The tan is fake, just like she is…

Cross posted at TPM, re: the Palin tanning bed story. (Short version: one of her very first acts as Governor was to have a professional-grade tanning bed installed in the Governor’s mansion.) Some Democrats on the board were arguing that this story was not worthy of our notice or debate.

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You guys are so cute. I *love* my fellow rational, left-brained Democrats.

However.

You’re confusing shouldn’t matter with doesn’t matter.

If this election were being decided on issues, it would already be over. Obama/Biden would be up by 20 points.

A large segment of the electorate doesn’t vote the issues, they vote their gut – - and that’s what Sarah Palin is appealing to. The entire package is “I’m just plain folks – just like you! Not at all like that elitist uppity Hollywood Democrat (I can even hear the sneering as I type the words…)

Of course it’s not about the tanning machine, any more than it was about the windsurfing (Kerry) or the expensive haircut (Edwards) – - it’s about the metaphor:

Her tan is a fake – just like she is.

The pitbull line is an act – she runs from questions so fast you can see the skid marks, and has surrogates protect her from the mean awful reporters because, after all, she’s just a girl.

She’s not about saving the taxpayers’ money – she’s about sticking it to the lower 48 (gas prices, federal pork) and using it to reward cronies and buy herself perks (even if the bed wasn’t an illegal gift – and I bet it was – taxpayers still footed the bill for the wiring job.)

And don’t even get me started on her “family values”…

I agree that the Obama/Biden campaign shouldn’t touch this story with a 10 foot pole, but the media should run with it (particularly since they did the same with Kerry and Edwards.)

When pigs fly? (video)

Because P asked to see this:

Coming up next – hell freezes over!

Then – Karl Rove reprimands John McCain for lying!

Seriously.

Fiscal Conservative Comic (picture)

Tick tock…

# of days that Sarah Palin has refused to hold a proper press conference: 16

# of days that we have left to learn whether she’s qualified to lead the U.S. in the event of a crisis: 51

Free white hood included inside every box! (video)

So for those of you keeping score at home, it’s sexism bad, racism good.

Mendacity (video)

The story so far:

1) McCain picks wildly unqualified Palin as VP, proceeds to hide from press.

2) McCain finally surfaces for a (presumably softball) interview with a local news affiliate station in Maine.

3) Watch…

Thank you Rob Caldwell. You are a credit to your profession. Seriously.

Sarah Palin & Hillary Clinton (video – SNL)

“…in conclusion, I invite the media to grow a pair…”

Update:  HIGH Quality Version now available.

YouTube keeps removing the videos, and NBC embedded player doesn’t seem to work on WordPress

But PalinClock.com has your back – - the original video is here.

Tick tock…

# of days that Sarah Palin has refused to hold a proper press conference: 15

# of days that we have left to learn whether she’s qualified to lead the U.S. in the event of a crisis: 52

Armchair Quarterback Bears and 20/20 Hindsight

The normally on-the-money Angry Bear today:

Perhaps Biden should step down, realizing that right now he is adding nothing to the mud fight and let Hillary take his place. Right now, Biden is a lost cause, chosen because he brought international expertise to the ticket, chosen to counter Obama’s presumed inexperience.

Now that would be a counter to the McCain-Palin nonsense. Suddenly the whole field shifts; there is a new game. Palin versus Hillary. Let’s talk about who is qualified to do what.

While I understand the problems involved in such a change–how does Biden bow out, for example–, I am serious about my suggestion.

This is a terrible, terrible idea if you care about the Democratic party winning this election – - replacing Biden now would make Obama look feckless and disorganized.

For everyone second-guessing his decision – let’s do a thought experiment. Rewind the clock by one month, and imagine that Obama picks Clinton as his VP.

Seeing that he can’t possibly compete on “star power” or identity politics, McCain doubles down on National Security/Foreign Policy cred by picking Tom Ridge.

McCain then continues to hammer away on the Trust and Experience themes he was running for a year.

McCain doesn’t get his “excite the base” bump out of the convention, but with PA now in play and continuing to win over independents who believe that National Security is the #1 issue, he stays within 10 points of Obama nationally, and the electoral college remains a tie like it is today.

Then in late October it happens – - a major international security incident. Maybe, God forbid, another Madrid – - or perhaps an escalation in Georgia – - or perhaps Pakistan goes off the rails.

Democrats scream that the event was incited/enabled by the current Republican administration to help out their side, but to no avail. America does what it has historically done at such time, and makes the “safe” choice in the face of an unsafe world. McCain/Ridge win Ohio, Florida and Nevada on electino day, and we’re done.

Liberal-leaning blogs light up with discussions about how “if only Obama had selected somebody with foreign policy cred” then Democrats would have won the election.

/end thought experiment

I don’t think Biden or the Clintons are out there throwing nearly enough punches – - and I hope that that changes.  I’ve already been critical of Joe in this regard.

But second guessing our quarterback right now is a waste of energy, and, I think, mistaken.

Now get back to work! 

The 9th Commandment (Video)

From my man Robert Greenwald – nicely done!