Comments on FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Palin's Goal Tonight: No Potatoe

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2009-03-12T01:42:00.001-04:00

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2009-03-12T01:42:00.000-04:00

midpointman: Do you think solar cars will be in ev...

2008-09-03T21:07:00.000-04:00

midpointman: Do you think solar cars will be in every garage tomorrow?

No, but that's not what's necessary (and I think you know it).

Our present fuel requirements for cars are in the mid-20 mpg. range, scheduled to go up to 35 mpg. by 2020. That's simply pathetic. Europe presently has a voluntary standard of 44 mpg, and is going to a mandatory average of 48 mpg in 2012. So those cars are available--starting right now. If we were serious about our oil problem, we could substantially increase our fleet fuel efficiency by 50% to 100% in 10 to 15 years. Since 45% of our oil goes into our gas tanks, that would result in a cut in demand of 15% to 22% right there--even if we did nothing else. But it requires us to make different choices if we're going to really tackle the problem.

And at the end of that 10-15 year period, if we're serious, we should have cars coming onto the market that don't use gas at all, or use very little of it. (Or do we not believe in American innovation anymore?) You must know that they don't have to be solar-powered. They could be electric, or fuel cell, or biofuel. Designs are in the pipeline (so to speak) already.

What you hate high paying blue collar jobs like running an oil rig?

I'm for even better paying jobs in developing other, cleaner, and independent fuel sources and the vehicles that use them. Lots more jobs there than in oil rigs.

People want security, not ideology.

And if we keep making the same choices we've been making, we'll wind up just as insecure as we are now. Security means making different decisions for the long term, not repeating the mistakes that got us here in the first place.

It's not ideology. It's looking at the facts and taking the problem seriously. Ideology is believing that oil that won't come onto the market for at least 7 years will have some effect on gas prices today.

Talk about bloopers...WOW!http://www.youtube.com/w...

2008-09-03T17:54:00.000-04:00

Talk about bloopers...WOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YooKkyikXw0

I knew Obama was for gay rights, but I did not know that!

Terry Moran...hoping he could reel that one back in.

Good stuff, not matter what your political leanings.

dsimon - Tell me how not having oil makes us indep...

2008-09-03T17:47:00.000-04:00

dsimon -

Tell me how not having oil makes us independent?

Do you think solar cars will be in every garage tomorrow?

My goodness.

What you hate high paying blue collar jobs like running an oil rig?

Like Palin's husband does?

I thought you guys were for jobs?

No, better that we make Putin and Chavez rich and our own people poor.

That is why you lose elections, because this is what you really think.

People want security, not ideology.

HOT MIC STRIKES AGAIN!!!!Republican Strategist Mik...

2008-09-03T17:22:00.000-04:00

HOT MIC STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

Republican Strategist Mike Murphy and others...

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/

The real story here is that idiot Nader is becomin...

2008-09-03T17:10:00.000-04:00

The real story here is that idiot Nader is becoming a factor again...

Iowa (828 RV, 3.5%)
Obama 55, McCain 40
Obama 51, McCain 38, Nader 4, Barr 3, McKinney 2

Minnesota (742 RV, 3.5%)
Obama 53, McCain 41
Obama 51, McCain 37, Nader 4, Barr 2, McKinney 1

Ohio (685 RV, 3.5%)
Obama 47, McCain 45
Obama 45, McCain 44, Nader 5, Barr 2, McKinney 1

midpointman: The full text of the article is in my...

2008-09-03T17:08:00.000-04:00

midpointman: The full text of the article is in my post. Stop making up stories.

I didn't make anything up. I only pointed out that you didn't provide much to go on. What else was in the legislation? Do you know? Was it a stand-alone vote? Is there any way to tell? Looks to me that it was a part of a rather large piece of legislation. Voting for what may have been compromise legislation doesn't mean approval of everything in the legislation, does it? Just a thought, for those who want to know the facts before reaching a conclusion.

Obama supports offshore drilling only if he can get a windfall tax on it that is so huge it becomes uneconomic to drill.

That is his strategy.

It is silly if he really wants energy independence.

I think it's really silly to drill if we want energy independence. Even if we increase production by 50% (which no one thinks is close to likely), we'll still be importing about half our oil. So drilling won't get us there. In fact, if drilling lowers the price of oil, we'll use more of it; that's simple supply and demand economics. The Europeans have made different choices, taxed the hell out of gas, and use less of it. (And if the price of oil is high enough, there will be an economic incentive to drill even with a windfall profits tax--which, incidentally, I don't agree with.)

But anyway, regardless of whether one agrees with Obama's energy policy or not, the point of my post was not to say whether he was right or wrong but that politicians will often agree to vote for legislation that has parts they don't agree with in order to pass the parts they do agree with. It's a very common occurrence.

Whoa - Look at Webb's numbers. 47%. I can see why...

