Blue Mass Group

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Draw Me A Picture.

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Crash and burn, baby.  Sometimes you really can’t put lipst….oh, never mind:

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Courtesy of Daily Kos

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  1. can be buoyed at all by the upcoming soft-ball interview with katie couric, or is september 29th just too late?

    • If she couldn’t get a pass from Gibson, it is unlikely she’s going to get one from Couric who will try very hard to be a “serious” journalist.  I think the bright shiny object fixation is passing at rather a rapid clip.  TFG.  

    • I like the word pundified, pablo!  But I’m curious–who’s said that it’s the most effective attack on her since she was named to the ticket?  It doesn’t strike me tat way, but I’d be curious to read the analyses.

      • When the word works its way into the general vocabulary, remember where you read it first.

        <

        p>As a true political junkie, I often listen to POTUS 08 on XM Radio.  They often have political consultants and pollsters talking about technical aspects of campaigns.  They had a guy on who does focus groups on these ads, explained the process, and said this ad was off the scales in terms of measuring the effectiveness of a negative ad.  They take a group of folks, measure their attitudes toward the candidates, run the ad, then measure the attitudes at the end.  

    • Something I don’t get though, is why the story pointed out that the travel authorization was signed on June 18th.  Is that date important?  Why did they point it out?

      • The trip, as far as I can tell, took place in July.  She is claiming he went without proper authorization and that the insubordination, of sorts, is a basis for her firing him.  The dated documents of June 18 contradict her claims that he went without prior and proper approval.  

      • I don’t think June 18 is important, per se, except that it’s three weeks before Monegan was ultimately dismissed on July 11.

    • The queen of earmarks didn’t want to accept federal funding for an anti-rape program? Even if this is true, is that really the message they want to send America? What happened to Republicans being “tough” on crime?

  5. Here‘s the Fox News blog entry about Failin’ Palin’s interview with Hannity.  It shows that she has a little trouble with forthrightness.

    Hannity asked if she met with her family before making the decision to take the job as McCain’s number two, “It was a time of asking the girls to vote on it, anyway. And they voted unanimously, yes. Didn’t bother asking my son because, you know, he’s going to be off doing his thing anyway, so he wouldn’t be so impacted by, at least, the campaign period here.” Palin said, “So ask the girls what they thought and they’re like, absolutely. Let’s do this, mom.”

    Palin is referring to her son, Track in the 1st Stryker Brigade who will be deployed to Iraq some time this month.

    The Palins have said that they told their children that they were going to Dayton, Ohio-where McCain rolled out Palin as his Veep pick-to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Keeping the announcement a secret even from their children. The campaign says both stories are true and Palin had this conversation with her daughters once they arrived in Ohio. At this point, Palin had obviously already said yes to McCain making it a very good thing her children didn’t disagree with her decision.

    Btw, my maternal instinct kicked in when I read her flippant dismissal of consulting with son Track.  A) is he not a member of the family?, and B) does she really think her decision won’t impact him now or later?  OMG.  Yet she’ll use him, the Soldier Son, as a political prop.

    • going to Iraq or Afghanistan? There is an unsettling flippant quality there.

      <

      p>The descrepancy between the two stories is massive. If the vote was after she accepted and they were in Ohio, it does make the kids’ responses rather meaningless – it’s a fail accompli what can they say?

  6. as I’m not sure where this will end up when I post it.

    <

    p>My maternal instinct has been working over time. Other mothers and grandmothers I talk to are also on edge. We all have jobs, we all want women to have a place at the table, to get rid of the glass ceiling.
    We probably will not talk publicly. Mostly – I think – we can’t figure out how.  

    • I hope you will elaborate here.  Here is my opinion.  Feel free to agree or disagree, and let me know how and why.

      <

      p>I am completely behind Palin or any woman going after whatever job they want to.  No male candidate has ever been asked “what about your children?” as a prerequesite for the job, so it’s sexist to ask her.  She’s married.  Isn’t that what her husband is for, to be her team member and play primary parent as she goes for the big job?  If not, she’s either fallen for the supermom scam, or she doesn’t care what effect her job attempts have on her family.

      <

      p>However, I am appalled by her flippantly dismissing the effect that her running for v.p. will have on all of her children.  For her to wave off Track like she did was heartless and disrespectful in the extreme, to my reckoning.  

    • I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to say, either.  I think I have a sense of it, so I’ll respond with this:

      <

      p>As a professional woman and a mother, I am appalled at the choice of Sarah Palin.  I’m embarrassed.  Conversely, I admire the serious nature of the campaign that Hillary waged, and I am proud of her accomplishments.  Sarah Palin’s selection for this ticket is an insult to the women of this nation who have worked hard to be taken seriously.  

