I don't even try to talk to conservative friends and family or try to broach this subject on my blog because it all makes me so angry that all I can do is sputter and froth a little at the mouth.

So I agree with you, and thanks for putting it so much more eloquently than I ever could.

Dear god, I just wrote about going through this with family members over the weekend. The degree to which my blue-collar, struggling, middle-class relatives have been duped into believing that the political party standing on their throats and pissing down their backs is the one they should support is *mind boggling* to me.

Thank you for being awesome. I keep looking at Palin like, really? that's...the best they could come up with? And I'm not a little bit offended that the Republican party seems to think I'll look at her and say "OMG, *you* have ovaries? *I* have ovaries! I should TOTALLY vote for you and that guy who was lobotomized by the Republican party two years ago in return for the CHANCE of being president!" As though, perhaps, the presence of my ovaries renders me retarded...

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am one of those crazy "liberal elites" who lives inside the Beltway, and you just said most everything I feel a lot more eloquently than I have been able to lately. Mostly because all of my energy has been spent trying to restrain myself from running people in McCain-Palin shirts off the roads, and/or throwing things at my TV.

Yeah...that Yahoo fact check article scared the shit out of me, too.

Right on, Heather. Keep fighting the good fight.

My boyfriend's mother, an adamant McCain supporter is now voting for Obama because of Palin. That should say something to McCain and his campaign choices...

Thank you, Heather, for saying on your high-trafficked blog what EVERYONE in America should be saying and thinking. The "empire" has no clothes, folks. Has. No. Clothes.

Amen, Heather! My family is very conservative Republican. I am the polar opposite-I believe in affordable health care for everyone. Affordable day care for working families. Closing the tax loopholes for large corporations. And what is it with people who don't believe in global warming??? Anyway, we cannot discuss politics (or religion) in my family without it coming to an argument so severe that my mother has actually thrown me out of her house when I refused to agree that GWB was the second coming of Christ. Hopefully Obama will be elected and then I won't have to move to Canada.

I've been following the election with bated breath - and I'm Canadian.

I feel like this every four years, but I've learned a) not to watch the RNC and b) not to listen to the news so much. I voted in the primary, and I'll vote in the general election, but I have no faith in the American electorate, so for the sake of my blood pressure, I'm just pretending the election doesn't exist until it's time to wake up one morning and vote.

that final paragraph really says it all.

way to put my feelings into words.

I am SO with you on all of this, though I want to explode out of my own frustration and am lucky that my family is largely on my side, and because you have to hold it in so much more frequently I want to say, "Would it be awkward if I offered you a hug?" Except that wouldn't help (and not because I am a stranger and that it is creepy) but because this week has shown that whiskey is a much more effective means of surviving the RNC, and clearly, the next few months. I am a glutton for self-punishment and have watched all of it that I can stand (namely Palin's speeches) and have compared "the first half" (pre-cocktail) and "the second half" (with cocktail). Which was healthier for my sanity? I think you know. :)

THANK YOU! You're so much more eloquent than I am. I almost engaged a TOTAL STRANGER today at the farmer's market because he was praising Palin to another customer for her "strong speech" and for being SO ready to be president. Shudder. We are all going to have to take many deep breaths in the weeks to come. Go Obama!

Don't stay calm. Stay mad as hell and fight.

I tried to watch with an open mind because I was curious,
really I did, but after about 15 minutes I had to turn her off because I was disgusted by her and the smiling, clapping idiots in the audience. Just because she has ovaries doesn't mean I'll vote for her.

Nasty, nasty, nasty. I'm sick of it.

I am soooHOOOOoooo with you. Almost puked when Palin said the war is a task from God. I don't get the hypocrisy of the GOP, not only to use religion when convenient, but also sexism (as displayed toward Hillary, but not Palin).

yes, yes, what she said.

Thank you. This is precisely what I've been saying since for the last eight months. How is it that the Republicans have simply forgotten that four years ago McCain was TOO LIBERAL FOR THEM? What happened to him? And why is the RNC acting like they invented women? It scares the crap out of me to think that there are female voters out there who really will vote for him just because of Sarah Palin (oh, man, don't even get me started on what a colossally stupid idea she is. We all know McCain is going to drop dead four days after he's sworn in and we're going to have to put up with her stupidity for four years).

Don't get me wrong... I'm sort of disappointed in Obama, too. It makes me sad that he picked a VP who wasn't the best choice for our nation, but rather the best choice for him personally (everyone knows that Hillary would have been the best choice for the country as a whole). The fact that he is even willing to say that we need to find "middle ground" on abortion and church and state terrifies me. But, I'll vote for him and support him because at least he doesn't stand in front of the entire country and tell lies so blatant that it's insulting.

I have told my son the reason I choose a specific candidate is by evaluating who is most likely to make it a priority to take care of the children of our nation. Who is really looking out for them? I don't think there's much of a choice here. If I have to pay more money so your child, my child, and the child living down the street have health insurance, then so be it. It's part of my duty, yes I said duty, as a citizen to make sure every human has enough to eat, a doctor to help them when they're sick, and a house to live in. That's what I call FAMILY VALUES!

Thanks, Heather. You're awesome!

There must have been something in the air! I got into a huge fight with my family about this yesterday and probably permanently damaged my relationship with my uncle (and his sister). I'm not proud of that, or of myself for succumbing. I felt nauseous and horrid all day as a result, and I apologized for personalizing. But I will not apologize for calling a wolf a wolf. One of the earlier commenters said it best: that the working class are being manipulated into believing that the Republican party is better for them? Absolutely mind-boggling. And so frustrating b/c their minds are made up so let's not confuse them with the FACTS or anything! Now, Sarah Palin is by most accounts, a fine enough person. I don't really have a problem with her per se. I have a problem that John McCain chose her over numerous other, better, choices. What does that say about him and his decisions? It says he panders to those very people singing lalala. Anyway, you are right, you were right, and thanks for standing up for your beliefs.

AMEN. I found her to be mean, shallow and unnecessarily sarcastic albeit a very good teleprompter reader. I look forward to the Christmas in Sept. that will be the debate with Joltin' Joe. Hit away, Joe. Hit away.

Amen! I grew up with a single mom who refused child support from a father that always forgot my birthday. A mother who worked THREE jobs a day so I could live modestly and go to a salvation army preschool and a mother who worked her way up the corporate ladder with no college education and had to endure the unwanted advances of middle management men during the eighties. I was given the opportunity to go to college and earn a degree so I would not have to work three jobs just to survive. A mother who taught me that there were always less fortunate people who didn't have what we had. And a mother who refused welfare because others needed it more than we did.

The only mistake I can find in your post is that Sarah Palin spells her name with an "h" at the end. Other than that, you were 100% correct.

I'm really glad you posted the link to the AP report. It speaks volumes.

