The American Spectator

Ivan Ivanovich| 11.9.08 @ 6:49AM

2008 lesson: Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.

c maloney| 11.9.08 @ 11:16AM

Aren't 'subnormal mouth-breathers' both your target audience and Caribou Barbie's demographic? The far-right tosses around slogans like "anti-American' and 'terrorist' and then is surprised when some of their more mentally challenged go too far. It's like in 'Casablanca', you're "shocked, shocked that there is gambling in the club".

Beatrice| 11.9.08 @ 11:24AM

I am so sick and tired of the blame game.
These nasty Racist-Sexist liberals always have tried to destroy Governor Palin from day one.
Lincoln was shot, Kennedys both brother were shot, Dr. King was shot, Reagan was shot but survived, and let supposed Obama was shot, why do these naughty people find someone to blame?
Gov Palin didn't encourage anyone to kill anyone. She is a politician and she disclosed a true character of Obama whose friend is terrorist Bill Ayers. What is wrong with that?

I pray GOD to send these nasty leberals to heaven soon, so they have no time to destroy Gov Palin anymore.

M. Tobias| 11.9.08 @ 11:30AM

Mr. Maloney said : "Aren't 'subnormal mouth-breathers' both your target audience and Caribou Barbie's demographic?"

The answer is no. Even with the McCain/Palin ticket running behind for most of the Presidential race, the reported incidents of violence against Obama supports, their property and Obama campaign facilities was exactly nil. The only reported incident of violence by a McCain supporter was the poor young woman who mutilated herself and tried to blame it on an Obama supporter.

However, even the MSM was rife with reports of violence directed toward McCain supporters, their property and even McCain campaign facilities; some of it actually documented to have been done by Obama supporters in broad daylight.

So if the mentally challenged are the ones "going too far", then it appears that their are significantly more of them among Obama supporters than there are among McCain supporters.

Besides, were the skin head trash who were responsible for this "plot" actually McCain supporters, or just racial bigots who did not like Obama?

I apologize for the lack of intellectualism in this post, but it is hard to type while my mouth is closed.

Randy| 11.9.08 @ 11:32AM

c maloney: Get a grip. Take a look at the vitriol in your own post and then decide if you really should throw those rocks! Obama associated with a terrorist--Bill Ayers and a mouthpiece for the PLO. He, for 20 years, attended a church of Black Liberation Theoolgy where the Reverand J. Wright used such catchy slogans as "G-- D--- America." In my book "G-- D---- America" is anti-American.

Francis Beckwith| 11.9.08 @ 11:43AM

This is just another attempt to silence dissent.

To suggest that legitimate criticism of a candidate is beyond the pale because it could be construed by highly imaginative partisans as leading to violence is an argument against liberal democracy itself. Political speech should not be suppressed simply because some members of our community intentionally reason badly.

Captain America| 11.9.08 @ 12:20PM

This is analogous to the voter suppression charge every time voter fraud comes up.

Liberals must be absolutely terrified of Gov. Palin's future. What else would explain their obsession with her.

And, as for the allegation itself that Obama hangs with (unrepentant) terrorists, stay tuned for the upcoming Ayers-Dohrn book, "Race Course Against White Supremacy" (June 2009). How conveniently timed, no?

Your Majesty| 11.9.08 @ 1:35PM

How to create an urban legend: Write in a newspaper that someone in a crowd yelled "kill him." Have the Secret Service investigate and find no proof, then let the reporter recant. Then claim that an on-stage candidate incited racial hatred.

How to not create a public stir: be caught on camera wearing "(Candidate) is a c***" t-shirts, and publicly state that a candidate's only qualification is abortion-less female genitalia.

Also, Obama must be responsible for the California blacks-vs.-gays ugliness, right? Because he did publicly oppose gay marriage on the campaign trail. (I don't believe this causation, either.)

JP| 11.9.08 @ 2:31PM

I've never seen a politician as dumb as Palin in a national race. That includes George jr.

Palin needs to stay very, very quiet and physically remain in Alaska. However, if she attempts that 2012 run idea it will be a laugh riot.

