{"id":12770,"date":"2008-10-01T20:09:02","date_gmt":"2008-10-02T03:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/2008\/10\/01\/dave-does-the-election-multi-day-edition.html"},"modified":"2014-11-05T15:16:28","modified_gmt":"2014-11-05T22:16:28","slug":"dave_does_the_election_mu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/10\/01\/dave_does_the_election_mu.html","title":{"rendered":"***Dave Does the Election – Multi-Day Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

I’ve been tied up in meetings this week, and so haven’t gotten one of these out for a few. Where to start, where to start …<\/p>\n

Well, heck, why not with VP-debate-bait, Gov. Palin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The gaffes just keep on coming from the Defined Mrs. Sarah. Key are the Couric interviews, which has turned into a sore that never heals for the GOP. Whether it’s Palin suggesting that whether global warming is human-created “kinda doesn\u2019t matter<\/a>,” or her apparent inability to remember any Supreme Court decision besides Roe v. Wade<\/em><\/a> (and why that ignorance is significant<\/a>), or her similar inability to actually name any magazines or newspapers she reads<\/a> (“all of them!”), or her suggestion (with no irony) that Joe Biden is old<\/a>, the hits just keep coming. As do attempts to parse what the heck she’s actually saying<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, follow-ups from earlier Palinisms and similar shenanigans show that she used to be for tough, independent investigations<\/a> before she was against them, she never actually has seen Russia from Alaska<\/a>, her beloved aerial hunting of wolves<\/a> isn’t scoring her many points with the public, she explicitly denies that she had her city and police chief charge vicims for rape kits<\/a> (without explaining the evidence to the contrary), and, oh yeah, she actually had (or has) yet another private email account for conducting government business with close aides<\/a> in an attempt to avoid any sort of oversight or public records regulations.<\/p>\n

Through it all, we’re heartened to learn that McCain is routinely turning to <\/em>her for foreign policy advice<\/a>, and that conservatives turn on <\/em>her at their own peril<\/a>. I guess it’s just as well that people have been focusing so much on her<\/a> since she hit the scene.<\/p>\n

And, of course on her running mate, Sen. McCain<\/strong>, and his erratic campaign<\/a>. Whether it’s suggesting that Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is an Arab<\/a>, making casual comments about Pakistan that don’t bear scrutiny<\/a>, urging his fellow congresscritters to use the term “rescue” rather than “bailout,”<\/a> promising to veto earmarks while declining to vote against them,<\/a> promising “transparency” and “accountability” while while making up attacks against Obama<\/a>, or giving an interview to a gay newspaper where he sees no contradiction between having and admiring numerous gay friends and colleagues yet being against anything governental or legal that protects or supports gay rights<\/a>, it becomes understandable that the GOP wants McCain to stop trying to use facts and just attack Obama<\/a>.<\/a> <\/p>\n

And, by the way, as I’ve said before, McCain should fully open up his medical records<\/a>. As should, I note, Obama (though I am much less concerned about him).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile in the Obama <\/strong>camp, though the polls have been steadily going in his favor, such that his campaign is actually hitting hard in states thought to be solidly GOP<\/a>, they don’t seem to be getting complacent, concerned about it still being a month out and the electorate still being volatile<\/a>, and Obama supporters continue to suggest that now’s the time to set aside divisions within the party and do whatever’s necessary to get him into office<\/a>, if only to demonstrate that “elite” isn’t as bad a word as “mediocre.”<\/a> <\/p>\n

Nevertheless, looking at the polls, the question of whether people think they are better off today than they were eight years ago<\/a> seems to be having an effect. <\/p>\n

As for Biden <\/strong>… well, most of the press seems to be as to whether he’ll unleash one of his infamous gaffes<\/a> at the debate tomorrow night. While nobody expects him to lose the debate on points, there is concern that Palin might find effective ways to make it look like he’s ganging up on her, reengaging some of the sympathy and support she’s squandered since the RNC. In some ways, his ability to avoid falling into that obvious trap will be a significant test for his ability to lead effectively.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

There is, of course, more going on in politics than the election. We have “pro-family” groups seriously arguing that we need to get rid of the Violence Against Women Act,<\/a> since all it does is let women not <\/em>be subservient to their therefore righteously violent husbands (whom they should not be able to get a divorce from, by the bye). We have folks opposed to gays in the military desperately trying to get their calls returned<\/a>, and folks opposed to gay marriage in California desperately trying to avoid people knowing who they are<\/a>. And, of course, we have moribund conservative organizations suddenly reviving with mysteriously deep pockets and veiled attacks against Obama<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Then there’s all the brouhaha over the bail-out, which is bringing out the best in conservative commentators<\/a>. The GOP can’t get their story straight as to whether they tanked the bill because of Pelosi’s speech<\/a> or because of anything but Pelosi’s speech<\/a>. What’s interesting about the debate is the prospect that this may signal a sea change in public opinion about Twhere government intervention and control in the markets is necessary and desirable<\/a>.<\/a> <\/p>\n

And between the election and the bail-out, nobody’s noticing that Congress has named a Special Prosecutor to investigate the firings of federal prosecutors for political reasons<\/a>. Well done.<\/p>\n

And so it goes.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve been tied up in meetings this week, and so haven’t gotten one of these out for a few. 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She also demonstrated, as a businessperson, why she...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/images\/palin.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12902,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/10\/election_round_up_4.html","url_meta":{"origin":12770,"position":2},"title":"Election round-up","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 10-Sep-08 3:55pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Still trying to figure out the best way to spread the linky-love here. I think I'm going to shift most of my politics\/election stuff into its own set of posts,...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12744,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/10\/06\/dave_does_the_election_mo.html","url_meta":{"origin":12770,"position":3},"title":"***Dave Does the Election – Monday Night Edition","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 6-Oct-08 6:36pm","format":false,"excerpt":"The McCain\/Palin have gone into high gear, quite openly and explicitly openly and explicitly\u00a0shifting their strategy away from podunk thinks like \"issues\" and \"policy\" and in favor of --...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12937,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/09\/04\/palin_potpourri_for_a_con.html","url_meta":{"origin":12770,"position":4},"title":"Palin Potpourri for a Conventional Thursday","author":"***Dave","date":"Thu 4-Sep-08 1:18pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Yeah, I know, obsessive a bit. But ... Factchecking Palin\u00a0and The Reality-Based Community: Palin v. Reality\u00a0- Palin's Big Speech and the, um, misrepresentations therein. Putting Words in Palin's Mouth -...","rel":"","context":"In "Elections 2008"","block_context":{"text":"Elections 2008","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/elections-2008"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19340,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/11\/27\/unblogged-bits-sat-27-nov-10-1030.html","url_meta":{"origin":12770,"position":5},"title":"Unblogged Bits (Sat. 27-Nov-10 1030)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 27-Nov-10 10:30am","format":false,"excerpt":"Links (most recent first) that caught my eye, but did not warrant full-blown blog entries .... Greedo in Heels - Heh. Splendid Abandoned Airplanes - Coolness. 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