Let's be clear: John McCain has failed his first presidential test in SPECTACULAR FASHION

[EarlG]

The selection of a running mate is frequently referred to as a candidate's first real test when running for president. There was no doubt that Barack Obama smoothly passed that test with his selection of the deeply experienced U.S. Senator Joe Biden.

And then came McCain. John McCain clinched his party's nomination all the way back on http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/04/march.4.contests/index.html">March 4. He's had six months to carefully select and vet a running mate, and what did he do? He waited until the absolute last moment - until Obama made his move - and then acted in a purely reactionary fashion. He made his selection rashly, on a whim.

His capriciousness has caused a total campaign meltdown. Sarah Palin was initially praised as a "bold" choice, but just over 72 hours later the media is feasting on the flesh of multiple scandals, including the revelation that she lied about opposing the "bridge to nowhere", that she used to belong to a secessionist party (so much for "country first"), that she is under investigation for abuse of power, and that her unmarried teenage daughter is pregnant. Now McCain and Palin are practically in hiding.

If this is any indication of the way he makes decisions, can you imagine the kind of damage he'll do to this country if he becomes president? He'll make George W. Bush look like Abraham Lincoln.

[grantcart]

1. As the guy said, "He doesn't get it".

[Joe Bacon]

71. Gary Glitter spent time in a Vietnam prison too...

...Doesn't excuse his foolish behavior, either! :puke:

[balrabbius]

128. I'm calling on people to Shun republicans.

It's the goddamn nation, and billions of lives are at risk with his decisions. Jesus Christ. Now I want McCain to lose because he's turning the presidency into a DAYTIME SOAP OPERA.

I HATE THE REPUBLICANS FOR TURNING MY AMERICA INTO A JOKE.

DAMN YOU! STOP IT!!

JUST STOP IT. IT'S NOT FUNNY.

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

;_; When will the republicans stop making America look like fools? WHY DO WE HAVE TO SUFFER THIS?

This isn't the race for the damn soap-opera awards! It's the WHITE HOUSE!

STOP MAKING IT LOOK FOOLISH!

I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT REPUBLICANS -WANT- TO LOOK LIKE IDIOTS! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WANT THE WORLD TO DISREGARD US!

ARE RUSSIA AND CHINA SUPPOSED TO TAKE US SERIOUSLY?



The republicans don't exist.

Ignore them.

Shun them.

Turn your backs to them, and don't look back.

Family, friends, parents, whatever.

I'm asking that everyone shun the republicans. There are no republicans.

[rucognizant]

130. I found out today.......

Olympia Snowe DIDN'T WANT IT! SHe prefers to stay here & represent Maine.

[blue sky at night]

145. I'll have you know....

I laughed at one with a McCain BS on his rear window...he was holding up something and mocking me...I told him to shove it up his ass and continued laughing at him. He was pathetic, but I didn't give him the finger like he did me.

[Patsy Stone]

2. See: he's a maverick!

And that's (somehow) supposed to be a good thing.

[Phredicles]

8. Right: when he does something crazy or stupid or just plain weird it's

because he's a maverick. But I think it's getting wo where even his base in the media aren't buying it so much any more.

[Patsy Stone]

24. He's only got two excuses

and it's to the point where they're both as old as he is.

I think this one may make people question his sanity once and for all. Not the 29%ers, but actual thinking people.

[wizstars]

125. I bet we could get five grand for him on 'Antiques Roadshow'...

...along with those excuses

[Patsy Stone]

136. Sadly

he's a cheap imitation of a presidential candidate, and completely worthless.

[tblue37]

46. Yeah--but probably only because he isn't still being

all BFF with them. His snottiness toward the Time reporter and his seclusion from the press has undercut their infatuation with him. As Tweety once said, the press was his base. But I think he has not been taking proper care of his base recently, so their covering for him is less enthusiastic than it was.

[pot luck]

30. Good point.

The Obama campaign should let McCain keep the maverick title, and then turn it around on him. Maverick = impulsive and risky. Does America want a maverick dealing with Putin or Ahmadinejad?

