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Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! (Grand Prairie, TX)

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I remember sitting on the couch on 9/11/2001, clinging to my 8 month old daughter and watching the towers crumble to the ground. I remember crying and thinking our lives at the moment would never be the same. Little did I know how correct I was. We were soon led in to war and here we are 7 years later and my life, like so many others, has been turned upside down. I began my marriage with both my husband and myself enjoying great jobs, each with a savings account and a great home. We soon had another daughter, I no longer worked yet we were doing great. With my first son on the way, a great savings account and my husband having a wonderful paying job, we purchased a larger home. We couldn’t have been more excited, our kids were healthy, we were paying the bills without a second thought about much of anything. We soon had our second son. Then the company my husband worked for started losing its contracts because those people were losing theirs. So my husband started bringing in about a third of what he had for the previous 5 years. I am sure you can guess the rest! So now I am here to support the best chance my family has of getting back to the American dream that we tasted for such a short time. I know with every fiber of my being that Barack Obama is in this for all of us. He will be the greatest President of our generation and my husband and I will do everything that we can to get him to the White House.

Elisberg - The Worst Vice Presidential Nominee in US History!!

By Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! - Aug 31st, 2008 at 12:22 pm EDT

Robert J. Elisberg The Worst Vice-Presidential Nominee in U.S. Historystumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust mixx.com Posted August 29, 2008 | 04:30 PM (EST)
There was a TV ad for deodorant that said, "Never let them see you sweat." The John McCain campaign has just showed the world that it is drenched. Selecting Sarah Palin as its choice for a vice presidential candidate is perhaps the worst such choice in American History. To be fair, maybe there are worse choices, but I don't know how bad William O. Butler was when he ran with Lewis Cass against Zachary Taylor. But it's far worse than Dan Quayle, who was a sitting senator. Worse even than Geraldine Ferraro, who at least served in Congress for three-terms. And far worse than William Miller, a choice so obscure when selected by Barry Goldwater that he (honestly) later did an American Express commercial asking, "Do you know me?" And that ad was after the election. But even Miller had been a Congressman for 12 years. And been a prosecutor during the Nuremberg War trials against Nazis. Sarah Palin lists her credits as a hockey mom. There was a point during the Republican primaries when I was trying to figure out who I hoped got the presidential nomination. Someone so weak he'd be easy for the Democrats to beat, or someone more challenging who at least wouldn't be a disaster for America. I decided on the latter because America has to resolve its serious problems and can't afford risking some glitch where another George Bush got elected. And so I felt that John McCain, for all his weaknesses, was the lesser of all evils and was glad he got the nomination. Throw that out the window. McCain-Palin is an unthinkable disaster.I completely understand the reasoning behind the decision for John McCain to select Sarah Palin. Absolutely. It's the thinking that settled on Sarah Palin that's missing. No doubt John McCain will get some women to vote for him who wouldn't have otherwise, and even some independents. But he will also probably lose as many Republicans uncomfortable with a woman on the ticket - let alone a woman with so little experience as Sarah Palin. Not to mention that the choice will cause many undecided Democratic women to be aghast and push them back to following their Democratic beliefs. And further, it will lose all the independents who look at the GOP ticket and say "This is who I'm supposed to give my vote for the next four years to lead and protect America??" It may even appeal to right-wing evangelicals for her strong pro-life stance and get some to vote - but that position and others related to it are specifically what loses even more women voters. And men. Ultimately, the nomination will lose far, far more votes than it gains.

But this is not the reason the decision is so terrible.It's always said that the most important decision a presidential candidate makes is their pick for vice president. It shows their thinking and judgment. John McCain, in his first decision, has just told the world that he believes Sarah Palin is the most qualified person to be a heartbeat from the presidency. Forgetting all the available men for a moment, if John McCain felt it critical to select a woman in an effort to somehow grab the Hillary Clinton supporters, look at his choice of women he had available: Christine Todd Whitman, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Elizabeth Dole, Susan Collins, even - for goodness sake - Condoleezza Rice. Or Carly Fiorina. Each of these have marks against them, and perhaps some might not have wanted to run, but it's near-impossible to look at the list and suggest to the American public that Sarah Palin is the best choice of Republican women to be vice president. And again, this is ignoring the men he who could have been chosen. It's not that Sarah Palin is inexperienced. It's that this is gross political misconduct. Sarah Palin has been governor of Alaska for just a bit over 18 months. Alaska has a population of 683,000. (Though that doesn't include moose.) This would only make it the 17th most populous city in the United States. Just ahead of Fort Worth.Before that, she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Population 9,000. I know Republicans like to promote "small town values," but this is taking things to ridiculous extremes, don't you think? I'm from Glencoe, Illinois, population 8,762. It's so small it doesn't even have a mayor, it has an appointed village manager. I'm sure that Paul Harlow is doing wonderfully at his job in the village - but I don't expect that he sees himself as even wanting to be a heartbeat from the U.S. President in 18 months. You know what the top news story is on the Glencoe website? "Fire Hydrant Painting Underway." (To be fair, it's the #2 story. The top news is a clarification about displaying political signage.) Do you know what the first two "powers and duties" are for the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska? Check their municipal code:

