Friday Open Thread

Happy Halloween.

Obama's cloud of BS (?) on the unimportance of judicial philosophy is troubling - what is he hiding?  (As if we don't know.)  Why does he want to pretend that most Supreme Court Justices agree most of the time?

SHADES OF GRAY:  Matt Yglesias offers a superficially plausible rebuttal that collapses when pushed a bit:

This seems to totally miss the point. The reason Supreme Court decisions are rarely unanimous isn’t that cut-and-dry legal issues are rare. The reason is that the Supreme Court has absolute discretion over which cases to hear, and they disproportionately choose the “hard” cases. There are lots of cases where the Supremes could choose to offer a 9-0 affirmation of a Circuit Court decision, but that would be a waste of time.

Why limit this 'most of the issues are obvious' argument to Supreme Court Justices?  In 2000 Ralph Nader insisted that Al Gore and George Bush were scuffling over the political center without offering a dime's worth of difference.  And why limit ourselves to 2000?  In the current election,  both Presidential candidates agree on the need for a modestly revised Federal income tax, the need for troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for changes to our health care system, the need to address global warming, the need to expand alternative energy, offshore drilling and nuclear power, and so on.  I would guess that McCain and Obama are in rough agreement on 99% of issues, if we define "issues" as broadly as Matt does in invoking every cut and dried case to enter the Federal courts.

No differences between Obama and McCain? Only if we look at the hard details of the hard issues.  Sort of like with the Supreme Court.

Comments

[Jane votes Joe The Plumber]

Happy Halloween backatcha TM!

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Booooooo!

No threadhearders yet.

[hrtshpdbox]

"Speaking of donation fraud, did you hear that Olbermann of MSNBC is now accusing McCain of donating to Khalidi? Wild accusations from Olbermann, especially after MSNBC has been publicly discredited for slanted election coverage."

That's what all the lefties are saying, including Alan Colmes last night; apparently McCain, as chairman of some pro-democracy group, gave Khalidi's group a half-million to do things like register voters and secure voting procedures. To the left this is equivelant to going out to dinner all the time with Khalidi and applauding vigorously (or rising up to say it yourself) while he states that Israel has no right to exist. As Tito The Builder said..."Do you think Americans are that stupid?".

[hrtshpdbox]

Rendell says PA race "closer than polls indicate" (LUN). And that must mean that McCain is ahead by five points or so. Carrying PA almost covers a loss in VA and CO - not that I believe either of those will go to Obama either.

[Thomas Collins]

Witches and goblins with jack-o-lanterns bright. Creep through the town on a cold, October night. You hear the sound of running feet where nothing can be seen, and the strangest things can happen on a wild Halloween!

Out in the street, merry children run about. Masks on their faces, they go with noisy shout. They rap at every window pane where people may be seen, and the strangest things can happen on a wild Halloween!

That's from my favorite Halloween song. The young children with the mischievous faces traipsing around the neighborhood bring back wonderful memories when my kids were doing the traipsing.

[bad]

Gateway has the video but this is the jist of the adoration"

"I never thought this day would happen. I won’t have to work on puttin’ gas in my car. I won’t have to work at payin’ my mortgage. You know. If I help him [Obama], he’s gonna help me."

Peggy Joseph
Obama Devotee

Do ya think she'll notice if Obama wins and she has to pay for her gas and loses her hime 'cause she didn't pay the mortgage? Or will the hope and change still be good enough to get her through the night?

LUN (Linked Under Name}

[Elliott]

hrtshpdbox,

That leak of Obama's internal polling last week was suspicious, especially since we also had the stories that Rendell was urging Obama to come back to the state. (Did he think Obama's campaign couldn't read its own polling or something?)

It looks to me like Rendell wants to benefit either way. 1) Obama heeded warnings, earned narrow victory thanks to Rendell. 2) Obama loses, should have listened to Ed Rendell.

[Elliott]

"On the international markets, hopenchange was steady at 0 against an array of currencies, including the pound and the U.S. dollar."

[Jor]

Law professor at U of Chicago being second guess by partisan hack blogger. Film at 11. WHAT IS HE HIDING. HE believes in judges that are comunist islamo-fascist atheist, socialist marxists! RUN!

