Palin's Pricey Persona

The finished product that is the GOP Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, was manufactured under a most lavish image building plan that would make paupers of many of the women she hopes to identify with, or those she hopes would want to identify with her. The knowledge that money donated by Republican supporters was used to glamorize and clothe the "Hockey Mom" did not sit well with many of them; and the whopping $150,000 spent for her image was the last thread for some to abandon the party and switch to the democrats.

But it wasn't just the clothes. It included the attitude, the delivery, and the scripts she was made to memorize that went well with the frozen fresh look from the snows of Alaska. The crash course she took at the John McCain Institute of instant political candidates included a "cutesy" wink meant to go with her expensive spectacles. Palin was given a persona that was intended to win women and youth votes for the battle scarred POW. She was therefore encased in stylish and expensive Neiman Marcus apparel which would put her target audience in abject poverty and turn them into bag ladies wearing pricey clothing if they went along with it.

The idea that hard earned money was spent to transform a pitt bull into a poodle with lipstick raised a howl from the party base. McCain and Palin were compelled to say that the snazzy outfits would be donated to charity. But knowing the Republicans, they wouldn't want to see such fortunes go to waste to be used and abused by the poor, whom they so gleefulully impoverish. It wouldn't be surprising to see these garments auctioned on E-Bay with the added value of having been worn by the darling of the GOP. If she wins, it will go up in value; if she loses it will drop like the sub-prime mortgage. And what pervert could resist wearing her used undergarments or fantasizing about what was once on it? That alone could fetch a high price. It should be auctioned soon to add to their campaign funds. These could sell higher than $150,000.

Amidst all these makeovers, Palin is still being used as an attack dog, stopping short of calling Obama a communist. She kept repeating the word "socialist", and described situations where Obama's governance would make all decisions for individual Americans, including personal ones, which was not socialist by any stretch but actually a picture of communist practice. Yet it was McCain who made all the decisions for her, including what to say, how to deliver, what to wear, how to smile...all personal ones; making McCain the communist rather than the Democratic candidate by her own standards.

The fashion does not fit the statements. There are only two occassions left for Palin to express her fashion statement: One is election day itself where her attire may be eagerly awaited. To show that they put "America First", she could wear a white gown made of cashmere and silk, cut like the statue of Liberty, topped by a crown and a torch to light the way for the voters to go with the GOP candidates. It will be the second time she will wear this gown as she would have worn it four days earlier. But in lieu of a torch she would bear a wooden cross; and in place of a crown, she would have the same material as her gown cut into a pointed hood that will cover her entire head - with holes for the eyes and nose. An apt fashion statement for Halloween.

Haaaarrrrrwwwwwk...Twoooooooph...Ting!

Debt Derails DigitalClock

At the time the digital debt clock was installed in 1989, the US national debt stood at just $2.7 trillion. Even then, the clock itself, invented by Seymour Durst, was a reminder to the fiscal planners of a growing concern. The prevailing confidence in the country's capability to surmount such debt was so high that spaces it allocated for the projected digits needed could not be surpassed. It was unimaginable. Today however, it is a fully grown creature that threatens the entire planet. The clock has been derailed because the size of the national debt exceeded the space allotted for all the digits to accurately record it. Durst's limited imagination miscalculated the insatiable appetite of the government to splurge on borrowed money.

President George Bush goes on national television to say that the crisis was "deeply unsettling" for Americans. That could be the understatement of the year. Why he excluded the rest of the globe is perhaps due to the limits of his imagination. Stock markets worldwide are going crazy, rising then dropping in a confused stupor. Traders and brokers are losing their minds, their shirts and their pants trading in an unpredictable and uncontrollable situation. Iceland has gone bankrupt, and trading had to be suspended in several bourses globally. Japan's biggest insurance firm Yamato Life is already dead. Burial announcements to follow.

