**Palins Big Night.. Round #2**

I am not sure if the McCain campaign truly gets it. At this point they are keeping Sara Palin a little to close to the reservation. I believe this strategy is completely missing the point. Its obvious that Sara Palin has been able to connect with a large subset of the population and its seems as if people recognize a little Sara Palin in themselves. What that means to me is people are willing to overlook some mistakes or lack of experiance for her authenticity. This is a high stakes debate and the left wing nutjobs are throwing all kinds of mud post the Couric interview. Thursday is going to be a huge night and Palin needs to reestablish herself. She can do it if they let her.

Community Organizer of Chicago

Please Notice Date a Must Read

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

By STEVEN A. HOLMES

Published: September 30, 1999

In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates -- anywhere from three to four percentage points higher than conventional loans.

''Fannie Mae has expanded home ownership for millions of families in the 1990's by reducing down payment requirements,'' said Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman and chief executive officer. ''Yet there remain too many borrowers whose credit is just a notch below what our underwriting has required who have been relegated to paying significantly higher mortgage rates in the so-called subprime market.''

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

Under Fannie Mae's pilot program, consumers who qualify can secure a mortgage with an interest rate one percentage point above that of a conventional, 30-year fixed rate mortgage of less than $240,000 -- a rate that currently averages about 7.76 per cent. If the borrower makes his or her monthly payments on time for two years, the one percentage point premium is dropped.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, does not lend money directly to consumers. Instead, it purchases loans that banks make on what is called the secondary market. By expanding the type of loans that it will buy, Fannie Mae is hoping to spur banks to make more loans to people with less-than-stellar credit ratings.

Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites.

Home ownership has, in fact, exploded among minorities during the economic boom of the 1990's. The number of mortgages extended to Hispanic applicants jumped by 87.2 per cent from 1993 to 1998, according to Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. During that same period the number of African Americans who got mortgages to buy a home increased by 71.9 per cent and the number of Asian Americans by 46.3 per cent.

In contrast, the number of non-Hispanic whites who received loans for homes increased by 31.2 per cent.

Despite these gains, home ownership rates for minorities continue to lag behind non-Hispanic whites, in part because blacks and Hispanics in particular tend to have on average worse credit ratings.

In July, the Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed that by the year 2001, 50 percent of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's portfolio be made up of loans to low and moderate-income borrowers. Last year, 44 percent of the loans Fannie Mae purchased were from these groups.

The change in policy also comes at the same time that HUD is investigating allegations of racial discrimination in the automated underwriting systems used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to determine the credit-worthiness of credit applicants.

Ever heard of the Bakken Formation?

GOOGLE it or follow this link. It will blow your mind.

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

The U.S. Geological Service issued a report in April ('08) that only
scientists and oilmen knew was coming, but man was it big. It was a
revised
report (hadn't been updated since '95) on how much oil was in this area
of
the western 2/3 of North Dakota; western South Dakota; and extreme
eastern
Montana ... check THIS out:

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe
Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on
foreign
oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503
billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable... at $107 a
barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion.

'When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see
their
jaws hit the floor. They had no idea.' says Terry Johnson, the Montana
Legislature's financial analyst.

'This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found
in
the past 56 years,' reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It's a formation
known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the
'Bakken.' And it stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota
and
into Canada . For years, U.S.oil exploration has been considered a dead
end.
Even the 'Big Oil' companies gave up searching for major oil wells
decades
ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the
Bakken's massive reserves... and we now have access of up to 500 billion
barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels
will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!

That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 41 years
straight.

2. And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one
should -
because it's from TWO YEARS AGO, people!

U.S.Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World!
Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006 Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the
surface
of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world
is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush
mandated its extraction.

They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders,
than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:

-8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
&n bsp; -18-times as much oil a s Iraq
-21-times as much oil as Kuwait
-22-times as much oil as Iran
-500-times as much oil as Yemen- and it's all right here in the

Western United States .

HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this!? Because the
democrats,
environmentalists and left wing republicans have blocked all efforts to
help America become independent o f foreign oil.