2008-09-03T16:59:00.001-04:00

Whoa -

Look at Webb's numbers. 47%. I can see why Obama did not pick him.

Looks like you might have a tough seat to defend in a couple of years.

kennyb, we can't blame her for trying (to compare ...

2008-09-03T16:59:00.000-04:00

kennyb, we can't blame her for trying (to compare herself to Obama). Who doesn't want to be compared to the most popular politician alive?
But I have to say that her appearance is a breath of fresh air in the Republican party. But she is no Obama!

Kaine's numbers:http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDi...

2008-09-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

Kaine's numbers:

http://www.raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=13982

dsimon - Obama supports offshore drilling only if ...

2008-09-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

dsimon -

Obama supports offshore drilling only if he can get a windfall tax on it that is so huge it becomes uneconomic to drill.

That is his strategy.

It is silly if he really wants energy independence.

Why is an oil company going to drill if they are going to give all the money to the Government?

They are better off drilling in Nigeria, and that is exactly what would happen.

Any economist knows that.

...what, you can't Google Kaine's approvals?54% in...

2008-09-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

...what, you can't Google Kaine's approvals?

54% in March
57% in April

Not bad, don't get me wrong.

They are not 80%. As far as I know Kaine has not gone after his own party establishment either.

Kaine is a likable Governor, but Rove's point is that he has not done much.

That is a judgment call, it was not about time in office.

If you have a short time in office and cannot point to a thematic story, Rove is probably right.

Palin does have a short time in office, but even her critics agree she has shaken things up.

That is the important distinction.

These are Olberman's talking points from last night. Olberman can't think outside his ideology. That is a problem for him.

Dsimon -Just passing on what the Chicago Observer ...

2008-09-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

Dsimon -

Just passing on what the Chicago Observer Is Reporting.

The full text of the article is in my post. Stop making up stories.

Obama voted against Katrina Aid and for the "Bridge To Nowhere"

Deal with it...he is not the God some people think he is.

I don't have the number ot hand but I think Kaine'...

2008-09-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

I don't have the number ot hand but I think Kaine's approvals are pretty good- certainly in the 60-70% area?? maybe I am over stating. But the other thing is that Alaska is a Republican state, Virginia is trending purple to blue, but certainly more competetive than Alaska, which is going to have an effect on approval ratings.

midpointman: Obama and Biden Voted for Bridge to N...

2008-09-03T16:33:00.000-04:00

midpointman: Obama and Biden Voted for Bridge to Nowhere (and opted not to use that money for Katrina Relief)

I followed the link but it had little more than what you put in the post. Such assertions can be tremendously misleading; I doubt that there was ever a separate vote on the "bridge to nowhere." That's what makes it an earmark, right? That there was no separate vote? Surely Congress doesn't vote individually on each of the thousands of earmark requests?

Without knowing what else was in the legislation, it's impossible to say whether the votes were good ones or not. Legislators will often accept things they don't agree with to get the things they think are needed. (Witness Obama's willingness to accept some offshore drilling but only if it's a part of a comprehensive energy policy that has the proposals that he thinks are necessary to get us out of our oil fix.)

If you've got more information, go ahead and post it.

"REMEMBER, he says character is his main qualifica...

2008-09-03T16:27:00.000-04:00

"REMEMBER, he says character is his main qualification both before he called his opponent an appeaser and a traitor and after."

Citation please....

Let's deal in some facts please...

The comments are really improving. Thanks to many ...

2008-09-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

The comments are really improving. Thanks to many of you for your comments and your information. I am learning a lot. As to the opposition, VC has certainly cleaned up his act from earlier. Mule Rider has so far kept his word, and Stop-the-Stutter, (the name itself makes the blood boil), hasn’t been around for awhile. It is all good. Having said that, let me move the mean downward.

Reed College rocks SM. Leftist women are the hottest. I’ve been with a woman from Evergreen since old John was living in the POW camp. She and I had a lot more fun back then than he did, to my view that’s just because we weren’t on a mission to kill in vain.

Remember McCain was against the budget busting Bush tax cuts before he was for them.

Experience, ready to be president was the criteria before he thought a Moose-bashing Barbie would do better.

REMEMBER, he says character is his main qualification both before he called his opponent an appeaser and a traitor and after.

My touch stone for McCain's character is his joke at the expense of Chelsea Clinton. I don’t give a damn how long ago that was, Character is not supposed to be subject to time.

This election is not about Obama, it is about preventing more ultra conservatives from joining the Supreme Court and protecting our democracy from four more years of the republican concept of elected dictators in time of war, (or anytime?). Just say no to perpetual war. We are tough enough and brave enough to have a vigorous open democracy and keep safe while doing so.

Judas - Rove is not the one who said she had "Zero...

2008-09-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

Judas -

Rove is not the one who said she had "Zero" experience...

Obama did.

Rove was saying that Kaine is unaccomplished, and less around time experience.

