McCain Veep Is Woman

[Shrunk]

It will be interesting to see whether the impending stream of mad stories about her will dent her popularity. Somehow I doubt it.

It probably won't hurt her popularity among her fans, since they are to a person wackaloons (Did you look at that "Moms4SarahPalin" site?").  However, I suspect it will be fatal to any presidential ambitions she may have.

[adamdavid80]

Fixed.

Also, how pitiful is it that the woman who didn't know Africa was a continent was running on a ticket against an African American?

Oh, and like Obama can distinguish between moose and caribou? 

[adamdavid80]

It stinks, actually. But it just goes to show not all in the mainstream media are what the conservatives contend: loose nut, liberal-leaning puppy dogs.   

This sort of thing is entirely common.  The Clinton campaign in 96 was going to use a true story about Bob Dole having an affair years before by leaking it to the media.  When the reporter got hold of the Dole campaign managerto comment, he was essenitally told, "Look, we're going to lose anyway.  Why bring this to the public?"

I think that was essentially what was going on here.  McCain knew he was going down.  He took a ridiculous gamble by trying to get pennsylvania out of desperation.  so why drag it all in the mud?  besides, this kind of story would have just given palin more press.  obama was essentially running out the clock, and the best way to do that is not to kick dirt in your opponents face.

BTW, any apologists out there for Palin are IDIOTS.  Anyone who says, "The McCain team sould have prepared her better" is missing the fact of the matter:  IF ANY ONE OF US GOT A CALL TOMORROW FROM, SAY, THE BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA AND THEY SAID "hEY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO BE THE DIRECTOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK?"  WE'D HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, AND SKILLS FOR THE JOB. 

PERIOD.

[Kullervo]

Oh, and like Obama can distinguish between moose and caribou? 

I can, and I live in Florida.

[adamdavid80]

I can, and I live in Florida.

Yeah, of course you do, you've got Joe the Plumber in your avatar.     

[ezodisy]

she is completely unsuited to hold significant authority....

and to own a gun and to drive a car and to open her mouth...

Were women ever polled on whether they could stand her or not?

[Lethevich]

IF ANY ONE OF US GOT A CALL TOMORROW FROM, SAY, THE BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA AND THEY SAID "hEY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO BE THE DIRECTOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK?"  WE'D HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, AND SKILLS FOR THE JOB. 

PERIOD.

TBH I'd be happy to run them into bankruptcy producing Janáček, Hindemith and Martinů opera cycles

[ezodisy]

IF ANY ONE OF US GOT A CALL TOMORROW FROM, SAY, THE BOARD OF THE METROPOLITAN OPERA AND THEY SAID "hEY, WE'D LIKE YOU TO BE THE DIRECTOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK?"  WE'D HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND, AND SKILLS FOR THE JOB. 

PERIOD.

nonsense. I would take that job in a heartbeat and would put on the best productions it's ever seen. Aesthetic values don't require the same sort of background and experience as a political position, for example. Just my opinion (fax me the docs baby).

[adamdavid80]

nonsense. I would take that job in a heartbeat and would put on the best productions it's ever seen. Aesthetic values don't require the same sort of background and experience as a political position, for example. Just my opinion (fax me the docs baby).

You??? Directing the Met???  You've been on record as believing that Castro was the leader of TUBA!!!

[ezodisy]

You??? Directing the Met???  You've been on record as believing that Castro was the leader of TUBA!!!

Yes I realise it may sound strange to outsiders but it makes perfect sense to me. Give me the job and first thing I will do is spread the orchestra around the hall for a more surround-sound experience. Players will be linked by video to the conductor who will no longer be in the pit but will remain behind curtain on stage so there's no longer a need for the audience to extend clapping while waiting for the conductor to move from pit to stage at the end of the performance. This in turn will allow for quicker cycling to the second performance (two shows a night from now on, the red eye at 40% discount with a get-what-you-pay-for singing lineup -- probably students). Service-wise, provided I can dodge all those silly union obligations, we will no longer employ ushers, ticket staff will be replaced by electronic touch screens, and drinks such as bottled water will be served European style, without the top, thus allowing management to tap into recycling. Revenue will be up three fold by interims as we streamline advertising--no more agency links--and begin to offer discount DVD purchases of each performance just 15 minutes after it ends, thus getting people to stick around longer to eat and drink at the bar. Production details will as ever remain individualised however I can disclose that like at Shakespeare's Globe the audience will have a much more active and involved role in all performances, some even offered the privilege of on-stage roles as a substitute for prop expenditure. More details to follow once we have an agreement. I do by the way expect to be paid in terms of property as I have no faith in the $ and the £ is set to be worthless soon.

[Drasko]

Give me the job and first thing I will do is spread the orchestra around the hall for a more surround-sound experience. Players will be linked by video to the conductor who will no longer be in the pit but will remain behind curtain ....

