Last of Our Kind

Alaska’s largest newspaper, The Anchorage Daily News, just endorsed Senator Barrack Obama for President. Not only did the newspaper say Barack Obama is the better choice, but it actually said Sarah Palin was “too risky” to be VP, and therefore one heartbeat away from the Presidency.

I know Barack Obama will not win the state of Alaska and its 3 electoral votes. However, to the Republican Party this has to come as a shock and definitely has to be seen as a slap in the face to Sarah Palin. Not to mention this is yet another blow to an already shaky (and some would say finished) campaign.

We are in the final week of this election and the candidates can not afford any negative press, or any mistakes. And yet here John McCain has ANOTHER one.

It seems like from day one (at least day one from picking Governor Palin) he can not get a break. Now, as a supporter of Obama I think this is good news, but it almost makes me feel sorry for the guy. He truly loves this country, I don’t doubt that, but his party is so far to the right that he never could run the campaign or make the decisions that he actually wanted to. The Daily News clearly chose not to endorse McCain because of his VP choice, a choice that many think (especially as the two running mates begin to tear each other down) was not his first pick.

Conventional wisdom says John McCain really wanted to pick Joe Lieberman as his VP. That choice would have shaken things up for the Republicans. The problem is that they as a party are so conservative that McCain would have been skewered had he had made such a controversial decision and asked a “liberal” to join him.

I also believe that John McCain could (and should) have picked Mitt Romney as his VP. Looking at how horribly McCain handled the economic mess we are in, Romney certainly would have helped. However, he is a Mormon, and would that have really appeased the Christian Right? I don’t think so. Had they been able to accept his religion would they get over the fact that he once supported abortion and that he is from the “Elitist Territory,” Massachusetts? This man says no.

So how does this fit in with the endorsement for Barack Obama? As I said before I think it’s great for the Democratic Party, and great for the nation that a progressive man with good ideas will finally be able to lead. It is important however, to say that we are also at a moment of great division. If we don’t learn to come together and support our new President, we are doomed to fail as a nation. We will be destined to take huge steps back in everything that we have fought for. And that is what we must realize going forward.

We have come to a place now, where our division is no longer helpful. It does not allow for discussion and debate, but only gridlock and fighting. We have to stop arguing about the legality of abortion and focus on prevention, education, and the safety of Women. We have to stop arguing about Gay marriage and focus on equal rights for everyone (which is what this nation truly stands for).

America, it is time we turn the page past partisanship. We have to, or else we will never move forward again.

Just finished watching the debate. Did anyone do a count on how many times McCain rolled his eyes? How about failed jokes? How about showing his angry side? How about how many times he tried to distract us all from the issues?

Just like the VP debate and Sarah Palin, expectations were extremely low for John McCain. I think we need to hold our candidates to a much higher standard. Simply because McCain was able to attack Obama and distract voters, the media claims that he shined and put forth his best performance. I am not convinced. He did more than he did in the last two debates, but was it really all that strong? Was it very substantive? It seemed like a lot of distractions and attacks from an angry man who shows clear disdain for his opponent.

Did McCain ever repudiate those in the audience who cried for Obama's death? That he was a terrorist? I never heard that. And somehow, McCain spun that around and tried to claim Obama was calling his supporters bad people. Seriously? Are we supposed to be that gullible?

More later...when we have more time to digest this all.

-LoOK

The eleventh reason Senator Barack Obama is winning is...

Fareed Zakaria. In his latest column in NEWSWEEK, Fareed Zakaria said:

"Can we now admit the obvious? Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president. She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start."

I want to know if McBush actually believes the spin that emanates from his campaign on an hourly basis. In the last week we have seen McBush:

· “Put country first” with a faux suspension of his campaign
· Continue to run campaign ads despite his suspended campaign
· Refuse to debate until a deal had been reached on the bailout plan
· Debate when there was no deal on the bailout plan
· Inject presidential politics in a national crisis
· Put his political campaign above the American people
· Claim that his leadership convinced Republicans to vote for the bailout
· Fail to convince even his own Arizona republican colleagues to vote for the bailout
· Blame the democrats and Obama for the failure of the bailout
· Accuse Obama of “phoning it in” on the financial crisis
· Phone it in on the financial crisis
· Assert that this is not the time for blame
· Then blame Obama for the failure of the bailout
· Attempt to make us believe that he would ride into Washington and save the day
· Ride into Washington and watched the bailout fall apart
· Claim the fundamentals of our economy our strong
· Claim that this is the most significant financial crisis of our lives

Do I really need to go on? I could fill this post with pages and pages and pages and…well you get the idea. So my question is: Does McBush actually believe the assertions he is spewing forth? Or is he just hoping that all of us are stupid enough to fall for this ridiculous political spin factor?

