CAMPOS: Out-of-control populism
By Paul Campos, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published October 1, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
The parody "rockumentary" This Is Spinal Tap features a scene in which a fictional rock band's manager defends a particularly idiotic decision by pointing out that he was merely following the instructions of Nigel Tufnel, the band's profoundly clueless lead guitarist.
Lead singer David St. Hubbins replies, "But you're not as confused as him, are you? I mean it's not your job to be as confused as Nigel."
The latest in a string of revelations about the depths of Sarah Palin's ignorance - a Sept. 29 blog post by Politico.com's Jonathan Martin that she's apparently incapable of naming any Supreme Court opinion other than Roe v. Wade - is a reminder that it's not the job of someone who could be a heartbeat away from the presidency to be as confused as the average American.
John McCain's nomination of Palin has turned out to be what can be called an attempt to pull off the Full Nixon. Forty years ago, Richard Nixon figured out that there were a lot of votes to be won by tapping into widespread resentment of "arrogant elites," who thought they were smarter and better informed than their fellow Americans.
For months now, McCain has been hammering away at this theme in regard to Barack Obama, whose Ivy League education is supposed to have infused him with the arrogance and elitism that makes him contemptuous of ordinary folk like, for example, Sarah Palin.
Palin has spent almost her whole life in a very small town in a sparsely populated and extremely isolated state. For reasons that remain obscure, she attended five colleges in six years where, if her public performance to date is any indication, she seems to have learned nothing.
If Palin knows anything at all about national politics or foreign affairs or history or economics or almost anything else one would want a president to know something about, she has till now kept that fact remarkably well hidden.
She is, in other words, the ultimate representative of a kind of out-of-control populism. In its more extreme forms, populist resentment of elites flows from the belief that any ordinary person knows enough to be a good political leader, since political leadership is all about having the right values, and good character, and a pure heart.
This is of course nonsense. It makes about as much sense as saying that performing open-heart surgery or piloting a jumbo jet is all about having the right values.
McCain and his advisers know this, which is why they've spent the last month trying to stuff Sarah Palin full of plausible sound bites of information, so she can at least pretend to know what she's talking about when she's asked questions about the federal government or foreign policy or economics or history, etc.
It's a cynical and incredibly reckless strategy, especially given McCain's age and precarious health. (McCain's odds of dying of natural causes in the next four years are, conservatively speaking, at least one in seven).
It's a sign of how successfully political know-nothingism has been exploited in America that it's even necessary to say this: To do a decent job, the president of the United States needs to be vastly more educated and knowledgeable than the average American.
This is a necessary, though far from sufficient, requirement. And, as Palin's cringe-inducing performance on the national stage illustrates, there are plenty of politicians who are no more qualified to be president than I am to be an NBA power forward.
Consider that the most recent of Tina Fey's hilarious yet horrifying Saturday Night Live parodies of Palin included merely repeating, word for word, one of Palin's rambling and nonsensical answers to CBS interviewer Katie Couric's questions.
That fact by itself ought to disqualify John McCain from the office he seeks.
Paul Campos is a professor of law at the University of Colorado. He can be reached at paul.campos@colorado.edu.
October 1, 2008
4:42 a.m.
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Brian1973 writes:
Odd, I feel the same way about Obama. Though at least Palin hasn't said she'll invade an ally, or offer up new spending plans that cost about a trillion $$$ when added together. That's why I'm voting 3rd party this year. And against anyone who is currently in office
October 1, 2008
6:57 a.m.
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taoistblockhead writes:
"The American way of life is not negotiable." (Cheney, 2001)
Bush, Cheney and their corporate masters are attempting to hold America hostage via Paulson's Plunder and Financial Terrorism. Electing McCain-Palin would be the next step in the Fascist Coup currently taking place. Palin would be the perfect hollow fundamentalist figurehead for the kleptocratic criminals pulling the levers behind the curtain.
"When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
October 1, 2008
7:02 a.m.
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Mike_In_Hartsel writes:
Campos, those voices in your head need to speak to you one at a time instead of all at once. Biden hasn't had an original thought in years.
RMN - this goof-ball is so bitterly left-wing it defies logic. Why do you bother printing his tripe?
October 1, 2008
7:14 a.m.
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billyc123 writes:
"To do a decent job, the president of the United States needs to be vastly more educated and knowledgeable than the average American."
This is a conclusory statement offered without any evidence to support it.
Did Ronald Reagan (Eureka College graduate) do a decent job? What about George W. Bush, who graduated from both Yale and Harvard? My guess is that Mr. Campos would find fault with Mr. Bush's presidency and characterize it as less than decent. Or George H.W. Bush, a graduate of Yale? Or Jimmy Carter, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy? Or Gerald Ford (Michigan, Yale law)? Or Richard Nixon (Whittier College, Duke law)?
What exactly does Mr. Campos mean when he says that a decent president must be "vastly more educated and knowledgeable than average American"?
October 1, 2008
7:16 a.m.
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billyc123 writes:
Dear "taoistblockhead" -- Please do your research on fascism before offering it as a pejorative term to describe any developments -- cultural or political -- that you oppose.
October 1, 2008
7:20 a.m.
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Vern writes:
Your analysis is dead wrong. Government is not like being a surgeon because government is not the primary actual doer of things. Government is a purely an overseer a regulator of the actions of the real engines of society - business, labor, etc. Where government performs actual real services, such as roads or the military, they are carried out by separate entities run by experts like "town managers," engineers, economists, and Generals because everyone knows you cannot be a good regulator and a good doer at the same time.
A better analogy is that government is the patient, or the patient's family, asking the surgeon key questions and getting a second opinion, and then making the decision on whether to go ahead with the operation or not. None of us claims to be an expert at medicine in order to make those decisions - we get the facts and then rely on values, common sense and gut judgment.
That's the same thing we need from our leaders. We elect them to go get that second opinion for us and make the call. It's not expertise we need - there are already plenty of doctors to choose from. We need someone we can trust to decide for us, who will put our interests first even though surrounded by experts.
October 1, 2008
7:23 a.m.
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DaisyJM writes:
McCain's camp has done an enormous disservice to Palin, oh sure, she's helped it along, but are the real culprits. Palin is a governor, there are tons of governors, especially ones that have only been in office a short while that do not have foreign policy experience, but McCain made such a big deal about Obama's lack of foreign policy experience that he was too stubborn to just admit outright that his VP pick didn't have any either. Palin should have just said "no, I don't really have very much foreign policy experience, but I'm ready to learn, I do however know domestic issues very well, etc." If she would just admit it then people might stop bugging her about it. Obama admitted that he had limited foreign relations experience, that is also why he chose a VP candidate that would help in that area. Reporters don't really bug him about it because where can they go, he already admitted it. He obviously has a great knowledge of foreign policy but his experience has been limited. I'm pretty sure McCain's camp has been pretty instrumental in pushing the whole Russian connection and Palin has no choice but to go along with it- and it just makes her look clueless. It doesn't seem like she's been very interested in things outside Alaska for most of her life and that was something McCain should have taken into consideration- she has too much to learn to fast and that's why she keeps getting stumped- this a horrible example of affirmative action gone terribly bad. McCain wanted a right wing conservative woman and Palin fit the bill, he didn't care if she was the most qualified- and he might just have ruined her political career for good.
October 1, 2008
7:40 a.m.
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Jeremy_UK writes:
I think that many this side of the pond wonder how educated is the average American?
