Huzzah for Governor Palin, On to Richmond! General McClellan Has Arrived in Afghanistan!
Like everyone else on the planet, I watched Governor Palin attempt to debate Senator Biden last night.
In general, there wasn't a car crash of moose-killing proportions. It was just more of the same -- someone who was so far out of her league on the issues that she could not help but be as nervous as a baby seal at a polar bear pot luck. This came out when she kept calling General David McKiernan, our commander in Afghanistan, "General McClellan."
I worked for General McKiernan for a few months in 2002-2003. A damn fine officer who does his job and does it well. A good commander, loved by his troops, who has one of the hardest jobs on the planet. Thanks to the Surge and the war in Iraq, he's had to fight his war -- the real war against Al Qa'ida and the Taliban, those fellows who planned and attacked the United States on 9/11 -- with a bare minimum of troops, sketchy logistical support and one of the most hostile terrains on the planet. And he is doing a good job.
I never worked for General George Brinton McClellan, but I know who he was. McClellan was the commander of the Army of the Potomac in 1861-1862. He was beloved by his soldiers, but was far, far from a good commander. His Grand Army landed on the James River Peninsula in the spring of that year, and after a series of battles (called "The Seven Days" battles), was soundly thrashed by the Confederates led by Robert E. Lee. He was temporarily removed by Lincoln, only reassuming command after the debacle of Second Bull Run. He led the Federals at Antietam in September 1862, but after failing to destroy Lee's army, was finally removed by Lincoln.
Governor Palin, I know General McKiernan, and he is no George McClellan.
I hope that you can learn the difference. I believe that you were nervous and just plain got all mixed up, between the gosh darns and all those beauty pageant-winning winks.
But some things cannot be shrugged off with a snarky wink and a winning smile. Some things, Governor, are just too gosh darned important.
Like not knowing the name of the commander of our our troops in the middle of the decisive war of the fight against terrorism.
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Wasn't Palin thinking of Scott McClellan when she misspoke "General McClellan"? Who knows what goes on in that alleged "brain" of hers? Va-MOOSE, Sarah, back to Wasilla...
Gee does this mean if McCain Palin are elected General George McClellan will be replaced by that drunk from Illinois General U.S.Grant? I hear he did a bang up job in Mississippi.
What's the dif? Gen. McClellan or Gen. McKiernan, it's all the same. Well gosh darn it, American Civil War or civil war in Iraq, North vs South, Sunni vs Shia , Union vs Southern Confederacy, Northern Alliance vs Taliban, Iraq-Pakistan border or Alaska-Russia border, Joe Six-Pack vs. elitists, hockey moms vs basketball daddies, Israel-haters vs Palestine-lovers. You betcha, her tutors told her to talk about 'the war'. She was 'the decider' regarding which questions she tried to answer. Any hoo, Gen. Meade (Biden) was able to repel Pickett's (Palin's) charge - time for the old man to pull the troops out of Michigan. This should not be seen as the white flag of surrender - Chickamagua (October 7) is next.
AMEN TO THAT! October 7th is my birthday, and I can't WAIT to see Obama put the final nail into McCain's coffin.
Actually, Chickamauga was a defeat for the Union. I just meant to say the campaign is a long way from being over. It's not over until November 5.
:/ Well apparently G.G Meade still gets no love ... nor even Irwin McDowell ( there even is a Grant comment - ok so technically it was a *Lou* Grant comment and not a Hiram U. Grant one (I hate spunk too btw)- but then again if a VP candidate can't figure it out- it can't possibly count on some ott pedantic Civil War post can it?
And then again I wonder what actual hockey coaches think about "hockey mawnms"??? I bet there are a few of them that are annoyingly "know-it-alls" - what a really bad branding idea on the part of some political marketing genius...
See Robert Mackey's Profile
As an aside, I'm currently working on a short bio of GG Meade. An interesting man who never recieved the attention and credit he deserved.
I found it interesting that she would excuse herself from answering the questions in the beginning of the debate just like she could make new rules on the spot. Later on FOX news she called this slipping a question to flee to her talking points "pivoting", no doubt harkenning back to her high school point guard days.
A debate is judged on intellect, addressing the questions with clear detailed and concise answers which Biden did. She had the bar set so low that as long as she simply kept talking for 90 seconds her handlers and those only paying attention to her persona thought she did ok. Substitute entertainment for debate and you have the narrative-based reality show McCain / Palin campaign. The problem with that for the McCainiacs is that we can vote them off the island!
This is spot on. It was bad enough that the Republicans "demanded' that the debate format be changed because Palin was (is) an inexperienced debater and they thought it would be unfair to her to have to driectly confront Biden. But, to unilaterally change the rules at the onset of the debate should have been called out and she should have been made to answer the questions asked. Golly, gee, do you think that she could change the rules when she's taking to Kim or Putin? I'm sure they would be really, really nice to her and let her get away with ignoring their questions. She's very scary.
Hey, I can see the moon but it doesn't make me an astronaut.
McClellan was only removed AFTER the mid-term elections which went poorly for Lincoln's party. So the Democrats put up the general as their candidate to oppose Lincoln in "64. What this portends for General McKiernan, who can tell? Maybe he could be Governor of New Jersey (as McClellan was in 1878-81).
She is way out of her league. Her attacks on Obama would be effective, if she actually knew what she was talking about. She did better than expected?! She could'nt even stick to the debate format, much less answer any of the questions. The whole McCaine campaign is a complete joke.
McCaine Mutiny?
LOL, thanks!
She should know this considering her son is fighting in the war. Some names just shouldn't be forgotten.