[Thomas Collins]

I suspect that the persuadable voters in Pennsylvania and Ohio wouldn't be too happy with the judicial philosophy of the judges Zero will appoint. So Zero just sloughs off the issue. The voters who are going to vote for Zero because he will appoint SCOTUS judges who will expand Lawrence v. Texas to the max and gut the Second Amendment know what Zero's judicial philosophy is already; they don't need to be reminded.

[matt]

TM;

the whole issue with Obama is that the truth, relationships, and promises, are frangible. What he meant yesterday with the same words is different from what he means today. We used to call people like that liars, BS artists, politicians, etc....

This is the Big Con writ large, and there are going to be a lot of people who wake up in the next couple of weeks and say "oh sh*t, what did I just do?"....should he win.

He's been very good at running, but I think he's going to be a disaster at governing. Who does he have around him with the integrity, intelligence, and common sense necesary to guide the country through hard times?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It looks to me like Rendell wants to benefit either way.

Whoo, there's a shocker.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

HE believes in judges that are comunist islamo-fascist atheist, socialist marxists! RUN!

Sadly, He's already running.

[Clarice]

I hope you're feeling better, Tom.

Market closed up--it had been higher but this is not bad.

9,324.69
Trade Time: 4:06PM ET
Change: 144.00 (1.57%)
Prev Close: 9,180.69
Open: 9,179.09
Day's Range: 9,119.20 - 9,452.36
52wk Range: 7,773.71 - 13,924.20

[Charlie (Colorado)]

By the way, Jor:

Mr. Whelan, a lawyer and a former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, has served in positions of responsibility in all three branches of the federal government. From just before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, until joining EPPC in 2004, Mr. Whelan was the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice. In that capacity, he advised the White House Counsel’s Office, the Attorney General and other senior DOJ officials, and Departments and agencies throughout the executive branch on difficult and sensitive legal questions. Mr. Whelan previously served on Capitol Hill as General Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. In addition to clerking for Justice Scalia, he was a law clerk to Judge J. Clifford Wallace of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

[bgates]

Let me make this perfectly clear: The Supreme Court is united. The Supreme Court has always been united. Earl Warren was always a right-leaning, none-too-radical Justice. We have always needed someone center-left to balance the center-right Warren Court.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

jor is another overmatched astroturfer wasting his time here. Dropping talking points and other effluvia without engagement on issues is a dead giveaway.

I sure hope he isn't getting paid; if he is it ain't worth it.

[Soylent Red]

We have always been at war with Oceania.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Market closed up--it had been higher but this is not bad.

Note that this time there was a big buy at the close.

[E. Nigma]

Colorado, Nevada and probably Arizona have been affected by the ex-migration of dis-affected Californians from California. As a result, these states have been trending more Democrat over the last few elections. So Colorado and Nevada could indeed go Democrat. McCain should still carry Arizona.
Ohio had 16 straight years (1990-2006) of Republicans in the statehouse (governor) and majorities in the House and Senate (still do today, but at risk). But after some silly scandals in the last term of Bob Taft (plus an unpopular tax increase) the Executive branch all swung Democrat.
Result:
Marc Dann (D), Attorney General, has already resigned in disgrace for mis-conduct in office. He gets replaced in the election on Nov. 4.
Jennifer Brunner (D), Sec. of State, is doing her best to ruin her reputation in the election registration follies going on right now. Look for her to get voted out in 2010.
Ted Strickland (governor), still somewhat popular in the newspapers (what's that daddy?), but his own party is dragging him down. Could go out in 2010 if the Republicans bring in a good candidate to run against him (John Kasich?? Please!).

So how Ohio votes in the Presidential election hangs on what the attitude of the "undecideds" is about the Democrat party on election day. Just my opinion, but a lot of people are pretty sour on the Dem party in Ohio right now. What a difference two years can make.

John McCain and Ahnold the Governator speak at a hockey arena in downtown Columbus at about 5 pm today. McCain and Palin have been in Ohio so much in the last four weeks they might have established residence to vote. Heh.

[jorod]

How Obama got to the US Senate:

Threepeat: LA Times/Chicago Trib again help Obama make the close

Jill Stanek

The Los Angeles Times' refusal to cough up a damaging video of Barack Obama kabbitzing with PLO friend Rashid Khalidi should come as no surprise. The LAT/Chicago Tribune sisterhood has been aiding and abetting Obama for years.

