Comedy Circuit Star Sarah Palin to pitch for next Presidency.

[rubaiyat]

What do you think her chances are, and is this a sign that the Republicans have nobody to aspire to the top so they are going for someone who can pitch for the bottom?

[SGilbert]

WRONG! She is wise, smart, know the "people", and will go far if she plays her cards well! No "more of the same" and no "change" for the betterment of the poor on the backs of the middle class.

However, she won't win because she won't play the game of Washington cronies!

[lbj]

WRONG! She is wise, smart...

You give her way too much credit.

[rubaiyat]

Why do so many Americans fall for Show Tent hokum?

Think you would have wised up after the last "good ol' boy".

Wise, smart and knows which people?

The filthy rich talentless ones willing to pay to have good governance subverted so they can rip off the people?

Sigh! I blame the education system. The Fun One. All opinions and no facts to make your head hurt.

[fryke]

She'll be out of the race first week, when the GOP starts blaming her for McCain losing the 2008 presidential election.

[rubaiyat]

More likely the GOP will blame McCain for losing her 2008 Vice Presidency and not dying to make way for her.

Makes a change from blaming the Jewish liberal press for stabbing them in the back.

The Republicans still haven't forgiven them for losing WWII. :)

[Satcomer]

Makes a change from blaming the Jewish liberal press for stabbing them in the back.

The Republicans still haven't forgiven them for losing WWII. :)

That was really out of line calling all Republicans fascists which is very far from the truth. I am no fan of the Republican party (I'm Libertarian) but it is this kind of attitude that turns me off!

[SGilbert]

This is no place for bigotry! Take your hate & stick it where the sun don't shine.

[Rhisiart]

I think many Europeans are staggered that Americans would vote for dumbnuts like Dubya and Palin. They are such lightweights. It makes one weep really.

[rubaiyat]

That was really out of line calling all Republicans fascists which is very far from the truth. I am no fan of the Republican party (I'm Libertarian) but it is this kind of attitude that turns me off!

Can you point me to the finer details distinguishing the two?

Militaristic √

Gun worshiping √

Hatred and fear of minorities √

Religious (hypocritical) manipulation √

Personal enrichment at the cost of nation and general population √

Cult of Leader √

Extreme flag worshiping nationalism √

Xenophobic √

Anti-intellectual √

Loathing of Free Press √

Contempt of law √

Phoney baloney "anti-government" √

Belief that the elite should rule √

Vengeance for past "wrongs" (Nixon) √

These are just a few off the top of my head.

[SGilbert]

"Hatred and fear of minorities √; (hypocritical) manipulation √; Personal enrichment at the cost of nation and general population √; Cult of Leader √; Anti-intellectual √; Loathing of Free Press √; Contempt of law √; Vengeance for past "wrongs" √"

These are true descriptions of the Obama government, and Demos is general! That's 8 of your 14.

[rubaiyat]

I will only concede the cult of leader.

Substantiate the others.

[Rhisiart]

Right vs Left (or authoritarians vs liberals). A juxtaposition as old as the hills.

Of course that belies the fact that a substantial number in both camps sit so close to the centre that their allegiances look difficult to separate.

Never judge a book by it's cover (unless its somebody so obviously wacko like Dubya and Palin).

[bbloke]

"Hatred and fear of minorities √; (hypocritical) manipulation √; Personal enrichment at the cost of nation and general population √; Cult of Leader √; Anti-intellectual √; Loathing of Free Press √; Contempt of law √; Vengeance for past "wrongs" √"From the other side of the pond, I was a little surprised by these comments. For instance, the Democrats have traditionally attracted the strong support of ethnic minorities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factions_in_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)#Ethnic_Minorities) (and, after all, Obama represents a minority background too), many of Obama's actions have been seen in Europe as moving away from the contempt of law of the previous administration (use of torture, Guantanamo Bay, etc.), and Obama has been seen as more supportive of intellectuals (e.g. funding for universities; link 1 (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-090618zimmer_briefs,0,455650.story) and link 2 (http://www.dailycal.org/article/105527/obama_boosts_government_s_role_in_funding_universi)). As I'm genuinely curious to know the foundations of the criticism, could you please name some examples for me?

[rubaiyat]

bbloke

SGilbert's response is exactly why I made my previous comments.

So many in the Republican party are in some self induced time warp fighting a cartoonish red menace from 50's B-Grade Hollywood flicks, that they sweep even mildly liberal politics into the all encompassing communist menace.

Even using the term Liberal as a pejorative is indicative of how Dr Strangelove they have become. Their attack on Liberalism shows supreme ignorance and makes them condemn themselves as fascist.

