Sep 3rd, 2008 at 11:00 pm
For Whatever It’s Worth
Palin is having a hard time holding the attention of the drunk C-Listers with “limited access” credentials hanging out in the basement. No idea whether or not that’s a good proxy for the overall effectiveness of her rhetoric. To my ear, Huckabee blows the rest of the GOP away as an orator.
90 Responses to “For Whatever It’s Worth”
Register
RSSLogin
Advertisement
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Books By Matthew Yglesias
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Basketball
Budget
China
climate
Congress
DC
Denmark
Economics
Economy
education
Energy
Environment
Finance
Gender
Germany
Health Care
History
International Law
International Relations
Iran
Israel
Media
Monetary Policy
National Security
NBA
Pakistan
Palestine
Philosophy
planning
Political Reform
Proliferation
Public Health
Public Opinion
Race
Regulation
Russia
Science
Sports
Stimulus
Sweden
taxes
Technology
Trade
transportation
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Contact Matthew Yglesias
Use this form to contact blog author Matthew Yglesias.
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Matt YglesiasContact Me
Donate
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 pm
This speech is so full of lies. I just made another donation to Obama.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
And apparently Gov. Huckabee is the one person in St. Paul classy enough to refer to Senator Obama with something apart from scorn
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Matthew, you’re wrong. She’s very — very — effective.
But I think it helps Obama in the long run. She’s being an attack dog. Now the gloves are off, and no one will question Obama attacking back at Palin.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I find her very irritating. Mostly because of the snarky comments and lies.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Dude, slow down with the threads, or just do a liveblog thing. You’re never going to get a good discussion going.
Also, I hate the GOP, mostly for HOW they’ve ruined the country. Lie, deny, insult, repeat.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I’m watching this convention by myself and would probably have lost my mind if not for your sane posts. In my view, this whole night is targeted at the lowest common denominator. Nothing new, but the crowd reaction to commennts mocking community organizers and Obama’s stance against torture makes me sad/sick. Do you think when the crowd chants “Drill, baby, drill” they are referring to the rhetorical tactic concerning McCain’s POW experience?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
And apparently Gov. Huckabee is the one person in St. Paul classy enough to refer to Senator Obama with something apart from scorn/i>
And it was meet by a resounding yawn from the audience.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
at least the constant comments about laying pipelines make me understand how the Log Cabin Repubs can stand in lock-step at the convention.
Palin may bring in $$’s & base enthusiasm, but she has zero substance in this speech & it has been reported she just opened an ethics investigation into herself to circumvent the legislature’s investigation…so that’s pretty ethical…
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Palin has a small town TV reporter style, but she’s reading a pretty good speech. Lot’s of lies in it, but what would you expect? Oh, and did you know John was POW?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:11 pm
McCain should really not appear on stage with her….it really, really makes him look old. And with those oversized suits he wears, he looks even more stiff and rigid–almost like Bob Dole.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Perhaps this is anecdotal, but I just heard Gov. Palin drop her “only one man who has ever fought for you…” and they one actual veteran shown on tv did not look excited about the blatant parading of service
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:15 pm
She sounds just like Julia Sweeney!
oooooo Gloves off!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Wish it weren’t so, but a star was just born. We’ll be dealing with her politically, the rest of our lives.
This election has just become Obama vs. Palin.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:19 pm
We have just witnessed Sarah Palin’s (and their campaign’s) highwater mark. Enjoy it while it lasts!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:21 pm
BTW… I said a star was born before Blitzer did.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Matt,
Dude I am seriously worried about your old buddy Andrew Sullivan… he is having a meltdown right now over this lady and the GOP.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I have no faith in the ability of Americans to see her bullshit for what it is.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:23 pm
A star was not born. Unless we’re talking about an incredibly — shockingly — sarcastic star. Can you imagine that sort of dismissive, condescending rhetoric fired at Russia? China?
And I’m with you, Sherry… After five months without giving, I just gave another hundred bucks to Obama. This was more culture-war slime.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I didn’t see a star tonight, I saw a stilted, stiff amateur — someone who didn’t always effectively get across the meaning of phrases in the speech.
