I thought your "Jimmy Choo shoes" line was inspired.

I took no ill will from your post to AnnieW, but I'm quite glad you verified my POV.

Meanwhile, I wish I could say that I had grasped the nuance of the title of your post. I simply don't know anything about John Fahey! Where have I been all these years? However, I do like your story behind the title. To be honest, I liked the title and was thinking back years far before my time for a reference--e.g., Victorian literature? even Renaissance literature? I thought: "oh, my college English professors would be appalled if I don't recollect this!" You had me stumped; and to think I only had to think back to 2001.

Christopher Hitchens slides along a continuum for me...at one end "cringe" and at the other "kudos." With regard to the "specimen's" pronunciation of "nuclear," he is indeed correct. She unfortunately shares that with several of her party members (including the current president...sigh).

Again, thank you for the clarification/verification. I'll have to mull over the "mocking the afflicted" comment, though. I've long held that irony, wit, and whimsy are my three favorite things. On the other hand, fairness and decency are very important to me. In the current campaign...I get so frustrated that mocking seems to come too easily to me...

(p.s. Just for the record, I'm not a "sir" ;)

"And she was gleeful when she "corrected" Biden, who had said, "Drill, drill, drill," to "It's, 'Drill, baby, drill.”

She might have been able to correct an old git like Biden on the lyric, but I still prefer the Diana Ross & The Supremes version to hers. It was a big sixties Tamla Motown hit back here in Britain.

If Palin is unqualified, how was she able to defeat Biden, who demonstrated that he lacked basic knowledge of the Constitution (e.g., Article II outlines the roles of the executive branch, not Article I as the Chia Pet claimed).

And a more relevant question:

Why aren't more liberals disgusted that their party nominated a person devoid of qualifications for the presidency (again)?

Once again, my observation that Palin's biggest critics are unattractive women and effeminate men stands.

"Biden was too polite and restrained to say it"

Palin teed the ball up for Biden when, referring to the Bush Administration, she said "every administration makes mistakes". Competency is no longer an option or even an aspiration, apparently. But Joe declined to take a swing.

smeared the best democratic candidate a racist then bought all the delegates he needed through contributions to their PACs?

And talk about devoid of qualifications......134 hours in the Senate with so many "present" votes just doesn't cut it.

It is America that has been dumbed down, not just the GOP. If you are a democrat Thursday's debate was proof of Palin's incompetence. If you are a Republican, it was proof that she is competent after all. Each side calls the other "stupid" or "idiots". The truth is that neither view is entirely accurate. Neither side can reasonably understand the view of the other. This is classic wedge politics as invented by Reagan, perfected by Rove, and now manifested in Palin. It is proof positive that America is two countries, divided along political lines invented by politicians to further their agendas.

Forget experience. Forget the issues. Forget the gaffes. None of that matters. It is all rhetoric anyway. I am voting for Obama for one reason. I believe that he is the candidate who speaks for ending the division... for establishing the values and political beliefs all Americans have in common and beginning from there. Palin and McCain are using and will continue to use the politics of division because that is their best (only) chance of winning. But if they win, America loses because the division will continue.

This election contains the possibility that this era of deliberately divisive politics will finally come to an end. My vote for Obama is a vote for that. It is a vote for real hope for this country. I believe it is the only hope we have.

OK... putting the soap box away for another day. ;)

Palin has other qualities that she brings to the job like demonstrated leadership, common sense, and the ability to pull herself by her bootstraps to go from rural PTA to the vice presidency of the USA. Those ranting about Palin's intellectual abilities are in fact inferior to her. Intellecutalism is a sort of mental mastrabation and a truly smart person would understand this. Look at the greatest people in history and tell me how many have a phd?

..back on page one when he says that Palin was picked because in his words "The Dems picked someone with no experience to run for President". I do think that many Republicans, examining Obama with distate from afar, think, wtf? He's got no experience, he's just young, charismatic, and a good speaker. That's all we need to beat him - our own conservative version of that!

But they are wrong. Obama is more than that. You have to admit that he is not so long on experience, a fact he turned to his advantage when running against Hilary. But - and I think it is undisputable that he has much more of the kind of experience that counts than Palin - he is also politcally knowledgeable, has depth, and good judgment, three qualities lacking in Palin and overlooked.

Obama also authentically represents his campaign promise of "change". Palin and McCain talk about how they'll change things, how they are mavericks, but they are conservatives. The heart of conservatism is "conserving" - resisting change and turning the clocks backward if possible. That was very evident on those few occasions when Palin spoke with any inspiration during the debate, talking about how the US is that shining city on the hill and so blessed. If all is so wonderful, what's to change?

The Republican ticket is schizophrenic and therefore unbelievable. They won't win this election.