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Posts Made By: Jim E. Gleason

September 3, 2008 08:46 AM Forum: Politics

Wombs of Conservatives Fair Game?

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

"...I sincerely think the hard line feminists and women's lib groups have lost their minds. Having my own POV about no woman is public property or, worse yet, government property I can not accept this ultra-reactionary eruption from a segment of Hillary backers against Sarah Palin and her daughter. It is not fair game, it is not an issue that gets any sympathy from rational people.
If these women had erupted as violently and adamantly about sexism and misogyny, Hillary would be the nominee. Instead, they were late, weak and as usual, ineffectual. They have occupied center stage for far too long, delivering very little in the long haul of women's rights. And now, with that meager treasure of accomplishment, they are sabotaging the future for enlightened and impassioned women's rights crusades.

Sarah Palin is a pure feminist. She lives her life by her own conscience and by her own mind. She lives a full life, not limited by any prior definition of what she should or should not be. She is allowed to be who she wants to be. Her daughter is none of anyone's business who is not part of her family. Period.

If the lunacy of this reaction by old line feminists continues, they will bury their hopes alongside the ERA and join the pantheon of lost causes that tripped and fell over stupid miscalculations and inflated righteousness. America abhors the self-righteous. Mind your own business and leave women who differ from your point of view to their own destinies. They don't need your big mouths and intrusive dogma. No one with a brain and common decency is listening to your message. It's now all about misogyny and sexism, not abortion rights any more.

If they had looked at the opportunity, they could have thrown themselves into defending her and her daughter, bracing for the onslaught from men in the MSM who want women regulated and controlled and managed. Instead, they have become handmaidens to the overlords themselves. What sexist man doesn't want the convenience of women ready and willing to abort every time? Stupid and short-sighted doesn't even begin to define the feminist reaction to these events. A strong women is on the scene and she is on the other team.

Where is Hillary, our warrior? Sold out, shut up, shipped out, sealed off in a cocoon of liberal and progressive dogma. You reap what you sew.

The nimble-footed, 3-point outside shooter, his Oneness, was juked out of his shorts by the old man with busted shoulders. The Maverick dusted the Fraud. McCain has the correct VP wingman, and we have a 38 year specimen of establishment rule. Biden is words by the millions and nothing with his name on it that matters to the nation. Sort of like the women bellowing against their sister, Sarah, and her daughter. Millions of words, and nothing worth much when it counted..."

http://www.hillarygreenmountain.com/

September 3, 2008 07:52 PM Forum: Politics

Re: Lieberman

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

Jim Babcock said:

"...He pointed out the inexperience of Obama, similar to what Biden said when he was a candidate for President..."


and similar to what Hillary stated...and similar to what Edwards stated, etc...


"...Are independents not allowed to say the truth even if it upsets the Dem leadership?..."


no...apparently, they`re only allowed to tell the truth during the Dem. debates. 8O wink



September 3, 2008 11:46 PM Forum: Politics

E-mails Detail Plan to Force Palin Out of Race!

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

It`s starting again...this is what the BO campaign tried to do to Hillary!

http://www.hillaryclintonforum.net/discussion/showthread.php?t=27325



September 4, 2008 12:02 AM Forum: Politics

DENVER/HILLARY GROUP'S 1ST POST-CONVENTION AD

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

"...This ad is scheduled to appear in print in the Lansing State Journal, Michigan's capital city newspaper on September 4, 2008.

We jumped at a good opportunity to kick off post-convention ad campaign in Michigan, because Michigan voters suffered every sort of indignity at the hands of Democratic Party leaders who now seem only too willing to take them for granted..."

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lJK9qaX7XKE/SL8HdR9Z53I/AAAAAAAABSs/pYIBPlyHPM0/s1600-h/Ad-+Boss+Tweed+-+Lansing-+proofed.jpg

September 4, 2008 07:12 PM Forum: Politics

Barack, Meet Your Nightmare!

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

an excerpt,

"...ST. PAUL, Minn. - Last night, the question about Sarah Palin wasn't if she's risen too fast, but where she's been for so long.

She may have given the best speech of either political convention. She delivered a brilliantly written text flawlessly. Politicians who've been on the national stage for decades could do no better, and usually do worse.

It is widely remarked that Joe Biden is an ideal No. 2 on a national ticket because he's a "happy warrior." Maybe. But Sarah Palin is a pretty, charismatic, winsome warrior, with a to-die-for smile, radiant upswept hair - and a steely toughness.