Wall Street's value has gone down by 20% in the past 10 trading days. Yet President Bush says "we are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal". Does anyone listen to him? Will anyone believe him? Perhaps his shadow will. Not even his body language suggests he believes it himself. The $700 billion bailout isn't working, confidence has not been restored, and the national debt could rise to $11 trillion due to the bailout. Perhaps the belief that America's resources are inexhaustible should be re-thought. The truth could be that all these immensity is just hype because if it's there, why has it not been harnessed? Sarah Palin suggests extracting the oil in Alaska will answer the energy problem - a gross miscalculation or outright imbecility - because even if it is all taken out, it would last only 18 months.

The G-7 Finance Ministers are to meet in Washington later to find a solution to the global crisis, because nothing is working, and those tried earlier are apparently failing. What tools the US has at its disposal only President Bush knows. How he knows it will work or whether it can be operable is unbelievable based on his established (in)credibility and brain capacity. Meanwhile, John McSame is in another time zone, addressing his audience as "my fellow prisoners". He is confused about which war he is facing or perhaps is at war with his memory. America and the world could be collapsing all around him but he would still be focused on Barack Obama's terrorist association, which is flimsy at best, a canard at worst.

The best news of the week is that according to Douglas Durst, son of the deceased inventor of the digital debt clock, the structure would be replaced early next year and will be made lengthier to accomodate 1 quadrillion dollars. At least, the US government can rack up $989 trillion more debts and it would still be recorded. That is, if there's any government left to be held accountable. Everyone could be talking Mandarin or Fookienese by then.

Haaaarrrwwwwwwk...Twooooooooph...Ting!

Palin's Perfect Performance

The Vice Presidential Debate had only one expectation from Sarah Palin : not to say or commit horrendous mistakes that would showcase the absence of any form of knowledge regarding current issues, nor a pathetic inadequacy for logical thinking. In this she was perfect, because she was shuffling cue cards which she had previously memorized but ensured she would not mix these with unrelated subjects.

This Twitter site provided this flow chart for Sarah Palin's thought process, which could have been part of her cue cards. It says everything.

^{There were many questions she answered out of context and merely segued into her cue cards to say a totally different matter. Sarah Palin cannot function without a script. She may not be made of plaster and wood but she is certainly John McCain's Dummy. McCain is a clone of George Bush, and Bush is a dummy of Dick Cheney. No wonder he is sometimes referred to as John McSame... Same old Bull....!}

^{Haaarrrrrrrwwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!}

Campaigns Concentrate on Collapse Concerns

The messy meltdown at the New York Stock Exchange that rocked bourses in Europe and Asia, has not only made the economic situation the most critical issue in the campaign; but has also unmasked how the Republicans wrecked the economy. The chilling impact of the collapse of Lehman Brothers also removed much of the glitter in the skin deep appeal of Sarah Palin, as Americans have been awakened from a spell by the reality of very hard times in the immediate future. The generally accepted perception that the US is taking the wrong route has been reinforced, and John McCain will have greater difficulty extricating from the failures of this administration.

McCain sunk deeper earlier when he echoed the White House line that the economy was fundamentally sound, and praised the government for not wasting taxpayer's money on another bailout; but reversed himself later in the day saying the economy was in crisis. Perhaps he was fundamentally sound asleep in the earlier statement, but it reflected how fundamentally out of touch he was. He passed the task to Palin to blame Washington and Wall Street's liability for the financial carnage, with undertones of retribution for those responsible. However, Palin's empty bravado was gigantic in words but lilliputian in substance.

Senator Barack Obama described the Lehman debacle's impact on consumers contrasted against the profits to the top management of such companies which sacrificed the middle class Americans. However, he did not endorse any solution or new policy, nor oppose the actions of the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve. Either he failed to seize the momentum or he may be ill-equipped to understand how to untangle such a financial mess. While polls show that Democrats are more trusted with the economy, Obama has to present a concrete and substantive vision that will take America out of this predicament, to establish his advantage. As things stand, the American public remains disadvantaged as always, while Obama plays safe.