  7. who were feminists in the 60’s, and still are, think about the time it takes to bring up children, the day-to-day being present, paying attention. We’ve done it, better and worse. We can talk about with thorough understanding about “quality time”, husbands who are partners, single parenting, etc.
    We’ve done it.
    We are not comfortable with what we hear: Not talking to a child about a life changing decision, not thinking you need to, seems to be a good illustration of what makes us  uncomfortable.
    It feels pretty trite to say we think being a parent takes dedication and real time, that it is a primary job. Doesn’t everyone think that?

    <

    p>I find I cannot articulate my discomfort in a way that is not easy to be dismissed. I am not saying a woman should put off her political aspirations until her children are grown. I know enough not to criticize how other people bring up their children. Yet I am, and so are the women I talk to.

    <

    p>Perhaps I don’t think it’s sexist to ask, “What about the children?” Maybe it is essential.

    <

    p>I can’t stay on-line right now to continue this. Maybe when I can come back I will have a better understanding.
             

    • In Palin I see very traditional family values — from around the Edwardian era, I guess.  If you have a large enough brood spread over a sufficient number of years, it probably isn’t necessary to fuss that much over the youngest ones, because by age seven or so a girl should be capable of doing a lot to look out for her younger siblings.

      <

      p>Some jobs are so demanding that they may not be balanced well with the needs of a family without having disproportionate engagement and availability from a spouse or other key person.  There is nothing sexist about suggesting that full-attention-&-24h-on-call jobs may demand that someone else be always ready and available to place full attention on the kids.  Not that it is the same league, but four of my scientist coworkers over the years have quit their jobs in order to be full time caretakers of their young children for a period of at least a year; two of these people were women, and two were men.  So I’d feel less discomfort if I perceived real engagement between Palin’s husband and the kids.  I saw him holding or interacting with the baby and the other children only for photo ops.  And so I envision a teenaged girl parenting two babies; not just her own.

      <

      p>(Perception isn’t reality, of course.  I’m just sharing the source of my own more visceral unease — which probably can be dismissed because it is just an impression.)

    • what does it say that she opted not to move to Juneau? Even then before she ran for lt Governor (which she lost) or Governor, there should have been a family concensus to do it and that likely should have included the willingness to move to Juneau. Will she still live in Wasilla as VP?

      <

      p>Her “balance” seems to come at everyone else’s expense. the opposite of every woman I knows experience.

  8. The campaign and supporters have chosen to go for the absurd rather than admit the obvious.  Instead of simply owning up to the fact that Palin did not have much foreign policy experience and that she showed as much during the interview with Gibson, her supporters have created this absurd story where Palin is actually a secret foreign policy genius.  And in the interview with Gibson she deftly maneuvered around his trap, coyly answering in few words despite the urge to speak at length on the many facets of the Bush doctrine.

    • She has energized the Republican base, and has made this a race.

      <

      p>Here is an interesting take on the Feminist/BS that’s going on in the Democrat Party – TRUE STORY;

      <

      p>I decided to take the family into Cambridge today to enjoy lunch and some shopping.

      <

      p>So I’m walking down JFK Blvd in Cambridge today with my wife and 3 boys when Caroline Kennedy walks by. I say “Hey Caroline” and she says “Hi!” We were blown away seeing her and having her reply on the street in Harvard Square named after her FATHER. I told my boys that there was a woman who had been through an awful lot in life, but has managed to succeed and be someone her parents would be proud of.

      <

      p>After an awesome lunch at the Border Cafe, we wandered around Harvard Sq a while longer and decided to walk the Yard. We come upon an guy with an Obama hat on and he’s selling a t-shirt with the McCain/Palin logo and with “When pigs fly” written underneath. He was standing right after the many Obama canvassers with whom my oldest son chatted up until they hit him up for cash.

      <

      p>I said to the T-shirt guy “That’s pretty sexist” to which he replied “No it’s not”  to which 3 other people around me IN CAMBRIDGE said “YES IT IS!”. This caused me great joy as a Republican in Cambridge!

      <

      p>We walked further and I turned to my boys and said “Caroline Kennedy would not approve of that t-shirt and neither should you. Sarah Palin has worked hard and is the epitome of a successful woman and should not be called a pig.

      <

      p>What a great day and lesson in Cambridge MA today.

      • If this isn’t sexist…

        “With all due respect, again, to Governor Kaine, he’s been a governor for three years. He’s been able, but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that he’s done. He was mayor of the 105th-largest city in America. And, again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California, Aurora, Colorado, Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona, North Las Vegas, or Henderson, Nevada. It’s not a big town. If he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice, where he’s said, ‘You know what? I’m really not first and foremost concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States? What I’m concerned about is, can he bring me the electoral votes of the state of Virginia, the 13 electoral votes in Virginia?'”

