THE DALY SHOW

The Sarah Palin Chapter: Hopefully The Silly Season Finale

This is a posting on the ridiculousness that has transpired since John McCain surprised everyone by picking Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.  I have some guidelines on how to assess her.

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 30, 2008) – Don’t get me wrong. I’m not making any judgment on the choice of Sarah Palin. She could prove to be a fabulous campaigner, a credible debate opponent to Joe Biden, and one of our great leaders. Time will tell.

Certainly the bloviators on both sides have no idea. Heck, most of them didn’t know her name and couldn’t even pronounce it moments after McCain made his choice. Yet, they can tell you how great or how awful she is?

The choice of Gov. Palin reveals the hypocrisy and the instability of both parties and the stupidity of how we decide our president. I’m not talking about the electoral process but the entertainment sideshow fueled by the loud-mouthed extremists and the media that fail to answer our most pressing questions as a nation.

My advice: ignore the garbage spewing from the blogs and what I call the Talking Points Media.

What is the talking points media? The prime examples are MSNBC and Fox News Channel. MSNBC, whose main spokesperson Keith Olbermann, at times, appears to read from the DNC talking points and Fox News Channel, who has a slew of mouthpieces, the loudest and most ridiculous being Sean Hannity that read exclusively from the RNC talking points. Remember, these people are entertainers; they’re not journalists or non-partisan analysts.

Let’s look at what we know of Sarah Palin. First, I understand why John McCain chose her. He’s trying to win an election. Just as MSNBC and Fox are trying to get ratings, politicians are looking for the highest number of votes. As a result, Palin fits with the GOP conservative base: gun rights; anti-corruption; drilling in ANWAR; and anti-abortion.

This is surface stuff as of now. Let’s hear more from her in the debate and some tough questioning from real journalists.

Palin’s also a mother of five with one son going to Iraq and another, a newly born boy who has Down’s syndrome.

Here’s where the partisan hypocrisy starts.

The GOP and its minions now say it’s discriminatory for anyone to question whether Gov. Palin’s responsibilities to her children, including a handicapped child, would interfere with her duties as VP or possibly being president.

Really? We can’t question that? This is utter stupidity. We’re choosing a Chief Executive Officer for the most powerful country in the world. This is not American Idol or one of those shows where someone replaces the wife or mother. (As you can see, I may have been a pioneer in reality TV, but I don’t bother with today’s staged versions.)

Let me disclose even more, so you know where I’m coming from. My sister is Down’s. She has been nothing but joy to our family. However, the joy came from working with her and helping her become a member of society using the most of her abilities. So, I’m not saying Gov. Palin can’t do both.  My working father was the driving force with my sister.  But dedicating yourself to a Down’s child takes a lot of time, energy, patience, and understanding. Frankly, working with my sister was much easier than some of the knuckleheads in politics.

We made the mistake of choosing a president last time based on whether he was the type of guy you want at your barbecue. Aren’t we doing it again with these restrictions? And these same backers of Gov. Palin appear to have failed to offer the same feminist thinking to Hillary Clinton. Conversely, Hillary supporters appear hypocritical when they now judge Palin strictly through the GOP attacks.

Sorry, folks, but politics is a full contact sport. Everything about Sarah Palin is fair game – just as it is for everyone else. We should question whether John McCain is too old. We should question if Barack Obama is too inexperienced. We should question if Joe Biden is too inside D.C. Why would Gov. Palin’s background or lifestyle be taken off the table for questioning? Frankly, it’s an insult to her to not ask her those questions.

And it should not be considered out of bounds if we raise the question why men with similar or more credentials weren’t considered by McCain. Did she get this choice solely because she was a woman and she is being held to a lower standard? Funny how the GOP isn’t talking about that now?

But of course, both sides want to talk about the one issue that has become the most ridiculous part of our modern campaigns – abortion.

