Wink, Wink

We can trust Barack Obama....Sureeeee.

Obama Supporters Crash a Sarah Palin Rally

Under the title of "Palindrones Gone Wild," Enclave showcases video of two Obama supporters who were roughed up at a recent Sarah Palin rally. "Just another day at a typical Sarah Palin rally," the blog claims.



The question that should be asked is: What were they doing at a Palin rally in the first place? The answer is fairly obvious: to cause trouble. The guys admitted they were chanting "Obama" and booing and they're actually surprised supporters of Sarah Palin reacted? These guys had no business being there in the first place. They were looking for a reaction and--surprise!--they got it.

Liberals will claim they have the right to be at a Republican rally, but really, why be somewhere your opinions wouldn't be welcome? To start something and get your faces on video. Mission accomplished, bozos.

Barack Obama and ACORN

Here's the latest ad by the McCain/Palin campaign spotlighting Barrack Obama's association with the controversial political organization ACORN.

Sexism and Sarah Palin's Legs

Tennessee Guerrilla Women complains that photographers covering the McCain/Palin campaign--particularly those from Reuters--keep taking pictures of Gov. Sarah Palin's legs, which the blogger asserts is sexist and demeaning toward her. She writes:

Reuters sure has a thing for Governor Sarah Palin's legs. Will Reuters photographers soon be bringing us some close-ups of Governor Sarah Palin's breasts?

Who exactly are these photos for? Are they for Sarah Palin's voters? Or are there some serious sexist cretins over at Reuters? How do they say it? Oh, yeah. Reuters is a leg man.

The Sarah Palin Sexism Watch (yes, there's actually a blog devoted to it) has the same complaint. "The photographer was apparently unable to take pictures of Palin's supporters without including her legs in the shot," it noted.

I thought it was funny at first, but now I have to admit both ladies have a point. Searching through the Reuters archives and on the Web, I found several photos that utilize Gov. Palin's legs' to focus on one or more spectators in the audience and a few that seem to have no other purpose than to focus totally on her legs or feet.


Is it demeaning--even disrespectful--for cameras to focus there rather than on her face? Sure. This photo seems especially inappropriate, making it look like the kid's at a strip club:


Are news photographers blatantly sexist? I really don't think so. Maybe they're trying to convey a "woman in power" aspect by focusing on the governor's high-heeled feet and calves. I don't know. Being a male, I personally don't have a problem with it. But would I want photographers to start focusing their lenses on John McCain, Barack Obama, or Joe Biden's legs and feet? Or on worse places?



...Like Obama's big ears and ugly wart? Yuck. :)

Ooo, Saracuda!

Over on the Hard Reset blog, there was posted a video clip with Gov. Sarah Palin responding to a heckler with poise and class. I thought it was a great response.

Sarah Palin Bounces Back

After two weeks of brutal negative media coverage and a lack of confidence among some conservatives, Gov. Sarah Palin did an outstanding job tonight in the vice-presidential debate with Sen. Joe Biden. Admittedly, I was apprehensive leading up to the debate, worried that she might stumble or stutter her words, show indecisiveness, or simply be in over her head.

But Gov. Palin held her own tonight, displaying the self-confident and determined personality that won over conservative support for her at the Republican National Convention. By comparison, Sen. Joe Biden was rather stoic and unexciting in his style. He kept up a barrage of statistics and percentages that I think confuses and bores people more than it educates them. There were no serious gaffes made by either candidate.

Gov. Palin's performance renewed my confidence in her ability to be a capable running mate and potential vice-president of the United States. It was certainly more memorable and impressionable than Joe Biden's. She talked directly to the American people and yes, she even looked at her opponent when she addressed him. I think the "maverick" line she attributes to Sen. John McCain wears thin over time and Biden eventually used it to his advantage. That would be my only criticism of her overall performance during the debate.

I believe people will be talking tomorrow more about how Sarah Palin did than how Biden did.

Running on Autopilot: Joe Biden's Re-election Campaign

Joe Biden is having a good time campaigning for change in Washington, misstating facts, and committing gaffes. But did you know is running for re-election to the U.S. Senate, too?

So what's he doing all over the rest of the country--and not campaigning in the state he represents? Oh, yes: he's running as the experienced half of the Obama ticket.

