A question was just asked on CNN if voters seem more enthusiastic or energized than in previous election years. The simple answer is yes.  But I was musing exactly why the voters are more energized and I realized that it’s more complicated than it appears.

Here are the top reasons I think people are more enthusiastic this Presidential cycle than in the past:

1. Finally seeing an end to the Bush reign.
2. Voters are excited to elect the first African-American President, Barack Obama.  There’s a few key words being thrown around:  momentus and historic.
3. Second to electing an African-American as president is electing the first female Vice President.  It’s definitely a factor especially considering that Sarah Palin’s running mate, John McCain, has one foot in the grave already.  Which leads me to….
4. Electing the oldest man to take the presidential office.
5. Lastly, although my gut tells me it should be higher on the list, some voters are excited to elect AGAINST the first African-American president.

This combination of race, sex, and enthusiasm to change the current Presidents policy is making it the most exciting election year in U.S. history. I’m proud to be a part of it. Vote!

CNN cites a McCain campaign aid as saying that Sarah Palin is deliberately going off campaign message to spite her mismanaged roll-out.

Personally, I think they’re giving her far too much credit.  They shouldn’t confuse ignorance with “roguishness”:

McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls — recorded messages often used to attack a candidate’s opponent — “irritating” even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign’s decision to pull out of Michigan.

A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign.

“She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” said this McCain adviser. “She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

“Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom.“

Sounds like a good Republican to me.

In case you can’t keep all those Joe’s straight, the BBC has listed them for you here (Joe the plumber, Joe Six-Pack, Joe Lieberman, etc…).  My favorite is the obscure “Shoeless Joe Jackson” from the 1920’s:

Sarah Palin replied [during the VP debate]: “I’ll say it ain’t so, Joe, there you go again, pointing backwards again. You prefaced your whole comment with ‘the Bush administration’. Now doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future.”

The words “Say it ain’t so, Joe” date back to 1920. They were allegedly spoken to Chicago White Sox baseball star Shoeless Joe Jackson by a broken-hearted young supporter, as Joe was leaving a grand jury hearing where he had admitted taking part in a match-fixing scandal.

Thank you BBC for helping clear all that up for us.

Is anyone paying attention to this? Republican voters? Undecided voters?

No, this isn’t an “Onion” headline:

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe

On the eve of a report on a legislative panel’s abuse-of-power investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report clearing her of any wrongdoing.

Palin, running mate to Republican presidential nominee John McCain, is the subject of two inquiries into whether she abused her power by firing her public safety commissioner. The commissioner says he was dismissed for resisting pressure to fire Palin’s former brother-in-law, a state trooper.

The “Troopergate” case is closed everyone. We can all go home now.

And the lesson learned here is that the next time you’re being investigated for abuse of power, simply absolve yourself. If Sarah Palin can do it, why can’t we?

John McCain ceded Michigan yesterday in a move that looked defeating to both Democrat and Republican voters.

Apparently it looked defeatist to Palin too:

In an interview with Fox News Friday the Republican vice presidential candidate appeared to be disappointed with the decision and said she still wants to take a stab at wining the state that hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate in two decades.

She also said she made her disagreement known to top campaign officials:

“I fired a quick e-mail and said, ‘oh, come on! Do we have to call it there?’ she said. ” Todd and I would [be] happy to get to Michigan and walk through those plants [with] car manufacturers.

“We’d be so happy to get to speak with the people there in Michigan, who are hurting because the economy is hurting,” she added. “Whatever we can do and whatever Todd and I can do in realizing what their challenges in that state are, as we can relate to them and connect with them and promise them that we won’t let them down in the administration.”

Are McCain and Palin communicating at all?  This can’t possibly be another campaign stunt… can it?

…something’s gotta give with Sarah Palin.

Palin Dissenters.  Obama Surges in Swing States.

I’m not wagging my finger at the LGF conservatives, I’m simply pointing out that the Republicans aren’t blind to the reality of the situation.

It was fun laughing at Sarah Palin for a few weeks.   She essentially writes her own jokes.  Just ask Saturday Night Live.

But when it comes to answering questions about the Middle East, you’d think every politician with interest in holding a high ranking Federal position could AT THE VERY LEAST be able to answer questions fluidly about three things; The Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Iran, and Iraq.   Those are the big three.  You should know your shit.  Especially if you’re running for Vice President.

Then WHY is it so hard for Palin to communicate clearly about Hamas?  We all know she doesn’t support the Palestinian government labeled as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.  Then why does she give shit-ass answers like this?

Couric asked, “What happens if the goal of democracy doesn’t produce the desired outcome? In Gaza, the U.S. pushed hard for elections and Hamas won.”