[Plucketeer]

49. I looked up Maverick in the dictionary

Yes, it means what most of us think it means, but it stems from a practice of stealing cattle. One Samuel Maverick was someone who purposely didn't brand his herd. Then he'd deliberately stampede HIS cattle into herds of other ranchers. Even tho the other ranchers branded their cattle, there were always some they missed or that had recently been born. Maverick would then go in and retrieve HIS unbranded cattle AS WELL AS those unbranded head of the other ranchers. In other words, ill-gotten gains! :grr:

[Rockholm]

90. Here is a Maverick for you.

This is about as maverick as McCain can be....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Maverick_(Car)

[Patsy Stone]

137. He wishes

he was as cool a that car.

[Diane R]

3. 1st Recommend. This needs to be K&R'd

[C_U_L8R]

4. STUPENDOUSLY

a breathtakingly bad choice

[villager]

5. Shouldn't that be "Let's be clear, *my friends...*?"

n/t

[book_worm]

6. That is truly the issue.

[FrenchieCat]

7. Frightening!

[LynzM]

101. Just had to jump in here....

To say that I love your sig pic, and I agree!!

[crazylikafox]

9. But But But he was a POW.........

[Arugula Latte]

45. And she was a PTA mom! The perfect match!

POW + PTA = GOP D.O.A

[me b zola]

47. +1

:thumbsup:

[thoughtcrime1984]

10. He's gawd awful. You or I could do a better job in the Oval Office. nt

[RollWithIt]

11. Precisely....

Failure of leadership. Lacks the insight to be President.

[HereSince1628]

12. His choice is turning out to be the very essence of incredible!

I haven't had this much fun since I tried to pronounce Spiro Agnew.

[yourguide]

13. Kicked, Rec'd and...

CHEERS!

:toast:

[Dammit Ann]

14. It's like Christmas in September...

McCain just showed the country what kind of President he would be if elected. It doesn't get any better than this, people. Enjoy.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. All day Friday I was saying

Christmas came early for Obama this year.

[Wetzelbill]

44. I knew it would be bad

I thought she was an interesting choice. Really had people talking, I was compelled myself. But I had no doubt that such a cynical and irrational choice would start to unravel after a bit. I didn't think it would be this fast and easy, but I knew it was coming. VETTING. It's kind of important.

[SmokingJacket]

88. I knew was bad.

But I had no idea he was a complete moron.

[last1standing]

15. His next VP choice will be just as reactionary.

People love to think of mcsame as a "maverick", but really he's always been a knee-jerk reactionary who's jumped on every bandwagon he could chase down. Let's hope this campaign ensures he is never called a maverick again.

[Bluebear]

16. "My friends..... I am an idiot"

[kid a]

17. I'm sitting here scratching my head, but worried the MSM will brush it off

While they cover Gustav until it peters out somewhere over Idaho, Palin will be glossed over.

They WILL NOT DO THEIR JOB.

They didn't 6 years ago with GWB and they won't with Palin.

[adamuu]

29. there is a never-ending stream of stuff on her. i'm not worried.

its just keeps chirp-chirp-chirping along on a conveyor belt...

apparently in AK there is lots of small-town stuff you can get away with and people sort of turn the other way.
imagine 20 years of that, piled up... everyone in the small town, isolated state know... it will come out.

That's why Huffington Post's banner says
DRIP DRIP DRIP

btw look at McCain's face in that pic... he looks very uncomfortable.

[Cosmocat]

85. There are two ways this will break ...

1) The media DOES IT'S JOB

2) The Rs have their convention - the media then will say "her party has rallied behind her, that is good enough for us" and then prop her up until the VP debate, and if she so much as doens't crape her pants, say that "well, expectations were so low, she WON CONVINCINGLY" and then say that proves she is ready.

Now, after about 2 decades of the media carrying water for the republicans over everything from Iran Contra, to blowing Bills BJ up to an impeachable offense, to getting a moron elected POTUS, to Iraq, to the litany of crape this crew has done in 8 years. WHAT OPTION IS MOST LIKLEY.

[LiberalEsto]

95. Page 1 lead story in today's WashPost

Headline:

Hurricane Isn't the Only Jolt for Convention

Sub-Head right underneath that:

Palin's Daughter, 17, is Pregnant

[the Sundance Kid]

18. McCain did not pass the Commander-in-Chief threshold

[Zenlitened]

19. Totally agree. This is one for the history books, it really is.

:wow:

BTW, the New York Times has a good article, summarizing all the stuff that's come out about Palin in the past few days. More importantly, the article rightly lays all the responsibility on McCain:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?hp

It's about his judgment. And his judgment sucks so bad it's scary.

