Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Random questions and thoughts

* Why did the media think it appropriate to ask Gov. Sarah Palin who her favorite designer is?

* Do you think Palin's answer to the above question (Patagonia and North Face - two businesses I know through their catalogs and certainly NOT considered 'designers') resonated with more Americans than any 'fashion' designer would have?

* How is it that, according to most on the left and even many news pundits (but then I repeat myself), Palin is too inexperienced to be a heartbeat away from the presidency but that Sen. Barack Obama, with less experience, is qualified to be that heartbeat? And why don't they realize their contradiction?

* Campaigns are about showing contrasts. Last night's GOP convention speakers provided such contrasts between Sen. John McCain and Obama. Fred Thompson's point was 'substance over flash' while Joe Lieberman said, “eloquence is no substitute for a record.” Slam!

* While the Democrat convention focused on party unity, Lieberman made a good point that "country matters more than party." That's a message designed to appeal to and resonate with the voting middle and Independents. I think McCain's best hope for winning the election is to appeal to those middle of the road voters and Independents - which includes the Reagan Democrats. He cannot forsake his conservative base, but he's made huge inroads on that front with his selection of Palin as his running mate.

* How do three senators running for the top two spots in elective office overcome the lowest senate approval rating in history? Are we to think the American public is so dumb that it won't realize their roles in gaining such a poor approval ranking?

* Obama says he's going to raise taxes on businesses but protect the middle class from tax hikes. Does he not realize that a tax on business just gets passed along to all consumers, including that precious middle class, in the form of higher prices and/or less earnings on the stock? Does he think most Americans don't realize this point and will react accordingly?

* With polls showing more and more Americans opposed to abortion (even if they want it to remain legal), will Obama's latest ad telling voters that McCain wants to overturn Roe v. Wade actually give an advantage to the Obama campaign?

* With the selection of a running mate with no international experience, has the McCain campaign sacrificed one is its key points - that Obama is not ready to lead?

* Do political party conventions change voters minds about whom to elect? They're certainly a process that is necessary for the actual business of nominating the party's candidate, but could they be done with less pomp and circumstance (and expense) and still have the desired impact of kicking off a campaign? Is there a better way to kick off a campaign?

3 comments:

Chuck Greer said...

Maggie, Please check out this website Blackfive (http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/08/commanding-the.html) where it talks about the Alaska National Guard being the only unit in all 50 (or more if you are BHO...) that has a full-time presence, that they are seen as a first line defense as they are within spitting distance of Russia, and that (the beautiful and exciting) Gov. Palin "may have" access to more classified information than Sen. Joe Biden. Hope that this will be talked about at least as much as her husband's DUI arrest when he was ~22 years old, as it bears almost the same impact. Wait a minute...wasn't Barrack Hussein Obama snorting cocaine at about the same point in time?? Never mind. Obviously irrelevent, right?

Maggie said...

chuck - here's a terrific take on the experience comparison done by Newt Gingrich:

http://blogsforjohnmccain.com/newt-gingrich-destroys-obama-experience-comparison-sarah-palin-msnbc-video-9208

Timothy W Higgins said...

Maggie,

There you go again attempting to bring logic and reason to Mainstream Media political discussion, when there can be little doubt that you understand that the two are mutually exclusive categories. I refuse to believe that you are seriously asking this question except to once again point out the disparate ways in which the media treats liberal and consrvative candidates.

As for the answers given by the candidate, the media will ignore them in favor of creating a feeding frenzy. Have no fear for Mrs. Palin however, this is not her first rodeo.

There is a term floating around fairly recently that I have taken up for my own weekend contribution to the blogosphere, and which I am becoming attached to. It is that what passes for news these days is in fact done by the "Downstream Media". They are so termed because like many evil corporations are accused of, they pollute the "information stream" with their contribution making it unfit for human consumption.

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