"[Sarah Palin] knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America."

That quote should be hung around McCain's neck for a month. It shows how stupid he thinks Americans are.

And now, because the McCain/Palin team has claimed that she "knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America", and that "She understands Russia", I guess Joe Biden can mop the floor with her stupid ass with impunity, on those two subjects at least.

Jesus it's sad that these Bozos even have a shot at the election. It's fucking SAD.

WTF does this even mean:

"We've got to stop sending $700 billion of American money to countries that don't like us very much."

Has McCain suddenly started running on a "nationalize the oil industry" platform when I wasn't watching? Or has he hid a plan to wean us off of oil somewhere on his website? If we're using oil, those countries will continue to get money from us because that's how the global market for oil works. Unless he's going to shut off imports and we're only allowed to use the oil we drill and refine ourselves, or we get off oil entirely, we're going to be buying on the global market and they're going to be getting our money.

He wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know much about economics, was he?

i'll give Bush that much - he knew he had no chance without being prepped. i suspect McCain has no patience for it, he's been around, dammit.

She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.

Even the crickets are stunned into silence.

Wow, that's stupid.

BTW, I completely reject the idea that Alaska is somehow the king oil state. My home state of Texas has always been and will always be the true home of oil, long after the last well has run dry. It ain't called Texas Tea for nothing. McCain's a schmuck.

"But, no. Asked an obvious question, McCain offers a confused response that doesn't make any sense."

Steve, I think you're being too kind here. Asked an obvious question, what McCain did in effect was LIE. Again. He has no compunction about prevaricating, and this is a pattern that we need to flog until the zombies in the MSM start waking up and reporting it.

I want both Biden and Obama to ask their opponents in the debate one simple question: Exactly what issues relating to Russia (and Canada or China and Japan and whatever countries they decide to throw into the mix before then) has Sarah Palin had to deal with as governor? I'm really, really interested in hearing the answer. I caught Bill Hemmer interviewing some female Republican talking head along with Democratic talking head Bob Beckel the other day on Fox. This Republican insisted that Palin had to "deal with" Russia and Canada (or China, whatever), something to which Beckel couldn't wrap his head around. When pressed with the question about what she did, this girl didn't answer and instead tried to move on to other subjects. Hemmer didn't seem to ask any questions relating to her statements, but in fairness to him, I am not entirely sure. I don't think I've seen anybody in the media press the Republicans on this claim, but I am not sure why. It's entirely idiotic, yet it's repeated on end, as if it's so blindingly obvious that it should go without saying. It's gotten so outrageous that I think I am living in an alternate universe.

[trolling deleted]

Yeah, McClod isn't very on the ball and didn't Mark Rich write about the scandal, the Press won't mention he often makes gaffes and mixups? As for LoaP: Obama should say, he surely was referring to McCain's policy ideas since Sarah Palin hasn't articulated any coherent national policy ideas anyway (except it seems for some gaffes like her notion that Mae/Mac were wasting taxpayer dollars all these years - but really, they were privatized and that's likely why they *are* in trouble now!)

As for polls, yes it is to worry but: what really matters in our weird system is the Electoral College vote, so keep checking on that. Heh, what an irony and just deserts against the Right if Obama wins the EC and loses in popular.

BTW Obama sounded pretty good on Letterman last night, and Letterman and Leno take some good shots at McBushlin (don't we all know, Leno decides who gets elected anyway ...)

Did you know that Sarah Palin is an expert in cell biology? It's true. Just think about it--her entire body is made of cells.

Actually, I know this is taking the idiotic claim that living in Alaska constitutes foreign policy more seriously than it deserves, but here's a thought I had the other day: Where are all the other Alaskan foreign policy experts? How many Alaskans have been secretary of state, or chair of the House or Senate foreign relations committee? Any?

Great stuff, if you could only see it on the front page of every major newspaper in the country, the AP (fat chance) and hear it repeated for at least 24-hours on every major television and radio network. But, of course, we know it won't be. It will be suppressed because (jumping SA's train here) the major networks seem to think that a fucked-up economy, environment and foreign policy is good for America.

He knows that you can say whatever the hell you want in response, as long as you don't look like your avoiding the question. Meaning your answer can be completely off the question subject.

I see he's sticking with the "$700 billion" in foreign aid lie. The real amount is about $20 billion.

But John McCain said $700 billion, and John McCain is an honorable man.

Since Palin can't be bothered right now, could someone get McCain to ask her why oil has dropped from $145 to $102 per barrel (30%) and gas has only dropped from $4.10 to $3.65 (11%)? Maybe she could fill us in on why OPEC decided to cut production also.

They are the candidates of white protestant ethnonationalism.

Their supporters do not care about the literal truth of their statements. Rather they only care about how the statements make them feel.

