Asinine and Brilliant

John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin as his running mate is brilliant and asinine.

She is beautiful, well-spoken and likeable. She has a certain "it" factor that also could be said of Obama. She is unvetted. She is deeply conservative. She has a 4-month-old son with autism. She supported Pat Buchanan in the 2000 presidential election. She said recently she doesn't know much about the Iraq War and that she wasn't sure just what the Vice President does. She is the personification of "change" and is the consumate "Washington outsider" -- two desirable qualities after eight years of Bush. She's a former union member. She hunts. She looks like Tina Fey.

It'd be foolish to underestimate Palin. In the absence of some revelation or other scandal, she is not Dan Quayle and she is not Geraldine Ferraro. Quayle came off like a deer in the headlights during his vice presidential debate with Lloyd Bentsen. My gut feel is that this former beauty queen is more fox than deer -- and not because of the way she looks.

***

Choosing Palin was a liberal, bold gamble made by a conservative. Chosing Biden was a conservative, prudent pick made by a liberal.

McCain's pick was a Hail Mary pass to help him win an election -- more than it was to help him govern. Obama's pick was a run up the middle on first down (five-yard gain) to help him govern -- more than it was to help him win an election. Wouldn't a true conservative prefer the Obama methodology? Is now a good time to gamble as Americans are dying in the Middle East and as our economy tanks?

This will either help McCain win, just barely, or it'll help Obama win in a landslide. I don't think Obama wins a close election. He'll either win big, or he won't win at all.

***

John McCain, who has battled the deadliest form of skin cancer on multiple occasions, turned 72 on Friday. Sarah Palin would be one heartbeat away from the most powerful job in a dangerous world.

If that doesn't make your heart race, what would? On this level, this bold, liberal, non-traditional choice is reckless and asinine.

Obama's Speech. In Three Words

He looked presidential.

Obama's VP Pick

Has a cool first name.

If Al Gore had picked This Joe instead of Other Joe in 2000, he'd be winding down his second term right about now. You need a V.P. who can respond sharply and quickly to attacks and go on the attack -- something that "Gentleman Joe" (more recently recognizable in recent years as Cuckoo Joe) did a poor and absolutely inadequate job of in 2000.

Go, go, go Joseph.

Spaghetti Cat

Why would anybody need a reason why?

You Have Yourself to Blame, Jack

"George Bush's record as a student, military man, businessman and leader of the free world is one of constant failure. And the part that troubles me most is he seems content with himself. He will leave office with the country $10 trillion in debt, fighting two wars, our international reputation in shambles, our government cloaked in secrecy and suspicion that his entire presidency has been a litany of broken laws and promises, our citizens' faith in our own country ripped to shreds. Yet Bush goes bumbling along, grinning and spewing moronic one-liners, as though nobody understands what a colossal failure he has been. I fear to the depth of my being that John McCain is just like him,"
- Jack Cafferty, CNN.

What Jack doesn't mention here is that he has admitted in the past to voting for Bush. Twice. Both in 2000 and 2004.

At least he has it right now.

The Answer is ... Wa-wa.

“Life begins at 40 - but so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times.”

"At the age of 20, we don't care what the world thinks of us; at 30, we worry about what it is thinking of us; at 40, we discover that it wasn't thinking of us at all.”

“At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgement.”

“Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.”

“To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.”

***

Today is my friend Frenchy's 40th birthday. Today also is Madonna's 50th birthday. Shout-outs to both, and to my friend Peaches, who turned 40 earlier this week.

Were we ever young? Wa-wa.

Happy Birthday!

(Quote source, from the likes of Victor Hugo and Ben Franklin, here.)

"I Just Shook His Hand"

As in Ernest Borgnine's hand, which just might be calloused. The 'splanation here:



Speaking of Ernest Borgnine, although he earned an Oscar for Marty in 1955, and he was quite good in this, my all-time favorite Borgnine role is "Rogo" in The Poseidon Adventure, as in Det. Lt. Mike Rogo.

I wish I had a cool name like Rogo.

Bigfoot: Rest In Peace, My Furry Friend

The email came from Wally mid-day. Big Foot is dead!

In fact, two men who are holding a press conference tomorrow say they've found Bigfoot dead in the hills of George.

I just hope that the big lug finally is in a better place!

I wonder if Steve Austin or Jaime Sommers were in on the hunt for Sasquatch?

This Day in 2004

Aug. 14, 2004. I was enjoying a fabulous week in Provincetown while "soon-to-be President" John Kerry was riding high in the polls. This is the way the presidential race looked on this day.

Of course, this was before T. Boone Pickens swiftboated John Kerry's biggest strength (war hero) into a faux weakness thanks to enough media-aided hot air to power several T. Boone windfarms.

(Graphic Source: the always enlightening electoral-vote.com)

Things I've Been Meaning to Blog About

* Morgan Freeman drives a 1997 Nissan Maxima?

* Madonna and Neil Diamond both have new CDs, both of which are on my Ipod, and both are playing four nights at Madison Square Garden, and both are selling out their world tours. Don't ask me what I think this means.

* Libra from Big Brother 10 on CBS reminds me of Michelle Obama. Minus the class, charm, intelligence and grace.

* John Edwards is a fool. A fool with a haircut and a 50,000-square-foot house.



UPDATE: Uh, nevermind what I said about Libra, who was voted off the show last night and whose family (profiled on last night's show) seems like an utterly decent lot. Unlike other contestants, who are on the verge of tears after they get voted out as they wallow in self-absorbtion, with a look on their faces as if another 9/11 just happened, she handled her exit interview with Julie Chen with ... class, charm, intelligence and grace. Seriously.

Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs

Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press: Do you think running a campaign ad in which you feature Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is respectful of Barack Obama?

Joe Lieberman: [Perks up his head, raises his eyebrows and announces confidently and seemingly with utter sincerity] I do.