On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve announced the bailout of AIG fully supported by the US Treasury, who said it was done to protect taxpayers. This appears to be the reason for McCain's reversal - foreknowledge of the AIG bailout to support the Administration's decision, and to make him appear like he knows the means by which to restore stability in the economy. But this reverses the Republican position of less government and allowing free market forces to take its course. The administration spin on the bailout purports to alleviate the burden to taxpayers by saving the economy, without clearly stating why or how. The argument that AIG's collapse would have more disastrous consequences because of its varied investment activities globally than Lehman's may have some validity, but why the situation reached this point has not been answered nor has anyone been charged for anything. Who will Sarah Palin prosecute in Washington for this tragedy? Her tragedy is that she barked and growled for nothing. Like a mad pitt bull.....with lipstick.

The shift from individual buyers losing their homes and crushing their dreams to the biggest institutions like Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and now AIG (being taken over 80% and given $85 billion over a 2 year period) elevates the problem to a worldwide concern. They can now be forgotten because the focus is on a larger scale - plus they should be thankful they are still being saved - from heavier taxes should these monoliths be allowed to crash. It would be so unpatriotic to complain when they are being rescued from potentially bigger tax burdens. But these bailouts will cost them nonetheless, as it will increase the national debt which will be paid through taxes, together with inflation and dollar decline that will further erode their purchasing power.

Analysts in Washington and on Wall Street contend that the economy will recover strongly by next year which would reduce substantially the country's budget deficit. These are statements meant to restore confidence in the financial markets. It comes with the hope that these announcements, attributable to their equally worthless reputations, would be forgotten should it remain unchanged or gets worse. More realistic assessments indicate that the crisis will continue well into 3 years since no one can predict how deep the effects on the economy are, as well as how much the cost of the bailouts will actually be.

With all the global problems facing the next President, why anyone would seek the office and bludgeon himself further with this winless economic mess for several years defies comprehension. It would be idealistically immature to think that the winner will work as nobly as he would profess considering the nature of politicians and their ilk. But the need for a leader to inspire, protect, and restore America remains, and it falls on the shoulders of two men; one of whom is being positioned as a lameduck on his first term. Is it power and prestige? Or, our turn to be filthy rich and obnoxiously wealthy? These two go together well and are logically founded reasons.

Could it be messianic complex? Or pure altruism? Would it not be insanely unrealistic to seek the position solely for these reasons? If whoever wins does half of what he promised, or accomplishes a fourth of what is required, then the voters would have been only half as crazy or a quarter foolhardy electing him. Idealism is not dead, it is only gasping for breath.

Haaaarrrrwwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!

Palin and the Prophecy of the Pig

The incoming US President, faced with very serious problems on the national and international levels - including a possible collapse of the country's banking system by the first week of November- remains a toss-up between two candidates undergoing a rigorous election campaign, debating the critical issue of lipstick on a pig. Barack Obama's quote of this old adage has been connected by the John McCain camp as a slur on Sarah Palin, and the Republicans have prophesied this incident to be the cause of the GOP victory and the demise of the Democrat's candidacy. The prophecy may be fulfilled when pigs fly.

John McCain has been enjoying an enormous piggy back ride on the popularity of Sarah Palin, whose own stretching of the truth about her refusal to accept congressional earmarked funds; the "Bridge to nowhere" story; and the pipeline for natural gas; are subtle fairy tales meant for a wolf to lure the 3 little pigs. Truth is, she accepted $27 million in congressional funds while mayor of Wasilla; the natural gas pipeline was just signed two weeks ago which is viewed as unfeasible and will cost $40 billion, not $27 billion; and the infamous bridge she fully supported, then opposed when the earmarked funds were already removed . But the funds were given to Alaska which they used for other projects. To date, she has requested $167 million in earmarked funds from Congress.

The elasticity of the truth seems to be limitless as far as these politicians are concerned. Like the Obama campaign's statement that a technologically challenged President is not suitable for the office - referring to McCain's inability to operate a computer or send e-mails, when he is obviously a disabled veteran. All innuendoes, half truths, and stretches must be categorized for what these are: LIES! But the swine herd mentality of the campaign continues to pursue the heaping of mud on one another, thereby muddling the issues that matter most in the lives of the people. It's as plain as a pig on a sofa, the campaign by both parties is shallow and senseless, supported by sound bytes that` are in a pig's eye.

