The thing that distresses me most about Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain is that they appear to be trying to deceive the public into voting for them, or more accurately, against Obama. They lie openly about Obama's policy proposals and about their own histories. They know that the facts will contradict them, indeed that video footage of their own words will contradict them, but calculate that the public will buy their talking points without heeding other sources of information. The calculation works, because most do not have the time or depth of interest to dig into every statement.

Most cynically of all, their campaign openly supports the idea of making the race for the presidency a popularity contest rather than a decision based on the issues. They seek to raise their positives while raising their opponent's negatives, with no regard for the fact that their policies are anti-democratic; that is, they are attempting to scare voters into voting against their own clear personal interests, as well as those of their children.

And so, we boomers, and those older than us, will exit the scene leaving to our children a mountain of debt and a degraded planet. To my own son, to your children and all others, I am truly sorry. I have tried my entire adult life to support those who would take us in a different direction.

In contrast, and about the eventual interviews of Sweet Sarah, Glenn Greenwald writes……. “Criticizing the McCain campaign for refusing to allow reporters to question Sarah Palin, Time's Jay Carney writes:

Political operatives love to talk about circumventing the media and other co-called “elites” — i.e., independent specialists, observers and thinkers. The operatives convince themselves they can take their candidate's message directly to the people — on their terms, without all that poking and prodding and skepticism. That's propaganda. In a democratic society, it rarely works for long.

If only that were true. But if there's one indisputable lesson from the last eight years, it's that political propaganda works exceedingly well — not despite an aggressively adversarial press but precisely because we don't have one.

Carney is exactly wrong. Propaganda thrives — predominates — in our democracy for many reasons, the principal reason being that we don't have the sort of journalist class devoted to exposing it. Anyone who wants to contest that should examine the empirical data above, or more convincingly, just look at what the Bush administration has easily gotten away with over the last eight years — the systematic deceit, the radicalism, the corruption, the crimes.

The ideological extremism and growing ethical questions that define Sarah Palin — and especially the discredited, rejected core beliefs of John McCain — means that the McCain campaign should have much to worry about in this election. Having Sarah Palin face the mighty, scary American press corps certainly isn't one of them. That's just a melodramatic distraction, one that will redound to the GOP's benefit. Palin will “face” our media soon enough, and it will probably be the easiest thing she'll have to do between now and November.”

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2008/09/07-4

One would have to think through the ramifications of this, but in general, it's a very intriguing idea.

It's true that Sarah Palin very likely did not have much to do with that, but I think she did reform the state government. Her ethics reform bill is a good example. She also has it so that any check written by the state government for more than $1000 is published on a government website. There is much more transparency in state gov.
(http://www.betanews.com/article/Where_does_Sara...)

I was thinking when I was reading your accurate remark that even at the tiniest level, the family level, it's a delicate thing for anyone to tell too much of the 'unpleasant' truth. Excepting the children, of course. Who thankfully, in most cases, are observing everything about the Emperors all along.

It makese me wonder if government is actualy partially based on very old-syle medieval family structures, what with all the secrecy and dark motives and behind the scenes scabborous deeds and such.

Maybe we need to sincerely evolve into a new paradigm

dr.e

Too, I note that extroverted people like Gov Palin are often high high energy people who delegate a great deal. Coming from Catholic background myself, I saw many mothers with ten children… and not sure even when mothers stayed at home, that the kids got what they deserved and needed… unless mother and father made some of the older kids into little mothers and fathers. That too being an issue to many.

Not sure what I would do if in similar situation; I think, I would just very dearly want to bring the child in my belly into this world as safely as possible, first and foremost.

