Palin coverage

I saw Palin's speech last night, and my sense is this: if you were already a Republican, she's your kind of candidate, and you might be more excited now than you were, particularly if you are a guns/church/values voter.

If you were an independent, or former Clinton supporter, I can't really see what it is about this woman that would make you want to be with that ticket. Her speech was surprisingly partisan and mocking, I think she really missed an opportunity to rise above some of the negative coverage about herself. Had she been more even keeled and friendly towards the other side of the aisle, it could have potentially tugged at those Clinton folks.

But this pick is clearly about cheering up the "base", and I would expect more of the same out of McCain later tonight.

One final thought, it is really fun watching Republicans these days simply open their mouths. Because every time they do, they directly contradict themselves. John Stewart is doing a great job of showing clips of these guys, side by side, saying polar opposite things, depending on who they are talking about.

Republicans have become the party of stupid. They think Americans will buy whatever crap they try to sell them, and for a large number of Americans, it still works. We're the party of reform, even though we were the party in power for the past 8 years of debauchery. We're the fiscal conservatives, when every shred of evidence points to the contrary. How dare you question Mrs. Palin, it's all just because she's a woman, when that same argument was jeered at when made by Clinton supporters.

The only moment of honesty you ever get out of these blowhards is off camera. Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy let some honesty slip out this week, but only because they thought they were off the air. Republicans no longer have anybody approaching a public intellectual on any topic, because they have all become partisan hacks willing to say/do whatever is necessary to get their folks in office. Democrats will at least criticize each other from time to time. Take the Clinton impeachment. Lots of Dems came out against Clinton (can't remember how many voted to impeach, my guess is very few), but they were willing to say they were disappointed and offended and all that. Meanwhile, George W. Bush is a proven war criminal, and you hardly hear a peep out of the Republicans about it.

Just look at last night. Sarah Palin talking about how we should honor McCain because he was tortured, while the previous night Bush (a torturer) was on stage, also singing his praises.

Republicans think you're stupid.