Of course every single commentator on the networks I’ve seen is full of praise for her, so my opinion may be the idiosyncratic one.
Also, this is superficial but not unimportant: her voice…at least in my opinion, she wields the most grating voice in public life that I can think of.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Obama camp’s response seems pretty weak to me:
“The speech that Governor Palin gave was well delivered, but it was written by George Bush’s speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we’ve heard from George Bush for the last eight years. If Governor Palin and John McCain want to define ‘change’ as voting with George Bush 90% of the time, that’s their choice, but we don’t think the American people are ready to take a 10% chance on change,” said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.”
Is her being under investigation off-limits? I feel like Americans are tired of corrupt, unaccountable politicians, and this is their best talking point. Or maybe a Joe Klein type list.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I did’t want to like her but I sat down to watch her to be fair to her. Sadly she had no passion – she just read a speech that was written for her by others. She grasped every nasty line about Obama she was fed and played it back to the audience that seemed to cheer inappropriately and without great enthusiasm except on a handful of occasions.
Finding her criticizing Obama as she did considering her lack of achievements demeaned her. When she mentioned Obama had penned two books about himself I wondered if she herself had ever read two books.
Too bad she missed her chance to give an uplifting talk about herself and her goals for America rather than reading a diatribe. I didn’t want to like her and I don’t.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Culture War is right. The amount of umbrage taken from one comment made by Barack Obama is staggering. Meanwhile, Gov. Palin has called out Sentaor Clinton for “whining.”
And I would ask for her views on immigration, because she clearly laid out her strong admiration for small-town Americans who “grow our food.” So I guess she is for amnesty & citizenship? Or was that just some allusion to the 50’s cultural nostalgia that the Republicans have been sending tot he polls the last few elections? I somehow don’t think that was an endorsement of the hard-work & struggle by immigrants that has defined much of American history
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I think Sullivan has been one of the few voices of sanity in the last week. McCain made a truly cynical, irresponsible choice, and the full irresponsibility of his decision continues to reveal itself every day.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Great speech if you’re a right-wing lunatic. Somewhere Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Richard Nixon’s ghost are smiling, looking down at the new polarizing dark master.
Also, Rudy Guiliani is quite possibly the biggest horse’s ass walking the earth today. He should be deported to someplace where jackasses are allowed to roam freely. Maybe Chad.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 pm
She hit it out of the park. Yes, there were lies, but anybody who says Obama didn’t lie in his acceptance speech has forfeited any credibility. It may be the high water mark; but it was a hell of a good speech. Nobody else in the Republican party can go after Obama that effectively; watching the speech made the Palin pick start to make sense…if only for a moment.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 pm
A star was born — but not for movements that most of us would like. She isn’t there to excite Hillary voters or independents or any such. She’s there to give the hard right something to get energetic about, for a revived movement & possible new ground game, that McCain just didn’t have before. We’ll see now. There are a lot of a**hole, ultra-right fundamentalist Republican Senators and Congressmen who wish they were her.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Why is being a pit bull-like hockey mom an attractive feature? Isn’t she just saying she’s that pushy mother who harasses the coach to put her son in more and treats her children’s competition as a proxy fight for her disputes with other mothers?
Having coming from a small town myself, I can’t say I find the archetype she represents to be an attractive one. But maybe plenty of Americans do.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
It would be interesting to see her deliver her own speech; and we’ll see how she does if she’s ever made available for interviews. And of course the debate. This really didn’t tell us much; her speech was more or less along the lines of Mitt, Huckaby, and Rudy (he so mean). And it got boring.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:32 pm
I live in western(rural) minnesota and the thought just occured to me, the Mayors of the towns here; 10 to 15,000, are all part time, wonder if anyone checked this out about her?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
#25, Rab this was not a good speech, she looked nervous, talked over applause lines, mangled some phrases and words and overall didn’t potray confidence. The problem here is that like with Obama she is not speaking to the people in the hall (all of which have already punched their ticket for her big time.) She is speaking to us and vis-a-vis last W and R she didn’t deliver. Maybe McCain can come up with something more than just deriding your opponent.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Wow…still in shock. Just did not expect McCain to tack hard right in this election. I thought he was nominated by the Republicans to play to the center?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:36 pm
They fucked up royally on the schedule. If Huckabee had led into Palin, it would have made more thematic sense and looked less plain ugly.