Wow. Talk about low-hanging fruit! Sarah Palin knows more about energy (even using it in the non-technical way that McCain is) than, say, the hundreds of scientists working on things like better PV technologies or other alternative means of supplying power? Better than the engineers are working to design more fuel efficient car engines? How about more than a high school teacher who understands what energy really is.

Hey, I'm a computer programmer for a business school. Do I know more about business than probably any other computer programmer in the United States? I doubt it. But by McCain logic, I must!

$100 to the first reporter to ask her, on camera, to name two [2] cities in Russia other than Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladivostok.

I mean, she's an expert, right?

I guess I'm a doctor now because I live near a hospital.

He knows that you can say whatever the hell you want in response
As long as the interviewer does not question the answer and they rarely ever do.

I don't understand why anyone would think McCain's response was a problem. It is true that upon any scrutiny it falls apart but since when has the press scrutinized McCain's statements?

McCain gets to say he whatever he wants and then insist he never said it

McCain has flip-flopped on dozens of issues and insisted he never changed his position.

McCain is clearly lying about his vetting of Palin.

McCain/Palin lie about her opposition to earmarks.

McCain/Palin lie about her opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere.

McCain has done all of this and yet the press endlessly insist he is a straight-talking Maverick.

I suspect that if there were consequences for spouting nonsense McCain would suddenly make much more sense. Given the degree of deference the McCain campaign receives, it would be stupid of them not to simply say whatever they want reason and logic be damned.

Anyone see Keith O's Special Comment last night? Ask McC about his secret plan to bring OBL to justice, or kill him, or whatever. To fail to at least share this with Bush is Treason, and a massive FU to the families, friends and associates of those supposedly fighting for our freedoms, not to mention all the citizens of the U.S. For national security reasons, of course, he cannot share it with us commoners, but to make the claim for political reasons is unconsciounable. Of course, no one believes him, but to let this lie lie is despicable.

I am committed Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

Hey, I'm a computer programmer for a business school. Do I know more about business than probably any other computer programmer in the United States?

Diogenes - The answer to that is: Of course not, because you're not McCain's running mate or a complete embarrassment to his campaign. But were you his embarrassing VP selection, you'd not only know more about business than any other computer programmer, you would be the most intelligent computer programmer in the United States. You would know more about binary code than most folks know about their own children. And you'd be able to run a trillion-dollar business at night while you slept. You would, in fact, be an expert at everything.

Why? Because otherwise McCain looks like a stupid jackass for picking an otherwise incompetent person for the job (no offense against you personally, of course, as I'm merely making a point about Palin).

Yes, there is an intellectual gap here in the good ol'USA, and the majority of our electorate seem to be more susceptible to the stupid end of this gap. After hearing Sen. McCain now for the past few months is seemingly becoming more electable directly because he is aiming his campaign toward the stupid among us! -Kevo

Lately, when I see John McCain at rallies with Sarah ("Look At That Shiny Object") Palin, he reminds me of Vanna White.

Vanna White is an American television personality, best known as puzzle-board presenter and co-host on the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. Vanna rarely spoke on camera. Her main job was to point to the puzzle board and smile.

It is hilarious to see McCain standing behind Sarah Palin smiling and holding out his arms pointing in her direction. It's as if he is saying see my new product. Pretty cool huh? The problem is that she is completely overshadowing him. Without her there is no sizzle.

McCain has nothing to offer so he has been reduced to gimmickery and the old culture wars of the past. It's pathetic. Poor John, he just looks so small and out of touch.

Contained in this comment thread from slate are all the emotions that drive republican electoral dominance:

http://fray.slate.com/discuss/forums/thread/1781607.aspx?ArticleID=2199664

Particularly the following:

Or maybe some non-scientists know more than you are willing
to admit. I have studied an array of subjects and have valid
insights despite not having spent my entire life searching for a
particular particle which may in fact exist nowhere other than
in my own imagination. Convincing a few fellow grant
recipients that it does exist makes little material difference.

The scientists who I have encountered who felt it necessary to
label me an idiot were themselves insecure persons with
narrow minds. Any original scientific ideas which I ever had
were stolen from me and the credit for them taken by others.
They did have rank among their peers though.

It's got everything. The insecurity masking as "anti-elitism", the dismissal of science and empiricism. Blaming the Other for one's own failures. Burning, irrational rage. This dude is the republican Zeitgeist.

What Sarah Palin knows about energy is that a transition to an energy economy based on harvesting free, abundant, endless wind and solar energy will result in a massive transfer of wealth from the dinosaur fossil fuel industry and the toxic, dangerous nuclear power industry to the wind and solar technology sectors, which will be the foundation of the New Industrial Revolution of the 21st century.

That's why Sarah Palin, like John McCain, disparages and discourages investment in wind and solar energy.