Sarah Barracuda, indeed.

Newsrooms across America must be in abject despair. The unlikely VP nominee the media hoped to crush out of the gate is unaffected by their condescension and scorn - and is bent on giving better than she takes.

Miss Congeniality isn't afraid to administer an old-fashioned beat-down. Annie Oakley brought a gun to a knife fight and made like the Obama-Biden ticket was a moose lazily meandering into her gun sights.

She started with an introduction of her family that is so all-American it could have been crafted by a political consultant - if it weren't so real, as demonstrated by 17-year-old Bristol's pregnancy.

Palin quickly established her credibility as a genuine representative of small-town America in a way few politicians can - and then used it to wheel on Barack Obama as a gasbag and a fraud in a witheringly sarcastic assault.

In her introduction, she said the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom is "lipstick." It wasn't just a cute line. She immediately began to prove it, starting with her killer line that being mayor of a small town is just like being a community organizer - except you have actual responsibilities.

She was merciless on Obama's elitism, scoring him for saying one thing about working-class voters in Scranton and another in San Francisco. By the end, you began to feel sorry for him for having been so thoroughly eviscerated by a woman and to wonder - how are Obama and Biden possibly going to handle her?

Palin was obviously comfortable laying body checks on Obama. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it.

Throughout, she never lost that ineffable quality that is literally priceless - her likability.

There's no substitute in politics for being liked, and it's not something that can be faked or synthesized. Together with her poise, it could - assuming no terrible gaffes or revelations in the days ahead - make her a national force for years to come.

On substance, she spent the most time in her comfort zone, talking about energy and casting it in terms of national security. Her challenge, of course, will be proving that she can be as fluid and confident in nonscripted interviews. But after last night, can anyone bet against her with the same confidence?

Already, it's possible to see the new orientation she could bring to the Republican Party - fresher, with more of a blue-collar sensibility and more feeling..."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09042008/news/columnists/barack__meet_your_nightmare_127482.htm


September 4, 2008 07:44 PM Forum: Politics

Pro-Woman Group Decries Sexism at Palin

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

an excerpt,

"...A women's group that hosted Hillary Rodham Clinton during an event at the Democratic convention last week is expressing outrage "against misogynist smears" directed at Sarah Palin.

WomenCount, a nonprofit organization focused on women’s issues, released a statement on Tuesday titled "Sexism and Sarah Palin."

"We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that's how feminism works," the group’s statement reads.

WomenCount established a political action committee (PAC) in May in response to pressure for Sen. Clinton (D-N.Y.) to bow out of the Democratic presidential primary.

The group cited media accounts on TV, radio and print that it claims are sexist.

WomenPAC said that the notion that Palin is a bad mother because she accepted Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) offer to be on the ticket "underscores just how far we have to go..."

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pro-hillary-clinton-group-decries-sexism-at-palin-2008-09-02.html

September 6, 2008 03:45 AM Forum: Politics

Palin - SMEAR CLARIFICATIONS: (9/5/08)

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

More smear clarifications, courtesy of FactCheck.

1) Palin “Joined a Secessionist Political Party”

The Charge: Unsubstantiated Internet reports insisted Palin was once a member of the Alaska Independence Party, which critics call a secessionist political movement and supporters say is dedicated to seeking greater state control over federal lands across Alaska.

The Facts: Palin has been a registered Republican since 1982. There is no record of her ever being a member of the AIP, or any party but the GOP. Palin’s husband has been a member of the AIP in the past, but since 2002 has been a registered independent.

2) Palin Supported a “Nazi Sympathizer”

The Charge: “Palin was a supporter of Pat Buchanan, a right-winger or, as many Jews call him: a Nazi sympathizer,” Obama Florida spokesman Mark Bubriski was quoted as saying in a Miami Herald article.

The Facts: While mayor of Wasilla, Palin wore a Buchanan button during the sometimes presidential candidate’s 1999 visit. But Palin actually supported Steve Forbes in 2000, and served as a co-chair on his Alaska campaign.

In the weeks after the 1999 report of her wearing the Buchanan button, Palin said: “When presidential candidates visit our community, I am always happy to meet them. I’ll even put on their button when handed one as a polite gesture of respect. … The article may have left your readers with the perception that I am endorsing this candidate, as opposed to welcoming his visit to Wasilla.”

