My fellow Democrats and whirly-eyed Obamaniacs*, it’s time to stop with the concern trolling. John McCain, it’s now clear, did not vet Sarah Palin before selecting her as his running mate. Which selection, rather obviously, speaks volumes about Senator McCain’s management style and temperament. Sarah Palin, in turn, has an issue profile that only James Dobson could love. And, although I think the Palins’ approach to family planning is off limits politically, there are enough other skeletons in Governor Palin’s closet to remind us, yet again, that the harsh light of a presidential campaign is not the right spot for on-the-job training.
Unless you honestly believe that there was a massive bloc of uncommitted voters just waiting for Senator McCain to tap an inexperienced, anti-choice creationist, a reformer so courageous that she supports the nation’s most venal politicians, a patriot so filled with love for the United States of America that she has remained ignorant of its history while making common cause with small-time secessionists, a steward of the Alaskan wilds so green that she wants to wrestle a polar bear and drill to the center of the earth, a mavericky Mugwump so independent that she demands absolute loyalty from her subordinates, a fiscal conservative so opposed to runaway spending that she can’t balance a budget and adores traife, a master of foreign policy nuances so committed to the details that she hasn’t yet given much thought to the Iraq war, a woman of such great integrity that she can’t help but lie about a matter of public record when she’s introduced to the American people, unless you really think that all of that’s true, can you stop worrying so much?
Because, yes, we’re Democrats, hunched after years of cowering. And yes, it’s still possible that Senator Obama will lose in November. But for the moment, I think it’s safe to acknowledge the obvious: this just isn’t excellent news for John McCain.
* I will not name names. You know who you are.**
** This was intended as a joke. Given that I’ve offended some people, the joke obviously fell flat. So let me be clear: I was kidding around, aiming at a very particular audience (see the first comment below). In retrospect, this kind of inside baseball is always a mistake. And I regret the error.
28 comments
September 2, 2008 at 10:27 am
Sifu Tweety Fish
I completely disagree.
September 2, 2008 at 10:31 am
ari
Fine, yours is funnier. Go ahead, rub it in.
September 2, 2008 at 10:32 am
kid bitzer
“I will not name names. You know who you are.”
this is such a relief! i was concerned: concerned that if you named those names, it would turn off some voters. maybe even the voters whose names you named. and then we’d lose the election.
but you didn’t! so i don’t have to be a concern troll–i can be a relief troll!
September 2, 2008 at 11:31 am
Zach
Your collecting all this in one post will save me hours of searching the web, now I can get back to my syllabus for class tomorrow.
Thanks
September 2, 2008 at 11:33 am
John Emerson
Unless you honestly believe that there was a massive bloc of uncommitted voters just waiting for Senator McCain to tap an inexperience…..
He’s got the key pitiful fuckup vote solidly nailed down now, but you remain complacent. What a testimony to …. whatever. Canadians, I guess.
September 2, 2008 at 11:57 am
silbey
Hmmm…
September 2, 2008 at 12:27 pm
ari
No, Travis, I’m not talking to you. I thought you and I were on the same page. I’m kind of hurt to learn that you’d think otherwise.
September 2, 2008 at 12:43 pm
silbey
No, Travis, I’m not talking to you. I thought you and I were on the same page. I’m kind of hurt to learn that you’d think otherwise.
Okay, okay, okay! (throws hands up in the air) I’ll call, I’ll write, I’ll come over for Sunday pot roast.
September 2, 2008 at 12:44 pm
ari
I’ll warm up leftover kugel. Do you prefer potato or noodle?
September 2, 2008 at 12:46 pm
eric
I’m concerned, Ari, that your overbroad accusation of concern trolling will alienate the commenters who feel themselves the possible targets.
September 2, 2008 at 12:51 pm
ari
If it helps, I take your concerns very seriously. Your concerns concern me.
September 2, 2008 at 1:16 pm
silbey
Mmmmm…kugel.
September 2, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Ron Tunning
Say what you want, but Sarah Palin is perfectly suited for the leadership role McCain has planned for her.
http://laconiademocrats.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-palins-leadership-promise.html
September 2, 2008 at 3:19 pm
tpb
I’m concerned that I will now need to apologize for some 10 million jokes that fell flat and that some of the double super dooper weird Palin non-vetting facts are not so (it seems she was not in the AIP) and we’re left with super dooper weird Palin non-vetting facts.
September 2, 2008 at 3:43 pm
urbino
I’m concerned that Todd Palin looks so much like Steve Clemons.
September 2, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Jason B
For what it’s worth, I laughed. And the linkage is all good. A nice roundup of Palinial facts.
I’m Jason B and I approve this post.
Plus, Todd Palin looks to me like any anonymous NASCAR fan, so in my head he already has the IQ of a sock.
September 2, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Things that made me laugh « My Beautiful Wickedness
[…] …because I am, as the title of the blog suggests, wicked. The second ‘graph serves as a handy compendium of background research on this week’s political […]
September 2, 2008 at 6:53 pm
A Clear Contrast Between Obama and McCain « blueollie
[…] Palin, we can see the results; Ari at the Edge of the American West has a nice, concise list that was complete (as of this afternoon; it is hard to keep up with the Palin […]
September 2, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Bruce
And how many american voters will ever get much of an impression of her beyong “female” and “from Alaska”? The national news media sure as hell isn’t going to make an effort to point out that she’s a proud native of wingnuttia.
September 2, 2008 at 7:50 pm
bitchphd
I’m concerned that Ari thinks people were offended by this post. I’m concerned that the commenters here are sending sekrit touchy emails to Ari. I’m concerned that they *aren’t* sending sekrit touchy emails to Ari, and that Ari’s reading the comments above as offended. I’m concerned that Ari’s losing his mind.
September 2, 2008 at 8:23 pm
ari
To allay your concerns — or, perhaps, to exacerbate them — I’d direct your attention here. Which isn’t to say you’re wrong to be concerned. There’s always cause for concern. You just have to know where to look.
September 2, 2008 at 8:57 pm
bitchphd
Oh, that. Well.
September 2, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Prodigal
I’m concerned that so many concerned people are expressing their concerns about the concerns expressed in the original post.
Also, the people responsible for sacking the people that wrote the titles have also been sacked.
September 3, 2008 at 3:53 am
Jason B
My sister was once bitten by a moose . . .
September 3, 2008 at 6:07 am
Timothy Burke
I hope she field-dressed it afterwards.
September 3, 2008 at 6:13 am
Sarah Palin’s “executive experience” round-up. « The Edge of the American West
[…] Oy, with the concern trolling […]
September 3, 2008 at 8:51 pm
ari
I nearly killed myself mountain biking into an elk one time. Maybe I should run for president.
September 8, 2008 at 6:25 am
gravity’s rainbow » A Little Politics
[…] Edge of the American West points out some problems with Palin. […]