        …than similar criticism of Governor Palin’s lack of experience isn’t sexist, either.

          • and that vendor’s T-shirt had the McCain-Lieberman logo and When pigs fly on it, it wouldn’t be sexist, right? It’s the presence of a woman on the ticket (and the manufactured outrage campaign over the “lipstick on a pig” remark) that makes it sexist, then?

            <

            p>It’s not really that amazing that Harvard Square should contain four Republicans at the same time, is it?

            • after all, it’s not as if a man being called a pig is a complement.  In this sense, the word dog is much much tougher — guys can call each other dogs as a positive, but any woman who’s a dog is ugly.

              <

              p>Yet by her own claim, the only thing separating Sarah Palin from her canine brethren is the lipstick.  Huh.

          • The shirt as you describe it sends either the message “McCain will be POTUS, Palin VP POTUS when pigs fly” or “I’ll vote for these two…when pigs fly”.

            <

            p>I don’t believe that putting the words “pig” and “Palin” in general proximity is automatically sexist.  

          • Libby Rural’s post is an example of the transitive property of silliness.

            <

            p>I’m not one to quote Wikipedia, but this entry is just too funny to ignore.

            “”When pigs fly” is an idiomatic way of saying that something will never happen. Pigs are heavy animals, without wings, and cannot possibly fly. So “when pigs fly” is a time that will never come. The phrase is used for humorous effect to scoff at someone’s intentions to achieve or carry out something which is beyond their previous efforts and accomplishments, especially in politics. There are numerous variations on the theme; when someone with a reputation for failure finally succeeds, onlookers may claim sarcastically to see a flying pig. “Hey look! A flying pig!”

            Similar phrases include “when hell freezes over” and the Latin expression “to the Greek calends.”

            The idiom is apparently derived from a centuries-old Scottish proverb, though some other references to pigs flying or pigs with wings are more famous. Here is one such reference from Lewis Carroll:

            “Thinking again?” the Duchess asked, with another dig of her sharp little chin.
               “I’ve a right to think,” said Alice sharply, for she was beginning to feel a little worried.
               “Just about as much right,” said the Duchess, “as pigs have to fly….” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 9.

            Possibly the first occurrence of a pig actually flying occurred in 1909 when the British aviation pioneer Lord Brabazon made the first live air cargo flight with a pig in a basket tied to a wing-strut of his airplane.

            This wikipedia page has undergone devastating editing, and is far smaller and less comprehensive than it used to be. Whomever erased the section on literary references should be dragged out into the streets and beaten.

            <

            p>Is sourdough bread now sexist?

            <

            p>

      • It doesn’t mean thaaaat! (wink, wink)

        <

        p>What’re yew talkin’ abouuut? It’s just an expression! (wink, wink)

        <

        p>It’s just a coINcidence! (wink, wink)

        <

        p>You can’t prove what I’m thinkin’, maaaan! (wink, wink)

        <

        p>You’re just bean parrrrinoid, maaaan! (wink, wink)

        <

        p>Ahhh, the grade school ethos. It always makes for great entertainment.

      • Caroline Kennedy would not approve of that t-shirt and neither should you.

        <

        p>1) How do you know?
        2) Don’t you think she’d be more upset by your vilification of everything her family stands for?
        3) What on earth does “when pigs fly” have to do with sexism?  I’m still baffled by equating “lipstick on a pig” with a Palin attack.

      • I said to the T-shirt guy “That’s pretty sexist” to which he replied “No it’s not”  to which 3 other people around me IN CAMBRIDGE said “YES IT IS!”. This caused me great joy as a Republican in Cambridge!

        <

        p>My partner points out that just a few short weeks ago (and quite possibly in any other context today), this post would have ended with a condemnation of Political Correctness in the People’s Republic.  

        <

        p>Put another way, it’s not that hard to find people in Cambridge outraged by sexism.  The joy is seeing you joining in, even if I disagree with your example.

        <

        p>In summary:

        <

        p>1) Obama’s been using “lipstick on a pig” for weeks.
        2) Palin’s use of “lipstick” and “pitbull” does not mean all references to lipstick are to her.
        3) Unless you now believe all references to “pig” are now to Palin, the phrase “when pigs fly” means exactly what it’s always meant.
        4) Regardless, it’s great to see you and gary and CMD and EaBO suddenly become feminists.