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in
this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION
barrels. Untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude
oil in the world today, r eports The Denver Post.
----
Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price - even with this find? Think again!
It's all about the competitive marketplace, - it has to.
----
Got your attention fired up yet? Hope so! Now, while you're thinking
about it .. and hopefully so.. do this:

3. Take 10 minutes and compose an e-mail; fax or good old-fashioned
letter
to all your friends and associates. Alert them to the fact that democrats
and 'liberal' republicans have been and will continue to obstruct all
plans
to make America independent of foreign oil. The only solution is to vote
all democrats and Marxist oriented republicans out of office.

If you don't take a little time to do this, then you should stifle
yourself the next time you want to complain about gas prices .. because
by doing NOTHING, you've forfeited your right to complain.
--------

Glenn T Swindle

NOTICE: DNC has Secret Agenda !!

Let me share some info with you that has leaked from excellent sources within the DNC:

With the drastically underestimated Sarah Palin making tidalwaves among campaign discussion, there is only one guess as to what is coming...

On or about October 5th, Biden will excuse himself from the ticket citing health problems. And who will be the replacement? Hillary Clinton. This is precisely calculated to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.

There have been talks all weekend about how to proceed about dispersing this secret plan among the voting public. Generally, the feeling is that we should all go ahead and get it out there. Post to as many blog sites and personal email lists as is possible. We have already seen a few short blurbs about this - the 'health problem' cited in most of those articles was an aneurysm. Probably many of you have heard the same rumblings.

However, at this point, with this inside info from the DNC, it looks like this Obama strategy will be a go. Therefore, it seems that the best strategy is to get out in front of this Obama maneuver, spell it out in detail, thereby exposing it as the grand manipulation that it is.

So, let's start mixing this one up and cut the Obama-ites off at the pass - Send this info out to as many people as you can - Post about it on websites and blogs - Tell everyone you know!!

This is going to Happen!!

Who’s Better Suited for National Security Leadership

In the Category 100 hurricane of mainstream media sarcasm, dismissals and denunciations that has blown over the number two spot on the GOP ticket this week, one simple fact remains standing amidst the debris: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is better suited to take responsibility for the national security of the United States than is Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Let me be clear first about the reasons I could have had in mind, but did NOT have in mind, in reaching this contrarian conclusion.

First off, I was NOT thinking about the MSM’s record for perceptiveness and insight when it comes to national strategy and commanders in chief. It is not a good record.

Over seven years, I served in the Reagan Administration in capacities ranging from volunteer staff for a commission to review government management to an international economic policy assignment to speechwriter to the president. I watched as the same institutions – even sometimes the same people – directed the same rhetorical fire at Ronald Reagan that they are now directing at Governor Palin.

Ignorant, dangerous, trigger-happy cowboy (well, not “boy” in Palin’s case): all this and more they said about the author of the most brilliant national security strategy of the 20th century. For more than a decade after he returned to California, they dismissed as a near buffoon the man whose policies led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War within less than a presidential term of his exit from office.

For example, The New York Times was a leader of the charge of the blind brigade then and is once more leading the pack now. This Sunday’s edition featured a front page story and three columnist writing that the governor who took on corruption in high places, cut federal earmarks accepted in half and enjoyed an 80 percent approval rating was not such an able a leader at all and, of course, not suited for global leadership.

But I am NOT suggesting that, given their record, the opinion of this crowd on the suitability of any candidate for global leadership is beyond laughable and beneath contempt. I’m not. Truly, I’m not.

And in saying that Senator Obama is less qualified than Governor Palin, I am NOT thinking of the almost unbelievable absence of judgment that the senator has displayed on national security matters since the campaign began.

It is hard to pick the low point. There have been so many -- from advocating abrogation of NAFTA to proposing unconditional direct talks between US president Obama and Iranian president Ahmadinejad to announcing in a televised debate that he would start pulling US troops out of Iraq within sixty days of taking office to his running mate telling Israeli generals that they would have to learn to live with a nuclear Iran. It is quite a list.