Agent Orange Peel| 11.9.08 @ 3:40PM

Francis, if we all could just come to agreement which
" members of our community intentionally reason badly" then we could all simply avoid anything they write and life would be so wonderful. Maybe we should make the list of such "members"?

Crusader| 11.9.08 @ 4:00PM

"Why would they try to make people hate us?"

I love it. Criticize Obama in the heat of a presidential election = "making them hate us."

Criticize Bush for 8 years = patriotic dissent.

Man I tell you, people are just stupid to not see through the democratic ploy of changing definitions, race baiting, class warfare, and using the power of the state to squash dissent.

Crusader| 11.9.08 @ 4:02PM

JP, if Palin is so dumb why wouldn't the libs want her all over amerika proving how "dumb" she is? Why are you guys so afraid of her if she is so dumb like you allege?

Mike| 11.9.08 @ 4:17PM

JP, that you would say that proves who is the dumb one here.

Agent Orange Peel| 11.9.08 @ 4:29PM

How Dumb Is Sarah Palin? (I am so shameless.)

ruth| 11.9.08 @ 5:15PM

Every time I read another vicious liberal attack against Governor Palin I am struck by how much the left fears her. Obama won and Palin has returned to Alaska; why do they keep trying to demonize her? Look at the nasty liberal remarks on this thread alone; and just because she told the truth.

Captain America| 11.9.08 @ 6:12PM

JP,

You're game is up. You leftists used the same lines on Ronald Reagan too. Even as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down.

Captain America| 11.9.08 @ 6:15PM

"I just tell them the truth and they think it's hell."

H.S. Truman

"There's nothing wrong with calling somebody out on his record"

Gov. Palin

Francis Beckwith| 11.9.08 @ 6:36PM

Agent:

Problem one: good reasoning does not depend on what we agree on. It is like good math; 2+2=4 is not good addition because we agree on it.

Having said that, there are issues over which reasonable and thoughtful people disagree. But that's not what I'm talking about. On those matters, there is a wide range of opinion some of which is better than others.

Claiming to demonstrate a causal relationship between increased excitement for Palin with threats to Obama is a fallacy, known as post hoc proctor hoc. After all, after the announcement of Palin's candidacy, a disproportionate number of gay Catholic writers at the Atlantic began offering theories of Trig's maternity akin to theories about aliens at Roswell, New Mexico. So, are we to conclude that Palin is responsible for the political dementia of gay Catholic Atlantic writers?

People who use arguments like this are intentionally reasoning badly, whether they agree to it or not.

Agent Orange Peel| 11.9.08 @ 7:36PM

Francis:

"So, are we to conclude that Palin is responsible for the political dementia of gay Catholic Atlantic writers?"

re: Yes. Because in the political world:

John 3:19 And this is the judgment: Because the light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were evil.

Or, as I like to say:

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Ken| 11.9.08 @ 8:04PM

The GOP VP candidate is a highly intelligent, thoughtful, successful and vivacious woman who did not appeal to the drive-bys because she wasn't Joe Biden. How come we never hear how dumb Biden is even after all the inane things he has said? If FDR was running against Biden, I'm sure Mr. Four terms would be on TV running ads pointing it all out.
The fact remains, Palin is exactly what we need, a true(in most cases) conservative who is not afraid to tell her side, say what needs to be said, and not back down from anything or anyone. Did she make mistakes? Hell, yes. But for her first national campaign, she did well and I did not think her to be out element.
This is not Dan Quayle, this is not Joe Biden, this isn't even Barack Obama(who many people have said is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier ) and I have no doubt she will be on the scene for a long time.

ruth| 11.9.08 @ 8:40PM

Palin is a conservative, pro life woman with lots of charisma--thats why they hate her.

Robert Stacy McCain| 11.9.08 @ 10:56PM

I'm really enjoying the back-and-forth in the comments, but hope that conservative commenters won't let the handful of liberal trolls get too far under your skin. They've in the gloat zone, and you shouldn't expect civility now, when they were so uniformly venomous during their exile.

ruth| 11.9.08 @ 11:21PM

They may only be a handful in number but they write novel length dissertations (blowhards.) And they are very mean, too. But we are used to that.