Jack Ryan: In 2004 Republican Jack Ryan ran against Barack Obama for US Senate. Ryan was divorced from actress Jeri Ryan of Star Trek: Voyager and Boston Public fame. Their divorce records were sealed, as requested by both. They shared a young autistic son who they were trying to protect.

Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, interned for the Chicago Tribune in college and then worked there in "a high-profile job as the lead political reporter," according to the New York Times, from 1977-84.

axelrod.jpgDoes the following have anything to do with Axelrod's ties to the Trib? It sure smells.

The Chicago Tribune decided to go after Ryan's child custody papers. Its sister newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, went to court in CA, where the custody was finalized.

The LAT fought and won, violating the expressed wishes of the Ryans, making the LAT's current protest against showing the Khalidi video out of supposed respect for the informant's wishes laughable.

Obama's part in the Ryan drama? From Wiki:

People alleged to be backers of Barack Obama emailed reporters about the divorce controversy, but refrained from on-the-record commentary about the divorce files.....

On June 22, 2004, the Ryans' divorce papers were released. In them Jeri accused Jack of taking her to sex clubs and wanting her to engage in public sex. Ryan denied the allegations, telling me and the world he took Jeri to an "avante garde" club in Paris but left when she expressed discomfort.

I believed Ryan and was the only woman in a group of loyalists to express support of him at a press conference that night. Along with others, I chalked Jeri's allegations up as just that, never proven and made during a messy divorce. The fact that she didn't want them revealed to the world said something.

I knew Ryan before he ran for the Senate, spending a day with him where he taught at Hales Franciscan High School, for instance, to write a story for the online news org I worked for at the time, The Illinois Leader. Ryan was a multi-millionaire who left his cush job at Goldman Sachs to teach at this all boys Catholic school in Chicago's inner city. Ryan came from a large philanthropic family.

Ryan went down on June 25, was replaced by Alan Keyes, who alienated everyone, and Obama won in a landslide.

Before that?

blair hull 2.jpgBlair Hull

Obama's main primary contender for US Senate was Blair Hull, who was beating Obama in the polls. According to Wiki:

In early media polls leading up to the March 16, 2004, primary election Hull enjoyed a substantial lead and widespread name recognition resulting from a well-financed advertisement effort. He spent over $28 million of his personal wealth on the campaign...

A month before the primary elections a news story broke regarding his divorce from his ex-wife. The controversy ended up destroying the Hull campaign. Hull tried to keep the divorce records sealed, but pressure from journalists and his opposing candidates forced him to release them.

The papers claimed that his ex-wife alleged that during a physical fight between them he had threatened to kill her. This led to his arrest for battery, however no charges were ever filed.

From what newspaper did the news story break? The Chicago Tribune. Reported the New York Times:

About a month before the vote, the Chicago Tribune revealed, near the bottom of a long profile of Hull, that during a divorce proceeding, Hull's second wife filed for an order of protection. In the following few days, the matter erupted into a full-fledged scandal that ended up destroying the Hull campaign and handing Obama an easy primary victory.

The Tribune reporter who wrote the original piece later acknowledged in print that the Obama camp had "worked aggressively behind the scenes" to push the story. But there are those in Chicago who believe that Axelrod had an even more significant role - that he leaked the initial story.

Now the Tribune newspaper group is going for the trifecta, trying to help Obama - who wouldn't be where he is today if not for them - win the final victory.

[Sue]

Is this the 1st Friday before an election without an October surprise?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

After this campaign, what could be left that would surprise us?

[Clarice]

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/10/notes_from_a_battleground_stat_1.html>Keystons State Follies

[PeterUK]

Hillary backers say anti- Palin ad sexist. Go the Sisterhood.

[Sister Jane Plumber]

Clarice,

That is disturbing as well as buoying.

[Sue]

After this campaign, what could be left that would surprise us?

True.

[PeterUK]

Ohio officials authorised checks on Joe the Plumber What's the difference between Obama and Erich Honecker ?

