Rachel Maddow, not so "Unlikely"

A Good Question

The Top Ten Reasons Conservatives Should Vote For Obama

No, Andrew Sullivan is not paying me under the table for linking to him. But in my opinion he consistently offers the most reasoned, non-inflammatory coherent point of view. He is committed to holding the next President accountable for his actions and promises; and while there are many things we may disagree on, my respect for him is profound.

10. A body blow to racial identity politics. An end to the era of Jesse Jackson in black America.

9. Less debt. Yes, Obama will raise taxes on those earning over a quarter of a million. And he will spend on healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan and the environment. But so will McCain. He plans more spending on health, the environment and won't touch defense of entitlements. And his refusal to touch taxes means an extra $4 trillion in debt over the massive increase presided over by Bush. And the CBO estimates that McCain's plans will add more to the debt over four years than Obama's. Fiscal conservatives have a clear choice.

8. A return to realism and prudence in foreign policy. Obama has consistently cited the foreign policy of George H. W. Bush as his inspiration. McCain's knee-jerk reaction to the Georgian conflict, his commitment to stay in Iraq indefinitely, and his brinksmanship over Iran's nuclear ambitions make him a far riskier choice for conservatives. The choice between Obama and McCain is like the choice between George H.W. Bush's first term and George W.'s.

7. An ability to understand the difference between listening to generals and delegating foreign policy to them.

6. Temperament. Obama has the coolest, calmest demeanor of any president since Eisenhower. Conservatism values that kind of constancy, especially cmopared with the hot-headed, irrational impulsiveness of McCain.

5. Faith. Obama's fusion of Christianity and reason, his non-fundamentalist faith, is a critical bridge between the new atheism and the new Christianism.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST:

Drudge Report: Wrong about Obama "Redistribution of Wealth" from 2001

Read Andrew Sullivan's post on this, it's about the civil rights movement, not socialism.

UPDATE:

FACTCHECKER JUST DEALT WITH THIS (QUICKLY, AS THE 2001 SUPREME COURT ISSUE JUST STARTED MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY: THEIR CONCLUSION:
The Pinocchio Test

With very few exceptions, all American politicians, including both presidential candidates, are in favor of a progressive income tax system and welfare policies (such as Medicare and Social Security) that "redistribute wealth." Barack Obama is more enthusiastic about "spreading the wealth around" than his Republican rival. But that does not make him a "Socialist." The McCain camp is wrong to suggest that the Illinois senator advocated an "wealth redistribution" role for the Supreme Court in his 2001 interview.

TWO PINOCCHIOS

Post-Debate Commentary, Part 2

From A Republican Daily Dish Reader:
"Two things struck me as crucially important:...." (click here for full post)

And Another One:
They are killing me. I am a registered Republican. I live in Virginia. But I am clearly not a "Virginia Republican". This ticket and loathesome campaign is a disaster - I haven't left the Republican Party so much as it has left me, at least here in the Commonwealth......" (click here)


And the Washington Post endorses.................................

The "New" Voter Intimidation 8:56pm

A (Daily Dish) reader writes:

I live in Charlotte NC, where today is the first day of early voting. I drove by two polling places before 8 this morning and they were both completely mobbed. My husband has driven to two others in his attempt to vote today, and the scene has been so ridiculous that he has given up and will try again next week. At two of the spots where he tried to vote, he witnessed and was approached by two exceedingly aggressive McCain/Palin volunteers who were pulling people out of line, handing out brochures, and telling them "You really need to think carefully about your vote. If you plan to vote Obama, we would ask that you read this material and reconsider your vote."

At one location, after approaching my husband aggressively, these volunteers were forcefully asked to leave by an employee and were told the police would be called if they did not cease and desist. None of this is indicative of anything, obviously. I just thought it was interesting. I have voted in three presidential races since I have lived in Charlotte, and I have never been approached by anyone campaiging so close to a polling location. Desperation, perhaps?

And another one with a slightly better experience, but still words of caution.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2008

11:58pm
George Will: "McCain and his female Sancho Panza"

11:22pm
Another Conservative: Kathleen Parker calls for Sarah Palin to be muzzled.

10:30pm
Something For Conservatives To Think About: Daniel Larison explains why a McCain win will NOT further the Conservative cause.
" If McCain were somehow to prevail on 4 November, the calamity that would befall the Congressional GOP in 2010 would great and would help to erase all political gains of the previous sixteen years. Those conservatives who do not want to be consigned to the wilderness for the next decade or two need to think about the long-term consequences of a McCain victory, which would be disastrous for conservatives both in policy and political terms in the next several electoral cycles. If his insane mortgage-bailout-in-every-pot plan doesn’t persuade people of that, perhaps the prospect of being the minority party for the next twenty years will. "

8:07pm
Slate.com; Republican Mob Scene; they're energizing the base, alright.

7:23pm
This video deals with what some see as McCain's anger management issues. The next two; lowest common denominators.


7:o1pm
As a friend says, "For the Love of God". I have a few of these videos. (thanks to Daily Dish)
As I say, "OH MY GOD".

The one above; drunk (but "Patriotic") rednecks.

These people below are just f**ing scary. Sorry.


6:19pm
TIME: The Obama Surge: Will It Last?
I got a LOT of work done today. I have NOT kept up on this, however!! Thanks to Don Abbott for finding this. According to Joe Klein, it WILL.

1:35pm
Meant to do this all day.
Google Goggles, as in, "beer goggles". If you're so trashed that the email you are typing to your ex, your boss, your secret crush, the policeman that just pulled you over..... then this feature is designed to stop you from successfully sending that message you'll regret tomorrow.

Two Things: Accent And Rights

Daily Dish points out a significantly less accented and folksy speaking Sarah Palin in a 2006 Governor's Debate.

Also listen to her positions on gay rights; which seems to contradict the debate. Lastly, she defines the extent of her pro-life position.

Highlighting some links

Because the links to the right are organized by the dates/times they are updated; I wanted to point out my favorites.

The Daily Dish, which many of you read, has a wealth of up to the minute info. (and check out what happened to Andrew Sullivan today by his colleague at the Washington Post and a friend from the McCain campaign.) http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-crime-of-co.html

The Onion, for when reality needs a break, this humorous site at times seems more grounded and real that what is actually going on in the "real world".

Real Clear Politics and InTrade. My main obsession; RCP has all the polling information you could ask for, considering the amount of links and stories they publish as well. It is fascinating to see the "Battleground States" turning progressively more and more blue. Don at my office and I check this obsessively. InTrade is linked to the 2008 Presidential Campaign. My current contention is that the trend on this site for who is buying and selling what, and whose price is going up or down, is a bellweather for what will be coming down the pike at RCP. Obama's InTrade shares started going down before the post-RNC Convention fallout; and started rebounding long before the polls showed Barack Obama back in the lead. So prove me wrong; it's just an opinion, I'm doing my best not to build any bridges to nowhere here (or roads for that matter).

LT

For the sites that are constantly being updated, the list to the right will highlight a recent posting, I have not necessarily chosen that specific post for any reason. These are the sites & blogs that I read most often, if you have ones to share, please do so!