The thing that bothers me most about my conservative family members (oddly, I don't seeme to have any conservative friends...) is the incessant wailing about the taxes. Where do they think the money comes from to pay the police who guard their homes and communities? or the firefighters and emts who come running whenever and wherever they are called? Where do they think the money comes from to fix the roads? Who do they think is paying for their social security? The so-called conservatives talk about "letting us keep more of our money" as if we all had money to keep. Yet, I don't know a single republican who would admit to being rich. They just want to believe.

I agree with you, Dooce, and I think that what we are seeing here are the death throes of the white patriarchy. Desperate to hang on to power they are appealing to their white, evangelical christian base with every charismatic beauty queen they can muster. But it's too late. No matter what happens in this election, white people will be a minority in less then 50 years. They can deny evolution all they want, but as for me and my tribe? Were choosing to evolve.

I love you Heather! But I disagree - I am very tired of people thinking Obama shits rainbows and butterflies! He is Not the agent of CHANGE everyone thinks he is! Health Insurance sucks but so does socialized healthcare! I could go on and on But I will just leave it with I disagree - but I still love you!

Leigh

Thank you Heather - I knew I could count on you to hit the proverbial "nail on the head". I watched this smart-mouth bitch give her speech last night, pointing her finger, and I wanted to go right through the television. I totally blame Sarah Palin for the friggin migraine I woke up with this morning!

Amen...it disgusts me that here, in Alabama, people are more concerned with the SEC football season that just started than this election and the HUGE impact it will have on our nation. And, don't even get me started on Fred Thompson's speech from the other night. There is a website that made comments about different quotes from his speech. These are some of my favorites: "We are going to nominate the next President and Vice President of the United States of America. We do so while taking a different view of our country than that of the other party."-Sort of like how people sinking on the Titanic because they refused to believe it'd hit an iceberg had a different view than the people who'd successfully hauled ass to the lifeboats.....AND...."All I've got to say is that if Roberta McCain had been the McCain captured by the North Vietnamese, they would have surrendered. "-Implication: John McCain is a chickenshit compared to his mama. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Fred.

I too am quite familiar with the insurance crisis - someone in my family worked at a place that didn't take her seriously when she said she was getting sick...nearly died more times than I want to even think about. To think that I live in a world where large companies believe that they can buy off someone for screwing them and their families over makes me absolutely nauseous, in the way that the thought of McCain and Palin jetting this country back about 30 years (hel-lo? How is Palin's interpretation of pro-life in ANY way protecting women's rights?) scares the crap out of me.

Thanks for being so eloquent in expressing your op.

This is a fantastic articulation of why this election matters. I couldn't contain my frustration and anger after watching that speech last night - so I made a $100 gift to Obama Biden '08.

Amen.
As another priveleged white girl in America who has had the fortunate ability to attend college, several times, I whole-heartedly agree.
I just came back from a business lunch with two very close colleagues, both conservative, and I totally understand your outrage...because I'm having identical feelings at this moment. My only solace is that my father runs the labor unions in Detroit and I grew up in a VERY Democratic household.
As far as I'm concerned...
IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!! (YES, THREE)

There are also true physically conservative people who have rather liberal social views. Trying to merry the two is difficult. I believe that there are MANY people who label themselves "republican" as I do - yet are also Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Rights, and Pro "HELPING PEOPLE". Obama has great ideas, I feel he is a good man - but he gives me (and this is my opinion) the feeling that he wants to sprinkle fairy dust on the woes of our country and it will all be better. The polarization that has happened in our country of pitting one group against the other is neither helpful nor productive.

I couldn't agree with you more!!! I used to be Republican but after the right-wing highjacked the party there is no place for a moderate, pro-choice person.

This election is soo important. I hope people wake up and realize that we cannot endure another four years of the Bush-Cheney policies.

You cannot legistate morality. The Republican party wants to impose their Judeo-Christain views on the entire publication. If you don't agree with them then you're wrong and a bad person as well. This is a country that was founded on freedom of religion--I just don't undertsand these people.

Peeps, this campaign is way crazier than most, and things are going to cycle up and down like mad before Election Day finally arrives. A really positive step is to send the Obama campaign as much money as you can afford to give. Don't let the Republican fat cats swindle and lie this one away from us. Money talks, so let your voice be heard. Do it after McCain's speech tonight, so it looks like a total rejection of all the RNC stands for.

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!THANK YOU!
This whole thing has me sick to the stomach. My cons christian friends going on and on about Palin. What the heck? Last week you were lecturing me about returning to work when my son was a year old and how awful that was. And the damage I am doing to my 7 year old daughter because we *gasp* send her to public school and don't home school. Now this lady has 5 kids and a pregger daughter but somehow she is glorious and God has called her to save the nation. PUKE!!

I agree with Joanne (#9). Both groups want to help people but republicans stand for the greater good rather than helping out every individual that needs it.

As for health care, private insurance does need to change to be able to make it affordable for everyone. HOWEVER, the government is not there to provide insurance for everyone. Insurance companies are in business to make money, the government is not. Besides, republicans did not invent insurance. Insurance is not around just to make democrats mad or keep the poor in their place. Insurance is a risk-based business that, unfortunately, causes some people great heartache. How can they make money when they can't choose with whom to invest? I say this even as we are going through a similar situation.

But remember a few years ago, someone said, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." JFK said it and he was a democrat.

Thank you, Heather. I linked to the same AP story earlier, but it will get much more attention now that you've done so. I still have hope that the voters in this country will see through the million tons of bullshit being dumped on them, especially the last couple of days.

Also, I live near the RNC and those bastards are totally clogging up our infrastructure this week. Hope our Minnesota-nice hypothetical door doesn't hit them on the ass when they all finally roll out of here tomorrow.

If the republicans wanted a smart, young mother with experience managing difficult people for McCain's VP, they should have asked you, Heather.

My friggen cat humped my rabbit one day. I was 5 when I saw it happen.

Nothing short of Sarah Palin could make me de-lurk after years.

More than anything, I was shocked at how sarcastic, belittling, and bitter everyone at the RNC was. And the fact that there were tens of thousands of people in the stands, laughing and booing, was mind boggling.

I hope Obama can help us rise to a new level of civility and compassion. I'm with you. I would gladly give up more of my comfortable middle-class income to help give other people a leg up. It's only a dog eat dog world if you buy into it.

there was a time, when i was young, that my mom needed help from strangers to put food on the table. and there were times that help wasn't available, so she opted not to eat.

i didn't realize this until I was a teenager, after she had put herself through college and grad school and graduated with a 4.1 GPA. After she had applied to every scholarship possible to help pay her way through college. After she did all of that while still finding time to go to every one of my choral concerts as well as drive me and my sister and brother to church every Sunday.

by all means, if someone needs help in the form of a bit of money they can take it from MY paycheck. i'll gladly give up Netflix so some mother can eat dinner.