But my top pick for low moment came in just the past couple of weeks. In an interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly, Senator Obama said of our troop surge in Iraq that no one could have imagined how successful it would be. The mainstream media glided over the confession, but it is worth noting that early advocate John McCain as well as the much maligned George W. Bush and the brilliant David Petraeus all were able to imagine the surge’s success. By her support for the surge, Governor Palin was, too.

But I am NOT saying that Senator Obama’s breathtaking failure of imagination on the most consequential national security decision of the past four years makes him a less able candidate for national security leadership. After all, maybe he thought that our troops just weren’t up to the job, that they couldn’t do much but cling to their guns and pray for the best.

And I am NOT saying that Governor Palin is more qualified because of her experience related to foreign affairs, though it is vast by comparison with Senator Obama.

Let’s face it -- neither has much in the way of direct experience in international policy. Senator Obama’s main claim to stature is co-sponsorship of an uncontroversial, entirely obvious bill regarding acquisition and disposal of Soviet-era weapons of mass destruction still in Russia – legislation that, while beneficial, displayed all the sophistication of an undergraduate term paper and on which he followed the lead of GOP co-sponsor Senator Richard Lugar, a true expert in this field.

But the world and its challenges are changing. Thanks to the surge’s unimaginable success, Iraq may be little more than a cleaning up operation for the next president. But with the economic rise of China and India and events in Russia, it seems clear that outside the Middle East, the big challenges will have to do with access to resources.

Both tickets have placed high emphasis on securing energy from, if not domestic sources, then at least friendly ones. Senator Obama initially put off limits the two forms of energy that are most within reach of current technology – offshore oil drilling and building more nuclear generating plants. He seems to be backing off that position, like so many others. But if he goes through with his threat to demand a renegotiation of NAFTA, he may well complicate access to the next most politically stable and friendly source of both petroleum and uranium: Canada.

By contrast, according to American foreign policy expert James Bennett, writing in this weekend’s London Sunday Telegraph, Palin’s celebrated pipeline deal included successful negotiations with the Canadian national and provincial governments. Because of its rich energy resources, Canada is about to become a far more important factor in US global policy. Obama has spent a good part of this campaign insulting and threatening this ally. Palin already has worked constructively with them.

But, as I say, experience is NOT the reasons that Governor Palin is better suited as a steward of our national security than Senator Obama. Here is the reason.

Presidents are surrounded with lots of foreign policy experts. Most of the National Security Council staff will be the same, whichever ticket wins. Both Obama and Palin are intelligent people who will quickly absorb their briefing books and lectures and within months be extraordinarily well versed in the full range of foreign policy issues.

But then something will happen and, not only will the president have make decisions, but it will be essential that he or she be able to stand firm. No quality is more fundamental to the success of a keeper of our security than strength. In recent weeks, one McCain ploy after another has thrown Senator Obama and his campaign. The senator has backed off one position after another that had been previously cast in cement. He and his campaign have acted deeply intimidated by McCain television ads – well, not ads actually broadcast on television, internet ads, an incredible display of weakness

Meanwhile, Governor Palin has uttered three critical words that mark her as having the strength of a Thatcher or a Reagan – the most telling words she said to Charlie Gibson: “You can’t blink.”

That’s what we learned this week. Under pressure, Senator Obama blinks. Under pressure, Governor Palin does not. That is why Governor Palin has emerged as the one better suited to assume our national security leadership, should she need to step in.

Clark S. Judge is managing director of the White House Writers Group, a policy and communications consulting firm based in Washington

Palin v. Obama: Who’s Better Suited for National Security Leadership
by Clark S. Judge

Dear Mr. Obama

Wilson row over green 'alarmists'

The Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has angered green campaigners by describing their view on climate change as a "hysterical psuedo-religion".

Sammy Wilson's view on climate change has angered environmentalists

In an article in the News Letter, Mr Wilson said he believed it occurred naturally and was not man-made.

"Resources should be used to adapt to the consequences of climate change, rather than King Canute-style vainly trying to stop it," said the minister.

Peter Doran of the Green Party said it was a "deeply irresponsible message."

Mr Wilson said he refused to "blindly accept" the need to make significant changes to the economy to stop climate change.

