Obama Defends Palin's Children and Faith

Strategy: The issue of "The Issues"

Obama has been citing this over and over: If you've got "John McCain voting 90 percent of the time in agreement with George Bush then you probably don’t want to talk about the issues..." We've heard this over and over. Then he rattles off the laundry list of the issues that, according to any polling source, we, as Americans, really do care about: the economy, jobs, health care, global warming, etc., etc...

But I am talking about "The Issues" [tm], here, collectively, and not the individual components. Obama has spoken until he's been blue in the face every day for months about his desire (and a genuine one, at that) to talk about "The Issues" [tm], but McCain's camp said "Nay." Campaign Rick Davis declared, bluntly, to the Washington Post, "This election is not about issues."

What??? What self-respecting American of either political party could possibly let that proclamation go unnoticed? What would any forefather of this country have to say about any runner for office even hinting at such a direct perversion of the principles we were founded upon? It would not be pretty, I can assert with confidence.

Obama, take on the issue of "The Issues!" [tm] You own it, they've forfeited it. Show Americans that you're serious about this "issue" - what you've been talking about since day one... your simple desire to clear away the daily ball of slime politics, be it lipsticked pigs or depraved exaggerations of child protection law, or whatever will come up tomorrow or the next day or the next as the distraction machine rolls onward... your simple desire to discuss "The Issues!" [tm] without wasting precious time with the constant, intentional distractions from the other team.

Keep calling them out on it - and strongly! Make it clear they've made a decision to abandon "The Issues" [tm] from their strategy and to rely on who-looks-better and cultural, novelty politics. They don't want time spent on "The Issues." [tm]

"The Issues" [tm] have not won elections for the past eight years and I think this time, finally, we have a chance. And if he can pull it off, he'd be doing the greatest service to our future political discourse - to win back the debate and prove, once and for all, that "Yes, we can" WIN on the issues and put the Rovian trash politics to rest somewhere in a dark spot in the annals of history.

Ditto, Matt from L.A. I want to hear the Constitutional scholar who's running for President reaffirming the establishment clause, not asking us to play nice with his opponent's theocrat running mate.

McCain-Palin - disingenuous dispensers of distractions and despair.

Like churlish children they squeal and point their fingers. And they feel they are capable of leading our beloved country out of where we are after 8 long years of he whose name shall not be uttered (Bush)?

Newsflash - McCain represents a continuation of the same. And Palin? Who knows what she believes in other than fundamental creationist Christianity, the rapture, and Alaska as the gathering point for those to be saved.

That's interesting. It's not appropriate for the leader or second in line to lead the free world, but perhaps for one of the least populated states of the union it's fine. Please wake up America.

I support Obama, and will vote for him, but I hate it when he says things like "This is a nation of believers, and I’m one of them, and we may not agree on every single aspect of our faith, but what we can agree to is that faith is important in our lives and it shapes our values, and we should be respectful of each other’s faiths."

I love my fellow man, my wife, and the earth. But I am an atheist, and I do NOT agree that "faith is important in our lives." I mean, I agree that it is important in SOME people's lives, and that is fine. But it is not important in MY life.

How about "We may not always agree when it comes to matters of faith, but what we can agree to is that we should be respectful of each other’s personal beliefs." That would be more inclusive.

MK, give me a break. That was a bit totalitarian, care to sensor me?

All day long I've been watching MSNBC and CNN about this lipstick remark. The McCain apologists are outraged at Obama's use of a saying that McCain himself used about Hilary's healthcare plan. Outraged and calling him sexist and his supporters sexists also, bringing up the "sweety" remark. Obama apologized for that remark. An apology here is uncalled for.

Should the Obama people be outraged when Westmoreland of Georgia called Barrack and Michelle "uppity"? How did HE think those words would be interpreted coming from a southern white man? What about when King of Iowa said because Obama's middle name is Hussein that if he were elected the terrorists around the world would be dancing in the streets? Did he mean that Obama was their leader, that Obama is a terrorist? Then Geoff Davis of Kentucky (like the name) said that he couldn't sleep at night if he knew that "boy's" finger was on the trigger. "Boy"? What does that connotate when referred to a man of color? The Obama campaign could charge the McCain campaign with racism, but they haven't. When Republicans refer to Obama as elitist, that's their code word for "uppity". No code book is necessary to explain the use of the term "boy" referring to an African-American.

Karl Rove Republicans are heathens, not deserving of redemption. What they deserve is 25 to life!

McCain and Co. have used the same set of words before. By making it an issue now, they are simply playing politics by other means--i.e., by manufacturing a crisis for their own political end. Don't forget who is running McCain's campaign--Lobbyists (seven of them), Karl Rove, Rove proteges, and other Bush operatives. They even wrote Palin's acceptance speach! They are giving us more of the same type of politics that in the past created much division in the country. They don't want to talk about issues nor are they willing to consider your real concerns.AMERICA, WAKE UP FROM YOUR SLUMBER. MCCAIN WILL TAKE US TO WW III--unless we act now to stop his politics of deceipt. Be warned. Don't say later you didn't know this would happen. Older suburban women, think about the future of your children. Young people, think about the kind of future you would like to live in. Do it now! If we play dumb this time, we will again elect the wrong people.

Obama's statement was either stupid/sexist/brutal, if deliberate, or just stupid, if not deliberate. Stupid because he should have expected a backlash given Gov Palin's speech comments about lipstick. Neither stupid nor stupid/sexist/brutal are traits I want to see in my president.

Why is Obama constantly being so magnanimous with those people? He turns the other cheek and they hit him with the other fist. Enough already.
Don't defend Palin OR her kids. Do as they do, stay silent when other people are attacking your enemy. The American voting public has shown its too stupid to appreciate magnaminity and only mistakes nobility for weakness.