Think about it. We choose someone who will lead us in war, who will make decisions that could cost us our jobs and livelihoods, and who holds a portion of our children’s future. And yet the criterion to choose that person, for some of us, is when a fetus is considered a human being with a soul.

If you vote for a candidate solely on the abortion issue, you are a moron. You should do the country a favor: don’t vote. And before I get hate mail from anyone, understand this. I’m talking about the whack-jobs on both extremes.

The majority of Americans believe this: abortions should be prevented and stopped while ensuring that a woman’s health is not jeopardized. Let’s move on to more important issues.

I want to know where Sarah Palin stands on education. I hear she’s for teaching creationism. That won’t sit well with me and anyone else with intelligence. I really want her to address the educational disparity between our students and the students in India and China, but I’m sure we’ll hear more questions about Darwin.

I also want to know what she thinks about campaign finance reform and how we remove special interests from unfairly influencing lawmakers. I hear she has stood up to the cronies in Alaska; will she do the same in D.C.? I want her to address the lack of transparency in the financial markets that, in some ways, has led to the credit crunch and the lack of economic activity that is hurting us.

I want to hear how she will cut the budget while allowing the war costs to continue. Apparently she hates waste. That’s a plus in my book. Some disclosure her: my choice for McCain was Mitt Romney since I thought he had the business and management experience to do what Al Gore did for Clinton, cutting government and making it more efficient. Apparently, Gov. Palin has shown signs of being able to do this, too.

Although I’m concerned about her lack of foreign policy experience, I still want to hear what she has to say. Bill Clinton ran Arkansas, but his knowledge of foreign affairs and economic matters was quite good – because he was intellectually curious. She could be the same; however, we don’t know yet. Still, to think Alaska’s proximity to Russia gives her an edge in the Russo-Georgia conflict is a stretch, as proposed by the weather guy, Steve Doocy, on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends.

So, concentrate on issues like these when you’re assessing Gov. Palin. And remember, filter what you hear or read in the media: it’s not all wrong, but it’s not all right either.

Joe Biden, First Woman VP: Source

This is a posting about a high source in the Democratic Party who says chances are better now that Joe Biden will be Obama’s running mate.

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 16, 2008) – A Democratic source has told me that, in Vegas lingo, it’s 80-20 or 70-30 that Senator Joe Biden from Delaware will be Obama’s VP choice. We could get the news this week.

Is this set in stone? Not yet.

But here are the two reasons Biden is now the leading the VP sweepstakes ahead of Indiana Senator Evan Bayh who seemed to be a sure bet a few days ago.

The first reason appears to be the game changer: the Russia-Georgia conflict. Michael Tomasky, in the British publication The Guardian, commented on Biden’s chances growing in a recent blog. Since the conflict isn’t going away, Tomasky writes:

Biden’s foreign-affairs experience may therefore come in awfully handy, not only on the stump but, if elected, once in office. Biden can go toe-to-toe with McCain on global questions with more authority than Bayh (or frankly Obama) can. And he wouldn’t be shy about doing it. Interesting thought.

Well, Michael, according to my source your interesting thought is about to become Democratic reality. I should mention that other political blogs are catching the momentum to Biden too, especially after an Op-ed piece Biden wrote in the Financial Times on the conflict which had foresight and even-handedness.

For Evan Bayh, it’s bad timing. Bayh has experience at running government. He would give Obama what Gore brought Clinton; someone who could delve into the tedium of government machinations and make something happen positively. However, that’s not topic one anymore.

Thanks to Putin flexing his muscles, the emphasis seems to have moved toward someone with large foreign policy experience – like Biden. I should note that Bayh is no foreign policy slouch, even though most observers would give Biden the upper hand in dealing with foreign policy.

But there’s a second reason for Biden’s ascendency that could cure a political dilemma facing Obama when he goes to Denver. The problem is Hillary.