[Daddy]

Yesterday while driving home after picking up my 10 year old (6th Grader) from public school, she asked me, "Daddy, are you a Democrat or a Republican?"
I answered Republican, and asked why she was asking that question.
She answered that John and Aiden, (her 2 favorite boyfriends), had told her at recess that they were sure her Daddy was a Democrat. She said she told them she thought I was a Republican, but that they said that I couldn't be a Republican because Republican's are mean and bad people, and that because I'm fun and wrestle with 'em and slip them SweetTarts on Fieldtrips, etc, that I couldn't possibly be a Republican.
I find this depressing. How, in a Republican/Libertarian State (Alaska) with a fantastically nice and pretty Republican Governor with 80% approval ratings (Palin), can these 2 decent kids with decent parents that I know well, have so completely been indocrinated by 6th Grade in this basic meme of Repub's bad, Dem's good.
Regardless who wins this election, we've got our work cut out for us.

[Clarice]

Daddy, next trip tell them those candies are only for republicans.

[Dave]

In 2004 Republican Jack Ryan ran against Barack Obama for US Senate. Ryan was divorced from actress Jeri Ryan [...] the Tribune newspaper group is going for the trifecta, trying to help Obama - who wouldn't be where he is today if not for them - win the final victory.

Six of Nine, half a dozen of the other.

[kim]

The RNC has a hilarious Three Stooges ad featuring the One, the Pelucid, and the Thin Reed.
======================

[Porchlight]

the whole issue with Obama is that the truth, relationships, and promises, are frangible. What he meant yesterday with the same words is different from what he means today. We used to call people like that liars, BS artists, politicians, etc....

In Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, Maturin says of the unhappy narcissist Lord Clonfert "For him truth was what he could make others believe." I think that sums it up pretty well for Obama.

[matt]

Barack's career has been made of dirty tricks, suspicious support, and convenient changes of heart. It should be no surprise that he pulled low ball stunts on Ryan as he did tn his own mentor, Alice Palmer. he and his people are typical machine politicians in this respect.

He wields the knife very well smack in the back as he smiles and shakes your hand....

[matt]

I love the Maturin/Aubrey books!

[M. Simon]

Clarice,

Love your LUN!!!!!!! ♥ ♥ ♥

[glenda waggoner]

Does anyone out there want to smush a grapefruit in Frank Luntz' pessimistic mouth? How good were his predictions 2004?

[Clarice]

Thnx MS,

[Porchlight]

Matt,

I think we have several fans here...Rick and the much-missed Danube of Thought for starters. I am totally enthralled with the series...one long novel, really.

[Syl]

D.C. is corrupt enough. All we need is to merge D.C. with corrupt Chicago.

Tighten your seatbelts.

Sigh.

[hit and run]

Matt:
and there are going to be a lot of people who wake up in the next couple of weeks and say "oh sh*t, what did I just do?"....

I have every intention of doing just that 'round 'bout noon tomorrow.

Happy Halloween everybody....I'm off to the neighborhood party.

And I'm thirsty.

*IF* I make it back here tonight, let me just apologize in advance for whatever it is that I type. It'll either be a bombastic vulgar diatribe aimed at liberals, or an inappropriate come on to all those here I find so very attractive (guys, don't think you will be spared!).

BOO!

[kim]

Hey, Studs Terkel is dead.

I think Patrick O'Brian owned a time machine. I once owned a copy of a lovely little book he'd translated written by a French priest about the Holy Land in the time of Jesus, from the early '60's, but I gave it to my brother. I'd like to reread it but I probably can't get it until I find the copy of the book about Oswald's rifle that he believes he lent me.

IBD/TIPP creeps up a bit for Obama, the creep.
=================================

[Sister Jane Plumber]

So my trick or treaters have started to arrive. I asked a group of teens what they are.

#1 "an angry old man."

#2. "I'm Mccain"

#3 "a woman."

Guess who got 2 candy bars.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Clarice:

I went to Lehigh for undergrad, and my dad did too. I know how the "townies" think. Those folks going to watch McCain are the types of people I have been describing since the primaries. Chuck Bednarik Concrete Charlie. One of the toughest football players ever. Played center on offense and linebacker on defense. For all 60 minutes. He came from Bethlehem. Betlem is a steel town.

Most of its population have (has?) been solid Union member Democrats for generations. Machine politics do not bother them.

But they are not amused by being called "bitter clingers" by anyone -- especially a young upstart from Chicago. They keep their own counsel. They will speak election day with votes as strong as their words for the camera. They will not change their minds.

The writer of the letter has hit the nail on the head. And he should be scared.