1. Many seem to be confused regarding geographical or religious awareness?
2. They voted in G. W. Bush - not the most educated or maybe not the most well read.
3. It seems that being a prisoner of war equips you to know the right strategy for the military.
Sarah Palin is the choice of a man who believes that Americans will beleive anytrhing but knows that people are led but appearances not by substance. Note the view of Jackie Mason on his blog on You Tube and you will see.
By the way our Town in the UK has 10,000 people our Mayor is the local Antique salesman. Maybe he should be getting himself ready - he certainly knows his Wedgewood from his Chinese porcelain.
October 1, 2008
7:42 a.m.
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Jeremy_UK writes:
I think that many this side of the pond wonder how educated is the average American?
1. Many seem to be confused regarding geographical or religious awareness?
2. They voted in G. W. Bush - not the most educated or maybe not the most well read.
3. It seems that being a prisoner of war equips you to know the right strategy for the military.
Sarah Palin is the choice of a man who beleives that Americans will beleive anything but knows that people are led by appearances not by substance. Note the view of Jackie Mason on his blog on You Tube and you will see.
By the way our Town in the UK has 10,000 people our Mayor is the local Antique salesman. Maybe he should be getting himself ready - he certainly knows his Wedgewood from his Chinese porcelain.
October 1, 2008
7:46 a.m.
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Palamer writes:
billyc123 - you are mistaking college quality for eductation. Reagan had been in politics for many years. He had clearly stated philosophies long before he ran for governor of California. Nixon had an even longer political history. And was very smart. Both these guys could answer all the questions that stump Palin.
It's not important where Obama went to school. It's that he is engaged in the national political process. Where as Palin knows nothing because she never had any interest outside of Alaska.
The body of knowledge needed to be president does not come from college. But there is a body of knowledge that is required. Average joe does not have this info and neither does Palin.
Obama has it. I wish he had more experience, but he at least clears the bar. Palin does not.
October 1, 2008
7:58 a.m.
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jmeeker58 writes:
Well surprise surprise.
Another one of CU's finest professors chimes in from CROB (Communist Republic of Boulder). The same CU that gave us the gift of Ward Churchill! Michelle Obama should feel right at home here today for her voter registration rally. Hope the three of them can get together for a photo op! LOL
October 1, 2008
8:02 a.m.
Dencal26 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
October 1, 2008
8:07 a.m.
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A_Difference writes:
You mean Sarah Palin's not a lawyer!? She's just a regular Governor with an 80% approval rating!? We've all been duped by the media! She can't name Supreme Court cases!? Aaaahhhghh! Give me real substance!!! Give me HOPE! Give me CHANGE! At least Barak Obama's been to all 57 states...
October 1, 2008
8:10 a.m.
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Palamer writes:
Vern writes: Your analysis is dead wrong. Government is not like being a surgeon because government is not the primary actual doer of things.
My goodness Vern, I am sorry but you have no idea what you are talking about. This statement is so off that it is hard to know where to begin.
How about number of employees in the federal government? Just civil servants (excluding military and contrators), you get 2 million. That's right. 2 million people are employed by the US government in civil service alone. Do you think that these folks are 'overseeing' the rest of the economy? Or that no knowledge is needed to run an organization with 2 million people?
The president needs to make many, many decisions that affect our life. Do you think you know what to do about Superfund sites? How about using international accouting (IAS) standards? What's your view on the oil depletion allowance?
No clue? Most of what an administration does involve questions like this. These are the big questions. Only the biggest of the big get discussed with the public. If you think that what a president shares with us is all or even most or even much of what they do, you are mistaken.
A president is running a huge operation and has influence in a huge number of areas. Knowledge is required, unless you want them to be a puppet and have the advisors run everything. I'm not signing up for that.
By the way, if you include military, post office, and contractors, the number of folks in government can be as high as 14 million people. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...
October 1, 2008
8:12 a.m.
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justfacts264 writes:
Coincidence or Correlation?
http://www.hakubi.us/simplyamerican/d...
lets see how intelligent we are this time!
Anyone who has seen Palin's interviews can not vote for mcCain/Palin unless that anyone is in the lowest third of the graph in the link I posted.
October 1, 2008
8:14 a.m.
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Withheld_99 writes:
Campos simply wants to be the center of attention at the next faculty cocktail hour. I find it breathtaking that he and others overlook the empty suit at the top of the Democrat ticket while bashing the second seat on the Republican side.
Gov. Palin is not the simple-minded hick that the media attempts to portray. The cut-and-paste interviews on ABC and CBS were designed to reinforce the media's bias, not show us who she really is.
October 1, 2008
8:14 a.m.
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JoeT writes:
The depth of the small minded parochialism of academics never ceases to amaze. Mr. Campos teaches at a university, exchanging ideas in a free and open atmosphere of intellectual inquiry with students and colleagues. Yet despite the spirit of intellectual curiosity and respect for competing ideas and experience that no doubt prevails in his discussions his mind cannot comprehend difference. To Mr. Campos Ms Palin is ignorant because she is different; he shouldn’t bother with the superfluous details.
“Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature".
October 1, 2008
8:17 a.m.
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MildlyAmused1 writes:
The unequal treatment of Governor Palin when compared to Obama and Biden is just further evidence of the how awful the media in the Unted States has become. Mr. Campos writes a one-sided article like this and has the gall to totally omit any comparison to how Obama (also know as "Mr. 57 States") has ZERO executive experience and almost ZERO foreign policy experience. Based on all of his bizarre (although largely unreported by the media) utterances over the last two months, Senator Biden is quite probably suffering from some sort of dementia, or worse, and of course everyone recalls how Mr. Biden blatantly plagiarized a British politician's speeches and inserted himself into the personal narratives of that politician's life. Mr. Campos seems to suffer the same delusion that many pseudo-intellectuals hold that an Ivy League education and lockstep agreement in progressive ideology automatically mean that someone is intelligent, much less an effective leader. Al Gore is held to be "intelligent" by the media, yet he flunked out of both law school AND divinity school at Vanderbilt. How stupid does one have to be to flunk out of divinity school. Gore's academic failures happened despite his privileged and protected status. In contrast, George W. Bush, who the media and the left universally see as a dunce, not only graduated from Yale with higher grades than Gore, Bush also went on to get his MBS from Harvard, yet Gore is smart and Bush is dumb? It is grossly immature for someone to believe they are intellectually superior to someone because they hold different policy opinions. Mr. Campos needs to grow up and recognize that there are a lot of smart and effective leaders in this country who do not have advanced degrees and that intelligence is only one quality of leadership. Conviction, courage, loyalty, and integrity are at least as important as intelligence. In these areas, both Obama and Biden have proven by their ACTIONS, that they are deficient. Incidentally, Time Magazine reported recently that John McCain's IQ has been measure at 138 which would make him among the most intelligent Presidents of all time. Of course, we don't really know Obama's IQ but chances are that it is lower than McCain's since 138 would put McCain in the 98th percentile.
October 1, 2008
8:26 a.m.
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roy12560 writes:
It's time for conservatives to accept the widely-held view that Palin has shown no competence to be running for vice president.
Being able to construct a coherent statement, or quite simply the ability to communicate your positions to the media, to congress and to foreign leaders, are only the minimal qualifications necessary to play second fiddle to the most powerful individual on earth. Palin has failed to pass this low bar.
But add on top of all that her lack of fortrightness in the troop scandal, being caught lying about her positions on earmarks and the bridge to nowhere, a husband who belonged to an anti-American separatist group for many years, and a campaign too scared to put her in front of reporters to answer questions the people who would be paying her salary and counting on her to protect and defend them have a right to know, and you have an absolute train wreck as a vice president candidate..