In a previous post, I mentioned that it is my belief that McBush’s campaign is attempting to make us all just a little more unintelligent with their tactics. That if they shift positions and present enough contradictions we will all forget what they were talking about in the first place. If they talk politics enough, and attack Obama enough, we will forget that McCain rarely speaks about the issues. That if they lie enough, and with enough fervor, we will all forget what the truth actually looks and sounds like.

McBush’s tactics look incredibly un-presidential. In a time of crisis, the American people not only need, but also deserve a leader that does not panic and add to the chaos. The president cannot act erratic and unpredictable in times of crisis. I do not believe that the recent tactics of the McCain campaign have anything at all to do with our country and the American people. I do not believe any of the spin and lies spewing forth from the McCain campaign. How many times in the next week will McCain change his views? How many contradictions will come from his campaign before this election is over?

I just want to know…Does McCain really believe all of the lies, contradictions, and distortions coming from his campaign lately? If he does believe it, then he is even more out of touch than I ever thought possible. If he does not believe his own lies, then how can he continue to claim that he is here to “put country first?” I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…Congratulations McBush, you have officially made me stupider.



During all of this, what was Obama doing? He was working behind the scenes, trying to prevent presidential politics from poisoning the financial crisis. He was steady and sure of himself. He did not make any rash decisions. He did not exhibit erratic behavior. He did not fall into the political trap McCain set for him by suspending his campaign. Now McCain has to eat crow. Now who looks inexperienced? Now who looks unprepared for the job?

Wake up Senator McCain…your actions actually do have consequences and no amount of spin is going to change that.

I will leave you with some random thoughts:

• Has McBush un-suspended his campaign?


• Will he re-suspend his campaign now that the bailout has failed?


• Or is it still suspended? I can’t tell the difference


• When did McCain decide that he is a political martyr?


• His antics make me feel like I am watching a Mel Gibson flick


• SNL’s parody of Palin’s Couric interview lifted, verbatim, so much from the actual interview that it’s scary


• Biden has debate experience dating to 1972…Palin was in 2nd grade


• Thursday night’s debate should be deliciously entertaining
  

How many lies does it take to get to the center of...?

-LoOK

Manipulations of the American People:

1. The politics of fear. The attempt by the Bush administration to convince the American people and its leaders that they must support and hastily approve a $700 billion bailout. (Who’s the Socialist now?) The Bush administration is trying to scare us all into signing a blank check for Wall Street. They are trying to scare us into this in the same exact way they scared us into a war in Iraq under false pretenses. This financial crisis was created by the Bush administration, and now we are supposed to trust them to fix the problem? McCain represents, and has supported, the same failed policies of this administration and we are supposed to elect him to office? We are supposed to believe he is going to bring change to Washington? If that is not manipulation, I have no idea what is.
   



2. McBush’s decision to suspend his campaign, postpone the presidential debate, and “put country first” in this time of financial crisis. This is the most thinly veiled political move I have seen since…well…the last mass distraction concoction of the McBush campaign. This political move was purely designed to either cast Obama as a follower of the “true” leadership of McBush if he agreed, or cast him as the candidate that does not put country first if he does not agree. Fortunately for us all, Obama refused to interject presidential politics to the proceedings at Capitol Hill. He held a short press conference and refused to create yet another distraction from the issues. McBush has suddenly decided that this financial crisis is serious enough to suspend his campaign. Quite the erratic shift from “the fundamentals of our economy our strong.” And where is his running mate in all of this? Desperately attempting to add foreign policy and international relations credentials to her resume.
   


3. Proposing the use of taxpayer money to bailout corporations whose CEO’s make more in a month than the average American. Need I say more?
   


