All Politics Aside, This could be really bad

Gustav probably won’t hit here, but my god, it’s a 5.

People are leaving and it is something to pick up and leave.

I remember what I loaded my truck up with last time — you have to choose what to take.

You have to choose to leave so much.

I hope everyone is safe.

It’s a massive storm.

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My Advice to the RNC and McCain re: Gustav

Postpone your damn convention.

The GOP and McCain have floated some possible solutions to their hurricane problem in this CNN article.  One is to turn the convetion into a telethon.  Isn’t there another telethon that happens around this time of year?  Good luck with that.  Why not just donate that $7 millionthat the Palin announcement supposedly garnered him?  Would any of his doners begrudge him that?  Cindy could toss in some coin as well, if it means that much, and since she is so offended  that her family’s wealth has become part of the campaign.

Hmmmm.  But I always thought that just throwing money at a problem was never the solution, right?  I know it would be a little more difficult to organize, but since Palin has enthused the base so much, why not send out a message to those supporters to volunteer to help.

I’m really sorry that a hurricane is possibly going to interfere with McCain’s happy lobbyist party.  I know that the McCain campaign probably had a whole lineup of ways they were going to stomp on the success of the DNC.  Perhaps if George W. Bush had had his priorities straight three years ago, this wouldn’t be such a problem for McCain politically.

And added note — is any other scheduled event not happening because of the storm?  I mean anything not in the possible line of landfall?  Like baseball games or PTA meetings or school openings or trash pickup?  Why would the RNC and McCain have to change their plans — it’s all the way up in Minnesota, no?  I haven’t seen any computer models that show the storm reaching up to Minnesota.

All of the states involved are governed by Republicans.

Ice Cream and Cake

I trust Obama/Biden.  They knew that no matter who McCain picked, they would be having ice cream and cake.

Not bad.

Only Now

This has been a big day for wingnuts, especially Kathleen and her crew.  After a flurry of posting and commenting (including repeatedly calling Obama a beauty queen today), she has a longer post up.  The title is:  “It is Now an Amazing Race.”

ORLY?

She ends the post with this:

I know this is an exciting time for African Americans too, and I honor that. In fact, having Palin on the ticket makes me understand it a bit more.

This is all that she’s got, after stating over and over again how she was a “child of integration” and sincerely cares about the African-American community. 

What had she posted between last night and the announcement about Palin?

This.

And this.

She’s a liar, and I thinks she knows it.

About Stopping the Bridge to Nowhere . . .

I thought is was odd when I heard it earlier, so I did a little poking around the intertubes.  It looks like lots of other people did, too, and they found what I hadn’t yet.  Palin was for the bridge when it was going to be paid for by federal tax dollars, but after the funding was stripped out, she didn’t put state tax money behind it, so it didn’t happen.

Oh, and Steve Benen at that last link brings up a very good point that I noticed, too — McCain read his remarks earlier from a piece of paper — just like he’s been doing at all of his town hall meetings.

And like the good echo chamber shouter she is, Kathleen repeats the same lieexageration right on cue.

Campaign of Cynicism vs. Campaign of Joy

I just watched McCain’s announcement of Sara Palin as his running mate.  It was clear on each channel I looked at that there was a lack of enthusiasm and some of it was downright aggressive looking and sounding.  When Palin came out she almost seemed to ignore McCain — shaking hands with several other people.  McCain and Cindy had their backs to the cameras watching her.  Cindy said something to him and then gave him a little push forward toward her.  Palin finally turned around and gave McCain a hug before she started speaking.  McCain stood right there next to her the whole time she spoke.  He looked really out of place.  It was weird.

As far as McCain being honorable in congratulating Obama yesterday, his campaign put out a statement full of the same old lies and some new ones just minutesafter Obama finished his speech last night.

Again, I think McCain’s choice of Palin is cynical and an insult.  He’s still trying to get Hillary’s voters to come to his side.  Does he really think that women vote solely on identity politics?  Does he really think that propping up Governor Palin — making her yet another token for the Republicans — is going to win him any votes?  The Obama campaign has a statement out. 

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.  Governor Palin shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies — that’s not the change we need, it’s just more of the same,” said Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman.

In contrast, last night was joyous.  From Al Gore inspiring speech to the five ordinary citizens who were so excited to be there and to speak for Obama, to Stevie Wonder singing the song the Obamas played at their wedding, to the thousands and thousands of happy people in the stadium — it was powerful, strong, and enthusiastic — without an edge of meanness.  Obama made his campaign about us — regular Americans.  It’s like he said before — he is just the symbol of everything that our country can become in the 21st century.  He wants to include everyone not out of spite or cynicism, but out of a true dedication to making us all better, making us all responsible for what happens.

They will be people — Democrats — who will be initially worried about McCain’s picking Palin.  I’m not.  I have faith that Americans will see this move for what it is — a cynical ploy.  This election is not about abortion, guns, gays, creationism.  Not this time.

Obama/Biden ’08

I Guess He Couldn’t Convince Colin Powell

or Michael Steele or Ken Blackwell or Alan Keyes or Condi Rice.

Bill Kristol was touting Sarah Palin a few weeks ago.

It’s not yet official, but will be in a few minutes — just in time for Limbaugh.

I think it’s a cynical pick.

I am SO Relieved

It starts now.  No really, I have trusted him for a while now.

He made it.  He lived through it.

Obama will be our President.  Next week will just be a formality.  The republicans knew that early on.  Let John do it.  That’s what poor old McCain learned in July of ’07.

And good night.  A good happy night, with joy.  I still can’t believe it.  It happened.  In my life time.  It really happened.

The joy is contagious.

Watching Parties in Houston

Local ABC has the local response. Enough of them are old enough to remember how it has been here.

8 is enough

local ABC says McCain will have 15k.  We will see.

Better Than I Thought

The stadium was full.  He gave a great speech.  He poked McCain (evidenced on the stupid chat thing that Kathleen had on). 

OMG.  It was dense and thick and who knew, the audience got it. 

Brooks is a tool.

‘This is political realignment.’

That’s the best line I have heard.