Both candidates are sweating like pigs trying to outdo one another, and are conducting their campaigns as clumsily as hogs on ice. They both seem to be packaging themselves with heavily over extended storylines to create a persona with the oratorical and inspirational skills of Kennedy or Reagan, a protector from America's enemies like Eisenhower and Roosevelt, a geo-political master like Nixon, a tough go-getter who can manuever Congress to pass important legislation like Johnson, the star quality of a decent man like Carter, and the economic savvy of a Clinton. These elements are being lumped in a single package - to attract the voters - minus these men's achilles heels of course. But this packaging is slicker than a greased pig, because such a person with all these qualities does not exist.

America is $9.3 trillion in debt, it is involved in wars on practically 3 fronts, it's banks are teetering from the mortgage crisis, its obligations in health and social security amounting to trillions of dollars more are forthcoming, and its economy is staring at a recession so deep it will give the incoming President a nightmare worse than working knee deep in mud, inside a sealed pig sty. And the campaigns by both parties choose to make a pig's ear of the debating process. Voters should heed the biblical proverb "Do not cast your pearls before swine" before deciding to vote. This election and its ghastly conduct may leave them squealing like a stuck pig after.

American voters must be perceived as ignorant by the candidates should this trend continue. Voters must refuse to be a party to this charade of silly attacks and demand a focus on issues that affect their future as a people and as a nation. It was Churchill who said " Dogs look up to man, cats look down on man, and pigs look at man in the eye and see an equal". If Americans allow themselves to be seen as simpletons, then they can expect their country to be mired worse than a pig pen - together with the hogs they elected into office. That is the only real prophecy that has any possibility of fulfillment in this election.

Haaaarrrrwwwwwk...Twoooooooph...Ting!

Pig Image with lipstick from Mick Coulas

Digital Distance of the "Decider"

It was an unnatural and eerie spectacle for a two-term President to be delivering a keynote address to his party's National Convention via a remote video telecast. Beamed at the St Paul Convention Hall on a video screen was George W. Bush, asserting rather feebly that the man he defeated 8 years ago for their party's nomination should succeed him; and averred that he is ready to lead. His physical presence detached from the proceedings and his image standing at the Presidential lectern all by himself, speak volumes about his negative impact on the efforts of his party to win hearts and minds of the electorate this November.

Where the norm would be that a sitting two term President would be hailed by his party's rank and file, and be regarded as one of its most prominent and influential leaders; the McCain camp and other party bosses opted to cut his speech time in half and pushed his presence out of the Convention Hall so as not to dampen the electrifying introduction of their sensational Vice Presidential candidate. It was an affirmation that George W. Bush would be an un-entertaining and tedious baggage to their show and an effective counter argument to their hyped up rhetoric. It could be an ominous sign that John McCain, if he wins the election, will have to exert extra effort to erase the memory of the embarrassment that was George W. Bush. And this President Bush will be regarded as a forgettable malignant aberration that is best exorcised and surgically removed.

There is no doubt that George W. Bush still enjoys a high rating among party loyalists, but would perhaps choose to express this in private, or better yet at a safe distance. For all of John McCain's pronouncements of comradeship and brotherly affection for Bush, he believes that his success is hinged on an effective de-coupling from the President, to engineer a removal of their knotted umbilical cords; and eradicate the notion that his election is a third term for Bush. While no one expressed a sigh of relief that Bush agreed to a digital divide between him and the party's convention, it surely relieved the McCain camp as if a 4 foot rusty sword was pulled from their backs. Now, they would want that video moment forgotten to raise the excitement for the entry of Sarah Palin, and move George Bush to the unlamented list of pretenders of the GOP.

Surprisingly, George Jr's progenitors were there, and even more astonishingly, received resounding cheers and applause as they took their seats at the Convention Hall. They should take a considerable amount of the blame for inflicting such a congenital malady on America and the rest of the world. But it seems that the enormous volume of disingenious errors and carefully crafted deceptions have blurred their collective memories that George Sr. and Barbara Bush gave this planet the ever un-funny and shamefully ridiculous George Jr. For John McCain to say that he supports the policies of George W. and pursue an unlimited war in the middle east would be, at this point, political suicide.