4. The No-Talk Express. The continued media isolation of Sarah Palin by the McBush campaign. Finally, the mass media is beginning to show some anger over the refusal of interviews. They are finally starting to question exactly what it is that Palin is hiding. Could it be her complete and utter lack of experience? Perhaps it is her lack of interview experience (spectacularly showcased in her interview with Charlie Gibson)? Or maybe, just maybe, McBush realized that his campaign should have more thoroughly vetted this purely political choice for VP. Maybe he realized that Palin is actually more like Bush than himself. Maybe McBush realized that his running mate is thoroughly unprepared to stand up to real media questioning, and in so doing, would expose herself as evidence of his irresponsible and erratic behavior.
   

Road to Nowhere:




5. The No-Talk Express using sexism to prevent any and all questioning of Palin’s qualifications. Never you mind the actual Alaskan road to nowhere in Ketchikan that actually leads to a non-existent bridge, is used by no one, and was built while she was governor, yet she still claims to have opposed the bridge to nowhere. Never you mind the trooper-gate scandal she is refusing to cooperate with. Never you mind her not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is. Never you mind that she has no foreign policy experience. But for some reason, if we ask these questions, if we examine these issues, we are sexist. Never you mind…you sexist.
   


6. McBush’s continued insistence that he is a change agent and a maverick. Erratic and irresponsible behavior does not make you a maverick; it makes you a bad leader. McBush has proven time and again that his reckless behavior does not put country first…it places politics first. Politics as usual. Pick the running mate that will create the most buzz and surprise. Suspend a campaign to appear “presidential.” Distract everyone from the issues using bona fide lies.
   


7. Claiming to put “country first,” and then choosing a highly unqualified running mate. Claiming to put “country first,” but refusing to attend a debate and inform the public of your policies. Claiming to put the “country first,” but distracting us all from the financial crisis to discuss your political acrobatics. Claiming to put “country first,” but hiding your running mate from the media, and flat out refusing interviews. I could go on forever…
   


8. The attempt to convince us that drilling for oil will make a difference in the price of gas and energy in the short term. This is preying on the American need for instant gratification. If you convince enough people that drilling will ease the strain on their pocketbooks two years from now, of course they will jump on the bandwagon. The crude oil from drilling on US oil will not reach refineries and become actual fuel for at least ten years. This is a ploy by big oil companies and corporations to get you to agree to destroy our planet so they can reap the profits.
   


9. The American Express Business credit card commercials that imply you are a threat, and will be apprehended by airport security if you do no use their card.
   


10. My use of the name McBush to remind you all that McCain will continue to enact and carry out the same failed policies of the Bush administration.

Still pissed off...still paying attention,
-LoOk

Things that completely disgust me:

1. The manipulation of America’s need for instant gratification. The government and big oil want you all to the think that drilling is going to make a difference in the short term, that it is going to make gas prices fall the minute we start drilling. That is NOT going to happen. Guess what? Drilling will NOT affect gas prices until ten years from the start of drilling, and even so, it will not affect them by much. Drilling will not make a difference in the short term, and it will not make a difference in the long term. People advocate drilling without even stopping to think…what difference is this going to make? What it will do is make big oil companies more money. What it will do is destroy thousands of acres of untouched wilderness, which brings me to my next point…

Alaska National Wildlife Reserve:




"Clean" drilling and oil operations currently in Alaska (and the ANWR if we allow it):




2. Our willingness to destroy and devour the earth for our own selfish desires now, with little regard for the future of our planet. What more is there to say? But I am just an extreme liberal that believes in the myth of global warming, climate change, the greenhouse effect, melting glaciers, and the tooth fairy (sorry if I spoiled your belief in the tooth fairy).

3. The inability of our prestigious presidential candidates to discuss the issues. Last week we spent three days discussing lipstick on a pig. We spent time hearing a distortion that claimed Obama wanted to teach kindergarteners about sex. We have wasted precious time worrying about whether or not we are being sexist by questioning Palin’s qualifications, and not enough time actually examining her qualifications (Charlie Gibson has now vetted Palin more thoroughly than McBush…can you say Bush Doctrine?). We have WASTED time sifting through, and sorting out, the lies the McBush campaign have been spreading about Obama. As a result, Obama has spent the majority of his time responding to these outrageous lies.