Rudy sounded, as Jimmy Breslin once put it, like a small man in search of a balcony.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Need it be said……. Pat Buchanan is pathetic….
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
And that was the speech of a rump party in waiting.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Yeah, and the Palin’s are going to keep their dog, no matter what anyone says.
Pure red meat — Republicans love her, she’s not going anywhere, but if you’re worried about the economy in no way you want her as VP. Also, comparing herself to Truman — reminder of age?
Huckabee’s a more natural public speaker, but that bit about the desks made no sense at all. I also thought it made no sense when they used that same line to defend John Kerry.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Pat Buchanan is pathetic….
That speech was Buchanan 1992 repeated as tragedy.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Brian Williams is tearing her up on the lies/whatever in her speech, by quoting from Joel Klein’s blog. Good job, B-W!!
ex: raised taxes, bridge to nowhere, pork-barrel
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Not to wax overly nerdish, but aside from Huckabee this spectacle tonight reminds me of the slimy, shriveled, twisting, obscene and gorge inducing baby like thing Harry Potter sees after he “dies” in the last book. Rowling was spot on in her depiction of something whose malevolent will to power had maimed its own soul beyond repair. Ladies and gentlemen, the Grand Old Party! The only response to this is a 30 second ad showing Abe Lincoln with single tear rolling down his cheek. I need a shower.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I’m oh-so-slightly optimistic for a backlash (and yes, I realize I’m contradicting what I said earlier); Obama’s favorables are soaring post-convention, and the speech will be viewed as extremely petty. I mean, mocking service? WTF? From a lady who the country knows very little about, except that she’s under investigation and has a pregnant daughter.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Mission accomplished. The hard right got hard; and Bill Kristol liked it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Not to be pedantic, but I think we would need to define a good speech. I won’t deny that she mangled some words (it was 40 minutes) or that she talked over applause lines. Her goal was first to build up John McCain, and she did a good job of that. Secondly, she needed to portray confidence and intelligence – every talking head I’ve seen on the networks agreed she did that. You seem focused on issues, which is great for people who follow politics closely, but people (swing voters most of all) do not follow issues that closely. They vote on whether they like and trust the person. She came across as intelligent and likable; she built up McCain, and she derided Obama without appearing mean-spirited (cf. Giuliani, Romney).
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
What Horrible, Horrible people. I say we get the knives out NOW
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 pm
The Republicans definitely have lost the community organizer vote.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Agree with 55. It seems like ‘04 all over again, but the difference here is that Obama doesn’t make mistakes or seem wooden, which makes people doubt his ability to be president. He virtually oozes presidentiness every time he’s on camera, so these attacks will lack credibility with voters.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Honestly, I’m not sure who Gov. Palin was trying to win over with her pathetic rhetoric and poor grasp of facts. She simply doesn’t appear to understand world events or global economy for that matter.
“We Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we’ve got lots of both.” :sigh:
Was her speechwriter so ignorant, or couldn’t it that s/he has no regard for truth or accountability. Sad, really.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:50 pm
For a sense of the reach of her speech in Alaska, I just returned from buying some dope, and the house where I did business was watching. I actually saw someone blow a line while keeping their eyes fixed on the screen. I do live in Wasilla though, so this stuff is normal, except for the speech aspect.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:52 pm
I whole-heartedly endorse #46 as by far the most interesting comment made anywhere on this blog tonight. My respects, sir or madam.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
“Honestly, I’m not sure who Gov. Palin was trying to win over with her pathetic rhetoric and poor grasp of facts.”
Not you.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
She did OK, as in she can tell lies believably. And she is kind of charming and can turn a folksy word. This reminds me more of Bush in 00 in that we have little expectation. But it’s surprising how hard to the right of even Bush they are tacking. The Dems don’t even have to cater to centrists because the Reps are running away from them.
