Wednesday, September 3. 2008
From Peggy Noonan's piece today, re Palin: Because she jumbles up so many cultural categories, because she is a feminist not in the Yale Gender Studies sense but the How Do I Reload This Thang way, because she is a woman who in style, history, moxie and femininity is exactly like a normal American feminist and not an Abstract Theory feminist; because she wears makeup and heels and eats mooseburgers and is Alaska Tough, as Time magazine put it; because she is conservative, and pro-2nd Amendment and pro-life; and because conservatives can smell this sort of thing -- who is really one of them and who is not -- and will fight to the death for one of their beleaguered own; because of all of this she is a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy. She could become a transformative political presence. So they are going to have to kill her, and kill her quick. And it's going to be brutal. It's already getting there.
We are ramping up to one heck of an angry political season - and it really pisses me off. I don't mind a little emotion and enthusiasm in a national election. Silly and immature as it may be, it's the American way to idealize candidates and then to devalue them once they have to start making real decisions. Gov. Palin has been a lightning rod for several reasons. 1. She's the new breed - the "new feminist" - who seems happy 2. She's prettier than Madeleine Albright or Hillary Clinton. 3. It's difficult to attack McCain himself. 4. She's not a representative of the "elite" 5. She's a serious political threat and the other side wants to damage her as fast as possible. In The Metaphysics of Envy and Revenge Gagdad Bob offers another perspective. One quote: ...hell hath no fury like a leftist who encounters a female or African-American who doesn't need him. Thus, the high-tech lowbrow lynching of Clarence Thomas and the current unseemly attacks on Sarah Palin. How else to account for the shroud of discreet silence over the John Edwards affair vs. the airing of every possible rumor and smear about Palin and her children?
James Lewis at RCP similarly has Palin and the Narcissistic Left. I do not approve of using shrink terms to put people down, but he does have a point. Indeed, politics can become a playground for the acting out of our most immature and primitive selves if we aren't careful, or a stage on which we project our internal issues and dynamics. Perspective and reason fly out the window and are replaced by hatred or love or whatever. That's why it can get so sick. In the process, reality, dignity, and even relationships can be lost. It's a pity, really.
Our friend Sipp's new logo. I like it. Sippican is a reference to the Sippican River in Marion, MA. You drive over that small river on I-195. 
 PDS (Palin Derangement Syndrome). Also, Anchoress on the hatred. Plus Anchoress with a blog summary of the nonsense.
Obama campaign is behind the smears. This "new politics" of personal destruction could backfire. "This pathetic effort of Obama" Driscoll Biden caught in yet another lie McCain's hidden depths. Newsweek McCain and his ex-media base The NYT eats crow and declares Anbar victory The McCain party is just beginning Obama's ten worst ideas. Foreign Policy "You want a culture war?" You've got one. "We were moved by his campaign slogan, “Vote Obama: He’s better than you’ll ever be.”" Re Joe Lieberman: Think about this, how much attention would it receive -- how much of a honking big deal would it be -- if the former GOP Vice Presidential nominee was speaking at the Democrat convention? This is a HUGE deal guys! It will not be played that way by the media. They will either downplay it or they will adopt the Keith Olbermann/Chris Matthews strategy of labeling Liberman a Tokyo Rose traitor.
Joe Biden's class act. "If McCain can get the votes of all the women who were pregnant at their weddings, it will be a landslide." Related: Obama's Mom was knocked up by a guy with a family in Africa at age 17 while single. Guy married her before the kid was born, then took a hike. Should she have had an abortion? NRO Villainous: Palin Offers Both Sides A Disturbing Look In Mirror. Indeed. via Right Wing Prof: If I’d been Obama, I wouldn’t have wanted that Annenberg report released either. Here’s executive experience for you: $160 million dollars wasted.
Barney Frank: "Attack Palin's family." Well, he survived that revolting little mess with his own "household," didn't he? As I recall, it was a gay hooker running a gay prostitution ring and dealing coke, living in his house. Nice call, Barney. Obama's bounce persists. People want "change."
Tuesday, September 2. 2008
Dem politicos, via Moonbattery: It doesn't matter if it's true or not. RUMOR IS TRUTH. The modern laws of media hype and political warfare have a useful tenet: Repeat ANYTHING or raise false concern over ANYTHING and it is likely to be planted in the conscious/subconscious of many voters. If people start to think that there might be something fishy with Palin's last kid (if hers), then that's FINE. One more doubt (whether tied to reality or not) is another hesitation at the ballot box. GET WITH THE PROGRAM PEOPLE. The "rising above it" bullshit has served us so well in the past, hasn't it? If you have problems with the story, then STFU and get out of the way of Dems who are engaged in MODERN POLITICAL WARFARE.
That is the face of evil.
Feldman at Am. Thinker begins thus: I'm a sucker for Frank Capra movies, movies like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington "which underscore the difference an honest person dedicated to the common weal can make to his community and his country. While today the stories may seem dated and too black and white a depiction of good and evil, they resonate still in American hearts even after decades of public viewing. We are cock-eyed optimists at heart. And we have been forever in love with the common man (or woman) who loves his family, his God and his neighbors enough to work hard to make their lives rich and full and better than they are. I do not think I am alone in my love of these stories. And I think that's why the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as Senator McCain's running mate has struck such a powerful nerve among the electorate. She is not a part of any ruling elite. She comes from no moneyed family. Her family and its strengths and problems are familiar to us all. She's smart, courageous, honest and personable.
Read the whole thing.
