Issues? Who needs issues?

Fake vacuum cleaner salesman
steals $25,000 in jewelry,
asks to stay for dinner.

I’m sorry to be so blunt, but what I have seen of Sarah Palin’s much-touted first interview with hand-picked softball interviewer, Charlie Gibson, only proves to me she is not much more than a mindless twit. She is obviously not given to serious thought, opting instead to just mouth the Bush/McCain policies (when, that is, she understands them). Although she doesn’t seem to grasp Bush’s illegal pre-emptive strike philosophy, she otherwise seems to just fall in line with the standard neocon policy and propaganda. For example, she repeats the false charge that Russia invaded Georgia (with the implication that they started the hostilities, a lie). She also goes along with encouraging Georgia to become part of NATO, so that if Russia attacks them we can go to war. She says this as if Russia is no more than a recalcitrant child who, if it misbehaves, can just be punished (by going to war). I see no indication that she thinks going to war with Russia is any more or less than disciplining some banana republic. She continues to insist that she is ready to become President should that become necessary, but there is nothing about her experience to date that would indicate this is so. She seems to accept that because Alaska is geographically close to Russia that somehow counts for Foreign Policy experience. She also seems to uncritically accept the idea that Muslims are out to destroy us at all costs (evil Muslims that don’t like our freedoms?). She links 9/11 to Iraq, a claim that even Bush himself has given up, and she thinks we are on God’s side in what we do (I would think God would be a little more non-partisan when it comes to war and killing). And she mouths the standard nonsense about Iran and how dangerous it is to the entire world. She also thinks that should Israel attack Iran we should not question their judgment because we are friends. Frankly, I find her outlook on world affairs so divorced from reality as to be terrifying. Of course she is being tutored by the belligerent warmonger McCain, who would also treat Russia as just another pebble in the way of American empire, throwing them out of G8, threatening them with war, and etc. They are talking about deliberately provoking Russia and going to war with them, as if Russia is just another Grenada. Cheney at this very moment is traveling around Europe trying to stir up trouble. Happily, everyone seems to be ignoring him. There is one very sound piece of advice that has floated around Britain and Europe for years: DO NOT PROVOKE THE RUSSIAN BEAR! I guess the Russians must be shaking in their boots, what with Israel telling them what they can and cannot sell to Iran, and our telling them where and where not they can pursue their national interests. All in all I think it is true to say that Palin has flunked VP 101 (of course nothing she could do would alter the idolatry in which she is held by her lunatic fringe base).

Issues? Who needs issues when you have Typhoon Sarah and Hurricane Ike on your side. With a bit of luck the Brafia may manage to get all the way to the election in November without having to discuss a single issue (they are no doubt praying for more hurricanes). I thought for a while that shifting the attention from Obama to Palin may have been a mistake for them. But after a little reflection I have concluded that it doesn’t matter as both foci take our attention away from any serious issues. Obama and his staff seem to cling to the outdated idea that people care about the issues. It is pretty clear from the last few elections that the issues, as well as qualifications for office, are basically irrelevant. What counts in personality and likeability. Obama could well lose, not because he doesn’t have a nice personality, but because he is seen as aloof. People would be inhibited from having a beer with him. Of course McCain, with no personality to speak of, doesn’t fare much better. But unfortunately Palin does. She may be a mindless twit who can’t think for herself, but she’s our mindless twit. I’m pretty sure that many women, watching Palin, can see themselves, working, struggling with the kids, working hard and climbing up the ladder towards that longed for glass ceiling. On the other hand I doubt that many identify with killing wolves from helicopters or shooting moose (or even eating moose stew). How much she will help McCain probably hinges more on how many loonies are out there than on her abilities. Calamity John can go comfortably to his grave now, knowing he has pulled off his last and most sadistic joke. What a guy!

Bush/Cheney have now managed to get our ambassadors kicked out of Bolivia and Venezuela, respectively. Venezuela provides quite a lot of our imported oil. Chavez is threatening to cut us off. Venezuela is also entertaining a couple of Russian bombers. Much of South America is thumbing their noses at us. Great job, Bush/Cheney! We need McCain/Palin to carry on your benevolent, thoughtful, and successful approach to Foreign Affairs. By golly, we’ll show those Russkies too, just wait until our ten million man army lands in Georgia.

LKBIQ:
There is something wrong with a culture that needs so much storage space.
Morialekafa