<div>I read one political pundit who claimed former President W. Bush had three main appeals: religious fundamentalist, anti-intellectual, and macho cowboy. Sarah Palin is in some respects a female W. Bush. Which is no doubt part of the reason she was nominated for V.P. And Karl Rove ("Bush's Brain") is a pure political strategist who will state whatever his calculations and polling numbers inform him is advantageous for his client or against his client's opponents. Sotomayer's intellect in question, Palin well qualified...The truth can be bended, emotional appeal and image bought in the media, sound bites repeated till they become fact, given the US populace does not have a thoroughgoing respect for logic and evidence, or at least not enough for in depth research into political or scientific issues. </div>
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<div>The economic collapse is certainly a major factor in the Republican losses in 2008, that doomed the Republicans. And if the US economy does not turn around by 2012, it may doom the Democrats. There is a theory that some Republican strategists, given the collapsing economy, expected to lose the presidency in 2008 (McCain thus a "token" nomination); and could use this to advantage to blame the economic problems on the Democrats in 2012, retaking the White House. </div>
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<div>The US populace votes with their wallets, to a great extent. Many of the Republican Party's problems might have been overlooked if on election day 2008 Wall Street was booming, unemployment low, wages rising, home ownership increasing. We might now have McCain/Palin in the White House. Would that be any more amazing than W. Bush in the White House?</div>
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<div>A politician can be incompetent and still win office. Witness former President W. Bush's second term. Palin's failings as a politician are in part because she thinks, like W. Bush did, apparently, that being guided by God endows a leader with the moral authority to break the rules or laws of government. But Palin was/is not backed by one of the most powerful political families in US history, like W. Bush. Imagine what father and former President H. Bush knows that could do damage to others, backed by the Bush family's huge wealth and political and economic connections? He was director of the CIA, and served as former President Reagan's V.P. W. Bush got away with (so far) conduct far worse than Palin's ethics violations. </div>
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<div>Palin was more truly an "outsider" to the Washington political machine. Politicians like McCain and W. Bush are not really "mavericks" or "outsiders," despite their image; they are backed by sophisticated political propaganda machines controlled by powerful political/economic interests. Palin was being controlled by powerful interests in her nomination for VP, but I think she in some respects resented being stage managed for the game of national political propaganda. She should have stayed in Alaska as governor, it seems, and turned down the VP nomination, rather than get in over her head on the national political stage.</div>
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<div>A politician must worry about being labeled a "elitist academic," lacking in religious faith (of the correct kind, of course, so no Muslim would be elected president, I'll guarantee, no matter how qualified), and appearing too conciliatory or diplomatic. It was painful to witness Obama dumbing down his brilliant intellect in his speeches and public statements when campaigning for the presidency, but this was necessary, given the strain of anti-intellectualism among the US populace, as was his explicit and repeated insistence he was a devout Christian, to counter the rumors he might have had a background with Islamic influences. He played the plain talking tough guy occasionally regarding military and national defense issues, also a wise strategy to win election.</div>
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<div>As far as the Republican attacks against Sotomayor during the congressional hearings, some are of course aimed at the politician's constituency to appeal to their bias. Republican Senator from Alabama Jeff Sessions is talking to those in Alabama in the following attacks on Sotomayor, and I would guess they are cheering, given the political landscape in that state:</div>
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<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2009/07/jeff_sessions_confronts_sonia.html" target="_blank">http://blog.al.com/sweethome/2009/07/jeff_sessions_confronts_sonia.html</a></div>
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<div>Consider Sessions mentality, if this report is correct:</div>
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<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2009/7/14/sotomayors_fate_partly_in_hands_of.htm" target="_blank">http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2009/7/14/sotomayors_fate_partly_in_hands_of.htm</a></div>
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<div>Sessions had reportedly said he was OK with the KKK until he learned some of the members were "pot smokers."<br><br>In addition, during Sessions' confirmation hearing, Justice Department lawyers testified that he had said that the NAACP and ACLU were communist-inspired because they tried to "force civil rights down the throats of people."<br>
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<div><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2009/7/14/sotomayors_fate_partly_in_hands_of.htm" target="_blank"></a> </div>
<div>Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett<br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 7/15/09, <b class="gmail_sendername">Kenneth Marcy</b> <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:kmmos1@verizon.net" target="_blank">kmmos1@verizon.net</a>> wrote:</span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">>From Toronto, Ontario, Canada at The Globe and Mail, Margaret Wente writes:<br><br>The Democrats have Sonia Sotomayor. The Republicans have Sarah Palin. That's<br>
all you really need to know. Between them, these two women explain why the<br>Republicans are doomed.<br><br>Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina who grew up in a Bronx housing project, is a shoo-in<br>for the Supreme Court. Barack Obama knew exactly what he was doing when he<br>
picked her. She is a symbol of Hispanic aspirations in a country where<br>Hispanics are an increasingly powerful political force. She's known for her<br>ferocious drive and work ethic and, despite what you may hear, she appears to<br>
be a moderate. She represents the American dream in action. The Republicans<br>hate her.<br><br>Sarah Palin was the most scarily incompetent vice-presidential nominee in the<br>history of the United States. She graduated from the University of Idaho,<br>
where she majored in communications (still not her strong suit). She<br>represents the Peter Principle in action. The Republicans love her.<br><br>Guess which one has been attacked by Karl Rove for not having the intellect<br>
for the job? That's right. Sonia Sotomayor.<br><br>The rest of the story is at:<br><br><a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/in-sonia-v-sarah-gop-is-doomed/article1216888/" target="_blank">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/in-sonia-v-sarah-gop-is-doomed/article1216888/</a><br>
<br>or, the same URL, shortened: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="http://tinyurl.com/mf5ckv" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/mf5ckv</a><br><br><br>Ken<br><br>=======================================================<br>
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mailto:<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br></blockquote>
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