I have no doubt the Palin selection was done at the last minute and they are largely making it up along the way. But, then again, when you look at the troubles Obama has had to work around, including the scandal with Rev. Wright, it's fair to question if he isn't largely making things up along the way, as well. That's perfectly understandable, given there's no way he realistically could have expected to be in this position this quickly. If it's not a huge problem for the guy at the top of the ticket, it's hard to see how it can be a big issue for the lady at the bottom of the ticket.

Actually the fact that Sarah Palin's teenage, unmarried daughter is pregnant is not a major issue to me. (Beyond its graphic proof of the efficacy of abstinance-only sex eduction).

However, to repeat the point, were the daughter of Barak Obama both of a similar age and also pregnant, Conservatives everywhere would be declaring this absolutly the most crucial point of the presidential campaign.

And you know it.

Obama has been in the national spotlight for four years and has been running for President for 18 months. Palin has been in the national spotlight less than a week.

Every facet of Obama's life has been scrutinized, down to kindergarten essays and the school he attended in Indonesia to his Church and preacher to his serving on a board with William Ayers.

I don't think you can actually even begin to compare the two.

That is the whole problem: everybody gets caught up believing two wrongs somehow make a right. Then the the pols sit around wondering why their approval ratings are so dismal and all the people they are courting in the middle see zero difference between the parties. (And to compound this perception, they go out and choose running mates like Biden who thought McCain would have made a great VP choice for the Democrats.) It's truly amazing that anyone can get worked up over any of this stuff. They're the exact same people only with different letters after their names.

What does the Palin selection have to do with Rev. Wright, or did you just want to see the guy's name in print again?

Bizarre.

Posts like Sundance always confuse me. Are you wishing both candidates were more extreme? How would massive upheavals in government every few years improve things? It seems obvious to me that a two party system forces candidates to move to the middle.

Would you prefer a European parliamentary system with multiple parties, many on the extremes? Note that system also requires a mechanism to keep politics moderate in the form of coalition goverments. Be careful what you wish for....

Sundance: That is the whole problem: everybody gets caught up believing two wrongs somehow make a right. Then the the pols sit around wondering why their approval ratings are so dismal and all the people they are courting in the middle see zero difference between the parties. (And to compound this perception, they go out and choose running mates like Biden who thought McCain would have made a great VP choice for the Democrats.) It's truly amazing that anyone can get worked up over any of this stuff. They're the exact same people only with different letters after their names.

Sundown:

I have no doubt the Palin selection was done at the last minute and they are largely making it up along the way. But, then again, when you look at the troubles Obama has had to work around, including the scandal with Rev. Wright, it's fair to question if he isn't largely making things up along the way, as well. That's perfectly understandable, given there's no way he realistically could have expected to be in this position this quickly. If it's not a huge problem for the guy at the top of the ticket, it's hard to see how it can be a big issue for the lady at the bottom of the ticket.

Obama has been running for over a year and has been planning his run for quite a bit longer. He won the Democratic nomination largely on the strength of his campaign organization, which planned everything very carefully. That advance planning allowed them to boost youth turnout and win the Iowa caucuses by a 9-point margin, and later gave them the edge in the battle for delegates.

So, no, Obama is clearly not just "making things up along the way." Obviously plans have to be adjusted in light of events, like Rev. Wright, and strategies are always evolving. They didn't plan the entire election in advance. Nobody could. But the Obama campaign is very, very good at long-term strategy.

Horus:

What does the Palin selection have to do with Rev. Wright, or did you just want to see the guy's name in print again?

Bizarre.

It's been quite clear from the start that the GOP has been trying to apply the label of "angry black radical" to Obama through guilt by association.

The public got bored with Wright about four months ago, which is an eternity the modern world of 1 day news cycles. But it's fun to watch the GOP operatives continue to repeat his name like a mantra to shield their candidates from any and all criticism. Palin is going over about as well the the Harriet Meiers nomination went and all they can do is sputter, but . but. . . but Wright. . . but . . .but . . .Ayers."

Hilarious.

bsharporflat:

Posts like Sundance always confuse me.

Maybe your confusion stems from the fact you have difficulty reading. Who is this "Sundance" you are referring to?

It should be fairly clear that Obama's handling of Wright was not the move of a seasoned politician and demonstrates he was making things up along the way. (Had he expected to be in the position he is in now, he would have cut ties with Wright BEFORE the shit inevitably hit the fan. Or at the very least he'd made a clean break immediately, instead of allowing the talking heads to hammer him for an extra several weeks about it. It's not a dig at Obama, just a political observation. You certainly didn't see Hillary making a gaffe like that.)

Listen Sundance, erm...Butch Cassidy, Hillary made plenty of her own gaffes...have you forgotten her December 07 statement that her not winning the primaries was inconceivable or suggesting Lyndon Johnson was an equally heroic Civil Rights leader to MLKjr?

Well, you have to cut Hillary some slack. She was still dodging sniper fire when she made those comments.

Let's not forget HIllary's claim to have cornered the market on "white, working class, non-college educated" voters in May, '08. It was when she was slugging down beers and Jack Daniels in bowling alleys (is she still doing that, now that the cameras are off? ;- ))

Ok, now let's be serious and let the primary go. We don't want to rile up the PUMAs again.l

I'll respect your sincere desire to get Obama in the White House Gb :- )