No doubt. It's Soros again. Details at Classical Values. The money quote from 2004: In a December 9th e-mail signed by "Eli Pariser, Justin Ruben, and the whole MoveOn PAC team," the Soros front group stated: "In the last year, grassroots contributors like us gave more than $300 million to the Kerry campaign and the DNC, and proved that the Party doesn't need corporate cash to be competitive. Now it's our Party: we bought it, we own it, and we're going to take it back."
A big coonskin hat tip to commenter Roy Lofquist for the idea.
The Bill Hayes version of 'The Ballad of Davy Crockett' I listened to 50 years ago is here. Give it a listen. The following keeps to the general storyline of the song (including the sad 3rd verse) and will be much more enjoyable if you do.
And away we go!
The Ballad of Sarah Palin
Born on a mountain by the Yukon Sea
Oiliest state in the land of the free
Raised with a gun so she knew philosophy
And kilt a caribou when she was only three.
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Queen of the wild frontier!
She fought single-handed in the beauty pageant war
Till the blondes was whipped and big hair restored
And while she was handling this 'permanent' chore
She made herself a brunette forevermore.
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Dressin' for com-pa-ny!
When her child had Down's, her grief was gall
The Dems said Sarah, just abort it all
And lose yourself in the glacier tall
But she answered instead the motherhood's call.
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Spirit of democracy!
She went to the capital and served a spell
Pluggin' up the pork and corruption as well
Took over Juneau so we hear tell
And told the Bridge To Nowhere to go to hell!
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Servin' her country well!
John McCain called and said you ain't done
This here election has just begun
So she packed up her laptop and her virtual gun
And lit out a'smilin' for Washington.
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Leadin' the blogoneers!
Her land is biggest, and her land is best
From grassy plains to the mountain crest
She's ahead of us all in meetin' the test
We're followin' her legend right out of the West.
Sarah, Sarah Palin! Queen of the wild frontier!
 Bird Dog advised me that every young person who can qualify needs to spend some time in New York to earn their Boy Scout Basic Urban Life Skills merit badge. I bought my suits and begin my new job this morning, which is sort-of journalism-related - but not a newspaper and much better-paid. (Papers aren't hiring anyway, these days.)
Yesterday I took a stroll through Little Italy, Chinatown, and the East Village. NYC is a carnival of vitality, and everybody looks young, attractive, busy, and lively. New construction is everywhere: my bedroom window overlooks a new high-rise going up. I will post when I am able. Not daily, I am sure, but I think I can enjoy this colorful life for a while. Hope and change. I won't be a stranger to Maggie's because I like this site so much. Mr. Sun goes spotless. Religion of peace wants to kill people. Obese people are cause of global warming. I thought so. Biggest ignored news story: Anbar handed over to Iraqis. A bit of America: Blue Ridge foxhounds. John isn't the John I knew. Who put the stick up his butt? Do you really like Barak's interpretation of Karl Marx? Hillary ready for 1012 2012. Why would anybody want power that badly? Biden: draft-dodger, like so many others. Nothing to brag about. Who is behind the Palin smear site? Obama. What a surprise. Didn't he say last week to McCain "You don't know what you're up against"? But there's an OODA loop, dude. Watch out! Sarah sells! As Camille Paglia says: “We may be seeing the first woman president. As a Democrat, I am reeling,” said Camille Paglia, the cultural critic. “That was the best political speech I have ever seen delivered by an American woman politician. Palin is as tough as nails.”
Sarah is the modern face of feminism. Related: The smear machine goes to work on Sarah. I guess they are afraid of her. Related: Pastor doesn't preach. The Sea of Galilee is drying up. Unsustainable use. Online college survival guide. Related: What's the return on your college investment? Related: College orientation as political indoctrination. Dead ball? Obama has little-to-no bounce. Let's open a new can of balls. Related: Interpreting Obama's code words. Related: Jeremiah Wright is back!
Monday, September 1. 2008
Labor Day is more about unions and marking the end of the summertime mentality than anything else. But, on Labor Day, I like to remember all the folks who are working today like cops, doctors, nurses, pilots, firemen, lifeguards, EMS crews, farmers, mini-mart clerks, chefs and cooks and dishwashers, junior financial analysts, soldiers - and, today, plenty of service folks and National Guardsmen are on duty down on the Gulf Coast. None of those folks is doing burgers and beer today (except maybe the farmers, once their chores are done). Since Labor Day is not, for me, any sort of patriotic day, I'll do two photos from our Brit farmer friend (and honorary Maggie's Farmer) who has just finished his harvest in our ancestral homeland: 
and will be heading back to the office job: 
A friend brought me this CD of Rosa Passos this weekend. Excellent. Here's a duet with Henri Salvador:
Big storm they have down there today. The politics of Gustav. Dems say "hurricane is on our side, hahaha." Is that funny? It's psychotic partisanship to the point of not giving a damn about America. Update: Gustav is weakening. I think that is because Sarah threatened to shoot the darn thing.  "Scholars" attack Palin. But as scholar Neoneo notes:
Truman lacked any hint of the outdoorsman/woman ruggedness that Palin exudes. That latter characteristic is reserved for another president sharing some traits with Palin: the muckracking, hunting, wild Western: Theodore Roosevelt. Other similarities: five children, not a great deal of prior national-level political experience (Teddy’s highest offices before being tapped for VP were Assistant Secretary of the Navy for one year and NY Governor for one year—although his military exploits with the Rough Riders had made him nationally known). Teddy was also extraordinarily young; at 42, he remains the youngest President ever. And again, there were those wire-rimmed glasses.
Related: Palin is Commander of the Alaska National Guard. But what do they do? Lots. Did you already read this? MSNBC Host Rips AP Reporter's Analysis of Obama Speech. That's our fair and balanced press. More from Brit Hume. McCain and the OODA Loop Photo from Conservatives find the girl of their dreams.
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