Especially after what Pennsylvania did to one of its great heroes, Lynn Swann, when he ran for Governor as a Republican.

[Daddy]

Hey, Studs Terkel is dead.

I guess that means now we definitely know who he's voting for.

[Pofarmer]

I have a confession. Anytime Barry comes on the radio, or any barry ad, I turn it off. I'm sick of this guy.

[Clarice]

Wicked Jane.

[bad]

Daddy,

What a sad state of affairs. The left has a number of unbelievable practices. A young man we fed and tutored and love in spite of himself, is now AWOL from the Air Force in Toronto being exploited by an anti-american group and working for ACORN.

He had an awful childhood and moved to our high school as a senior so we had little time with him. Many others in the community were very encouraging and supportive as well. We just can't seem to break through his self-loathing.

Everytime he turns around he is shooting himself in the foot. The AWOL bit happened less than eight months before his discharge from the Air Force.

He is devastated by my situation and when the time comes, if he continues to run true to form, it will be the excuse for another really bad decision.

Despite the love, support and encouragement he received - and claims to miss terribly - from a bunch of Christian conservative families, he is on-line bashing Christians and conservatives as a way to advance his anti-war creds.

He is really bright, but so scarred. The anger leads him to actions from which there is no return, urged on by a group who doesn't care about him or his future.

[Clarice]

Well, I am old enough to remember when virtually all the pundits were convinced this election was going to be between Hillary and Rudy.

[Clarice]

I'm sorry to hear that, Bad.

[Clarice]

jim, I spent a lot of time representing workers in the coalfields and I know precisely what you are talking about.

[bad]

...this election was going to be between Hillary and Rudy.

I must plead guilty to that thought as well. I predicted that race in February of 2007.

I would say I was in good company but see no reason to lie on that point...

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

Here is the transcript of the McCain campaign conference call. It has some very interesting info that you might want to have on hand for Tuesday.

Wrt Tuesday - I believe that we will see an early move to declare Indiana in play based upon the O!commie ACORN/SEIU shenanigans in Marion County. O!commie has had his ACORN/SEIU crew working on this for months in the hopes of driving down turnout in CO and NV. Indiana closes early - it's going to be the FL 2000 early call all over again.

It might be a good idea to get a "GET OUT THERE AND VOTE, DAMMIT" post up on AT late Monday night. The commies are definitely all in on this election and the MSM will be giving them 100% support all day Tuesday.

I urge everyone to read that conference call transcript. I was impressed by it - the GOTV looks to be as good as '04.

[M. Simon]

I worked with Studs in '62-'63 at WFMT Chicago - LaSalle Wacker Bldg. I enjoyed working with him even though his politics now disgusts me.

The station bought him a Uher portable audio recorder to do on site interviews and he was like a kid in a candy store. It was top of the line at the time. It had VU meters on the front and it was stereo.

[M. Simon]

Don't give it to him. Make him steal it.

Is my motto.

[Clarice]

Thanks, Rick..

[bad]

Thanks Clarice, he has so much to overcome now. I pray he won't add more.

[Obama's brain]

Obama speaks the truth. In the same fashion that Supreme Court justic3s agree so did the Democrat primary voters elect him with 99.9% of their votes. Didn't they?

[M. Simon]

Bin Laden

[kim]

Heh, I can top that vicariously, Simon. Twenty years ago I knew a elderly brass instrument repairman who'd played in the house orchestra for an Iowa radio station back in the '30's and he told stories of the gang all having coffee together every morning with a young sportscaster they called Dutch.
=============================

[Clarice]

bad, of course he should get counsel and negotiate terms for his return and court martial. We both know that. Until he faces the consequences of his actions, his situation will only get worse.

[narciso]

I was just hearing on the Schnitt Show, out of Tampa-St. Pete;according to one of callers, that Luntz is slanting the responses of 'undecided' toward Obama; that kind of explains tose last two debates.

Browsed through Kaylee Johnson's instant bio of Palin, after the Jane Mayer hatchet
job; complete with she has a 'cult of personality' like Obama. It's easy to see how she whethers this carp storm; they've been waging it against her with every campaign; although the winds have been moving Category 5, from trig truther Sullivan; AIP obsessionist Dave Neiwert.
She doesn't like doubledealing and corruption, it shows up in her bouts with Carney, Steyn, Ruedrich, Green. Kilkenny,& Co; The likes of the Stevens, Murkowski clan, feel they're are entitled to their offices and their privileges; as does Mssr. Dunham; and I suspect Frum, Noonan, Buckley & co.

