Art imitating life...or vice versa?

After watching a mashup of Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric, and the Saturday Night Live skit portraying the same, I couldn't help but react with disbelief

That video made me think that, perhaps, the McCain campaign's decision to keep Palin out of the limelight wasn't the worst it has made.

On one hand, she is dealing with a lot right now. As if having 5 kids (one of whom will have a kid, another who has special needs, and a third who is in Iraq) wasn't enough, dealing with her current responsibilities to Alaska, and trying to get caught up on an entirely different level of politics is leaving her totally in over her head.

This, however, doesn't excuse many of the reports coming out about the McCain campaign barring media access or trying to make arguements that the media shouldn't give her hard questions.

If I was a feminist (as much as a man can be), I would be quite upset with the way Palin is being treated. Not so much by the media, but by those on her side who are seeking special treatment.

Equal work for equal pay also means equal questioning, equal scrutiny, and equal qualifications.

It seams to me that her choice indicates a certain type of pandering. One that I can't imagine pro-women's rights women are pleased by.

Don't take my word for it, though, check the video and hear it from the horse's, or rather, the pitbull with lipstick's mouth.
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Why the McCain Campaign Would Love for You to Donate to Planned Parenthood

John McCain would love for you to donate to Planned Parenthood. Well, kind of; only if you’re doing it because you’re a Barak Obama supporter. The scheme going around now of donating and having your thank you card sent to the McCain campaign office is clever, but it’s exactly what the Obama campaign would ask you not to do, if they could do so without opening the Senator up to accusations that he no longer supports Planned Parenthood.

This is a serious campaign, and Senator Obama says he would love to focus on the issues. These kinds of acts of petulance distract from a campaign’s message. Public opinion is a difficult thing to manage; that’s why smart people get paid of lot of money to steer it. Depending on whether the Planned Parenthood scheme takes off, and how big it could become, any or all of the following could take place.

First, it highlights a group of Barak Obama supporters who are acting immaturely in the
Senator’s name and cause. That’s a distraction the Obama campaign would rather not have to address, and the campaign would really rather avoid having to scold another group of supporters – they’ve had to do a lot of that.

Second, the Obama campaign would prefer to be the recipient of the $10 that the scheme recommends people donate. Because the scheme is primarily designed to embarrass John McCain rather than highlight the value of Barak Obama or even Planned Parenthood, the Obama campaign would be a wiser spender of those dollars, and probably use them more effectively to beat the Arizona senator in November.

Third, you’re giving the McCain campaign another tire pressure issue: “Obama would have you believe that money fixes American families, and that a liberal group knows how to run your family better than you do. This is another liberal elitist falsehood. Strong families are those that built on love and values and faith, not abortion clinic propaganda and condoms.” This leads us to:

Forth, talk about energizing the conservative base. While Barak Obama and his folowers may support Planned Parenthood, the voters that Sarah Palin has brought out do not, and the more you bate them, the more fervent they will be, and more enthusiasm will be generated for the Republican ticket. This leads us to:

Fifth, electoral math. Planned Parenthood had to pay $50,000 for violating Minnesota’s parent notification law in 2005. Currently, Senator Obama leads Senator McCain by 4% in that state, this down from 18% in July. A dispute similar to this one is still in process in Indiana, where McCain’s lead has halved in the last month. Not that this sort of thing guarantees a slide for Senator Obama in either of these two states, but they’re both battleground states, and you don’t want to bate the local conservatives.

Again, this scheme would have to get pretty big to be a catalyst to trigger any of these responses. But if even one of them does occur, chances are it will create more trouble than advantage.
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A Brilliant Strategy

Looking for a way to tweak the McCain campaign and help out a good cause all at the same time?

There is a deliciously devious movement quickly spreading across the internet to "honor" Sarah Palin's candidacy. Here's the deal.

When you donate to Planned Parenthood, they send you a postcard thanking you for your support. So, the idea is to make a $10 tax deductible donation to Planned Parenthood in Sarah Palin's name. Then, when they ask for an address for the donation, put in the McCain campaign headquarters:

McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington , VA 22202

This way, the McCain office will be flooded with hundreds and thousands of donation cards from Planned Parenthood, the very organization that McPalin is so against! And you are helping out a good cause at the same time. What could be better than that?

To donate, click here and then go to donate and honorary gifts
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Sarah Palin's Ties to Jews for Jesus

Among everything else, does Sarah Palin support Jews for Jesus?



http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/3/10452/19058

Sarah Palin was in church two weeks ago when David Brickner, the Jews for Jesus founder, stopped by to spread a little anti-Semitism. Brickner has been quoted as describing terrorist attacks on Israeli's as God's judgment of unbelief of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.

And here is what Palin's pastor had to say about Brickner: "He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of witnessing and evangelism."

Does it bother you? Is Sarah Palin responsible for the actions of her church and her pastor? Is it yet more proof that Sarah Palin should not be our next VP? Let yourself be heard!
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A Live Mic Can Be A Dangerous Thing

Check out what Republican strategists say when they think the mic is off... Turns out we're not the only ones skeptical of the Palin pick for VP...

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/212920.php


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Experience? Shmexperience!

In a surprising moved aimed at hooking disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, the McCain campaign has tabbed Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate...

Surprised? Me too. Sure, Palin (pronounced PAY-lin) is a woman and she is supposedly a populist Republican (???) but she also has served less than two years as the governor of Alaska, making her roughly as qualified as the mayor of Baltimore (~650,000 people, give or take a grizzly bear or two)

What do you think, is this a good move? Has McCain lost all ability to attack Obama on issues of experience? (I say he has). Is this a sign that the McCain campaign is panicking, a radical effort to shake things up and change course before it is too late? Or will Sarah Palin signal a "game changing choice" as Karl Rove suggests, the first ever populist, reform minded beauty queen in the history of the Republican Party? Leave your comments here. One thing is for certain, we are in for a wild ride.

P.S. St. Louis is in for a treat when Joe Biden and Sarah Palin meet in the Vice-Presidential debate here in October. Early word is that Palin's after-party will be held at Morgan Street and the Big Bang, in order to fit in with her age group (Oh it is so much fun to be able to make experience jokes aimed at the McCain ticket!)
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