4. People who attack Obama’s lack of experience and then attack him as the most liberal senator in the US. Which one is it? If he has no experience, then how can his record possibly show that he is the most liberal senator? If he is the most liberal senator, then he must have experience to have built that record right? Then you will attack me by saying he has no record at all, and no experience…to you I say, better than a record that reflects and supports the complete failure of the Bush policies of the last eight years.

5. Both McCain and Palin are against abortion but for the death penalty. Now I am not advocating either side, but isn’t that a contradiction? We are pro-life…but we’ll give you the electric chair? That makes sense.

6. The wall that has been put up around Palin. The media has been given one interview, and nothing more. If we question her qualifications, they cry sexism. If we say she is not qualified, we are sexists. If we talk about the failed policies of Bush and McCain, we are accused of calling Palin a pig and being…you guessed it…sexist. And the McBush campaign wants us to believe they picked her for her qualifications and not purely political purposes? If she was highly qualified, I think there would be no hesitation in allowing her to speak to the media.

7. McBush said he thinks, “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.” He said this on the same day that the DOW plummeted, and since then, it has continued to plummet, and only starting to rebound today…who knows about tomorrow. Remember when you told us the economy was not your strongest subject McBush? Thanks for not lying to us on that one.

8. McBush and Palin attempting to run as the change agents.

9. Palin’s ideas on the economy…oh wait…she doesn’t have any…nevermind. Palin's ideas on anything...oh wait...she doesn't have any. At least she knows what the Bush Doctrine is now (you can send a thank you card and chocolates to Charlie Gibson).

10. People who use fear mongering to attack Obama. Referring to him by his middle name only to prey on the fear of the American people. Haven’t the American people endured enough? So his middle name is Hussein…big deal (or do Americans now have something against anyone with a middle-eastern sounding name?). My middle name is George Bush…scared yet? You should be.

Pissed off because I'm paying attention,
-LoOK

As you can probably imagine, the viewpoints we express at Last of Our Kind do not sit will with everyone (can't please them all I suppose). We are a fairly new blog, and we are proud to present to you our first two articles of "hate mail" or "anger mail" or "fan mail" or whatever you choose to call it.

The first was a response to our post about Palin's nod for VP:

I agree, pal. Bring on the VP debate. Obama has been preaching "change" from day one and he picks a multi-term, east coast, establishment insider for his VP. Change ? ! ?

Yeah right.

You libs went to bed early this morning thinking a slam dunk victory was all set for Nov. You woke up later this morning, saw McCain's bold choice for his VP, sobered up a bit, and thought, "Oh shit. . .We have a fight on our hands ! ! !"

I live in a very liberal city, work with a bunch of libs. A lot of bluster from them this week during the convention. They were very quiet today.

Bring on the debates, pal. The American public may shock you with their decision in November.

The second was a response to the same I think:

U survive off of people who have nothing. No ideas, no productiveness; people who support Obama have nothing. Palin was brought on the ticket to bring forth the real conservatives, the conservatives that founded this country
You all again, bring forth the issue of experience. seriously..........Governor of he the greatest state of the nation trumps a couple years of doing nothing in the Senate. All u libs come up with NON issues or completely just don't understand how a prosperous economy works.

All Palin supporters know what she is running for and all those that don't know still have a hell of a lot of learning to do.

Again.........GOVT WILL NOT SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS!!!!!!

WE DO NOT WANT TO BE A SOCIALIST SOCIETY!!!!

Don't U just luv the arguments presented here? I know I do. I'm pretty sure the "conservatives" that founded our country were the so-called "libs" of their time...breaking away from the rule of another country, refusing to be governed by leaders that showed little concern for their interests, and creating a nation by rebelling against another. Sounds REAL conservative. REALLY conservative. Excuse me a moment while I drink up the irony of that argument, it is too delicious not to savor.

I present these bits of fan mail to you all so that you can see for yourselves that it is not only the McBush campaign that makes absolutely no sense, but it is also their supporters that make no sense.

