So let's see"either a possible majority of Americans who don't share your political worldview (and therefore your idea of cause and effect) are mentally deficient, psychologically deficent or both, or your worldview is wrong.

Ever hear of Occam's razor? This election does matter, but not in the way you think it does.

Okay, so it was a bit raw for Michael to say! But, the fact of the matter stands.... I am scared out of my mind also!!!!!!!!! She is not only not ready to lead a nation, but if I hear one more time about "Todd" I'm gonna screammmmmmmmmmmmmm:) GO OBAMA

Amen!

Michael! I love you! (Though MY wife would NOT be cool with that!)

God, I've been waiting to hear someone speak those words to me. I have made the same decision about a week or two ago. (Yes, I was still trying to have the "reasoned debate" with these cretins.) But it finally hit me just as you said. It is NOT a matter of reasoned debate. It is not a matter of just disagreement. These people are idiots and reasoned debate only elevates them to as level far above where they deserve to be.

Its like arguing whether the moon is made of green cheese. Or with a creationist.

Why is everyone else so afraid to say the obvious. I was getting so discouraged by the American populace that I was about to put a bumper sticker on my car that says;

A M E R I C A D E S E R V E S
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J O H N M c C A I N

While I dislike Palin's politics, I dislike even more what writers such as Seitzman are doing--sexualizing Palin, making her a "discursive object" for their "imaginary sex" with her. I find this deeply unsettling and horribly offensive. This indicates that not only are Americans more at ease with political criticism about a man, but that can only resort to sexual metaphors and symbols when dealing with a female candidate. Certainly if a conservative were to write about Obama laying down the absolutley most banal and horrid representation of an African American man by saying that "I just want to put shackles on his legs and force him to call me Master", people would be deeply offended.

I don't think Palin's politcs are so difficult to argue through intellectual debate that writers such as Michael Seitzman need to debase himself or his fellow women, by "joking" about a sexual adventure with Palin. If the writer really wants to show us what a "man" he is, which can only be the basis for such objectifications of a woman he does not know, why not go to Palin and ask her?

Afraid of getting shot down? Or afraid she might speak back?

Bravo!

Mr. Seitzman,

Recently social psychologist Dr. Jonathan Haidt (a man of the Left) concluded that, "Conservatives prove quite adept at thinking like liberals, but liberals are consistently incapable of understanding the conservative point of view." "Liberals," he said, "feel contempt for the conservative moral view, and that is very, very angering." While you see yourself as curious, empathetic, and thoughtful, your post is very angry, thoughtless, and close-minded. Indeed, it supports Dr. Haidt's conclusion quite well.

Sir, the way you feel about the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate is the way I feel about the Democratic Presidential candidate, i.e., he scares me to death. The difference, however, is that I understand why Mrs. Palin scares you, but you have not the slightest idea of why Mr. Obama scares me. (I suppose it should be noted that I am both a college graduate and a life-long atheist.) It seems that a truly curious, tolerant person would attempt understanding of his ideological opponents, but from you there is only conspicuous, unmitigated disgust.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1984d88-7cd5-11dd-8d59-000077b07658.html

Michael Seitzman:

I just fell in love with you!

I'd like to point out to MxO that nucular is in no way, shape, or form a word. It is beyond an example of a regional pronunciation. It is a colloquialism which is a type of slang and to use it in one's speech constitutes a misunderstanding of English grammer. Dictionaries offer pronunciation keys that guide correct pronunciations of words. To use words such as nucular in one's speech is to showcase one's inability to communicate properly. George Bernard Shaw, the Irish dramatist & socialist once made the observation "England and America are two countries separated by a common language."

It's funny to see Palin and McCain talk about Obama's celebrity status, yet Palin's husband is a celebrity in Alaska and of course she is because 1 she's the governor and look at what her husband has done. It's also funny that her husband, who is not on the government payroll, sits in on meetings and gives his opinion when she's taking care of Alaskan Government business. What will he do if she's VP or even the President, sit in with other world leaders when SHE'S in a meeting with them so he can put his 2 cents in.