And while I kind of like hearing Huckabee talk, he sounded pretty petty today
September 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Definitely want more Wasilla reporting from hmmm…
Speech was good, of course, she’s a pro. I’d like to think it doesn’t do good to feed red meat to morons, but I remember the gloating from all sorts of quarters at Zell Miller’s fascistic speech way back when, sure to turn off the independent voter. My biggest hope is that the number of people who listened to this well-delivered bullshit is dwarfed by the number of people who will see US Magazine’s well-delivered bullshit, and that they are all shallow enough to vote on “character.”
September 4th, 2008 at 12:00 am
47, seconded.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:02 am
So at least now we can stop passing around the down syndrome baby (”families are off limits?”) and go after McSame and Pale-in. Game on.
Oh, and I just gave $500 to Obama’s campaign.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:03 am
“Also, Rudy Guiliani is quite possibly the biggest horse’s ass walking the earth today. He should be deported to someplace where jackasses are allowed to roam freely. Maybe Chad.”
What have the poor people of Chad done to deserve such a punishment?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Unfortunately, I think that was a very effective speech.
Giuliani made a gigantic ass out of himself, but Palin has the ability to seem gosh-darn likeable while delivering a thoroughly vicious, insulting, dishonest, anti-intellectual, pandering speech. This is a talent that is uniquely well-suited to the role of Republican Vice Presidential candidate.
But I think, and hope, that Palin will not play nearly as well among union guys in Akron as she does among the party’s small-town conservative base. Mocking community organizers won’t go over well in the Rust Belt. Palin carries herself well, and should be a strong advocate for her ticket in certain parts of the country, but the substance was minimal and the lies won’t wear well over the next few news cycles.
This is a ticket that has sunk to inventing attacks on themselves in order to rebut them. The whole convention reeks of desperation. Maybe they can fool America one last time. But this is a party that ran out of ideas 20 years ago, and it shows.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Rab #41 I don’t think you’re being pedantic but you still haven’t laid out the qualities of a good speech. You say “need to define a good speech” but then layout “good” vis-a-vis Palin and not any objective criteria. You seem to conflate a “good speech” with accomplishing her “goal” in your second comment.
I will cede that if her goal was to attack then she did that although I thought she would be savvy enough not to grandstand her own record (the bridge to nowhere) but I digress. But since you contended that it was a “good speech” I think it is only right that you define in your own terms what is a “good speech.” If you want to admit that IYO a good speech meant accomplishing her “goal” then by your terms I will submit that it was a “good speech.”
Also Igloo just posted a link where two former pretty dedicated republicans (aka talking heads) totally chopped Palin as a lightweight, gimmick, joke that YOU and I, and every thinking American knows that she is vis-a-vis the VPOTUS. So PLEASE do not use “every talking head I’ve seen supports her” line b/c that’s not a very valid defense of your position. All that is needed to refute is for me to find a talking head that didn’t support her (Brian Williams, John King, etc)
“Her goal was first to build up John McCain, and she did a good job of that. Secondly, she needed to portray confidence and intelligence – every talking head I’ve seen on the networks agreed she did that.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Did anyone count how many times the name “Bush” was mentioned in tonight’s speeches??
September 4th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Al Giordano usually has really good, clear-headed takes on things, and he’s been pretty damn good at predicting things so far this wacky year. Here’s his take, hope he’s right:
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/the-palin-speech
September 4th, 2008 at 12:27 am
So, does this mean that people should want to have a beer with Sarah Palin? ‘Cause, like, how’d that work out with the last President?
September 4th, 2008 at 12:47 am
Sorry for being unclear. A good speech is a speech that accomplishes the goals of the speaker. I thought her goals were 1) to build up McCain, 2) to project confidence, 3) attack Obama. I thought she accomplished those goals. I wasn’t trying to play a ‘talking heads all agree’ card; I just hadn’t heard anyone on CNN or Fox at that point say it wasn’t a good performance. Obviously, if you talk to enough talking heads, you’ll find any opinion, and antecedent opinions hold tremendous sway on perceptions. Take it for what it’s worth; I’m just a guy with an internet connection.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Sarah Palin = Zell Miller & Michael Brown all wrapped up into one unhinged overly ambitious right wing lunatic
September 4th, 2008 at 12:52 am
Palin is fucked. Whoever wrote that speech for her and sent her up there is an asshole.
