I can start and end the thread with one comment- that was Hitler's favorite tactic as well. Go Godwin!

Come on, what do you expect? No one has changed the teleprompter yet.

It really seems like both McCain and Palin don't realize that news travels instantly these days and not by dogsled that took weeks to get from one place to another.

Talk about disconnected from reality. Sheesh.

How secure is teleprompter SW?

Can we Ron Burgundy her?

Hmmm. I hope they come up with a 24 hour Palin channel soon.

Is her voice beginning to grate on anybody else's ears? I don't think I could take 4 years of that down-homey, outdoorsy, big-oily, voice.

It's actually a bit of a trap, too. There's a risk that the Obama campaign and/or the media take the bait by addressing this in a way that, to the low-info voter* sounds like the earmark is the issue rather than the honesty.

So after several weeks of this, the McCain campaign says, "Well, Obama and Biden accepted earmarks too." Of course that's true and irrelevant to the point, but again, THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN ISN'T TRYING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE WHO THINK LIKE ME.

Continuing to point out the lying is fine, but I think Obama knows to frame it within a bigger picture of why these people can't be trusted again.

--
*The only constituency besides the filthy rich and the single-issue Republicans where McCain stands a chance, of course.

mccain is a godsend to gwb. makes him seem honorable by comparison.

Perhaps Palin only has one speech memorized.
What else can she say. The Republicans are not allowed to discuss all their failings in WARS, ECONOMY, FOREIGN POLICY, EDUCATION,HEALTH CARE,JOBS in AMERICA,HOUSING INDUSTRY. ALL CAUSED BY THE LAZY-PAIR BUSH/CHENEY RIGHT WING ADMINISTRATION.Not to mention all the lies , deceits and smears of Karl Rovian politics.

I think it's time for the Obama campaign to show up at the Palin rallies (or outside them) and do something theatrical for the benefit of the lemmings who go see them. Nothing fancy, even just a chant of LIAR or endless choruses of the old Talking Heads tune "Road to Nowhere" will do. They'd get local TV coverage, which shouldn't be sneezed at - and I'm more than sure they'll have a few volunteers willing to do it.

Steve, you should link to Ezra's post:
http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=09&year=2008&base_name=its_not_all_mccains_fault#109131

palin is from the george bush school of public speaking: say what will appeal and never back down. it stems from bush 41 backing off his "no new taxes" pledge and getting excoriated. the lesson: stay the course, even if it's wrong.

Nah. They should ignore her. She's had her 15 minutes. We're running against McCain.

But doesn't this behavior guarantee that she can't do a news conference?

I'm somewhat interested in the Hannity interview, unless the coordinate the question/answer script, this could be more of a problem than a real interview. Hannity may get carried away and try to get her to agree with his insane world view. Making subtle corrections to his framing could be more difficult than canned answers.

Maybe the Obama campaign should come out and finally admit it: John McCain and Sarah Palin HAVE built that bridge to nowhere.

Read my lipstick: No new taxes, no new ideas, no new slogans (aka lies).

This is sameness we can bereave in.

To the American Prospect article.shrunklink.com/azwd

That's Just What I Said

Almost immediately, Americans learned that the claim was demonstrably false.

I am John McCain...
And I approve Sarah's lies

And yet some of those very same reporters and editors had no problem calling out "liar" Al Gore for stuff he never even said, and for months on end.

Well, to be fair, when she said "they would build it themselves"--she didn't mean they would PAY for it themselves....

Here's another example of McCain campaign chutzpah and/or ignorance. It turns out that right now, the Bush administration (via the CDC) is funding sex education for kindergartners. If McCain is so upset about the bill Obama voted for, why hasn't he been trying to fight against Bush administration policy?

I would like to see this site keep a running tally on how many times the "Bridge to No Where" and Obama will raise taxes" lie gets repeated.

Exactly! This is the thing that bothers me most about the Democrats...we spend a lot of time talking among ourselves, and very little time talking to everyone else.

The "McCain lies" meme is a good one because it's brief and clear--except we keep talking about the wrong lies.

The undecideds or Republican leaners I talk to couldn't care less about earmarks, or bridges, or nasty wife-beating brothers-in-law getting fired.

They think Obama's going to raise their taxes. Not that's a lie worth debunking.

On other issues (Drill baby drill!) though, wherever the GOP has a slogan--a clear, memorable slogan--Dems respond with a two-page position paper, fully explored and nuanced.

That's not the way to win elections. It didn't work for Kerry, and it wouldn't have worked for Clinton--policy wonk though he was.

Obama's team needs to keep it simple.
Economy, economy, economy. Tax cuts for middle class. New investment in new energy options. Jobs. Tax cuts for the middle class. Healthcare. Tax cuts for the middle class.

Remember: The GOP doesn't have to win this thing. They just have to get close enough to plausibly steal it.

If it's going be in her stump every time, why not use it against her? If Palin is going to be in your town, go to the rally. When she says "thanks, but no thanks", yell "The Hell you did!" in response.

Someone needs to ask Sarah Palin WWJD? I mean, we know Jesus would carpet bomb the shit out of Middle East, but would he lie on a daily basis about how a bridge was going to built? I don't think so!

Here's a cute line the Obama campaign could use to rebut Palin's lies:

She said "thanks" before she said "no thanks".

At least it might get her to stop using the TBNT line.

THE McCAIN CAMPAIGN ISN'T TRYING TO CONVINCE PEOPLE WHO THINK.

