White People Like 'Stuff White People Like'

Just desserts, 'Stuff White People Like,' something that surely only white people like, and at that, like to comment about on their blog, is getting play on NPR today.

RELIGIONS THEIR PARENTS DON'T BELONG TO

White people will often say they are "spiritual" but not religious. This usually means that they will believe in any religion that doesn't involve Jesus. The most popular choices include Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, and, to a lesser extent, Scientology. A few even dip into Islam, but that's much rarer, since you have to make real sacrifices and actually go to a mosque.

For the most part, white people prefer religions that produce artifacts and furniture that fit into their home or wardrobe. They are also particularly drawn to religions that do not require a lot of commitment or donations.

When a white person tells you "I'm a Buddhist/Hindu/Kabbalahist," the best thing to do is ask how they arrived at their religious decision. The story will likely involve a trip to Thailand or a college class on religion.

Good for them. ::Nani seethes internally with jealous rage:: No, seriously, good for them.

Son of a biatch, if only I had a Filipino friend. Jamel Illagen (spelled as I phonetically remember it from 3rd grade), where are you when I need you?

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 19

Hardcore conservatives describe Sarah Palin as a "rising star."

A more sober assessment? Average.

McCain not only has thrown all sensible concerns about good governance aside merely to pander to a sliver of female and masses of conservative Christian voters, he has turned this period of American history into an episode of high-stakes reality television: Don't look now, but our cousin Sarah just became leader of the free world! Tune in next week and watch her get sassy with Pakistan!

Americans have an unhealthy desire to see average people promoted to positions of great authority. No one wants an average neurosurgeon or even an average carpenter, but when it comes time to vest a man or woman with more power and responsibility than any person has held in human history, Americans say they want a regular guy, someone just like themselves...

... Let me put it plainly: If you want someone just like you to be president of the United States, or even vice president, you deserve whatever dysfunctional society you get. You deserve to be poor, to see the environment despoiled, to watch your children receive a fourth-rate education and to suffer as this country wages -- and loses -- both necessary and unnecessary wars.

Although, compared to Dubya Bush, being average would qualify you as a political rockstar in the modern Republican party....

More to the point, though, I agree with the last paragraph wholeheartedly. In 2004, the urban vote broke for Kerry, the suburbs were more even - taken as a whole - and rural votes went overwhelmingly Bush. When I looked and saw this, I decided to become Anti-Farm Aid.

Don't laugh, I'm serious.

If you are, say, a family farmer in the midwest or anywhere for that matter, and your concern for whether gays could get married in California or Massachusetts - two place you likely have never visited and likely will never visit - trumped your economic concerns, and your greatest economic fears became a reality, well, sorry. But, do not get on TV with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews and ask me or anyone else to bail you out. Your inability to get your priorities straight is not my problem.

The Republican National Convention

.... or, "P.O.W.-palooza."

Ezra Klein:

the content was objectively powerful, if familiar: John McCain was a prisoner of war. The story was well told, but it's testament to McCain's reluctance to speak about his war record that by this point in the election, the mute can tell it, the forgetful can recall it, and the blind can sketch it.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 18

Ever hear of Jews for Jesus?

Ever hear of Jehovah's Witnesses?

Probably most of our readership have heard of the latter and fewer of the former. Nani, more than once described as "an honorary Jew," can attest that what Jehovah's Witnesses are for some Christians --- the bothersome, in-your-face evangelicals --- Jews for Jesus are to those of "the chosen people." If you can believe it, Jews for Jesus, who purport to have converted from Judaism to Christianity and then engage in unrelenting proselytizing to all Jews henceforth, probably push their views on others more than JWs.

Turns out that Sarah Palin has her own Jeremiah Wright story, this related to a Jews for Jesus preacher at her church... drumroll please...

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't embraced Christianity.

"Judgment is very real and we see it played out on the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very real. When [Brickner's son] was in Jerusalem he was there to witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people. Judgment — you can't miss it."

Palin was in church that day, Kroon said, though he cautioned against attributing Brickner’s views to her.