John McCain and Sarah Palin represent government of, by and for ExxonMobil. That's not the change we need. It's more of the same.

Sarah Palin's a veterinarian because she knows how to shoot and field dress a moose.

Sarah Palin's a criminal psychologist because she has every episode of CSI on DVD

Sarah Palin's nickname is "Red" because she read a book once.

Sarah Palin's a race car driver because she can drive stick.

Sarah Palin's a rocket scientist because she said government "isn't rocket science." HOW ELSE WOULD SHE KNOW???

Sarah Palin is a lap dancer because she knows how to dance and she has a lap...but (and this is important because we know how much bloggers like to lie) ONLY WHEN SHE'S SITTING DOWN!

Sarah Palin is a teacher because she knows all the lyrics to Crosby Stills Nash & Young's "Teach Your Children."

Sarah Palin is an accountant because she owns a calculator.

Sarah Palin is a vacumn cleaner, because she sucks.

Sarah Palin is an "award-winning writer's writer" because she's penned fan mail to Stephen King.

Sarah Palin "thinks outside the box" because she's written homoerotic Star Trek fanfic online.

Sarah Palin's saved the universe countless times, bcasue of all the times she's threatened to unplug her family's computer when her daughter was playing "The Sims," but didn't (f*** you, I didn't say WHICH universe).

And of course, Sarah Palin is a patriot because she has a ribbon magnet on her car. That's...all it takes.

And if you disagree with anything I've written, you're a sexist.

Another thought: Given that I live near Sacramento, I bet there are more Russians within, say, a thousand mile radius of my house than Sarah Palin's.

Hell, the Taco Bell just up the street from the office where I work is staffed almost entirely by Russians. I'm an expert!

When I first heard McCain state that Palin knew more about energy than "anyone in Washington (DC)," I waited for someone to challenge this notion. Now he has expanded it to the entire "United States of America," I think his desperation is really showing. I do not know what Palin's energy expertise is, but I would wager that if it were greater than that of anyone in Washington or the entire USA, she would be banking big dollars in the private sector. The patent absurdity of all of this could be very funny if the future of my country were not at stake.

Did anybody read Joe Klein's column today? He says that he has sworn off McCain's daily dose of meaningless garbage. He examined McCain's health care plan. I think he found it to be rather substantial garbage. I suggest you give Joe a read. I really didn't understand what McCain is proposing on health care before Joe's column. Basically he wants to do away with employer based insurance plans, force everybody into private plans, give us all a tax credit of either $2,500 per individual or $5,000 per family. Sounds ok so far, but he neglects to tell you that private health insurance plans costs now average $12,000 per family. That little fact is unknown to most people who have employer provided insurance. Surprise, surprise. Old man lobbyist wants to cost your family $7,000 per year.

I like Klein's approach. Debate the issues. Don't pay any attention to the fluff.

See, here's the snarky article I'd like to write:

"Sarah Palin sits on her hands as Russia invades Georgia"

Despite her extensive National Security credentials, Sarah Palin, the governor of the state closest to Russia, sat idle as her closest neighbor invaded a sovereign nation. Governor Palin, also the Commander-in-Chief of the Alaskan National Guard, failed to heed the call of "We are all Georgians now" made by Senator John McCain (R-AZ). Her proximity to the battlefield would require immediate attention from her armed forces, yet in their time of need, Palin chose to fry up a mooseburger, and sit down to watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics which were just beginning in Beijing, China.

This decision has cost our great ally, Georgia, to fall into utter chaos. When asked what her response to the crisis in The Caucuses would be, Governor Palin responded, "What crisis in Georgia? Don't tell me we won't be getting peaches up here this year. My people live for fruit shipped here from the lower 48." She also expressed concerns about the arrival of other goods to her Alaskan townships. "You know, if we would have just built that bridge, we could have gotten fruit to those Alaskans most in need. Now the oil companies will have to eat polar bears, poor things."

Barak Obama could not be reached for comment, as he was out hating America by eating some lettuce we've never heard of, so it must be elitist.

This election is simply surreal.

I understand a large portion of the electorate is simply going to vote along partisan lines. Voting for what they perceived to be shared interests.

But come on, seriously. How can you not watch McCain and simply start laughing?

Is anyone else tired? Is anyone else feeling kind of hung over and worn out? I think Palin-mainia has peaked.

Years and years ago I got incredibly drunk on Peppermint Schnapps. Believe me,that's a nasty drunk. I was sick for two days. To this day I can't even look at a bottle of that crap without getting queazy. Sarah Palin is like a big bottle of Peppermint Schnapps with an irritating voice.

I think within the next week it will be obvious that McCain iis having a hard time leveraging her. We've pretty much had the Palin experience. Her interview tonight will be like a puff piece on Entertainment Tonight. It will get huge ratings, but it will leave people with a Peggy Lee Is That All There Is? moment. People will be waiting for more,and when its just more of the same...well people get bored quickly.

