Motley Moose – Archive

Enjoy, sing, dance, laugh.

As many of you are aware, Kay Hagan is currently fighting a tough battle against incumbent North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole. It’s still a close race, but Hagan has opened up a healthy lead against her Republican opponent, some polls suggesting a 49/42 split.

That’s the good news. The bad news is, Dole’s campaign has its back up against the wall so tightly that it’s lashing out in the most vitriolic way possible, a method which seems to have become increasingly popular among GOP candidates this cycle: attacking the Democratic candidate’s faith. Dole recently released an ad (now being referred to as “Godless”) attempting to portray Hagan as a heathen liberal by claiming that a leader of the Godless Americans PAC held a fundraiser in her honor. The ad asserts that Hagan “took godless money” and asks, “What did [she] promise in return?”

This is the sort of slanderous filth of which the esteemed Governor Palin would be proud (if she weren’t already too busy practicing witchcraft).

“She’s Dynamite!” Or so thought Morton C. Blackwell, President Ronald Reagan’s liaison to the conservative movement, even though he couldn’t get closer than four feet from Sarah Palin at a Virginia fundraising dinner. Whatever has got into the right wing base of the Republican party, it’s pretty fundamental, and they are not alone in seeing Palin as the future of the party, win or lose

Governor Palin sees herself this way too.

The shocked silence of the McCain spokesman was a result of this segment of an interview recorded on ABC.

VARGAS: But the point being that you haven’t been so bruised by some of the double standard, the sexism on the campaign trail, to say, “I’ve had it. I’m going back to Alaska.”

PALIN: Absolutely not. I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we’ve taken, that … that would … bring this whole … I’m not doin’ this for naught.

As far as I know this is unprecedented – an et tu Brute moment as the VP choice stabs the man who chose her in the back.

Palin is explosive all right. For the Republican party she’s a volatile mixture of glitz, folksy charm, utter ruthlessness and willing ignorance.

But it’s the ‘sexism’ part of that exchange I want to focus on, and what this means for the prematurely announced death of identity politics.

Desperation to resurrect his increasingly hopeless Presidential aspirations has led John McCain to press his divisive rhetoric even further beyond the pale: associating Barack Obama with the specter of socialism. Consequently, he has fueled the irrational fears of his less than reality based supporters to such an extent that they equate Obama with terrorism, with treason, and with the bizzaro belief that the Democratic nominee is somehow a danger to the Nation. Fostering an atmosphere of anxiety and anger may likely earn McCain a place in history alongside the likes of Joe McCarthy.  Whatever honor lies extant in him has suffered under the yoke of his blind ambition.

How will history judge John McCain?  As the son of a public high school History teacher, I was taught to look to the past when seeking to learn about our present–and our future.

You betcha!

What are we going to do after the election? I premise this on an Obama win. I know it has been a long two+ years and no matter who you supported in the beginning, I am almost certain that we will be welcoming President Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. I could write another diary asking what we do if John McCain wins, but I will save that for a dark and anxious night later this week.

Right now I am excited as I can be about the potential opportunity I see before us. I cannot help but feel we have a chance for a new era in our country that could rival that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I also know this will not happen unless we make it so. I believe that President Obama will be the perfect vehicle toward restoring our country, but we can do nothing as long as the moneyed interests still own the government. By this I mean Democratic and Republican aspects of the government.

We all know how it is. Nothing should surprise us anymore. However, for the first time in my lifetime, I feel that we have a chance to reclaim our Constitution and our government for her citizens.  

And gosh but it felt good!

The Church of God – Sarah Palin’s church – explicitly does not.  

The Church of God issued the following statement after the infamous sign outside one of their churches in  Jonesville, SC this April read: “Obama Osama.  Hummmm… Are they Brothers?”

Rasmussen reports this morning:

Obama 50

McCain 47

Other 1

Undecided 2

Rasmussen’s numbers yesterday were 51-46.  Rasmussen’s numbers yesterday were 51-46.  Rasmussen’s explanation of his numbers deserves a read.  Rasmussen observes:

Among those who “always” vote in general elections, Obama leads by just a single point. Obama does better among more casual voters. However, among those with a high degree of interest in this year’s campaign, Obama leads by four. Among those who say they are following the race closely on a daily basis, Obama leads by five.

Among those who have already voted, it’s Obama 54% McCain 45% with other candidates picking up a single percentage point.

As for those who have not yet voted but are “certain” they will do so, the race is tied at 48%. Two percent (2%) of these “certain” voters plan to vote for a third party option while 2% say they are undecided.