Unfortunately, choosing her reflects directly on McCain's own poor judgment. They are going down in flames together.
October 1, 2008
8:29 a.m.
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mgsorens writes:
I do think it is a good idea to judge Palin and other politicians on their records. We've all seen Obama, Biden, McCain and Sarah Palin misspeak. (Let's not forget about Obama's 57 states or Biden's ignorance about who was President in 1929 or that television had not yet become available to the public when FDR was President)
More important is a candidate's record as a politician and as a public servant. What did they accomplish as a Senator, Governor, Mayor, or Community Organizer? In this regard Sarah Palin's credentials are impecable!
October 1, 2008
8:30 a.m.
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JoeT writes:
The depth of the small minded parochialism of academics never ceases to amaze. Mr. Campos teaches at a university, exchanging ideas in the free and open atmosphere of intellectual inquiry with students and colleagues. Yet despite the spirit of intellectual curiosity and respect for competing ideas and experience that no doubt prevails in his discussions his mind cannot comprehend difference. To Mr. Campos Ms Palin is ignorant because she is different; he shouldn’t bother with the superfluous details.
“Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature".
October 1, 2008
8:35 a.m.
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acmaurer writes:
"...since political leadership is all about having the right values, and good character, and a pure heart."
Mock the above traits as you like--they may not be important to a lawyer, but they are important in a leader and especially political leaders who must have and retain the trust of the electorate. What's wrong with our political system today is that the vast majority of our political leadership are lawyers with attitudes like yours.
Gov Sarah Palin is a refreshing breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what we need in Washington.
October 1, 2008
8:38 a.m.
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A_Difference writes:
Palamer wrote: "I wish he (Obama) had more experience, but he at least clears the bar. Palin does not."
Does he mean the State Bar of Illinois?
He must, because Mr. Obama lacks executive experience, foreign policy experience, boasts no significant legislative accomplishments, is at the far left of his party putting him squarely out of mainstream America, openly associates with known criminals and radicals like Rezco, Ayers, and Wright, and was generally used as a floor mop by McCain on foreign policy at the debate. What's worse: Obama is not running for VP. He wants to be the US President.
I guess for some, simply being a lawyer with campaign experience is all the qualifications one needs to be suitable for that high office.
October 1, 2008
8:42 a.m.
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1Texan writes:
I won't blame the media this time. These were not just sound bytes - Gov. Palin did all of this damage on her own. She's not ready and may not be for a while if ever. This is why vetting should have been done. I'm Republican; however I refuse to cast my vote for Sen. McCain with her on the ticket.
October 1, 2008
9:01 a.m.
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mandinkawarrior writes:
Compos your article is right on.These comments are nonsense.Americans can,t handle the truth that,s why we are in the mess we are in.Some people keep saying the MSM is after her,not true.Its the William Buckley wing of the Republican party that,s writing op-ed about her qualifications and calling for to step down as vp nominee.
October 1, 2008
9:07 a.m.
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FactCheck1 writes:
@MildlyAmused1 - You need to pay more attention to facts and less to slamming people that are totally unrelated to the conversation at hand. Gore attended divinity school on a 1 year program for people intending to go on to secular careers, he did not "Flunk out". He also left law school to run for his first House seat. I don't know what his grades were like, but he saw an opportunity to win the seat and took it. As for his undergrad grades being lower than Bush, Gore graduated "with honors" (the system won't let me put the latin form, since it contains a colloquial for sperm in it...) from Harvard, Bush graduated, without qualifying for honors, from Yale and admits that he was an average student. I don't know what the requirements are at Harvard and Yale, but when I graduated "with honors" you had to have at least a 3.5 GPA and complete some form of honors program in your major. That suggests that you are just plain wrong. Also, what the heck is an MBS? A Masters of Bull S!%^? Perhaps you meant MBA?
October 1, 2008
9:10 a.m.
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dr_omels writes:
There are differences between an Obama, Biden or even a McCain flub to a Palin flub. When they misspeak, you can kinda overlook it because it is non-essential stuff (years, number of states, borders...stuff they know but just flubbed at that moment).
However, when Palin flubs, it is almost as if she has no idea what she is talking about. You may not agree with Obama, Biden or McCain, but at least they can talk about the issues with some understanding. Palin is pretty much reading cue cards and can't veer off them, because her ignorance will show.
Palin seems like a nice woman and an excellent governor. But if you can't at least understand the issues for the position you're running for, how can you even come close to fixing them.
(And people say that "Oh, Palin is running for number #2 spot". That's a crap argument. One important qualification for VP is the ability to be President at any moment. Even McCain believes, or should I say 'believed', that).
October 1, 2008
9:10 a.m.
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CornFlakes writes:
You said: "McCain's odds of dying of natural causes in the next four years are, conservatively speaking, at least one in seven". Presumably this is based on statistics for the average human.
The President's job over the next 4-8 years will be one of the most stressful jobs on the planet.
McCain tends to react emotionally to stress and seems to be overwhelmed by recent events (e.g. see 1st few minutes of the Foreign Policy debate). How does this affect your estimate?
Could he over-react to events and make irrational political decisions? How will the stress of being president affect Mr. McCain?
If the job adversely affects his health, does that mean that Palin then becomes the next president?
October 1, 2008
9:13 a.m.
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crape_myrtle writes:
I agree with Paul Campos 100%.
The idea that a McCain-Palin White House would be "populist" is silly. McCain is a millionaire, and his support for policies that benefit ONLY the richest Americans over the last eight years is a good indication of what he values now. Obama, owner of just one car and one house, is the real American populist in this election.
I disagree with A_Difference on his view of Obama's experience. I think Senator Obama's legislative experience at the state and national level is significant and impressive -- look at the bi-partisan ethics, transparency and accountability bills he's led on (e.g., Coburn-Obama Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, launched in 2007, makes public information about nearly all Federal grants, contracts, loans and other financial assistance available in a regularly updated, user-friendly, and searchable format).
And while he hasn't been a governor of one of the least populated states in the country, and at least Obama has been the executive of a very well-managed and incredibly successful dark horse campaign that has gotten thousands of people involved in the democratic process, many for the very first time. To me, that's more proof that he is the true populist here.
October 1, 2008
9:17 a.m.
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jfschachter writes:
I'm looking at a list of key supreme court decisions (http://library.thinkquest.org/11572/c...). I would expect, at a minimum, that a candidate for VP know Roe, Miranda, and Brown v. Board of Ed. Other key decisions would include Bush v. Gore -- possibly the most important of our time -- Bakke (since affirmative action is still very much debated), and Griswold. Oh, and the court handed down a 2005 decision in Alaska v. United States. Maybe she's heard of that one?
October 1, 2008
9:17 a.m.
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roy12560 writes:
Palamer wrote: "I wish he (Obama) had more experience, but he at least clears the bar. Palin does not."
Does he mean the State Bar of Illinois?
He must, because Mr. Obama lacks executive experience, foreign policy experience, boasts no significant legislative accomplishments, is at the far left of his party putting him squarely out of mainstream America....
I guess for some, simply being a lawyer with campaign experience is all the qualifications one needs to be suitable for that high office.
Blah, blah, blah. Baseless right-wing talking points from someone who has a radio glued to their ear looping Hannity, Savage and Limbaugh.
Here cut and pasted is what an OBJECTIVE source of info www.politifact.com had at least to say about Obama's "insignificant" legislative accomplishments:
"Here we'll look at the statement that Obama has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done.
But we've found several instances of legislation that Obama passed in concert with Republican lawmakers.
