A governor of Alaska is entitled to the provincal lack of opinion on the issue of Iraq, as expressed with  “I’ve been so focused on state government, I haven’t really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments, and while I support our president, Condoleezza Rice and the administration, I want to know that we have an exit plan in place; I want assurances that we are doing all we can to keep our troops safe. Every life lost is such a tragedy. I am very, very proud of the troops we have in Alaska, those fighting overseas for our freedoms, and the families here who are making so many sacrifices.”  I post the entire quote from The Alaska Business Monthly because it does suggest less of a cluelessness than the clipped quotation I see and hear running around.  But provincally what I can suggest is that your Barack Obama has been “focused on Iraq” from the get-go, indeed going back to 2003 when he made the politically necessary and expedient opinion for an Illinois State Senator in a liberal enclave at a time the rest of the nation was fully supportive of the war.  But the double-backing has to continue here, and I turn also to these blogger types I saw a few weeks’ ago shouting down “What did Obama have to say about Georgia before the invasion?  Huh?  Huh?”  I venture to say more than Palin.  This double-edged swords is sharper at the McCain end than the Obama end.

So, with this provincalism established, it seems appropriate that things are burrowing deeper and deeper into the very most definition of “Domestic Politics”.  Leave aside the rumours, and the odd circumstances of The Flight which have helped lead some circumstantial credence to the rumour, and just note that the Religious Right have seemed to take an attitude toward a variation of the old Grover Cleveland retort with the Pregnancy (Yep!  Don’t believe in contraceptions!):  “Hooray for the Kid!  Hooray for the Kid’s Kid!  I voted for Palin, and I’m glad that I did!”

Picking up a rock and seeing a bunch of crawly little things.  One shot comes with some positive words regarding Ron Paul, in and of itself not worth much mention — I could probably say the same sentiment — though, I have to suggest a hearty “Welcome to the Machine” at this juncture.  But I’ve come to be wary of these matters — it comes from seeing things with “ronpaulfanatic” stuck next to a “blogspot.com” address and scrolling down the sidebar banners to see that behind the “Ron Paul rEVOLution” bumper is the “9/11 Truth” sticker, and a plug for — say — Webster Tarpley’s new book.  It is after seeing and noting the smidgeon of Paulism that her association with the Alaska Independence Party.  Well, I’ve often thought that the United States should get rid of Alaska too.  But today this probably just serves as a two percent votinig bloc for Palin’s statewide election efforts.

It is appropriate that Hurricane Gustav blew away the Bush and Cheney speeches at the Republican Convention, seeing as Hurricane Katrina blew away much of their presidential standing three years ago.  Understand, though, the shin-dig parties by corporate and Interest lobbies were still going on — the NRA had quite a concert, for instance.  But it is also worth noting that John McCain will be giving his acceptance speech on at the same time the National Football League Season starts.  While the New York Giants are being hailed as the “Worst Superbowl Champion in history” — small comfort to the New England Patriots who were chomping at the bit to trademark “19-0” (they, um, were 18-0 and then they were, um, 18-1) — I gather it will still cut into viewership, such to compare Barack Obama’s ratings shattering speech.  (He is a celebrity, you understand.  Just like Schwarzenager — who was scheduled to speak at the RNC Convention, and may be bailing due to state budgetary issues.)  I guess this almost means that Sarah Palin becomes the big draw.  I tend to hope we can get her nominated in a hurry so that this choice can be bolted down and there can be no turning back.  McCain / Palin.  Then we brace ourselves for a McCain speech nobody will be watching.

In 1984 when Mondale selected Ferraro the internal Reagan memo shouted out, “Any slim chance Mondale might have had to beat us is now gone.”  I have to wonder what the Obama Campaign memos flying about right now are showing.  Probably the first memo upon the announcement expresses the same, “Huh?  What?” as the rest of the public.

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