But, I know people/mothers/fathers are different according to constitution and personality and vitality and some would say, even, destiny. As a deeply introverted person who would rather stay in her cave than gallavant the world, my answer would have probably been, some stuttering pathetic m-m-m-me? VP, oh no, I just couldnt!

lol

besides, have you ever read Prez Regan's book about his years in the white house ? BORING. It's like have breakfast with this dignitary, go bless the boyscout troop, go wave at the parade, meet with the general, have tea with the muckity muck. lol

dr.e

My sense has always been that his watching several well liked hosts at GMA being 'retired' for likely being 'too old,' that when the chair opened at News, he saw it as oppty to remain employed and do something useful… although most of the anchors seem newsreaders more than new-choosers, in terms of topics etc

I have always felt a little sorry for him, for the pressures, trap, I think he and many like him are in…. they seem not journalists, but rather they 'visit' with their interviewees. There's a place for that too. But there's also place for many other kinds of interviews. I especially like the kind of interviewer that ekes out the psychological roots and motives of a politician…. sometimes that is as much the story as their pecadillos and triumphs… thnking just for a second about Karl Rove who believed his stepdad was his father, then turns out stepdad is gay and leaves family and Karl's mother commits suicide. A horrible and tragic story, but also, I think an interesting rootstock to his story

I hope with you that the flag, flag pin, flagging vitality of the dialogues will be replaced by something more meaningful, strating with Freddie and Fannie would be good for starters, since it is the biggest grab/protective custody prob ever done by our government of any financial program under which hang thousands of banks like minnows….more billions lost and to be paid by us. Neil Bush and Silverado debacle come to mind, S&L disasters.

Boy.

dr.e

The state trooper issue will, I believe, be headlights on bright in the coming week. I am more interested at the moment in seeing what the Feds, usually 'slower than molasses in January… and Feb and March too,” have been doing up in AK all this time.

Soon.

dr.e

what people are calling Troopergate is seamy. no matter what else, she blatantly lied when confronted and has done whatever she could to prevent an investigation

before she won the governorship she defeated the old, super unpopular repub Governor in the primary. however the old guy was so disliked he came in third or forth in the primary. in no way was the only person to stand up to him. in fact if it wasn't her, another repub would have beaten the old guy.

If y ou go to the CSPAN website, or to the section of YouTube devoted to CSPAN, there's lots of interesting films there…. including CSPAN2 re many serious and interesting interviews with authors of political and history books, as well as all other genres of books.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but like tonight, it's cold here in the Rockies, just built a fire, and am watching CSPAN. For a moment, life seems good. lol . Given these times in my life, I am grateful.

dr.e

She was SIX MONTHS pregnant with a Down syndrome infant.

No mention she was pregnant. I'm sorry, but I'm the mother of three daughters. I had my last (no complications) at age 42. There is NO way I would respond that I would cross a bridge should I be asked to be the vice president of the United States KNOWING I was pregnant , let alone with a special needs child.

I'm sorry, but I personally think there is a cognitive dissonance with Sarah Palin when it comes to her children and THEIR needs.

Note, in 2004 she was asked about running for the Senate. She claimed she couldn't be a hockey mom at the same time and that her son had concerns about her being unavailable. Her son spent his last year of high school out of state supposedly to be on a school's hockey team.

Are people really afraid to ask these questions because she is a woman and she supposedly has cracked the glass ceiling?

Remember, she was six months pregnant when the above CSPAN interview was conducted and she made NO mention of this NOR did she seem to be leaning towards turning down the invitation from McCain should it materialize.

This goes to character in this mother's book.

These are “family values”? Sorry, but I find this beyond believable.

“this is one of the many things she where she has lied/creatively expanded on the truth. she has not cleaned up anything. and unfortunately she has created her own personal muck.”

can you elaborate on that? She often says '”We” put the government back on track… ' not sure who the 'we' is. Do you live in Juneau or one of the points north?

dr.e

dr.e

dr.e

OK, I get it, Sarah fired some people, and she got Alaska out of some sweetheart deals, and opened up some contracts to competitive bidding. I guess that's just like what “scoundrels and terrorists” do, when they're not “using cincture, marginalization, garroting and severing even, whether physically, economically, or powerwise…”

I eagerly await your dissertation on the career of corporate downsizer “Chainsaw” Al Dunlap. I wonder, did he cincture, marginalize, garrot, or sever? Maybe a little of each, depending on his mood, to various employees.

That's being said, thanks for the C-Span links. Should be an interesting interview.