[Bonobo]

20. And now it turns out she is a pork-barreler of the worst sort!

27 million dollars to her town of a few thousand people!

Hypocrites.

[Kerrytravelers]

21. bwwwaaaahhhh... snort... whoo... hoo.... bwwwwaaahhhh... snort...

:rofl:

bwwwaaaahhhh... snort... whoo... hoo.... bwwwwaaahhhh... snort... :rofl:

<taking a deep breath>

:rofl: bwwwaaaahhhh... snort... whoo... hoo.... bwwwwaaahhhh... snort...

<taking another deep breath>

bwwwaaaahhhh... snort... whoo... hoo.... bwwwwaaahhhh... snort... :rofl:

<I... can't... breath...I'm... laughing so hard>

[democrat2thecore]

22. Absolutely, Earl - In the end, this is about John McCain - not Sarah Palin

[Crunchy Frog]

23. He makes * look sober and cautious in comparison.

This country is finished if he gets in.

[AtomicKitten]

25. In an epic monumentally spectacular way.

[Cha]

26. mccain makes bushrove's decision to go aboard The Lincoln

with the MISSION ACCOMPLISHED Banner flying high seem like a stroke of genius.

[True_Blue]

27. Maybe the repugs will dump McinSane and pick Romney instead

[Eyes_wide_ open]

28. Experience or jugdement .... you decide k&r nt

[nc4bo]

31. Absolutely frightening that this maniac is getting as far as he has. Scary as hell. nt

[spanone]

32. well said.....imagine this happening in the obama camp....he would be crucified

[Number23]

33. McCain was doomed the second Obama secured the nomination

I almost feel sorry for the guy. Having to go toe to toe, face to face with HISTORY.

It's no wonder that he waited until Obama's convention was over and after Biden had been secured as the Dem VP choice. He knew that he'd have to come hard or not at all. Forget Lieberman, Ridge or Romney. There could be no more stale, white guys going up against the handsome, professorial black guy with the riveting family history and top-notch academic chops, and the average Joe with the compelling life story, exhaustive foreign affairs expertise, and gorgeous "light up the room" smile.

So McCain let his staff and the right-wing zealots he can barely stand anyway steal his thunder and his right and make his VP choice for him based solely on the fact that she was the consummate Conservative Alpha Female - pro-life, pro-gun, pro-oil companies. And because those are the only issues that matter to these people at the expense of everything else, she sunk him faster than an iceberg. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he halfway WANTS to lose at this point so he can pretend none of this ever happened.

Sarah "Train Wreck" Palin has deep-fried what was already a well scrambled campaign. Like I said, I almost feel sorry for the guy.

[VoodooGuru]

34. I daresay...

That McCain's judgment really looks Palin comparison to Obama's now. ;)

[SaveAmerica]

37. ha!

[Beausoir]

35. Palin was a horrendous choice. What a head scratcher.

[TexasObserver]

36. Yes, EPIC FAIL.

He did the one thing a nominee for president is NOT supposed to do: Pick someone not ready to be president.

[Politicalboi]

38. MaGoo got

Bad intelligence. Maybe it's a disease Republicans get.

[Douglas Carpenter]

39. Kick and recommended -- very important !!!!!

[saigon68]

58. K& R

[mnhtnbb]

41. Pound it.

[chill_wind]

42. Is this post on the DU Front Page? Would love to see it there. It says all.

K & R.

[Wetzelbill]

43. he didn't know how Social Security worked or that the Sunni and Shia had a history of violence

And this after 26 years in Congress and a lifetime of supposedly studying national security issues. This guy is intellectually lazy, tempermental and prone to erratic decisions. He'd make W. look like Lincoln and Cheney look like Gandhi. He isn't fit to be dogcatcher back in the town Palin was mayor of.

[Scurrilous]

48. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Y B Gerbil]

50. You All Are Wrong

Palin was an inspired choice. Biden was a boring one. McCain will get more mileage from his VP selection than Obama will get from his.

[Lautremont]

52. If backwards counts as mileage, sure.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

53. Inspired? Really?

How do you figure this?

