After making what most, even on the right, think was a cynical choice in Governor Sarah Palin word now comes that Senator McCain will address the Republican convention from the “devastation zone” caused by Hurricane Gustav, which now looks like it will equal Katrina in its destructive power.  Is no one telling McCain how that will play?  Maybe Republicans, who have this sick need to see their politicians in disaster areas (Bush at Ground Zero, for example), will be orgasmic at the idea, but most of the country will, and should, see this as an utterly cynical move that politicizes the desperation of people in the affected areas.  This would be a PR nightmare that I hope Democrats would pounce on like sharks attracted to blood.

The more I read about Sarah Palin the more cynical it seems.  She’s a creationist.  She’s adamantly pro-life (and we already have her Down’s Syndrome daughter being mentioned at every turn to support that stance).  She’s not nearly the squeaky-clean politician she and the Republicans make her out to be.  She’s far from gay friendly. Her “knowledge” of national security is laughable.  And her “experience,” well, it’s…ridiculous.

This pick was made for two reasons only: to appease the far right social Conservatives and a desperate attempt to draw in unhappy Clinton supporters.  Conservatives probably think she was sent by God to reform the “maverick” McCain.  Earlier, I wondered how this pick would help or hinder the Obama/Biden campaign.  Unless this woman turns out to be something spectacular, she may turn out to have been sent by God to help get Obama elected.

One can only pray that Gustav will peter out or move away from New Orleans.  Only three years since Katrina, this is not something New Orleans or the Gulf Coast needs.

If Democrats think John McCain’s choice of Sarak Palin will take experience and national security off the table they’re dangerously foolish.  As many are already saying on both sides, we are not voting for the VP, we’re voting for the person at the top of the ticket.  Senator Obama must still prove that he can make the better choices in terms of national security.  Democrats always get their asses kicked on this issue and it’s unnecessary because Democrats are very strong on this issue, they jsut don’t do a good job of explaining that.  I hope the Obama campaign is smarter than this.

How many times are we going to see Governor Sarah Palin sighting that gun while visiting soldiers in Iraq?  Probably a few million times before election day.  What is it about Republicans and guns?  It’s almost pathetic.  Yeah, I get that they’ve made their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment a cornerstore of the party platform, but what the hell?! I mean, I live in a state where most everyone I know owns guns (I own a couple) and hunts every type of seson available (even I’ve been deer hunting many times in my life), but I am not obsessed about them.  I support sensible gun control; you might be suprised how many people in rural Missouri who do.  It’s jsut strange to me how obsessed Republicans are, but maybe that’s why I’m a Democrat.

Hell, bigger than the Olympics opening ceremony!  Barak Obama drew 38 million viewers across all television networks and the cable news outlets.  That’s nearly double John Kerry’s audience.  That’s a lot of voters.  It wil be interesting to see what the ratings are for the RNC.  While television ratings aren’t a barometer of voter choices, it will certainly tell us who garners more interest among voters.

I have no idea who Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) is, but Senator McCain has made what could be a canny choice, it’s certainly a cynically politcal choice.  This is obviously a choice to appease disaffected Clinton voters who think she was robbed of the nomination because of her gender.  I don’t know enough about this woman to know how strong a choice it is, or how she will hold up against Joe Biden.  This may also be an attempt keep Joe Biden from going for the throat because it may seem sexist. This could also be an attemopt to hamstring the media, which is already being accused of sexism due to Senator Clinton’s treatment during the primary.  Watching this unknown person invoke two Democrats, Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton, is political theater at its finest.  In addition, she has a son going to Iraq, which I’m sure she will use to its fullest extent.

I didn’t need much convincing, but I sat down last night to watch my candidate for president speak to the nation I hoped he was hit one out of the stadium.  In my opinion, he did.  He was forceful, he was emotional, he spoke candidly about why John McCain is the wrong choice for America.  If I wasn’t convinced before last night, I was by the time he finished one of his best speeches.  Will is appease disaffected Clinton supporters?  Probably not, but then I don’t give a shit about them anymore.  If they lose us this election, they will become the pariahs they deserve to be — the Ralph Naders of the 2008 election.

I have to say, I’m liking Joe Biden.  He gave a great speech that explicitly lays out why Americans should not vote for John McCain.  Now we just have to wait and see if Americans are listening.  Here’s my favorite part:

Let me make this pledge to you right here and now. For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and respect our Constitution, no longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be: “The vice president’s office is on the phone.”

It seems that the choice of Senator Joe Biden as Barak Obama’s running mate is causing the McCain campaign a little worry.  That’s just makes me so…happy.  I know very little about this man from Delaware, but what I’ve read recently seems to paint a picture of Joe Biden being a tough-as-nails senator who can take on not only McCain but anyone he chooses as a running mate.  In my mind, that makes him a great choice to be VP.  It makes me wish Senator McCain would pick Mitt Romney as his running mate.  I think Joe Biden could eat him alive.