Good point. Also, remember when she was first nominated she said that she hadn't been paying much attention to the war because she was busy with Alaskam government? Well, I can tell you that if I had a kid deploying there, I sure as hell would be on top of the situation going on in all of the Middle East. She's an ignorant person and, as the above example shows, not even a good mom. I'm sick of hearing that crapola, too.
As a son of Virginia, should I be worried that in a Palin administration that she will order an attack on Richmond?
YES!!!!
Those darn names can be tricky. Ted Kennedy referred to Obama as Osama. Joe Biden referred to Obama as Barack America at a rally. At last night's debate, he referred to a country near Pakistan as "Obama." It happens, I know. But what can you do?
I could have sworn I heard Palin call the Senator O'Biden once. Anyone else hear that, or am I having flashbacks to the sixties?
Either you and I both are having 60's flashbacks, or she did say O'biden. That was the one moment in the debate all my family watching with me left the room, so only I heard it.
Sure did . . . didn't know if anyone else caught that one.
Am I the only one to hear her mispronounce "nuclear"? I could have sworn she said nucular---which would be just one more in a long list of ways she is just like Bush.
you can't be a Republican without being a hypocrite and saying nucular...
Yes, she said "nuke-yeller" every single time. At the convention, her teleprompter said "new-clear," but I guess her trainers either just gave up in despair, or decided that pronouncing it wrong was more folksy. Same with "eye-rack" and "eye-ran." Ignorant is the new smart!
I must say that too much is made of american pronunciation just because you say eye-rack etc,after all it as an english dialect and you know what you mean.Cant expect The Queens English.
You are NOT the only person to hear the "nu-que-ler" pronunciation--she did it repeatedly, which made me recall a radio commentary by Linguist Geoff Nunberg on this very word and the fact that certain people mispronounce it in an unconscious hommage to the person they heard it from--like Geroge Bush, for example. Mispronouncing it AGAIN after Senator Biden had said it correctly shows EXACTLY how little Gov. Palin was listening during the debate. It wasn't a debate, it was Senator Biden speaking with candor and wisdom to a woman who wouldn't answer questions and who was channeling Sally Field and Ronald Reagan to disastrous results. On NPR Mara Liason (sp wrong, I know) said that Palin spoke in slogans, but in an old-fashioned way, like a style someone might have used 20 years ago. For someone who took Senator Biden to task for looking backwards 8 years, she certainly reached even deeper into the past for her material--can you say Sunnybrook Farms and dimple?
Dammit, now I've got this weird picture in my head of Reagan dressed as the Flying Nun.
Marell: You must be French, or have perfect pitch, because I have
trouble differentiating the differences. Of course, being a southerner,
we don't insist on perfect "hoch English" pronunciation. You did how-
ever, leave out the "that" between sworn and she.
Marell sentence is grammatically correct. You don't need "that" between 'sworn' and 'she'. But I agree; "nucular" is annoying but not really indicative of anything much. Palin's lack of depth, knowledge, self-reflection, and humility are far more worrying.
An editor friend once pointed out to me [that] you can remove the word "that" in almost every case and your writing will be far clearer. I'm glad to say [that] he was right.
You're not the only one to hear that. She's GOT to be some long lost relative of Bush's because they talk the same way, believe the same kooky crap, and they have no problem embarrassing their spouses or themselves.
HuffPost's Pick
Well gosh darn it, this is one hockey puck, uh hockey MOM who isn't goin' to raise the white flag of surrender because lipstick on Joe Six-pack is not what American families need. You betcha. And in terms of energy and global warmin' the caribou don't mind 'cause we're buildin' a forty-billion-mile, I mean forty-bill
Can I call you Joe?
~WolfLady~
Too funny Wolflady. You made my day
WolfLady: You are intriguingly hazardous. Kudos. hipo
Oh, man, that was so spot on. Wonderful compilation. Only highlight missed was neukeeler. I've got a background similar to the blog author, including Joint Staff service, and worked a little with General Mckiernan, and a whole lot more with General Schwartz and General Conway. I was at J3 just before and during the first years of the war. I think our country is dangerously divided. Depending upon who you talk to, Palin is either a saviour and the best candidate to lead, along with McCain, or an utter bumpkin, which is the opinion of anyone who didn't see this as a beauty contest. She's scary. McCain, while a war hero, is also somewhat scary at this point. I had respect for his views in 2000, but I don't recognize him now. Thank you, Colonel Mackey, for your service.
See Robert Mackey's Profile
And thanks to you too Senior Chief. I spent 3 yrs in J3 myself; I'll follow Gen Conway to Hell and back. Great officer, great American.
The really funny thing was, I could see the triumph in her eyes when she named "McClellan" in the debate just after Biden mentioned the Commander in Afghanistan saying a "surge' would not work there.
***excitedly putting hand up**** "Oh, You BETCHA! Ooooh, oooh, teacher, I KNOW his name! Eat this, Mr old Smarty-Pants Biden!!
Yes. Quite. Except you didn't. And even if you did, intelligence is more than a simple recitation of names and facts. I know that chrome-dome river hippo Steve Schmidt has jammed a hose directly into your brain and is pouring facts down it like Cristal Champagne at a Fiddy-cent house party, but it doesn't seem to have made a blind bit of difference. In fact, it seems to have clouded your already muddy thought processes to the point that you simply begin to babble as the words tumble out, willy-nilly. Like a 5-year old jacked up on too much food-coloring. Cute, but more than 3 minutes of it, you want to call the grown-ups to have you taken away.
What makes you think she was referencing General George McClellan?
I think she was thinking of Scott McClellan.
Either way, she was still wrong.
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