GObama!

I agree with you -mostly- I firmly believe in higher education * I am a 39 year-old senior in college at a State University and I have a daughter at a private University in Arkansas (sophomore, with a 4.0) --- BUT, in my life experience, I have known many, many people who have college degrees, and still struggle. A degree does NOT guarantee that you will never have financial problems. When you have the degree, and still cannot find a decent job, then add to it student loan payments, it gets much worse! It is a fact that as many as 60% of people with a Bachelors degree end up not even using it. You can't make a blanket judgment that everyone with financial trouble did not go to college, because it's just not true. I wholeheartedly agree with you on Palin, I think "under qualified" is the "understatement" of the decade! I believe that Obama can and will make a lot of positive changes in this country. I have no doubt that he will be elected now that McCain has chosen Palin. My girlfriend theorizes that McCain no longer wants to be elected, which is why he chose her. I have wondered if this is his way out, too. One can only hope...

After watching Palin and others last night, I made my first contribution to a political campaign. I hated to do it - the way campaigns are run and paid for in this country is a disgrace...but I really wanted to support Obama - being a fellow "community organizer" and not feeling good about being laughed at by those morons!

soooooooo there with you my friend. without looking, i KNEW what the link was going to show me (i had read it this a.m. and almost choked)... anywho, i am not nor should ANYONE with a brain be afraid to say "wake the fuck up people". truly, this woman, although a fine person in many ways, i'm sure (how the fuck do i know???), is not what this country needs. she doesn't even seem to realize that she is being used...

politics is a nasty dirty business. and although i can be nasty and dirty...i'm sad...b/c i think its gonna get worse before its gets better. yet...this liberal is trying to stay positive.

My mom changed her vote even during the primaries - she'll be one more registered Republican voting for Obama. It's still so delicate that I don't bring it up, for fear she might change her mind just so her daughter can't say "I told you so."

AMEN. As a white, LDS woman who married into a family of crazed gun-toting libertarians (I wouldn't undo it, but to be fair, this was not fully disclosed at the time of the nuptials), I FEEL YOUR PAIN. I have found myself keeping my mouth shut on the brink of tears just to preserve a relationship for the sake of my marriage and children.

Probably one of the best posts you've ever written. From an avid reader in the Deep South, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

Well done. After watching her speech last night, I've decided that Sarah Palin is Ann Coulter in a woman's body. McCain picking her was a cynical choice made solely to drum up votes from disenfranchised Hilary supporters and rightwingers. There's no way that McCain can honestly say that she is the person who should be running the country in the event of his death. But the base loves her so there you go.

WELL, WELL, WELL PUT. I am a Canadian living in the U.S. til next March and am so engaged in the process that I am going to volunteer for Obama, to do anything I can. I don't even know what I can say that you haven't, but the fact is, if for some reason the Republicans are successful, I'm moving home early, and pulling the covers over my head.

Yay we love you!!!

Thank you, Heather.

YES.WE.CAN.

I'm sorry, but I can't actually believe that you have all of the facts in this argument. Yes I'm Republican, but if Palin isn't ready for the task of SECOND IN COMMAND, how can you say that Obama is ready for first? He is obviously lacking experience and no die-hard Democrat can deny that... unless they're crazy and that's not so farfetched. I just don't get the democratic party. I am more than willing to admit that John McCain is old, and will probably die in office, and whatever and whatnot, but Obama is full of words and not much else.

And for the record, I think its disgusting that Democrats always say how they feel disgraced with America, and really aren't proud of their country (Hello Michelle Obama). MOVE B*TCH, GET OUT THE WAY then. That's how I feel. Go live in one of the third world countries and I guarantee you will get help from America, because trust me, we aren't billions in debt by giving back to our own people, as you all complain about. We're in debt due to different reasons, but one of the main ones being that we help our foreign allies and less fortunate countries.

I do sincerely believe the Republicans are better at looking at both parties and seeing good in both parties. Yes, its politics and of course you agree with one more than the other, but you don't have to act like the Republicans are the devil-incarnate.

This is excellent. I can't discuss politics with my family either, for similar reasons. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for this.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy in my twenties. Try getting private insurance after that.

You're right, Heather, and there are so, so many of us right there with you. I am so happy to see so many people who see the same way I do. Yes, we totally can.

I live a few miles outside Wasilla, AK.

EVERYWHERE I GO I am surrounded by OMG, SHE'S TEH AWESOME!

It's disheartening.

Thank you, Heather! You said it.

AMEN SISTAH!!!!! Love ya, Heather.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying this. I also don't understand how I suddenly became a sexist this week because I think that a mother with a special needs infant and a pregnant 17-year-old daughter should have other more important priorities than running for VP. And yes, I WOULD say the same thing about a father in the same situation. I am so disgusted. I cannot wait to vote.

Great post. And I'm with you 100%.

I have a few Republican friends and I know there's no way they'll vote for Obama, but I'm doing my best to push them to Bob Barr. My friends are more of the Libertarian/economic freedom types who don't go believe the anti-choice/religion in control of government aspect of the Republican party - Barr is a much better fit for their beliefs.

I haven't seen much discussion of McCain's plan to count employer-paid health insurance benefits as income and then tax it. That will cost most of my friends at least $5,000 a year more in income tax. So much being afraid of more taxes from the Democrats. Many, many Republicans are going to find themselves in a world of economic hurt if they win this election. Add to that the billions of dollars in debt that we're leaving our children to pay, most of which went to the benefit of Halliburton and oil companies, and it's enough to make this momma cry.

."..or he came from a family that didn't know they should encourage him to go to college because they were busy trying to survive."

AMEN to that! OH! That's what I can't get some people to understand. That even with the availability of student loans and pell grants and whathaveyou, it still doesn't help all people. There are families that just can't afford for their children to go to college. They need them to stay home and work to continue to help the family survive. And no matter what they do, it's never enough.

I know the welfare system is flawed. I've witnessed that first hand. Reform is due. An overhaul. But not a "lets abolish this and make people fend for themselves." I thought we, as Americans, cared for our neighbor. And I though that was something Jesus taught us, too.

My head went kaboom! several times last night. Listening to the crap. Seeing the reactions from the crowd. It made me sad to realize so many people buy into that. So many people seem to not care about their fellow man.

"My money!" Fine. Stop paying taxes. Let's take away all taxes. Watch the roads get repaired then. Watch education improve in any way then. Have fun with all your extra dollars then people. Pft.

I was a single mom in college at the age of 20, and on welfare for three years, until I got my first job and no longer qualified. I feel you on a lot of the issues you have with Palin, and with the RNC and its members as a whole. I disagree, however, that the Other Side has a better option, is more honest, is more in tune with America, or has any more interest whatsoever in how our daily lives unfold. Their policies are just as biased, just as laden with rhetoric, and utilize just as many skewed statistics. Where you see good coming out of the Dems policy, let me assure you that there are other realities of the policies they will institute that will NOT appeal and are even now tucked away in secret, dark places, waiting to be deployed when we're not looking, like ripples on the proverbial water.