(Obama campaign advisor quote is from an e-mail sent to the Miami Herald: linke here:

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/naked...camp-conn.html

3) Palin “Wants Creationism Taught in School”

The Charge: Palin opposes the teaching of evolution, and would mandate the teaching of creationism in the state’s public schools.

The Facts: Palin said during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign that she would not push the state Board of Education to add creation-based alternatives to the state’s required curriculum, or look for creationism advocates when she appointed board members. She has kept this pledge, according to the Associated Press.

Palin has spoken in favor of classroom discussions of creationism, in some cases. “I don’t think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum,” Palin told the Anchorage Daily News in a 2006 interview.

4) Palin “Was Nearly Recalled” While Mayor

The Charge: Palin was so controversial as mayor of Wasilla that she was almost recalled by a popular voter movement.

The Facts: The Wasilla City Council considered but never took up a recall motion after she fired a longtime police chief, who subsequently brought a lawsuit. A citizen’s group dropped their recall bid, and a judge ruled Palin had the authority to fire the chief.

5) Palin “Opposes Sex Education”

The Charge: Palin opponents say she supported the end of all sex education in public schools. In light of her daughter’s presumably unplanned teen pregnancy, this has been a particularly well discussed Internet topic.

The Facts: “The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support,” Palin wrote in a 2006 questionnaire distributed among gubernatorial candidates. Palin favors abstinence-based sex education programs.

6) “This Picture Proves Palin is …”

The Charge: A slew of fake, Photoshopped or misdated photographs on the Internet purport to show Palin in any number of embarrassing or compromising poses. One photo claimed to show Palin standing poolside, wearing an American flag-themed bikini, toting a rifle with telescopic sight.

The Facts: The various photos are being discredited and shown to be fake on a number of Web sites. The original of the so-called bikini shot, probably the best-known of the pictures, was shown to have been taken of another woman, with Palin’s head Photoshopped above the body.

7) Palin is the grandmother, and not the mother, of Trig Palin

The Charge: The most salacious rumor of all, this theory holds that Palin did not give birth to her son Trig in April, and was actually covering up for her daughter, Bristol.

The Facts: There are a number of photographs showing an apparently pregnant Sarah Palin, as well as a number of published eyewitness accounts of her pregnancy. These include First Lady Laura Bush, who says she spoke with a pregnant Palin at a governor’s conference in February. An assignment manager for KTVA news in Anchorage, Cherie Shirey, has also been quoted saying: “We worked with Governor Palin many times in 2008. Our reporters worked her on location and in the studio and I worked with her myself. She was definitely pregnant. You could see it in her belly and her face. The whole idea that Sarah Palin wasn’t pregnant with Trig is completely, absolutely absurd.”

The McCain campaign, in an apparent effort to counteract the rumors, announced last weekend that Bristol Palin is five months pregnant, which indicated she would have become pregnant before Trig was born.

There are additional links to substantiate the facts here,

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/05/top-7-myths-lies-and-untruths-about-sarah-palin/



September 6, 2008 05:46 AM Forum: Politics

THE RIGHT FIGHTS BACK!!!

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

Well...looks like the war is really on!!!

Complied by Shallow Hal of Savage Politics, it`s shocking when one sees so many lies that the MSM has never challenged, "the One", on...or used any to doubt his candidacy!...

by Shallow Hal
SavagePolitics.com Contributor

CHARGE 1 – “The March on Selma got me born.”

EVIDENCE - Senator Obama was born August 4th, 1961. The march on Selma began March 7th, 1965. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM – Senator Obama was talking about the general movement, not specifically about Selma.

REBUTTTAL – Senator Obama was in Selma, Alabama, before a mostly AA crowd at the Brown Chapel AME Church on March 4th, 2007. He clearly stated “because some folks were willing to march across a bridge . . . they (his parents) got together, and Barack Obama, Jr. was born. So don’t tell me I don’t have a claim on Selma, Alabama!” Barack Hussein Obama was born on August 4, 1961. The first march on Selma, Alabama occurred on March 7, 1965.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 2 – “My father was just a simple, impoverished goat herder.”

EVIDENCE – Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was a privileged, well educated youth, who’s tribal family owned and controlled all tribal land. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2, SOURCE 3

COUNTER CLAIM – He was poor to start off with, he only became an educated and successful man later in life.

REBUTTAL – Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was privileged from the moment of his birth. Being born into the powerful tribe of the Luo, he was graced with an ‘upper class’ lifestyle. He later would go on to be ‘Big Man’ of the tribe and work as a Senior Economist in the Kenyan Government.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 3 – “My father believed in the ‘power of the people’. I believe in the ‘power of the people’.”

