Abbey-Roads2

The Palin speech.

I like her, I really, really like her!  I liked the speech - it was an excellent performance - but now she has to go through the inquisition by the press and voters.  And in case you are wondering - that usually involves questions and statements churchy people don’t like to hear.  Politics brings out the ugly in everyone.  If you watched the RNC speeches - you know how nasty it can get - and the “booing” - how irritating was that? 

Sarah Palin reminds me of a woman I once worked with, Barb was her name - sort of a hockey mom who also worked, and set high goals for herself.  Barb was divorced, had two children, smoked dope at one time, went hunting with her boyfriend, with whom she also lived - she wore glasses - and attended a non-denominational church.  She is now president of a huge company - big, big company.  I lost touch with her of course, after she ascended the stairway to success…

So, anyway, Sarah Palin reminds me of my friend Barb - she is a normal woman from a common background, like many average American women who attended college.

Now my East-side St. Paul friends - who now live in the suburbs (just like a lot of other St. Ambrose parishioners) - they have a different opinion.  You first have to understand that we were all raised Democrats - it is in our bones.  Just looking at a Republican makes us want to lunge and beat the crap out of them - not really - but we do have visceral reactions that we have learned to control.  Anyway - it is hard for people like us - no matter how well educated we are, or how far out in the suburbs we live, or what mega church we attend - Novus Ordo Catholic or non-denominational, to get that gut feeling out of our system.

Yeah, so a poll of my lifelong friends concerning Sarah Palin came up with these results:

1) So what’s the deal with her daughter being pregnant?

2) She believes the war in Iraq is God’s will.

3) If she has a kid with Downs Syndrome - why isn’t she home with him?  Pro-life means for life - doesn’t it?

4) McCain may not make it through if he is elected - so how can she take over the presidency?

5) Would she start a nuclear war with Iran… because it is God’s will and Islam is evil?

6) Who the hell is she?

I know - I know!  The questions all sound pretty much like what I’ve been asking myself.  My friends warmed my heart…  You see, writing this blog, and reading some others, and especially the comments people leave, got me thinking - Maybe I am nuts.  But my friends reassured me that I haven’t forgotten who I am - and that I don’t know who you are.

So yeah - I like Sarah a lot.  I liked her from the start.  But when you are from the East-side of St. Paul, you grow up tough, and you ask questions, and you never trust politicians or churchy types.  Never.

Two months before the election - there is still time to decide.

$17.76 to get in.

Yep.  Ron Paul is having a convention in Minneapolis as well - it is in Blaine, MN.  I believe Blaine is a suburb.  But he is here and the rally is tonight in downtown MPLS.  A plane with a trailer message flew overhead yesterday and Sunday announcing it.

“Ronvoys” of chartered vans have been streaming in since the weekend. Supporters are camping at an organic dairy farm in Goodhue, Minn., that is home to “Ronstock ’08,” a six-day culture-fest where the farmer’s neighbor has reportedly donated a cow to the food offerings. And thousands are expected in downtown Minneapolis Tuesday for the 10-hour marquee “Rally for The Republic,” featuring speakers from former governors Jesse Ventura of Minnesota and Gary Johnson of New Mexico to antitax activist Grover Norquist and MSNBC correspondent Tucker Carlson. - Story 

(And yet… Jesse Ventura will be there.)

It is believed most Ron Paul supporters - if indeed they do vote - will back John McCain come November, “even if they have to hold their nose” - while others may simply write Dr. Paul in.

How you make me feel…

Voters — some of whom dissect policy issues daily, but most of whom don’t — ultimately cast their ballots based on emotion. Not logic. Not knowledge of “the issues.” - Source

Yeah, so how do you feel today, class?

H/T Western Confucian  (As Joshua observed - it can be the same for both sides.)

I never knew it had a name.

John Allen defines the term while discussing Sarah Palin’s religious affiliation in a recent article for the NCR.  Palin was baptised a Catholic and then re-baptised in a Pentecostal church when her family abandoned Catholicism.  To most Americans, that makes no difference - although one blogger felt it significant that Tim Pawlenty is a fallen away Catholic and questioned if Catholics would be bothered by that if McCain chose him as his running mate.  Obviously, the approval of Governor Palin proves that is not an issue.  From John Allen:

What church do you go to?

“The initial confusion surrounding Palin’s denominational identity, therefore, has a simple explanation: She doesn’t have one.

Instead, Palin appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity, where elements of Evangelical and Pentecostal styles of faith and worship fuse into a myriad of unique local combinations, and where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead.

Though post-denominationalists are, by definition, difficult to catalog and index, they’re unquestionably numerous. A 2007 survey conducted by LifeWay found that fully one-third of American Protestants were contemplating attending a different church in the future, and of that group, only one in four said it would be important that their future church belong to the same denomination as the one they currently attend.

Globally, the World Christian Encyclopedia estimates that roughly 20 percent of the world’s 2.2 billion Christians today are part of what it calls “independent Christianity,” defined as forms of faith and worship “separated from, uninterested in, and independent of historic, denominationalist Christianity.” Typically, these folks eschew any label other than “Christian” for their religious identity.