There is no good candidate this year. There hasn't been since I started voting almost 20 years ago. I say, carry on and fight your fight, but please don't make the mistake of thinking that if you loathe one party's candidate that the other party's candidate is automatically in the clear--then you are no better than those you hate. Choosing the President is a privilege, and being the President is an honor--I want to vote for an individual who has character and can be trusted to LEAD us, not simply grandstand and further his career through speechmaking and reaping the profits from bestsellers. I'm still waiting.

Fortunately, I come from a VERY liberal family (that's what happens when you are from Burlington, Vermont) so we can have discussions about the state of the world without anger or fighting.

Palin? Really? My mom and I were just wondering if that really is the best the republicans could find. And if so, how scary is that? I hope McCain's choice completely puts their ticket into a downward spiral because if the American public buys it, I don't know what to think.

And finally, to end my comment, I'm a legal aid attorney and I specifically do consumer law and let me tell you, the banking, mortgage and credit industry and Congress have totally fucked the middle to lower class AND NO ONE GETS IT. Plus, the idea that folks want to be poor is B.S. I can't name one client who is delighted to be on food stamps and SSI but without any source of a REAL safety net, education assistance, or health insurance, they are fucked.

End of tirade. In other words, I agree.

Wow. I would like to start by saying that I have read your website for years and while there have been times when I have not necessarily agreed with you, I have still read your opinion or rant or whatever it was at the time. However on this particular subject I think you are very much mistaken. Everyone thinks their views are the correct ones, but you are a typical liberal in the sense that you are extremely angry over what is happening and probably completely blinded by your parties' views. Sarah Palin doesn't deserve the personal attack by you or anyone else. Do you know her personally? Have you ever had any of her experiences? Do you even care what type of person she is or do you just hate her because she is in the Republican party? You actually remind me a little of her- in a good way.

Fantastic Post! ..and I am one of those Americans who is in fact sad to be an American ..and I don't even have a choice in the matter.

Good for you for f-ing saying it Heather! It's infuriating and pointless to argue with most conservatives so I've stopped for my mental health. And as a woman, there has been this mode of even if I am liberal I can't bad-mouth Sarah Palin because she's a woman and holy cow this whole election is all about gender and race and so because I am a woman I can't critique a female VP candidate. I call bullshit and I'm glad you did, too. And if I see one more photo of Sarah Palin and/or HER CHILDREN wielding guns for what looks like recreation or hear another statement about hockey moms, pit bulls and lipstick, I'll barf.

Heather,
I'm going to link to you on my blog today, not because you need the traffic but because you have said here what I'm feeling. I applaud you and I thank you.
Jane

Heather, you ROCK. I have the same problems with some of my family in the very-red-state of Oklahoma, but this year we cannot stay quiet. I was at the Dem Convention last week, and 1) I wish you could have been there, and 2) I wish while you were there they would have had you speak.

I'm a woman, but as it was put on the Daily Show, as a proud "Vagina American" I'm not going to vote for someone who isn't right for the job just because we both have the same special parts. She opposes the rights of my special parts, anyway.

Heather, you are a total genius. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and giving me the courage to email all of my conservative friends with the AP article

Hard to stomach someone who has risen to the position she currently finds herself in by her very engagement and leadership on the sidelines of her kids' games, in the cafeteria for PTA meetings, in the basements of city halls for council meetings, listening to the various groups and neighborhood voices and making decisions based on these united voices, now mocking this very sort of community organizing and rallying a crowd to chant "Zero! Zero!" as a response to Obama's service to just the kind of people she once represented as a mayor.

Heaven forbid that we vote for a candidate who listens, learns, studies, analyzes, and (shocking) grows throughout the process, and throughout life. Thank goodness she was born with all the knowledge she needs for being second, or even first in command, since she only has sixty days to express this to us. It's too bad that all that community organizing got us were the very rights and privileges that she, and we, enjoy today...in that crowd last night the message was clear - not only should we lobby for less government, but less government that we each have less of a stake in.

I had trouble sleeping last night.

Ya know what I'm sick of ... everyone saying that Palin is not qualified. She is no less qualified than Obama. However, they are all comparing her qualifications to Obamas ... and she is not even running for President. It's Vice President, people. Stop comparing Palin and Obama ... start comparing McCain and Obama.

People are scared and they have to attack Palin any way they can. I do understand this.

Well written! You are right to be angry, and terrified. I truly believe we (Obama) will win in November, but we have a lot of work to do to get there. It's not going to be easy, and even after we win, things still won't be easy - there's a lot of work to do to clean up the mess that's been made over the past 8 years.

For the record, I am a patriot. I love my country dearly, and that's why I care so much about this election.

Read Deer Hunting with Jesus by Joe Bageant. It's a remarkable book, a real eye-opener.

And dooce for VP? I'd totally get behind that!

As a former recipient of government aid as I struggled to be a single mom and graduate from college - I thank you. You hit the nail on the head as to why I was at a Democratic function last Thursday - even in the heart of Red Alabama. Because those programs that other's tax dollars went to - those programs made it so that I could get a college education even though I was a teen mother. I will not turn my back on those programs now.

Thank you for posting this. I know you will probably get grief for it, but I think this is a lovely way to explain how you (and a lot of other people, including me) feel.

Thank you so much. Everyone in the office where I work is on the Palin bandwagon because she is *gasp* a woman when all I want to do is scream like bloody hell and run out the back door! It has really helped me get through the day knowing that someone else shares my thoughts.

I agree with your post 100%. I am the inactive daughter of a very active family. I joked that while growing up we had three pictures in my parents entry way, Jesus, Joseph Smith, and Ronald Reagan.

I can not discuss politics with my family. I never voted for W. I am an Obama girl who hides it from her family because they barely stomach my inactivity. My dad asked me what I think of Palin and instead of telling him the truth I just shrugged my shoulders. My father thinks Rush speaks the truth and Fox is Fair and Balanced and Liberal is an insult. I really wish I was brave enough to wear my Obama shirt.

So, um, pardon me for disagreeing with the masses, but what exactly has Obama done that is so damn wonderful? And what is so wrong with Palin? She's the only one on any ticket with executive experience of any kind - including the presidential candidates. You can mock the state of Alaska, but despite all that, she is still the leader of it.

And this whole global warming crap ... don't worry. The planet is not self-destructing in the next four to eight years. Neither candidate will have that much of an impact on the ENTIRE GLOBE any time soon. Think China.

here here!