80% of Alaskans seem to think Palin is a good Governor.

What are Kaine's approvals?

ooops...this might come up!Obama and Biden Voted f...

2008-09-03T16:20:00.000-04:00

ooops...this might come up!

Obama and Biden Voted for Bridge to Nowhere (and opted not to use that money for Katrina Relief)

By John Powers, Chicago Daily Observer

Now that Alaska is front and center in the news again, it is a good time to catch up on a favorite story, The Bridge to Nowhere, using the Washington Post US Congress Votes Database.

Though Gov. Palin originally supported the earmark spending on the Ketchikan bridge (“to nowhere), she eventually killed the project, chosing to spend Federal money on other infrasturcture programs.

However, Sen. Biden and Sen. Obama voted for funding the Bridge, even when given a second chance by Sen. Tom Coburn, who proposed shifting earmark funds to Katrina relief.

Sen. McCain did not vote on the Coburn Amendment, though he is on record as opposing the Ketchikan bridge earmark.

Click Here

Regarding Palin's experience as Governor of Alaska...

2008-09-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

Regarding Palin's experience as Governor of Alaska. The major problem is not that it is a small state in terms of population (that is a real but minor issue). A real issue is the nature of being governor in Alaska compared to being governor of any of the other states (with the possible exception of Nevada).

Thanks to oil revenue Alaska's only real budgetary issue is what to do with the surplus funds generate by this income stream. The governor does not have to balance state revenues against state needs, which is the kind of experience that governor of another state would have, and which the President will have, which gives rise to the (indeed accurate) sense that a governorship is good training for the presidency.

When Tim Kaine was the subject of speculation as being Obama's choice for VP, Karl Rove attacked his qualifications, saying that he didn't have enough experience.

I dont't know if at the time that Kaine served and councilor and Mayor of Richmond whther the job was full time or part-time, but I'd be willing to bet that even if it were part-time it would require more work than being councilor or mayor of a small town. Richmond has a population of more than 200,000, and it is located in a metropollitan area of more than a million.

So let's compare Kaine vs. Palin:

Total time holding office:
Kaine: just under 13 years.
Palin: just under 10 years

Time in municipal government:
Kaine: 6 years
Palin: 8 years
but Kaine's experience was almost certainly more demanding.

Time in state government:
Kaine: 6 years, 8 months (He was Lieut. Gov of Virginia before becoming Governor)
Palin: 1 year, 8 months

Time as governor:
Kaine: 2 years 8 months
Palin: 1 year 8 months.

I think most people would agree that being governor of Virginia is more complex than being governor of Alaska.

So if Rove thought that Kaine's background was insufficient, what does that say about Palin's?

Now I know that Rove is not to be relied upon for factual accuracy - he never let the truth stand in the way of a good smear, but it would be hard for the GOP to disown him.

Yes, lompe, some Alaskans favorably compare Palin ...

2008-09-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

Yes, lompe, some Alaskans favorably compare Palin to Obama. Such as....wait for it....Sarah Palin herself:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/08/080908ta_talk_gourevitch

I believe both parties will be fairly satisfied wi...

2008-09-03T16:01:00.000-04:00

I believe both parties will be fairly satisfied with Sarah Palin's speech. Back home in "Alaahska" some compare her to Obama because of her charm, youth and freshness. (she ran as a "Change"-candidate in 2006.) She is not compared to Obama because of her speaking skills.

But this woman knows how to use her charm, and I expect that I and many with me, will be charmed by her Hockey Mom/ All American Gal authenticity. But her charm works better in an intimate setting (like TV-studio) than in an a big stage.

As an Obama supporter I wish her luck - but not to much luck...

Rhys, Actually Earl Warren was a very partisan app...

2008-09-03T16:00:00.000-04:00

Rhys, Actually Earl Warren was a very partisan appointment. He had been Republican Vice Presidential candidate in 1948. President Eisenhower called Warren his biggest mistake.

Actually the court has always been partisan (William Howard Taft was both President and later Chief Justice, Charles Evans Hughes resigned from the bench to run as President and was later appointed Chief Justice. And I can't begin to list all the Attorneys General who later served as Justices. (Just imagine Justice John Ashcroft- makes you shudder right?) So a partisan court is nothing new. BUT the current court is so partisanly divided, and so much a part of the political discourse in unhealthy ways.

Also the quality of people getting appointed seems to be going down. I know Harriet Miers got turned down, buit look at some of the recent appointments. How did Clarence Thomas get on the bench?

OK, mpm, fair enough. I read the rest of your pos...

2008-09-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

OK, mpm, fair enough. I read the rest of your post. If she tries to do half of those things, she will be biting off more than she can chew, but it does not mean she is experienced enough to become President in a moment of crisis (meaning McCain's assassination or death). Go ahead and keep touting the talking points about how much "executive experience" she has. I heard Guiliani do it this morning and it was truly laughable.