Obviously Biden is not worried about losing his Senate seat. All he has to do is make sure his name is on all the ballots in Delaware come November 4. He can be on the Left Coast shaking hands and kissing babies while running for vice-president without losing any sleep over it. It's safe and secure, thanks to the hypnotized electorate.

(Biden does have a challenger, Republican Christine O'Donnell, a former journalist and political commentator.)

Delaware Democrats don't seem to worry much about Republican challengers in their elections. It's sad that a state is so one-sided that its voters--without question--pick the candidate who has a (D) beside his name. (There are counties like that in Tennessee, particularly the one where I live.) Biden has held the seat since 1972--thirty-six years! It's equavilent to a mini monarchy. A very good argument for term limits, I think.

It always amazes me when someone in power takes for granted his political office and that it will be there when--and if--he ever needs it. Wouldn't we all like that kind of job security? If this whole Obama/Biden thing doesn't work out, Biden can go back to his day job in the Senate and not miss a beat. So can Obama, and yes, even John McCain.

(Side note: All four candidates already hold elected office, so one wonders who's minding the store while they're gone? The rallies, speeches, press conferences, and interviews on the campaign trail must zap one's energy; does it leave any time to actually legistlate or govern in their off-time?)

But McCain, Palin, and Obama aren't running for re-election at the same time; Biden is. Has he even bothered to campaign in his home state since he accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination? I can't say for sure, but after searching state newspapers, I've not seen anything to suggest he has.

People of Delaware, is this really the kind of person you want representing your interests? Is he really committed to the job, or just taking for granted that you will re-elect him for the sixth time? It would be wonderful if voters there would show Joe Biden whose office it really is. But I won't hold my breath--or leave the country.

Left Coast Liberal Visits Wasilla

Steve Lopez with the Los Angeles Times decided to trek up north from his cozy liberal base in California to Alaska for a condescending, nose-in-the-air travelogue to introduce his readers to Wasilla, hometown of Sarah Palin. A reader knows exactly what kind of treatment this journey will receive just from the photo caption without getting to the column itself:

"Fast-food joints, a gun store and strip malls -- they call this 'downtown'? Wasilla's sprawling, poorly planned developments are almost as scary as its former mayor's doctrine of Palin-tology."

Ah, we have a clever play on words from the esteemed Mr. Lopez: "Palin-tology." How original.

The accompanying video couldn't be better if an Obama operative had put it together. Lopez marvels at the snow capped mountain ranges on the way and expects to see "something magnificant, a quaint little mountain village" when he arrives in Wasilla. A moose crosses the road a few cars ahead of him. "Maybe it was a sign that I wasn't welcome in Palin country and should go back home to California," he writes. Yup, that's what it was, Stevie. Moose don't like Left Coast Libs.

Lopez drives through Wasilla and tries to find downtown. When he stops and asks where Main Street is, a resident points to the road in front of him. Obviously, he is disappointed at how Wasilla is laid out. "I expected better, Sarah. I really did," he smugly writes. He makes fun of the citizens he interviews, except for one person he found that writes a blog against her. When he criticizes the town's layout and a local businesswoman agrees, he adds: "You know, what you need maybe is a couple of good community organizers."

"All I've seen are strip malls, big box stores, chain restaurants, and gigantic churches," he says on the video. "I guess that's it. That's Wasilla."

Lopez's conclusion about his trip sounds like an Obama ad: "Here's what you need to ask yourself: Do you really want someone in the White House who's been responsible for worse urban planning than we have in Los Angeles? Think about it." But have you ever seen Chicago, Mr. Lopez?

The good citizens of Wasilla are dealing with this kind of "investigative journalism" crap from the liberal media who prowl about town looking for anything to pick apart or negative to say about Gov. Palin and Wasilla. I hope the Times got their money's worth from the trip.

Twenty-Five Electoral Votes Down, 245 To Go

Barack Obama has conceded 25 electoral votes to John McCain and Sarah Palin. At least that's the impression he's giving by shutting down his campaign offices in North Dakota, Alaska, Georgia, and Idaho and moving staffers to battleground states like Minnesota and Wisconsin. Hey, we'll take 'em!

Getting Around the 22nd Amendment? Please.

A liberal will grasp at anything to try and make a point and this post is a perfect example. The title is: "How Bush and Cheney Are Getting Around the 22nd Amendment."

