Extremely Confused Would-Be Commander-in-Chief Launches "Harshest Attack Yet" on Woman Who's Not Technically Even His Opponent

This is the man we want leading America-- a simpleton who becomes irrational and unbalanced when challenged by a woman, and continues falling into the trap of having a debate with McCain's junior officer, rather than his actual opponent for the presidency.

As Allah says, it's rather rich that Obama, who's requrested three-quarters of a billion dollars in earmarks, including for his wife's hospital, which then coincidentally promoted her and gave her a ginormous raise, should be questioning the pork-appetite of a former mayor and governor.

Mayors and governors do not represent the interests of the entire country as Senators do, Obama. A mayor is a local official and a governor a state official. They do not, as Senators, represent both their home constituency and the entire nation at large.

But even setting aside that: Palin's dipped her snout into the trough a whole lot less than Obama, who has requested almost $1 million in earmarks for every day he's been in the Senate.

In the Senate? Well, not in the Senate most of the time. Let's just say he draws a paycheck from the Senate and leave it at that.

I had suggested that Obama would fall into this trap... but I didn't really entirely believe that. I thought he'd lapse into this, but would then be restrained by his coaches and handlers, the people actually running the campaign that supposedly is proof of his competency for the highest executive office.

And yet here we are. Another day, another land war in Asia for the scary-qualified leader whose judgment is unimpeachable.

I'm not knocking Obama for taking on a woman, mind you (although doing so is made especially problematic, given his dismissive treatment of Hillary in the primaries). I consider Palin his equal -- much more than his mere equal, actually, so it's not a question of "Mean Man picking on Poor Little Lady." Palin can take whatever this naive neophyte can dish out.

It's just that... she... is... not... running... for President. But Obama is elevating her to the presidential level. So the race, it seems, consists of two candidates of presidential timber on the Republican side, and one weak, confused jackass on the Democrat side.

And somewhere Joe Biden is talking to an unenthusiastic crowd of three dozen people, half of whom were confused by his constant mentions of "Scranton" and showed up in the erroneous belief that he was Dwight K. Shrute from The Office.

Norman Conquest explains Obama's variation of "The Chicago Way:"

You wanna know how to get McCain? They pull a knife, you pull a hissy fit.

They pull a gun, you call a press conference to tell the media how mean they are.

She attacks your record, you attack her 17-year-old daughter.

She fights back, you hide behind Hillary's skirts.

That's the Chicago way, and that's how you get McCain!

Oh! And Obama's attempt to get Hillary to fight his battles for him hasn't worked out so well. She says, basically, "Yeah, sure, I'll get to it when I get to it."

You know what can arrest Palinmania? Sebiliusmania!

OODA: Several readers and bloggers have noted that McCain is inside Obama's OODA loop (which is, I think, a pilot catchphrase for the decision cycle of Observe-Orient-Decide-Act as elaborated (I think) by 30th level Master Pilot John Boyd).

Here's one mistake Obama's making (among many). Sarah Palin is not, in fact, the most easily assailed member of the ticket. John McCain is. And John McCain is, of course, the more important target.

Now, I don't have access to their internal polling or their strategy. Perhaps they feel absolutely forced to take on Palin. (And if so -- wow. That means their polling is showing she's a deadly threat to them. And that she is not an "Attack Dog," as vice presidential candidates often are, but some mutant form of Super Killer Attack Dog -- an attack dog people actually bother listening to and believe.)

But it is so much easier, it seems to me, to attack John McCain for his weaknesses.

But McCain and Palin are just now outright mindfucking him. He probably is smart enough to know he's doing all the wrong things, but he just has no idea of what else he can possibly do.

And neither, it seems, does his brain-trust of 300 super-talented scary-smart advisers, who will similarly respond with open-mouthed stupidity if, God forbid, he calls upon them for advice in dealing with Vladimir Putin.

JackM's Thoughts: JackM. wrote similar thoughts in an email and suggested I polish it.

Well, Jack, I'll polish it the same way I polish most of my stuff-- not at all. But I do think it's plenty polished enough for a blog post, anyway.

Is Obama displaying the judgment and cool under fire we want in a CinC? I don't think so.

One of the thing that American's look for in a prospective President, and that actually can be revealed by the stress of running for President, is how that would be Commander in Chief, responds to a crisis.

This typically doesn't reveal itself in primary battles. Those are inter-squad scrimmages where everyone is on the same page, and the audience is specifically narrow and pre-disposed to give you the benefit of the doubt.

These instances arise after "first contact" with the other side. Opposing parties are capable of throwing any number of unforeseen or unexpected challenges in your way.

The selection of Palin presents Obama with the first truly legitimate instance in which the American people can see how he would respond to an unexpected event.

Can anyone say that Obama has displayed any sense of knowing how to respond adversity?

All he has essentially done since the Palin announcement is flounder. His responses have been all over the map. He criticizes her, then walks it back. He has surrogates attack her, then flips on that. He chief reactions have been those of denial (She's a Mayor of Wasilly) and self-pity (Why are the mean Republicans ridiculing my resume???)

Denial and Self Pity. Those are the traits that indicate he could handle the sudden vaporization of an American city?

When Bin Laden attacked was the American response one of denial and self-pity, or one of confidence, determination and resolve?

I would argue that the latter traits are the ones that McCain-Palin have been effectively conveying.

Palin, by essentially rising above her doubters and critics on the biggest possible stage. McCain by charting his own course, and doggedly sticking to it, despite an onslaught of personal attacks on his character, judgment, etc. One of the reasons the "Eagleton" meme was so weak is that, unlike McGovern, McCain never seemed to waver in his doubts about the quality of the person he selected. Even the little things like welcoming Levi into the campaign's extended family, display this.

I don't think anyone could seriously argue that the last week has been a "crisis management" success for Obama.

It's really his first test of leadership with the Country watching. And he has shown that neither he, nor Biden, the man Obama selected to be a steady hand can even rise to this occasion.