"The tactic used by the "green gang" is to label anyone who dares disagree with their view of climate change as some kind of nutcase who denies scientific fact," he said.

The minister said he accepted climate change can occur, but does not believe the cause has been identified.

"Reasoned debate must replace the scaremongering of the green climate alarmists."

John Woods of Friends of the Earth said Mr Wilson was "like a cigarette salesman denying that smoking causes cancer".

"Ironically, if we listen to him Northern Ireland will suffer economically as we are left behind by smarter regions who are embracing the low carbon economy of the future."

It is the latest clash between Mr Wilson and green groups since his appointment as environment minister in June.

Excerpt from BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/759981

A Little Transparency Would Be Nice

Ah . . . Sorry to bother you Mr. Obama, Sir Excuse me Mr. Obama, I mean Senator Obama, sir. Um . . . know you are busy and important and stuff. I mean running for president is very important and . . . ah . . . I hate to bother you. I will only take a minute ok, sir? See, I have these missing pieces that are holding me up, and I was wondering sir, if you could take time out of your busy schedule and help me out. You know, no big deal, just some loose ends and things. Hey, you have a nice place here! The wife sees houses like this on TV all the time and says boy she wishes she had digs like this you know? Is that painting real? Really? Wow. I saw something like that in a museum once! Oh, sorry sir. I didn't mean to get off the track. So if you could just help me out a minute and give me some details, I will get right out of your way. I want to close this case and maybe take the wife to Coney Island or something. Ever been to Coney Island ? No, I didn't think so. . . Well, listen, anyways, I can't seem to get some information I need to wrap this up. These things seem to either be "locked" or "not available'. I'm sure it's just some oversight or glitch or something, so if you could you tell me where these things are . . . I . . . I . . . have them written down here somewhere . . . oh wait. Sorry about the smears. It was raining out. I'll just read it to you. Could you help me please find these things, sir? ? Your Occidental College records ? Your Columbia College records ? Your Columbia Thesis paper ? Your Harvard College records ? Your Selective Service Registration ? Your medical records ? Your Illinois State Senate records ? Your Illinois State Senate schedule ? Your Law practice client list ? A Certified Copy of your original Birth certificate ? Your embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth ? Your Harvard Law Review articles that were published ? Your University of Chicago scholarly articles ? Your Record of baptism Oh hey . . . listen! I know you are busy! Is this too much for you now? I mean tell you what. I will come back tomorrow. Give you some time to get these things together, you know? I mean, I know you are busy, so I will just let myself out. I will be back tomorrow. And the day after. . .

++Qualification Comparisons++

Friend of mine sent me this.. Interesting Perspective

You couldn't get a job at McDonalds and become district manager after
143 days of experience.

You couldn't become chief of surgery after 143 days of experience of
being a surgeon.

You couldn't get a job as a teacher and be the superintendent after
143 days of experience.

You couldn't join the military and become a colonel after a 143 days
of experience.

You couldn't get a job as a reporter and become the nightly news
anchor after 143 days of experience.


BUT....


From the time Barack Obama was sworn in as a United State Senator, to
the time he announced he was forming a Presidential exploratory
committee, he logged 143 days of experience in the Senate. That's how
many days the Senate was actually in session and working. After 143 days of work experience, Obama believed he was ready to be Commander In
Chief, Leader of the Free World... 143 days.

We all have to start somewhere. The senate is a good start, but after
143 days, that's all it is -- a start.

AND, strangely, a large sector of the American public is okay with this
and campaigning for him. We wouldn't accept this in our own line of work,
yet some are okay with this for the President of the United States of
America?

Come on folks, we are not voting for the next American Idol!