• Obama collaborated with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., in 2006 to pass a law (PL 109-282) creating a Google-like database of federal contracts and grants allowing users to type in key words that would bring up exactly how much money any particular recipient received.
• With then-Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., Obama won enactment of a 2006 law (PL 109-401) that allowed the United States to export nuclear fuel, technology and reactors to India for the first time in three decades. The law accepted India as a nuclear-armed power and was enacted despite concerns about India’s ties to Iran and past sanctions for transferring sensitive equipment to Iran.
• He also worked with Lugar on a Senate bill that authorized the president to carry out a program to provide assistance to foreign countries to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Another part of the measure was intended to stop the spread of conventional weapons, notably shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that the legislation refers to as man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS. The bill's provisions were incorporated into a House bill that passed later that year and was signed into law in January 2007 (PL 109-472).
These bills arguably meet the threshhold of significance, particularly the two measures with Lugar on important foreign policy issues. Since Obama is a Democrat, and Lugar and Coburn are Republicans, that seems to qualify as reaching across party lines."
October 1, 2008
9:25 a.m.
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titancain writes:
How can anybody defend her? She is a joke. Look at McCains plummeting poll numbers. Most americans have caught on.
October 1, 2008
9:27 a.m.
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WestminsterJ writes:
There's something about Prof. Campos that brings out the Repug ideologues, sort of like a porch light attracts moths. We're getting the full smear treatment here: "Ward Churchill", "Communist Republic of Boulder", "57 states". A psychiatrist could thrive just on the posters on this thread.
October 1, 2008
9:34 a.m.
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Un_common_Sense writes:
When I read elitist comments like this, I am always reminded of the great William F. Buckley, who said "I would rather be governed by the first 300 names from the Boston Telephone Directory than all the professors at Harvard."
Clearly, regular folks are completely unable to run the nation. We need the type of brain trust that created the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae crisis governing us "small town, sparsely populated state" folks (like Mr. Campos and most of his fellow Coloradans.
Perhaps we need more Ivy Leaguers like President Bush and his team? Obviously, an Ivy league education alone doesn't make one well qualified to be president.
I'd say qualification for President has far more to do with accomplishment than Ivy Leage education. Accomplishments like: governing the largest (geographic) state in the Union, taking on one's own party and reforming one's state government, and revising a lopsided oil deal that favored "Big Oil" rather than the people of her state. In that contest, it would be Palin 3 and Obama 0.
And, quite frankly, being mayor of a small town is greater experience with leadership, financial management, and responsibility than community organizing. But, small towns are, of course to be looked down upon.
Time was, academics were ridiculed for being out of touch, having no need to produce anything of substance and merely opining about the abstract. For some reason, now they are looked to for answers? They are still out of touch and deal with abstractions as Mr. Campos' writing points out.
Keep writing, Mr. Campos. And at your elite cocktail parties, you can continue to ponder where we 'unwashed masses' get our anti-elitist sentiments.
October 1, 2008
9:35 a.m.
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LuisHenrique writes:
You should read Plato's dialogue, "Protagoras".
The qualification one needs to be president of a nation is political confidence from the citizenry. The issue is not whether Palin has some technical knowledge that is required for being president, but whether she deserves the trust of Americans (I would say, decidedly, "no", but this is a different issue). After all, nobody is voted into a Jumbo pilot or open-heart surgeon job - so they are not comparable to a national presidency.
October 1, 2008
9:37 a.m.
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FactCheck1 writes:
@MildlyAmused1 - Also, about the IQ stuff:
McCain's is 133 according to a test from his navy days:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_joh...
This still puts him in the top 98 percent.
Obama doesn't have a registered test, but based on his status as a graduate "with high honors" from Harvard law school, it is estimated to be in the 140-165 range, possibly higher.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Bar...
For comparison purposes, Hillary Clinton's score is 140 and Bill Clinton's score is 137.
October 1, 2008
9:43 a.m.
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JonBen writes:
Titancain has it right: How can anybody defend Palin as a plausible potential Leader of the Free World after seeing her recent performances? She is a know-nothing. God help us if McCain and she are elected and Senator McCain dies in office.
Barack Obama was the president of the Harvard Law Review and actually wrote - no ghostwriter, unlike Sen. McCain - his own books. He is brilliant and thoughtful, as well as gracious and able to recognize common ground: as most recently demonstrated by his repeated acknowledgement in the debate that Sen. McCain was "absolutely right" about some things. It shows the desperation of some McCain supporters when they claim such acknowledgements are a mark of weakness!
It also shows the desperation of some supporters of Palin when they claim that Obama is as stupid as Palin, in that he supposedly thinks there are "57 states" in the U.S. This is a tired old argument that has been responded to over and over again: Obama was referring to the number of political primaries or caucuses involved in the nomination process, including territories like Guam, Puerto Rico, etc. which all added up to 57 - but these desperate partisans are seriously asking the public to believe that Sen. Obama thinks there are 57 states.
It's also just like these desperate partisans who claim that Biden is against building coal plants. Again, it's been responded over and over again that Biden was talking about DIRTY coal plants like the Chinese are putting up. Obama said before 75,000 people in Mile High Stadium, in his acceptance speech, that expansion of clean coal is a central part of his energy strategy. Biden was in the audience. Think about what these desperate partisans are asking us to believe: that Biden was saying that's a lie? It's just typical.
Finally, it shows the sheer panic and desperation of these Palin partisans that none of them are responding, "No, she really IS smart enough to be the President of the U.S. if called to do so." They're just attacking Obama on the silliest grounds.
Even diehard conservatives are now - out of love for their country - coming out and saying that we absolutely cannot afford to vote Palin into office. She is unfit for the job. What do the desperate partisans on this forum have to say about those diehard conservatives? Are they all liars too? Country First: Vote Obama-Biden.
October 1, 2008
9:51 a.m.
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Don_Lopez writes:
The elite Mr. Campos is smirking at the common people again.
Why am I not surprised.
Here’s the kool-aid Mr. Campos is attempting to sell: Having an unqualified vice-president is worse than having an unqualified president.
And as to Senator McCain’s age: His 96-year-old mother is alive and kicking, so to the extent that genetics influences longevity, he could not only live through his two terms but Governor Palin’s as well .
And being able to name Supreme Court decisions is as relevant to being vice-president as knowing the first left-handed president to throw out the first pitch of the baseball season.
October 1, 2008
10:05 a.m.
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CULawEqualsTotalWisdom writes:
Why am I not surprised that Prof. Campos is a law professor and has facial hair -- right out of central casting for "flaming liberal." Have you missed Ward Churchill since he got fired? It must drive you bonkers that Bruce Benson is CU's president, because he's a probably a little "too populist" to be a university president. Do you think that Sen. Obama would ever consult a law professor from a "fly-over school" like CU on something like a supreme court vacancy or an amicus brief? Sen. Obama and his followers would think, "CU Law, gosh, might as well be teaching "law" to Gov. Palin in Alaska."
October 1, 2008
10:11 a.m.
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winchestereast writes:
well, surprised to still be hearing the non-issue of ayers et al brought up - everyone in chicago/illinois who sits on a non-profit org. board with either man could be similarly charged with consorting with radicals - including the mayor! - as for wright, well, watch the video of palin being blessed by the exorcist who urges the congregation to trample on the necks of their foes - obama did not sing, as did mccain, about happily bombing a country which shares a border with a country we had just bombed - there are moderates in iran who could work with a moderate in the white house - not w/ mccain/palin - the strikes obama proposed in pakistan (which supplied libya and n.korea with nuclear materials) are against taliban/alqueda targets killing our forces in afghanistan -third party vote is a vote for mccain - get real -
October 1, 2008
10:11 a.m.
