Monday, October 27, 2008

Comment and Response

In my last post, I received a comment from "anonymous." Now, I don't have any hard and fast rules regarding anonymous comments. Sometimes I know who they are and it is nothing more than an attempt to comment without having to jump over Blogger's hurdles. Other times the purpose is to protect one's identity for legitimate reasons and still others are out to do nothing more than cause trouble. Those I will usually just delete without comment. Then there are those that don't fall easily into any category... they are simply cyber-diarrhea. The following is such a comment followed by my response.

Anonymous said...

Well, I will be one that can say I did not vote for Obama when all comes crashing down. He has no experience to speak of, has been in the Senate for 2 years of which 95% of that time he has spent campaigning. He votes "present" 95% of the time because he has no backbone to make a decision. This way he cannot be called upon later on to defend his vote. Voting "present" means absolutely nothing.

8:47 AM, October 25, 2008

To which, I responded:

Mr. Althouse said...

Mr. (or is it Mrs?) Anonymous,

It is interesting that you chose this post to regale me with your juvenile political rhetoric. Actually, the term rhetoric is much too generous... let's just call it what it is - drivel. Although I have written much about this presidential race and the candidates in it, this post only threw a glancing blow at the Republican vice presidential nominee regarding a particularly glaring inconsistency between her ideology and her circumstances.

I won't again repeat what has already been said save this: Palin might be qualified to govern over a few hundred thousand Alaskans, but is abjectly unqualified to be a heartbeat away from being the leader of the free world. End of story.

I will leave you with a final question, however: Can you say you are one who did vote for this current president? You do realize that it is all coming crashing down... right here and right now.

Finally, I usually just delete anonymous comments with no intelligence to speak of, but in your case I have made an exception. Now, tell me again about that "backbone"...

Appropriate, no?

1:57 PM, October 27, 2008

10 comments:

Lacey said...

I don't know, Mike...I think the comment only qualifies as dribble because that particular post it responded to had nothing to do with the election. Must've accidentally put it there. I'm no McCain fan, but Anonymous is obviously scared about Obama's short Senate experience, and perceptions that his Senate votes don't match his words. Anonymous didn't exactly defend Palin. His or her critiques are almost exactly the same as yours, just aimed at a different candidate.

...By the way... CONGRATS on your soon-to-be grandfatherhood!!!! :)

Michael K. Althouse said...

Actually, "anonymous" is only parroting the Republican talking points - and not very well at that. There is no original thought, no cohesive argument, no attribution. Although it is true I did not back up my opinion of Palin's qualifications, I did not pretend to cite anything factual. The facts are already apparent - and most profoundly, the evidence has come from her own mouth. Her selection also calls McCain's judgment into question - and not for the first time.

No politician is "pure," they are all in the business of deception for election. But the base level of knowledge of the world in macro terms eludes Palin, despite her view of Russia over the Bering Straight. Obama has the skill and intelligence to delegate and install a team that very well might do what few have done - win a presidential campaign. No small feat, to be sure. His education, although not everything, does lend another element of competence to his resume.

It's always a pleasure to hear from you, Lacey. And I congratulations are in order for you as well -

Take care!

Unknown said...

I realized a while back that I just don't think the same as Republicans...thanks goodness! I'm just glad that this will all be over soon.

mckay said...

kristi, this is isn't going to be over. it's just beginning. i'm not an obama fan, but if he wins i hope he keeps america's core values and best interests in focus. i'm sure not looking forward to a socialist america and i think that's where we'll be heading with him at the helm.

me, i prefer to work hard for my income, donate time and money through my church and community for those in need and keep government small as possible. i'd rather teach someone to fish than have the government spread the tuna around.

give someone a hand up, not a handout.


mck.

kenju said...

I am ready for this election to be over, no matter who wins. I am sick unto death of all the ads and talk and mud-slinging.

flleenie said...

Inexperienced & experienced...as far as I'm concerned both are evident on each side (Obama/Palin;McCain/Biden) I just want the American economy to thrive, which it isn't at this time. Do you think it has something to do with who has been president for the last 8 years? Want more???

