24thState

John Kerry Still A Doofus

John Kerry said the funniest thing on "This Week" this morning. He said the first test (global test?) of a Vice President is foreign policy experience.

Hmmm. In 2004, who did John Kerry pick as his vice presidential pick? One term Senator John Edwards, who still lacks foreign policy experience.

It's because she's a woman, right?

Who has a better record, Tim Kaine of Virginia or Sarah Palin of Alaska? No one said Tim Kaine was inexperienced. John Edwards had a wife with cancer, and still decided to run. His personal issues aside, no one said he should stay at home and take care of her. But Palin gets knocked for having children? I guess in the eyes of the Left, women should stay home, and only men should be involved in politics.

Palin is the real deal, and in 60 some odd days, we're going to be celebrating the historic achievement of a woman being elected to the vice presidency despite her gender.

And that drives the Left nuts. You know who probably really loves this pick? Margaret Thatcher. Strong, conservative women are a great role model. And The Republicans now have one on their ticket.

Post Dispatch Article Quotes Me Today

I had a chat with Bill Lambrecht of the Post-Dispatch earlier in the month, and some of the things I said ended up in a story in the PD today: GOP : Palin is the right choice and Aiming to do the right thing.

The interview came before the Palin pick, and I'd have to say that with the pick of a true reformer committed to rooting out corruption and cutting earmarks, I've turned from a anti-Obama voter to a pro McCain/Palin one. There couldn't have been a better pick for me.

Which is why a lot of elite Republicans aren't so happy (and also why the Democrats are running scared). Talk about Change We Can Believe In. McCain just took that mantle.

Obama, You Palin Comparison

My thoughts on the Palin pick, brought to you by Utterz.

Time to get some bumperstickers (which I hate). 

Sarah Palin The Veep Pick

I like Sarah Palin.  She has the right credentials - she has the right viewpoints.  Honestly, I'd prefer a little more seasoning.  She'd have been much better in 2012 or 2016, but there is one really bright point to her pick.

I got a call from a New York friend of mine.  He was a Gore200/Bush2004/Obama2008 voter.  He asked me iof Sarah Palin was ready to be president.

My response:  "Hey, she has more experience than Barack Obama."

My sister is here this morning, pissed off that Obama keeps telling us that the government needs to do more.  She has officially moved from the Democrat to the Republican party, as of that speech last night.

Good job, Barry!

Quick question:  Which presidential candidate pays women on his staff less than the men on his staff? 

1) The Saint
2) The evil old white guy who opposes Equal Pay legislation.   

Good 2nd Half

The second half of the speech was much better, as he begin to hit his stride and rhythm.

Following Osama into his cave line was a mistake. It brings up his invading Pakistan gaffe of the primaries.

He resurrected the lie about supporting Welfare to work, and spent a lot of time trashing McCain.

His beat line was about America being the last, great hope. It's a Lincoln line, but Reagan did it better.

5 points might be too low, so on the strength of the second half, I say he gets to a short-lived 52.

Obama missed his opportunity - This was a speech we've heard before from Democrats. Ultimately, it's weakness is that the Democrats don't believe in American exceptionalism. You can't say we're a great country when half of your voters think the US is the problem.

McCain has his work cut out for him, but Obama isn't a transformational candidate. Tonight, he revealed himself to be just another liberal politician who will say anything to get elected. It's the Republicans job to expose this empty suit, buy also talk about what makes us great. If the Republicans were smart, they'd spend their convention speaking about what they will do, not what Obama would do.

Tax Relief For 100 Million Americans

100 million Americans don't pay federal income tax. That's why you can't cut their taxes.
He ridicules the Ownership Society, and then ridicules the idea of making it on your own. So let me get this straight- making it on your own is a Republican value? Then why does he tell his story about hard work? How can you mock the people who refuse government handouts and the celebrate them?

He's not actually said anything yet.

So, is the government now my brother? Or just my keeper?

This is the great speaker? His biography at the beginning was good, but a little thin( like his resume!).

5 point bump. That's my guess.

Cars And Homes And Credit Cards

If you're driving a car that you can't afford-Obama suggests government should do what exactly?

If your house value is plummeting, did you put any money down?

And credit card debt?

Barack's America: Responsibility is for suckers.

Angry Joe Biden

Biden makes a surprise appearance. Where's the hopey/changey stuff?

Americans don't vote for doom and gloomers.

It's Impolite To Snicker, Even At Vice Presidents

Republicans are having a very hard time hiding their smiles today.  Biden...  BIDEN? No, really, Joe Biden! It's hard to type without laughing.

So let me get this straight. Foreign policy is a matter of judgement, but Barack feels the need to shore up his lack of experience with someone who has lots of time sitting on the Foreign Relations committee. This election is about change, and we're going to get there by electing a guy who got his senate seat in 1972.

And Biden is 66. Does that mean it's okay to make ornery old man jokes? Speaking of which, Biden is an old white guy. Didn't Obama get the memo from Howard Dean that Republicans are the white party (his words, not mine)

Biden actually is a better pick than Obama for President, but in all fairness, just about anyone the Democrats nominated would have been better. My favorite spin has to be the comment that Abraham Lincoln only had a single term in the House before winning the Presidency. I guess the role of president hasn't changed, hasn't developed into something anymore complex than it was in 1860. You know what? I'll give them that. Barack Obama was qualified to be president in 1860. Anything after, oh, 1945, and I'd like someone who had run something larger than a failed Chicago slum project.

I got a lot of phone calls today from people who had trouble not laughing. These people didn't necessarily know a lot of Biden, but they knew enough. They knew the text messages were a bust. They knew Biden said Obama wasn't qualified, and they couldn't believe it.

Speaking of text messages. I know that both camps want to reach out to young people, and the myth is that cell phones are the holy grail of reaching young people. Let me put some of that to rest. The best way to reach out to young people is to craft an honest message that addresses their concerns. Tricks like text messages and social media campaigns as proof that a candidate gets it are asinine.

If young voters are so easily swayed, they're probably to stupid or lazy to vote anyway. Focus your time on the message, not the medium. There are great ways to reach out to younger votes, but it starts with a message that resonates as more than fluff.

Obama will never get over 50% again, and I'm thinking he's going to be below 45% in the final results. You can't beat something with nothing.

Obama's Old House

My friend in New York thinks Americans aren't paying attention to the race yet.  Maybe that's why it's still a statistical tie.

Instapundit gathers some links on the backfiring attempt by the Obama campaign to say McCain is a rich guy who owns a lot of houses.

Part of the strategy is to have people like Jean Carnahan travelling to Wisconsin to talk about McCain and his houses.

MADISON, WI: Former US Senator Jean Carnahan holds event in Madison with Women For Obama where she will talk about McCain losing track of how many homes he owns

Apparently, 2/3rd's of the rest of the Democratic party are doing the same thing.

Here's the McCain response.

Does this also mean that John Kerry shouldn't have been president because he married a rich Republican's widow? I don't remember that being a news story or ad.