That is not the sort of demise expected of him by the Republicans. They expect him, shortly after the elections, to commit himself to a natural spiritual freedom from this earth, so that their runner-up beauty queen can reign over the land as Mrs. America.

Haaarrrrrrwwwwk...Twooooooooph...Ting!

GOP's Gender Gambit

After 8 years of making the office of the Vice President the de facto President with Dick Cheney, a maneuver stealthily undertaken by Cheney and David Addington; the Republicans are now proposing to transform the same office into an apprenticeship program for the highest office of the country. George W. Bush was rendered a puppet President by the previous alteration that became so obvious he had to declare himself the "Decider" (sic). Now, the GOP hopes to make the office of the Vice President a scholarship project with experiments in gender acceptability and suitability.

The selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is undoubtedly a brilliant move. She will add luster to the boring campaign of John McCain and energize the tired and geriatric appearance of the GOP Presidential candidate. No sooner than her selection was announced, the Republican propaganda machinery headed by Fox network, expressed public opinion influencing statements extolling her qualifications and background. The media machinery of the GOP has been busy promoting her and creating news stories that step over the main candidate. Conservative bloggers who had previously rejected McCain but consistently bashed Obama are all praises for theVP nominee, and state that they will now vote for McCain because of Sarah Palin; who is a stunner and a former beauty queen.

They have now changed their minds because of a woman, after trashing Hillary because she was a woman. If Hillary had been a beauty queen, could they have accepted her? There is also the angle that Palin is not a lawyer which is ideal as far as they're concerned. Perhaps Hillary should have had 5 children too and perhaps played hockey? The conservatives have thrown their conservatism out the window because she is a Republican. And one with a lot of spunk, charisma, and a successful track record in governance and administration for at least 2 years. The Republicans have chosen someone better looking than Geena Davis to take over the Presidency as Commander-in-Chief. Strategically, her selection is a brilliant move. It is however, a gambit that is not foolproof.

The Republicans hope that Palin's youth would provide sustainable cover for the alzheimeric age of John McCain, rally the young voters to their ticket by her vibrant personality and younger than Obama's years factor, win over Hillary's supporters disgruntled by her failure to capture the DNC nomination, attract those voters who want a woman in the highest echelons of government, and provide a beautiful face for America in the global stage. Experience is her biggest drawback since 2 years as governor may not be sufficient exposure when transposed to the concerns of America today and in the next 4 years. So too would be her total absence of foreign relations and foreign policy expertise. Her role as facilitator for the President with Congress, Washington lobbyists, and power brokers could be detrimental to her longevity if she pursues her former tack. Her acquiesance, on the other hand, could transform her into a Washington type politician in a very short time.

The empowerment of women and their involvement in the highest positions of the country must be supported and advanced, provided this is not a ploy against all women aspiring for higher position. If elected and she is led to fail in this post, it would take a whole generation before another woman could be trusted with such a post or higher. America is late in this development and it has taken a long struggle to get to this point. If she is merely a smokescreen to get McCain elected to continue the policies of the Bush Administration, then this could be damaging to the idea of having a woman President in the next 2 decades.

What American voters should bear in mind is the fact that if the Republicans win, it will be McCain who will be President, not Palin. And if the expectations of the GOP about what they hope to achieve with Palin as McCain's running mate are true, then they consider Republican supporters and American voters at large as an entity with a ridiculous incapacity for logical thinking, blinded by party loyalty that discriminates against the interest of the country as a whole. Party bigwigs and strategists most probably see American voters as manipulable, gullible, and possessed with brains that are valued in the organ donor market for their slightly used or mint condition.

On the other hand, all the enthusiasm and jubilation at the appointment of the sensational Sarah Palin may be appropriate and timely. McCain, who pales in comparison to Palin, could really use the sizzle she could bring to the campaign. The GOP could truly want both their nominees to win and would want Palin to be prepared immediately for the highest post, because, shortly after the election, they expect McCain to die.

Haaarrrrwwwwwk...Twoooooooph...Ting!