~Easy said...

@McKay-

The trouble is that in recent years Republicans haven't given us the smaller government they promised. The government has swelled--along with spending--under each of the last 3 Republican administrations.

VV said...

I agree with a number of your commenters. First, I wouldn't have dignified the original comment with a reply. Second, I agree, it's all about deception for election. Also agree that there's inexperience on both tickets. My teenage daughter told me recently that all her peers are voting for the Vice-President because they're so certain McCain will die in office due to health issues and Obama will be assassinated, so they're picking the best VP to run the country. Thankfully, so far, the majority are favoring Biden's experience over Palin's lack of experience.

Ellen said...

First, appropriate: yes!

Before I had a chance to get to know the candidate Obama, I fell into the same hole as most others who thought that Obama had those terrorist tendencies.... after all, didn't he belong to a church whose Reverand spewed hate onto Americans and America? After hearing Obama denounce Rev. Wright, and for the reasons he did, I began to listen more to this man who was a able to explain to us, regardless of Wright's re-denouncement, that Obama was only renouncing things because it would help him get elected. Obama went on to say that either he (Obama) didn't know the Reverand as well as he thought he did, and that the Reverand didn't know Obama either. This became my hook.

I was almost going to vote for McCain, as I admired his stance in 2000 about swiftboating and dirty politics. He had me at "this kind of stuff doesn't belong in politics." An admirable stand to say the least. However, his recent election run for President has been contrary to those very words, which shows some lack of judgement.... not to mention his pick for Veep. Sorry, but Palin is not qualified for this position by any stretch of the imagination. Being able to "see" Russia from Alaska (used as foreign policy experience), wishing to line-veto the experiments scientists are conducting on fruit-flies (which showed significant research for "special needs" people), working the Joe the NON-plumber angle (and if I ever hear another word about HIM again, it will be too soon!), and especially her early rallies which incited the masses to resemble a KKK rally. (Hey, I live in Georgia, I've seen enough to know what these fools look and act like.)

Obama may not have all the experience McCain proposes to have, but he does have a steady hand at the helm, which is a quality McCain lacks in spades. A look at the debates tells you that. Besides, McCain is a hip-shooter, and we have already had 8 years of hip-shooting.... look where we are now.

The deregulation of Wall Street was a McCain/Bush folly, and as I write this I have already lost over 1/4 of my 401-K, heavily loaded myself into debt (of which I wasn't until Bush took office), and have taken a major hit in my business because of major down-sizing (except for the golden parachutes for the CEO's). At this point I am barely hanging on, and hoping....it's all I have left.

Yeah, maybe Biden has some political flourishes, but he also has experience, and not much he said isn't something that most pundits and politicians haven't already said. Palin by contrast has had her own political flourishes.... most of which were because her handlers gave her bad information, or she went rogue and filled in the blanks (which in most cases were worse than the handlers info.) Being a Gov. of a state of 600,000 people doesn't even measure a drop in the bucket of experience. When you live in a metro area as I do, that's barely over 1/10th of our population. And with her just one heartbeat away from a man who has a history of cancer, not to mention his anger-management issues, this country needs more re-assurance than rogue mavericks... another word I will be glad not to hear again anytime soon.

At this time, we need hope much more than the smears. We need to rid ourselves of the fear that the Bush/Cheney Republicans have instilled. And we need to abolish the Bush Doctorine before other countries feel the need to practice it on us again. We need to educate our citizens, provide heathcare, and fix our infrastructure, (to mention a few problems).... after all, what good is our country if it's falling apart at the seams? Obama gives me more hope in those areas than the McCain/Palin team.

I want the man who has a steady hand at the helm. He doesn't have to be perfect (is there such a person??), but he has to have the ability to weigh the decisions and come up with a concerted effort to overcome the problems they may present to be. My vote is too prescious to waste on the same tried and tired politics of the last 8 years and the hip-shooters.

OK.... 'nuff rant! So sorry for using up so much space, but once I get started......

Hope all is well with you!

Snaggle Tooth said...

Chaulk one up for Mike! Minus one for the anon-