If Sarah Palin had an impressive debate beyond all expectations, and the economy magically turned around tomorrow, the fact would remain that John McCain is at the top of the republican ticket and he is an awful candidate with an awful agenda.

Sarah Palin is first woman of the Republican party to receive the nomination of vice president. Truly a noteworthy event. In her acceptance speech, with the eyes of the world watching, Palin had the opportunity to offer words of inspiration and hope to women and young girls throughout the country and around the world. Unfortunately, Palin was content with offering partisan attacks. Instead of highlighting skills of leadership and providing a vision in pointing the way into the 21st century, Palin was content with the politics of the past. How sad.

Let’s face it. A week ago most people had never heard of Sarah Palin. Today, everyone is a Palin authority. Unfortunately, the news and spin is coming out so fast, it’s difficult for some to separate fact from fiction. That does none of us any good. Everyone needs to take a step back and breathe. If at all possible, put yourself in the shoes of others, and give everyone the respect and dignity they deserve. As Barack Obama recently stated, “Change doesn’t come from Washington, change comes to Washington.” Allow yourself to be an example of the kind of change you want our leaders to embody. Just a thought.

Yes, Hillary may very well be laughing. On the same day that the Republicans were forced to dramatically cut back their convention activities, the Palin Meltdown unfolded with extraordinary speed. It’s worth pondering the totality of what happened today, in a mere half day… * The news that Palin once backed the Bridge to Nowhere went national. * It emerged that Palin has links to the bizarro Alaska Independence Party, which harbors the goal of seceding from the union that McCain and Palin seek to lead. * The news broke that as governor, Palin relied on an earmark system she now opposes. Taken along with the Bridge to Nowhere stuff, this threatens to undercut her reformist image, something that was key to her selection as McCain’s Veep candidate. * The news broke that Palin’s 17-year-old daughter became pregnant out of wedlock at a time when the conservative base had finally started rallying behind McCain’s candidacy. * Barely moments after McCain advisers put out word that McCain had known of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, the Anchorage Daily News revealed that Palin’s own spokesperson hadn’t known about it only two days ago. * A senior McCain adviser at the Republican convention was forced into the rather embarrassing position of arguing that McCain had known about the pregnancy “last week” — without saying what day last week he knew about it. * It came out that Republican lawyers are up in Alaska vetting Palin — now, more than 72 hours after it was announced that she’d been picked. * Palin lawyered up in relation to the trooper-gate probe in Alaska — a move that ensures far more serious attention to the story from the major news orgs. http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdo…

The problem is not that the philosophy of the Republican administration isn’t working the way it’s supposed to work, the problem is that it is working the way it’s supposed to work. They don’t believe that government has a role in solving national problems because they believe that government is the problem. They think we’re better off if we just dismantle government. The selection of Sarah Palin is a harsh reminder of the kind of government that Bush and republicans have been providing for the past eight years. Alberto Gonzales, Harriet Miers, Michael “Brownie” Brown, Michael Chertoff, Monica Goodling and many others have become symbols of what is wrong with the republican administration. These individuals do not represent the best and brighest of what this country offers, rather they represent the disdain and disrespect republicans have for govenment and the people they serve. Picking qualified people to serve in government matters.

The problem is not that the philosophy of the Republican administration isn’t working the way it’s supposed to work, the problem is that it is working the way it’s supposed to work. They don’t believe that government has a role in solving national problems because they believe that government is the problem. They think we’re better off if we just dismantle government. The selection of Sarah Palin is a harsh reminder of the kind of government that Bush and republicans have been providing for the past eight years. Alberto Gonzales, Harriet Miers, Michael “Brownie” Brown, Michael Chertoff, Monica Goodling and many others have become symbols of what is wrong with the republican administration. These individuals do not represent the best and brighest of what this country offers, rather they represent the disdain and disrespect republicans have for govenment and the people they serve. Picking qualified people to serve in government matters.

John McCain has never taken this election seriously. From the ads about Barack Obama being a celebrity to the Paris Hilton ads to his singing of bomb-bomb Iran, McCain has done all he could to avoid the serious issues this country faces. The selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate is the continuation of McCain’s inside joke, of which we are all the butt of.

Ms Crowley, as someone who has taken such glee at every opportunity in the past decade to attack and belittle Hillary Clinton, I find it rather disingenuous of you to assume that you would know what Hillary Clinton is doing or thinking.

Perhaps what is most glaring about Sarah Palin’s resume is that there’s no position papers. No examples of great thought on the issues of the day. No unique views or insights or approaches that would give this voter confidence that she is an individual of thoughtful and educated views. In addition, Palin has not shown herself to be a political leader. She has not stepped-up to address the foremost issues of the day or made a tough stand on a national political issue or even shown an interest in standing up for the little guy or gal. Throughout this election we have been hearing how the economy is the number one issue of this election. And it was noted that McCain would need to select a running mate that has a firm grasp of the economic issues. Is Palin the economic answer? Palin holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Idaho.

Stay away from fad diets. Forget the promises of collagen, liposuction, breast augmentation, and plastic surgery. There is nothing more sexy than a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.

I hitchhiked across the United States when I was twenty years old. I was naive and somewhat fearless, and I didn’t consider it dangerous at the time. It’s not something that I would recommend to anyone, and I surely wouldn’t do it again. Still, it’s a journey that I can always look back on with fondness.

I feel lied to. And now that we our in the sixth year of this occupation, I still don’t think that our leaders are being honest with us. That’s frustrating. I truly believe that the vast majority of Iraqis want very much the same things for their children that we want for ours. My greatest fear is that the warmongers will drag this war on for as long as they can, and look for reasons to esculate the fighting into Iran and throughout the region.

I don’t know if one thing has anything to do with the other, but recently I’ve noticed somewhat of a revival of intellectual and artistic creativity. On the web and off, people are considering new approaches and looking at the world differently. They are also tapping into their creativity and expressing themselves in a variety of wonderful ways. Maybe we are in the midst of a Renaissance.

I’m all for listening to one’s intuition, but can we call it something other than trusting our gut? In recent years there’s been an overindulgence in gut trusting. The term itself has become somewhat political, where certain politicians use it as a means to form policy and as an excuse to go against logical thinking. It’s come to the point where politicians are praised for going with their gut, even when the policies go against all that is sane. Call me old fashioned, but I long for the days of trusting the head. Or better yet, how about trusting the heart? Going with the heart not only seperates you from everyone else, it’s also key in bringing us all together.