The Mayer's piece linked by Cindy Adams, has the flavor of those all too taught conspiracy yarns. Featuring John Bolton, Victor Davis Hanson, & Fred Barnes, with a bit of an obsession with Dick Morris's advice as Svengali. Except for Morris, all others seem to be good judges of character
and integrity; as far as that story goes.
Much as Eugene Robinson has grudgingly admitted; one misunderestimates her at their
peril. Now, which retired Reagan flack had
a cow, now about her.

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

OK - I'll write a "GET OUT THERE AND VOTE, DAMMIT" post and send it on to you and Thom.

Another good read DJ Drummond says "You're absolutley right, bio-mom." and backs it up with a good explanation.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

What's the difference between Obama and Erich Honecker ?

Plausible deniability.

[Clarice]

Good idea, Rick. I don't know how it happens but i really am swamped.

[bad]

Charlie

You are absolutely right. He has got to find the strength within himself to man up. The anti-war group has a far greater hold on him than we do. He has been photographed and quoted numerous times in newspapers there. Heady stuff--just ask Ayers and Dohrn. They are living proof of the strength of the addiction. Our young man lacks a Tom Ayers in his life to buy back his freedom and "respectability."

[M. Simon]

Charlie 6:27,

LOL, ROTFLOL.

[Kripke]

Obama's Folly..........................

[matt]

Obama - Honecker...naw, it's the Stasi....

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Major Garrett:

"The Obama Campaign doesn't see how it can lose."

I love that.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Shrum:

"Let me be first to call you President Kerry".

[M. Simon]

I used to know a Kripke from Omaha. Are you the same or a relative?

[centralcal]

Luntz fell in love with his "words that work" sales pitch. Obama is like manna from Heaven for him. His (Luntz) views this whole election cycle have been just about worthless - even during the primaries.

[Porchlight]

Luntz's Duntzes

(Stolen from a commenter at Hot Air)

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Wrt Tuesday - I believe that we will see an early move to declare Indiana in play based upon the O!commie ACORN/SEIU shenanigans in Marion County. O!commie has had his ACORN/SEIU crew working on this for months in the hopes of driving down turnout in CO and NV. Indiana closes early - it's going to be the FL 2000 early call all over again.

I've read this several times and I still don't understand it. What would Indiana have to do with CO/NV turnout? And as my grandson in Indianapolis says, and I quote, so don't kill the messenger: "There aren't enough black people in Indiana for Obama to steal the election."

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Seattle "Progressive" (Fascist) Newspaper Gives Street Addresses of Houses Displaying McCain/Palin Signs, Encouraging Vandalism... and Perhaps Worse

[bunky]

LUntz knobbies about to o'gasim on O'deuchbag's show.

[matt]

one good piece of news out of all of this is that should Obama not win by an historic margin or perchance McCain wins, the MM will once again have egg on their faces.

That coupled with tough times and the decline and fall of the MSM, is going to mean more layoffs, lower salaries, and some humble pie being served....revenge is a dish best served cold....

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I used to know a Kripke from Omaha. Are you the same or a relative?

And is that a many-worlds interpretation?

[matt]

the scariest movie of 2008: Baracknophobia

An overly ambitious politician sucks the economy, his friends, and his country dry.

[bunky]

Victoria Jackson is one brave gal.

[Rick Ballard]

Sara,

Indianapolis was targeted by ACORN many months ago because polls in Indiana close at 6PM Central. I don't doubt that Indiana will go for McCain but what Axelrod is looking for is a series of breathless "unbelievable turnout" stories all day Tuesday with a call of Indianapolis going for Obama at 6:01 - just like the FL early call in 2000.

The purpose is to suppress Republican turnout through the use of illusion - people really did leave voting lines in 2000 when the FL call was made. CO, NV and NM are going to be tight and Obama is going to use every dirty trick possible Tuesday.

[bunky]

Barry's move into AZ looks like a feint. I don't buy it. But what the f do I know.

