Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Awesome

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    OK, here's my latest geeky-licious theory. The Republican Party is the Galactic Republic - once formidable but now decadent and collapsing under its own corruption. Sarah Palin is Anakin Skywalker - the chosen one who will bring balance to The Force, but has a fatal flaw that instead leads to the utter destruction of the Republic and the Jedi Order.

    And Senator John McCain of Naboo? Well, Papa Papaltine, of course!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    I suppose it's possible their internal polling was picking up a bunch of no-vote ultra conservatives?

    That's actually the most rational explanation: they needed to give the evangelicals a reason to vote.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • dc_red,

    Craig, very useful pointer towards Snowe there. I recognized the name but didn't know much about her ... from your analysis and the description on Wikipedia, I absolutely agree.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That's actually the most rational explanation: they needed to give the evangelicals a reason to vote.

    And she was the best they could do?

    Anyway, I've just had footage of the first Obama-McCain debate fall out of a time-space rift. Enjoy!

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    "What the hell is an Aluminium Falcon?!"
    Excellent video Craig, ha.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    And she was the best they could do?

    Given the lack of a meeting, perhaps she was a spreadsheet pick?
    =IF(Conservative - Weighting 0.5; Woman - Weighting 0.3; "New, fresh" - Weighting 0.1; Gun-toting photo-ops aplenty - Weighting 0.1) THEN DISREGARD (Corruption; Policy-platform-of-little-appeal-to-women; Passport)

    That's flippant though - I imagine she's a fairly impressive performer and I actually feel partly sorry for her having been thrust into this.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    I've been mulling this since the announcement, trying to work out how it was suppposed to work. And I think it is just a total misunderstanding of women.

    McCain has a 'problem with women'. Okay. So you've decided to go for the 'female swing voters who vote on the basis of things that aren't policy' - because otherwise, as Craig pointed out, you'd pick a moderate. And those women exist, for all we'd like to pretend they don't - there's no shallow to which some voter won't go. A friend of mine from Atoka refused to vote for Kerry last time round cause she didn't like his tan.

    But if you're after those people, your ideal pick isn't a pretty plucky young woman. It's not women you distract, by and large, by yelling 'look, boobies!'. Your ideal veep candidate is Jack Ryan as played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • dc_red,

    Gareth - what's that "Passport" point in reference to?

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    dc - she reportedly only got a passport last year. You fill in the foreign policy questions that raises!

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • dc_red,

    Gareth - thanks. A few years ago I read that only 1/14 Americans had a passport. But bear in mind that until very recently they could travel to Canada and Mexico without one.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Deborah,

    Your ideal veep candidate is Jack Ryan as played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October.

    Why yes.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Craig, very useful pointer towards Snowe there. I recognized the name but didn't know much about her ... from your analysis and the description on Wikipedia, I absolutely agree.

    Well, you've got to ask yourself what the hell a woman who hasn't lost an election in thirty-five years -- and, I suspect, was the only Republican in the 2006 midterms who increased her majority -- is doing right. (OK, Maine is hardly Berkeley with crabs and Stephen King but it's not an automatic gimmie for the GOP either. Currently, both Maine's senators are Republican women, the House delegation is two male Democrats. As I read it, all four are pretty centerist/moderate members of their parties.)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    TPM has a good backgrounder on Palin's "Troopergate" problems.

    And Daily Kos has a good backgrounder on how her son is really her grandson
    :-)

    It's not women you distract, by and large, by yelling 'look, boobies!'

    I recognise people will have issues with a republican running-mate, but couldn't people have waited at least a week before coining VPILF?

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I recognise people will have issues with a republican running-mate, but couldn't people have waited at least a week before coining VPILF?

    Heh. Samantha Bee a while back had a pretty epic piece about FLILFs, mostly centred around Kucinich's ludicrously attractive wife.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    and, I suspect, was the only Republican in the 2006 midterms who increased her majority

    Bah... really need to fact check my own arse before posting things like that. In 2006, Indiana Senator Richard Lugar increased his margin from 34.7 points to a whopping 74.8 -- though not surprising considering the Democrats didn't even stand a candidate.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Your ideal veep candidate is Jack Ryan as played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October.

    Or even Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock -- how could you not vote for someone who ""goes to Sbarro when he's angry, the New York Stock Exchange when he's horny, and Christie's when he's depressed." :)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    Bah... really need to fact check ... before posting things like that

    No, you may still have been right:

    the only Republican in the 2006 midterms who increased her majority

    :-)

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    how could you not vote for someone who ""goes to Sbarro when he's angry, the New York Stock Exchange when he's horny, and Christie's when he's depressed." :)

    Or who "lives every week like it's shark week".

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Danielle,

    Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock

    'Never go with a hippy to a second location.'

    That man is a bottomless font of wisdom.

    Gustav-note: man, the 'you're on your own if you stay in New Orleans' stuff is quite chilling. It was obviously true three years ago, but now they're being totally honest about it. From AP: 'There will be no "last resort" shelter, and those who stay behind accept "all responsibility for themselves and their loved ones," said the city's emergency preparedness director, Jerry Sneed.'

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report

  • JohnAmiria,

    And Daily Kos has a good backgrounder on how her son is really her grandson
    :-)

    OMFG!!

    Read Graeme's link people, it's mind-blowing. My first thought was 'It can't possibly be true - what a shitty rumour to start' ... but if you read it all the way through you're left with 'OMFG'

    [If it's true] Why do people with dark secrets think they can get away with it. Why do they think they can run for public office and it won't come out. And to run for VP no less?

    There is ZERO way to spin this (if true) and damn anyone who tries. (I can't fault her from wanting to spare her daughter's 'shame' but she should have resigned as Gov, saying she needed to make her DS baby her 1st priority)

    She.is.toast.

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    I don't have any idea about the truth of the matter (status of the child), but I can tell you that the truth of the matter is likely to quickly come out. Secrets are hard to hide when you're a prominent personality in a very small town.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Read Graeme's link people, it's mind-blowing. My first thought was 'It can't possibly be true - what a shitty rumour to start' ... but if you read it all the way through...

    Thinking 'what a crock of shit'. I'm surprised Kos hasn't pulled this diary.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Read Graeme's link people, it's mind-blowing.

    Indeed it is - but not in way you probably mean, John. Sorry, but when one is being asked to examine the "professional tightness" of a woman's clothes (and a photo of a rather chubby teenage girl) for signs of baby-bumpiness. Well, I'm looking to see if I've been rick-rolled to an obgyn-fetish pron site. Seriously.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • George Darroch,

    Here's more photoshop-truthiness about Palin. For the lolz, of course.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report

  • JohnAmiria,

    Thinking 'what a crock of shit'...

    As I said, I thought that too initially. But they've made good points. But as KOS commenters have commented 'the truth will come out when the MSM investigate'. Or will they?

    Maybe we should lend them Jonathon Marshall to ferrit out the scandal:

    THE recently appointed head of the New Zealand Hotel Council has resigned after his board discovered he starred in a porn movie and was pictured having sex in a six-page spread inside an X-rated Kiwi magazine.

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report

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