You can call it a duck without getting into the pond and quacking with it.

I think Obama’s afraid of getting duck poop on his shoes.

Damn it, man, show some!!!

Exhibit A: Obama on Olbermann last night. He couldn’t give one straight answer.

Boy is THAT the truth!!! I was screaming at the tv. [Where is that basket of koosh balls I’m always advising everyone to have at hand?]

My husband reminded me of a Mark Twain quote Obama ought to take to heart:

“If a person offends you and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures. Simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick.”

Obama has shown he can be better than this. He has the confidence, the common sense, the sense of civic mission to rise above conservative pollsters and don’t-rock-my-boat incumbent Dems who think they’ll win because it’s their turn — a self-deception that has Rove and McCain’s lobbyist-run campaign laughing in the aisles of their private jets and guffawing in their leather-bound limos.

Americans are desperate for a return to rational government, for a return to fixing obvious problems. They want thrown aside the marketing-speak that calls problems, fear and chaos “challenges” and “opportunities”, which they know are disguises for ignoring them unless they affect the Beltway. Americans are tired, worn, hungry, yearning for a leader whom they would follow over the top, not one that pushes them into the abyss. Not someone who promises all and fixes nothing, someone who tries bloody hard to fix the right things, and who tells you what he’s doing.

Obama. Run.Your.Own.Campaign. Shout, fight, tell it like it is. Tell us what you’re trying to fix, what it’ll cost and who’ll pay for it. Tell us that you’re willing to rock the boat to keep it afloat and steer it toward home. Don’t give us music to sink by; Bush has played that for eight years. McCain will keep playing it for eight more, by which time we’ll be food for sharks and America, the biggest fish in the sea, will be a sail and tail tied to a skiff on an empty beach.

I’m not at all saying polling should not be done, but I am saying that recommendations for political messaging based only on polling systemically lead to timid, conservative political messaging.

Bingo!

I doubt that Palin doubts that there’s anything wrong with what she and the General did.

Oops! Double negation there. Should be: “I doubt that Palin realizes that there’s anything wrong with what she and the General did.”

When John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate, the campaign immediately began touting her experience–both foreign and domestic–as “commander-in-chief” of the Alaska National Guard. But the reality of the situation–that Palin actually had little to do with the National Guard quickly became apparent. In fact, the idea was undercut severely by comments made by the actual commander of the Alaska National Guard–its Adjutant General, Major General Craig Campbell. When that happened, it eventually turned into somewhat of a national joke, culminating in the humiliation of McCain/Palin campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds on CNN when he tried to promote Palin’s “foreign policy” experience during the Republican National Convention.

It was getting bad for the McCain campaign because they couldn’t afford to lose the “experience” argument to the Obama campaign.

But suddenly–and strangely–the commander of the Alaska National Guard, Major General Campbell, changed his story. By the end of the convention, he was praising Palin’s experience, talking on TV about how she had taken control of Alaska’s National Guard operations and how she was a “great” leader.

Interestingly enough, Palin promoted him with his third star–to the rank of Lieutenant General–only three days later.

I doubt that Palin doubts that there’s anything wrong with what she and the General did.

If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency.

Damn right!! I don’t want an end-of-days fundamentalist with their finger next to a dooms-day button, especially not one with a long record of capricious vindictiveness. And I’ll contribute to any 527 that wants to carry that message forward.