He'll get more mileage all right...all of it bad.

[Y B Gerbil]

60. Let Me Count The Ways

CaliforniaPeggy

1. It shores up the conservative base, who so far have been less than enthusiastic about McCain.
2. It empowers a changing of the guard in the conservative movement, which hitherto has been casting about for leadership among the same-old-same-olds, in the wake of the damage done by W Bush.
3. It attacts moderate women, and if I may be so bold, some PUMAs.
4. It lowers the average age of the R ticket to within a year or so of the D ticket.

I could go on, but I'm exhausted. I just drove home to Oregon from the Bay Area tonight. Good place to be from, as it were.

[myrna minx]

77. In one short weekend, the sleaze surrounding Palin could not be contained.

She may "shore up the flat Earth, global warming denying, mouth breathing base" but as a result, she will turn off anyone who isn't a fundie. She is an albatross for McCain. That McCain believed that he could make a hasty choice and bring an unvetted VP choice to the convention, when he had six months to make an informed decision, is laughable. Oh, and McCain's Puma's weren't going to vote for Obama anyway. Women vote on issues, not for a woman, who is obviously being cynically trotted out as a prop. Despite what McCain thinks, believe it or not, women aren't stupid. Women aren't interchangeable and we know when we are being blatantly pandered to.

[ingac70]

115. She is not going to attract a single....

genuine Hillary supporter. Moderate women find her creepy.

[lonestarnot]

57. Inspired by tweedle dee and twiddle dumb, soooo inspirational.

McMoose, got to hand her one thing, she sure knows how to lie, and Lumpy apparently likes those credentials. He's getting mileage if you count the treadmarks on his face, and maybe that will improve his lumps. :)

[renate]

61. yup

I for one could not be happier about McCain's choice. It's working out beautifully. :applause:

[Kahuna]

81. Jeepers! Freepers!!!

:wow:

[Virginia Dare]

87. About as much as a hummer loaded down with gun toting freepers...n/t

[racaulk]

94. ***Hey mods, can we keep this one? Pretty please? It's so cute!!!***

:rofl:

[jberryhill]

110. You can get a lot of media attention by streaking at football games, too

...but people don't usually say, "Now there's a feller with good judgment."

Enjoy your brief stay at DU.

[CottonBear]

122. dupe. delete. n/t

[CottonBear]

123. dupe. delete. n/t

[CottonBear]

124. Did you forget the sarcasm smiley? n/t

[Dukkha]

132. ROTFL!!!!

if you're suggesting McSame was inspired to raise the bar on bat shit loony craziness in the colossal failure known as the GOP, then yes it was truly an awe-inspiring spectacle of insanity.

[Bobbie Jo]

51. Colossal Fail K&R

:kick:

[DFW]

54. McCain is being forced to lie about having thoroughly vetted Palin

This will cost him dearly in the short term. If she survives, however,
then the MSM will axt as if all this never happened.

[depakid]

55. But the tactic succeeded brilliantly in geting Obama's speech off the public's mind

after less than a single news cycle!

:evilgrin:

[elzenmahn]

63. True...

...but look at all the ad-material that came from the convention. It's not as though the American people won't be reminded of Obama's epic, as well as the the other speeches at the DNC Convention, in the days leading up to the election.

The coverage over Ms. Palin has indeed saturated the airwaves the last few days. But certainly not all of it in favor of McSame - check out some of the comments read by Jack Cafferty on CNN in the wake of the selection - McSame probably would not have wanted this ploy to play out quite like this.

I think this still plays well for the Dems come November.

[Kahuna]

82. Doesn't matter. 40 million people actually viewed the speech. We don't

need the media to analyze the speech. People actually heard it. That's even better.

[XemaSab]

56. He'll make W look like Abraham Lincoln?

Damn straight.

John McCain: Secessionist.

[Waiting For Everyman]

59. Unforgettable failure!

His choice is absurd, and he did that all on his own. A VP who asks what a VP does? Just for starters? OMG!

And I'm glad now too, that the blogosphere was so outraged by such an insulting choice, and got all over Palin's multiple scandals right away as it did, like cooties on steroids. It was good for this to erupt on McC so fast and so messy, and on multiple fronts.

And it gave us lots of material to keep going into and keep using every day from now on.

This was fortunate timing.

