This is where the right-wing-religious-wingnuts have brought us

A friend of mine with deep roots in Israel found this on an Israeli newspaper website - with video from Al-Jazeera (how's that for irony). I don't know about anyone else out there, but I was just sickened and stunned by some of what is shown here. I believe if McCain had gone with his true nature as a moderate republican instead of caving to the extreme right of the GOP party, that we wouldn't be seeing nearly as much of this divisiveness.

I respect the right-wing-religious-wingnuts right to express their views as long as it's not filled with hate-speech and violent-inciting rhetoric. And I support their right to have a party that supports their views...but I do not respect how they've bullied their way into the republican party and virtually taken it over. I used to be a republican (many many years ago). The GOP party used to be the party known for its intellect and common-sense solutions. Now they're quickly becoming known as the party of extremism where they think anyone who doesn't see the world as they do are evil or terrorists. Their agenda is no longer one of fiscal conservatism, but of social and moral conservatism. Fiscal conservatism has taken a back-seat to people who think they are the only "pro-American" people. People's who's agenda is to legislate their morality into everyones lives.

I believe this is the main reason Colin Powell is endorsing Obama. It's not so much an endorsement for Obama as it is against the GOP that has gone astray from it's roots and now only focuses on injecting their personal views on gays, abortion, guns, etc, into everyones life. The GOP used to believe (as McCain still does) that these personal issues should be decided at the personal level. What's right for you isn't necessarily what's right for me.

This is a dangerous path indeed and has pushed me further and further left as time passes...

President That One

Obama clearly won the debate last night on substance, but also on style. McCain is an embarrassment to his profession (and almost to humanity)! I was so embarrassed for him, it made it hard to watch. Presidential he is not. Obama knew just the right way to behave. Every time McCain lied (which was pretty much anytime his mouth was moving), Obana just sat there and flashed his disarming smile. It was almost as if his smile erected a force-field protecting him from all the crap that McCain was spewing.

There were a couple questions that I thought Obama could have answered more clearly, but the overall message and tone from him was far superior than from McCain.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome President "That One" to the podium!

And so it begins...

All along I've been saying that "maverick" is just another word for foolish risk-taker. McCain takes crazy risks to get what he wants, and it has left him looking desperate, erratic, and sometimes downright stupid. He "postponed" his campaigning so he could charge into Washington and save the day - an obvious political ploy that backfired on him. His selection of Sarah Palin illuminated his risk-taking nature. Prior to her selection, McCain was spending millions on ads denouncing Obama as just a celebrity, but how much did we hear about Obama's celebrity once McCain had created his own celebrity in Palin? But most scary is that she's horribly unqualified to become President and McCain doesn't seem to mind that risk on our behalf (likely because he thinks he's immortal)! McCain has risked his entire bid, and indeed his entire reputation, trying to become President.

So, with less than 30 days to the election, I guess it should come as no surprise to me that McCain's next big risk he's obviously decided to make is to turn up the ugly machine. Elections should be about the issues, and Obama has endeavored to keep the discourse there. But, McCain can't win on the issues - so his last recourse is personal character attacks, and guilt-by-association tactics, as evidenced by Palin's recent charges that Obama pals around with terrorists, and her dredging up of the Reverend Wright crap again (even against McCain's earlier proclamations that this was off limits). Obama will have no option now but to go on the offensive. If he doesn't, it will be swiftboating all over again.

Strap your shit-kicking waders on, because it's gonna get deep and dirty before this is all over.

'Nuff Said!

A case for being NICE to PALIN!

Are there do-over's in politics? The luster is quickly fading on Sarah Palin, and although many of us saw this train-wreck coming I don't think that any of us thought it would go this far. I'm talking specifically about the many very conservative journalists who are turning on her. We are a gawker society, and I can't help but gawk at this melt-down with some perverse pleasure!

First, there is Kathleen Parker's article that I read yesterday where she calls for Palin to bow out saying "Only Palin can save McCain, her party, and the country she loves. She can bow out for personal reasons..."