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jay writes:
great article.
getting some play nationally....
http://www.realclearpolitics.com
kudos, Paul.
October 1, 2008
10:22 a.m.
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ChrisFriar writes:
You conservative RIGHTWINGERS need to give it up. Obama is going to win, so deal with it!
Palin, PALES in comparison to Obama...so give me a break.
October 1, 2008
10:44 a.m.
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DrewHarris writes:
Wow. You criticize Sarah Palin's populism by citing Spinal Tap and Saturday Night Live.
Hookay. Thanks for calling.
October 1, 2008
10:47 a.m.
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RogerSnowden writes:
If the suggested criteria for qualification were applied to all related parties, we would lack a candidate for president altogether.
Imagine Sarah Palin saying President Roosevelt gave a speech to the nation after the crash of '29, fully three years before being elected. Then, saying his speech was on television. The news channels would be playing it in an endless loop 24 x 7 until November 5.
Or had McCain or Palin insisted on partitioning Iraq into three or four permanently warring entities.
Or had McCain described himself as a 'coal miner'.
Or if McCain or Palin had long associations with radicals from the Weather Underground or any racist group.
Or if any Republican had long and deep financial and operational ties to an organization such as Acorn that systematically commits election fraud. Much less having served as their lawyer and "trainer".
Or if they recruited an Orwellian "truth squad" to attack political speech critical of themselves, consisting of serving prosecutors in a swing state.
And the list goes on... can you imagine the outrage?
October 1, 2008
10:56 a.m.
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zyle writes:
To say that Tina Fey, in the SNL skit, was "...merely repeating, word for word, one of Palin's rambling and nonsensical answers to CBS interviewer Katie Couric's questions" is blattantly untrue.
I saw both the skit and the actual interview.
Unfortunately, many people who have seen only the Fey parody and heard your lie are being duped.
But I suppose you, as an Obama supporter, do not see this as "unfortunate".
And I suppose you pride yourself on your lack of ethics.
Shame on you.
October 1, 2008
11 a.m.
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BoomKing writes:
Brian1973... You've got to get out of denial, my friend. Obama is not only more knowledgeable and eloquent than Palin, he's more so than McCain. Have you heard Palin's answers? They are unacceptable. They are complete gibberish. She can barely form a sentence, let alone come up with her own ideas.
October 1, 2008
11:03 a.m.
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ch2x writes:
>>And as to Senator McCain’s age: His 96-year-old mother is alive and kicking, so to the extent that genetics influences longevity, he could not only live through his two terms but Governor Palin’s as well<<
I am not aware of Senator McCain being a female. Did you know that his grandfather died of sudden death (a condition that tends to run in the family) at age 61, and his father died at age 70 from a heart attack??
October 1, 2008
11:04 a.m.
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rfhgl writes:
Brian1973: That is odd. You think that Obama (who taught constitutional law at UChicago) can only name one Supreme Court case?
And to those of you that suggest that knowing the law (including Supreme Court cases) is irrelevant to being vice-president, I might point you towards the 25th Amendment--but then again who cares about the Constitution? The Executive must execute the LAW.
October 1, 2008
11:22 a.m.
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cfbell writes:
"Elitism" is a phony issue. We expect Olympic athletes to be virtuosos. We want our cars fixed by the best mechanics, the ones who know what they're doing. It's healthy to be proud of what we do best and to admire people who love what they do and are great at it. This is what being an "ordinary American" is. Being an ordinary American is not being a know-nothing. Sarah Palin is too ignorant and cheerfully stubborn to know what she doesn't know or what she needs to learn. This is dangerous, and it would be un-American to elect her Vice President.
October 1, 2008
11:27 a.m.
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rjnova writes:
Campos mouths disdain for Sarah Palin’s international inexperience but has never issued one concern about Obama’s complete inexperience. Palin is an accomplish state executive even if from a distant state. She is more qualified to be President than Obama who has never headed any organization but ACORN which is a criminal enterprise for registering dead voters. Campos thinks of himself as some great authority on everything by virtue of being a college professor, and supposed lawyer, who did not make it as a lawyer.
The Democrat Party has become the Lawyers' Party. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are lawyers. Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama are lawyers. John Edwards, the other former Democrat candidate for president, is a lawyer, and so is his wife, Elizabeth. Every Democrat nominee since 1984 went to law school (although Gore did not graduate). Every Democrat vice presidential nominee since 1976, except for Lloyd Bentsen, went to law school. Look at the Democrat Party in Congress: the Majority Leader in each house is a lawyer.
The Republican Party is different. Who was the last Republican president who was a lawyer? Gerald Ford, who left office 31 years ago and who barely won the Republican nomination as a sitting president, running against Ronald Reagan in 1976. The Republican Party is made up of real people doing real work. The Democrat Party is made up of lawyers. Democrats mock and scorn men who create wealth, like Bush and Cheney, or who heal the sick, like Frist, or who immerse themselves in history, like Gingrich.
So spare us Campos the elitist attitude you and your lawyer cohorts profess and while we can never expect you to be objective we can expect the RMN to publish a fair counterpoint commentary anytime they publish your bigoted bias diatribes.
October 1, 2008
11:28 a.m.
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anotherview writes:
When the media grabs one part of the interview with Couric and ignores the rest it simply says that that "jounalists" are only using material that supports their bias and spin they want on Palin.
Palin represents the change America really wants, namely a fresh view, and a person not rolled into the same old, same old, like Obama.
The effort to manufacture Obama into an acceptable candidate has been historic. And the way the media has manipulated and suppressed information is right in step.
And now we have the DEMS putting in funding for ACORN, a group Obama worked for and provided funding for, into the "bailout bill". And where is the story? Look for it on YouTube or Fox.
October 1, 2008
11:31 a.m.
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steb1211 writes:
Can't deny that I'm not questioning McCain's VP choice after seeing the latest interviews but it's not enough to sway me over to Obama. Obama has demonstrated some poor judgment, has had life long relationships with questionable characters, don't agree with his proposed economic plans, who he has in his inner circle, and question his stance on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (I'm very much pro-choice but I can't understand how anyone could vote against this and I did read the legislation and Obama'a account of why he voted against it). People in this country go to extraordinary means to save a beached whale that has washed ashore but not a dying life on the table because of a botched abortion?
October 1, 2008
11:34 a.m.
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yeti writes:
I can't cast a vote that could ultimately put Sarah Palin in office. I can't cast a vote for a first term senator that began working on his campaign after being in office for 143 days. I'm considering writing-in my English Bulldog, LuLu.
October 1, 2008
11:37 a.m.
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woodrow17 writes:
With Palin I know she is not a socialist who wants to redistribute income like Obama. I know she is not friends with Bill Ayres, Rev Wright or a Follower of Saul Alinsky. I know she is for victory in Iraq. I know she wasn't a member and community organizer for Acorn, an organization that has much to do with the current financial crisis we are in. I know that she would pick sensible judges and is pro life.
Obama may be educated but you can be educated and wrong. Palin has had less time to get up to speed on the issues. She hasn't been in the national spotlight but at least she is right on the issues that matter to this country.
October 1, 2008
11:43 a.m.
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AmericanWay62 writes:
America is in a tough shape when so many knuckleheads can't accept that running the free world requires some knowledge and intelligence. Unfortunately, Sarah Palin is lacking in both.
We shouldn't be ashamed to state those two facts, no matter what the Republican-owned media or the fascists online say or do to us. Germany went down the tubes when people would not stand up to the Nazis. Now we must stand up to our own fascists who claim to be Republicans, Libertarians, or Constitutional (shredder) Party-ists.