As a conservative, I will respectfully disagree with some of your statements. Sarah may not have Washington experience yet, but be honest with yourself...does Obama really have her beat by that much in experience? No. Biden at least brings that to the Obama camp, but, unfortunately, Biden is the embodiment of a dirty - hide behind my smile- politician.

This is not to say that I am completely for McCain, because I am not. However, the choice between a dedicated American with an uncorrupted Governor vs. a great speaker and his entrenched-in-his-ways VP, I will choose the former.

Thanks for the post.

Sadly, it's getting to the point that even a college education is no safeguard against the travails of our economy. I love this story by Heather Ryan on Salon about when she had to take her family to the soup kitchen. She has a master's degree AND a job. It's not just the impoverished and unemployable people who are feeling the strain these days.

Up until my recent marriage, I was a struggling single mom. As a single mom, I could not afford to live on my own, work, and pay daycare for the girls. I made $40,000 a year in a city with a very reasonable cost of living but I basically had to choose between paying rent or paying daycare. I had to choose between buying food or paying a skyrocketing electric bill. And there were times I had to choose between putting gas in my car so I could go to work or paying a doctor/prescription copay for the girls. I didn't qualify for daycare assistance. I didn't qualify for housing, medical, or food assistance. Something is broken when people who are making a decent wage and not spending extravagantly can't feed their children without something else falling by the wayside.

Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for this - I am an American living abroad (in Germany) and have been trying to follow everything going on over there - but I just have no way of knowing what the "average" American thinks about the amazing amount of bullshit being told by the Republicans...I am so glad to read your reaction and know that there ARE some intelligent people over there who are not buying it! When I read Sara Palin's speech this morning on the web, I was outraged. I couldn't stop saying "Oh, please!" out loud. I really hope the people can see through this ridiculous choice for a VP and be aware of Obama's serious intentions of change for the better.
Thanks for the chance to comment here!
I wish you all the best.

Thank you. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is getting fired up over this.

Obama is such a Barackstar!

I am a liberal democrat who is willing to admit that McCain and Palin are interesting people and probably have leadership qualities (they say Obama does not) and the ability to make decisions, but I do not agree with ANY of the decisions they are looking to make!

How can you want women to go back to the days of unsafe, wire-hanger, back-alley abortions? Are the Pro-Lifers willing to adopt abandoned, HIV-positive babies of color? Because then they wouldn't have to worry about giving all of their money to mothers on welfare. Nobody sees a pregnant teenager as a blessing.

And why are red-state republicans always talking about God? Wasn't this country founded on the separation of church and state?

Remember people, the most powerful thing we can do to be heard is to VOTE!

Sing it, sister. Sarah Palin is so wrong for so many reasons. Besides her complete lack of experience, I find it blatantly irresponsible that she would throw her hat into the ring given her family situation. I'm all 100% modern working woman with 2 kids myself, BUT my 4 month old son does not have Down Syndrome and my 17 year old daughter will not be giving birth a month before I would enter the White House. Her family needs her significantly more than this country does.

GO OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You, my ears have been ringing in pain since all the Palin Praising on the news this morning, I still feel sick.

I have been so fired up this morning - texting, i.m.ing, and emailing the link to the same article to all my friends. I usually think that voting is making a decision to support the lesser of two evils, as all politicians...are...well, politicians. There are skeletons in every closet. This time (as the last), though, thank you, GOP for making this decision so easy! And the blantant tokenism of presenting a candidate based on her XX chromosomes...infuriating.

Here's a link about Palin cutting special needs funding in Alaska by 62% (with sources): http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/3/163229/8631

Thank you, Heather! I also come from a family of Republicans and we just cannot speak about politics at all. Ever. Out of no where, BOTH of my Republican parents voted Democrat in the TX Primary! As did my husband's family. We both almost fell over! Texans aren't all out of touch!!! We believe in HOPE. For all of us....not just a select few!

OBAMA 2008!!!!!

Thank you so much for putting into words exactly what I've been feeling. I am so tired of the more taxes = supporting lazy welfare trash argument. Government has a responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves. It is crazy to me there are those who would disagree with that statement. I live in Indiana. Don't count us out. We're more purple than anything these days. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get out and vote in November.

Well said. I wish you could say more. Once my dad complained about how much he pays in taxes. It was a huge number. I was like "Dude, do you know how much money you had to make to pay that much in taxes!" How much money is enough???

Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I barely slept last night b/c I kept dreaming about this awful woman and the campaign she and Voldemort are going to run between now and November. It scares the sh*t out of me and my husband.

Srsly! How do they get away with claiming that they are the smaller government - less taxes - healthy economy party!?!? The federal deficit has BALLOONED under the GOP reign, the economy is in the tank, and Obama's economic plan will cut more taxes for more people (just not the super rich) than McCain's.

Yet another reason I like you.

Heather, I almost cried after I read your post. And not just because some of the views McCain/Palin and other conservatives have give nothing to the greater good. Mostly because I understand what it's like to have a family member who can't afford insurance, who desperately needs it after 2 short stays in a psychiatric hospital for suicidal ideation because of chronic headaches that have not been diagnosed and treated so that he is no longer in excrutiating pain everyday.

Your writing has helped me through my own depression this year - being weaned off of Cymbalta because it no longer works for me, and dealing with the emotional roller coaster that goes along with that experience. Thank you for letting women know all over the planet that we have a voice and it should be heard.

I had been reading the link to the Palin fact sheet on yahoo and couldn't find that page again until I came to your blog.

Thanks again for making your voice heard.

Kim NW Indiana

Nice link to the AP article. I've been hitting FactCheck.org waiting for their analysis of last night. There were too many half-truths and bald-faced lies for me to keep track of.

Thank you too, for eloquently expressing my own outrage. How dare any party 'pick a skirt' and expect that to change my vote. How dare any party tell me I should identify with their nominee because we have the same sex chromosomes. And how dare any party insult my intelligence by assuming I won't check a candidate's record on the issues before casting my vote.

I very much agree with your post.

This is an excellent response to the Republicans' denigration of community organizers:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/4/105623/5197/586/586233

I grew up in a family without health insurance, had to work three jobs throughout college to pay for tuition myself, and I'm voting for McCain/Palin. My family gives back a tremendous amount to our community and to those in need, even though we have always had very little ourselves. It's about something bigger than socialized medicine or welfare. As much as I hate the dirtyness of politics in general and wish there were an ideal candidate who combined the best of Dems and Republicans, I go with the side that is the most supportive of family and life issues. Because what do we have without either of those things?

Just weighing in on the other side . . .

Ugh, I very much agree. The Palin angle scares the shit out of me and I am truly, truly shocked and offended by how many people now assume that I will consider McCain now that he up and chose a woman. I wish I had more confidence that our country would see through this bullshit ticket and make a choice that gives us half a chance to recover from the barrage of stupid that we've been wallowing in for the last 8 years.

