The 2008 Presidential Campaign (was Obama Phenomenon 2)

[N.E. Brigand]

Woods has a mind that can hold information like few others. In high school he took the SAT and garnered a perfect score of 1580. He gained admission to MIT but did not graduate to pursue his love of acting.

Minor quibble: wasn't 1600 the perfect SAT score when Woods took the test?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

In the interest accuracy, according to Wikipedia, Woods recieved a perfect score of 800 on the verbal portion of the test, which means that he received a 780 (out of 800) on the Math portion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Woods

Of course, so far as I am aware, James Wood isn't actually running for office in this election.

[Primula Baggins]

And not strictly correlative, based on my highly scientific research as a teen babysitter obsessed with books. I worked for some perfectly respectable educated families who had almost no books at all, anywhere in the house, even in the children's rooms—and no evidence that anyone ever read for pleasure (no lamps in the living room, for example). I doubt their kids grew up to set the world on fire, unless they discovered reading on their own, but as far as I can remember they weren't failures, either.

The authors are right that the parents are an essential part of making readers. Most of the kids I know well, including mine, learned to read before they started kindergarten—because they were read to, every day, sitting in the parent's lap or cuddled next to her and following along. You can't make that happen by giving a family books, or at least you can't be sure it will happen.

[sauronsfinger]

My point in presenting some statistics on child abuse ... was not to advocate any specific program ... but just to show how nearly impossible it is to get people on board to do almost anything. In fact, the two different sides probably cannot even agree on
- if the statistics are meaningful
- what causes them
- or what , if anything , to do about them

Just a few days ago we were talking about Sarah Palin supposedly slashing the budget for state psychological services for kids. And what did some people say here to defend what we at the time thought was a 62% budget cut?

Republicans don't believe spending money on programs proves anything.

And that was suppose to be a good thing. That was actually presented as a valid justification to cut a program for troubled kids by 62% Of course, it turned out that the program had just been shifted and not cut. But that sure did not stop the Republican side from excusing it on the grounds of what they believed in. Not according to a record of what works and does not work - but what they believe in. Philosophy. Idealogy. Belief.

If politicians do not take the lead in these discussions, nothing will happen until some crisis and then its too late many times. And if people do not demand that politicians lead in these discussion we will continue to get feel good talk about snowmobile races and other meaningless garbage.

[sauronsfinger]

The convenient fiction that the Republicans want us to believe is Sarah Palin takes another hit from the reality sledge hammer. From Todays Washington Post and MSNBC.

Palin bills state for nights at home, kids’ travel
By James V. Grimaldi and Karl Vick
updated 32 minutes ago
ANCHORAGE - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.

The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.

Palin, who earns $125,000 a year, claimed and received $16,951 as her allowance, which officials say was permitted because her official "duty station" is Juneau, according to an analysis of her travel documents by The Washington Post.

The governor's daughters and husband charged the state $43,490 to travel and many of the trips were to and from their house in Wasilla and Juneau, the capital city 600 miles away, the documents show.

Has campaign on reform message
Gubernatorial spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said Monday that Palin's expenses are not unusual and that, under state policy, the first family could have claimed per diem expenses for each child taken on official business but has not done so.

Before she became the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee, Palin was little known outside Alaska. Now, with the campaign emphasizing her executive experience, her record as mayor of Wasilla, as a state oil-and-gas commissioner and as governor is receiving intense scrutiny.

During her speech at the Republican National Convention last week, Palin cast herself as crusader for fiscal rectitude as Alaska's governor. She noted that she sold a state-owned plane used by the former governor. "While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for," she said to loud applause.

Speaking from Palin's Anchorage office, Leighow said that Palin dealt with the plane and also trimmed other expenses, including foregoing a chef in the governor's mansion because she preferred to cook for her family. The first family's travel is an expected part of the job, she said.

"As a matter of protocol, the governor and the first family are expected to attend community events across the state," she said. "It's absolutely reasonable that the first family participates in community events."

Strict regulations don't cover governor
The state finance director, Kim Garnero, said Alaska law exempts the governor's office from elaborate travel regulations. Said Leighow: "The governor is entitled to a per diem, and she claims it."

The popular governor collected the per diem allowance from April 22, four days after the birth of her fifth child, until June 3, when she flew to Juneau for two days. Palin moved her family to the capital during the legislative session last year, but prefers to stay in Wasilla and drive 45 miles to Anchorage to a state office building where she conducts most of her business, aides have said.

Palin rarely sought reimbursement for meals while staying in Anchorage or Wasilla, the reports show.

She wrote some form of "Lodging -- own residence" or "Lodging -- Wasilla residence" more than 30 times at the same time she took a per diem, according to the reports. In two dozen undated amendments to the reports, the governor deleted the reference to staying in her home but still charged the per diem.

Palin charged the state a per diem for working on Nov. 22, 2007 -- Thanksgiving Day. The reason given, according to the expense report, was the Great Alaska Shootout, an annual NCAA college basketball tournament held in Anchorage.