W may have been given entrance to and a sheepskin from Yale, but that was only because of his family's stature and his fraternity's cheat sheets. My estimation of Yale's honor, at least during the 60s, is forever diminished. W also got a free piece of the Texas Rangers and was allowed to sit outside the home dugout as Chief Cheerleader for the same reason. The elitist rich boy who was AWOL from the Air National Guard back when that meant you stayed safely stateside, denigrated two genuine war heros, McCain and Kerry, and another legitimate veteran, Al Gore, to be appointed and later elected to the White House.
Similar to W, McCain only eeked out 5th from last place at Annapolis because of his father and grandfather's legacy. Imagine if he had been just another non-elitist midshipman. Later he dumped his wife who was suffering from car crash injuries and married an heiress 17 years his junior. Now he doesn't even know how many houses she owns. How's that for family values?
Barack Obama had to do it completely on his own. He worked for it. Getting a Harvard Law degree means you are smart. That is a good thing, not a bad thing. He was Editor of the Harvard Law Review. That is an excellent thing. He taught Constitutional Law. He passed numerous laws in Illinois and the US. He is one of the best qualified candidates for President, ever.
I am so sick of ignoramuses glorifying ignorance and saying everything that is good is bad and everything that is bad is good. And I am even sicker of the media and the Republican party, which used to stand for money but now stands for underachievers, institutionalizing that.
October 1, 2008
11:45 a.m.
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jay writes:
"Campos mouths disdain for Sarah Palin’s international inexperience but has never issued one concern about Obama’s complete inexperience"
wow.
jrnova...do you not realize that palin didn't even have a passport until last year?
how can you even compare her "international" experience with obama's?
speaking of diatribes...did you really just conjur an entire conspiracy theory about dems and the secret brotherhood of lawyers?
holy desperation, batman.
October 1, 2008
11:54 a.m.
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DLee writes:
I am sick to death of the attitude of the "intellectual elite."
I work for a Fortune 50 company with offices in NYC, on both coasts and internationally, I have a degree from a top 20 University, and I speak three languages. However, the best leaders I have met in my life are the people who come from small towns in relatively isolated communities. They make decisions based on values and character. They have strong, principled judgement and attack issues at their root. They understand the principles on which this country was founded and drive positive results for their communities, and they are not afraid to make a judgement based on right and wrong rather how history will view them.
The more I encounter the "intellectual elite," the more I realize many have lost their way. The take complex issues and make them more complex, they put their individual needs above the collective good, they look to the system for self actualization and blame it rather than themselves when they fail. When it is the right time to take a stand, it is the intellectuals who posture and position to look good without risk. I only have to point to the current financial crisis and the reaction to it to show how these people operate.
I have encountered many smart people in my life who I would be willing put my future in their hands, and I have to say - not one of them can name more than 1 or 2 bloody supreme court cases. I would trust them to look at the circumstance of a supreme court case and come out on the correct side of it. Of the people, I know who can name scores of cases, I would not trust them to pick up my dry cleaning.
Sarah Palin aside, I have my reservations, I am concered with this line of thinking in our country. By your definition a number of the greatest leaders in history would never have been in the place to make the decisions they made. I am not necessarily refering to world leaders either (though that applies). It is the people who lead their communities, who have risen lead our military in times crisis, who are active on issues that impact our future. A large portion of our greatest citizens were log cabin simpletons. By the same token, many of our worst leaders have been highly educated, informed bumpkins.
It is not a knowledge of trivia that makes a leader but character, stalwartness, a strong set of values and vision with an ability to grasp a situation and make the correct judgement not just for now but for the future. In this, the intellectual elite have failed us time and time again. Give me someone from small town America every time.
October 1, 2008
11:57 a.m.
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mushrumps writes:
Being a professor of law, Mr. Campos feels superior, I am sure, to Gov. Palin in the matter of Supreme Court cases. Is he, therefore, qualified to be the VP, or the governor of Colorado, or even the governor or Alaska?
October 1, 2008
12:32 p.m.
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sheepherder writes:
I'm with Yeti...LuLu for president! BUT...someone will find out that she tinkled on the carpet once, then everyone will try to defame poor LuLu! Is she up to it Yeti?
October 1, 2008
12:34 p.m.
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Oh_Wise_One writes:
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahashahahahahahahahahahahahah
Paul Campos is funny. Don't give up your paying job Comrade, because you can't write for *****.
October 1, 2008
12:35 p.m.
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Oh_Wise_One writes:
jay, you're still a moron
October 1, 2008
12:37 p.m.
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sa_repub writes:
A famous person once wrote the profound words below, and I would say they apply to you, Mr. Campos.
"It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer or deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena... who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Know who said it Mr. Campos? - Theodore Roosevelt
Get out of the classroom and join us in the real world... maybe then you would have the right to judge others for taking a risk.
October 1, 2008
12:52 p.m.
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MikeCPI writes:
"Troopergate" aside, Palin appears to be pure of heart. The pure of heart tend to get themselves crucified. Palin was picked because she appeals to folks who get that very notion. McCain wouldn't even be in the running now without her.
That said, 21st Century politics is only for those who are not feint of heart. How Palin responds the the ridicule that has been heaped upon her over the next four weeks or so will be the true test of whether she is vote-worthy November 4.
October 1, 2008
12:54 p.m.
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Ted_in_Vegas writes:
But, but, but, D'OHbama's ONLY claim of experience is his Ivy League education!!!
Other than that, he worked for an organization that fought hard for the policy changes that caused this financial debacle to happen: ACORN.
Other than that, he has the most one-sided voting record of anyone in the Senate.
Other than that, as he admitted today, the "uniter" D'OHbama can't work with Republicans.
Other than that, D'OHbama's shown that he wants to run away from victory and secure more terrorist attacks, just like Clinton.
Other than that, D'OHbama's shown that he did way too many drugs as he has not shown a coherent strategy to do anything but fail at anything and everything with the exception of playing the pied-piper to mindless liberals and worn-out and tired moderates.
October 1, 2008
12:55 p.m.
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COnative1966 writes:
I bet this idiot Boulder liberal Law Professor is friends with the idiot Boulder liberal Judge who allowed a the corrupt former-Boulder judge to steal their neighbors land.
Nobody in the real world believes the idiots in Boulder.
Where's Michelle Obama today? With the idiot Boulder liberals.
Who are the Democrats running for Senate? Idiot Boulder liberal Mark Udall.
October 1, 2008
12:56 p.m.
Suggest removal
dhcobra writes:
Questions for Ms. Palin:
Do you believe that churches with tax exempt status should be allowed to endorse or support political candidates?
Do you believe in the separation of church and state?
October 1, 2008
12:58 p.m.
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kevinjjones writes:
"She is, in other words, the ultimate representative of a kind of out-of-control populism. In its more extreme forms, populist resentment of elites flows from the belief that any ordinary person knows enough to be a good political leader, since political leadership is all about having the right values, and good character, and a pure heart."
Out-of-control populism, while lamentable, is the inevitable byproduct of American cultural, media, and political leaders' unjustified revolt against religion, marriage, and protecting the unborn.
The vicious, sneering and knee-jerk Palin-hate shown by snobs, cads and abortionists prompted many otherwise indifferent conservatives to spring to her defense and to regard Palin as "one of us." The initial uninformed reaction of her detractors still sows doubt over whether critiques like Campos' are solid or just more of the same bile.
I hope that Palin only has the fault of looking bad on television.
Considering the superficiality and blatant bias of the media after her debut, I doubt I'll know her faults for certain.