1. Preside at council meetings. The mayor may take part in the discussion of matters before the council, but may not vote, except that the mayor may vote in the case of a tie;
2. Act as ceremonial head of the city;

Swell.If you live in small town America (and I mean really, really small), look around you and be honest - do you see your mayor (or village manager) as a heartbeat from the presidency in 18 months? But that's not the reason either that the decision to make Sarah Palin the VP nominee is so terrible.It's one thing to discuss how unqualified Sarah Palin is. That's a national matter and huge. But on a grassroots political level, her nomination takes away the Republicans' ONLY weapon in the campaign - calling Barack Obama inexperienced. They haven't even been trying to run on the issues, or on the eight-year record of George Bush, which John McCain has supported almost 95% of the time. They've only been running on the faux-issue of Barack Obama's experience of 14 years in federal and state government. Yes, Sarah Palin is merely running for VP, not president, but with a 72 year-old candidate with a history of serious medical issues, this is who they're saying is able to step in as president in a heart-beat. She has so little experience that she makes Sen. Obama look like FDR, Winston Churchill and Julius Caesar combined. So, the Republicans pulled the rug out from under themselves. They have no issues. The economy? Housing? The national debt? Education? The Environment? Iraq? Afghanistan? Nothing. All they have is "Dear Democratic women: please pretend our VP candidate is Hillary Clinton. Just forget that she's pro-life. And against most things Democrats stand for."But that's not the reason the decision is so terrible.

Because if the hope for John McCain is to get women to vote for him who otherwise supported Hillary Clinton - if anything could get Hillary Clinton campaigning in full force and fury...this is it. She likely would have campaigned hard, but it's in Hillary Clinton's best interest to be the leading voice for women, and the leading woman candidate for president in the future, so having another woman as the potential Vice President (and potential President) is a significant challenge to that. The Republicans just opened Pandora's Box and brought Hillary Clinton roaring to Barack Obama's side on the Democratic train. And Bill Clinton, too.