Overheard in a bar: Palin? She's Quayle with tits.

Tell it, Heather.

I'm so grateful for you having said something that clearly resonates with so many of us. I only hope that everyone will open their eyes wide to the antics of the Republicans this time and call it what it is.....hypocrisy and deceit.
Thank you for taking advantage of your reach with this. We will all owe you one in November!

Obama 08!

I agree with Heather. This stuff is ridiculous. We as a nation need to get out of the Dark Ages (and get over the Civil War, for f*ck's sake) and embrace what the civilized world now takes for granted. All those who go on and on about "taxes" and "morality" are the most appalling hypocrites. And the thought of destroying the natural world for a few more years of disgusting consumption makes me ill.

Heather, DITTO! Thank you for writing that.
Can I just say that John McCain is fucking old and if he croaks then Palin is our President! This is the problem that people have.........also, just a few months ago wasnt she asking what a VP does anyway? Now all of the sudden she wants the job? I dont get it. Dont get it.
I think my head might explode if McCain wins the election. I dont even want to think about it. Thank you for saying what so many of us are thinking...............AMEN!

As a woman, I am absolutely offended that McCain has chosen an underqualified beauty queen as V.P. As an American, I am terrified that someone with so little experience could literally be a 'heart beat away' from the presidency (especially frightening with an elderly heart as the #1).

THANK YOU.

I was worried Americans were falling for it.

Good to hear, very good - I 100% agree: Obama 08, and not just for America!

Heather in Canada

I have thought recently that if business selected leadership this way, letting candidates provide twisted truths and attacks... what would that be like?

Elections are why I registered as an independent. Party politics does not elect good leaders. Leaders are discovered using critical thinking to look for patterns of accomplishment, consistency of values with the hiring organization and the ability to bring smart experts from all backgrounds to the table/team. Leaders know how to motivate people to get things done.

I'm voting Obama.....

I also keep donating small amounts to the campaign because it does represent the way great organizations run... ground up.

I agree with you to an extent. But do you seriously believe that socializing healthcare is best for our country? So now everyone can have crappy healthcare like Canada? If people had more dispoable income in their pockets, then they would be much more likely, willing and able to contribute large chunks of it to charitabe programs that would help these people out. Even you said you are willing to give to help others. Most people are. But I am not in favor of handing that money over to the government to squander it. And if you believe that is the right answer, then I must admit, you have little or no faith of the goodness of the American people. And that is sad.

Thank you Heather! Right, fucking on! I feel the winds of change.

Thank you for this. You are absolutely right. (I felt physically ill last night watching the convention) Unfortunately, the people who really need to read this, won't. But I applaud you for speaking out about it in such a public forum. Keep it up - it makes the rest of us feel like we're not alone.

I am disgusted by the media's glowing reaction to Palin's speech. What I saw was amateur hour, it was like she was auditioning for her own show on the Fox News Channel. Her childish and condescending language was repulsive.
The really terrible thing is that the Republicans will probably win in November because the same people who put W in office the past two elections will come out and vote McCain into office. If you're tired of the neo-cons and religious right telling you to be scared of terrorists, immigrants, Obama, Iran, sex, the list goes on and on. . . VOTE!

Seriously?

So, you're self proclaimed one of change Obama (who has yet to convince anyone aside from his crying, love-struck, followers) is not the Messiah he has been morphed into by the liberal, far left Democratic party. I was sick at my stomach watching the people on the floor of the Democratic national convention. As if he was Elvis. Or some Greek God in front of that ridiculous set.

Sarah Palin has more experience in the communities than "the community organizer." Whose community is failing. Children in the very community he "organized" are leaving the schools because they are so nasty. You dont see people in the rural schools doing that. And he makes those of us IN those rural communities feel that we dont even matter by the way he talks about Palin's experience as a mayor of a small town. She ripped him a new one last night. A WELL DESERVED NEW ONE. And I hope its a wound that doesnt heal.

Your blog is great. Just stick to the kid stories and the dog pictures.

Amen Heather. Let's just hope that rational thought and sanity are not the minority come November!

Amen sister!

Well said!

Wow. Powerful and succinct and completely true. Thank you so much. I don't think I could ever explain it better to my OWN arch-conservative, religious fanatic family members. Would you mind if I just printed some copies and silently passed them out when confronted with the fully-loaded, "So, watching the Convention?"

Good for you. Thank you for this. It is a true public service. I feel genuinely angry that McCain picked Palin as his running mate, like, does he think this election is one big joke? Does he think the future of our country is one big joke?

Agreed on all counts. And more...
Let me just add that we have had EIGHT YEARS of stupid. I'm tired of intelligence being equated with "elitism". It's OK to be smart and well educated. Vote Obama.

PREACH ON, SISTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm near tears.

Only you can do that.

And only WE can make this right.

C'mon, America, don't let the world down again, again.

Thank you for this post.

I recently responded to a YouTube video of someone who will be voting republican this year. I stated my problem with one major issue that had been coming up over and over again in the comments. Her reply to me was in part "Education is the solution to everything." Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in this country who do not have access to adequate education (HS or college) and her response assumes they do. Even more infuriating to me is we were talking about sexual education and that education can be even more severely lacking.

Heather, I am a social worker who has worked with HIV-infected children as well as abused and neglected kids. I am a Republican.

It irritates me when my more liberal friends decry all Republicans as heartless individuals obsessed with taxes. If you spend any time in my community, you'll meet Democrats and Republicans who care about supporting families and children. Reforms in healthcare, education and social policies are important to me. Please do not label all Republicans as heartless.

Am I thrilled with Palin? No. I think there were plenty of more qualified individuals for the position. Her performance last night did not persuade me that she is prepared to serve as President. It did, however, demonstrate to me that she appears to be an intelligent, articulate person.

I think it is great that you are passionate about your candidate. Please beat the drum for him as much as you like. I would appreciate it if you would stop grouping all Republicans or conservatives as caring less about families than you do. That fact is simply not true.

And your last sentence is the best point of all, and the part I don't get at all about the people in charge the last eight years and their many, shocking supporters. All their actions are in contradiction to the beliefs they supposedly hold. And the God they claim put them in charge.

Awesome write-up Heather!

But, Lisa--
Respectfully, you had that choice, and took it not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. How on earth can you possibly rail against it or deny someone else that choice now?
--
175. Lisa said:

Please consider that the most important thing we can fight for is the RIGHT TO LIFE. What does it say about us all as humans when we live in a world that allows the killing of innocent babies before they can see the light of day? Many years ago I would have agreed with you, Dooce, and the many commenters here so far. But that was back when I was willing to abort three of my children. Needless to say, I really did not understand the worth of a human life back then. And needless to say, not a day goes by that I do not regret my choices. Not a day goes by that I do not mourn my children. I sure wish it hadn't been an option.
America, please consider this issue thoroughly when choosing who gets your vote.

