The VP Debate

From what I could tell, Biden wiped the floor with Palin. I guress we'll find out if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

But those first fifteen minutes were priceless--Sarah looked like she wanted to swallow her own lungs.

About to Watch the VP Debate

But here's a funny video to get you started.

In fact, here's a funny slide show to get you started*.

*Via Bitch Ph.D.

Deadblogging the Debate (Part 2)

Okay, I don't have the stamina for that. After the first half hour the debate turned into a lot of bickering and interruptions and half-delivered talking points. I thought Obama scored better than McCain did, but I'm willing to allow that my bias is speaking there.

Here's one original thought I had:

Much has been made of McCain's reluctance to look at Obama. Some have said it's a respect thing, and others have said it's a race thing (which, I suppose, is also a respect thing, but with broader implications). I'm in no position to discount either, but here's another possibility.

While McCain looks to his right, the camera gets only a flush image of the left side of his face. But if he turns to the left, then the camera can get his jaw in silhouette--and that's one ugly image.

People keep talking about the lump on his face--is it a tumor or a swollen gland? According to WikiAnswers McCain "was diagnosed with melanoma (malignant skin cancer) on his cheek 5 years ago which he says has left his cheek puffy looking." Huh? The diagnosis swelled his cheek? In any case, I'm sure he's not anxious to have it come up in post-debate conversation, because the last thing he needs is people wondering about his health with Sarah Palin on deck.

You know. Sarah Palin?

Sarah Palin: A Terrifying Comparison

Earlier I posted an interview Katie Couric pulled out of Sarah "Playa Hata" Palin. Here's an interesting look at the Governor's responses to Couric, who I think is the lightest of lightweights among network interviewers.

Also: Here's a picture Michael Bérubé has on his blog that cracks me up*:

I'm adding Bérubé to my sidebar, because he's pretty cool.

*There's no need to choose--both the blog and the picture crack me up.

Sarah Palin As Brain Surgeon

There's a pretty good article at Newsweek written by Sam Harris (of Letter to a Christian Nation fame) about Sarah Palin as a Vice Presidential candidate. Harris lays out a good case that Palin is unprepared and generally unsuited to leadership of any kind, but especially at the international level. He uses this portion of the article to illustrate his point:

What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents—and her supporters celebrate—the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance. Watching her deny to Gibson that she had ever harbored the slightest doubt about her readiness to take command of the world's only superpower, one got the feeling that Palin would gladly assume any responsibility on earth:

"Governor Palin, are you ready at this moment to perform surgery on this child's brain?"

"Of course, Charlie. I have several boys of my own, and I'm an avid hunter."

"But governor, this is neurosurgery, and you have no training as a surgeon of any kind."

"That's just the point, Charlie. The American people want change in how we make medical decisions in this country. And when faced with a challenge, you cannot blink."

The prospects of a Palin administration are far more frightening, in fact, than those of a Palin Institute for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated.

This is the doing of homo moronicus as well. Insecurity about other people being more intelligent, I think, drives regular people to reject exceptional people as leaders. That, if anything, is the real danger posed by the McCain/Palin ticket. Well, at least as far as the election goes. If they were to win the danger would be much worse.

The Idiot-Haunted World

Yeah, go ahead. Vote for McCain. Or--just as bad--don't vote at all, and leave open the possibility of a McCain victory. Then you could have this whack-job as your VP. From Talk to Action:

Sarah Palin's churches are actively involved in a resurgent movement that was declared heretical by the Assemblies of God in 1949. This is the same 'Spiritual Warfare' movement that was featured in the award winning movie, "Jesus Camp," which showed young children being trained to do battle for the Lord. At least three of four of Palin's churches are involved with major organizations and leaders of this movement, which is referred to as The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit or the New Apostolic Reformation. The movement is training a young "Joel's Army" to take dominion over the United States and the world.

The article goes on to describe this church:

The Third Wave is a revival of the theology of the Latter Rain tent revivals of the 1950s and 1960s led by William Branham and others. It is based on the idea that in the end times there will be an outpouring of supernatural powers on a group of Christians that will take authority over the existing church and the world. The believing Christians of the world will be reorganized under the Fivefold Ministry and the church restructured under the authority of Prophets and Apostles and others anointed by God. The young generation will form "Joel's Army" to rise up and battle evil and retake the earth for God.

While segments of this belief system have been a part of Pentecostalism and charismatic beliefs for decades, the excesses of this movement were declared a heresy in 1949 by the General Council of the Assemblies of God, and again condemned through Resolution 16 in 2000. The beliefs and manifestations of the movement include the use of 'strategic level spiritual warfare' to expel territorial demons from American and world cities. Worship includes excessive charismatic manifestations such as hundreds of people falling, 'slain in the spirit,' and congregations laughing, jerking, and shrieking uncontrollably.

Have I fallen into Bizarro-world? How is it possible that McCain could be anywhere near Obama in the polls? How is it possible that people like these--like Sarah Palin--get into positions of power in twenty-first century America?

We are doomed. Whether Obama wins or not, there are enough of these nitwits to be a serious threat. The human race is done, plowed under by homo moronicus.

Via Making Light