I am very sorry...but when U must use the letter "U" instead of typing two more letters to form the simple word "you," you have already damaged your credibility beyong repair. I have my doubts that you even have an understanding of what a socialist society really is. And I have a lot of trouble believing that you have any real understanding of how any economy might work (much less a prosperous one). You are right...I do not know how a prosperous economy works because I forgot...I have not experienced one in eight long years, and if your candidate wins, (a candidate that admits he knows very little about economics) I think I may spend four more years not knowing how a prosperous economy works.

It is very simple...McCain just does not get it, and neither do his supporters. They have little to say about issues, and very few actual facts or quotes to back up their claims. Just like McCain's campaign ads. Claiming that your dear Sarah Palin is a reformer and against the Bridge to Nowhere, when she actually supported it to get elected to office. That lobbyists are bad despite the fact that several of their top campaign advisors are former lobbyists themselves.

McCain and his supporters are so confused and baffled, that they have actually managed to step on their own feet and eat crow more often than I ever thought possible. Everyday, more and more claims from the McCain campaign are debunked and fact checked to show they are false. Confusion has officially set in. Like I said in the last post...Deceived into Delerium.

Happy to add salt to your bitter tasting crow,
-LoOK

Over the last week or so, something happened. During and after the Republican National Convention the McCain campaign has deliriously decided that they are the change ticket. McCain is campaigning as an independent, and someone who has battled even his own party (never mind that little bit about voting with President Bush 90% of the time). Sarah Palin is campaigning as someone who has always been against pork barrel spending despite having campaigned for the Bridge to Nowhere in order to get elected as the governor of Alaska. They are claiming they are the mavericks, and the change agents. I just want to know…

Do you think we are that mindless?

McBush as the change agent? Give me a break. I see right through these deceptive tactics. The fact is, McCain has flip flopped and spun his campaign every which way possible in the past few months. First he was touting his support of Bush, now he is touting his taking the fight to his own party. He was slamming Obama for his lack of experience, and then selected a completely inexperienced running mate. He was criticizing Obama for running as a change agent with no plans, and has now decided that his ticket is the ticket of change and failed to present any real policy plans during the convention. He is claiming he represents change, and he picked a hard line conservative that agrees with Bush more than he does.

McBush is succeeding in convoluting this election to the point where the issues simply cannot compete with the idiocy spewing forth. I am baffled by the republicans approach, but I suppose this is where experience comes in. McCain is experienced at running an old politics as usual campaign. This leaves us all concerned with who can sling more mud, and less concerned with who will actually be better for our country.

Obama keeps using the line: McCain just doesn’t get it. The more I hear and see and read about McCain and his campaign, the more I feel that this is very true.

McCain really does not get it.

I hope America will see through these deceptive campaign strategies, and start demanding more from its presidential candidates.

Refusing to be deceived,
-LoOK

Thank you Sarah Palin.

Thank you for being exactly what you and your party think Senator Obama is.

An inexperienced young person who can read a teleprompter. A talker who gives a speech with no content.

Much like Huckabee, Guiliani, and Romney before you, you made a great cheerleader for John McCain. You threw your GOP delegates a lot of red meat. You bashed and mocked Obama. You made fun of his speech and the columns behind him. You made fun of his comments about people clinging to religion. You made fun of his lack of experience, and you got a standing ovation.

Congratulations.

However, I must in fact point out that in your speech you offered nothing. You offered no depth, no vision, and no plan for the future. You support John McCain. We get it. But what are you going to do with your role in the Vice Presidency (that is, after you learn what the job entails)? What are your thoughts on the economy, on healthcare, on the war in Iraq (which your son is about to go fight in). What are your plans for the mortgage crisis, the emptying of social security, and most importantly what are your thoughts on National Security?

You claim that you want to fill Hillary Clinton’s role in this campaign. Well Governor Palin, Senator Clinton you are not. I know where she stands on issues and I know what she believes in, and from what I can tell it is everything you stand against.

Perhaps this was not the time for you to let us know your plan on any of these issues. Perhaps this was a speech for you to simply tell us who you are. You are a Hockey mom. That’s great. But what are you offering my country. Why are you running for office?

Perhaps we have to wait for your debate with Joe Biden so you can actually tell us anything of substance. For your sake I hope you are ready. You said you are ready for a challenge. And a challenge is what you will face.