[opihimoimoi]

64. For Obama..this is the PERFECT ELECTION...a Pub who self destructs...gatta love it

:toast:

[demobabe]

62. Never seen anything like it.

Amazing, isn't it? It's like McCain's camp is as unqualified as Obama's camp IS qualified! Now let's hope Bush doesn't blow up the world between now and the election.

[bbgrunt]

65. Not only has HE failed the test, so has his vp pick by

accepting the offer. If she thought that she was ready to step into a job she doesn't have any idea about, SHE has also failed the test BIG TIME.

[Triana]

66. Hopefully, McPOW sufficiently KO'd himself enough for Obama to win..

...in a landslide in November!

BUT - I'm NOT sitting back - and neither should anyone else. We should KEEP WORKING AND DONATING like he's 10 pts behind. We *have to make up for the votes the Piglickins will steal* and for those voters they will undoubtedly disenfranchise with their voter cleansing lists and with their voter intimidation tactics.

You KNOW the bastards are going to try every dirty trick that has worked so well thus far. . . because NO ONE has lifted a finger to stop them.

And we're STILL blethering about Palin's breeding problems instead of the economy, Iraq, national security, the energy crisis/gas prices, climate change, healthcare, the mortgage mess, etc. etc. Time to MOVE ON to the issues and stop letting ROVE's assinine distractions drive us off course.

Keep ya eyes on the PRIZE folks. Palin's breeding issues are NOT the prize.

[HillbillyBob]

92. We have to win by a landslide

To show that enough folks realize what a disaster our country is now.
I have given up trying to convince my repuke relatives. In fact I have
nothing to do with anyone that voted for chimpy if i can help it.
If I meet someone out and they start out on what a good resident dimples is I
walk away and never speak to them again.
I have watched this from ronnyraygun on and I am fed up, no excuses
for traitors, they should be strung up from the nearest tree.
Right after their fair and open trial by a jury of democrats.
We moved to a place in the woods so we would be able to grow food
after the it hits the fan. I have hope but it is slim.
Yes Biden was a 'good' choice for experience, but his 30 year of experience
in the status quo I question.

[Suji to Seoul]

67. Running for POW-In-Chief is hard work. Though, watching the meltdown is truly enjoyable.

Good analysis, EarlG.

[regnaD kciN]

68. FailBlog and LOLCats say it best...!

[TheKentuckian]

69. McCain is all about gimmicks

and poor judgment.

Imagine what John would be doing had he not been the son and grandson of Admirals. He makes you hope that if he wins that Chimpy just declares martial law so we can at least have some semblance of order in our new world order.

[RNdaSilva]

70. Why isn't Obama up by 20 to 30 points, minimum?

That really bothers me. Are there really that many, to put it somewhat politically correct, ill-informed voters?

Forget political correctness...embarrassingly ignorant.

McCain's candidacy is a comedy of errors. But, it ain't funny.

[Alcibiades]

93. Yes

There are that many.

[grace0418]

119. There are a lot, to be sure. But the polls aren't exactly polling people

like younger people who only have cell phones and newly registered voters. And how many people even answer their phones these days, especially if the caller id says "unknown"?

[Ganja Ninja]

72. Failed laughably to put it mildly. n/t

[bklyncowgirl]

73. THIS is the issue. Anything else is a waste of time.

Even if Sarah Palin had turned out to be a combination of Joan of Arc and Eleanor Roosevelt, the fact that no thorough research was done on this woman by the McCain campaign speaks volumes. The very fact that Democratic opposition researchers got to Wasilla, Alaska before the Republicans in remarkable.

You like the way George Bush has governed, you're going to LOVE John McCain.

[RoccoR5955]

74. It IS a bold choice, albeit a mindless one!

Not to mention a bold failure.
Obama wanted someone who would not hold back punches, and tell him when they disagree.
McAncient wanted someone who will keep her mouth shut and do what he tells her.

[Shiver]

75. Not everyone will see it this way...

The only problem with it, is that this isn't what the average low-information voter is going to notice. They're going to see a wife and mother with five children, who "courageously" took on the corruption of the Alaskan political world and made "sweeping reforms". They'll see a "maverick" like McNugget himself claims to be, and wonder how great things will be with two such people in power. Many will see that's she's a woman, and nothing else will matter to them.

