They know what socialism is. It is using Big Government to do things they don't like.

When Big Government does things they do like, such as cutting welfare checks to the military industrial complex, it is called patriotism.

-- Chris Sinnard

I thought the Palin pick and her fraudlent faux folksy drawl and fake colloquialisms showed a severe, cynical underestimation of the voting public.

I'm now seeing it's impossible to underestimate the voting public.

Tom DeLay has made a logically rigorous counter-argument sure to convince second-graders [and Shooter] everywhere: "I have said publicly, and I will again, that unless he proves me wrong, he is a Marxist." No word on whether DeLay proceeded to put his fingers in his ears and hum loudly.

--Kitt

This is hysterical. Of course, it didn't stop Laura Ingraham from saying that Obama was Marxist in a deranged, shrill rant the likes of which should never be allowed to masquerade as news. In order to even make the argument [and I use that phrase lightly], she had to rely completely on fabrications. (But that's Faux for you - propaganda arm of the GOP.)

The infuriating thing about trying to communicate with these anti-intellectual, right-wing blowhards is the sheer dishonesty they have to exhibit to even make these absurd points. They sound like Stephen Colbert. They are walking parodies. The saddest part is that the true believers out there (e.g., Shooter) actually buy into the BS and repeat it! In public!

Linked in my sig is a letter to the editor of the NY Times from the lead prosecutor in the Weather Underground case. He thinks it's insane to link Obama with Ayers. Of course, anyone who wants (indeed, needs) to believe in the connection will just dismiss him. After all, Hannity is a much more qualified source than the lead prosecutor of the case.

(h/t Tristero @ Hullaballoo)

Apparently you people are so self-absorbed that you don't recognize the standards of political discussion you've set for all these years.

-- shooter242

I thought about responding to this pathetic rant, but then I thought, what's the point? I mean, I could try to teach my dog calculus, but who's the idiot in that scenario?

I've noticed a lot of conservatives are calling for McCain and Palin to knock it off. Honest people are capable of self-reflection, and don't just knee jerk defend everything done by "their side." It's rather refreshing to see.

I don't actually love Obama (and, frankly wouldn't mind if he were a socialist!), but there are limits to what civil society should tolerate. The McCain/Palin campaign has crossed them, and even people who once supported them are done with it.

To this I will add this note: Christopher Buckley has endorsed Obama. (Link in sig.) And, he put it in the Daily Beast, rather than NRO because

As for Kathleen [Parker], she has to date received 12,000 (quite literally) foam-at-the-mouth hate-emails. One correspondent, if that’s quite the right word, suggested that Kathleen’s mother should have aborted her and tossed the fetus into a Dumpster. There’s Socratic dialogue for you. Dear Pup once said to me sighfully after a right-winger who fancied himself a WFB protégé had said something transcendently and provocatively cretinous, “You know, I’ve spent my entire life time separating the Right from the kooks.” Well, the dear man did his best. At any rate, I don’t have the kidney at the moment for 12,000 emails saying how good it is he’s no longer alive to see his Judas of a son endorse for the presidency a covert Muslim who pals around with the Weather Underground. So, you’re reading it here first.

I didn't give the public enough credit for being able to see through the malarkey. Thanks for such an optimistic column Glenn.

Also this: "Standing next to Sarah Palin in that debate has turned Joe Biden — Joe Biden — into a wildly popular politician in America, with a 57/29 favorability rating" is totally true in my case. I was unhappy with the Biden pick for a lot of reasons, but that debate showed me one thing: these Democratic candidates are vastly different from their Republican counterparts.

In other news, to follow up on AnnieW's comment, Ana Marie Cox reports this from a McCain rally:

"Indeed, [McCain] just snatched the microphone out the hands of a woman who began her question with, "I'm scared of Barack Obama... he's an Arab terrorist..."

"No, no ma'am," he interrupted. "He's a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements."" (link @ sig)

In light of the fact that a woman literally asked McCain if Obama is "an Arab terrorist" (holy crap!), is McCain's sudden pivot too little, too late? Or carefully crafted? Letting a week of rage build up and then pretending that he had a problem with it all along? A response to the polls? I'm having a lot of trouble giving McCain credit for anything, even though I'm trying, out of a desire to believe that my fellow human beings aren't so disgusting.

"McCain Camp Defends the Behavior?"

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/10/1529529.aspx

“Barack Obama’s attacks on Americans who support John McCain reveal far more about him than they do about John McCain. It is clear that Barack Obama just doesn’t understand regular people and the issues they care about. He dismisses hardworking middle class Americans as clinging to guns and religion, while at the same time attacking average Americans at McCain rallies who are angry at Washington, Wall Street and the status quo."

I guess McCain is attacking his own supporters because he doesn't understand them and the issues they care about?

These people are jokes.