Biden, according to my source, can corral the Hillary voters: women in their 50s and 60s. My source explains that Biden was the main force behind The Violence Against Women Act in the 1990s. “He’s almost considered a woman,” the source told me, meaning it as the highest of compliments. If Biden is selected by Obama you will hear more and more about this legislation.

The problem Obama has in choosing Biden is that Biden might overshadow him. He could become Dukakis’ Lloyd Benson in 1988. Biden is dynamic, he’s smart, and he’s great copy for writers and TV folk.

However, that leads to another problem: Joe sometimes talks too much. And when he tries to be funny, he overreaches and sometimes puts his foot in his mouth.

If Biden is the choice, it will be a good one for Obama. However, it will force McCain to find someone equally as dynamic with the ability to verbally spar, and frankly, I can’t think of anyone right now. Maybe Johnny Mac brings back Dick Armey?

Georgia-Russia Conflict: America Roars with Toothless Gums

This is a posting about my reflections on Russia’s invasion of Georgia and how to look at it from various angles. 

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 13, 2008) – Either Putin’s brilliant or the Bush government is out to lunch. It’s actually both.

Stratfor was the first to pinpoint it for me. You need a subscription to their reports, but let me give you a quick synopsis of what I had been thinking and some of what Stratfor reported a few days after Georgia’s invasion of South Ossetia and then Russia’s retaliatory invasion of Georgia.

This was a colossal mistake by Georgia. They invaded South Ossetia to stop some of the cross border bombings – something that had been happening for a while. Why would they send in troops now?

The quick and massive response makes one think that Russia had covertly orchestrated this all along, coaxing Georgia into a fight. Worse, U.S. intelligence and diplomats failed to either dissuade Georgia or failed to see the Russians hanging on the border ready to pounce.

To countries in Eastern Europe we look like a toothless tiger. We roar and then show our gums. We’re bogged down in the Middle East; our economy is dragging in part because we can’t control energy costs; and the world is growing so dramatically that it’s too big for us to baby-sit.

So, why would we try to attract these countries that border on Russia and invite them into NATO with the assurance of defending them – and then fail to not only defend them, but to warn them or to even counsel them?

In some circles, these governments could actually think America might be working in concert with Russia; a bit far-fetched and better suited for an espionage thriller, but not out of the realm of possibility.

More likely, the answer is that America is an energy weakling. Energy is the Holy Grail in this new century. Russia, Venezuela, and the Middle East have it; America doesn’t. Putin has brilliantly converted petro-dollars into regional power.

I posted an article I wrote from Russia six years ago.  I met a young Russian sailor Andre and how he made ends meet in post-Soviet Russia.

Andre is a Russian sailor. He makes one hundred dollars a month to support three boys and his wife in a small apartment. To survive, he is part of the new underground Moscow economy. Two days a week, he drives around Moscow picking up people who need a ride. A traveler simply sticks out a thumb, a driver stops, you negotiate a fee, and you get to your destination. No taxi authority is necessary.

I would bet that Andre, if still in the Russian Navy, is getting along much better thanks to the petro-dollars. Plus, his military colleagues are better trained – as we heard in Georgia.

Before we condemn Russia, let’s look at the situation through their eyes.

First, Russia was told by the previous two American presidents that we would not try to enlarge NATO with former Soviet Republics. We reneged on that.

Second, we want to put missiles in the region that can strike Russia.

Third, we helped Kosovo secede from Serbia, a Russian ally, despite Russia’s efforts to allow Kosovo to remain autonomous within Serbia.

Fourth, we arm and train Georgia soldiers. Think of Georgia as Cuba; we wouldn’t allow that.

Fifth, historically Russia has been threatened in the past. When you look at all the moves the West made, it’s easy for Russians to think that their country could be choked off economically. I don’t think the Russian reaction was any different than the French reaction to us before Sarkozy; they weren’t upset we went into Iraq, they’re upset that our way or life may diminish or eliminate French culture.

