Pelican

I agree. Even though I disagree with many of her policies, Margaret Thatcher is a genuine statesperson and intellectual in comparison to Palin. I find it hilarious and not a little disturbing that Maggie's greatest fan considers Palin to be in her league.

I am going to remain optimistic that McCain's choice of VP will be a huge mistake for the Republicans and that Obama will be the USA's next president.

What we think of Palin will have zero impact on the election.
What frightens the hell out of me in the Disney land/Hollywood world of American politics she has a very real chance of getting to the very top.
Do not be surprised at the follower of Maggie falling for Palin such is human nature.
It is quite possible like most of us their had never heard of this Moose hunting gal two weeks ago.
Look at foxys quotes from Bush, know pages and pages could be reproduced here, yet he won twice?
Or did he?
Not he did not such is politics American style.

Dear Belly,

Politics American style, scares the
living daylights out of me. You're right!

Did you ever see the film with Robert Redford,
called, "The Candidate?"

Where "The Candidate<" gets elected to
the office of US President due to clever
speech writers, and media hype.
And once elected, his writers and team, back off,
leaving him to his own devices.

The film ends with the Candidate asking,
"What do I do now?"

It happened with George W. Bush. It can
easily happen again.

Pelican “I think dear Maggie would be mortified to know that she is being compared to Palin by one of her staunch OLO supporters. :)”

Margaret Thatcher worked up through the ranks of politics in UK, she did not start as Prime Minister, in fact she said

“It will be years - and not in my time - before a woman will lead the party or become prime minister. “(1974)

The point is, you have to be able to see how people can grow, rise to the occasion.

It all starts with attitude and an ability to sift the wheat from the chaff.

In this respect, McCain has been doing it for years, Palin shapes up as having been doing it at City and State level and if McCain were to be unable, for whatever reason, to maintain his office, Palin would, I am sure, rise to the occasion

Just as Gerald Ford rose to the office of Vice President, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew and then to President, following Nixon’s impeachment.

Conversely Obama, if he rode a bicycle, would still be using training wheels, just as we see Krudd seeking the continued support of committees because he cannot wield the authority of high office.

Like I said, you need to be able to see the potential, based on the present.

Foxy: The Candidate – the point you miss is the conspiracy of the plot blew up for the most mundane of reasons. That’s the problem with conspiracies, they fail because the most innocuous of unforeseen events intercede.

Serendipity at its best.

As for American Politics, I lived there for a few years, the idea of democracy is enshrined far deeper than here even, I feel we would be better served with an elected judiciary and municipal officials who were more accountable than the time-serving bureaucrats we end up with.

And if you are scared about the power of USA, thank God it is there because for half a century it is what stood between the freedom we take for granted and the cesspool of communism.

Dear Col,

America stood against the "cesspool" of communism?

Tell that to the people of the countries
that the Soviet regime
occupied. Look up the Yalta Conference.
And, see how Roosevelt and Churchill happily
handed over territories to Stalin.

Let's not forget the veil of silence that shrouded the
tragedy of the Baltic Nations. Just as one example
of America's "stance against communism."
Let us not forget that
the policy of Western democracies, including the United
States, although formally
was one of non-recognition of the Soviet occupation of
the Baltic Nations, the reality as these people found
out the hard way was a toally different story. Western
democracies, including the big brave US did not want to
offend the Soviet Union. They closed their eyes and ears to
the people's suffering.

This attitude prevailed up to the 1990s. Former
Lithuanian President, Vytautas Landsbergis, was told to
"negotiate," that "unruly Lithuanians should respect and
follow orderly Soviet constitutional procedures."

And this, despite the fact that the world recognized that
Lithuania was illegally incorporated into the Soviet
Union. In other words, that Lithuania was not seeking to
establish independence. It was seeking to restore an
independent nation that was illegally suppressed by a
foreign power and its army.

As President V. Landsbergis pointed out, "This was not a
legal nicety but the basic and non-negotiable premise of the
March 11th 1990 Declaration of Independence."

But, President Landsbergis was still urged by the US, "To
find, a fair and objective way out!" And as he continually
confirmed, "the offered solutions are neither fair nor
objective!"

*Like I said, you need to be able to see the potential, based on the present.*

I will have to agree to disagree with you on this one Col, for I see
Sarah as the pig with lipstick and the lipstick does not change much.
I have yet to see where she shows any wisdom, more like a bull-pit.

The thing is, America was in reasonable political and economic shape
where Clinton handed it over to George and George has taken the
place to the edge of the cliff. Greenspan was on Bloomberg yesterday,
pointing out that under Bush, Americans had received around 3 trillion
$ worth of tax cuts, financed by borrowings from China, Japan etc.
It is simply not sustainable and I have yet to see where either
Republican candidate has any kind of understanding of economics.

Next you have both McCain and Palin, war mongering about Russia.
Frankly I don't blame the Russians for being pissed off, with the
Americans wanting to surround their country with missiles.
The US did not react too well either, when the Russians stationed
them in Cuba.

I support Obama, as I back his judgment. He understands that the US
has been a pit-bull in world affairs and that it has been a failure.
Not only that, its all financed with borrowed money.

I have yet to see where either McCain or Hurricane Sarah, understand
these kind of basic realities. But no doubt the Walmart White moms
will vote for her and perhaps swing the elections. Frankly, if
the Americans want to take on Russia, you are entering rather
dangerous territory for global affairs