Fixed.

It's not just a battle of words or ideas.
Video artists are having such a good time.

Everyone has or knows someone with internet access. The main stream media's lies and distortions are the emporer's clothes. Americans everywhere are discovering that their perception of reality has been distorted by the MSM. They don't like the MSM. They won't believe it for long.

Everyone wants to contribute what they can, use their talents, to ensure a Bush/McCain/Pallin defeat. Video artists are having such a good time.
Lighten up for a minute. We all could use a laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKmEvXQWAp8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG_RV6EQFSg&feature=related

After reading that long NYT piece on her Alaska years, I think Palin is a straight up sociopath. She has a history of lying as her first response to any situation. She lies routinely and without any apparent anxiety. This isn't a new thing for her. I think she has a personality disorder and is unaffected by the inhibitions most people would feel about telling repeated, easily disproved lies. Socios are motivated only by what they want.

Posted by: Gridlock:

Is her voice beginning to grate on anybody else's ears? I don't think I could take 4 years of that down-homey, outdoorsy, big-oily, voice.

Her lies are absolutely breathtaking. But calling her out with LIE, LIES, LIAR can go viral, become a meme: PALIN IS A LIAR.

It remains breathtaking.

Not if you watch COPS as often as I do.

Palin reminds me of the drunken, no-bra woman with a black eye, cuffed in the back of a squad car, still trying to pretend nothing happened.
.

Someone should tell Tina Fey to quit lying.

paLIn, sARah

After reading that long NYT piece on her Alaska years, I think Palin is a straight up sociopath.

And how, exactly, is this is different from the current VP?

-Z

She's a real nowhere mam.

In the name Sarah, a H was substituted for the S and a S was substituted for the H, giving Haras, which was googled and the name Haras de Silly appeared. Any inferences drawn should not be done to insult the good stable in Belgium.

The only time she dropped the Thanks But No Thanks(TM) thing was when she spoke in Alaska, obviously knowing that they, if no one else, would remember her support of the Bridge. Clearly in the other 49 states, where they don't know her as well, anything goes.

Also, she may look like Tina Fey, but she sounds exactly like Julia Sweeney when she used to do her "Mom" voice on SNL. I can hear her now, talking excitedly about her new "slacks set."

Hey, don't you go insulting Tina Fey by comparing her to Caribou Barbie!

-Z

Wow, her pants are going to "catch on Fire"!

You're going to have to get new lines harpy-lady!

If only she were hanging from a telephone wire"..

Weather reporters don't get sick of reporting rain. Crop reporters don't get sick of reporting their figures. Why should political reporters get sick of reporting lies? Easily proven, verified and documented lies can and should be identified as LIES by the press, and they have to do it repeatedly, the same way a weatherman in Los Angeles needs to continue reporting about sunny conditions and smog.

I think that, at this point, they are afraid that if they don't repeat the lie, they will be seen as admitting that it was a lie.

A spelling plea, please?

In view of the likelihood that we'll be using this good Latin term a lot with respect to McShame, could we please spell it correctly? It's ad nauseam.

It's a feeble start, but I just created a blog that will keep count of the number of times SP makes the Bridge to Nowhere claim. Yes, there are bigger issues, but by the time I get an accurate count (I'll document everything), there will be a quick place to see the running tally. I'll aim for being up to speed by Wednesday, but please be patient if I don't have it all ready before next Monday.

http://bridgebustercounter.blogspot.com/

I started with an AP story published on FoxNews.com, just to be "fair and balanced."

It remains breathtaking.

Yes it does. And you know what else?

IT'S WORKING! We all see it; we all know it.

The only way to make the horrifically unqualified beauty pageant/hockey mom/boondocks mayor appear even remotely ready to be VP is to basically lie about everything that pertains to her.

They know that, it's why they're doing it, and damn it if they aren't fooling just enough of the non-Republican-base electorate to pull it off.

A lot of analysis will go into how and why this worked (emotion trumps logic, for starters), but the bottom line is Palin saved the McCain campaign, and God help us, right now they are poised to ride her lying. smarmy ass right into the White House.

As ridiculously unbelievable as it seems, that's exactly what's happening before our very eyes. Idiocracy, my friends.

I've been politically acive since '68, I'm still involved (working for the Obama campaign here in Arizona, phone-banking and canvassing, along with donating the max $$), but damn it gets old fighting for lost causes.

Ah, well. Dust and ashes.

Steve, Palin doesn't have to hope the GOP audiences are fools, we know that already. The starry eyed Jesus freaks don't care about details, policies, shit like that.

They care about two things only:

She's pro-life
She believes in Jesus.

That's it. Seriously. Nothing else will matter to these morons.

The Republicans have learned well from their masters. Repeat the Big Lie again and again -- and people just can't help but believe it. Their teacher: Adolph Hitler.

yeah, etc., but her "fools" mostly can be counted on to cast ballots...

I think we should make sure that everyone tunes in to the Fibber McCain and Sarah show, running daily on your favorite station.

Will John's head explode when confronted with the truth? Will Sarah revert to type and try to get Keith Olbermann fired? When will the public start to laugh at this comical pair's antics?

Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Ed

yeah, etc., but her "fools" mostly can be counted on to cast ballots...

The term 'useful idiots' seems remarkably appropriate.

-Z

Perhaps she has a learning disability, did you think about that? if so, your calling attention to it is sexist. Or something.