Religious sociologists and theologians point to any number of explanations for the rise of post-denominationalism: the spread of a consumerist ethos and “comparison shopping” within Christianity; disillusionment with what are seen as petty denominational differences; the increasing liberalism of some mainline Protestant denominations, leading more conservative church-goers to seek alternatives; even the category-blurring character of post-modernity itself.” - Source

Isn’t that special.

H/T Western Confucian

Tres bien, merci…

Yep - he is doing very well abroad.  Very well.  He is the great ‘black hope’, if you will…  From Paris Daily:

As you may or may not be aware, Barack Obama is winning over hearts and minds in Europe. I’m sure you’ll have something to say about that, but I wanted to mostly share this interesting piece of graffiti I found along the Seine at the Port autonome de Paris(11th arrondissement). I recently heard an American comedian (John Stewart) mock the implication by others that a black man on the U.S. currency would be quite difficult for the public to handle. His reply, “Why? Because he’s green?” Anyway, here’s an interesting link about the subject that you might like. - Paris Daily

(Please note - I am almost totally apolitical.  I think they are all FOS.)

ROFLOL!

“ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler apologized on Sunday for joking in a private conversation that the timing of Hurricane Gustav demonstrates that God is on the side of the Democrats.

“If this offended anybody, I personally apologize,” Fowler told ABC News. “It was a mistake, and it was a satirical statement made in jest. And one that I clearly don’t believe.”

“One doesn’t anticipate that one’s private conversation will be surreptitiously taped by some right-wing nutcase,” said Fowler. “But that’s the nature of what we’re dealing with.” - Source

So guess who the nutcase may be?  Looks like it might have been  Gerald A. Naus - the way his post reads, he seems to be the one seated behind these guys.  Unless he neglected to cite his sources.  (Funny, some people would call Gerald a liberal.) 

I wonder if taping these Dems would be considered illegal?  That might explain the anonymity of the Youtube source.  If it is your video Gerald, congratulations - great catch!

Photo credit: Vincenzo- the best photo-shop artist online.  Visit him at Sancte Pater - looks like he has something of a Sarah Palin fanclub going on there.  As Gerald likes to say - she is hot - and she smoked grass too!  I like her.

Update:  Gerald isn’t the video man - he wasn’t able to cite his source when he posted.  Darn - it would have been a great story to take credit for.

You better work!

Sarah Palin.  Initially, I was disappointed - she wouldn’t have been my choice, neither would Tim Pawlenty have been.  It only matters what I think if I were to vote - and maybe I will now, and maybe I won’t.

So far what I’ve read of Mrs. Palin sounds good - especially her pro-life stance and proving it by giving birth to a wonderful child with Downs Syndrome.  (I love kids like that!) 

Catholics seem happy about her - Gerald keeps commenting on Vox Nova how hot she is and accuses others of being sexist if they treat that in the negative.  I think he’s sexist for continually pointing out how hot she is.  Just proves we all say stupid stuff - so I better stop while I’m ahead.

What she will not do is steal disgruntled Hillary supporters - she’s pro-life and Hillary isn’t - along with an entire set of other differences… is that really how dumb the Republicans think women are?

They are saying Biden will eat her for lunch - listening to her acceptance speech, I doubt anyone will be able to do that.  Others say she is another Dan Quayle - I think she is far beyond him.  The other question - is she presidential?  (McCain may not live out his term.)  So the question must be asked in response;  “What is presidential?”  George Bush winking at the Queen or massaging the back of Angela Merkl?  I love the video of him dancing with Africans - I could watch it for hours. 

Yeah, so I have one thing to say to Mrs. Palin:  “You better work!”  LOL!

(I think she is a wonderful choice BTW.)

I don’t know how I did it but I linked to Sancte Pater and got the video of President Bush dancing to work.  I hope that is okay Vincenzo.

Nancy Pelosi, armchair theologian corrected by the USCCB.

The Bishops of the United States have quickly pulled together and reiterated sound teaching on the abortion issue, in particular, the question of when human life begins, in order to refute the pretentious and deceptive statements made by the Speaker of the House and her cohorts - barking their wisdom and showing off their piety at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.   From the Wall Street Journal:

WASHINGTON, Aug 26, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Cardinal Justin F. Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, have issued the following statement:

In the course of a “Meet the Press” interview on abortion and other public issues on August 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church against abortion.

In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.” (No. 2271)

In the Middle Ages, uninformed and inadequate theories about embryology led some theologians to speculate that specifically human life capable of receiving an immortal soul may not exist until a few weeks into pregnancy. While in canon law these theories led to a distinction in penalties between very early and later abortions, the Church’s moral teaching never justified or permitted abortion at any stage of development.

These mistaken biological theories became obsolete over 150 years ago when scientists discovered that a new human individual comes into being from the union of sperm and egg at fertilization. In keeping with this modern understanding, the Church teaches that from the time of conception (fertilization), each member of the human species must be given the full respect due to a human person, beginning with respect for the fundamental right to life.  - Market Watch

“She’s a pretty nice girl, but she doesn’t have a lot to say… she’s a pretty nice girl, but she changes from day to day.  Oh yeah, she’s a pretty nice girl” - but I wouldn’t want to make her mine… no, I wouldn’t want to make her mine.  (Beatles - Abbey Road:  “Her Majesty” - rearranged.)

Big thanks to Paula for this story.

Or the Kennedys.

That seems to be what the Dems and their political pundits are trying to do with the Obamas at their convention in Denver.  Uh-huh.