Hard News by Russell Brown

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  • Paul Williams,

    Slate's got a handy FAQ on Palin here.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • andrew llewellyn,

    From the FAQ:

    then gave birth after driving 45 miles to a hospital in Palmer, Alaska.

    She didn't travel the last leg by dog sled team? I'm unimpressed.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    the treat them dumb and dumber approach still has the most resonance.

    Annnd further to that:

    It started like a harmless joke, didn't it? Sarah Palin is from Alaska, Alaska is near Russia, and since Republican rhetoric has become breathtakingly ridiculous lately, some of us joked that Republicans might think the proximity between the state and the country counts as foreign policy experience. It was meant as satire. No one really expected Republicans to make the argument.

    <snip>

    John McCain, then, is fifth. Remember, when Doocy first made the argument, it was so laughable on its face that Jon Stewart called him a "moron." Now, the Republican nominee for president is making the same pitch, hoping people are just stupid enough to believe it.

    Palin has never been to Russia. She's never demonstrated any expertise on U.S. policy towards Russia. She doesn't have any background in international relations at any level. But for Republicans, the fact that she's lived in a state near Russia is somehow a qualification for national office.

    It's the dumbest argument I've ever heard.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I'm still saying that this election is McCain's.

    This could get interesting. I wonder if we could come up with a suitable wager (nothing as vulgar as a sum of money, I mean).

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    If you thought US politics was in turmoil; news just in that the Premier of NSW, Iemma, has resigned... not sure who'll get the top job but there's a chance that both leader and deputy (Carmell Tebbutt) will go to left-aligned candidates (such is the turmoil within the right). All of this is a spillover from the failed attempt to privatise state energy...

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    If you thought US politics was in turmoil; news just in that the Premier of NSW, Iemma, has resigned...

    Well, he should have been out of office at the last election, and would have been if the NSW Liberals didn't have such problems reaching the Olympian heights of mere incompetence.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    Profile of Sarah Palin in The Onion. Not incredibly inspired, by their standard, but I liked the Iraq War policy section

    Just wants to give son the chance to shoot something smaller and more Muslim than the usual moose around their property.

    Watching the horrific promo for terrorism at the RNC convention (in which they literally explained what 9/11 meant. The Ninth of September! I had been asking myself that question for years!), I was reminded of the far less satirical and immortal 9/11 issue of The Onion, aka The Holy F"#&%ing Shit! issue. They should have got a half dozen Pulizters for that.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    if the NSW Liberals didn't have such problems reaching the Olympian heights of mere incompetence.

    That's a very fair and accurate assessment Craig... pity this scandal overshadowed the appointment of the 25th Govenor General and the first woman to hold the office. I hope she's the last (not woman in the office, the office itself).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    The Ninth of September!

    No, you're kidding right?

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    The Ninth of September!

    No, you're kidding right?

    Insofar as I got the date wrong. But they sure did explain it.

    "And kill us they did, this time on US soil. It was on September the eleventh... 9/11".

    Then they showed Giuliani at Ground Zero but not Bush, which is extraordinary.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Jake Pollock,

    Did anyone catch the footage of the Iraq Veteran Against The War during the first part of McCain's speech? A lot of republicans were looking decidedly uncomfortable at that. Can't kick him out, can't really fit his 'you can't win a occupation' banner into the narrative . . .

    Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report

  • Rob Hosking,

    A few thoughts...

    Palin couldn't lose. The build up of negative coverage was such she would have met expectations if she'd come out to the podium, got McCain's name wrong, dismembered a blow-up Hilary Clinton doll with her teeth, urged the bombing of Afsponistan and then announced the Day of Rapture is at hand.

    She managed to sound sane and not dumb.

    Dan Quayle never managed that and the ticket still got elected.

    On Obama...its been bugging me all week...he reminds me of someone, but who?

    Got it, today.

    Tony Blair, circa 1995. Same air of slightly bogus sanctity.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    From Josh Marshall blogging live on McCain:

    10:50 PM ... TPM Reader PT: "What are the odds Governor Palin drops McCain from the ticket? After a performance like this, it's a serious question."

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    Insofar as I got the date wrong. But they sure did explain it.

    "And kill us they did, this time on US soil. It was on September the eleventh... 9/11".

    Then they showed Giuliani at Ground Zero but not Bush, which is extraordinary.

    That's surreal.