This is a major issue, but it can't be the one we invest everything in.


~Shiver

[Coexist]

76. the republicans are trying to do the "see no, hear no, speak no" thing

about Palin, but its not working.

[Kahuna]

78. I said the day of the announcement this would backfire. Little did I know..

how spectacular a misfire this would be. :popcorn:

[terrya]

79. I can't get past that excellent point you made about McCain having so much time to choose his VP.

That is absolutely spot-on. Obama was still fighting the nomination with Hillary. The media coverage was on that contest. McCain had all the time in the world, essentially free from distraction, to carefully vet and choose his/her running mate. To make sure it was exactly right. And....THIS is what he came up with?

[Midlodemocrat]

80. Absolutely. And, to pick a woman with such

profoundly poor judgment? Seriously. What was he thinking? She's a disaster.

My IRL Republican friends are beside themselves at this choice. It's been delicious to watch.

[terrya]

83. I'm rather enjoying this myself.

I do feel sort of sorry for Bristol Palin to have her life go through the wringer like this.

But it is fun to watch the Republicans squirming about this.

[Midlodemocrat]

86. I feel terrible for that child.

TM is 18 and I cannot imagine putting her through something like that for my own gain. A mom ALWAYS puts her kids first. This is just shameful.

[mtnsnake]

84. When it comes to putting it into a nutshell, nobody does it better

Well said!

:thumbsup:

[peace frog]

89. You're preaching to the choir, EarlG

and we're singing the halleleujah chorus. McCain's choice of Palin as running mate fairly REEKS of desperation, and it speaks volumes of McCain's woeful lack of judgement, discretion and character.

[Marrah_G]

91. Spot on: A spectacular and reckless failure.

He has shown how little he understands the precarious situation our country finds itself in at home and abroad by choosing a woman who is severely under qualified to deal with those situations.

[Geek_Girl]

96. He shoots from the hip....

But misses the target, yet again.

[Orsino]

97. Yes. This is the result of several phone calls, none of which came at 3 a.m.

The decision ought to disqualify him from any office for which he might have to do something important. Three months of planning came to this pathetic end.

[pipi_k]

100. Speaking of the 3 AM phone call....

If McCain were president, who would answer the phone during the six or seven naps he'd have to take during the day?

And for that matter, who the hell wants a president who might be prone to falling asleep during foreign policy meetings with kings and queens and other presidents....

:boring:


hee hee

[pipi_k]

98. You know it, I know it, we all here know it, but...

the morons who think his choice was a stroke of brilliance and genius...they're the ones who should know it but don't. And won't. And don't want to.

If this had been something that happened on the Democratic side, I'd be sitting here groaning, holding my head and saying, "Oh my god, you friggen idiots...what are you thinking? What have you DONE???" I mean, I really would be dismayed and disgusted that they couldn't get their shit together and come up with someone less controversial.

A lot of them on the Republican side? Are you kidding? They're applauding and justifying and rationalizing away something that they would condemn if it were a Democrat who found him/herself in this position.


It would be nice if that part of America would wake up from the stupor, but I don't think it's going to happen. The best we can hope for is that Democrats come out in greater numbers to vote away the insanity of the past 7+ years.

[man4allcats]

99. Re: "He'll make George W. Bush look like Abraham Lincoln."

Well, that's the way the reThugs like them - stupid and completely unqualified for the job.

[zanne]

103. The reThugs like him because...

They'd all like to have a beer with Sarah Palin (if she isn't pregnant at the time). Scratch that---they wouldn't care if she was pregnant.

[pkz]

114. *pic*

[DinahMoeHum]

102. That he did, Elad. I'm STILL scratching my head as to what convinced him

to pick her. As you mentioned, McCain had SIX (6) MONTHS (?!?!?!@#%%?!) to vet VP candidates.

:evilfrown:

[zanne]

104. Maybe he was just being his "maverick" selt...

It could be he decided to ignore advice and make his own decision. That's the only reason I can think of for such a disastrous pick.

[SeaLyons]

105. He and the Repukes have FAILED....

beyond belief!!!!!

[L. Coyote]

106. Let's be clear: The reason campaign may be over. Emotion may decide the election.

And, that may be purposeful and smart politics. They knew they could not win on reason.

