Katie Couric, cutthroat journalist

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by rah
IT's hard for us repugs to admit this. That's why I thought it deserved to be said even after it was implied

We appreciate it.

The last congressional Republican with any integrity, Wayne Gilchrest, is the congressman from the district where I grew up, MD-01. This year, the right wing ran a total nut against him who was able to beat him in the primary. Now Gilchrest, on his way out of the House, has not only endorsed and is campaigning for the Democrat to replace him, he's launched an attack on what the Republican party has become:

Gilchrest unloads

Gilchrest isn't done. "We're in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean . . . very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around," he says. "Voting according to your knowledge and experience -- that's out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it."

That could almost be directed right at Palin.

"I haven't stepped away from my party," Gilchrest says. "The party has stepped away from Eisenhower and Goldwater and Nixon and Ford and even Ronald Reagan. It's been driven away by this anti-government combination of Milton Friedman and Jerry Falwell."

Before he died in 2005, my grandfather, a life-long Republican, told my mother that he regretted ever voting for Bush, and that the Republican party had ceased to be the party he had joined when Eisenhower ran. I think more and more decent Republicans are seeing the truth of this.

[-Jrabbit]

One can only hope.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Maybe they picked her so that they can dump her in two weeks, and get a new 'bump' from selecting someone competent?

I don't think anyone would seriously believe they initially picked her to do just that, but you're on the right track in terms of how many conservatives are suggesting McCain dump Palin, since she's now a liability, and pick someone who could shore up his economic flank, like Romney.

Kathleen Parker over at the right-wing New Republic Online suggested just that, however, and received a flood of hate mail from the die-hard right wingers, even death threats. Judging by that response, any attempt to dump Palin would send the hardcore Republicans into a seething rage against McCain.

Plus, the media narrative would focus all about McCain's incredibly bad judgment in picking Palin in the first place. He couldn't possibly win the news cycle, no matter who he picked. And frankly, no GOoPer with any intelligence would want to join the flaming dirigible that is his campaign at the moment.

[-Jrabbit]

What's amazing to me is how little the polls have moved.

McCain fancies himself a gambler (thus the Palin pick in the first place). I wouldn't put it past him to switch out VPs in desperation. (I thought the smart choice was Pawlenty, FWIW.) I agree with your analysis, Boris -- it's a no-win situation. But if he's literally got nothing to lose, why not?

[Wiglaf]

ofessor.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
What's amazing to me is how little the polls have moved.

I'm not sure what you mean here. The polls have moved--decidely in Obama's direction. He now enjoys a stronger national lead in the polls than he has ever held. Also, McCain and Palin's favorability ratings have tanked, while Obama's have improved.

The state polls are even more dramatic. Obama has put IA and NM away, has opened up big leads in battlegrounds like MN, MI, PA, CO and now has smaller but still significant leads in VA and OH. Some recent polls even have him leading in NC, NV and MO. That's a huge change from 3-4 weeks ago.

McCain got what he wanted out of Palin and the admittedly successful GOP convention--a bounce that moved him into a small lead. But it's been a downhill slump since then, with the economic crisis proving him to be an erratic and ineffectual leader and Palin acting as the world's biggest millstone.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
There's a whiner who was so inept he couldn't even hold onto his seat in the PRIMARIES. No wonder he wants to blame someone other than himself. How embarrassing.

I know the MD-01 district and Gilchrest well. You do not. By pushing out Gilchrest in the primaries (which had nothing to do with his ineptness, but rather crazy right-wing short-sightedness), the Republicans have created a very real possibility that they will lose this seat to the Democrats in November. So I'm not all that unhappy about Gilchrest being ousted--I just hope the Dems recruit him and get him to run in 2010 if Kratovil doesn't win.

A black guy is running on the liberal ticket. This isn't the same liberal party when Eisenhower was running either.

Huh?

As far as all of you wetting yourselves over him replacing Palin. As much as you want it, much like sex with a woman, you aren't going to get it. No way in hell. It is political suicide and there's nothing wrong with her. She's a governor who can't name SCOTUS decisions. So what, she's VP, not a con law professor.

Oh, you're gravely mistaken on what I want. I hope to Jebus McCain doesn't replace Palin. While I doubt it would help him, I think Palin will continue to be a disaster, and great comedic fodder for late night television. Just wait until the Troopergate scandal investigation comes to dominate the news! I'm hoping this will not just be the end of McCain's political career, but also Palin's. She'll get the blame--fairly or not--for sinking McCain, and she will be relegated back to Alaska forever. Win-win.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
As far as all of you wetting yourselves over him replacing Palin. As much as you want it, much like sex with a woman, you aren't going to get it. No way in hell. It is political suicide and there's nothing wrong with her. She's a governor who can't name SCOTUS decisions. So what, she's VP, not a con law professor.

Please be serious for one moment. She doesn't know SCOTUS decisions. She doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is. And she doesn't know what Hamas is. Is there anything I left out?

[Wiglaf]

Gilchrest is an in

[Boris Godunov]

Wiglaf speaks the truth. Even Bush has no idea what his doctrine is. Why should he have more knowledge about that than anything else, after all?

[The Emperor Fabulous]

Wiglaf: There is a real issue with her not knowing any other SCOTUS decisions that she opposed.

SHE IS ON THE RECORD AND ON TAPE OPPOSING EXXON SHIPPING CO V. BAKER!



Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker was handed down by the Supreme Court only three months ago, on June 25, 2008.

[Wiglaf]

Good, so maybe she was just nervous. It is a big leap to national TV. This is evidence she really does know

[The Emperor Fabulous]

...it was three months ago.

...it had a huge impact on her state and her constituants.

She could have just said "That exxon thing". She didn't.

I think you could do better not sticking your fingers in your ears so far. Its starting to do damage.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
Good, so maybe she was just nervous. It is a big leap to national TV. This is evidence she really does know

It's even a bigger leap to be VP, and a not-unlikely gigantic leap to be President.

If she's nervous and can't perform, she's not qualified.

[Wiglaf]

Oh whatever girlfriend