*

This dude is the republican Zeitgeist. Posted by: Adam

They just fired up the LHC and already the anti-matter version of me is running amok?

@Stephen Stralka - No, because you live up the street from a Taco Bell, you're an expert on fine, Mexican cuisine.

@ Doctor Biobrain - No offense taken, you merely expanded upon my point.

I think McCain should do the right thing and step aside so that this political wunderkind can claim her rightful place at the top of the ticket. Sorry gramps! I wonder who she would pick as her Veep?

Asked an obvious question, McCain offers a confused response that doesn't make any sense.

It doesn't matter. People will buy it.

Unlike McCain and Palin, I'm no expert on energy. But based on 5 minutes browsing on Wikipedia, it seems that Alaska doesn't provide anything like 20% of US energy consumption. More like 5% of oil consumption and 2 or 3% of all energy. Am I wrong?

On Face the Nation on Sunday, McnovaCaine also noted that Palin was a point guard, so that's her defense credential right there.

State Department cred? Well, Alaska was purchased by a Secretary of State.

Energy? Snow MACHINES run on the stuff! This also gives her transporation policy cred.

I often wonder about McCain's "Drill Here!" babble: is he really thinking about drilling her? I find her really appealing in a dominatrix kind of way.

And she, too, can take her personal check from the 75% Alaska skims off the top of the oil produced there.

I guess McCain is FOR windfall profits taxes on the oil companies now, huh?

Where do we sign up for the betting pool on when McPTSD is going to blow?! There is no way around it, other than maybe having Palin drop out, because the lies are going to keep getting thicker, and McAddled is going to lose it!

She knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America.

John McCain, put the lipstick down. Nobody wants to kiss that pig.

Maybe the idea of her foreign policy expertise coming from her geographic location is just anticipating the secession of Alaska, once the AIP pulls it off. Just giving her credit she would then receive, long before it's ever due.

If you are frightened by the thought of McCain/Palin running this country you must act.
Enough with the blogs! Go to www.barackobama.com and finds events in your community. Become a Community Organizer and rally support for Senator Obama.
This Is Our Time!

After seeing the ABC interview, Palin is not ready to be President. Anyone with even a passing interest in foreign affairs is familar with the Bush Doctrine of pre-emptive war and her not being able to answer shows that she was prepped with some set talking points and has no real inherent understanding of the issues.

She is not ready to be a heartbeat away from the leadership of the free world.

"...sat idle as her closest neighbor invaded a sovereign nation..."
Posted by: Entitynein on September 11, 2008 at 1:36 PM

I know what you're saying but let's be straight. Russia was provoked into that conflict as they were attacked by Georgia...and keep in mind that Georgia did a lot of ethnic cleansing bombing the hell out of populated areas and continued to do so long before the Russians showed up...they were encouraged to do so by the McCain campaign's Randy Shuenemann, for obvious political reasons so McCain could run around playing president and looking tough("we are all Georgians now..." my ass, how stupid).

Palin will get to play VP candidate now that someone told her what they do all day long. McCain lies and can't even come up with credible reasons to justify picking Palin. The questions about her and foreign policy and national security don't really even need to be asked as it is evident she doesn't know a damn thing about either one to be a VP.

The questions really should be about how insulting it is that McCain expects anyone to buy this crap. "Isn't it true Mr.McCain, you knew very little about Palin but picked her primarily because she was young and wore lipstick"?

You see it really is all about "lipstick". It's why she was chosen and it is what they push as her prime qualification...now that's change you can believe in. It really is as base as... show us you lipstick and tits while holding up the baby. The mere pick of Palin by McCain is an insult to our whole election process...She's unfit and so is he to be commander in chief...and the insult is how desperately they try to justify their pathetic campaign.

On this 9/11 day remember Bush went on vacation for 1/3 of his time in office and claims to have perfect days as thousands of citizens were being killed in Iraq and benefited greatly from our American tragedy...it is the day that began the greatest of American tragedies costing over a $trillion dollars and over 1000 humans being dead as a result of Bush neocon republican manipulation of our democracy, supported every step of the way by John McCain who will continue this tragedy if elected. Never again America...never again let the press and a corrupt administration lie us into attacking a nation that did not attack us and was not a threat to our country because of our anger toward a small group of terrorists. May they rest in peace...and may Bush and Cheney and comrades pay for their actions.

Does McCain know that its he, NOT Sarah Palin that's running for president??

"And, uh, she also happens to represent, be governor of a state that's right next to Russia. She understands Russia."

Someone should ask her if Chelyabinsk is to the East or West of the caucus mountains. That oughta be good for a giggle.