The 22nd Amendment states that "[n]o person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once." This amendment was introduced to set down in writing what had been a tradition since George Washington that presidents should serve only two terms. Of course it was a Democrat, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who broke the precedent and necessitated an actual constitutional amendment to prevent it from ever happening again. America didn't need a monarchy, much less a Democratic one.

Blogger Sharon Cobb contends that the Bush administration has "been masterful at shredding the United States Constitution" and President Bush is "now getting around the 22nd amendment" to continue his masterful shredding of our nation's sacred document. So how will he do it, you ask?

Why, with a John McCain and Sarah Palin administration of course! What an original concept. What an ingenious scheme! A dastardly plot that will no doubt circumvent the 22nd Amendment and destroy the nation's moral fabric already frayed by Bill Clinton and Company. It's foolproof!

Except the Democrats already tried it. Don't you remember Al Bore's failed run for the presidency eight years ago? Wasn't that just the Democrat's attempt at a third Clinton administration? Or even worse, in 1980, Jimmy Carter tried for a second Carter administration! Now that would have been a disaster for our country.

With her premise explained (I suppose), the rest of Ms. Cobb's argument disintegrates into an attack on Sarah Palin ("McCain/Palin aren't even in office, and yet Palin is already acting just like Cheney...Palin is already above the law!") because she and her husband Todd won't cooperate with what has become a partisan Democratic witch hunt in Alaska over the so-called "Troopergate."

It's the post's conclusion that reveals, unfortunately, the real reason for her argument. It boils down to the fact that Ms. Cobb has transferred her anger at being subpoenaed in her own divorce case to what the Palins are experiencing with the so-called Troopergate. The inquiry has been transformed by Alaska state senator Hollis French from a bi-partisan investigation into a political vendetta with Hollis promising an "October surprise" before it even began. I'm sincerely sorry about Ms. Cobb's divorce, but to use it as motivation for a political attack is weak at best.

Hillary Won't Share Spotlight with Sarah Palin

Hillary Clinton obviously likes the spotlight on herself and wasn't about to share it with Sarah Palin.

The defeated Democratic presidential candidate canceled her appearance at a rally outside the United Nations on September 22. It is being organized by several Jewish organizations to protest Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressing the UN. It seems they neglected to tell Hillary that Gov. Palin had also been invited to the rally, which infuriated her handlers and led to her refusal to attend. It "was never billed to us as a partisan political event," said Philippe Reines on her behalf. "Sen. Clinton will therefore not be attending."

It's interesting that it was Gov. Palin's appearance--and not Hillary's--that suddenly made it a "partisan political event." Doesn't her inclusion actually keep it from being one?

Blogger Ben Smith reports that the event organizers may now be under pressure from the Obama campaign to "disinvite" Gov. Palin. Oh yeah, now it will definitely be non-partisan. McCain/Pain spokesman Tracey Schmitt responded:

"Governor Palin believes that the danger of a nuclear Iran is greater than party or politics. She hopes that all parties can rally together in opposition to this grave threat."

"I Hate Sarah Palin"

For a political party that loves to toot its horn of inclusiveness, Democrats sure are a hateful bunch.

Ever since Sarah Palin rose from relative obscurity to steal Barack Obama's presidential thunder, the Democrats and the Liberal Media have done everything they can to vilify her and make her out to be a selfish and neglectful mother, a Christian wacko, and a right-wing extremist. Obama's campaign may have a new policy that chooses to ignore her, but why do they have to attack her when the press does all their dirty work for them? Just do a Google search for Sarah Palin and you'll find them strewn across the Internet.

Case in point: Mary Mitchell, a columnist for Obama's hometown newspaper, the Chicago Sun-Times. Looking at her columns, there's no question which side of the political spectrum her feelings fall. In her first column after Sen. McCain selected Gov. Palin as his running mate (entitled "It's Not Her Brains that Landed Palin on the Ticket"), Ms. Mitchell wasn't especially negative despite the headline. She wrote:

"I don't want to diminish her accomplishments. Any time a woman is able to balance the responsibilities of being a wife and the mother of five children, including an infant with Down syndrome, with running a state, that is an incredible feat." Further into the column, she added: "I really like Palin's spirit. Too bad she's gotten snared by the political game."

Since then, Palin's stature and popularity have grown. In a matter of weeks, poll results that favored the Democrats shifted in favor of the Republicans, deflecting attention away from Obama's coronation (complete with Greek temple backdrop). Liberals are scared; when they feel threatened, sensing they might once again lose the White House, they will lash out.