Good luck,
LoOK

Day one of the “real” Republican Convention got me thinking about a lot of stuff.

First of all I have to admit that they really know how to spin just about anything. I feel bad for the Republicans such as Rudy Guiliani and Fred Thompson (both former GOP Candidates) get in front of cameras and actually take pride in McCain’s VP Pick, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. I find it ridiculous that these “true” Republicans can all tout how great of a choice she is when the truth is that she really was the worst choice McCain could have made.

We don’t have to touch the issue about her pregnant daughter (I agree with Obama that families are off limits.)

We don’t have to talk about her incredible lack of experience. We don’t have to talk about her getting a huge applause because as Thompson said, “She knows how to field dress a moose.” (And that qualifies her for what exactly?)

We don’t have to touch the fact that Sarah Palin said “that our leaders -- that our national leaders -- are sending [soldiers] out on a task that is from God.” We won’t speak about the incredible ignorance and hate statements like that create. We will ignore the resemblance to Jihad and the Crusades that she is closing in on. I don’t have to mention the fact that that kind of dialogue will not help our nation in a time where countries and people hate us for our occupier/invader manners of the past eight years.

I guess all these things are what really qualify her for the Vice Presidency. I guess it is all these things we won’t mention that in fact make her an “Everyman,” an “Average Joe” (an Average Josephine?) Personally, I say give me the man who for the past twenty years after getting work done in the senate (a little more complex than the PTA) still takes the Amtrak train home to his wife and family. That’s an average Joe. That is an average Joe that has the experience to be VP, one heartbeat away from the presidency.

I find it hard to believe the GOP can spin the fact that John McCain wants to “Put the country first” when his “great judgment” allows him to pick someone who he has known for less than a week.

Hurricane Gustav was a horrible event, and luckily it did not do much damage. New Orleans and the Gulf Coast were well prepared and ready. It is unfortunate for the GOP that the convention had to be postponed/overshadowed by the hurricane. I would have like to see them fall of their faces without an excuse to blame the media for unfair coverage.

Senator Lieberman spoke directly to the Independents and Democrats today (because he still has credibility with them?) He asked for them to vote for John McCain because he is better for the country.

Watching the RNC so far I have learned McCain is a war hero (which is great and honorable, but this qualifies him how?). I have learned that the Republican Party hires Christian Singers, because that is its base. I have seen Republicans lie through their teeth in support of a crazy VP pick. I have seen this political campaign spin a hurricane to shore up support.

John McCain is about country first? So far he sure isn’t making a very good case for that.

Talk about a 180 degree change from last week.

Republicans, you put a woman on the ticket, but don’t get too excited. This race isn’t over yet.

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was surprisingly added to the Republican ticket today in a Hail Mary attempt by John McCain to get as many disaffected Hilary Clinton voters he can. The problem with that logic is that after the Democratic convention I’m not sure how many angry Hillaryites are left.

Governor Palin mentioned Hillary and her 18 million cracks in her speech this morning. It was a nice attempt at trying to say “Don’t worry that all my policy stances and beliefs are totally opposite from Hillary. Ladies, I’M YOUR GIRL NOW!”

You see Palin is Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Drilling, Pro-McCain, Pro-Bush. Does this sound like what Hillary had in mind when she wanted the glass ceiling cracked and shattered? I don’t think so.

John McCain’s main argument against Obama is his youth and his lack of experience. Well congratulations Senator McCain you managed to find someone not only younger (44 yrs old, Obama is 47), but with less national experience than Obama (Obama has been a Senator since 2005, Palin a Governor since 2006).

To be fair she has been a governor and people will say that counts as executive experience. But what did she do before she was governor? She was on a city council and then mayor of a city with a population (in 2000) of 5,469.

I know John McCain will say that he is the one with the experience to lead this country, and that Palin can learn by watching and serving with him. However, should McCain win Palin would be one heartbeat away from the presidency. If something should happen to McCain, let’s hope she’s a fast learner.

I can’t wait to see her debate with Joe Biden. It should be a wake up call to the country that John McCain’s surprise pick won’t help him win this election at all.

67 days to the election.