What's more, senior pastor Ed Kalnins at her Wasilla Assembly of God church, which Palin attended most of her adult life prior to her gubernatorial move to Juneau, teaches that "I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode." Are you F-ing serious, Nani? Yes, I am. Kalnins states:

What you see in a terrorist — that’s called the invisible enemy. There has always been an invisible enemy. What you see in Iraq, basically, is a manifestation of what’s going on in this unseen world called the spirit world. … We need to think like Jesus thinks. We are in a time and a season of war, and we need to think like that. We need to develop that instinct. We need to develop as believers the instinct that we are at war, and that war is contending for your faith. … Jesus called us to die. You’re worried about getting hurt? He’s called us to die. Listen, you know we can’t even follow him unless you are willing to give up your life. … I believe that Jesus himself operated from that position of war mode. Everyone say “war mode.” Now you say, wait a minute Ed, he’s like the good shepherd, he’s loving all the time and he’s kind all the time. Oh yes he is — but I also believe that he had a part of his thoughts that knew that he was in a war.

Would McCain have pushed on with tapping Palin to be his running mate had he known these associations prior? After all, nailing Obama on Rev. Wright has been the GOP's best trump card to date and capitalizes on the precious, precious fear that still fills the hearts and minds of so many Americans nearly 7 years after 9/11.

Only one thing is certain: very little controversial information about Palin could have come to light to the McCain camp in her vetting process because they only started vetting her last Wednesday!

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was not subjected to a lengthy in-person background interview with the head of Sen. John McCain's vice presidential vetting team until last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain asked her to be his running mate, and she did not disclose the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant until that meeting, two knowledgeable McCain officials acknowledged Tuesday... McCain had spoken with all of the others on his shortlist over the course of a selection process that went on for several months, but he was least familiar personally with the person he finally chose.

The scary idea is that some of this won't matter, that there are still enough crazed Christianists in this country to find Palin's views "refreshing."

Oy vey!

McCain and the Ladies

How did this joke not ruin McCain?

John McCain at a fundraising dinner in Arizona a decade ago: "Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly?" he told a handful of big Republican funders. "Because Janet Reno is her father."

The remark packed into its 15 words several layers of misogyny. It disparaged the looks of Chelsea, then 18 and barely out of high school; it portrayed Reno as a man at a time when she was serving as the first female US attorney general; and it implied that Hillary Clinton was engaged in a lesbian affair while the Monica Lewinsky scandal was blazing. Not bad going, Senator McCain.

Any one of those elements would seem potentially terminal for a public figure. Yet here he is 10 years later presenting himself as a champion of feminism by appointing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

From the McSame guy who called his wife a plastered trollop. Geez.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 17

Well, who knew she had her own Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright too? I take it back. My Republican friends were right: she is the complete package. Seriously, I thought only Democrats could self-destruct like this.

There is a political party in Alaska known as the Alaska Independence Party. The group's goals are to force a vote on Alaskaa's secession from the United States. That's damn wierd, and probably offensive enough on its face for some. But the following quote, from a 1991 interview from the AIG Founder Joe Vogler, puts some meat on the bones:

The AIP founder, Joe Vogler, made the comments in 1991, in an interview that's now housed at the Oral History Program in the Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government," Vogler said in the interview, in which he talked extensively about his desire for Alaskan secession, the key goal of the AIP.

"And I won't be buried under their damn flag," Vogler continued in the interview, which also touched on his disappointment with the American judicial system. "I'll be buried in Dawson. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."

At another point, Volger advocated renouncing allegiance to the United States. In the course of denouncing Federal regulation over land, he said:

"And then you get mad. And you say, the hell with them. And you renounce allegiance, and you pledge your efforts, your effects, your honor, your life to Alaska."

Vogler is also quoted on the AIP's "introduction" web page as saying, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions."

Country first, sure, but which country?

Early reports were that Palin was a card carrying member of this fringe group (which scarily enough, isn't all that fringe in Alaska apparently). The McCain camp has disputed this and has produced her voter registration records to prove she has always been registered as a Republican. Her husband, the so-called "first dude" of Alaska, however, was a member.

The idea however that she has no connection with this group, as with virtually everything else we're learning about Sarah Palin, is -er, not exactly accurate. See here.

And AIP officials say she was a member of the party, and in point of fact, she and the fist dude attended the party's 1994 convention.

And the AIP's response to the McCain camp's denials that Palin was a member? A bunch of "hooey."

"This is like a cat covering up crap in its litter box," she says.

How charming. How could anyone not want to associate with such fine folk? At least that is one possible Republican talking point.

Now the question is whether the media is going to pressure Palin to renounce and reject these statements of her political party, -er, I mean the Dude's political party. You know, since past affiliations are oh-so-important.

As for the Dude? The Dude abides.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 16

If you've heard an unusual sound in the distance (vaguely in the direction of St. Paul, Minnesota), join the club. That sound, by the way, could be accurately described as resembling a bird with a broken wing trying to get off the ground to no avail.