Amen. It is frustrating seeing the convention-goers act like idiots...but I do see room for some hope. I work for a Christian church, and in 2000 and 2004, I had all I could do to deal with the pro-Bush righteousness. But I hear none of that kind of political blabbing now. I hear one pastor saying "I'm seriously considering Obama," and know that there are even more wheels spinning. The irony of the Republican platform equaling Christianity is growing more apparent, it seems. After all, though McCain hasn't given his speech yet, which speech can you see Jesus more likely to deliver? AMEN!

238. Earme

They're talking about good parenting, too, not just school. Teaching your kids to do the right thing and all that jazz.

Yes. To the whole post.

Why do people continue to say that Obama lacks experience? Are you just repeating soundbites from conservative news outlets?

He has 4 years in U.S. Senate, 8 years in the Illinois Senate, and before that, 5 years as a Civil Rights lawyer and Constitutional Law professor on the South Side of Chicago. Obama has the EXACT type of experience that I can get behind.

As a 30-year old, white, agnostic, working mom to a biracial little girl, I can honestly say that I've never been so excited to vote in my life.

Delurking here.

Mrs. Armstrong, I truly believe that you are a gifted and wonderful writer. I've been reading your blog for years, and it's been a real privilege to watch you and your family grow.

Having said this, I understand that this post was written in frustration. You're allowed to do that! However, I feel the need to apologize for all of those Republicans who have pushed you to such course. I also want to point out that we're not all as you have depicted.

There have been a few comments written from "the right" in response to your entry, and everyone has voiced their opinions in a calm, intellectual fashion that invites discourse, not anger. I'd also like to point out that there are plenty of Democrats (and Independents, and Libertarians, etc.) that are just as gung-ho and incensing in the way they doggedly stick towards their belief systems and express their mores with insult and ire.

Again, I understand your frustration, but I ask that you make a little allowance for those of us who are trying to maintain the debate with class and dignity. To lump all Republicans into one group is as much an injustice as going in front of a global stage and saying all Americans are alike, or that all women share the same traits. Regardless of your beliefs, or my beliefs, I just ask that you "individualize" rather than "categorize."

Allow me to be another echo of your voice of reason. You very beautifully and very powerfully put this into words that I believe speak for the majority of your readers, if not the majority of the country.

I'm also willing to contribute to the "Let's All Move to Canada" fund if McCain and his sexy puppet actually win this damn thing. I'll bring edamame.

reCAPTCHA: therein heather (how freakin cool, or what?!)

Fuck Yea!
Go Obama Go!

I lost my job a little over a week ago. I went in the last day I had insurance to refill my migraine medication they couldn't refill it because it was to I sill had 5 days left before I could refill. I had taken the last pill the day before. So I get to start my uninsured time with no friggin migraine medication. I haven't had to suffer a migraine without medication for YEARS! I am scared! I remember how bad they got.

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Bottom line, this is all about big government--has nothing to do with wanting or not wanting to help the needy. Everyone with a kind heart wants to help the needy, and democrats do not have a monopoly on kind hearts, regardless of what narrow minded libs think.

Conservatives, who hide behind their cigars and bon-bons apparently, simply don't want their government to help the needy for them. In a Capitalist society, which we still are (at least until November), it's the "Big Evil Corporations" which help the American people. And, with a few unfortunate exceptions, THEY DO!

Also, why are liberals so afraid of drilling in the US? Just because we drill here doesn't mean we'll be consuming MORE oil...we'll just be consuming OUR oil! Wake up, environmentalists! It all comes from SOMEWHERE in in this world! Is American oil more sacred that it has to remain put?

Oh wait, I've got it. They want us to remain dependent on foreign oil so we'll outsource all those jobs to other countries just so OUR coastline, which rarely anyone sees, can remain pristine. Brilliant.

Sorry, rant over. I love reading your blog, Heather, but you should leave politics out of it. IMO.

I grew up in one "welfare state" (Denmark) and 26 years ago, I emigrated to what some consider another "welfare state" (Canada), so I guess it could be argued that I've been indoctrinated by Commies. Still, I believe that you can tell a lot about a society by how it treats its most vulnerable members.

And here's the thing: I am one of those people who benefit from other people's taxes. I've had rheumatoid arthritis since I was a child, use a wheelchair and taxpayers are paying for the attendant care staff who comes to help me several times a day. Because of this, I can live independently in my own apartment, integrated in the community instead of festering in a nursing home, surrounded by people twice my age. And four years ago, my RA flared so badly that I'm pretty sure I was going to die. But I didn't, because I got approved for a program funded by taxpayers money and it pays for a miracle medication that meant I didn't die. Meant I got my life back, got better, could continue to volunteer in my community to make it a better place to live, could be here when my sister had children and be part of their lives and could start a writing career that gives me an income so I can pay taxes.

I am still on a miracle medication and every time I take it, I send a silent thank you to the taxpayers of Ontario, Canada. For giving me back my life.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post... oh MAN, I was feeling so hopeless after last night, but THANK YOU for voicing exactly what I was feeling...

So glad that you wrote this. I have been feeling the SAME way about this whole thing. I want to scream at the television.

I am one of those people having insurance issues. While my husband's job does OFFER insurance, it is an 80/20 plan. My daughter has two heart defects, and scoliosis that requires a brace. The bills were piling up, and we were already struggling to make ends meet, so we applied for a low cost insurance plan through the state for her. We were approved, but because Zoe's health issues are considered chronic, and will require life long treatment, the low cost insurance will not cover treatment for those issues.
We had to apply for a supplemental plan through California Childrens Services. We had to jump through hoops, and argued back and forth for a long time with them.
One supervisor told me that California does not care if you are going to go broke paying for your child's health care. If you are offered insurance through your job, even an 80/20 plan, you take a big girl pill and deal with the bills. Zoe's care would have eventually driven us to bankruptcy if we had listened to them.

Something's gotta give. I know I cannot live with eight more years of this.

Thought for the day:

Jesus was a community organizer...
Pontius Pilate was a governor.
---
---
222. HJW said: Sarah Palin has more experience in the communities than "the community organizer." Whose community is failing. Children in the very community he "organized" are leaving the schools because they are so nasty. You dont see people in the rural schools doing that. And he makes those of us IN those rural communities feel that we dont even matter by the way he talks about Palin's experience as a mayor of a small town. She ripped him a new one last night. A WELL DESERVED NEW ONE. And I hope its a wound that doesnt heal.

Heather for President! Armstrong - Obama baby!

THANK YOU HEATHER! I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!

It still astounds me to think that the phrase "socialized medicine" has BAD connotations in this country. I mean it's funny if you're into black humour.

