The Sarah Palin VP announcement

[SarahG]

OK, fair enough.  That makes sense.

[CthulhuKefka]

The thing that really irks me is that all these petty personal attacks between candidates are so dumb. Seriously, it seems like the average Joe/Jane Q. Taxpayer is the only person during an election cycle that actually cares about the ISSUES, and not about some paltry personal attacks between the candidates.

I wish mainstream media would just stop focusing on things that don't matter.

[Skar]

I'm with you there.  I gotta say the petty resorting to feigned offence is really getting on my nerves.  Latest offender? McCain's camp.

I don't care if the crowd at Obama's speech where he whipped out the 'lipstick on a pig' line was hooting, hollering, and chanting 'no more pitbulls' or whatever.  (All of which is a good indication that they thought he was talking about Palin whether he was or not.) It's irrelevant.

Please.  Why get offended over something stupid like that?  Do you really want to be seen taking a schoolyard quality insult seriously? Gah! Just let it speak for itself.

[CthulhuKefka]

Exactly.

I have to admit though, I did smirk a bit when I heard Obama's response to the horrible media treatment. The guy calls it like it is.

It's like the McCain campaign is just reaching for something to swift-boat Obama on. It's like a kindergarten class! lol

McCain campaign/media: "OMG, Obama used a quote that's been used for years (included being used by McCain, Cheney, etc, etc) but since Palin used something similar in her RNC speech, he MUST be referring to her!!"

Obama: Wow, you are all dumb. 

[darxbane]

Oh?  Did you also smirk when Obama began blasting the McCain campaign for painting him as a muslim even though they didn't?  How about the guy who felt the need to coin the phrase "community organizer" as racist?  I hear so many people complain about how the media operates, and how they want someone to vote for that isn't a "career politician", but then most of those same people spew out catch-phrases and allegations they here from who?  The media!   The fact is people have become so enamoured with their party affiliation that they are unable to vote for anyone else, and thus only look for evidence to support their beliefs instead of being objective.  I may not agree with McCain and Palin on all of the issues, but at least they have shown that they will stand up to their own party and do what they feel is  right, even if it is unpopular with their political base.  I guarantee that you will never hear or see Obama or Biden go against their own party.

[Loud_G]

 The fact is people have become so enamoured with their party affiliation that they are unable to vote for anyone else, and thus only look for evidence to support their beliefs instead of being objective. 

This is why I despise both parties and refused to align myself with either side. I hate the false dichotomy that is created by our bi-partisan system....

For once, I wish people could just vote for people based on things like merit, truth, and honest political opinions.... *sigh*

(That and I wish that we weren't just given a bunch of rich, wanna-be-'everyman' type people who are only interested in power and not actually helping people (looking at you Senate, House, and almost every single presidential candidate EVERYWHERE))

[CthulhuKefka]

Oh?  Did you also smirk when Obama began blasting the McCain campaign for painting him as a muslim even though they didn't?  How about the guy who felt the need to coin the phrase "community organizer" as racist?  I hear so many people complain about how the media operates, and how they want someone to vote for that isn't a "career politician", but then most of those same people spew out catch-phrases and allegations they here from who?  The media!   The fact is people have become so enamoured with their party affiliation that they are unable to vote for anyone else, and thus only look for evidence to support their beliefs instead of being objective.  I may not agree with McCain and Palin on all of the issues, but at least they have shown that they will stand up to their own party and do what they feel is  right, even if it is unpopular with their political base.  I guarantee that you will never hear or see Obama or Biden go against their own party.

Whoa....I only smirked because it was refreshing to see someone calling someone else out on their BS. And for the record, I'm not even voting for Obama/Biden.

Actions speak louder than words, but sometimes words play just as big a part as actions. Ever since John McCain began overusing the P.O.W. card, he's left a vile taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I fully respect him for his service to this country and the hell he went through as a P.O.W., but he's trying to make it seem like that qualifies him to be President. It doesn't.

McCain was a maverick back in 2000, but ever since he's sided with George Bush 90% of the time. That's not a lot of "going against his own party."

I'm terribly disappointed my candidate of choice didn't get nominated. Mike Gravel is one of the only "honest politicians" to ever have lived.

[Miyabi]

I personally wish Biden was the one running for President.  He is the best in my opinion.  Well, the best for the country at this time.  I hope I live to see the day we get a Libertarian elected to President.

[CthulhuKefka]

To steer this conversation back towards Palin, here is an excerpt from her recent interview.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/sarah_palin_on_bush_doctrine_h.php

I have a dream that one day, any political leader, when asked a simple "yes or no" question, will simply reply with a "yes or a no.  "


EDIT

Found another part of that interview, and this one REALLY scares me. Like I've said before, I have NOTHING against religion, but zealots like this terrify me.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5782873

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

may not agree with McCain and Palin on all of the issues, but at least they have shown that they will stand up to their own party and do what they feel is  right, even if it is unpopular with their political base. 

oh, you mean like last year, when he stood up to Bush because he felt shuffling people away to nameless prisons in unfindable locales and not telling anybody any of it was wrong?
Or do you mean three days later when he gave in after no compromise whatsoever and supported the same bill?

I'm not necessarily anti-McCain, but buying into this "maverick" bullhocky is foolish. The only person who considers McCain a maverick is McCain.

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I do agree that the reversal on things like Guantanamo is troubling. But I think voting with your party 90% of the time is better than 98% of the time. If you don't agree on the core principles, why's it your party? Also, a large percentage of all votes is for normal, non-controversial stuff. 10% rebellion on things one feels one should stand up for seems better than only 2% bucking of the party line.

[darxbane]

I totally agree with you, Ookla.  Even more important is that at least McCain has a voting record.  How can you trust a person who was so afraid of hurting his political career that he refused to even submit a vote on over 130 different pieces of legislation, and made no effort to introduce any himself?  And we won't even talk about Biden.  He is one of the main reasons Congress has a 17% approval rating.  In a way, I find it hilarious when these senators and congressmen try to blast Bush for his failings when he is almost twice as popular as they are.  Here's an idea; you really want change?  Then the next time one of your state reps or senators is up for re-election, vote him out!  I mean all of them!  Since the elections are staggered, there will be enough of them left to prevent the chaos of a completely green house and senate, but you will most definitely get the attention of whoever remains. 

[Peter Ahlstrom]

I haven't looked at the details, but I believe it's wrong to say Obama didn't introduce any legislation. There's an Obama-Feingold act or something like that. Feingold is obviously someone McCain was willing to work with as well.

[darxbane]

I stand corrected.  He did co-sponsor 1 bill on ethics reform with Russ Feingold in 2006.  An extraordinarily safe bill to be involved with but he did introduce it nonetheless. 

[Reaves]

EDIT

Found another part of that interview, and this one REALLY scares me. Like I've said before, I have NOTHING against religion, but zealots like this terrify me.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5782873

what exactly scared you? She believes there is a God who has a plan for this world. That's about what I got from the interview...nothing frightening.