It's called flailing, and that is what Republicans are doing as they attempt to defend the choice of Sarah Palin as John McWack-job's pick for VP.

Here's one example:



Note to the Republican Congresswoman regarding her reference at about the 2:45 mark, "The Democrat nominee ....." : It's the Democrat-ic Party. I have never in my life heard anyone try to demean the Republican party by calling it the Republic Party. She isn't the first Republican to do this, I've heard it elsewhere. It's juvenile, number one; but more than that, it's utterly asinine. So grow up and show some fucking respect.

Example Number 2 (believe it or not, even more pathetic):



Really, it's just sad.

Sarah Palin Seen Stealing as Early as 1982...

Courtesy of the Anchorage Daily News, the image shows GOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, clearly not pregnant in 1982, attempting to steal a pass from an East High player, much like she would later try to for funding of the "bridge to nowhere" as Governor of Alaska.

Reached for comment, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott was unaware that his lower half played high school basketball in Alaska in the early 1980s.

Onion: Last-Minute 9/11 Shopping for Cheney

The Onion, Nani's great hope for future employment, has captured a real gem.

WASHINGTON—Busy dealing with important paperwork and other vice presidential duties in recent weeks, Dick Cheney was forced to put off until the last minute a cherished annual tradition: gift-shopping for his favorite holiday, 9/11.

"I looked at the calendar yesterday, and I couldn't believe my eyes—9/11 is almost here!" a rosy-cheeked Cheney said upon returning to the White House Sunday with two giant bags overflowing with gift-wrapped boxes and big red bows. "It's the most wonderful time of the year."

Here is the full article. Where is Cheney these days anyway?

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 15

I'll end the day (my day anyway) on a note of humor. A Kos diarist asks the only salient question about Palin's readiness to be Vice President of the United States:

Is Sarah Palin ready for prime time?

Yes, Palin eats moose burger, but can she shoot an old man in the face from 30 yards?

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 14

You just knew this was coming:



I personally appreciate the cameo and guest commentary of the Plastered Trollop - something I had been meaning to write about.

Funny, I didn't realize that being the heiress to a beer distributorship qualified one to render foreign policy opinions so childish and stupid that only a first-grader would agree. Listening to Cindy McCain reason that the geographic proximity of Alaska and Russia gives Palin foreign policy chops is like listening to Britney Spears explain the finer points of Superstring Theory in between smacks of her gum.

How irrelevant are the Cincinnati Reds?

Well, in about 4 days time, posts at the TTT on the topic of the Reds have almost been eclipsed by topics on Sarah Palin. Combined with the fact that readership at the TTT has more than tripled in this time (yes, we're up to 81 unique views today), it appears that anything Reds-related is officially pathetic and not worth the boredons comprising its syllables.

Nani looks forward to the baseball off-season when the Reds management can flirt with trying just enough to earn Nani's yet-again-naive interest.

By the way, the article on boredons is fantastic.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 13

Quote:

doesn't it seem as if the McCain campaign's talking points on Palin need a complete overhaul?

The McCain campaign said Palin opposed the infamous "bridge to nowhere." That's false. The campaign said Palin supported the Bush "surge" policy. That's false. The campaign said Palin is the "commander in chief" of the Alaska National Guard. That's misleading. The campaign said Palin is qualified on foreign policy because she lives in a state near Russia. That's dumb.

And the campaign boasted about Palin "taking on" Stevens, and that's wrong. Did the person who wrote the talking points have any idea who Sarah Palin is?

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 12

Palin apparently views the war in Iraq (and the one in Afghanistan?) as being a war waged to acquire energy supplies.

Is this woman out of her mind? She can't really believe this, can she?

I think we'll have to try to come up with a TTT "Palin Gaffe-o-Meter."

I'll try to work on this ...

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 11

Focus Group: Palin pick "a gimmick."

McCain V's Palin

I think McCains campaign when choosing Palin for "veep"must have thought......
"She got tit's and a vagina, the Hillary crowd will love her."
Pity she doesn't really share many views with her running mate.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/uselections/2008/09/john-mccain-say.html

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 10

Here are the talking heads on Morning Joe reacting to the rumors of the Palin pick, and dismissing it out of hand: "that will not work."

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 9

A couple of Sarah Palin reports ago, I mentioned that I can respect some right-wingers. They are principled and know what the hell they're talking about; I just happen to disagree with their philosophy, that's all.

