Tennessee Courthouse Lawn

The first of... a few?

2008-09-07T23:54:00.002-05:00

Governor Palin has agreed to an interview. Mind you that this is the first interview with a real news organization and will take place nearly two weeks after she was selected for the ticket. With everyone and their mother (except Oprah) probably having probably put in requests to interview her, I wonder why the McCain campaign picked Charlie Gibson?

Why are they hiding her?

2008-09-07T00:55:00.002-05:00

Sarah Palin is still using a teleprompter and not talking to the press. Yes, she needs to be opened up for more scrutiny by press. If the McCain campaign doesn't, the press will really start to go after her. When you don't give them stuff to report on, they'll just start speculating. And enough speculation about somebody morphs into fact in the minds of viewers when there is nothing to rebut the speculation.

The longer she stays hidden, the more it shows she's unprepared about practically every issue facing this country. If Barack Obama can go on Bill O'Reilly, surely Sarah Palin talk to someone with a tape recorder.

Where is TN GOP on Troopergate: Alaska?

2008-09-07T00:23:00.002-05:00

I concur. I realize the TN GOP isn't the most consistent group. But when are they going to call for an independant investigation into Gov. Palin's Troopergate?

For the record, Palin is going to be a flop

2008-09-05T13:09:00.001-05:00

In watching the coverage of the Palin Vice-Presidential pick, or rather the gussing over it, I felt compelled to go on record about how big of a flop she will eventually be seen as.

The biggest point that is not being talked about is that SHE'S THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA!!!!!! ALASKA!!!!!!! 670,000 people live in Alaska. Memphis has a higher population. That population level would make it the 20th largest CITY in the country, right above Baltimore. The state's budget is unlike any other, with more than 80% of the state's revenues derived from petroleum extraction. There is no way she knows how to run a regular government budget with a normal tax system. The one she did run, the city of Wasilla, she "racked up nearly $20 million in long-term debt as mayor of the tiny town of Wasilla — that amounts to $3,000 per resident."

The speech she gave on Wednesday night was written by a Bush speechwriter (a man) to introduce her to the country and the Republican Party. So she read a speech that someone wrote for her that she practiced all day long? So she READ WORDS IN PUBLIC. She said a canned line, and then waited for the Republican partisans to yell, scream and shit themselves. She hasn't talked to a single reporter since she's been chosen, except People magazine. Who knows if she's ever going to speak to anyone again that isn't a prepared speech or a reporter that's in the can (Fox News). Since being named, she's had three public appearances. Why are they hiding her? What are they afraid she will say? Will she give Dick Cheney are run for his money in hiding out?

She is not going to play to Hillary Clinton's supporters. If anything, she is going to turn them off. Not only is she the complete political opposite of Sen. Clinton, most of her supporters are going to see the Palin pick as blatant pandering. Many Clintonistas were saying before the Biden pick that he couldn't pick another woman because they wanted Hillary to be the first woman President/Vice-President.

The Republican Party can shout "reformer" as much as the want to, but if she was a man she'd still be in Alaska. Give voters two months, and they'll see that. (And I'm so glad the base of the Republican Party is happy now. Heaven knows that that can do nothing but bode well for the country (see last 8 years).) She has yet to even mention healthcare, education, the middle class, and many other things that other people need to be addressed that they face every day. And unless we're all having to hunt and gather our own food, moose hunting is not a real issue.

I cannot wait for the novelty of Sarah Palin to wear off. And it will. And I would like to attack her record more, but I'm already tired of her. I'm ready for the the campaign to get back to McCain/Bush/Palin vs. Obama/Biden.

Who on Staff is Now Responsible for Knowing This?

2008-08-25T20:25:00.003-05:00

Well done:

Only Republicans with DUIs can be state representatives

2008-08-21T14:48:00.001-05:00

A Republican Party candidate for state representative has two DUIs and what sounds like attempted kidnapping. Where are all the Republicans that wanted to throw out Rep. Briley after his DUI arrest? They had an opportunity to not even put a guy with two DUIs on the ticket.