And then there's George Will's latest article - yet another conservative (albeit never a true fan of McCain's), who is questioning McCain and especially his judgement in selecting Palin.

So, this leads me to ask...what would happen if she really did bow out? McCain gets a do-over?

Here's my fear...all those middle of the roaders that have decided to vote for Obama largely because of how McCain's choice has turned out to be so horrendous could reconsider their Obama choice if McCain gets a do-over. If she left the ticket, he'd have the option to be the real maverick he claims to be and select Joe Lieberman - the traitor democrat who's lost all of his senses. Or, in a less maverick-ish move, but probably more logical, he could go for Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee to still appeal to the religious base. The point being that no matter who he picks, he'd be better off than he is now with Palin.

McCain's numbers have been in decline since the post-convention bump. This could be due to his wishy-washy approach to "leadership" (and I use that word lightly here), or his back and forth stance on the bail-out, or any other number of stupid things he's done or said. But, I'd like to say SHUT UP to all these crazy people for picking on Palin and potentially cause her to pick up her marbles and run home. She's the best thing that's happened for us. His selection of her was a clear demonstration of his decision making, and his risk taking personality. Having her on the ticket is a boon to our side, so SHUT UP ALREADY!!!

Sarah who?

Ok, I was thinking about blogging about the wonderful waning days of summer I've been enjoying, but I just can't!

I have to vent...

• Who are they kidding? How stupid do they think women are? Do they really think the women who are on the fence will vote for McCain/Palin simply because he picked a running mate with a vagina? How insulting this is to women who were Hillary supporters! Here's a video clip that pretty much sums up how I feel about it all...watch the whole thing, it gets funniest about 1/2 way through.
  


• They say keep your friends close and your enemies closer...to that end, I vowed to watch the entire RNC convention, but here I am 2 days into it, and I fear I don't have the stomach to suffer through the rest. I'm listening to Mitt Romney as I type this and about vomitted when I heard him say that Washington is "too liberal" - is he high?
  


• And what's with all this bullshit about about putting "Country First"???? These people could take a lesson from Obama about taking the high-road. How insulting to the Democrats by insinuating that they don't want to put our country first. Obama has made every effort to make it clear that this election should be about the issues and our differences, not to denegrate one another but it seems that's the only way the GOP knows how to operate and I'm sick and tired of it.
  


• And, poor John McCain - his wife appeared on ABC's "This Week" - and completely embarrased him. Here's a quote that I just couldn't believe when I heard it (in response to Palin's lack of foreign policy experience): "You know, the experience that she comes from is, what she has done in government -- and remember that Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia." What the F*&k is that? The first part in blue - well, that's just non-sensical garbage! But the part in red? PUUUULLLLLEEEEZZZZEEEE. Does anyone really think that because geographically her state is near the outskirts of Russia, that this gives her foreign policy experience? This is frighenting, folks!!! View it here.
  


• His decision to select Palin is a clear indication of his decision making process, and illuminates the fact that he's a real risk-taker. I don't know if I'm comfortable with my president being careless with such major decisions. Seems like a pretty big gamble to me!
  


• Lastly, if John McCain were really the "maverick" he wants us all to believe he is, he wouldn't have selected Sarah Palin, he would have picked who he really wanted...Joe Lieberman. Besides a veiled attempt to pull some of those former Hillary supporters, the real reason he selected her was because he caved into the pressure from the religious base that has taken over what used to be a Grand old party. He placated the religious base that Bush allowed to take over the party. The Republicans of today, with their extreme religious base, is nothing like what it used to be 20 years ago. It's sad, really.

All my venting aside, here's the most serious (and scarey) issue of his selection. Even though Palin is on video six weeks ago saying she really doesn't know what the Vice President does, the fact is that a major role of the VP is to take over should something happen to the President. Given McCain's age, it is not inconceivable that he could die in office. Is she really someone who could assume the responsibilities of the presidency???