    Palin couldn't lose. The build up of negative coverage was such she would have met expectations if she'd come out to the podium, got McCain's name wrong, dismembered a blow-up Hilary Clinton doll with her teeth, urged the bombing of Afsponistan and then announced the Day of Rapture is at hand.

    Agreed, it's like they'd been cribbing notes from scripts of West Wing however.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Tony Blair, circa 1995. Same air of slightly bogus sanctity.

    Well, Rob, when it comes to bogus sanctity I'd have to say the Republicans still win. God got name-checked (and it was that glib) so many times, I was waiting for Best Hip-Hop Album of the year to be called.

    Sorry to be crude about it, but how long before Trig and Sarah's vagina lose their novelty value? Seriously - any man who'd given that speech would have been mocked without mercy. And political aspirants with penises don't get to play the wilting damsel when they're actually called out over flat out lying about their record.

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

  • JohnAmiria,

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • Don Christie,

    The thing the RNC has made clear to me is that McCain and Palin are the oil companies' candidates. Forget the evangelical fundy sideshow, that's just a diversion and one that has been used effectively and just as cynically in the past.

    The real message is "oil anywhere, oil anyhow, oil time".

    I don't remember quite such an unabashed emphasis on this subject in any previous campaign.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    God got name-checked (and it was that glib) so many times, I was waiting for Best Hip-Hop Album of the year to be called.

    Craig, you and I may disagree somewhat from time to time but that had me rolling if only for a brief moment.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    I don't remember quite such an unabashed emphasis on this subject in any previous campaign.

    Don, it appears that oil's big in both campaigns, Obama said:

    In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

    From the transcript at the NY Times.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • Don Christie,

    Paul, maybe. But I am damn near certain that Palin is the candidate put forward by oil. Forget what Rove did or did not want.

    I suspect Obama has different ideas about how to end dependency, BTW (sorry, I haven't logged into the NYt for so long I can't access that speech).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Party X keeps 4 list members until the next election.

    That seems fucked up to me. If an electoral petition is to address wrong-doing in the election, and that wrong-doing carried over onto list seats, then it's caused them, so they should go too. If it's shortly after the election, then the list candidates will still be available and the situation could be corrected. Crazy.

    But I'm getting damn tired of you patronising anyone who even asks these questions as part of some left-wing character assassination squad.

    See, you're only talking down the left-wing character assassination squad, because you haven't seen the really sexy jackets they get to wear. Way cool.

    The Daily Show is in fine form at the moment. Their take on the Republicans' response to Gustav is a classic. The interview with Brian Williams is also pretty funny.

    Does anyone know why the Daily Show is running behind? Normally we get Thursday's (US time) show on Friday. Last Thursdays was shown on Tuesday our time. It's like they've shuffled it all along one day for some reason. It's annoying as hell and I wish they'd run it one extra day to get it back on a schedule that actually reports as close as possible to the day it happens.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • JohnAmiria,

    Obama on the O'Reilly Factor:

    http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3072397&referralPlaylistId=playlist

    WARNING: Hard to watch without wanting to punch someone (guess which one?)

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And showing that McCain isn't going to be the beta dog in this hunt, he's flying his own special freak-flag

    An introductory video tells the story of John McCain’s military service, including a disastrous fire aboard an aircraft carrier:

    “Somehow, John McCain’s life was spared. Perhaps he had more to do.”

    Isn't Obama supposed to be the one with a Messiah complex and scary cultists? But one thing is for sure -- the price of shame and common decency has sharply increased in St. Paul today, following severe shortages.

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

  • JohnAmiria,

    Does anyone know why the Daily Show is running behind? Normally we get Thursday's (US time) show on Friday. Last Thursdays was shown on Tuesday our time. It's like they've shuffled it all along one day for some reason.

    Yes, someone at C4 stuft up and ran a filler episode thinking DS was on hiatus (despite them all week saying 'next week we'll be in Denver')

    hither and yon • Since Aug 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    Don, you may well be right. Certainly her family connections with BP give rise to questions. Also, McCain was clear during the Civil Forum interview that he'd support offshore drilling on the west coast.

    Here and here she indicates her support for drilling including saying:

    "We have so much potential from tapping our resources here in Alaska. And we can do this with minimum environmental impact,"

    and

    "We have a very pro-development president in President Bush, and yet he failed to push for opening up parts of Alaska to drilling through Congress -- and a Republican-controlled Congress, I might add."

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

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