Comments on: Palin Doesn’t Get It

By: John Moltz

John Moltz — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:34:46 +0000

That's exactly what her supporters do, too. I hate to get into it with these people because there is simply no reward - they don't care about truth or accuracy. I'd read their feeds (and, for the sake of accuracy you can look at ladylatasia and toddsullivan on Twitter) and they'd haul off with some statement that was not true, provide no link and then never correct themselves.

It's identity politics in action. Because they've identified with McCain and Palin, the rest doesn't matter. You defend your team, right or wrong.

Liberals do the opposite to a maddening degree. Already there are bloggers jumping all over Obama not because of decisions he's made but because of "signs" that he's doing it wrong already and not being liberal enough. I'm all for holding him accountable and my concern about him from early on in the campaign is that he's not the liberal agent of change that many want him to be, but the guy's not even in office yet. Give him a minute to warm up.

By: Mo

Mo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:01:42 +0000

I'm not from the US, but—like much of the (at least western) world—I paid attention to this election. Unsurprising, really; US policy has a huge bearing on how the rest of us live, whether it's through direct action (W’s New Crusades) or the expectation of action (Europe and sections of the Middle East second-guessing what the US may do).

For probably the first time, my sources for information were pretty much exactly the same as those used by people who did vote: YouTube, blogs, Twitter, FiveThirtyEight. I read news reports alongside personal accounts; rebuttals and commentary from random individuals and well-known celebrities alike; I knew who Joe the Plumber was at the same time as everybody else (including the bits the McCain campaign would have preferred not to be true).

For the first time ever I was able to come to an informed decision about which way I wanted an election to fall. In previous years I knew that I didn't want George W. Bush to take office (and had a feeling of creeping dread when he did, which was only renewed when he was re-elected), but I wasn't hugely convinced by the alternatives (in large part because I didn't know enough about them). This time around, I knew both why I wanted Obama/Biden, and why I didn't want McCain/Palin.

For the first time, this election wasn't just in the hands of the people, but it was global. While that's not a big deal for last week's by-election in Glenrothes, it is when it comes to electing the commander-in-chief of what is arguably still the world’s greatest superpower.

By: Holden

Holden — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:06:05 +0000

So glad you pointed out the Twitter disparity. I kept asking myself, are they even LOOKING at the "front page"?

First she can't stand the mainstream media, and now she can't stand the "underground" media.

I think what she can't stand is criticism and her inability to market herself.

Winners don't look at what went wrong and blame others (people, media, whatever), winners look at what went wrong and figure out how to change it (like the Democratic Party fucking FINALLY did with Obama). This is something all successful people do without even thinking about it. She (and they, the GOP) are thinking too much about it...or maybe she's just not really thinking. I can hazard a guess on that one.

Here's hoping we will not see her in 2012 (cringing just thinking about it).

Great points here. It's not just about Palin, it's about how to get what you want. And a lesson in organization I hope the pro-marriage group starts getting into their (our) heads post haste.

Sorry to ramble.

xx - Holden