Biden has a gaffe-o-matic mouth, it'd be nice to see some criticism directed his way.
October 1, 2008
1:01 p.m.
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sstnt writes:
Obviously neither McCain or Palin are qualified if it were up to Campos. Not only are they Conservative and Republican...but horror or horrors they are NOT LAWYERS!
Perhaps Campos can somehow "intellectualize" why the great unwashed masses (most of us) are really rather upset with arrogant elitist (people like him).
Ronald Reagan said “It's time we asked ourselves if we still know the freedoms intended for us by the Founding Fathers. James Madison said, "We base all our experiments on the capacity of mankind for self-government." This idea that government was beholden to the people, that it had no other source of power, is still the newest, most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American Revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves. (October 27, 1964)”
October 1, 2008
1:17 p.m.
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malis writes:
I really wanted to like Sarah Palin. For one thing, we have some things in common. We were both born in Northern Idaho with the same kind of outdoors fishin’/huntin’/shootin’ childhood. We were both basketball point guards and we still like to run 6-7 miles most days (granted a normal schedule). My sister went to college in Moscow, just like Palin, and played NCAA volleyball (that’s Moscow, Idaho, location of U of Idaho and currently the home of pretty much the worst team in Div 1-A football).
I was intrigued by her story, but said I needed to know more about her. Now that I do know more, it's becoming obvious that she's simply a more extreme, less-experienced, far less knowledgeable version of Mike Huckabee (but with added soap-opera family drama), or maybe a Tom Coburn with a better sense of humor.
Best explanation I've heard so far came from my Texas attorney nephew:
A 70-year-old Texas rancher got her hand caught in a gate
while working cattle. She wrapped the hand in her
bandanna and drove her pickup to the doctor. While
suturing the laceration, the doctor asked the old
woman what she thought about McCain's VP pick.
The old Texan said, “Well, ya know, Palin is a post-turtle.”
Not knowing what the old rancher meant, the doctor asked
her what a post-turtle was.
The old woman looked at him and drawled, “When you're
driving down a country road and you come across a
fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post-turtle.”
The old woman saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face,
so she continued to explain:
”You know she didn't get there by herself, she doesn't
belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she's
up there, and you wonder what kind of dumb_ass put her
up there to begin with.”
October 1, 2008
1:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
nocojames writes:
@justfacts264:
Apparently, it's neither coincidence or correlation...it's simply a hoax.
http://www.isteve.com/iqhoax.htm
But, if you want to cling to made-up statistics to feel superior, that's fine with me. I'd rather vote for the ticket whose VP has no real foreign policy experience than for the ticket who will say or do anything (and has) for a vote...the ticket whose foreign policy experience is illegally negotiating with the Iraqi Foreign Minister to stall talks on troop withdrawals until after the election purely for political gain.
Keep guzzling that Kool-aid by the truckload, liberals. Don't blame me when, as the Obamessiah would say, the chickens come home to roost.
October 1, 2008
1:35 p.m.
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rjnova writes:
I guess I should be flattered. Jay always attacks those who make some compelling or pointed argument against his buddy Campos—and Obama too I gather---he too may be a lawyer.
I can compare Pailin to Obama because he is running for president not her. I guess he needed a passport to get back from visiting his family in Kenya or Indonesia. What does a passport have to do with judgment? Any jerk who plays footsie with domestic terrorists like Bill Ayers and his girl friend accomplice is too fuzzy headed to have good judgment.
And Malachi___ you just keep driving your big bus.
October 1, 2008
1:41 p.m.
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littleguy writes:
Professor, Obama's education isn't the issue. Obama's own words indict him. His comment about bitter, small town Americans, drips with contempt for ordinary folks. He drones on, ad nauseam, about destiny: such arrogance, or hubris, as Charlie Gibson would say. John Nance Garner famously referred to the office of the Vice President as, "not worth a bucket of warm spit", yet we obsess about Palin to the exclusion of critically examining the candidacy of Obama who, if elected would not be just a heart's beat away from the Presidency, but be the President. If an "ordinary" person is just too stupid to be VP, can we really trust them with the vote? Palin, like all others before her, was chosen to complement the ticket, not to be another Jack Kennedy. You, know JFK: the one we truly seek. Although I didn't know him personally, I knew him. He was an elite in every sense of the word, yet he loved us and we loved him. I'm here to testify that Obama is not another JFK, just another cheap knock off. He's not even another Clinton. Regardless of what happens on election day, the truth will not be denied.
October 1, 2008
1:46 p.m.
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billyc123 writes:
Dear Palamer --
First, let me be clear: I am not seeking to defend Governor Palin's experience or qualifications. Rather, I simply find the statement in an article written by a law school Professor surprisingly conclusory and unsupported by evidence.
With regard to your specific comments, I don't think I'm the one "mistaking college quality for education." I was simply asking for a clarification for the conclusory statement offered and using recent presidents and the institutions where they received their academic education as examples. Mr. Campos put colleges in play by referencing Governor Palin's "five colleges in six years where, if her public performance to date is any indication, she seems to have learned nothing." My guess is that Mr. Campos would contend that Senator Obama's education at two of our nation's elite schools has certainly helped to render him capable of being President. If that is so, then I'm not sure how my comment is off-point.
October 1, 2008
1:51 p.m.
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Franco writes:
Paul - you are absolutely right, and apparently touched a nerve of many of those confused average americans (republican party). After all - they are confused enough to be in total denial that their party, who they have voted in power not once, but twice in the past 8 years will be going down in history as the most incompetent administration ever to hold the office, and brought this once great nation to the very brink of collapse financially, and to its lowest point in world geopolitical power. Hopefully, with the help of the younger (20-35) more educated vote, and backing from the somewhat more educated independents, and a revived core of Democrats - including all the diversity of races that go with that, these bums will never return. McCains pick of this clueless average american as VP - while appealing to his core - is a ploy seen through by most. Thanks for stating the obvious.
October 1, 2008
1:51 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
Perhaps if we just denied the vote to everyone who hasn't passed the Bar - then the elites (like Campos) would be satisfied that the voters were "informed" enough.
By the way... wasn't it Obama who said there were 57 states? Quoting specific Supreme Court cases is one thing - knowing how many states in the Union you want to lead is another.
I'll stick with McCain/Palin.
October 1, 2008
1:54 p.m.
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katjop writes:
It is amusing to read some of these comments about Mr. Campos' "article." This is not an article, it is an opinion piece and as such, Campos has done a fine job of expressing his opinion. Those who complain about opinion pieces not being fair and balanced unfortunately don't seem to understand the difference between opinion columns ... and news articles.
This is the fundamental reason why the press and media are continuously convenient scapegoats for those who have no other way to defend their policies. Shoot the messenger and perhaps no one will notice the policy is what's really wrong.
October 1, 2008
2:01 p.m.
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RJLathis writes:
As a lifelong Republican who has proudly served our country and now has a son doing the same in Iraq, you hit the nail on the head!
Palin is no more qualified to run this country than I am.
I may love the Red, White and Blue and am certainly willing to give my life for it, but that does not make me qualified to run the country.
We don't know what McCain was thinking when he nominated Palin but he certainly lost our local GOP chapter vote in the process.
I want a leader who has a plan to end the war, not continue it for another 100 years. While our kids our dying there, as the son of my best friend did, we must not think about "winning" but instead, of cleaning up the mess we created and leaving the Iraqi people to sort out their government.
For God and Country's sake, take off your blinders and do the right thing. Put partisan politics aside and don't elect another inept presidency just because they are from your party.