Palin’s speech should have been “John McCain was a POW, John McCain was a POW. I’ve got a family. I’ve got good judgement. I’ve been an effective executive. John McCain was a POW. John McCain was a POW. I’m not familiar on the national stage, but I’m a good student and I’ll be ready on day one”.
Someone handed her a speech that has her berating the media and Obama.
When the charge on you is inexperience, what the media will do is grill you to death on policy questions hoping you fuck one up. Palin will fuck ALL of them up. She has no idea what she’s talking about.
If she had delivered the first speech, the media would have asked her about Trig, and fluffed her to death. You probably never would have heard from her again.
The speech she delivers will be taken as a challenge and the story arc ends with her saying all manner of embarassing things until she’s tossed off the ticket or John McCain loses in a landslide.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Palin’s speech makes sense if McCain is taking the hide road with is Country before Party and Self schtick tomorrow. VPs are suppose to go on the attack – imagine your response if that was Jim Webb tearing into John McCain. I doubt people would be talking about what a pushy man his was.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:14 am
“I doubt people would be talking about what a pushy man his was.”
Nobody used pushy. Fail on the sexism call, loser.
And this was not a speech. It was a standup comedy routine.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:24 am
imagine your response if that was Jim Webb tearing into John McCain. I doubt people would be talking about what a pushy man his was.
I understand. I’ve been listening to you guys for years. You don’t *need* to believe in what you are saying, you just say it because you think that’s what we do.
We don’t want to appoint Allito because he’s catholic, etc…
The problem is you need someone outside your little bubble that believes your bullshit. Your bubble has shrank, my friend. It never worked in the first place, maybe it was fun to play like this, but you don’t understand the terrain you are on.
The Obama campaign shouldn’t touch Palin. Real life is going to eat her alive, feel free to scream sexism while it does. Watch who is impressed by this.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:31 am
brewmn – In your case, the misogyny is completely straight forward. Your fear of the vagina is no excuse for
poor water carrying. Perhaps next time you will
read the comments before pasting in your repetitive little rant so as not to come off as a complete ass clown.
That is if you are not to busy fantasizing about
being Obama’s first lady.
September 4th, 2008 at 1:40 am
in the Obama boys’ world there are no sexist comments only greater truths used to fluff the One
Perhaps Ed and brewmn can get together for a little mutual Obama self love
September 4th, 2008 at 1:42 am
re: 65
Yeah, God has shat upon us.
Palin is his wrath upon us, we are all doomed to polical failure as Bush’s 28% arise rejuvinated by the spirit of Feminism as embodied by Palin.
Are you even the slightest bit serious? Do you think *any* of this bullshit is going to get you McCain elected? Do you even *want* McCain elected?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Just totally curious about this to, do you really think wierd, gratious, homophobia is going to make your theoretical Women for Palin swoon? Do you not see how you are fucking up your whole little identity politics cariacture?
September 4th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Remember, every time a Republican says ‘community organizer’, he/she is thinking the N-word. Lee Atwater is alive and well.