Thousands spent on children's flights
In separate filings, the state was billed about $25,000 for Palin's daughters' expenses and $19,000 for her husband, Todd Palin.

Flights topped the list for the most expensive items, and the daughter whose bill was the highest was Piper, 7, whose flights cost nearly $11,000, while Willow, 14, claimed about $6,000 and Bristol, 17, accounted for about $3,400.

One event was in New York City in October 2007, when Bristol accompanied the governor to Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference, toured the New York Stock Exchange, and met local officials and business executives. The state paid for three nights in a $707-a-day hotel room. Garnero said the governor's office has the authority to approve hotel stays above $300.

=================

And todays edition of The Wall Street Journal has a very good article about the Bridge To Nowhere and Palins duplicity over it.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1220907 ... lenews_wsj

[Ellienor]

I don't get it, SF.

I mean, the Republicans have really sold Palin's "narrative," although now we're learning that you can't look too closely at it. I know that Republicans don't care--I had a conversation with a Republican woman in my office who, when I gently asked her if she was concerned about the earmarks and duplicity on the Bridge, said, Oh, all politicians do it. And I said, but McCain has made it a real issue in his campaign, does it bug you that she is a profligate earmarker? I could practically see the fingers in the ears and the La La La come out.

Will independent voters notice? Will they choose "narrative" over facts?

Obama was belittled as a celebrity. Now they've taken the celebrity mantle.

Obama talked change. Now they're claiming they're the real agents of change.

Obama was belittled as having too little experience. Now they've picked someone with less experience.

This whole election cycle is just making me go

[Padme]

I don't get it, SF.

I mean, the Republicans have really sold Palin's "narrative," although now we're learning that you can't look too closely at it. I know that Republicans don't care--I had a conversation with a Republican woman in my office who, when I gently asked her if she was concerned about the earmarks and duplicity on the Bridge, said, Oh, all politicians do it. And I said, but McCain has made it a real issue in his campaign, does it bug you that she is a profligate earmarker? I could practically see the fingers in the ears and the La La La come out.

Will independent voters notice? Will they choose "narrative" over facts?

Obama was belittled as a celebrity. Now they've taken the celebrity mantle.

Obama talked change. Now they're claiming they're the real agents of change.

Obama was belittled as having too little experience. Now they've picked someone with less experience.

This whole election cycle is just making me go

I have a friend Aaron who belives that 7 people actually rule the world. He has a whole bunch of stuff he touts about it, books, internet stuff, ect. Most of the time I just nod and smile. But here lately I am beginning to think maybe he's on to something.

[Primula Baggins]

There's a lot of coverage of Palin's misstatements about earmarks and the bridge today, with new reports of 319 nights since becoming governor when she slept at home and charged the state per diem anyway. When I worked for the state of California you could get in serious trouble for misusing per diem.

The stories about this are spreading across major news outlets. It will be interesting to see whether Charlie Gibson dares to ask her about it, since calling her on these things has been defined as "disrespectful."

[sauronsfinger]

Ellienor
your friend with the fingers in the ears is the perfect symbol for many people in this campaign. Senator Obama was here in Michigan yesterday and when talking about McCain and Palin repackaging the Republican brand as the "agents of change" Obama said

"the American people are not stupid"

Well, its sad, but some of them are. Maybe not most. But enough. And some are just like your friend.... living in denial ... "don't confuse me with facts" .... "hey, I believe it so get outta my face".

What do you do with people like that? I think you put forth the truth in front of them in as many ways and as often as you can hoping that you hit them in a more rational moment or at a time when the clear sunlight of truth seems to be shining through.

That is why Obama must go after Palin for the next two weeks. She is the reason for the bump in polls. She is the reason for a renewed enthusiasm for the ticket. She is the reason for hope for a Republican victory. John McCain is still the same old same old.

They need to put out all the truth about Palins hypocrisy in her record. Put it out everyday in as much media as possible even if it means paying for it. Do that for two weeks and you will see her approval numbers go down. Then you can focus back on McCain for the last six weeks of the campaign.

[Primula Baggins]

We'll see, sf. I think the Obama campaign has been wise to stand back a bit as long as the media is bringing these things out. The McCain/Palin campaign has signaled pretty clearly that any kind of political attack on Palin is going to be called sexism and played as victimizing her. Plenty of voters would then leap to her defense—because "it's not fair" to hold people responsible for their words and actions if they clearly now want something else to be true.

[sauronsfinger]

Here is a link to some blogs picked up by RealClear Politics regarding emails the investigators are trying to obtain from Palin in the state investigation into her alleged abuse of power.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/cross_ ... email.html

Prim ... I agree that its sensitive, but to let this lovefest go on much longer without strong refutation is this years version of the Swift boat damage. Palin has to be neutralized and it has to happen soon. You do not do that with smears or lies or vindictiveness. You simply put the truth of her record out there. Match her words to her record and let the American people take it from there.

