt my county will be strongly Republican. A lot of my neighbors are just embarrassed to advertise the fact. I don't understand the mentality and don't try to.

I did have one neighbor tell me the reason he didn't have a McCain bumper sticker is they are so popular they are sold out. (hmmm...why do I doubt this. I just think someone forgot to print them up)

I do have hopes that Dallas County will be majority Democratic this year and that is a SEA change in this area.

[Yavin4]

12. The Most Consistent Thing About This Election

is how wrong the media covering it has been. A year ago, the media was telling us that we were looking at a Guiliani vs. Clinton campaign. They were wrong then, and they're wrong now.

They love the Palin pick because it gives them something to talk about, and it makes McCain look somewhat interesting.

[TheDonkey]

13. I'm sick of the MSM fawning over Palin. The woman is a disaster. The duo is a nightmare.

[depakid]

14. Without much thanks to the campaign, Palin is beginning to be properly defined by

a few surrogates on the air, bloggers and some newspapers. The lurid rumors surrounding the pregancy have helped in that regard- by piquing interest and geting people to ask questions.

Whether that will be enough- whether the Republicans are alowed to get back in the game, and frame their narrative before the Obama campaign remains to be seen.

Drew Westen provides some great analysis on that here:

Brand First, Equivocate Later: The Message of Denver and the Importance of Defining McCain-Palin Before They Define Themselves

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/brand-first-equivocate-la_b_122855.html

[Agent William]

15. Wow, thats exactly how I feel.

I spent most of Friday shaking angry. I couldn't believe the gumption McLame had to select her. Great post!

:hi:

[last_texas_dem]

16. The press has been almost a parody of themselves in terms of how soft they've been on Palin

I was just watching this focus group on C-SPAN, and at the end some reporters came out and asked the participants some questions. The most biased question came from FAUX News "moderate" Morton Kondracke- which was no surprise, but then a guy from U. S. News and World Report asked a question re: Palin in which he essentially equated Obama's and Palin's amount of experience. Even if Obama isn't overly experienced, equating someone who has been Senator four years from a large state and is a member of the Foreign Relations Cmte. with a two-year governor from one of the least populous states in the union seems, to me, like an obvious attempt to blur the truth here. I should be used to that from our media by now, but it still comes as a surprise; in both of Bush's runs they were willing to give him a pass and just about anything and they seem to be continuing the same practices with McCain. Your quote from a talking head in which they equate Palin's being a mother of five with being VIce President is *exactly* the kind of junk I can recall them saying about Bush; giving him passes for everything for some ridiculous-on-its-face reason. I still can't figure out if it's that the media thinks most Americans are stupid (and hell, maybe they're more right than wrong with that assumption) or that they're not particularly intelligent themselves- or just guilty of too often becoming overly entranced by bright and shiny objects. I enjoyed your post and have had similar feelings about the Palin pick.

[Raine]

18. TOTALLY on point... nt