The Top 18 Empty Promises from the Barack Obama Acceptance Speech

When Obama proposed to increase an already out of control government in spending by over 286% (Reuters.com), you can expect a few promises to be made during your acceptance speech. But, I don’t think anyone expected as many empty promises or lies to be shed on the American public during his 43-minute sermon to the Obama-nation in Denver the other night. The following is a list of the top 18 lies or misstatements spouted by Barack Obama:

#1. Obama promised: I'll eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
FACTS: Obama is going to raise the taxes on capital gains and dividends. Additionally he is going to increase the maximum cap gains rate to 25%. (Reuters.com)

#2. Obama promised: I will cut taxes for 95 percent of all working families.
FACTS: Obama is not cutting the taxes for 95% of all working families; he is giving refund checks to many of them and calling it a tax cut. Factually speaking, under Bush’s tax cuts revenue rose by 20% more than during the tax increases of Clinton.

#3. Obama promised: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
FACTS: Based upon John F. Kennedy’s acceptance speech when he offered a 10-year race to the moon, Obama is trying to liken himself to leaders of the past (so people won’t focus on his lack of experience in the present)

#4-6. Obama promised: I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool*, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.
FACTS: Empty promises from the empty suit. He has been trying to sell his energy plan to the middle America and Independents for months now, but no one’s buying. Obama's new plan for change is the same old plan the Democrats have been proposing for decades. Natural Gas reserves, clean coal (The Clean Coal Power Initiative is providing government co-financing for new coal technologies that can help utilities meet the President Bush's Clear Skies Initiative to cut sulfur, nitrogen and mercury pollutants from power plants by nearly 70 percent by the year 2018. Also, some of the early projects are showing ways to reduce greenhouse emissions by boosting the efficiency by which coal plants convert coal to electricity or other energy forms) and Nuclear power.
*According to Obama.com, “re-tooling auto plants to adopt clean technology” will cost Americans $4 billion and since Obama isn't about to start drilling off-shore or in ANWAR...he needs to start building more fuel-efficient cars.

#7. Obama promised: I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars.
FACTS: I tried to find any information on the Internet with regards to “How Obama is going to find a way to get the Government to make cars more affordable,” but I couldn’t find anything…perhaps Obama will work out a deal with Cal Worthington and his dog Spot.

#8-11. Obama promised: I'll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy -- wind power, and solar power, and the next generation of biofuels -- an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced.
FACTS: As a part of his plan to increase governmental spending by over 286%, Obama is going to invest $10 Billion to help auto industries modernize infrastructure. Additionally, Obama is going to give another $4 billion to automakers to retool plants and adopt cleaner technologies. (Reuters) The question is how are we going to afford all these new plans? Answer: Tax the rich, after all its their fault we got in this mess in the first place.

#12 Obama promised: “5 million new jobs created by investing $150 billion in wind pwer, solar, and the next generation of biofuels”
FACTS: most industry specialists estimate a limited number of new jobs being produced by this new “Race for Alternative Energy.” (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) Numbers are estimated on an annual basis of 10-20,000 over the next decade.

#13. Obama promised: If you have health care -- if you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.
FACTS: Congress’s Health Care Plan: 72 – 75% subsidized through the Government. Their Health Care Plan gives Congress and their spouse’s access to the Top 5 physicians in each specialty at the Naval Facility in Washington. How is Obama going to give each and every person in the United States “access” to the best physicians? Or more importantly how is the Government going to subsidize 72-75% of all health coverage?(NewObserver.com)

Problems with Universal “Hillary” Health Care:
a. Reduces patient incentives to find best possible prices for the best possible services/products available.

b. Reduces physician incentives to provide competitive care.

c. Reduces incentives for pharmaceutical companies to come out with newer and better drugs.

d. All “free” medical care is subsidized through taxes stolen from others (the Obama way)

#14. Obama promised: Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses, and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.
FACTS: Obama wants to amend the current bankruptcy laws so people won’t have to be as responsible for their actions when making financial decisions. Obama doesn’t like making decisions, he cast a vote of “Present” 150 times during his short time in the Senate…he doesn’t want other people to have to make tough decisions either. According to freepublic.com, this amendment will make it more difficult for people with health problems to get loans and if he (Obama) caps the interest rates, they could get shut out entirely.

#15. Obama promised: And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have the exact same opportunities as your sons.
FACTS: You know, if it was really true that you could hire a woman for three quarters of what you could hire a man with exactly the same qualifications, then employers would be crazy not to hire all women. It would be insane to hire men. Not only would it be insane, it would probably put them out of the business because the ones that were smart enough to hire women would have such a cost advantage that it would be really hard for the others to compete.