EVIDENCE – Senator Obama has often stated that his ‘father’s attributes’ are ones that he has sought in his own life. Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was part of a corrupt Kenyan government in the 1960s. He believed in taking land from it’s owners and taxation up to 100%, ‘if benefits’ were ‘commensurate to their income’. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM – What does it matter what Senator Obama’s father believed in?

REBUTTAL– Senator Obama portrays himself as a ‘new politician’ with a ‘new way’ of getting things done. Senator Obama has stated, “I did feel that there was something to prove . . . to my father.” Senator Obama also stated further, in his book Dreams Of My Father, “It was into my father’s image . . . that I’d packed all the attributes I sought in myself.” His father’s ‘attributes’ included ‘100% taxation’ and repossession of land and property against the will of the rightful owner. Thus seeking the ‘favor’ of his father, and using his father’s ‘attributes’ as a model, Senator Obama therefore must maintain similar ideals and respect for ‘the people’. How these ‘policies’ are an example of ‘belief in power of the people’ is obviously highly questionable.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 4 - My family has strong ties to ‘African freedom’.”

EVIDENCE - Raila Odinga committed genocide while attempting to overturn the 2007 Kenyan elections. Senator Obama and Raila Odinga are first cousins. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2 , SOURCE 3

COUNTER CLAIM – What does it matter what Senator Obama’s African relatives do in Africa?

REBUTTAL – Senator Obama campaigned for his cousin while on a visit to said country. Senator Obama claims a distinct debt to his familial ties, painting them in a light that is downright revisionist.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 5 - “President Kennedy rescued my father from Kenyan obscurity and airlifted him to the American Dream.”

EVIDENCE – Senator Obama’s father came in September 1960, while EISENHOWER was President. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM – But his father did come to the U.S. so what is the big deal?

REBUTTAL – Senator Obama misrepresents historical events. No speech by President John F. Kennedy brought Senator Obama’s father to the U.S. in 1960. John F. Kennedy was not President in 1960, Dwight D. Eisenhower was President. The Senator is attempting to subtly equate himself with J.F.K., subconsciously implying he would be a similar President. Senator Obama, you are no Jack Kennedy.

VERDICT - SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 6 - “My Kenyan Grandmother has always been a Christian.”

EVIDENCE - Senator Obama’s Grandmother’s own interviews contradict this statement. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM – What does it matter what Senator Obama’s African relatives do?

REBUTTAL –It goes to a person’s character and willingness to evade, distort, or rewrite history. Senator Obama’s Grandmother does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews (per Islamic law). Not to mention, Christianity does not allow for a woman to be one of 14 wives to 1 man. Senator Obama’s use of his Grandmother as an example of how ‘Christian’ his family is, in order to counter accusations of secretly being a Muslim, sustains the idea that the Senator is deliberately distorting the truth to cover-up associations and ‘fatherly attributes’ that he knows are problematic to his election, should he be forthcoming about them. His decision to make statements patently false in order to propagate a more ‘electable’ image speaks not only to his character but to his judgment. Distortions or edits to evidence that wholly misrepresent the truth is dishonest.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 7 - “My first name (Barack) is not Arabic - it is Swahili.”

EVIDENCE – Senator Obama’s name is Arabic in origin, not Swahili. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2, SOURCE 3, Columnist Says Barack Obama ‘Lied To The American People;’ Asks Publisher to Withdraw Obama’s Book, NEW YORK, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/

COUNTER CLAIM - What does it matter where Senator Obama’s name originates?

REBUTTAL - If the origin of his name doesn’t matter, then why publicly lie about it? There is no transliteration between the alphabets of Arabic and Swahili. The Africanized derivative of the Arabic ‘Baraka’ is Barack, but the origin and source is entirely Arabic. Senator Obama again distorts the facts in an attempt to distance himself from associations he deems politically inexpedient. Senator Obama’s middle name, Hussein, is also Arabic. Naturally, so is the Senator’s last name, Obama.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 8 - “I never practiced Islam.”

EVIDENCE – Senator Obama practiced Islam daily at Meteng Primary school, where he was registered as a Muslim. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2, SOURCE 3

COUNTER CLAIM - What does it matter whether Senator Obama practiced Islam as a child?