Hope for a Plan

2008-08-15T07:25:00.000-05:00

Right now the Olympics are going on. Every night when I get home, I'm turning on the TV to see what I get to see from Beijing. Right now, it's mostly Michael Phelps and gymnastics. The former I could watch all day. The second usually makes me want to do laundry (and I'm being kind). I'm a politics junky, but like most of the country I'm generally glued to the Olympics instead of catching parts of Countdown.

Most people haven't been paying close attention to the presidential campaign anyways, and especially during the Olympics most folks see it as a nuisance. This year the want to get it all over with is even more prevalent considering that when Election Day does come, the campaign will have been nearly two years old. I'm even ready to get it over with. Hopefully, the Olympics will serve as a kind of a cleansing of the popular palette, and the country will be ready to decide who will be running the country. Lord knows no one is right now. (I guess we can be thankful that the Texas Rangers aren't leading their division, or else Bush would be TOTALLY disengaged.)

I'm an Obama supporter, but I've been kind of distressed at his campaign since he clinched the nomination. During the primaries, his campaign seemed like it had a plan. From Iowa on, it seemed as if his campaign knew where it'd be competitive and could win. At times it was almost Bill Belichick-ish in that the campaign knew the plan it took to win from Day One and never wavered from the plan. It just implemented it. Now, it seems as if the campaign is just thrashing about, threading water, holding steady, etc. Other than the trip overseas, not too much has seemed to happened, which may have been on purpose. When the Olympics are over, and the candidates select their VP candidates, the country is likely to see a three and a half month politics blitz. Unfortunately I am only left to hope that the Obama campaign has another strategy that it is ready to implement as soon as the Olympics are over. Obama comes back from vacation, announce the VP, and head to the convention to set the stage for the next three months. I am left to hope that it has a plan that is right now being fine tuned. I am left to hope that it has the next three and a half months laid and planned out (like it seemed to have the primaries), and all it has to do when Obama comes back from his vacation is implement it. I realize circumstances may dictate what the campaigns must do, but a plan still must be at the ready to implement.

Somehow I have a strange confidence that the Obama campaign has such a plan. Through the campaign it seemed to implement its plan while fixing mistakes (New Hampshire, etc.) and adjusting to events (Rev. Wright, etc.). Obama's campaign seemed about as well run as it could be, and I doubt that will have changed. It should actually be evern more well run. My cautious confidence (and I suppose political common sense) is that after the Olympics, the VP candidate will be announced. Then the convention showcase Obama and his campaign themes. Then it's a month of advertising blitzes and campaigning, followed by a month of debates and debate reactions. The debates will show that Obama is indeed presidential, and the country will turn towards feeling comfortable with him being presidential enough to vote for him at the end.

While supporters want landslides, and politcal junkies want daily incites into where the campaign is, the actual voters take their time to make up their mind. Finally turning their attention to the two candidates, they beging to make their decision. Why shouldn't they wait until the last minute? That just shows that the public has an open mind and are listening to the candidates and campaigns. This election will turn one way or another late. I can only hope that the Obama campaign has its plan, and that it has worked. Obama has a great message, a great story, and a great opportunity to bring actual change. It would be colossalshame to waste this opportunity in our nation's history just for the lack of a plan.

Barnes Nearly Upsets Kurita

2008-08-07T23:43:00.000-05:00

I am truly sad for Mr. Barnes. He's a good man and would have been a great senator. I just hope Sen. Kurita realizes she better act like a Democrat. No matter how much she lied or misconstrued information about your opponent on TV and in the mailbox, a lot of people saw her (and Mr. Barnes) for who they really were.

Maybe she has finally learned her lesson. Vote for Ramsey again, and next time it won't even be close.

"In the Beginning,..."

2008-02-17T21:54:00.001-06:00

"...there was a man with a blog. From this blog come forth opinions, ideas, suggestions, rants, cursing, insight and other such things as he decided fit for public consumption."

In many county seats across Tennessee, and I'm sure the South, there is a history of folks gathering on and around the courthouse lawn to talk about the affairs facing their community. I offer this blog as one more voice to be heard on Tennessee's Lawn.

I do not presume my opinion as better than anyone else's. It's simply another one to add to the chorus of noise on the internet. Topics will range from politics to sports to media and beyond, but they will not stray too far from my home in Tennessee. I will not post as often as I will like, but what I post will mean something to me. Hopefully it will mean something to you to.