Can anyone imagine McCain or Palin or any Republican coming to his defense over a perceived or manufactured slight or inaccuracy?
The stakes in this election are WAY to high to let this thing slip away - again!

As I know it, McCain himself and one of his surrogates have used the same set of words before. For them to be making this an issue here is simply politics by other means--i.e., by manufacturing a crisis for their own political end. Don't forget who is running McCain's campaign--Lobbyists (seven of the, Karl Rove, Rove proteges, and other Bush operatives. They even wrote Palin acceptance speach! Just more of the same, or worse! AMERICA, WAKE UP FROM YOUR SLUMBER. MCCAIN WILL TAKE US TO WW III--unless we act nowto stop his politics of deceipt. Be warned. Don't say later you didn't know this would happen. Older suburban women, think about the future of your children. Young people, think about the kind of future you would like to live in. Do it now!

Reasonable pigs everywhere are insulted....

Karl Rove is pretty smart, no? He's doing a step-by-step ratchet up of the pressure on the Dems. He's the brains behind this. Just like 2000 and 2004. Yep, we know precisely what's going on here. The oligarchs rule and they're pulling the strings. They have the Republicans where they want them - and in most cases, ARE Republicans. They have the money, the media, know how to FRAME EVERY ISSUE, and they KNOW without a doubt that the vast majority of Americans are illiterate, medicated and out of touch with reality. How many fundies jumped right on board once Palin was picked. TENS OF MILLIONS of fundies ready to be led to slaughter.

They are depending on that. Our country finally got large enough to have a critical mass of overfed airheads pulling levers against their very own interests because of the appalling public school system and people's inability to finish college. They won! The oligarchs are in power to stay!

And they will stay in power as our standard of living continues to dwindle until we're just like the Chinese or a banana republic: worked to death, no political rights, figureheads at the helm, dismal healthcare, etc. You name it. We're headed right in that direction. And YOU helped do it. Yes, YOU! You voted against yourself because you were too stupid to bother to think. Rational thought is far too 'elitist', thus YOU f*cked yourself. BWAHAHA. You get precisely what you deserve. You wanted a nation of 'tards. Well, you got it. And you put them in positions to put knives right into your backs. Good for you!

Guess what? The American experiment is OVER. 100% over. The so-called American Dream is a exactly that. A dream.

Unfortunately, he's expecting the McCain campaign to appreciate his remarks and concur. Instead, they will take them out of context and somehow, try to use them against him and his campaign.

I think it's awful that the McCain campaign doesn't think in this economic state of the country that we deserve to know everything about him and his running mate, Sarah Palin; their religious and any other potentially social impacting beliefs; and their specific plans for the country as to our safety and getting out of this mess. It's also terribly disappointing and scary that his supporters, my fellow citizens, - who mostly are experiencing some sort of hardship in this economy like the rest of Americans - are not demanding the same. Are you truly ok w/his selection being more of a political move to win an election than choosing someone who could get us out of this situation?

I am in that income and tax bracket that usually votes Republican. However, I have never voted party line. I truly try to do my research to evaluate each candidate on their potential to do what's best for the country as a whole. In fact, that research and my experience have proven to me that when the higher income people are paying an adequate share of taxes, the country as a whole does great.

Regardless of your party or candidate choice, WE DESERVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM AND THEIR PLANS FOR THE COUNTRY. After all, they will not be the Pres and Vice Pres for the Repubs or Dems, but for all of us.

Let's join together and demand that both sides stop the dirty politics that only benefit the MSM ratings and stick to the issues.

Smoke and Mirrors. All of this is great entertainment and, admittedly, a bit addictive. But it does indeed distract us from the real issues.

My hope is that all of us in swing states can put as much energy into getting out the vote and debating the issues as we are tempted to put into this gossip and Carl Rove/Jerry Springer style political carnival act. If we don't, the far right wing of the Republican party will win the day and the rest of us will get what we deserve- four more years of this nonsense!!

Please note: Obama DID "have a talk" with Moveon and the other left-wing 527's and told them not to run negative ads. Moveon, at least, has stopped and is totally focused on organizing grass-roots canvassing and registration.

ENOUGH ALREADY - Palin is being used by McCain to gain votes and nothing more - he knows no more about her than the rest of us does that's why she's not allowed to talk to the Media - she's being schooled and preped on what answers to give to the Media when eventually questioned and people in Alaska are being threatened in regards to speaking with the Media - this is such policital bull crap - this country will continue to suffer economically and healthwise if they allow this crap to be shoved down their throats and elect McCain/Palin.

What a great candidate.

I know in 4 years I won't be telling everyone I am sorry about my vote.

I am sorry that I was a Bush backer in 2000.

All that the word "maverick" means to Republicans is "risky". John McCain, like George W. Bush, takes risks which are the result of untreated PTSD. Anyone who knows a dysfunctional person understands that they bring chaos and tumult into their own lives and everyone else's around them, because it recreates the conditions whereby they've learned to find a sense of comfort.

It's a paradox, and something that you'll see in all kinds of addictive personalities, too.

Also, it's the people who tried to flip the "lipstick on a pig" remark into a reference to Sarah Palin who needed to apologize to her, not Sen. Obama. My grandmother used to say that, and all it means is that B.S. is B.S., no matter how you try to disguise it. Only a complete moron or drooling political opportunist (not that the two are mutually exclusive) would think that use of the word "lipstick" in that downhome saying makes it a sexist attack. And the media actually bothered to give that airtime is just another example (and we had enough, thanks) of how the Fourth Estate has officially thrown their responsibilities out the window in favor of ratings -- the big networks have no more journalistic integrity than the National Enquirer at this point.