It’s likely that this will also cast doubt on other accusations made against the former Vice Presidential candidate, such as that she refused to prepare for interviews and threw temper tantrums while reading news articles about herself. She has, after all, denied the allegations, and this latest revelation lends her some credence. Hopefully more tipsters will make themselves known so that their stories can be checked out. Either way, a 2012 run for the Presidency now seems more likely then ever.

          It seems that Republicans have divided themselves into two groups after losing to Obama, those that support McCain and those that support Palin. The intellectuals of the party are attacking Palin for her lack of experience and knowledge, while the more blue-collar members cling to her telegenic personality and proclaim her the second coming of Regan. I have to admit, not even I believe some of the more questionable accusations against Palin, such as that she didn’t know that Africa was a continent. It just goes to show that Republicans can be as cruel to members of their own party as they are to the Democrats.

          The infighting probably won’t cause a split in the Republican party, but it will affect their overall mentality for next several years. Losing both Congress and the Presidency was a humiliating experience, and it’s not surprising that they’re looking for someone to take the blame. Most Republicans agree that at least one of the scapegoats should be Bush, but the question remains as to whether Palin will be resigned to the same fate.

          The real surprise here is that blacks actually voted overwhelmingly for the proposition, according to exit polls. That a group who had their own civil liberties violated for so long would now continue to do the same is, to me, the very essence of irony.

          I had thought that Bush might have reversed his policy of environmental apathy when he admitted that humans have an impact on global warming, but I guess I was wrong. I can only hope that our next president will take the threat posed by global warming seriously, instead of saying one thing, doing another.

          I firmly believe that McCain would be in a much better position this election if he had kept up his reputation as a maverick, rather than simply towing the Republican line. Instead, he squandered his standing as a moderate when he switched positions on important issues, such as taxes and immigration. The fact that he is using the same robocall firm that buried him in the 2000 primaries is further proof of just how far the former maverick has fallen.

          This post is probably more biased than usual, but it’s only because of my sincere disappointment in John McCain. I can still remember a time, not too long ago, of when I was actually considering voting for him. I understand why he did it; you only get one shot at becoming President of the United States. Still, his selling out is a stark reminder that, in the end, everyone has their price.

          Furthermore, the vast majority of small business owners would actually benefit from Obama’s tax policy, just like everyone else. Not only would small business revenue be unaffected, but most small business owners would actually receive a tax decrease. The notion that employees of small businesses would be negatively affected by a tax increase on the top 1% of earners is simply ridiculous. It’s just another one of the many disingenuous tricks that Republicans use to push tax cuts for the rich on the unsuspecting public. This isn’t the first time I’ve written about such tactics, and it certainly won’t be the last.

          Update: I just wanted to post a link to help clarify things.

          I thought that Palin had learned her lesson on baseless accusations after being panned by the media for her “palling around with terrorists” comment. I firmly believe that the public is fed up with such inflammatory rhetoric, and is playing an increasing factor in why Obama is currently leading in the polls. Candidates forget that, while negative attacks may energize their own base, they can also end up antagonizing their opponents. Depending on the ferocity of the attack, they may also drive away crucial undecided voters, who will be key in deciding this election.

          Sadly, it seems that the entire Republican campaign strategy is once again based around negative attacks. That may have worked in 2004, when the Democratic party wasn’t very enthusiastic about their candidate, but currently seems to be backfiring in a most spectacular fashion. I have a feeling that this may be the last election cycle to use the “attack, and if that doesn’t work, attack more” style of campaigning. Expect to see Republicans pull a strategy similar to Obama’s next time, with the occasional negative attack balanced out by neutral and positive ads. That won’t save them from the current election, however, with many in the GOP already claiming that victory may be out of reach.

          I’m almost certain that the woman had no actual intention of actually arresting Karl Rove, and was merely trying to make a point. Still, I think this will probably do more harm than good in the eyes of the public, at least for now. Who knows, maybe someday, when the full extent of the crimes committed by the Bush administration are finally made public, this woman will be hailed as the next Rosa Parks. Until then, expect to see this treated as what it essentially was; a cheap political stunt.

          Also, gotta love that zinger on Rove’s behalf near the end of the video.