#16. Obama promised: I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
FACTS: Ending the war responsibly does not mean pulling out the troops in 18 months. It may be the most expedited way to end the war, but the most responsible way to end the war is base your decision on victory and the opinion’s of the Generals on the ground. When we, as Americans have won the war against Nazi terrorists…then we can pull our troops out of harms way. Until that point, we need to continue winning each conflict and winning each battle, until we win the war.

#17. Obama promised: I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts, but I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.
FACTS: Obama has pledged to cut 10’s of billions of military spending, slow the development of future military weapons, *35% decrease in overall military size, and provide a global ban on nucs…in addition he wants to negotiate with Russia to release their ICBM’s off of hair-trigger alert (even though he recently wanted to go to the UN during the Georgia-Russia conflict to resolve the issue, but Obama failed to realize Russia had a VETO over any UN action) *Reuters.com

#18. Obama promised: I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease.
FACTS: blah, blah, blah, blah…I sure hope he isn’t putting his hopes in Joe Biden.

Now That's A Convention Speech

A couple of days ago I said that Palin’s speech Wednesday night was no longer big, it was HUGE.

Pregnant daughters, organizations promoting secession, DUI’s, improper firings, blah blah blah blah blah.

The avalanche of negative press surrounding Palin was historical. Think about it. Even Dan Quayle, the previous record-holder for media battering, didn’t have this type of smear directed his way in such a short and concise period.

And quite frankly, it is all genius.

How? Let’s quickly look at the past week.

Thursday: Obama breaks all standing records for self-congratulation and delivers a speech of epic emptiness to, appropriately, 80 thousand empty-headed worshippers.

Friday: Palin is announced as VP. The world is talking about Sarah Palin. Even the previously mentioned empty-headers can’t help themselves.

Saturday: Internet rumors swirl about “trooper-gate”, “AIP”, “DUI”, and that baby Trig’s mother is not Sarah, but Bristol.

Sunday: The news programs and papers start hammering away. “She’s an unfit mother!” “She has no experience!” Even Obama plays in, ignoring her experience as governor and claiming he has more experience because he manages a campaign (he does not) and she only has been mayor of a small town. The sharks continue to circle.

Monday morning: Bristol Palin is preggers. Shit storm ignites. “Trooper-gate”, “AIP”, “DUI”, “unfit mother”, “no experience” – there’s nothing else in the media except for anti-Palin. Where is Sarah? She is no where to be found. Thusly, it keeps up. The storm increases. “UNWED MOTHERS” “TROOPER GATE” “AIP” “DUI” “UNFIT MOTHER” “NO EXPERIENCE!!!!!”

Tuesday: The convention resumes. The attacks remain. Sarah Palin is still no where to be found.

Wednesday: The buzz is building. The reclusive Sarah is speaking tonight. Everyone is talking… Where has she been? What will she say? How will she handle it? Still, she is silent, ignoring even friendly press questions at the walk through on the stage.

Wednesday Night: Confidence. Charm. Strength. Composure. A party invigorated. A nation abuzz.

Thursday: Not a paper in the country without Sarah Palin’s face on the front page. The consensus: HOMERUN. And the shit storm from Monday and Tuesday? A retraction from the New York Times. The rest? It was relegated to one line in a stories that highlight the woman, highlight the speech, and rather than give credence to the smears, focus on how she overcame them.

So, how did it all happen? The GOP played their cards brilliantly. They knew of the troubles when they appointed her. They let the press run wild. The press had nothing else to report about Sarah Palin aside from the negative. Then, by Wednesday morning it all ready started to run its cycle and die off as the actual speech took, well, center stage. By Wednesday night, the smears were an afterthought. By Thursday morning, they are a side note. By Friday morning, after McCain’s speech, we’ve got ourselves a race.

The campaign begins Friday. The campaign bumps in the polls will have evened themselves out. And the shitstorm is old news. They let it build, they let it die, they buried it with a MONSTER speech. And America was watching. Over 37 million people tuned it to watch a VP candidate deliver her speech. A VP candidate almost matched “the messiah’s” numbers.