I think McCain's mouth got in trouble, and derailed Romney, the pick.
After the "five million dollars" and "seven houses" gaffes,
Romney had to be trashed to avoid certain defeat.
The strategy turned to a campaign founded on emotion.

Another factor is the forthcoming indictments indicated in Abramoff's sentencing.
The appearance of being outside the Corrupt Bastards Club became paramount.

Palin fits the bill on both counts, and the M$M is spinning this emotionally.

[DinahMoeHum]

107. Except we're now finding out that Palin is ALSO a member

of the "Corrupt Bastards Club", albeit a different chapter.

:evilfrown:

[kestrel91316]

108. Aw, come on. She's hot and has a vagina and is a good Christian.

That's all she needs. And it makes for nice eye candy for McLecher on the campaign trail.

[redqueen]

109. Yes! His first executive decision was a MASSIVE failure.

K&R :)

[AuntPatsy]

111. Nothing is more clear, thank you

[Eurobabe]

112. McCain't is a loose cannon, and older than dirt

put those two together, it spells disaster. At this point the CONS might as well yank both of them off the ticket and start over.

[Gregorian]

113. John McCain needs someone from whom he can take orders.

He is not a leader. He's a follower. The president must be above and beyond, a leader.

I imagine it's obvious. But not to those who want to vote for him.

[happygoluckytoyou]

116. I USED MY BEST....hey LOOKIE HERE... a shiny thing... my name is john and i forgot my message!!!

[happygoluckytoyou]

117. as long as my VEEP is bringing me coffee...she knows what her job is...

[Javaman]

118. Naaa, he will make moron* look like Harding. LOL nt

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

120. Yep. Pretty much sums it up

[downindixie]

121. I do feel sort of sorry for Bristol Palin to have her life go through the wringer like this.

Yes I feel that way too.This is just another example of the failure of the abstinance only program that the crazy fundamentalist believe in forcing on the rest of us.

[wizstars]

126. Well, ya gotta admit, he's locked up the lighter-than-airhead vote...

...and that could be a significant bloc in this country

[hasssan1]

127. He failed down with HEAD First , Miserable Candidate

[nichomachus]

129. Great work, John. Have a cigar!

[Captiosus]

131. Well said

and I find it hilarious that McCain's flippant choice for running mate has completely derailed his message going into the RNC. No one in their right mind would choose a candidate whose questions and controversies would immediately overshadow and take the news off of the whole of the campaign, especially going into the party convention.

[Major Hogwash]

133. No doubt about it. McCain blew it big time.

McCain had too much time to think about it!!!

This is what happens when older men like McCain have to make decisions!!

McCain is NOT qualified to be the President, period.

[Sequoia]

134. No way on Earth will Bush EVER be compared to Abe! Bite your tounge!

Whatcha trying to do, make Bush all proud and stuff?!

[pleah]

135. K&R

:kick:

[baldguy]

138. EarlG, you get the award for the understatement of the year.

I mean, c'mon! Picking a secessionist as his running mate?

[David Zephyr]

139. And that is the over-arching thing that voters should contemplate.

His first decision was hasty and uninformed and terrible.

McCain is dangerous.

[krkaufman]

140. You could also add that the "decision" wasn't really his ...

... since his preference was Lieberman or Ridge. Instead, he acquiesced to Right Wing pressure (maverick, much?) and accepted their preferred candidate.

[Duer 157099]

141. Yeah yeah yeah - and Bush failed his 1st 4 years - and they gave him 4 more

None of this matters to the people who will vote for him. None of it.

[peanut]

142. NO, he makes OBAMA look like Abraham Lincoln

why is no one making that comparison.... Lincoln was an "inexperienced" state senator (right?) from Illinois. It was cagey territory and so is the South Side of the Windy City. I call that way more experience in real Politik than anything Palin has faced. ...

[Skittles]

143. DAMN STRAIGHT, EARLG

I said it before and I'll say it again - my intial reaction was, WHAT AN INSULT TO ANY INTELLIGENT WOMAN. Now it's, WHAT AN INSULT TO ALL AMERICANS. It is a f***ing DISGRACE.

[trickyguy]

144. No shit Sherlock.

[HughBeaumont]

146. I think this photo sums up the McCain't campaign . . . and the last 8 years in general . . .