Robert Parry: Neocon Desperation Is Showing

[babylonsister]

Neocon Desperation Is Showing
John McCain | Sarah Palin
by Robert Parry | October 6, 2008


The neoconservatives and their Republican allies did all they could after Thursday’s vice presidential debate to turn Sarah Palin’s peppy, personable but ultimately goofy performance into a turning point for another four-year lease on the White House.

But there was desperation in the air. Reading the neocons’ glowing reviews of Palin’s upbeat recitation of her talking points was a bit like watching a few diehard fans try to start a “wave” when the home team is hopelessly behind.

Still, try they did. Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard wrote an article entitled “Comeback,” which read:

“The moment when Sarah Palin knew she was winning … came after the subject had turned to nuclear weapons. Palin had talked about nukes as a deterrent and said it was important to keep them out of the hands of dictators who are enemies of America. Then she turned to moderator Gwen Ifill and asked, ‘Can we talk about Afghanistan real quick?’

“Afghanistan? The impression Palin had left in television interviews with ABC's Charles Gibson and CBS's Katie Couric was that she was ill-equipped to discuss issues like that. … But by that point in the debate – two-thirds the way through – Palin was brimming with self-confidence. She knew she could handle any issue likely to be thrown at her by Ifill. She knew Biden would not outmatch her. So she purposely tackled an issue on which he was expected to have an advantage. …

“She insisted the ‘surge principles’ that had proved effective in Iraq would work in Afghanistan. Biden claimed the commanding general in Afghanistan disagreed. Then Palin said, no, the general didn't disagree, and she spelled out how ‘the counterinsurgency strategy’ favored by McCain (and her) would work.”

For all this gee-whiz boosterism, you might have expected Barnes to come dressed in a cheerleader outfit with pom-poms.

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/17711

[Wapsie B]

1. She needs to be running a Chamber of Commerce office somewhere,

not running for VP and being a heartbeat away from being the President of the United States.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Palin’s casual style – masking a shallowness of knowledge –

That is it in a nutshell..

Brooks and Barnes must be as stupid as she is to see anything positive in what she did during the debate.

I think it is safe to assume that if the Emperor were naked, they would be among those complimenting him on
his wonderful new clothes.

[IndyOp]

3. Robert Parry is on target as usual. (n/t)

[yellowcanine]

4. Did Freddy catch that she pegged Civil War General McClellan as the U.S. general in Afghanistan?

Funny thing is "Little Mac" was the general that drove Lincoln crazy with his indecisiveness and constant overestimates of enemy strength.