Yet even that's not the reason the decision is so terrible. What this does in the most profound and grandiose way possible is give lie to John McCain's pompous posturing that he Always Puts America First. And that undercuts the most prominent campaign issue of his entire career, that everything he does is for reasons of honor. There is nothing honorable about making Sarah Palin your vice presidential nominee. Nothing. Unless you define honor as "blatantly pandering."But that's not the reason either that this decision is so terrible.But before we get to that, let's look at the actual announcement to make Gov. Sarah Palin (AK - pop. 683,000) the Republican nominee for president, and put the horrible decision in perspective.First, John McCain stood at the podium, looking up-and-down reading his speech. It's impossible not to compare that to Barack Obama giving his majestic speech the night before that even conservative analysts were admiring in awe.Second, the cameras were polite enough to avoid it, but there were empty seats in the gym. It's impossible not to compare that to a stadium of 75,000 people that Barack Obama spoke to the night before.Third, when people around the nation were waiting to hear about Sarah Palin's qualifications and gravitas to be Vice President of the United States, the first five minutes of her speech were spent talking about her husband being a champion snowmobiler.Fourth, when she finally got around to her qualifications, pretty much all we discovered was that she fought to cut property taxes. And then, she basically stopped there.She did, however, mention becoming energy self-sufficient - by talking about how she supported drilling in Alaska!!! Perhaps to Republicans this is being an environmentalist, but to most of America, not so much. Then again, she's also against putting polar bears on the endangered species list (which the government did), so maybe her environmental qualifications are more lax than she thinks.And then, finally, she spent the rest of her time praising John McCain. Fine, that's very supportive of her...except that the one question on everyone's mind was not -- "can you say John McCain is a swell guy and tell us that he was a POW", the question on everyone's mind was - "Who in God's name are you, and please tell us why you should be a heart-beat from the presidency?"In the end, the only case she herself made for being on the ticket was praising Hillary Clinton! That's it, period. Now, it might be enough to attract some women -- but it doesn't make a case for the ticket. Why? Hint: some women did vote for Hillary Clinton solely because she was a woman. But most women voted for Hillary Clinton because she was a Democrat, as well as a woman, who stood for important Democratic values they seriously believed in. If Sarah Palin wants to praise Hillary Clinton, go for it. But at least understand what you're praising. Because it will likely come back and bite you.It was a thin, nothing, empty speech. It was a speech to be head of the Chamber of Commerce. Compare that to the speech by Joe Biden when Barack Obama introduced him. Eloquent, soaring and explaining in blunt detail why John McCain should not be president. Joe Biden must have been watching Sarah Palin's speech, in order to take notes in preparation for his debate with her and thought, "This isn't fair."And all that's not even the reason the decision is so terrible.The reason is because the election is not about Sarah Palin. Or about Joe Biden. As much as TV analysts want to be excited by the balloons and hoopla, tomorrow the air will be let out, and there are still over two months to go for the campaign.The campaign is about Barack Obama and John McCain.Sarah Palin's nomination doesn't change that. In fact, it reinforces it. Nothing about putting Sarah Palin on the GOP ticket changes a word that Barack Obama said in his vibrant acceptance speech - about himself, about his issues, and about John McCain's repeatedly faulty judgment on the critical issues facing America.What Sarah Palin's nomination does do is focus attention on John McCain's age. Indeed, the nomination was made on his birthday, when he turned 72, the oldest man ever to run for president. As the crowd sang "Happy Birthday to You," you almost sensed that through John McCain's clenched smile, saying, "Thanks for reminding me," that what he was thinking underneath was "Please, oh, please, don't sing the 'How old are you now?' part." And how good a message was it that he's saying he supposedly forgot it was his birthday?Vice presidents are usually selected as people who are adept at blasting the other side's presidential candidate, because it's only the presidential candidate that matters. Joe Biden has already done that - twice - at length, spoken as someone who knows John McCain well and likes him. Sarah Palin had her first chance...and whiffed. Didn't even try. And it's hard to imagine what she has in her arsenal that will remotely allow her to do so in the future. The election is about the presidential candidates. And the selection of Sarah Palin now allows Barack Obama to campaign untouched by the Republican ticket. John McCain's only other option is for himself to personally become negative for two months - which is disaster in presidential politics.Now add on all the problems expressed above. Sarah Palin's inexplicably laughable lack of substance, most-especially on the foreign policy stage. Her taking away the one issue, experience, Republicans were even attempting. Her pushing away voters who might otherwise be willing to vote for a senator with 26 years in the Senate. Her bringing Hillary Clinton aggressively back into the campaign. Her inability to offer anything to off-set Joe Biden. Her standing as supposedly the most-qualified Republican woman as John McCain's first decision. And, in the end, it all focuses back on Barack Obama, with his indictment of eight years of the Bush Administration and of John McCain's flawed judgment - and John McCain's defense of all that.Republicans might be dancing earlier today, because there was a lot of fun music playing. But the music has stopped. The actual campaign has now started. For Republicans, it might have ended.

My personal notes are these:

This article is excellent. The thought of this person running the country that my family lives in keeps me up at night. How in the world could McCain make a decision so selfishly as a candidate for President. Any respect I had left from 2000 for McCain has officially been trashed. However despite what all of the GOP pundits say this is good news for us I believe. Most Americans with half a brain will not vote for the Republican ticket. Or atleast I hope not!!

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McCains Experience

By Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! - Aug 30th, 2008 at 11:49 am EDT

Also listed in: 9 groups

FROM www.democrats.comAll this week I've heard endless garbage from Joe Scarborough and his yes-people insisting John McCain's "experience" factor obliterates Barack Obama's candidacy.It's garbage and I want it to stop.When Obama defenders point out that Obama was right about Iraq in 2002 while McCain was wrong, Scarborough says "Americans don't care about the past." McCain echoed Scarborough on the stump:Of Mr. Obama's criticism that America should never have gone to war against Iraq, Mr. McCain said: "That's history, that's the past. What we should be talking about is what we're going to be doing now." Well what the hell is "experience" about if it's not precisely about the judgments you've made in the past?You can't have it both ways. You can't say "McCain has infinitely superior experience" and then say "but we're not going to talk about the past."If McCain's issue is "experience," then the issue to debate is the past - McCain's past versus Obama's past.Here's McCain's past in a nutshell:

Grew up in a prominent rightwing Navy family and was indoctrinated in naval dominance of the globe
Went to Annapolis and ranked at the very bottom of his class because he resented authority
Went to Vietnam and crashed several planes
Spent 6 years as a POW and "broke" under torture
Came home and dumped the wife who raised his children while he was away and nursed him back to health on his return
Married a much younger woman who was heir to a mobbed-up Budweiser fortune
Worked in his in-laws' business traveling across Arizona building a base for his political career
Used his in-laws' money to get elected to the House as an anti-abortion, "pro-family" candidate
Worked his way up from the House to the Senate by being a loyal right-wing Republican
As a Senator, got caught helping Charles Keating deregulate S&L's, which cost taxpayers $200 billion, and was censured by the Senate
Promised never to do favors for lobbyists again
Ran for President in 2000 as a reformer and won New Hampshire
Got crushed in South Carolina after he called Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell "agents of intolerance" and they fired back with a pro-Bush smear campaign that McCain had an "illegitimate black child" - actually a dark-skinned child (Bridget) adopted from impoverished Bangladesh. Nevertheless, McCain enthusiastically supported Bush both in 2000 and 2004.
In 2001, he opposed Bush's $1.35 trillion tax giveaway to the rich, but changed his position during the 2007 campaign.
In 2001, he was so opposed to Bush's far-right policies that he considered becoming a Democrat, but ultimately stayed a Republican and supported Bush's far-right policies
In 2002, he was a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, spent far more time on TV than any other Senator, and wrongly predicted "victory" and "success" every step of the way
In 2004, he betrayed his friend John Kerry by refusing to defend him against Swift Boat smears
In 2007, when a supporter asked "How do we beat the bitch," referring to Sen. Hillary Clinton, McCain laughed and called it an "excellent question."
In 2007, with the U.S. on the brink of attacking Iran, McCain joked by singing "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran."
In 2008, when caught doing favors for lobbyist Vicki Iseman and her corporate clients, lied about his actions

These are McCain's major "experiences" - all of which suck.So every time Joe Scarborough or any other Republican hack talks about McCain's experience, we need to demand a full discussion of what McCain's experience actually is.Update 1: Here's Blue Texan:Erm, in politics, "the past" is what we typically call "your record." And St. McCain's record includes authorizing and cheerleading for George Bush's totally awesome invasion and occupation of Iraq. Sorry, St. McCain, you can run but you can't hide. Update 2: After 30 years of political "experience," McCain still doesn't know the name of the Democratic Party, which is the oldest political party in the world.Update 3: After 30 years of political "experience," McCain still doesn't know what kind of Republican he is:I'm a proud conservative liberal Republican Maybe after another 30 years of "experience" he'll figure it out...Update 4: Obama used Hillary's new "red phone" ad to hammer Hillary, McCain, and Bush on Iraq: "We've had a red-phone moment," Obama said. "It was the decision to invade Iraq. Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer." It's a three-fer! http://www.democrats.com/mccains-experience

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Palin

By Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! - Aug 30th, 2008 at 11:46 am EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

My frustration with McCain’s decision to add this person to his ticket exists on so many levels. But mostly it exists because it shows how little he actually cares about this country and the millions living in it. He has berated Obama for months now, saying that he does not have enough experience. Yet the one person that he chooses to be his VP, one heart attack away from being POTUS, is a person that has had 19 months as governor of less than 630,000 people. NOW the reason I point out that number is because it has been said that she is more experienced than Barack because she has “executive experience” even though it was only over 630,000 people. Heck on that note, then she is also more experienced than McCain. So why don’t they just switch places on the ticket, so that she can start having some on the job training, running our country.

Next he has made this choice trying to pander to the HRC supporters. Once again McCain shows his utter disdain for women by trying to placate us with this choice. I will tell you as a woman, a former HRC supporter and an American with a brain, it won’t work. NO WAY would I take the chance with my children’s lives and vote for a man who’s first big decision was to put this person on his ticket. There are men & women in the Republican party that actually have qualifications to be the VP, heck a lot have more qualifications than McCain to be President.

Obama could have chosen to put a “YES” person on the ticket but chose to put a strong leading Democrat on the ticket. He chose to feel certain that his children would still be secure if he were not here. McCain is there anyone or anything that you care about more than you do trying to win the Presidency. It won’t work. Not this time!

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McCain In Space

By Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! - Jun 12th, 2008 at 6:36 pm EDT

All I can say is how did this man win his parties PRESUMPTIVE NOMINATION.

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/325.html

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I have changed my mind

By Nicki from TX - Lovin the new RACHEL MADDOW SHOW!!!! - Jun 4th, 2008 at 11:49 am EDT

OK before I said that I would not vote for a ticket with Hillary on it. Now I would if she is VP. I don't want her to be at all but I would vote for that ticket. I believe that we have to understand that we can not vote for McCain or not vote at all to spite Hillary. Its just not smart. We have to get Republicans out of the White House.

Its funny when I opened this account I was so sad cause I knew we would never be able to give money to help. But from time to time we have been able to give a little and that makes me feel better. I will continue to make calls and do all I can to help Barack become our next POTUS!!

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