So, this is sort of a test and sort of to address stuff I didn’t talk about in my last attempt.

I’m a life-long Alaskan folks. And I gotta tell you that if you’ve gotten your impression of Governor Palin from … well … pretty much from anywhere I’ve seen, you’ve been given a twisted image. She’s not nearly the “empty blouse” she seems to appear. Granted, this is a small town girl’s first foray out into the big wide world and she’s stumbled a bit. But a lot of it I blame on McCain and his “handlers”. They’ve had her so locked down, you haven’t had a chance to see the real Sarah. And she’s trying to do what “the boss” wants. This isn’t her turn to be the boss. So instead of letting her own thoughts out she’s trying to parrot the “approved talking points” she’s been told not to stray from. (Rumor has it that she’s fed up with it too!)

But this woman *single-handedly* (really, *she* flat did it) pulled Alaska out of the slime. As head of the Oil & Gas Administration she learned that the Big Oil companies were buying legislators. She couldn’t get anywhere telling anyone about it (everyone already pretty much assumed it … people have run on reform tickets for years up here and if elected either just join the gravy train or get nowhere fast). So she quit and ran for the boss’s job: Governor. Won it in a landslide and then brought in the FBI (whom she’d *already* gotten involved) and took on all the vested powers in the state. And won, hands down. She took down the big boys without batting an eye. Frankly, Stevens wouldn’t be a felon now if Palin hadn’t started the corruption cleanup rolling. Lots of powerful people are indicted, behind bars or headed there. Once the oil companies found out she couldn’t be bought or bullied … they started playing fair and she actually has a good working relationship with them now. But she is the first governor in a very long time that wasn’t just a doormat for them. Much more good stuff on her most folks haven’t heard, but I’m using up more than my share of Fred’s blog [Eg: Bet you didn't know she has a higher security clearance than either Obama or Biden!] Come on over. See what Alaskan’s think before being edited by the media! I’ve got *lots* more: http://www.alaskanwoulds.blogspot.com/

If McCain wins … even the elites who run Washington can’t keep her out. They didn’t want Reagan either. She is *the* wild card in the deck and the one thing that actually panicked the liberals and the elites.

And panicking them is always a good thing

Backwoods

Fred is *absolutely* right that it is *always* ok to vote your conscience! There are a number of times I’ve voted for the Libertarian ticket instead of voting for one of the candidates of the Republocrats single party system. In fact, I’ve voted Libertarian for President more times than Republican (or Democrat combined . A lot of times it makes more sense. Instead of “wasting” my vote which isn’t going to matter as to which of the major party candidates gets elected [this is particularly true here in Alaska where the election is often done, slammed closed, and concession speeches made before the polls even close], voting Libertarian can make a real difference. For instance, up here any party that gets 3% of the vote gets automatic ballot status next time around. Otherwise they have to gather signatures and have petition drives and jump through all sorts of hoops. My vote is a lot more likely to do some real good voting Libertarian in such cases. But, even were that not true, we need to encourage more choices not less! I wouldn’t vote for Ralph Nader if they promised me a new chicken in every garage and a new car in every pot. But I’m still glad to see him run every year (and not just because he draws mostly from the Dems). Same with the Greenies. And certainly I am delighted to have the Libertarians on the ballot. A couple elections ago we elected Wally Hickel (a former Republican Alaska Governor and former Sectretary of the Interior under Nixon … who fired him later on! on the Alaska Independence Party ticket! Historically our forefathers didn’t intend for us to have a two-party system. Jefferson was horrified when that’s the way things started forming up.

I’ll swallow hard and vote for McCain/Palin this time. Mostly because I think it is so critical to do whatever I can to stop Obama. [It would be nice to think he'll be a failed "Carter" type president Fred. In fact I almost pity the person and party that wins this one because of the mess they are going to inherit ... but the amount of permanent damage Obama could do in one term is enough to scare the bejesus out of me.] But also because of a bit of local pride in having our Governor in the race.

But I have never objected to someone voting their conscience … even when I think their conscience is nuts! (Which is clearly NOT true of Fred.)

I have just one thing I have to take exception to in your post though, Fred. That is the suggestion that everyone should vote. In a perfect world … everyone would have thought about the candidates and issues sufficiently to make an informed choice. But in the real world … if the only thing a voter *really* knows is which candidate the folks who are bussing him to the polls wants him to vote for … I think he ought to stay home. I agree that every citizen has a duty to be informed about the issues. But if they’ve already failed that part and are incapable therefore of making an informed choice as to who to vote for … I certainly still agree that they have the *right* to vote. But I also think they’ve got no business pulling the lever for anyone.

‘Nuff on that!

As a life-long Alaskan on the gray side of 50 I’ve got lots of good material and a completely different take on Palin than you’ll ever see in the mainstream media. Drop on by. Coffee’s on.

http://www.alaskanwoulds.blogspot.com/

Backwoods

[Oh, btw Fred ... I agree with you completely on McCain and the buyout ... on my blog under "McBama the Debate".]

Ah, but Fred, he’s their halfbreed muzzie bastard. He’s black and the rage. They are making history. Oh ye of little faith.

Ah, but Fred, he’s their halfbreed muzzie bastard. He’s black and the rage. They are making history.

Well, that explains it…

You have to be an old timer blogger with Fred and I in order to understand this one

If you’ve read my blog recently, you’ll note that I’ve just about “had it.” Its clear from my readership (as was so pointedly shown to me by another blogger who touted 10000 hits per day for a post on the “attacks of October 7th” and elsewhere where a prediction of American cities being destroyed by a terrorist attack during an Obama presidency), I have no role or influence. So be it. I guess I’ve pissed off alot of people.

May I be so bold as to say that Ovomit is the singularly MOST un-American candidate we’ve EVER had.

The only comfortI have is the thought that I lived through some of the best years this country’s seen. The USA I grew up in, is gone. No doubt about that. How far gone it is going to go is still to be seen.