September 4th, 2008 at 2:37 am
It doesn’t matter what she said–the AP is already dissecting all the whoppers in her speech. They are backing up their rebuttals with facts.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:16 am
Cicero himself would find it hard to hold the attention of drunk C-list journos in a Minnesota basement.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Well, here’s the end result – the Google News page has the following headlines:
Gov. Palin Makes Her Case – Wall Street Journal
A Defiant Palin Takes the Stage – Washington Post
Palin Assails Critics and Electrifies Party – New York Times
The right choice’: Delegates give Palin a wild GOP welcome – Deseret News
Sarah Palin Delivers Smash Hit In St. Paul – CBS News
Hockey mom’s punch: Palin comes out swinging – San Jose Mercury News
Palin connects, but faces hurdles over policy and experience – Boston Globe
VP nominee Palin wows US Republicans – Reuters
Palin’s small-town ways will play big across US – Chicago Tribune
‘Palin Power’ thrills Republican convention – Financial Times
A feisty, confident Palin makes her introduction – Boston Globe
Palin an easy sell in St. Paul as base finds itself smitten – Denver Post
Sarah steps out: Republican candidate a pit bull with lipstick – Salt Lake Tribune
Sarah Palin’s Campaign Debut Electrifies The GOP – Wired News
Illinois delegates say Palin ‘hit a grand slam’ – Chicago Daily Herald
McCain hails his choice, and the delegates love it – Dallas Morning News
Confident Sarah Palin: I’m ready to serve – Boston Herald
Ohio delegates pleased with Palin – Dayton Daily News
Georgia Republicans: Palin just what McCain needs – Atlanta Journal Constitution
‘Small-town mayor’ Palin stands tall – Pittsburgh Tribune Review
And you think she blew it?
I keep telling you – she could drop her pants and wave her ass at a bus load of school kids and she would get the same free pass that McCain would get if he did it.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:52 am
There are a lot of a**hole, ultra-right fundamentalist Republican Senators and Congressmen who wish they were her.
Not another Larry Craig joke, c’mon.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:55 am
This speech was in five parts:
1. Introducing her family.
2. Taking shots at Obama.
3. Drill, Oil, Drill, Oil
4. Airplane on E-Bay, repeated lie on the Bridge to NW.
5. McCain the POW.
Nothing there really to remember, substantively, except the pot-shots at Obama…
It was the tone, phrasing, and spectacle that made this speech…She read the speech well…It was a good introduction…Who knows how this plays long term…
September 4th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Maybe when they say “community organizer” they mean “outside agitator”.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:31 am
That speech was written under two false pre-conceptions 1) nobody had seen Obama’s ads or speeches and 2) the viewer was a total moron. It was condescending and sarcastic in a time when they GOP doesn’t get to tell us how great they are and what they will do. People are tired of Bush’s condescending attitude, but it took the media a while to pick up on that. The entire night sounded like a party ready to take on Mondale in 84, with themes from the 80’s and issues of low salience today. The speech itself was self-contradictory. How can you claim change and experience at the same time? How can you run against DC when your party is in power and you’ve been in DC for years? How are you going to shrink the size of government when continuing the Iraq War and started brand new energy initiatives? How can you be for small government staying out of people’s lives yet against community organizing? The festishization of state power and the guise “responsibility” is authoritarian and creepy. What does victory in Iraq even mean anymore? Nobody bothered to define it.
She makes one speech on energy, yet Obama has had energy ads out for about a month that got seen all over the Olympics. Obama’s message was that McCain is a good man who loves America but is just wrong. He seemed like someone wanting to bring people together, get people organized to tackle big issues together and be able to converse with each other under good faith. The Palin speech was just “fuck you hippy” in response.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Also, at least 38 million people heard Obama’s line about the gates of hell and the mouth of bin Laden’s cave. Palin had no real rejoinder to that beyond Bush-style mocking. She had nothing to say about Afghanistan and seemed wanting to save face instead on Iraq.
It is also terribly cynical and sick to use your teenage daughter’s pregnancy, complete with her husband-to-be not looking like he wants to be there, as a campaign prop. You don’t get to use the fact your daughter did something stupid as a reason to tell us “elitists” how moral you are.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Oh please.
Was her speech even in the same league as Cuomo’s keynote address a few years back? Not nearly. That speech didn’t exactly usher in the era of Cuomo.
She’s Dan Quayle. After losing in November she’ll be under the false impression that she is somebody for another four years, then she’ll vanish.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:11 am
What amazes me is how many “politicians” in the Republican party seem to have no idea what a community organizer is.
March 11th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Great site. Good info
March 13th, 2009 at 6:57 am
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right
March 18th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Great post, thanks for the info
March 22nd, 2009 at 8:09 am
tramadol
I bookmarked this site. Thank you for good job!
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:51 am
buy viagra online
I want to say – thank you for this!
April 8th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Thanks for the review!
viagra