Thank you for your article and telling it like it is.
Respectfully,
Robert J. Lathis, (Ret) Staff Sgt, US Army
Alabama
Proud Republican voting Democrat this year
October 1, 2008
2:05 p.m.
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Volkmeister writes:
Mr. Campos, can you name for us one, single time that Sen. Obama or Sen. Biden (both lawyers) were ever asked to name a Supreme Court decision in an interview? Yes, that's right, never! Why is it that the liberals in the press glom onto a single item in an interview and then go about writing an entire article accusing a candidate of being ignorant, when the same tactic of asking "pop quiz" questions is never done to the opponent. Sarah Palin may not know the name of a particular opinion, but most non-lawyers don't because the names don't really matter to people - the effects of the decision matter more. The effects of Roe v. Wade have been felt so deeply in American life that everyone knows the name of the case. What does that matter.
We all see what's going on here, and Mr. Campo's article is just the latest example of what has become a continuous, rolling attack on Sarah Palin by leftist "journalists" who want to portray her as a prehistoric, backward, religious dunce who doesn't know anything. They want to get something in as many newspapers and magazines as possible to the effect that Palin is a bad choice, stupid, a "neocon," uncurious, unsophisticated, moose-killing, speak-in-tongues, drooling backwoods moron. Well, its not working.
The more the folks see and hear Sarah Palin, the more they reject liberal fools like you. She is brighter and more attune with what average Americans want that either Obama or Biden. The experience question is irrelevant as it is clear that Palin is more experienced that either Democrat in the things that matter: judgment and executive experience. At least she has not made up her life story on the fly as Biden has repeatedly done, or had associations with fradulent Democrat front groups like ACORN, or racist mentors, like Rev. Wright.
Even as we watch the liberals gear up for a challenge to an eventual and inevitable McCain/Palin win in November, by claiming that racism will be the only reason Obama/Biden will lose, we see guys like Mr. Campo, day after day, complain about how bad Sarah Palin is, when he does not question the stupid things that Obama and Biden have said in the last several months (Obama) or years (Biden). He is obviously very dishonest.
October 1, 2008
2:09 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
malis writes: "Best explanation I've heard so far came from my Texas attorney..."
malis - that was your first clue to stop listening right there. Attorneys deal ONLY in legal vs. illegal. They have no clue when it comes to right vs. wrong.
October 1, 2008
2:12 p.m.
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Theo6 writes:
to justfacts264 -
Please look at this website to see who is red and who is blue.
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/arch...
Those blue areas are where the majority of crime, unemployment, and welfare recipients reside. Those higher IQ elitist liberals and Democrat social programs obviously don't help them one bit.
The ten most stressful places to live in the USA are all BLUE.
They are 1 to 10...Chicago, New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Providence, and Philadelphia.
And please note that the RED areas are where we live and provide the food that ALL of us eat. So be thankful for us every time you take a bite of the food that we produce.
Theo6
October 1, 2008
2:13 p.m.
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jbowen43 writes:
"Did Ronald Reagan (Eureka College graduate) do a decent job?"
Answer. No! He did a lousy job. Didn't have a clue.
Ran as a racist and doubled the national debt. Best you can say about him is: "He remembered his lines and hit his marks."
October 1, 2008
2:15 p.m.
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OCPatriot writes:
It has baffled me that no one seems to have commented on the fact that Senator McCain hammered away at Senator Obama's "naivete" (namely his inexperience) during the debate, really hammered away at it, and yet Senator McCain chose Sara Palin, someone everyone agrees is much more than "naive" about foreign policy. McCain chose a "naive" running mate who might, conceivably, have to take over the Presidency. How could he criticize Obama and mean it, when that criticism applies even more so to Palin? How can anybody out there, who heard the debate, come away without concluding something is wrong here, very, deeply wrong. So is Senator McCain being a hypocrite?
October 1, 2008
2:16 p.m.
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Cowboy63 writes:
In the early 1960s, Bill Buckley famously observed that he would rather be governed by the first two thousand names in the Boston phone book than the two thousand faculty members of Harvard University.
Truer words never were spoken!
October 1, 2008
2:22 p.m.
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billo1409 writes:
The people suggesting a defense for Palin or attacking the writer for merely stating the obvious must not be seeing what I'm seeing.I can't remember ever listening to a VP candidate who appeared to know less about so many subjects.The argument that we want "regular" folks in high level government positions is just crazy.What we need are the brightest and most competent people we can find to get us out of the mess we're in now.Clearly, Sarah Palin does not pass the smarts or experience test and John McCain's selection of her was a huge mistake.
October 1, 2008
2:25 p.m.
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paratyper writes:
I care not one iota if I can "relate to the candidate" or if "they're like me." If fact, they better not be. This idea of vilifying the "elites" is just a political ploy to pander to people -- to tell them they're being belittled and should be outraged. Of course they're elite. I takes hundreds of millions of dollars to get elected in this country. They're all elites and millionaires. That's who we vote for.
As for "cut and paste" clips of Palin, everything I have seen is edit: question by Couric; edit: answer by Palin. No cuts in mid-answer. She's struggling. And they knew she would. That's why one of the first things she said at the RNC was "you can't trust the media." She then hid from them for nearly a month. It's Couric for goodness sake. Palin is not being asked tough questions ... yet. And we deserve answers without excuses about why she couldn't or didn't respond.
October 1, 2008
2:26 p.m.
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Demos1256 writes:
Why do people believe that Mccain won the foreign policy debate? He refuses to acknowledge the social situation in Iraq where both Sunni and Shia's hate each other, have over 700 years of violent history with each other, and all we're doing right now is paying both sides to stop fighting. Mccain keeps repeating that the surge has worked when yes of course it's gonna work when you send a ton of U.S. soldiers into the country and pay both sides off to not fight each other. Some soldiers right now are responsible for handing out money to insurgents that a few years ago shot at them, how ridiculous is that? However this surge doesn't solve any of the core problems within Iraq. What Mccain doesn't understand about Iraq is that Iraq's destiny lies with Iran. Bickering over "preconditions", even when Mccain's own foreign policy adviser Henry Kissinger said that we should meet with Iran with no preconditions is ridiculous. Anyone who knows anything about Iran knows that Ahmadinejad does not have full power over the country. It is the Aiotolas (or religious leaders) and the military that truly hold power. Yet Mccain scoffed at this when brought up by Obama. Iran will ultimately be the X factor in Iraq and how we choose to deal with Iran will determine Iraq's future. Mccain has also yet to issue a plan that states how the U.S. will achieve victory in Iraq. What is victory in Iraq? A fully functional democratic government? Yeah that will really work with 52% of the population as Shia and 43% as Sunni. Introducing Democracy to a country that isn't mature enough to handle it will only lead to more bloodshed. And that blood is on America's hands because of George Bush and the people that blindly support this war.
Did people forget that Al Qaeda had nothing to do with Iraq until after we invaded? Even Mccain decided to ignore the situation in Afghanistan and go full out on Iraq which only caused Al Qaeda to grow stronger than it has ever been. If you want to fight the war on terrorism, at the very least finish the goddamn job on the border of Pakistan and kill that bastard Osama. Even though he'll be hailed as a martyr, at least terrorists will know that there's no cave they can hide in.
On Pakistan, basically Mccain is saying you don't openly say you're gonna invade another country. Didn't we do that with Iraq and Afghanistan? Even Bush has decided to start military operations on the boarder of Pakistan because it is obvious that the Pakistanis have no interest in destroying Al Qaeda.
October 1, 2008
2:34 p.m.
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chubster30 wri