And what about that speech?

From the moment she took the stage, she dominated the arena. People could not take their eyes off her. She walked on to the stage and when the cheers finally died down, she made it clear that she was in control. No more press, no more bloggers, no more liberal smear machine. It was the Sarah Palin show. In mere moments, there wasn’t a single doubt, from even the most jaded critic who harped on her lack of experience, that she belonged on that stage. Every single comment over the past week about her inexperience was instantly trumped. Sarah Palin smothered them. She did it with wit, she did it with charm, she did it with force…but most of all, she did it with a confidence and a level of composure that matched or bested even the very best and most seasoned politicians that Washington DC has to offer.

She dominated in a way that McCain can’t do, in a way that GWB can’t do, in a way that Dole or GHWB never could do. You see where I’m going with this. It’s been a long time since someone from the GOP has taken the stage and performed like that, and the slightly tired and ambivalent base watched it and were enlivened by it.

I’m not saying that Palin is the next you-know-who. I’m just saying that on this night, the Great Communicator is up there smiling.

So, what does it all mean? Is she the answer to Obama’s eloquence? Is she the sparkplug that will awaken a dormant party? Will she inspire women voters? Will average Americans flock to her, seeing more of themselves in her than they do in the elitist, Obama?

The Dems are hoping not. But as of today, they’ve got a lot to worry about because the smear gun is quickly running out of ammo…and now they have to face her.

With Friends Like These...

Dear Diddy,

Thank you very very very much. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,

John McCain

A BABY CHANGES EVERYTHING

I set out to write a post this morning about the pros and cons of the Palin pick, one that in my opinion was a great move and will prove to be the one of the best moves in recent political history.
But then, while perusing the Fox News website hoping for good Gustav news and thusly good convention news, they broke the story that Palin’s 17 year old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant.
I’m now having a hard time writing my glowing article.
In fact, I have to be completely honest when I say that my first thought was the reaction of the voters if Palin announced that she must be with her family through this tough time and stepped down. I’m not counting that out right now, but after considering it and allowing a cooler head to prevail, I realize that it may be more problematic than if they attack it head on.
Palin’s appointment rallied the conservatives. Donations have skyrocketed. That all-important “buzz” is finally surrounding the McCain campaign. How will this news affect that? How will the campaign spin it?
Are we now fucked?
Is my opinion of Palin different now than it was yesterday, or earlier this morning even? Not at all. Teenagers are idiots. I know I was. Let’s not pretend that teenage sex doesn’t happen.
What I’m concerned about is the reaction of the public. We know that the dems will do their typical hypocritical horseshit, suddenly becoming bastions of family values and berating Palin’s parenting (and surely telling us that gay parents could do it better). My real concern, though, is will the energy, the buzz, the feeling of “holy shit, we can win this thing!” go away? Will the conservative base become ambivalent again? And more importantly, the swing voters who were all of a sudden leaning toward McCain now sprinting back in the other direction?
This is now a really big week. And I mean REALLY big. It was big before, but now it’s fucking huge. How are they going to play this? The McCain camp has said that they knew of Bristol’s pregnancy prior to the appointment, which makes me think either they have a great plan for it, or they are simply out of their fucking minds. Either way, I’ve gotta believe that the idea of sending her to a cabin in the far reaches of the Frontier state and not mentioning her again until November 5th had to have crossed their minds. But these things never stay secret and they always come out and when they do, the fallout is always worse. So maybe this is the correct course of action. Get it out there early and move on. Maybe she’ll become more compelling, allowing her to have an even bigger stage when she speaks on Wednesday, and give her even more of a chance to win people over.
Back to the glowing post, she can deliver a speech. She is tough, she is beautiful, she is extremely interesting to even the most nonchalant of political participants. If she can put together a real homerun of a speech, in front of an intently focused crowd, will she solve her own problem?
Like I said, this week is now HUGE. I really hope that on Thursday I can come back here and write that glowing article that I intended to write this morning.