Sixth, the Russians invaded a small country to make a point – not to build a new empire. And, as The Art of War explains, they attacked when they were strong; the Russian economy is in relatively good shape and their coffers with petro-dollars is very strong at least in the short term.

I’m not defending any of Russia’s or Putin’s moves. In the long run, this could hurt Russia – especially if other energy sources are found. We won’t know for years if Putin erred. Certainly he made the right move in the eyes of most Russians. As an outsider, I believe he has, first and foremost, the Russian people’s backs.

The Bush Administration is a different story. They miscalculated again. Or, they failed to have a clear-thinking, forward looking policy.

We need Russia for a number of things. The first is their oil that will heat and keep Europe going. Second, we need Russia to reign in Iran so that oil will continue to flow and cost less. (Notice the oil theme.) Third, Russia wants to be a power again, but they’re not going to take over the world.

Go back and read my piece and see my impressions of the Russian people. They don’t want the disgrace they endured as the Berlin Wall and Communism fell. They have a history they’re proud of. More importantly, they want to achieve economically. And, as we’ve proven, they don’t trust us.

Maybe Obama and Johnny Mac are re-thinking their desire to be Bush’s successor.

Golf, Sports Reflect Changing World

This is a column I wrote for LasVegasGolf.com about Paddy Harrington’s PGA win and the future moves of American athletes like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Sports are big business. And big business is changing drastically as the world economy grows into the Information Age. If you’re a sports fan, you need to realize that our games are no longer an escape, but they may be escaping from America. Read it at this link.

Reading China’s Moves, Motives

This a posting from Gary Murphy, Owner and President of Arisa Global, an outsourcing company that works with American companies who need products from China. Gary’s company has relationships with more than 200 factories in China. He visits China often and he works closely with Chinese businessmen and he knows the Chinese government. When a recent article by Stratfor, titled “China, Olympics, and Visa Mystery”, was released, I asked Gary to offer his insights. Notice two things from Gary here. First, I wondered if the economic slow-down might help Mexico take some of China’s manufacturing power. And second, pay attention to the difference, he believes, between America and China. Here’s what he wrote:

First off, what Stratfor says is happening in China is mostly true, although I do not agree that it is happening exactly as he sees it.  For a moment, let’s focus on a couple of the quotes in the article below – because they really help bring light to the visa issues, restrictions, and government imposed rules and regulations which appear to be much tighter during these Olympic Games. 

“But if Chinese history since 1949 (and really quite a ways before) is any guide, the core of the CPC leadership is willing to sacrifice social and economic stability to preserve power.” 

This one quote could literally sum up why China is doing what it’s doing right now, they are essentially doing what they’ve always done and that is to absolutely preserve their power and stability, using any means necessary.  Sure, this will cause unrest, but China has been working this system for hundreds of years, so why stop now? 

Yes they have been trying to show their better and more socially acceptable side for some time, but when it comes right down to it, they will as pointed out below, “risk stability in the short term to preserve stability in the the long run.”  Think about that. To me, it makes perfect sense.  While it is for sure not politically correct and makes waves, in the Chinese governments eyes to complete their master plan their government mandates and control must be carried out in their entirety.

Likewise, take a look at this quote from the article, “Every province, every city, every factory was supposed to be a self-contained unit, making the country capable of weathering nearly any military attack.”  Think about this strategy, and what all is behind it. If the government is going to go this far to create a ‘country capable of weathering nearly any military attack”, then you can bet they will limit visas, travel, and enforce other security measures to preserve their long term objective of world dominance.   

As far as Mexico becoming the next China, I’m not so sure about that.  While I do not disagree wholeheartedly, I can’t say I agree either.  Really, we [Americans and the outside world] do not know what China has up its sleeve… world domination or otherwise, they will continue to grow and grow. I read something the other day about how China has been “saving” a billion dollars every other day, while the U.S. is in debt trillions of dollars.  China is doing what they’re doing for a reason, what that reason is, perhaps only our children and grandchildren will understand, and maybe not even then.