REBUTTAL – If there is no importance to the fact that Senator Obama practiced Islam as a child, then what is the motivation for lying about it publicly? Indonesia requires students to study religion. Barry Soetoro was registered as a Muslim at the Meteng Primary School. One cannot participate in any studies within a Madrassa without practicing Islam.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 9 - “My school in Indonesia was Christian.”

EVIDENCE – Senator Obama was registered as a Muslim at Meteng Primary School. The school offered Christian classes as well. Barry Soetoro did not attend them. He later spent 2 years in a Catholic school SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM - What does it matter that Senator Obama’s school was Islamic or Catholic?

REBUTTAL - Again, If there is no importance to the fact that Senator Obama practiced Islam as a child, then what is the motivation for lying about it publicly? Indonesia requires all students to study religion. Barry Soetoro was enrolled as a Muslim at the Menteng Primary School where he studied among other subjects, Islam. In 1969 Barry attended a Catholic School. This is the only schooling Senator Obama discusses, thus Meteng has been somewhat covered up. Why one would ask? The only conclusion that can be drawn from this scenario is that Senator Obama lied about this school and its subject matter for political expediency. In later comments the Senator stated he did not attend an Islamic school, but in his book “Dreams Of My Father” he states that he ‘got in trouble for making faces in Koranic studies’ and was disciplined by his mother. One would ask how many Catholic students remember being taught the Koran by their nuns.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 10 - “I am fluent in Indonesian.”

EVIDENCE - Not one teacher says that Senator Obama could speak the language at the time. SOURCE 1, (Kirsten Scharnberg and Kim Barker, “The Not-So-Simple Story Of Barack Obama’s Youth,” Chicago Tribune)

COUNTER CLAIM - What does it matter that Senator Obama can’t speak fluent Indonesian?

REBUTTAL - YET AGAIN, if it does not matter, what is the motivation for lying about it publicly? Apparently we are to infer, by Senator Obama’s supposed “fluency” in Indonesian, that he is very sophisticated and experienced in “foreign affairs”. Perhaps Senator Obama feels that grade school French and Spanish qualifies most U.S. students as UN diplomats.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR

* * *

* * *

CHARGE 11 - “I lived in Indonesia. I have more foreign experience than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain.”

EVIDENCE - Senator Obama lived in Indonesia from the ages of 6 to 10. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2, SOURCE 3

COUNTER CLAIM - Living in a foreign country is a much more in-depth experience than just visiting one.

REBUTTAL - To imply that living in a foreign country, for 4 years as a child, is equitable to official trips representing the U.S. Government is completely without merit. Also, implying that it also equates to receiving classified information and studying these subjects with personal political experience is quite ludicrous to say the least.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR
* * *

* * *
CHARGE 12 - “My foreign travels and life experience better qualify me to address our nation’s closest Allies.”

EVIDENCE - Except for Africa and Middle Eastern Muslim countries, Senator Obama has never been anywhere else in the world. SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2

COUNTER CLAIM - The Middle East is an important area and so is Africa.

REBUTTAL - Indeed it is, but that is not what Senator Obama was arguing in this statement. He categorically stated he would be better qualified to meet with our nation’s ‘closest’ allies. Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Kenya, and Iraq can hardly be considered America’s ‘closest’ allies. Implying visits to 7 countries in nearly 47 years (4 of which were in his youth) is somehow equitable to visiting 80 countries in 18 years, (as has his opponent, Senator Clinton, in various official governmental capacities) is completely dishonest.

VERDICT – SENATOR OBAMA, YOU ARE A LIAR

Click here for the other 55...and for all links to sources referenced in this article...Please scroll down a little,

http://savagepolitics.com/?page_id=326

PLEASE NOTE: This site is NOT related in ANY WAY to Right-Wing Political Pundit MICHAEL SAVAGE and it is NOT a MEMBER of ANY Political Party or Campaign!

September 6, 2008 06:02 AM Forum: Politics

OBAMA - A GAFFE MACHINE - Dozens of Them!!!

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

There`s dozens,

http://www.hillaryclintonforum.net/discussion/forumdisplay.php?f=68

Read thru all the threads...even I didn`t know there were this many! 8O

September 8, 2008 12:30 AM Forum: Politics

BO Supporter on why BO is Going to Lose!

Posted By Jim E. Gleason

Well, well, well, it seems some Obamabots are just beginning to see the BLATANTLY OBVIOUS writing on the wall.

Actual post from a SoetorObama supporter on why he is going to lose
Posted by hillbuzz,

QUOTE:
"...Below is an actual post from a SoetorObama supporter and liberal Democrat on why SoetorObama is going to lose in November. It boils down to, in essence: because he’s John Kerry.