Yesterday's news . I've been to an opera production like that; with orchestra and conductor in one room and singers mingling with audience in other while watching conductor on video screen, chorus and ballet moving around, best moment with chorus was at the very beginning - audience was let in the building just to the foyer first, overture was projected on the wall and then, opera being Gluck's Orfeo, first choral number started for me to realize that girl standing next to me is singing - the chorus dressed in plain clothes actually entered the foyer with the audience and sung the opening chorus interspersed among visitors.
Not the most synchronized performance I ever saw but was fun. A festival production, just for two nights, some pictures:


That's countertenor who sang the title role and part of audience (you can see one of the video screens behind, on some you could follow scrolling libretto)

more here (click on Orfeo)
http://steve-wächter.de/Steve/start_galerie.html

and begin to offer discount DVD purchases of each performance just 15 minutes after it ends, thus getting people to stick around longer to eat and drink at the bar

Most clever, bravo

[ezodisy]

Looks good, did you see it in Belgrade? We really need more of that sort of thing. The best piece of theatre I ever saw was at Shakespeare's Globe, Titus Andronicus, where the crowd was really worked hard and the spectacle was wild and outrageous. Loved every second of it. By the way, how was the Freire concert?

[Wanderer]

Yes I realise it may sound strange to outsiders but it makes perfect sense to me. Give me the job and first thing I will do is spread the orchestra around the hall for a more surround-sound experience. Players will be linked by video to the conductor who will no longer be in the pit but will remain behind curtain on stage so there's no longer a need for the audience to extend clapping while waiting for the conductor to move from pit to stage at the end of the performance. This in turn will allow for quicker cycling to the second performance (two shows a night from now on, the red eye at 40% discount with a get-what-you-pay-for singing lineup -- probably students). Service-wise, provided I can dodge all those silly union obligations, we will no longer employ ushers, ticket staff will be replaced by electronic touch screens, and drinks such as bottled water will be served European style, without the top, thus allowing management to tap into recycling. Revenue will be up three fold by interims as we streamline advertising--no more agency links--and begin to offer discount DVD purchases of each performance just 15 minutes after it ends, thus getting people to stick around longer to eat and drink at the bar. Production details will as ever remain individualised however I can disclose that like at Shakespeare's Globe the audience will have a much more active and involved role in all performances, some even offered the privilege of on-stage roles as a substitute for prop expenditure. More details to follow once we have an agreement. I do by the way expect to be paid in terms of property as I have no faith in the $ and the £ is set to be worthless soon.

You're so hired.

[Drasko]

Looks good, did you see it in Belgrade? We really need more of that sort of thing. The best piece of theatre I ever saw was at Shakespeare's Globe, Titus Andronicus, where the crowd was really worked hard and the spectacle was wild and outrageous. Loved every second of it. By the way, how was the Freire concert?

Yes, Belgrade. It was a production of Belgrade Music Festival (BEMUS) from few years ago (2005?). Staging was at museum (of Yugoslav History, or something like that) instead of theatre. There is this director-conductor team of Bojana Cvejic and Premil Petrovic who every few years mount some 'radical' opera production on BEMUS. This year it was Don Giovanni but unfortunately I couldn't go, and have no idea how it looked, can't find a single picture online, but the concept alone is enough to make my brain hurt:
http://www.jugokoncert.rs/index_e.htm

Freire was excellent, playing wise, I still think that first 2/3 of that piece are cumbersome, gets bit more interesting toward the end but I still wish he'd play anything else, and I think he did play Saint-Saens 2nd with the same orchestra earlier this, or previous season. Played two encores, some Bach and Villa-Lobos (not sure).

[(poco) Sforzando]

A really brilliant article about the Palin phenomenon (thanks for the lead to the always stimulating Andrew Sullivan):

http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122610558004810243.html?mod=article-outset-box

[Dancing Divertimentian]

A really brilliant article about the Palin phenomenon (thanks for the lead to the always stimulating Andrew Sullivan):

http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122610558004810243.html?mod=article-outset-box

Interesting analysis.

I always wondered how Rush Limbaugh and George W. Bush figured in the GOP - that is, the GOP I once thought of as 'intellectuals' and above populism.

Now Palin. So there does seem to be a trend.

But how far can a party go relying on a "Joe The Plumber" mentality while pumping out the Palins and Bushes? Wouldn't the party eventually implode?

Could the GOP really be this blind??

I guess so. They gave us Palin.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

A really brilliant article about the Palin phenomenon (thanks for the lead to the always stimulating Andrew Sullivan):

http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122610558004810243.html?mod=article-outset-box

Yes, excellent piece.

This one is nice:

http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/sarahpalin/ig/Sarah-Palin-Pictures/Palin-in-Wizard-of-Oz.htm

[Florestan]

A really brilliant article about the Palin phenomenon (thanks for the lead to the always stimulating Andrew Sullivan):

http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122610558004810243.html?mod=article-outset-box

Indeed, an excellent article. Thanks for posting it.

[ezodisy]

But how far can a party go relying on a "Joe The Plumber" mentality while pumping out the Palins and Bushes? Wouldn't the party eventually implode?

Could the GOP really be this blind??

I guess so. They gave us Palin.

I would guess it's something of an extreme bottom. If you keep in mind that trends always overreact beyond reason and expectation, this could be something of a positive turning point, hopefully.

Thanks for the article -- good breakfast reading.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I would guess it's something of an extreme bottom. If you keep in mind that trends always overreact beyond reason and expectation, this could be something of a positive turning point, hopefully.

For the GOP, at the moment it's hard to think anything good could come out of all this, but perhaps you're right.