At the GOP Convention we heard alot about "common sense" as both a "small town value" and attribute of both nominees, but particularly Sarah Palin.  In my own experiences, "common sense" is code for "poorly educated but able to make smart decisions."  Built into "common sense" is a distain for intellectualism, science and a depth of understanding.

The person with "common sense" has exactly that -- an ability to reason that is common or ordinary.  You don't need a Harvard Law Degree to follow their thinking -- a third grade education will do nicely.  You might not always demonstrate "common sense" but "common sense" solutions are easily explained to just about anyone.  

Too bad we live in a complex world.

No, I am not talking about Obama/Biden.

I am talking about these two stories.

The first:

McCain, Obama plan joint stop at Ground Zero

Presidential rivals vow to put aside politics, ads for 9/11 observance

WASHINGTON - Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama said Saturday they will put aside partisan politics for a joint appearance at Ground Zero to mark the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, in a statement, said they will appear together at the World Trade Center site on Thursday "to honor the memory of each and every American who died" in the 2001 attacks.

The campaigns already had agreed to suspend television advertising critical of each other on Sept. 11. The McCain campaign has said it will air no ads that day.

more...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26575396/

more below...

From NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- The McCain campaign is bringing two Bush administration communication veterans on board to beef up the team that will travel with Palin.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2 008/09/06/1358093.aspx

The Palin messaging will be controlled by former Bushites.  

I apologize for the short diary, have to cook dinner, but just wanted to get the info up.

Happy Saturday!

I recently attended a lecture by Allan Lichtman (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Licht man). Among other things he is a prognosticator of presidential elections and has developed a system "13 keys to the white house" that has correctly predicted the popular vote winner in every election since 1984. I believe his system also retrospectively predicted the winner in every election since 1860.

the obvious thing to do with Palin is call her out on her past record, her lies about being anti-earmark and how her weak governorship with zero foreign policy experience is just like Bush.  And so is the religious fundamentalism so much like Bush.

Today Obama took a swipe at Palin's penchant for pork as mayor and governor yet claiming otherwise.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/ 2008/09/obama-targets-m.html

Obama then opened up rare criticism on VP nominee Sarah Palin, "I know the governor of Alaska has been, you know, saying she is change. And that is great. She is a skillful politician. But when you been taking all these earmarks when it is convenient and then suddenly you are the champion anti-earmark person. That is not change, come on. I mean, words mean something. You can't just make stuff up. You can't just make stuff up. We have a choice to make and the choice is clear."

as the informed know, Palin hired the first ever washington lobbyist for Wasilla (pop. 5,000) and got 27$ million in earmarks, while Alaska is the number one state in earmarks per resident.

Alec Baldwin and many others have come to the same conclusion that Palin = Bush

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alec-baldw in/john-mccain-is-not-george_b_124464.ht ml

Palin is Bush. What helped propel Bush into the White House was not only some effective electoral nullification. It was his lack of a record in public office. The governorship of Texas is one of the more ceremonial of all the governorships in this country. The state legislature calls the shots. Bush came into power with less foreign policy experience than Barack Obama has now. And was "elected" to two terms. Bush had no foreign policy record to examine.

The fundamentalist connection between Bush and Palin is scary, with Palin saying the Iraq war is a task from God..

If I'm Obama I'm saying with McCain you get all of George Bush's bad policies, while  with Palin you get Bush's executive and foreign policy experience - and we all know how that turned out.

I'll give 100$ to Obama if Biden calls Palin "george bush with lipstick".

it is a very credible charge with many parallels.

I think I sense an ass kicking here. What do you think?

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- General Wesley K. Clark, U.S. Army (Ret.), will join Karl Rove for this month's UB Distinguished Speakers Series (DSS) election debate. The program is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sept. 26 in Alumni Arena on UB's North (Amherst) Campus.
...

At UB, he will be sharing the stage with Rove, former White House Deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President George W. Bush. Clark will join the Distinguished Speaker Series program in the place of former Senator John Edwards, who yesterday cancelled all public appearances through the November election.

Tickets already distributed for "Rove-Edwards" will be honored and there is no need for ticket holders to exchange them. Additional tickets for the Rove-Clark lecture are now available at the UB Alumni Arena Ticket office, all Tops outlets or online at Tickets.com.

For more information mand to read the rest, please go here:
http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9620

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.
--John McCain, Convention speech

On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer. What? He worked -- I said -- I said, OK, OK, maybe this is the first problem on the resume. He worked as a community organizer.
--Rudy Giuliani, Convention speech

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.
--Sarah Palin, Convention speech

Good morning everyone!

A few days ago I rode my first century.  A century is a 100 mile ride, though I actually clocked in at 101 miles.  I went out west for quite awhile, going through some farm country and cleared my head.  It takes a lot, I mean a lot (!), of effort and stamina to do this for the first time.  I had a lot of time to think, as I was out for over eight hours (it'll be less the next time!).