Motley Moose – Archive

“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.

You betcha!

In this tense last week until the election itself, I suspect a lot of people are too nervous to write or comment much, hoping that they won’t somehow jinx the encouraging news from the polls.

But without jumping the gun and prejudging the election, it’s surely safe enough to look at some of  key ways McCain’s Hate Talking Express has come off the rails.

Forget more stock market falls (for a moment). Always good to wake up to some happy news. No, I don’t mean the polls, which continue to show a constant improvement for Obama. No, I’m talking about the hilarious skit on SNL broadcast last night

That Tina Fey is uncannily like Governor Palin. And the answer to the question “Are abortion Clinic Bombers also Terrorists?” had me rolling in the aisles.

“Don’t know”

Comedy Classic.

This is so funny I just had to share.

According to Ben Smith on Politico, Joe McCain called 911 – why?

Because Palin had spent all the campaign funds on shoes?

Because his brother had suffered another attack of extreme Maverickiness?

Because a damned librul was threatening to steal the White House?

Isn’t it strange. Here we are, two weeks away from a historic General Election, and because of the sad news about the parlous state of health of Barack Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, our thoughts turn to matters beyond the reach of campaigns and the ballot box.

Or perhaps it’s not so strange – it’s salutary. For a moment, there is a hiatus to think about deeper things.

I’ve been touched by how many diaries and comments this moment has triggered. And though wary of sentimentality, these personal accounts of grandmothers have got me thinking about why Obama’s character and story appeals to so many people across the world.

As we enter the last two full weeks of campaigning, one thing has become clear: the Republicans are scraping the barrel so hard, they’ve actually managed to dig right through space/time, and tunnel back to the distant past.

Yes, though Sarah Palin doesn’t believe in Darwinism, her base is providing a unique example of evolution in reverse.

As Denise Velez points out in a poignant diary here Michelle Bachmann’s references to UnAmerican activities are a throwback to the McCarthyite 50s

Can you dog whistle half a century back?

Well, it seems McCain can do even better than that….

Crossposted on Reapers Playground MYDD

I probably don’t need to tell many readers here that there’s a new and potentially divisive argument being mooted – that Obama is underachieving, and that ANY democratic candidate would be doing as well as him at this stage, if not better.

So you’ve heard this meme on other sites? It was actually first mooted by none other than Karl Rove on Face the Nation in early August:

With a restive electorate, with an economy that’s sort of chugging around, with a war in the background, at the end of eight years of Republican rule in the White House, Obama should be way ahead.

Well, people can have their motives to agree or disagree with the statement. But let’s not just rely on partisan pundits on the blogosphere. What does a noted polling expert have to say..?

Amazing isn’t it. After only a few months in charge, Fabian Capello has taken the English national soccer team to a fourth consecutive victory in the World Cup qualifiers

Oops. Wrong thread

Amazing isn’t it. Over a year since the Netroots debate, we’ve now watched Obama debating probably over a dozen times. And this will be the last until he is elected President (touching my head here)

Obama seems to have grown in stature, cool and confidence. The talking points are pretty much the same, except of course the credit crunch. But it’s the air he exudes I think that is convincing more of the electorate – natural, relaxed, sincere and deep, but not too intense.

UPDATE – Obama wins Three out of Three according to all the polls

Quick news diary: I have no idea how connected Lawrence O’Connell is, but on the Huffington Post he’s suggesting Colin Powell will endorse Obama after tonight’s debate

It now seems beyond doubt that Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama and thereby hammer the final nail in the coffin of the Republican campaign to hold onto the White House.