Posts by giovanni tiso

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  • Hard News: Awesome,

    I recognise people will have issues with a republican running-mate, but couldn't people have waited at least a week before coining VPILF?

    Heh. Samantha Bee a while back had a pretty epic piece about FLILFs, mostly centred around Kucinich's ludicrously attractive wife.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    A hail mary pass is a risky play made in desperation

    Or to gain a greater share of the Catholic vote.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    Personally, I'd prefer an upfront bastard like Mike Huckabee than Romney or (sad to say) McCain

    That's a really interesting point. And, as anybody who's seen Huckabee on Colbert would attest, it's actually hard not to like the guy. It may have something to do with the fact that he doesn't need to keep his butt constantly clenched for fear that his actual thoughts might noisily escape thence. Upfront bastard is a perfect characterisation.

    I think that there was a perception briefly in June that McCain would also be able to run an upfront campaign. But at the same time as Obama was criticised on the left for appeasing and appealing to the right wing as soon as he got the nomination, so too McCain made a dash to his right. I think it tells us not so much where the political centre is in American politics, but where it is in the swing states.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    I don't really get the characterisation of Palin as some "Christian hardliner"

    Thus quoth Wikipedia (and it's all a matter of public record):

    Palin is against human abortion, pro-contraception, and a prominent member of Feminists for Life... She opposes the use of abortion even in cases of rape or incestand supports the death penalty... She supported a non-binding referendum for a constitutional amendment to deny benefits to gay couples. Alone among the candidates in the 2006 gubernatorial election, Palin said she supported teaching Creationism alongside evolution in public schools, but the next day modified her position to simply allowing the debate of alternative views.

    I don't know what your definition of a hardliner is, but I chose the word with some care: to me this is an actual radical, as opposed to Romney, Obama or Biden on the respective sides of the aisle.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    His record as Governor of Massachusetts was hardly that of either a neo-Marxist, but he'd stand up in front of evangelical audiences and flat out lie about it.

    Still struggling with your suggestion that he's more of a hardliner than Palin, who doesn't need to lie about these things.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    OK, folks, I'll say this: Palin's biggest plus is that she's NOT theo-con darling Mitt Romney.

    You're thinking of Huckabee, by any chance? Romney is much less of a christian hardliner than Palin and was criticised by evangelicals thrhoughout his campaign. For one thing, he used to be pro-choice, before seeing the error of his ways, so he's out of the theo-con club by definition. He's against civil unions for homosexuals, which puts him to the right of Bush, but then so is Palin. Who is against abortion even in cases of rape. Romney won't go there to this day.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Spiral of Events,

    IMO) I have to admit, I don't know what that means.

    In my opinion. Although I much prefer your dictionary's definition. (I never said that! I was simply quoting the International Maritime Organisation!)

    Can anyone point me to a more Blog friendly abbreviation dictionary

    The Urban Dictionary for this kind of thing, Acronym Finder for everything else.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    She is going to impress the hell out of people. She will quickly grow into the role of VP, as a President in waiting, and could definately step up to be President. It is easy to see her as the first woman President sometime in the future.

    Wow, I'm impressed by how quickly you formed so fantastic an impression of this person who nobody knew until yesterday. I imagine the party that used to lambast Obama for his perceived lack of experience as of last week won't find it hard at all to embrace this new face and shining hope for American politics, whose progressive social views could propel the country into the early fifteenth century.

    In one fell swoop McCain has neutralised his main weapon against Obama - lack of experience - and has made his own age and health into an even bigger target than it was before. He has veered dramatically to the right, losing most of his capital with the percentage of independents who are not clinically insane (however small it might be). He has tarnished his squaky-clean image by choosing somebody who's tied to soon-to-be-jailbird Ted Stevens and who's under investigation herself. All in the hope that independent and disaffected women (like the three dozen PUMAs who marched in Denver) will vote for an anti-woman politicians just because she happens to be female.

    With apologies to H.L. Mencken, I think we've found the first person who will actually go broke for having underestimated the intelligence of the American people.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Southerly: The Joys of Unclehood,

    I can see it now. Auntie Amy's Homestays for Luckless Children

    PRO: buys chocolate in five kilo boxes

    Now the oldest insists on accompanying his sister.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Hard News: Awesome,

    So having diverted momentum off Obama's killer speech this week, next week McCain will regretfully replace Palin with a more conventional selection.

    Makes absolutely zero sense. His judgment would be seriously hurt by having chosen a VP that had to be ditched in a matter of days, and VP number two would be saddled with the label of being the second choice to a serious nobody.

    The commentariat seems equally divided between brilliance and desperation. After hearing Castellanos (who had run Mittens campaign) say yesterday on CNN that those who missed out on McCain's spot were lucky Republicans, I have a theory of my own: nobody else wanted to do it.

    Meanwhile, here's Joe Scarborough, via Kos:

    I can't imagine a woman that's been a governor for a year and a half, but to debate Joe Biden on Georgia, a remerging Russia, an emerging China and India, on the Middle East, my God, how does she do that?

    Yes, good luck with that one.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

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