This was going to be a thinks to do post.

[mizkit]

But then I read dduane/Diane Duane’s link to Aaron Sorkin’s extremely excellent President Bartlett/Senator Obama interview and now I am exasperated.

I understand why it’s an issue. I understand why it keeps getting run up the flagpole. I understand that it’s a flawless example of the flip-flopping that Republicans have gotten away with time and time

Comments

[charlotteu]

I didn't know a large portion of that, but then, I can't vote in America ;) Or give money, apparently, which is fair enough though the first time I've really been inspired to.

What I've never really understood, in the constant coverage of US elections in the UK, is the massive importance abortion law seems to play in the election-it always seems to be one of the critical issues. Maybe I don't understand it because our abortion law is (thankfully for the moment) fairly reasonable.

[mizkit]

That's one of the more rational summaries about abortion that I've ever read. As you say, it is much, much more complicated than this, but this also really does a very nice job of explaining the situation. Well done.

And don't get started about guns. Not on my blog, anyway. I don't want flamewars going on. :)

[merlinofchaos]

That's also entirely too rational. Part of the whole debate is completely *irrational*. It is intentionally used as a wedge issue, because the extremists on one side can call pro-choice people murderers. This does interesting things to part of the political process by making any other issues absolutely unimportant.

[ramurphy]

Alaska has fewer than 675,000 people and is 550,000 square miles in area. The biggest city is Anchorage, whose population numbers around 300,000. The only other cities with populations greater than 30,000 are Juneau, the capital, and Fairbanks; and neither of them is even close to 40,000. Then there's a precipitous drop to under 10,000. There is nothing in between. Ketchikan is in fact the fourth largest city in Alaska, right after Sitka.

On a personal level I object to the term "pro-life" and "pro-abortion". I prefer the terms "pro-choice" and "anti-choice", which seem to me to more clearly define the issue.

[la_marquise_de_]

Thank you: that's the most informative piece I've read to date on Palin. Who scares me, too.

[mizkit]

Man, if that's the most informative piece you've read on her, I should be writing more articles. I'm glad it was useful, though. I wasn't sure if anybody was going to read it. :)

[tayefeth]

Thank you for this. Palin terrifies me for her stance on the issues, and I'm further terrified by the fact that the Democrats don't seem to willing attack her (and McCain) on the significant issues. Unless I've missed the ads pointing out the McCain supported the Wall Street deregulation that's led to the current economic mess and his chief economic advisor Phil Gramm actually wrote that deregulation, as well as the rape and forced-pregnancy views Sarah Palin has.

[dancinghorse]

I think they're saving that for October, when it will be closer to the election and hit harder.

It's already out there in the blogosphere. The regular media will get hold of it in another couple of weeks.

[wedschilde]

we adore alaska too... even if they tend to vote conservative :::grins from the native hawaiian:::: and god, nov 4 is going to keel me ded.