Mary Mitchell's initial column on Sarah Palin was a love letter compared to what spewed from her venomous pen yesterday. The misleading headline "Palin Should Be Laughingstock to All Feminists" should have been reduced to simply "I Hate Sarah Palin." The column itself has nothing at all to do with "feminism," but everything to do with her personal vendetta against Gov. Palin because she took the spotlight away from her man. The very first sentence sets the tone:

"Sarah Palin makes me sick. I hate that she was able to steal Barack Obama's mojo just by showing up wearing rimless glasses and a skirt."

Oh no! Obama had mojo, and Palin took it away from him! Simply put, Mary Mitchell is jealous of Sarah Palin and resentful of what she has done to her man, Barack Obama.

There's nothing fair, balanced, objective, or decent about Mitchell's article. She makes no attempt to resemble a journalist (maybe she's not one). She doesn't engage the reader in anything that resembles an intelligent or thoughtful discussion. Three times Mitchell writes that Palin "makes her sick." Three times she uses the word "hate" to describe her feelings toward her. Hate is a strong verb. When is the last time you read that a columnist hated someone they don't even know? One might disagree with another's political views, but to actually hate someone for them? That's going too far. Democrats may say they're ready for "change," but obviously their supporters aren't ready for that kind of change yet. Personal attacks work very well for them, thank you very much.

Mitchell's column is nothing but a personal rant, pure and simple, one more fitting on a extremist left-wing blog than on the pages of a prominent big-city newspaper.

The most revealing statement of the entire column, though, is Mitchell's candid admission: "Frankly, Sarah Palin scares me."

And that's why the liberals hate her.

That's the reason they and their media accomplices attack her and try to dig up anything controversial about her. That's why they judge and condemn her life, her family, her choices, her religious beliefs, her politics, and her public service.

They are all scared of her. They are scared of the unexpected dynamic that she has brought to the campaign, scared of her popularity, scared of the potential loss of independents and middle-class working mothers from their ranks. She has proven that an ambitious woman can be a wife and a mother, yet still accomplish great things and make a difference. She took her right to choose and chose to keep her fifth child, despite the prognosis of Down Syndrome and an uncertain future.

It's easy for conservatives to become discouraged from such an onslaught of negativity toward the Republican ticket. But remember there is a reason why, and Mary Mitchell put it so well: "Frankly, Sarah Palin scares me."

One More Reason to Support McCain/Palin

Here's another reason to support John McCain and Sarah Palin:

Susan Sarandon suggests that she may move to Italy or Canada if Obama doesn't win. Of course liberals are famous for such bold but empty declarations; we're still waiting for Alec Baldwin and Barbara Streisand to fulfill their promises eight years later.

(It looks like Alec's brother Stephen Baldwin has made a similar declaration if Obama wins. What's the point? Would anyone want to hinge their fate on the result of a presidential election? If your pick loses, it makes you look ridiculous--see Baldwin, Alec and Streisand, Barbara--if you don't keep your promise.)

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton SNL Parody

It was inevitable that Saturday Night Live would parody Gov. Sarah Palin, and the obvious choice to play her would be former SNL alumni Tina Fey. I have to admit Ms. Fey did a very good job imitating her accent and mannerisms and Hillary's tirade at the end can't be far from her true feelings. Now Sarah should be invited as a surprise guest for a future show, just like Obama.

Sarah Palin Books Update

I've learned a new term today: "crashed books". I couldn't find an official definition on Wikipedia or anywhere else, but this is how Publisher's Weekly describes the latest quick-to-press books on Gov. Sarah Palin. It seems "crashed books" are ones that are written and published quickly in response to a new trend, personality, or news event.

In addition to Epicenter Press' reprint of Sarah Palin's first biography Sarah and Zondervan's recent announcement of its own book Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader, Publisher's Weekly reports that Adams Media will publish 101 Things You--and John McCain--Didn't Know about Sarah Palin by Gregory Bergman. It will be available the first week of October. Based on the title, this one should please hateful Democrats and the Liberal Media alike. Mr. Gregory is the author of such masterpieces as The Little Book of Bathroom Philosophy: Daily Wisdom from the World's Greatest Thinkers and WTF?: How to Survive 101 of Life's Worst F*#!-ing Situations. Can't wait to read this one.

Obama on Sarah Palin: "Pig" Comment Gaffe or Deliberate?