There’s a weird pattern at work here.

We Democrats claim to be “the party of the people” - hell, our name even *says* it - but when you get right down to it, we don’t seem to *respect* the people we claim to represent. We talk about healthcare. We talk about a living wage. We talk about jobs. But when it comes time to pick a candidate, what do we do? We set about insulting the very people whose interests we claim to represent. All you have to do is take a good look at the smear campaign against Palin to see how this happens. The mutual society that is PB 1.0 criticizes her because:

1) of her accent (now there’s a winner)
2) of her hunting (news flash - millions of rural and not-so-rural Americans subsistence hunt in the winter. People who think food is magically created by elves living under the counters at Whole Foods just don’t get that)
3) She can’t be a good mother and VP (congratulations on insulting every working mother in America - most of whom aren’t trying to ascend the career ladder, but are working in offices, supermarkets, and factories just trying to keep food on the table)
4) Her daughter’s pregnant (this one’s been done to death)!
5) She grew up in some small town in the middle of NOWHERE!
6) She went to some freaking COW COLLEGE in IDAHO!
7) She was a SPORTS REPORTER (Olbermann, anyone?)

etc, etc, etc, etc.

So, when men and women all over America (who don’t post to DU or KOS) look at Sarah Palin, what do they see?

They see *themselves*. They see a working mom, with a special-needs kid and a minor family crisis, who is still managing to keep it all together. They look at her husband and what do they see? Well, judging from the live blogging on The Confluence, about 52% of them see a “hunk”, but I personally lack the toolkit to appreciate that. Hunkiness aside, they see a hard-working blue-collar guy who loves his family and (gasp!) changes diapers. They see an Alaskan fisherman, and as anybody who has been watching the History Channel or Discovery Channel for the last few years knows, that’s one of the toughest, most dangerous jobs there is. They see an oil field worker (which is a pretty damned tough job, too, especially in Alaska) who gave up a good job when his wife went into state politics, lest *somebody* accuse her of a conflict of interest. They see a union member (remember them?). They see a father standing with his daughter in a difficult situation.

They see a working class family that’s about to send its oldest off to war, because that’s what working class families do in this country when there’s a war (whether they happen to agree with it or not).

They see one of their own.

And what do they see when they look at Obama? Contrary to what he claims, they don’t see someone with “a funny name” - too many of them have Slovak, Hungarian, Norwegian, Greek, or Italian names for that to matter much. Most of them don’t really care about his race ,either (they might have 30 years ago, but not any more). A few might, but they’re a very small percentage. *All* of them resent being told that that’s going to affect their vote. What they actually see is yet another Merlot-sipping, prep school grad who never worked a day in his life, who talks down to them, and who thinks he’s *entitled* to their vote because he went to Harvard. They see someone who equivocates and prevaricates. They wonder if he’ll do that when he has to make a tough call and their kids’ lives are on the line.

They see John Kerry.

When Bill Clinton said “I feel your pain” and “I’ll be with you ’til the last dog dies”, they believed him. They believed him because they heard that Arkansas twang and they saw how the New York Times made fun of it. They saw how Sally Quinn mocked him (just as she mocked Sarah Palin) and lamented that he wasn’t throwing good parties (as if the primary function of the POTUS was to provide free entertainment for Sally and her privileged BFFs). They saw that, underneath the Yale JD and the Rhodes scholarship, he was just a blue-collar kid from Hope, Arkansas who worked his ass off to get where he was. They saw he was one of them.

They saw Harry Truman.

That’s why we’re going to lose this time around. We’re running John Kerry instead of Harry Truman. And afterwards, we’ll sit around our little committee meetings, we’ll wring our hands, and we’ll ask why. And we’ll reread “What’s the Matter With Kansas” and we’ll decide it’s all *their* fault. “Those people” just don’t know what’s good for them.

UPDATE: Daily Kos has been running things like this too. Here’s one called “I Am Totally Discouraged“. These are things we need to send our friend Astrid on a regular basis, because she always says how “unstoppable” SoetorObama’s “youth army” is — and we repeatedly tell her it’s the same thing in 2008 that happend in 2004, 2000, and 1972. These men who rely on “youth armies” don’t win general elections - or, in Howard Dean’s case, even primaries.

UPDATE #2: Conventional Wisdom Is Shifting..."

http://hillbuzz.wordpress.com/