Of course not all Republicans are so extreme, McCain was an exception but not much loved by the "faithful" because of it. However since Reagan the typical card carrying Republican seems to have swung so far to the right they'd make Ghenghis Khan blush.

[Satcomer]

Can you point me to the finer details distinguishing the two?

Generalizing people as fascist because of their Republican leanings. Here is the proof:

Makes a change from blaming the Jewish liberal press for stabbing them in the back.

The Republicans still haven't forgiven them for losing WWII. :)

Second for taking my Jewish friends through the mud since they sometimes vote Republican for local elections. They are vets like me that have seen some horrors we would rather forget!

[rubaiyat]

Is this more of the confused thinking I was talking about?

Proof? What proof of what?

What "taking my Jewish friends through the mud"? *

What horrors are you talking about?

Don't expect me to fall for the "I'm a vet", so-I-must-be-right jingoism. I am outside the "revival tent certainties" of Republicanism, remember?

* btw You are aware that Mussolini had some very faithful Jewish fascist supporters, whom he ultimately betrayed? Somehow I doubt you have much knowledge of history or politics.

[Satcomer]

What horrors are you talking about?

Don't expect me to fall for the "I'm a vet", so-I-must-be-right jingoism. I am outside the "revival tent certainties" of Republicanism, remember?

When you have someone shoot at you and have a battle buddy drop right next to you when his brain matter spatters all over your face changed my perspective that I no longer have tolerance of people generalizing other people.

This is all I am going to say about this and I urge you to befriend a Jewish person to get a better understanding. This discussion has ended because it just seems you want to argue and are blind to your own prejudice.

[rubaiyat]

I do not need to go and "befriend a Jewish person" I have done that many years ago. You seem to imply that they especially need befriending, to the exclusion of all others.

As to deaths in battle, the tragedy is not only with you and your buddy. A far higher price is being paid by many civilians who had no choice in this and suffered at the hands of a series of very ignorant and self centred leaders in the States who proceeded to astounding and incomprehensibly incompetent actions on the basis of massive lies.

They and their friends have gained handsomely from the immense billions poured into Iraq, in particular, which then vanished.

This personal enrichment along with other non-military self-advancement has played a major role in bringing the USA, and the world along with it, to its financial knees. All because the USA is stingy with humanitarian aid, but free with military expenditure.

The irony being you have ruined yourself in your indifferent ruination of others. Don't give me the chin music that the USA did this for the Iraqis or anyone else. All we heard about was America, America, America with only a brushing reference to anyone else when it got even embarassing to the clowns previously in charge.

It is not like the Republican party hasn't done this all before, each time with the Democrats coming in after to clean up the mess and corruption. Not so successfully on the last as it has become endemic to the system.

Your obsessive solely xenocentric viewpoint is what is sadly true of most of your "patriotic fellow Americans" and has damaged America's reputation and economy so badly it will take a long time before anyone really trusts the USA government or population. By then China will be the dominant power and that is scary!

[Rhisiart]

I fell in love with a Jewish lass 15 years ago (before I got married). It didn't work out because I couldn't commit to the Jewish faith. I think I can justify that (in that I don't want to be a Catholic either or nay other faith for that matter). However, I have never got my head around the fact that some people despise the Jews, either overtly or covertly. What am I missing?

[rubaiyat]

It seems to be human nature to attack anyone who doesn't conform to "social norms" and Jews have been steadfast in maintaining their beliefs in the face of enormous persecution.

There is a notion that if we let you be an exception we will have to let everyone follow their own beliefs then where would we be? Everyone thinking for themselves? Oh the horror!

Still it cuts both ways Rhisiart that she or her family could not tolerate you maintaining your own beliefs in the marriage. A friend of mine is married to a Jewish girl, with what I would call quite superstitious Jewish beliefs, but they seem perfectly happy.

I was aware of how much pressure can come from the spouse's family when I married across racial boundaries. But in the end they forgive you! Not necessarily the daughter though for having "let them down"! :) Racism is always something white people do!

[Greg_Reez]

Gotta love macosx.com's forums... this is why I come back day after day after day. Some discussions here are more in depth than college classrooms and even more eclectic than a smoke-filled college dorm room.

I also just wanted to add that Sarah Palin is oh so hot.

[rubaiyat]

:) Have to agree. Not as strong a recommendation for high office as that you can see an uninhabited Russian island from a remote Alaskan fishing village, if you stand on your kitchen table.

We had a local extremely rascist politician who had a good run based on the the fact, I suspect, that a lot of older men thought she was hot. And their wives didn't seem to mind as they blindly shared her views and if she peeked their interest, that was to the good.

[reed]

Show me one ex-VP candidate (who lost) become number 1? A lot of noise for nothing. Turn the page guys.