The more I learn about Sarah Palin, the more I doubt I'm going to have any respect for her. Her grasp of the issues, I suspect we'll see in the coming weeks, is no deeper than the Republican Party talking points.

Here's Palin on whether or not she's offended by the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance:

Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance

This again demonstrates why she is the perfect match for John McLiar. Rule No. 1, after all, of the Republican playbook is "don't let the facts get in your way of dishing out some right-wing red meat!"

In this case, those damned facts are that the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance on Flag Day in 1954. The "founding fathers" had nothing to do with it.

It has been reported that the donors gave $7 Million to McCain's campaign after the Palin pick was announced. Maybe they'll take some of that money and buy Palin a clue.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 8

Whoa! The surprises just keep on coming!

The McCain / Palin campaign has announced that Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant. In a twist of irony, this announcement was made to put to rest rumors that Palin's four-month old son, Trig, was actually Bristol's.

To no one's surprise, the McCain people are chastizing the "liberal media" and Barack Obama for looking into and reporting on this (even though, of course, the Obama campaign has not touched this with a ten foot pole). Meanwhile, evangelicals - who would calling for Bristol Palin to be burned at the stake if she were the daughter of Democrat - are twisting logic to find virtue in it all. From Focus on the Family headm James Dobson's statement:

We have always encouraged the parents to love and support their children and always advised the girls to see their pregnancies through, even though there will of course be challenges along the way. That is what the Palins are doing, and they should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances.

For his part, Barack Obama has come out forcefully and unequivocally against making Bristol Palin's admitted pregnancy or the question of who is Trig's real mother a campaign issue:

"And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories," he said. "You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and, you know, teenage children, that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off limits."

I have scanned some of the comments to the various news stories reporting this - from CNN to the Cincinnati Enquirer to ABC news, as well as some liberal blogs. I note that there is an element out there that seems to believe that there really is something to the "Bristol Palin is Trig's Real Mother" rumor. It reminds me of how there is a segment of America that stubbornly refuses to let go of the belief that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Right-wingers have spent the last several months either pushing these rumors or staying quiet and letting them take on a life of their own. To me, all of the rumors and baggage Sarah Palin brings to the table is the Right's just desserts.

Unless there is some gamechanging news on this topic between now and the election that is relevant, this will be the Hot Rod's last post on this topic.

I'm just going to sit back, smile, and sniff the stench of hypocracy blowing out of Alaska.

The Sarah Palin Files, Pt. 7

Andrew Halcro is a former Republican, now Independent, Alaskan politician who lost to Sarah Palin in the Republican primary in the 2006 Alaska Gubernatorial race.

Now he's a blogger. Who isn't these days? Hey, join the club, buddy!

Anyway, here is his S.W.O.T. analysis of Palin as McCain's VP pick. On balance, it's a fair assessment, at least as fair as it can be coming from someone who lost an election to Palin.

Most telling:

In April of 2006, Palin and I shared a cup of coffee together in the Captain Cook coffee shop. We had just been at a debate up at the University of Fairbanks the night before and she said although the was impressed with my ability to state policies and figures, when looking out over the audience, she wondered to herself if having a grasp of that really mattered.

* * * *

The threat is that she will try and apply that same recipe to running on a nationwide platform and I don't think that will help her and will be highlighted by the press and in the media.

One subplot about the Palin pick has been how does Joe Biden take her on in the VP debate? In particular, Biden is renowned for both his sharp debating skills and his foreign policy acumen. Does he use his attack dog skills and go after her, at the risk of making her a sympathetic figure being beaten down by a member of the Ol' Boys club? The CW about the Democratic primary result in New Hampshire is that after Hillary was getting attacked by all sides in a debate, voters (women, specifically) rallied around her to create a surprise victory.

I don't think this is a concern though. All Biden needs to do is flash his superior knowledge and keep talking (which he is apparently prone to do). Palin will look idiotic by comparison. The question in my mind was how quick a study would she be on matters she had never looked at before (i.e., foreign policy, or for that matter, national domestic policy). Halcro suggests that Palin has relied on her personality, rather than any real mastery of policy, to get her where she is today, and to date, anyway, has not shown herself to subscribe to the idea that she needs to know anything.

Incidentally, you're probably thinking what I am: "haven't we seen a politician like this before?"

Anyway, you never know how this is going to play out, but her history suggests that she is just not going to get up to speed in time. Her debate with Biden is about 30 days away, and she has a full campaign schedule. It doesn't leave a lot of time for intensive study.