America can come up with its own system of universal health care---it doesn't have to look like any other country's. I love my adopted country, I feel it an honour to live here, and it's painful to see how it resists living up to its own standards of human rights and responsibilities.

I recommend the PBS documentary "Sick Around the World". Thought-provoking, and available in full online!

And I come to Heather B. Armstrong's website for everything she can throw at me.

Kristen said is soooo great I have to reprint it!!!!

There are also true physically conservative people who have rather liberal social views. Trying to merry the two is difficult. I believe that there are MANY people who label themselves "republican" as I do - yet are also Pro-Choice, Pro-Gay Rights, and Pro "HELPING PEOPLE". Obama has great ideas, I feel he is a good man - but he gives me (and this is my opinion) the feeling that he wants to sprinkle fairy dust on the woes of our country and it will all be better. The polarization that has happened in our country of pitting one group against the other is neither helpful nor productive.

P.S. Obviously Amy (#260) doesn't understand that it's her prerogative to stop reading at any time. Please tell me she doesn't have final copy approval, LOL

I've stopped being polite. I now just answer with brutal honesty. It's amazing how few conservatives in my life are asking follow up questions. This is how the conversations are going:

Conservative friend/relative: So, what do you think of McCain?
Me: What should I think of a politician who believes that his children should have the right to marry but not my son/your grandchild/nephew/friend?
C f/r: Uh.

Conservative friend/relative: So, what do you think of Palin?
Me: I wish she's give me and my family the same right to privacy and respect for choices concerning uplanned pregancies as I am giving her.
C f/r: Oh.

Also, my husband has served two combat tours in Iraq. So the first thing I ask peopel who suppor the war is if they are a veteran or have a spouse/kid serving. If they do, I'll listen and talk. If not, I will not. You support this war? Pick up a gun and go fight it or hand your kid the gun. Otherwise, shut the hell up about how damn patriotic it makes you to want to send my husband back for a third tour.

In otherwords, rock on and thank you for sharing your story.

Your desire and willingness to help people who need it is refreshing, and hopefully infectious. We all, liberal and conservative alike, could stand to be more charitable.

If only we could have an intelligent debate, based on logical argument, about whether it makes sense to channel that charity through the federal government, then we could spare our emotions, family relationships and blood pressures.

I think you're up to the task. Turn over a new leaf.

Heather! Thank you!

Thank you for speaking the truth - and a truth that me, as a "non-mom" is not allowed to speak against Sarah Palin. The selection was pandering, insulting and a bad calculation. She speaks well, she may "connect" - but so does my hostess at the local CoCo's. I only wish the Palin family well, but McCain's selection speaks volumes about him and what he believes the US needs right now.

Thank you for having the guts, brains and loyalty to speak the truth!

Lori in Boston

Just out of curiosity..why would Leta be denied insurance until she's 13 just for having a flat head? My son was "diagnosed" with plagiocephaly at 4 months..we took him to some p.t. for a few months and now his head is not perfectly round or anything, but its okay. But why no insurance because of something that's essentially cosmetic? (I realize this was not the point of your topic, but I cannot even begin to talk politics without getting all crazy).

You've put into words what every common sense American is thinking, one who is not being blindly led by the Conservative Christian Right.

Obama is going to raise taxes! Oh my! Well, maybe if we had finished the job in Afghanistan before jumping into Iraq we wouldn't have spent over 3 TRILLION DOLLARS on this unjust war.

I'm tired of the Republicans-Guiliani and McCain himself (Maverick my ASS!)-who have pandered to that extreme and have flipped their original, moderate positions.

I listened to Palin's speech last night and was appalled that those people in that arena could sit there and cheer the sarcasm and LIES.

Wake up America!! VOTE OBAMA.

Bravo! I completely agree but am more often than not, quiet about it because I know very few people who agree. (I'm hoping I just know selfish people!)
As a child, my family grew up on public welfare because my father left my mom with 6 kids and was never heard from again. She was born in 1925 and except during world war II, no one had ever EXPECTED her to work so she really didn't have any skills beyond homemaker. I KNOW that this is one of the things our taxes are for and that this is what makes us good people who care about fellow Americans.

"Republicans stand for the greater good."

Holy shit, that is the funniest thing I have ever read.

Where have you been living the last eight years?

Seriously. Please explain to me how the people in charge in Washington in the last eight years have positively influenced the greater good? (If you say anything about the Democrats having power, I will fact check your ass back under the church pew you crawled out from under.)

I. WANT. TO. KNOW.

I was beginning to think that the Republican pod people had eaten the brains of all thinking women on the planet. Thank you, Heather.

A-fucking men, Heather. A-men.

I can't bring myself to watch the actual RNC -- I got my blood pressure checked last week and it was normal, I'd like to keep it that way. But the coverage on "The Daily Show" has been brilliant. The segment they ran last night higlighting the hypocrisy of the Republican machine about the Palin issue ("Karl Rove deeply divided") should win them another Peabody Award.

Heather,

I love your website but really think you are wrong on this one. is the healthcare system broken? no. certainly out of whack, but not completely broken. would all your commenters really want the same people that run the DMV running our healthcare? the $300/month you are currently paying for Leta's insurance is far less than the amount that your taxes would increase under universal healthcare. Also, the quality of care would go down. a couple of other points: 1. it is comical to me that their are people who genuinely think that Obama has more experience than Palin. 2. on average, republican spend more of their income giving to charity than dems do (http://philanthropy.com/free/articles/v19/i04/04001101.htm)

YES YES YES.

The lack of social consciences in this country sickens and terrifies me. Reading through some of these comments really reinforced, for me, the true need we have of more help for the middle class and lower.

Maybe we need to start switching rallies, or something. Liberals should start showing up at conservative functions to impress upon these politicians their concerns, and vice versa. Too often politicians are simply reinforced by their own faithful and see nothing beyond that. They say they talk to real Americans, know and connect with real Americans, but how can that be true and such socially unjust policies still stand?

Very well said. As an occupational therapist, and reluctant member of a healthcare community that deigns to serve only those who can afford it, I have been appalled by the current administration and the "conservatives" that continue to support it. I have been experiencing a feeling best described as impotent rage as I warily watch the RNC procedings. Sarah Palin is the most dangerous talking head out there; one who knows just enough to be dangerous, but really doesn't have the understanding to back up her screaming arguments. I find her to be terrifying at best, and her scary views about abortion (not even in cases of rape or incest?! What are you? Fucking nuts is what!), the environment (Please, help yourself to ANWR...this global warming is crap), and her flagrant lies about not accepting unnecessary monies from Congress (AK accepted the most money per capita of any state in the nation). I don't know where to turn or who to scream at about this terrifying woman and her idiot running mate. I fear for our country and our rights, which is not a phrase that I usually care to throw around. People who accept her and John McCain's rhetoric are in a dangerous position, one of being easily coerced and led down a very slippery slope.