*bracing self for TPS' arrival.....*

Is that a good thing? I come here to get away from discussion of the US election.

As I said, here in the UK we're probably not as saturated with coverage as you are over there. And I stopped reading Metafilter political threads quite some time ago...

I enjoy it too, alto... it seems to be just about the only place online where political discussions can happen without all the screaming and yelling.

I have to say that I was fairly uninterested in the election until Palin came into it. It was such a bizarre decision, and I wanted to find out more about her.

I'm hoping that all the family scandal stuff will run its course fairly quickly, because otherwise there might be a sentimental backlash vote for her. If the family issues quieten down in the next couple of weeks, then her utter unsuitability for the job will rise to the surface to be the main focus.

I'm looking forward to the VP debate. Am I right that it's on 2 October? If Biden concentrates on exposing her weaknesses, he'll wipe the floor with her, provided he doesn't come across as patronising or condescending, which he has a tendency to do.

I wonder how much coaching Palin will get beforehand. She has a very unattractive speaking voice and is not a natural orator.

VOTE RON PAUL AND SAVE AMURRICA!!!!!

/jk

Here I am!

Honestly, I have to agree with you, alto. Bunnies tend to be polite and know when to quit. There were quite a few posts these last few days due to the Palin drama, but I think in general we don't obsess about politics too much.

Most of the political blogs I read are pretty uniformly progressive, in one way or another, and it's nice to be able to come to a space where there's such a diversity of opinions.

"I wonder how much coaching Palin will get beforehand."

It's already started, and you can bet she's being briefed her every waking, non-public moment. I think many people (outside mecha) are underestimating her intelligence. Biden may sweep the floor with her, but at this point, I don't think that's a given.

They hired some of Bush's folks to tutor her on foreign policy and so on.
So I'm thinking a LOT of coaching.

Just to bring down the level of the discussion a bit -- "Jews for Jesus" leader dude preached in Palin's church two weeks ago? says Politico

An illustration of that gap came just two weeks ago, when Palin’s church, the Wasilla Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner, the executive director of Jews for Jesus.

Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug. 17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s website.


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."

Ho. Lee. Fucking. Shit.

If this is true, McCain can kiss Florida goodbye.