From Around the Web:

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I liked this comment:

"I believe that Sarah Palin's performance during the first Gibson interview proves that her confidence is not ill founded. Sarah immediately recognized the implications of the questions asked her...

... [she] was not trying to conceal nervousness, She was trying to conceal her fury at Charles Gibson's Utter Stupidity."

-- Larry Schumacher

You know, he just might be right... GS


Another fine bit...

I like the David Shipler riff. I think we have a new parlor game. Remember "Six Degrees from Kevin Bacon?" How about: "Six Degrees from Smearing Obama?"

Here's how it goes: Say a word, any word. Then pick another word that the first word could suggest due to being a synonym or through (someone's notion of) association.

Let's have a try. How about a very common name that also happens to belong to Obama's VP pick: Joe. So, "Joe" which can mean "Coffee" which is often taken "Black" which...Oh, Oh - sorry Joe! You're just 3 degrees from a possibly nasty slur on your new boss.

How about "President" as in "Obama is running for President?" Let's see: "President" who is the "Leader" which can mean a "Top Story" and a story can be "Fiction" which can mean "Lie." So, are you trying to say Barack's a LIAR?

This is fun. But also instructive. Ed's onto something with this Shipler riff. Maybe we should all shut up already, avoid words and let this guy get on with the presidency, already.

Also, at play, in addition to the "Six Degrees from Smearing Obama" is what I call the "Duality of Compliments Effect" or "What, are you saying I'm NOT..." I remember as a kid when my best friend once complimented his older sister saying, "Hey, you look pretty..." and she went off saying, "Are you saying I don't USUALLY...?! Any statement about an attribute can be interpreted as highlighting an exception to the rule. Hence, the blow back that Joe (no offense intended) Biden experienced when he complimented Obama's demeanor.

The Obama camp has certainly been using a bag of rhetorical tricks to lay claim the use of language. For the guy who believes the presidency, the presidential seal,worldwide human expectation, the oceans and, indeed, history belong to him - well, why begrudge him 26 letters (we'll keep the lowercase).

--SCall

And finally:

as a non-black, non-white, i would like to make some third party observations:

john mccain has a daughter who is darker skinned than barrack obama.

mccain almost picked gov. jindal who is darker skinned than obama.

mccain has never mentioned his opponent's race.

obama is constantly reminding us of his race.

gov. palin is married to an eskimo.

hussein is sen. obama's legal middle name.

millions would vote for colin powell in an instant.

millions would vote for condi rice in an instant.

if barrack obama went moose shooting, the moose would die laughing.

--gordon pong

The Gunslinger
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