John| 11.10.08 @ 12:44AM

Crusader, Re: "... if Palin is so dumb why wouldn't the libs want her all over amerika proving how 'dumb' she is? Why are you guys so afraid of her if she is so dumb like you allege?"

As a friendly "Lib", I'll let you in on our not so secret Secret: We love Sarah Palin! We WANT her around for 2010 and 2012! She is or soon will be the standard bearer for the rump of the Republican party that will continue weaken the GOP by alienating independents, moderates and minorities for many years to come! PALIN IN 2012? YOU BETCHA!!!! WINK! WINK!

c maloney| 11.10.08 @ 10:09AM

You object to a few insults to the right-wing and the VP candidate but don't object to calling a US Senator a muslim terrorist or pinko-socialist? That's the sort of moral equivalence that conservatives used to accuse liberals of.
I would point out the most damaging leaks (the country of Africa) about Sarah Palin's short-comings came Fox News. Or are they just part of the "MSM" too? If it is the right definitely needs a new Bill Buckley more than a new Ronald Reagan.

Thomas| 11.10.08 @ 10:58AM

Feel free to criticize Gov. Palin all you want. It never stopped the liberals from saying the most hateful things about G. W. Bush. Can you imagine the uproar if someone made a movie about the assassination of Barack Obama? Some kid hangs an effigy of Senator Obama and goes to jail. How many times have we seen President Bush hung in effigy, and even burned, and no one stood before the bar of justice. In Missouri elected law enforcement officials were threatening to prosecute people for saying things that the Obama campaign contended were untrue. Yet, no law enforcement officials stepped forward to threaten people for not only saying, but publishing outright lies about Bush. So, let's discuss "moral equivalence", shall we? Does any, but the most arrogant or mentally challenged, liberal really want to discuss this issue?

le Duke| 11.10.08 @ 11:56AM

The vitriol of the last eight years against the President from the left has turned into euphoria. But both vitriol and euphoria tend to obscure clear thinking, and obviously clear writing. Those of us who value Constitutional government as it was intended by the founders must keep thinking clearly. So don't fall into the ditch with the lefties who can't abstain from four letter words in their blogs or ad homenim attacks against Gov. Palin.
Serious times call for serious minds, and a little humor. Not hate speech and vulgarity.

CLueless Loser Republicans| 11.10.08 @ 4:36PM

Damn you Republicans are truly stupid. The entire country said no to your cluelessness and still, you can't stop trying to blame everything on Liberals. Glad to see you guys fight for the scraps at the bottom where you will find yourselves from now on until you get out of denial and realize that you brought all of this on yourselves.

You all are truly a laughable bunch of "mouth breathers!"

ruth| 11.10.08 @ 4:52PM

It won't take long, demoncrats: You'll stupidly over-reach, like you always do, and we will have to pick up the pieces.

ruth| 11.10.08 @ 5:19PM

le Duke, with all due respect, we on the right have tried to be civil forever. You can see what it has gotten us.

Used to Vote Republican| 11.11.08 @ 8:20PM

I feel sorry for Republicans. The best of them have been driven from the party and the worst of them have lived so long in the self-affirming alternative reality of Faux News that they do not even realize that they are the only ones who really believe their illusion. What is left of the party is people like Palin: spewing hate, hostile to science, eager for war, afraid of big cities because their narrow theological ideals do not work there, and identified with ignorance, bigotry, greed, and exploitation of the poor. We really do need a viable Republican Party. But it is now the chief enemy of civil rights in contrast to its heritage as the party of Lincoln. It is now the party of ignorance in contrast and hostility to science in contrast to its early role in the space race and the environmental movement. In contrast, to the rich biblical tradition of prophetic critique of the rich and pretentious delusions that one's own nation is chosen, it has reduced itself to the petty cult of anti-abortionism, a concern that is nowhere even mentioned in the New Testament. This is truly sad. I hope that the more intelligent Republicans can either recover their party or form a new one with morals.