[Ellienor]

Well, Prim, I think there is some strategy there. There was some Obama-let down and Obama disillusionment as people got over the initial "rush" of his bursting onto the national stage. They must be hoping that will happen for Palin, and that the initial rush will fade.

Like SF, I do worry that the American people (or enough of them, anyways) will go with the Hollywood-style package and perception over the reality. Laying into the media sets the stage for people to disregard it.

It's hard not to admire the Republican political machine.

Oh, and getting rid of earmarks will hardly balance the budget. It deflects attention from the lack of any real plan to balance the budget.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I certainly agree that Palin's record is a valid topic of discussion, but let's not have a feeding frenzy over it, shall we?

[vison]

While I think that Mr. Obama's campaign should hammer Mrs. Palin, I think maybe that's a job for Mr. Biden. I confess I don't know much about him but I have read that he can be pretty vicious - so IF he's gonna do it, he ought to remember to be "deferential". A smart guy can do it, and I've also read that Mr. Biden is a smart guy. Without ever being "mean", he should be able to show her up for what she is.

I think it would be a mistake for Mr. Obama himself to spend much time on her. He should concentrate on Mr. McCain. The Republicans have scored a brilliant stroke - I actually think it's more brilliant than they meant or hoped - and I think that if Mr. Obama was to treat her seriously, as if SHE was the candidate, it would help the Republicans a lot more than the Democrats.

Mr. Obama has run a very wise campaign so far. He can turn up the heat now, but he must be very careful NOT to "react". You have to ACT, you have to seize the ground and make them come after you. Time after time, in the last 3 elections, the Democrats have fallen for this "we gotta react to what the Republicans are doing/saying!!!" People don't want explanations - they don't listen to them. Those who like Mrs. Palin aren't going to listen to anything anyone has to say, so why waste the effort?

I got an email last night from the Jim Dean outfit, asking for an opinion on a proposed ad featuring a guy who was a POW with McCain. He didn't have anything good to say about McCain as a possible president, due to his temper, etc. My opinion is: don't do it. It will be seen as an attack on his "heroism". I think the Democrats should be respectful of his POW experience but at the same time they should relegate it to a historical matter - what has McCain done in the last 8 years, not 40 years ago.

[N.E. Brigand]

While I think that Mr. Obama's campaign should hammer Mrs. Palin, I think maybe that's a job for Mr. Biden. I confess I don't know much about him but I have read that he can be pretty vicious - so IF he's gonna do it, he ought to remember to be "deferential". A smart guy can do it, and I've also read that Mr. Biden is a smart guy. Without ever being "mean", he should be able to show her up for what she is.

Your choice of word caught my eye, because of an opinion piece that I read this morning, by E.J. Dionne at The New Republic:

Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, gave the game away when he said on "Fox News Sunday" that she would not meet with reporters until they showed a willingness to treat her "with some level of respect and deference."
Deference? That's a word used in monarchies or aristocracies. Democracies don't give "deference" to politicians. When have McCain, Obama, Biden or, for that matter, Hillary Clinton asked for deference?

Though there may be a spectrum between lack of deference and Voronwë's feared "feeding frenzy".

[sauronsfinger]

Well she is getting the full celebrity treatment at any rate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... soars.html

Thanks for the Dionne piece Brigand.

[vison]

Mrs. Palin claimed 312 per diems for days and nights at home.

[halplm]

Obama's change was a change from Bush.

McCain/Palin's change is a cange from Washington.

At least, that's the way they're playing it.

Is McCain actually pulling in more women? Or is the poll just "wrong?"

http://news.yahoo.com/story//nm/2008090 ... s_women_dc

Attackin Sara Palin will not work for Obama, for two reasons. First, everything they're attacking her on, is either easily explained, or issues that people have been complainging about Obama for to begin with! Second, it leaves McCain free and clear, and above it all.

Wow, even some of the stuff that was being touted as "true" around here is being shown to be false, including the creationism story, and the book banning story:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986

You guys keep saying Conservatives were "too quick to like her" and didn't look deep enough... well, you guys certainly seem pretty quick to judge and thus hate her for any rumor you can find.

[halplm]

Vison, the per diem thing is the "smear of the day" even the article makes the case that it's cheaper than other politicians, and she's got a family of 5 to truck around and to see all the time, otherwise she'd be a "bad mother."

Has there even been an analysis of how much tax-payer money Barack has wasted while in office? Is there any context to what Palin spends on travel and "per diem" compared to 49 other governors? Don't forget to take into account higher cost of travel in Alaska, and the fact that it's huge.

Oh, how much did she sell the private jet for? How much money has she saved net for people on governmental travel?

[vison]

Lay off the "hate" crap, halplm. I wonder if you are EVER going to understand that pointing out a politician's flaws has nothing to do with "hate".

I, for one, automatically dismiss anything else you might have to say simply because it reveals a seemingly fundamental inability on your part to understand what "debate" means.