Also, why hasn't she done any interviews other than 1 and she doesn't campaign without McCain around. She's just like McCain, he's a Bush YES MAN, and she's a McCain YES WOMAN!

McCain picked Palin just for the fact that she's a woman. There were other highly qualified female politicians out there, yet he chose her at the last minute. If Obama had picked Hillary, or another woman for the position of VP, McCain would NOT have picked a woman at all.

It's the same old game. Also, if McCain HAS REFORMED Washington, then what is there to change? Change and Reform are basically the same thing. So he REFORMED Washington, now he wants to CHANGE it?

Come on people, WAKE UP!! It's more Republican double talk!

I don't think the knee-jerk behavior above is any way to win an election for Barack Obama. Different parts of the country do pronounce words differently, and one can argue about 'Creek' versus 'Crick,' or I am sure find better examples of regional pronunciations. American English is not a language that is always phonetically pronounced the way it is spelled.

I didn't 'love' the Palin interview, but I don't think it demonstrated much more than the bad taste of the interviewer, if you're referring to Charlie Gibson's rough-shod attempt to prove Palin's lack of knowledge about key issues. By pulling out an obscure label (Bush Doctrine) that is infrequently used, he missed the chance to quiz her on far more important situations, for which she probably also lacks valid knowledge. As for repetitious answers, why not focus on the repetitious questions?

You are so right about the diminished mental capacity of anyone that could vote against their own best interest. Leaders should have superior intellect, training, compassion, humility and be able to inspire folks into action.
The work ahead is tremendous the recovery will be long we are in a mess.

The writer begins by talking about how he wants to have sex w/Gov. Palin. Aside from the immorality involved, I wonder what it reveals about his psychological flaws. He then goes on to denigrate anyone who may have enjoyed the interview. There were aspects of it that I enjoyed, e.g. how Gibson revealed his own hubris. I'm always amazed at liberals who are supposed to be inclusive, tolerant, etc., but, are in reality none of these things, with the exception of being tolerant of bigotry and ignorance.

Absolutely true. I seriously doubt, however, that any fan of Sarah would be bright enough to read this post, or principled enough to care.

Palin is the Laurie Dhue of the Republican Party. She's smart enough to fake it, but her primarily function is that of an ornament. The Republicans are using the same formula that has worked so well for Game Shows, Infomercials, and FoxNews: put your stuffy gray-haired talking head next to a primped-up hottie. Associate your slants and lies with a not-so-subtle dose of boobs and lip gloss.

And I have an increasingly nauseating feeling that it will work. Again.

It will work because it is designed by people who know exactly what 'works', and care about nothing else. It will work because a great many people in this country are, I am sad to say, catatonic morons.

One more election (maybe two), and the corporate elites who are plundering this country will have all of us in a tighter grip than we'll ever be able to break.

How can anyone take McCain seriously on his education platform? The GOP has made a mockery out of anyone with much more than a high school diploma. In his speaches he says we need to fix America's broken school system but the Republicans attack anyone with an advanced degree as an elitist. If we really want to help our educational system - START BY VALUING EDUCATION!!!! Put up a candidate who sets an example for young people. Stop giving us presidents who slander the English language while promoting English only politcs.

I come from a middle class family where I was the first in my family to receive a college degree. I worked full time while taking a full class load - and I still have the debt to prove it. My older sister was soon to follow and went one step further by graduating from law school. Neither of us would have done so if our parents hadn't raised us with th expectation that we would go, even though they never did. My degree (I graduated Summa Cum Laude- and yes I am bragging) is one of the things I am most proud of in my life. Obama makes me what to go back and get my Masters. So go ahead, call me an elitist.

The GOP wants to keep America uneducated to maintain it's power balance. That's real elitism!!!