VP Debate

Is SNL making a comeback? My understanding is that 10-20 years ago Saturday Night Live played a small, but significant role in shaping the political discourse. Have Tina Fey's spot-on impressions of Sarah Palin brought SNL back to the forefront? You decide. This clip made me lol over and over:

The Debates

Thus far I've maintained radio silence on the presidential and vice presidential debates. However, after watching tonight's VP debate I wanted to share one observation that held true about both debates: How many times did Barack Obama and Joe Biden have to correct McCain and Palin's facts? Two dozen? Three dozen? More? The debates were prime time examples of what has become a fundamentally dishonest campaign being run by John McCain. It struck me that after nearly half (maybe more?!?!) of McCain and Palin's statements either Obama or Biden had to say, "Actually, what he/she just said is false and here is why."

After being lied into war in Iraq, lied to about Valerie Plame, lied to about the attorney purge, and lied to about domestic spying, I am ready for truth. Enough is enough.

Lying

What is going on with the McCain/Palin campaign?!?! Since introducing Sarah Palin as his running mate, they can't go a day without lying. Now the media is noticing. Some of the lies:

1. The campaign said Sarah Palin had traveled internationally to Ireland and Iraq. Turns out, however, that she sat in her plane while it refueled in Ireland. Her Iraq trip consisted of her flying into Kuwait and taking a trip to the Iraq border. That's it, no meetings, no tours, nothing. Instead of stating the truth they tried to make it sound like she had extensive foreign travel experience.

2. Sarah Palin stated that she never tried to ban books at the local library while she was mayor. Truth is she asked the librarian three times about the process for banning books. Palin then fired the librarian for not fully supporting her.

3. The McCain campaign keeps repeating the lie that Sarah Palin, as governor of Alaska, did not support the Bridge to Nowhere. In reality she did. McCain is saying Palin never requested federal earmarks. She did that too.

4. McCain is lying about Barack Obama's legislative record.

5. They're even lying about their crowd sizes! Pathetic.

What makes this all the more grating is that McCain is largely basing his campaign on honor and character. It's time we the public call him on this.

Sarah Palin Knows God's Will

John over at Vita Brevis brought up an interesting point about Sarah Palin's religious views. Apparently she told graduating ministry students from her hometown church in Wasilla, Alaska that the Iraq War and a completed oil pipeline were God's will. My favorite excerpt from John:

Methinks the first sign that someone doesn't know God's will is when they begin a sentence with "God's will is," and end it with something about "war" or "oil pipeline."

Touche.

Sarah Palin

Five days ago John McCain chose Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, to be his running mate. Interestingly enough, he made the decision six days ago. Most presidential nominees take lots of time, consider their options, and select their VP candidate with great measure. Not John McCain. Dude follows his gut (sounds like our current president).

Apparently he was going to choose former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge or former Democrat Joe Liebermann... until he got the memo that the crazy right wingers in his party would abandon him if he chose a pro-choice running mate. So what did he do? He chose Sarah Palin, someone he'd met twice and Googled the night before. Rather than making a well thought out decision, McCain made a rash decision based on flawed information. Sound familiar? Do Americans want another person who makes decisions just like Bush?

As a result of not putting Palin through a rigorous vetting process, McCain selected a running mate with a colorful history. Enjoy:

1. She recently hired lawyers (with government money no less) because she is under investigation for corruption. Apparently Palin fired Alaska's chief of police because he wouldn't fire the man her sister was divorcing. Stay classy.
2. As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired lobbyists to secure federal earmarks to the tune of $25 million... the exact earmarks John McCain bashes in his stump speech.
3. Palin is an extremist when it comes to a woman's right to choose, gay rights, and guns. This isn't middle of the road Republican stuff, we're talking waaaaaaaaaaaaay crazy. Examples: She believes abortion is wrong even in cases of rape and incest. Also, in 2000 she supported Pat Buchanan for President (Google him or take my word that he's crazy). Interestingly enough, she supported Buchanan over McCain in that election.
   
4. She was affiliated with the Alaskan Independence Party whose primary goal is to get Alaska to secede from the United States. That doesn't exactly jibe with McCain's campaign slogan of "Country First."
5. She's the anti-environment candidate. She wants to drill offshore, drill in ANWR, drill here, drill there, drill everywhere! She also doesn't believe humans are contributing to climate change. Another one of thoooooose.
   

I'll stop there. Feel free to add more in comments.

What really strikes me is this: McCain had more than a few months to find the single best person in the United States to be "a heartbeat away from the presidency" and he waited until the last minute to choose Sarah Palin. He treated it like a 7th grader would his homework. Plus, assuming he wanted to select a woman, what about Christine Todd Whitman, Susan Collins, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, or Condoleezza Rice, all in possession of vastly more impressive skills.

This selection is weird on so many levels.