[Jim Ryan]

This sentence is a lie about Kripke.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

There is more election-eve tactical maneuvering in this election than I recall in past elections. Is it my imagination? Somehow, I don't think so. I think our pilot candidate is again using the OODA loop to his advantage. It overcomes a lot of MSM and ACORN/Axelrod dirty tricks.

[Jim Ryan]

Will MSM do full-court press early Tuesday, loudly calling the election for O in eastern seaboard states? If McCain is way ahead in an eastern seaboard state Tuesday night, will MSM keep mum about it?

[hrtshpdbox]

"... people really did leave voting lines in 2000 when the FL call was made. "

Hell, yes, they did, and it's worth remembering that even people in Florida left voting lines when Florida was called; in one of the more curiously under-reported sidelights of that race, when the networks called Florida the panhandle, by virtue of being in a different time zone than the rest of the state, was still open for voting. At the time I called a newspaper located in some town there, and whoever answered confirmed that polls there were still open when the state was called, agreed that many people abandoned their places on the voting line, but bizarrely dismissed this as having "no effect" on the race.

[Jim Ryan]

I think anyone from, say, thirty years ago who saw how biased our news media is in this election would be quite dumbfounded. We've been lobsters in the pot as the water gradually heats up so to us it doesn't seem so bad. It's very bad.

[hrtshpdbox]

I just got back from making calls at the local McCain/Palin headquarters where I live, in the suburbs of Harrisburg. The "phone bank" consists of a bunch of cellphones that the headquarters distributes; tonight the place was so crowded that volunteers were using their own cellphones to make the calls. The place was really buzzing, with people constantly coming in looking for yard signs ("sorry, still none available"). I looked at the roster sheet for the weekend and couldn't believe how many people are signed up for phones and/or door-to-door literature walking. I got very positive response from the people I was calling (one woman asked me if it was true that Obama's middle name is Hussein, and said that just gives her the creeps), and I convinced six people to come volunteer. One thing I can note about my community; in '04 there were plenty of Kerry signs on cars and in yards, and this year there's very few Obama signs. Also, there's a large population of Indians (from India) in our area; they're typically medical specialists or psychiatrists. In '04, many were opposed to Bush because of the war - this year every one I've spoken to (and I have a few as clients myself) is a McCain supporter.

[M. Simon]

Some MDs are discussing Obama's Jedi Mind Tricks.

[Extraneus]

Ok, so lots of people say they "trust" the American people to do the right thing. I don't. I think the American people are more dumbed-down than they've ever been since the founding. The left infiltrated education, media, and many other key segments of society a long time ago, and by intent and incomptetence have turned a giant swath of people against the whole idea of the United States of America. Many Americans would now prefer to be Citizens of the World.

Even if McCain and Palin win, the American idea is in a precarious position. If Obama wins, amid continually developing stories about campaign and voting irregularities, they'll make a huge play to try to block negative press, but it won't work.

I would think Adams and Monroe and Hamilton and those guys must be stirring in their graves. (Boo.)

[M. Simon]

Charlie,

I take it you are familiar with the works of Saul. I was once stuck at an airport with one of his workers. She was selling his stuff. She and I agreed - strange fellow, brilliant.

I got to sleep with her and about 50 other women. On the floor of the airport due to an aircraft malfunction. Knoxville, Tenn.

[jean]

The press may have been as biased 30 yrs ago,but there was no way to check up on them.Because MSM was the only game in town they didn't have to push as hard.Uncle Walt and the TET Offensive is an example.I've wondered what would have happened to Nixon if there had been internet

[Clarice]

hrt, I am glad to hear that. I received several requests for me to go to Penn to help the campaign and I was hoping they had enough volunteers without me.

[hrtshpdbox]

"Some MDs are discussing Obama's Jedi Mind Tricks."

An absolutely convincing article. There's still time for an Obama The Hypnotist story to get some traction, too.

[bad]

How much of Hobama's war-chest does he get to keep for personal enrichment when the election is over?

[hrtshpdbox]

Clarice, I think it's revving up pretty nicely here.

[M. Simon]

BTW I knew Saul's father well. They used to live in my 'hood. I'd see them walking home after Sat. Morning services. Saul bouncing along on his tip toes.

[PeterUK]

M Simon,
Have a listen to a speech by Hitler,he used the same mesmeric cadences.He also went off into rants,but there are definitely similarities in Obama.

[M. Simon]

For those of you in the dark about Saul Kripke here is the wiki