“Yeah, well especially in that region, though, we have to protect those who do seek democracy and support those who seek protections for the people who live there. What we’re seeing in the last couple of days here in New York is a President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, who would come on our soil and express such disdain for one of our closest allies and friends, Israel … and we’re hearing the evil that he speaks and if hearing him doesn’t allow Americans to commit more solidly to protecting the friends and allies that we need, especially there in the Mideast, then nothing will.”

WHAT?  The question asked to Palin was her opinion of Hamas as a democratically elected government and she answered with a shpeal about protecting those who seek democracy?  (And then jabbers on about the Iranian President visiting New York to boot.)

It’s quite easy to interpret her answer as encouraging the terrorist organization Hamas.  I know that’s not what she meant by the answer, but that’s exactly what it sounds like.

The confusion results in articles like this:  Sarah Palin Endorses Hamas.

You won’t find either a Republican or a Democratic candidate come out right and say that they support Hamas.  This is a no brainer.

What you do get (as with Sarah Palin), are misinformed or simply ignorant politicians with little experience in foreign policy spouting random answers to questions they simply don’t understand.  These ill formulated answers then evolve into politicians like Palin sounding, well, completely stupid.

Yes, I know, we’ve all heard Sarah Palin claim foreign policy experience due to Alaska’s proximity to Russia. Watch her reinforce that reasoning during her interview with Katie Couric:

Now, compare it to Miss Teen USA 2007 South Carolina as she answers the question, “Why do you think 1/5th of American’s can’t locate the U.S. on a world map?”:

9 out of 10 “U.S. Americans” will agree, reasoning isn’t exactly their strong characteristic.

Four question are all she allowed, but Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin spoke to the press corps yesterday after 29 days as McCain’s Vice President:

Speaking to a small pool of reporters following a visit to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, Palin made a statement and then answered four questions, addressing the war on terror, the re-election bids of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young, and the bailout legislation currently in front of Congress.

1.

CNN reporter: On the topic of never letting this happen again [9/11], do you agree with the way the Bush administration has handled the war on terrorism, is there anything you would do differently?

Palin: I agree with the Bush administration that we take the fight to them. We never again let them come onto our soil and try to destroy not only our democracy, but communities like the community of New York. Never again. So yes, I do agree with taking the fight to the terrorists and stopping them over there.

2.

Politico reporter: Do you think our presence in Iraq and afghan and our continued presence there is inflaming islamic extremists?

Palin: I think our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan will lead to further security of our nation, again, because the mission is to take the fight over there. do not let them come over here and attempt again what they accomplished here, and that was some destruction. terrible destruction on that day. but since September 11, Americans uniting and rebuilding and committing to never letting that happen again.

3.

Politico Reporter: Do you support the reelection bids of embattled Alaska Republicans, Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens?

Palin: Ted Stevens trial started a couple days ago. We’ll see where that goes.

4.

Jersey Journal reporter: What do you think of bailout package before congress?

Palin: I don’t support that until the provisions that Sen. McCain has offered are implemented in Paulson’s proposals.

Honestly, she didn’t do half bad.  Precise in her responses.  Decisive.  And she couldn’t have done it at a better time with the first Presidential Debate looming (whether it continues as scheduled or is moved to a different date).  Nor could she have chosen a better location next to the World Trade Towers.

Don’t you feel better now, Sarah?  I know I do.

Watch the video here courtesy of CNN.

UPDATE:

Let’s get ready to rumble! McCain FINALLY confirms that he will attend tonight’s first Presidential debate.

Senator John McCain doesn’t.

But it’s all good, Senator. With a two front war raging for the last five years, it’s easy to confuse the two since they function the same these days anyway.

“Candidates spend a lot of time talking, and they all misspeak sometimes. But did anyone else notice this, from Wednesday’s much-covered McCain-Palin Town Hall event in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Palin answered questions from people in the audience?

“McCain said this near the end of the clip below, as he’s talking up Palin’s foreign policy/national security credentials:

‘I also know, if I might remind you, that she is commander of the Alaska National Guard. In fact, you may know that on Sept. 11 a large contingent of the Alaska Guard deployed to Iraq and her son happened to be one of them. So I think she understands our national security challenges….’

“The ceremony Palin attended at Fort Wainwright last week didn’t involve the Alaska National Guard. Palin’s son is in the Army, and his unit – 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division – deployed to Iraq.”

It’s not just a lack of McCain vetting Sarah Palin, it’s more like a lack of McCain caring to remember relatively important details…. like who her son is going to war with.

Sorry McCain, I gotta call you out on this one.

And for the record:  Army = Federal service.  National Guard = State service.