Sam Harris on Sarah Palin

[_Trevor]

Harris' remarks have nothing to do with being an atheist, and could have been written by a liberal Christian...

Yes, his remarks could have been made by anyone capable of looking past rightist partisan interests and simply using good sense.

[_Alter Idem]

Nevertheless, he has campaigned as a typical (or even hypertypical) Republican, and I couldn't disagree more strongly on Palin. That was a cynical, insulting move.

Huh? It's clear from Republican voter reaction that Sarah Palin was THE BEST choice for the ticket. McCain's base was not happy with his liberal record. He needed a conservative on the ticket and he gave us one. We also got a person who has a strong record of fighting corruption, even within our own party--so I'd say McCain hit a homerun-with one choice, he's energized the Republican base and gained their firm support.

You called it "cynical and insulting" to put Palin on the ticket. I'm curious how you see Obama's choice of Biden. Was it "cynical and insulting" as well?

[_GoodK]

Evidence? I hope you're not going to use the latest Fanny/Freddy tragedy as evidence, because this was brought on by the democrats. Bush and McCain both tried to reform this mess several years ago, but the democrats shot it down while saying they were just exagerrating the situation, even saying "there is no crisis with Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac."

Christ... you're getting worse.

Capitalism died in America because of the Reagan, Clinton, and Bush administrations. But you don't mind saying something dumb and flat on its face false if it means a jab at the Democrats, do ya?

You know that Reagan revolution Grandpa McBush was blowing-hard over?

You wouldn't overlook the republican messiah when discussing the meltdown in the financial markets, would ya?
Or McCain's chief economic advisor?

Funny how CNN and NBC and ABC and CBS don't ever mention this.

It is funny - how your version of reality does not exist. Every major media outlet must be in on it. It's up to you to save the day. You're our Erin Brockovich, Kevin.

It is also funny that free-market capitalism suffered a quick death - more like a suicide - while it took 70 years and the Cold War to bring down the Marxist economy. Uh oh!

You should stick to your initial excuse. You don't like her because she's religious. You atheists are a trip. No matter how clearly it is established that Palin has no intentions of using religion to influence her politics, you guys don't seem to care.

Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off and peeing my pants.

You stupid atheists! Palin would never use religion to influence her politics. She would never forbid teaching any other form of birth control besides abstinence in schools! She would never recommend that science classes be tainted with religion and pseudoscience!
She would never tell people that she governed to pray for a natural gas pipeline! You atheists just don't seem to care!

[_asbestosman]

It is also funny that free-market capitalism suffered a quick death - more like a suicide - while it took 70 years and the Cold War to bring down the Marxist economy. Uh oh!

Free-market capitalism? I'm not sure that such a thing ever existed.

[_dartagnan]

WASHINGTON — Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden says today’s leaders should take a lesson from the history books and follow fellow Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s response to a financial crisis.

“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened,”‘ Barack Obama’s running mate recently told the “CBS Evening News.”

Except, Republican Herbert Hoover was in office when the stock market crashed in October 1929. There also was no television at the time; TV wasn’t introduced to the public until a decade later, at the 1939 World’s Fair.

ROFL!

Nice choice Obama. Has Obama ever made a good choice in any decision? This guy is clearly the joke of the lot. If Palin had said anything remotely similar, the libs here and the media worldwide would be all over it, chewing it up for about a week.

So where is ABC, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, etc?

They're undeniably in the tank for Obama, and they're doing their damndest to make sure he gets in office. That's what pisses me off.

[_dartagnan]

Analytics, you said it yourself. McCain's speech came after Falcon revealed Franklin Raines had embezzled millions; Raines, a Clinton boy, was the "frist black CEO" of a major company. So the entire bill was in direct response to this kind of "corruption." So if you think the current crisis has nothing to do with people like Raines, then there is nothing left I can do for you. You're going to believe what you want, and keep a tight grip on your tiny list of "reasons" why you think the crisis happened, which is designed to excuse Obama's inaction and negate any credit to McCain for his efforts to reform.

I guess a good question would be, if Obama had been President for the last four years, what would he have done to prevent this crisis? There is no evidence that he wanted to change anything. He sure as hell had no problems with banks giving out loans to poor folks who couldn't pay them back. You seem to deny that this was a fundamental defect in the system which led to the crisis. Obama and most democrats were for this; they always have been.

McCain's bill would have provided oversight and accountability, so it boggles the mind how anyone could think this wouldn't have at least had a chance at preventing the crisis. Skip the summary and actually read the bill itself: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtex ... l=s109-190

[_The Dude]

Nevertheless, he has campaigned as a typical (or even hypertypical) Republican, and I couldn't disagree more strongly on Palin. That was a cynical, insulting move.

Huh? It's clear from Republican voter reaction that Sarah Palin was THE BEST choice for the ticket. McCain's base was not happy with his liberal record. He needed a conservative on the ticket and he gave us one. We also got a person who has a strong record of fighting corruption, even within our own party--so I'd say McCain hit a homerun-with one choice, he's energized the Republican base and gained their firm support.

Strange that you mention Palin as a corruption-fighter since the corruption (troopergate) investigation against her is one of the surprise liabilities for McCain. Yes she was a good political choice, as the energized base shows, but if he is elected she will probably be stuck in the corner like Dan Quayle. Used up and discarded. A cynical choice.

You called it "cynical and insulting" to put Palin on the ticket. I'm curious how you see Obama's choice of Biden. Was it "cynical and insulting" as well?

Completely the opposite, in my opinion. Biden will be a great VP with much to offer once Obama is president -- not just a tool for the election.

[_CaliforniaKid]

They're undeniably in the tank for Obama

Truth has a liberal bias.

[_Trevor]

Truth has a liberal bias.

The media: a vast left-wing conspiracy. ;-)

[_Trevor]

Strange that you mention Palin as a corruption-fighter since the corruption (troopergate) investigation against her is one of the surprise liabilities for McCain. Yes she was a good political choice, as the energized base shows, but if he is elected she will probably be stuck in the corner like Dan Quayle. Used up and discarded. A cynical choice.

I can't wait to see Palin's VP staff; a collection of everyone she knew in high school.