The debate was handled very well by Gwen Ifill. I thought both candidates performed better than expected. Biden won on substance, Palin won on personality, which is what's important to her base.

But, Palin failed the "nuculer" test. I can't take another four years of an elected official mispronouncing the word "nuclear". If you insist on mispronouncing a word, it's either because you're stupid or arrogant, and both are disqualifiers for me.

Posted at October 3, 2008 1:34 AM in response to Biden Won, Because He Made Forceful Case Against McCain

I guess Palin was right when she said McClellan never said that, because it was McKiernan that said it. Maybe there was some method to her madness.

Posted at October 3, 2008 1:26 AM in response to What McKiernan Really Said

The most important factor in the selection of a VP is that it be consistent with what Obama is trying to do. Basically, this is a watershed election pitting progressives who want to move on to a new paradigm against retrogressives who are clinging to the past. It's about reconciliation, not division. It's about peace, not war. It's about talking to adversaries, not labeling them with names that demonize them. It's about reason, not emotion. It's about responsibility, not fantasy.

These factors, in my opinion rule out candidates that are inconsistent with this theme. What's needed is a fresh face that in compatible with the new objectives. Clinton, Gore, Nun, etc. are the old contingent, even though they are good people and still doing good things. They should continue the work they are doing now, as Jimmy Carter has done.

New blood would include people like Mark Warner and Kathleen Sebelius. I'm sure there are others that fit the profile and have credentials that would add experience to the ticket.

Posted at May 28, 2008 3:36 PM in response to Veepstakes Open Thread

The Israeli/Palestinian conflict must be solved by the Israelis and Palestinians. We can never be an honest broker because AIPAC owns the Congress and most other politicians. If they don't tow the line AIPAC goes after them like a bunch of hounds after a fox. And they've got the money to drive any politician from office.

Israel will never give up the occupation. They continue building settlements, egged on by a bunch of crazies in this country who want to accelerate the end times. Palestinians will continue lobbing bombs into Israel as long as the occupation continues and Israel will continue to retaliate at the rate of ten Palestinians for every Israeli lost. Both parties have lived for decades with the conflict. They're used to it. And it brings in all those American dollars. Israel won't talk to Hamas and Hezbollah, just like we won't talk to Iran. If the parties can't resolve the conflict and we're limited to supporting only one side, how can such a situation have any hope of resolution.

The next thing Israel expects us to do is take out Iran. They're already lobbying for that, and we can expect them to have their hand out for another few billion there. And if the Shiites end up ruling Iraq they've expect us to handle that problem for them, too. And we're dumb enough to oblige, all because of a powerful lobby that pulls the strings on our puppet politicians.

Posted at April 5, 2008 4:42 AM in response to The Next President and Israel

You can add Pat Buchanan to that list.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/03/post_24.html

Posted at March 21, 2008 2:47 PM in response to Krauthammer, Tucker Carlson, Rev Wright & Other Racial Paranoids

Everyone is looking for reasons other than the real ones that the statistics show clearly. Clinton is favored by the older crowd, particularly older women, that are looking back to better times. Obama is the favorite of the young and forwarding looking crowd that views racism, sexism, ageism, and nostalgia as retrograde.

If you look at the composition of the states, when they reflect retro attitudes, Clinton wins, otherwise Obama wins. There are exceptions because in the early primaries Obama was considered unelectable. If the primaries in places like California and Nevada were held now, Obama would win.

Experience is a non-issue at this point. Electability is a non-issue now. There may still be some racism and sexism in play among the retro crowd.

Posted at March 5, 2008 2:08 PM in response to Why'd She Win?