I noticed two middle aged women in the small, packed Miami courtroom.

Nice projection but, since you don’t know anything about them, they’re just as likely to be reporters as you are. Or trial lawyers. Or bloggers. Or civil rights workers. Or women just interested in what their country is up to. Sexist, indeed.

I do not want Obama or Hillary.

Pray tell, what do you find offensive about them or lacking in comparison to someone else?

I fear the electorate only knows the rock star of each political party and doesn’t know there are any other differences between the candidates.

Oklahoma kiddo at 74

“ridiculous and merely propaganda?” No. Padilla is a perfect symbol of what went wrong with the administration at the very beginning. Bush was lost without 9/11. Talk about there being no there, there, he was, in his own mind, a giant, like the man who landed on the flight deck of the carrier, big, big balls out kinda guy, a hero for our time — which is mostly television and film drama.

He tried to force his faux world view on the world, and the world collapsed around him.

The fakery of it isn’t entirely a Bush construction.

I watched the McLaughlin Group this evening and they showed a poll which had Giuliani and Clinton significantly ahead in their party races.

It’s very confusing to me. In both cases there are a lot of people who say they detest these folks. So, who IS supporting them?

Supposedly Giuliani and Clinton are Conservative and Liberal (though those labels hardly fit them). The thing I notice about them which stands out the most is some kind of pop culture charisma and star quality — though it’s almost entirely made from the stuff of modern television and public relations campaigns. I mean, what does “America’s Mayor” really mean? And, what difference does it make to us to have a woman (and former First Lady) as candidate for president? Do Republicans even know Giuliani is Pro-Choice on abortion while his party is distinctly Pro-Life? Why is there no disconnect? And, was Bill Clinton THAT great, so that his wife has to be considered an automatic shoe-in? I really don’t see how that makes sense after we’ve just seen how George W. Bush was so clearly different than his father George H. W. Bush. Haven’t we noticed each individual is different?

How does that play into the way the electorate picks a party or a candidate to put into power?

To focus more narrowly: I also wondered about the race between Clinton, Obama and Edwards. Why is Clinton ahead in this poll? How do Clinton and Obama different from John Kerry? Just what is it which distinguishes these folks? Are there any differences? And, why is the American electorate picking candidates so far to the Right when they say in survey after survey that they want us out of Iraq and they want Social Security and health care reform and all kinds of more Liberal things? Why is the candidate they vote for to the Right of their governance position? Can they not distinguish Clinton & Obama from other more lefty candidates? Do they all blur together, so that only the party labels and the candidate’s appearance & presentation distinguish them?

Can only a rock star politician win?

Are Americans brain-washed into thinking that only a candidate the media turns into a star is really capable of winning or governing? If they do they’re certainly putting the power to select our leader into the hands of the media (spelled M O N E Y).

I’m beginning to think there is the party of money as represented by those whom the media promotes and the party of everybody else.

When does the public get to have the governance they really want?

I have wondered if our prez’ behavior is due to a touch of fetal alcohol syndrome along with his own alcohol problem.

What kind of touches do you have in mind? I know something about FAS. You can catch me over on Facebook. I’m about to leave work for shopping and then home. By then, a new thread will be up.

Bob in HI

newspaperbrat @ 58

Hear, Hear! I like the rapport Rachel has with Alison and Keith – where is the latter rascal – maybe on vacation?

Allison said he WILL be back next week.

Do ya think some folks at MSNBC recognize that we have withdrawal without our nightly fix of Keith’s snark?

Actually, I kinda like the way Alison does snark. She’s good! IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Bob in HI

CTuttle at 121

Hey, I missed you! If I had a translation I’d be even happier!

Sho’nuff, Mahalo, Thank you, Mahalo Nui Loa, Thank you very much!!! *g*

YEEEEESSSSSSS! that’s it!!!!!!!

EVERYONE, go read the link revdeb provided to marcy at 119

will only take a minute, is worth it.

is one of the most eloquent smack downs i’ve ever heard…bill moyers about the libby trial…she has the transcript to bill moyers from tonight.

he said libby “poured poison into the drinking water of democracy”

yep

thanks revdeb, man, i love this place.

“Just remember what happened in NY when Rudy suggested canceling the election and staying in office because of 911. It didn’t fly.”

The fact that he would even suggest such a thing should be repeated until people realize what a power monger he is. He is not a nice guy.

Hey, I missed you! If I had a translation I’d be even happier!