  9. sometime soon. Something that will really improve people’s opinion of her, and give the Republican ticket a big boost.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    I’m thinking it’ll be contact lenses.

  10. The Lawrence, MA, Eagle Tribune has an excellnt article in today’s newspaper concerning the imprtance of ou border state to the north.

    <

    p>If we demonstrate strength here, people will call their friends, relatives, and transplants up north.

    <

    p>                     Go Obama-Biden!

    <

    p>                       Yes we can!

    <

    p>

  11. by Sam Harris in Newsweek

    <

    p>With his usual insightful clarity, Harris deconstructs the problematic nature of the Palin candidacy deftly.  Here are the opening paragraphs:

    <

    p>

    Let me confess that I was genuinely unnerved by Sarah Palin’s performance at the Republican convention. Given her audience and the needs of the moment, I believe Governor Palin’s speech was the most effective political communication I have ever witnessed. Here, finally, was a performer who-being maternal, wounded, righteous and sexy-could stride past the frontal cortex of every American and plant a three-inch heel directly on that limbic circuit that ceaselessly intones “God and country.” If anyone could make Christian theocracy smell like apple pie, Sarah Palin could.

    Then came Palin’s first television interview with Charles Gibson. I was relieved to discover, as many were, that Palin’s luster can be much diminished by the absence of a teleprompter. Still, the problem she poses to our political process is now much bigger than she is. Her fans seem inclined to forgive her any indiscretion short of cannibalism. However badly she may stumble during the remaining weeks of this campaign, her supporters will focus their outrage upon the journalist who caused her to break stride, upon the camera operator who happened to capture her fall, upon the television network that broadcast the good lady’s misfortune-and, above all, upon the “liberal elites” with their highfalutin assumption that, in the 21st century, only a reasonably well-educated person should be given command of our nuclear arsenal.

    • That first graph is as bad a stew of mixed metaphor as I’ve ever seen. Also, I didn’t know Palin had been wounded. I assume it was just a flesh wound, and that no Purple Heart will be awarded.

    •  the  ~”~unnamed GOP strategist.”
      Anonymous Cheap shots like “unnamed ” truly suck, don’t they?
      Got a NAME Iris? We’re waiting….until then your suffix is liberal hate bullshit..right?
      Somehow “I’ll see your Negro and raise you a vagina” sounds more like a comment heard in a smoke filled  Democratic strategy meeting made by some political operative promising to deliver the winning votes in a toss up State.. are you sure that’s not where you heard it?

  12. I prepared for the roar of the kiddie popguns, subjective hate rants , and an ensuing basha-thon.
    Geesh, Lightris, sad to see you diminish the credibility  of BMG by using the Daily  Kos as a legitimate “source”.
    If you consider the Daily Kos as reference for “Reality Based Commentary”…Whoa….”Paging Dr Fine , Dr Howard, Dr,Fine …..paging Dr. Fine , Dr.Howard, Dr.Fine”

    • the data offered to you is tainted because it came from Daily Kos.  Of course, that doesn’t change the factuality of the post itself, but, then again, I wouldn’t expect a response from you that actually responded to the data.

      <

      p>Sarah Palin will be an albatross around John McCain’s neck come November.  And if you don’t like Daily Kos, there are plenty of other sources to document her rather meteoric crash to earth.  

      <

      p>Oh, and the personal attacks are juvenile.  If implying that you are concerned about the “credibility” of BMG while suggesting I’m a stooge is supposed to bolster your credibility, I suggest you simply try sticking to the facts.  You’ll have better luck.  

    • DailyKos is the source of many unbiased tracking polls.  Just as example:

      <

      p>

      <

      p>I’m sure there’re others.

  13. From the St. Petersburg Times

    One thought pushes fence-sitters to the left: Palin

    By Adam C. Smith, Times Political Editor
    In print: Saturday, September 20, 2008

    ST. PETERSBURG – Five weeks ago, the St. Petersburg Times convened a group of Tampa Bay voters who were undecided about the presidential election. Their strong distrust of Barack Obama suggested it was a group ripe for John McCain to win over.

    Not anymore. The group has swung dramatically, if unenthusiastically, toward Democrat Obama. Most of them this week cited the same reason: Sarah Palin.

    “The one thing that frightens me more than anything else are the ideologues. We’ve seen too many,” said 80-year-old Air Force veteran Donn Spegal, a lifelong Republican from St. Petersburg, who sees McCain’s new running mate as the kind of “wedge issue” social conservative that has made him disenchanted with his party.

    more here

  14. …eviscerating other women.  Why can’t you just disagree?   Why do you need to destroy?  Lightiris, save your ratings and comments.  I disagree with you, so I am obviously a less evolved member of the species.

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