Hurricane Sarah hits the lower 50! MSM rushes to LOW GROUND!

I just spent a good week with nothing but a radio.   It was also broadcasting nothing but Gustav news 24-7.  So, i’m back reading the MSM and trying to catch up with the blogosphere. I feel like I’ve emerged from a cacoon to find the oxygen sucked out of the presidential campaign by Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. While I was concerned with Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Sarah was the story every where else.

It appears the press has spent the majority of that week vetting Palin.  I wonder where all that hyper-vetting was when we needed that done with Senator Barrack Obama.  Will they ever get around to checking out his relationship with all those Chicago thugs?  How about figuring out if he still holds citizenship in Indonesia?

Yesterday was a treat for those of us starved for some one who really did look presidential.  Hillary gave a great speech in Florida.  Too bad she was having to ride to the rescue of the hapless DNC candidate. The Obama campaign is now begging her to offset the huge momentum coming from the McCain campaign after the suprise vp pick.  Hillary has even taken on the white knite mantle in such low low places as Daily Kampf and Huffington Poop.  Ah, what could have been …

Obama looked positively starved for oxygen and tired on George’s ABC morning talk show to the point he said he was having to take hits for his “muslim faith”.  He was so completely unaware of his gaffe, George had to remind him he was a christian.  Meanwhile, Biden showed he may be part of the Washington problem, but at least he understands the issues by discussing the current bail out plans of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  Biden is the ultimate Washington insider and there is absolutely no way the Obama campaign is going to successful repackage this canned ham.

McCain is just smiling and basking in the Palin glow as he enjoys a much bigger post-convention bounce than Obama.  He’s decided team campaigning sells well, and the power duo have been going from city to city while attracting crowds evoking the rock star label again.  It also looks like McCain has pre-empted the change mantra and is successfully riding the maverick pony with his new wild west sidekick.  Ah, the American Western, what a completely wild, wild image.Meanwhile, the NY Times says Obama’s fundraising is suffering from the same anemia shown by the candidate.  It appears there’s a max to Obamamania and it was reached a long time ago. 

Even Pumas have changed the conversation.  Overexposure abounds!Obama is so yesterday!  The focus in the PUMA movement has gone three ways now.  First, there are those intent on reforming the current democratic party and the process that keeps giving us losers.  The Denver Group has gone that direction.  I’m not sure if an outsider movement can overcome the most insider of problems, but more power to them.  We need to get rid of caucuses and reform the primary system for both parties.  This is an ambitious, long term goal. A second group is focused on Hillary and pressuring the senate to recognize her as senate majority leader.  This is again an outsider movement focused on an insider problem. I think we can all say that the democratic congressional leadership is a big disappointment.  It’s only real accomplishment has been earning congress a lower approval rating than President Bush.  What exactly does it say when you’re more unpopular than the worst president in history?  The third group has jumped on the McCain wagon train and will ride it until Hillary comes back into play again in 2012.  I’m not there with McCain and his dependence on fundie fanatics.  I think he can handle the presidency but I just can’t support irresponsible tax cuts and anyone who hangs with folks that take the bible literally.  I didn’t spend so much of my life sitting in university classrooms and studying science to turn my brain off in the voting booth. I just can’t hold my nose and vote for someone beholden to the religious right.

Personally, I think it’s important we start to focus downticket and ensure a reasonable group of senators and representatives will hit Washington to ensure that McCain’s Maverick side will be rewarded while his pandering to the social right side goes completely punished.  Meanwhile, as Hurricane Ike becomes less relevant to Louisiana and I return my focus to research and the blood sport of politics, I’m taking bets on how long the Palin momentum will continue and if the Obama campaign can get a jumpstart again.

One thing that hasn’t changed is the misogyny that is deeply embedded in US culture.  We’ve seen the re-ignition of the mommy wars which is unwinnable as was the cold war.  I’ve also seen perfectly good progressives tell jokes like ‘well, at least she has TWO things going for her’.  I may just return to my old feminist roots and burn a few bras.  One thing hasn’t changed for me though,  I’m not voting for Obama.