You have to admit that this presidential campaign is anything but boring. Every day there's a new revelation about someone or someone from one of the campaigns said something to offend the other. That's politics and it always has been. It's just that we're saturated nowadays with media--from television to talk radio to the Internet--that there's no getting away from it.

Case in point: During a speech yesterday, Barrack Obama continued his worn-out argument that John McCain's election would simply be a third term for President Bush. After rattling off a laundry list of policies he claimed McCain and Bush share, he added: "You know, you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called ‘change,’ it’s still gonna stink after eight years."

Was this a deliberate move on Obama's part to fire back at Gov. Sarah Palin's convention joke that the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick? It's wasn't good judgment on his part, to be sure. But I must grudgingly give him the benefit of the doubt on this gaffe. Listening to the remark in context with what he said before and after, he seemed to be using "you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig" as a common saying. The man may be a liberal, but he's not stupid enough to intentionally make such a degrading personal remark. At least I don't think so.

But it's the reaction of his supporters--especially those behind him--that raises the debate. They obviously perceived it to be a jab at Gov. Palin. Based on their facial expressions and their reactions, that's how they took it. The Associated Press reported that it drew "an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience, clearly drawing a connection to Palin's joke even if it's not what Obama meant." The video proves the point.



(To be fair, this clip does leave out what Obama said immediately after, which was: "You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called ‘change,’ it’s still gonna stink after eight years.")

The remark may not have been deliberate, but it certainly had its effect, unintentional or not, and Obama should own up to it. His reaction? His campaign cites instances when Senator McCain used the expression in various speeches during his career. While it may be true that it's a commonly used expression, it's the context here that is important: how and when he used it during his speech. "Who has been talking about lipstick lately?" noted McCain spokesman Brian Rogers. "It was obvious. The crowd went crazy because of it."

The McCain/Palin campaign's response was a new ad entitled "Lipstick" and a call for Obama to apologize. Are they making more out of it than is necessary? Probably. Still, if he made the remark without thinking how it would be perceived, Obama should admit he didn't mean it that way and apologize for doing so. Unlikely to happen, of course.

John McCain and Sarah Palin Action Figures

Wow, there are a lot of creative entrepreneurs out there! Not only can the diehard John McCain and Sarah Palin supporters buy buttons, T-shirts, coffee mugs, and mousepads with their favorite images and slogans, but now their kids can play with action figures in their images (or close enough).

Herobuilders.com has created action figures for John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Barrack Obama (sorry, Joe Biden fans, there's not one for you). According to their website, the idea came about in 2002 when the owner sculpted a George W. Bush figure and showed it off on his office desk. So many people suggested that he could sell them online that he opened his own business and began producing ones of other political and entertainment personalities. They even make custom figures on demand. In addition to the figures, there are Pez dispensers and plush dolls, too.

The Sarah Palin figure comes in three different styles: executive (seen here), school girl, and super hero. The latter two are more revealing and not for the kids. McCain's action figure (right) is pretty buff for a 72-year-old! The figures are a little pricey starting at $27.95, but they would make great conversation pieces to spark debates with your liberal friends and co-workers.

Here's another custom made doll for the girls posted on eBay. This one is complete with a mirror, podium, pink cell phone and matching laptop, rifle, skirt fatigues, and hockey stick. Bids are already up to $86.00 with three days left!

UPDATE: The Sarah Palin Barbie-like doll on eBay sold for--get this--$158.50!

Own Sarah Palin's House

There's an auction posted on eBay for Todd and Sarah Palin's former home on Wasilla Lake in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. Built in 1984, it's where the Palins lived when Sarah served as mayor of Wasilla. It's "a serious collector's item," according to the seller, for a modest $969,000.00. The auction ends on Sept. 17. If anyone's interested in getting a jump-start on a Sarah Palin Museum, here's a good place to start!

UPDATE: The auction ended without any bidders.

The Original Mavericks

Here's the latest McCain/Palin campaign ad. I like it, especially the tough-looking photo of Gov. Palin near the beginning.

John McCain Coming to Nashville

It's not official yet, but John McCain reportedly could be heading to Nashville for a "debate watch party and rally" Oct. 7 at Riverfront Park. The town hall style presidential debate between John McCain and Barrack Obama will be held at Nashville's Belmont University that night. The Tennessean reports that an event production company has applied for a permit to use Riverfront Park for Oct. 6 and 7.