Just read about the cartoon episode of "Family Guy" that made fun of Sarah Palin's Down's Syndrome child. I've said it before-I have found nothing strange or questionable about Sarah Palin's political views. And have wondered why the media is so afraid of her and makes so much fun of her.

NOW IT HAS GONE TOO FAR!!! There must be something about this woman that scares the liberal establishment to move to such a low level of commentary.

I have been listening to the CD of FDR's sperch's. Not a mention of his paralysis and resulting handicap from the news commentators of the time that are on the CD. Just the facts and FDR's comments/views.

One of my regular pork, beef and egg customers gets "The Connection" magazine. This is an Amish national publication. I get the issues when these folk pick up eggs, beef and pork.

In the June, '09 issue there is an article about "Spiritualism vs Liberalism". This article reflects the view that I have been trying to state on the Porch. If might well solve the issues that Todd, Bret, Dale and others and I have had over the issues of the day.

I don't know that I'm going to go to any Tea Party rallies, but I do know that the 'liberal establishment' has left me shaking my head.

If you ask me, "family guy" is down right perverted. You are right that Sarah scares the cr*p out of liberals.

Janet

I wish the nedia would leave the private lives of promenant figuers alone. They have a way kicking these people when they are down, and won't leave them alone. Who cares if Tigger Woods had an affair, it has nothing to do with his golfing abilities. I get so that I will not watch the news because of this. We had an insident where a school bus was run off the road by a 17 year old. All you heard about was hat the driver who was credited with saving the lives of several passengers, was that he was driving the bus that was over his licence weight limit buy a few houndred pounds, nothing about the teen that was driving the car that ran into the bus and killing one student. This really made me mad.

The perversion is that making mean spirited fun of individuals has been mainstreamed in our culture. It's too bad that people en masse can't seem to think for themselves but instead, let a rectangle of plastics and metals projecting the morals and mores of people whose sole intent is make a buck no matter the consequences to civilization, do their thinking for them. Garbage in equals garbage out. Blow up your tv.

As the father of a six year old with Down syndrome, I take great issue with them using that aspect of her life to poke fun of her with. It is just plain mean.

For me, in general, I see the media (local to national) as sharks going from one feeding frenzy to another. None of them seem to understand that what might be true, might not be appropriate to report. Of course this is not something new. You know there was some pretty ugly stuff put in clay.

As a person who has voted R for over 45 years, I can tell you she scares me to death. Why? She's uneducated, stupid, and represents ideas that are so Right that only the fringe can follow her. She QUIT a Governorship to take the money. Unconsciousable. She single handedly is the reason for the Presidential loss last year. She's unelectable to any office.
So.... I, as one still wannabe R, will never again vote R, until this bimbo is off the stage.

I don't know who is pulling the strings of our political partys. Some claim George Soros owns the Democrats. Don't have a clue about the GOP, wish I did. These are the people we need to eliminate.
The media responds to the wishes of the money behind our politics. They are the lowest level of prostitutes, even lower than our elected people and the lawyers that twist the laws to their favor.
At this point in time, the TEA Party doesn't have someone pulling the strings. It is only comprised of a bunch of mad folk pissed at the way things are going. Sarah Palin has alligned herself with these people. That is why all the hoopla. Whoever wants to run the world hasn't found a way to bribe or otherwise control the "rabble". They are too well educated to follow the party line and have a good enough communication line that they are "dangerous" to the establishment.

Don't know when the media changed. As mentioned before, the media left FDR's handicap alone according to his wishes.

Why can't the 'talking heads' just report the news and not editorializing??? Just the facts-we regular folk are smart enough to figure out what the facts mean. Also don't need someone to tell us what the speaker just said after a speech.

Neighbor with two sons on Alaska rode shotgun with me hauling hogs yesterday. Am going to give him a ring on the phone and ask to borrow Palin's book.

I've had it with elitist mainstream news, corporate executives and politicians who are not interested in anything but special interests.

The media has been in love with Obama since the start. 95% of all media is liberal and only report toward that end.The aare scared of Palin because of what she represents and they know the American public thinks the same way a sshe does.

Palin did not cause Macain to lose the election election as Polly states,nor is she stupid. The Dems won the election because the Amercan public was believeing in the "Change " that Obama was preaching and there are more have nots in this country who want others to support them than there are haves who already do the supporting.Those have nots belived the Dems could give them more of the same.

The media and the Dems are afraid of Palin becasue they know she is saying what very middle class american is thinking.It was a a very shrewd move to resign as governor as then she could gradually meld into the political scene, feeling out her chance of winning an election.Something she could not do as governor of Alaska.
Every time the media puts something in the news such as this referal about Downs Syndome,they are adding another nail to the Dems coffin. Same as the big deal about Palin having writing on the palm of her hand for notes of what not to forget in her speeches.Hell Obama has to use a telepromter for his entire speech

I second what Dale said; people still want to argue weather it's republicans or democrats. common sense would tell you both have wanted to balance the budget and save social security for the last 40 years when they are running for election. When both partys agree to that, why haven't they done it?

One thing holds true; politicians create problems so they can help people try to overcome them.

Right on target,Polly. I'd vote for Tina Fey before Palin. Actress, director, editor, comidian,probably has done more executive work, and does a great imitation.
The media is now trying to fill 24 hours a day of a vacuum.It doesn't need to be edited for worthiness. Throw enough **** at the wall and some will stick. Glenn Beck, Rush, and the other extreme on both ends are selling fear.
That's why we are not following the "Piper" down the road. We're too independently thinking. We want some info then be left alone. Just my opinion.
Ash Wednesday yesterday..... took the ashes out from the furnace....:-) Have a great day. Worked 2 horses this a.m. (they were great) will keep me going until Friday.

I was trying hard not to weigh in on this one, but the comment defaming a persons intelligence can't stand.
**Sidenote**In most circles I'm considered unintelligent for my lack of higher education, but before the Dems took over both parts of Congress, my business was bringing in nearly a million dollars a year. Not bad for someone that never set foot in college.

Now for someone that supposedly is so bless-ed intelligent like Obama( a Harvard Man no less) how is it he doesn't understand basic economics nor can the genius pronounce the term for a Navy Medic correctly? And I'm not even mentioning the bless-ed tele-prompter?

If McCain is so great why's he backtracking on all the major issues now that a real conservative is running against him? Can you say "Career Liar"??

Vince had it right, millions swallowed the Kool-Aide and now we're all suffering because of it!

poor sara..i watched her interviews with charlie and katie...the questions were loaded..for instance charlie asked her about the bush doctrine..what the hell is the bush doctrine..charlie said it was the idea that a pre emptive strike on a country that we (george and dickie)perceive as an eminent threat to the u.s. well i heard georgie say that on t.v. and had heard much debate concerning that statement but never before or after the interview have i heard it referred to as the bush doctrine..sara has never tried to hide her child or children from anything or anybody..a lot more guts then i have seen shown by the rest of washington..at the time of her running for vice president she simply wasn't ready and the media wanted obama..that was evident..but alas what do we know..to the media and washington we are the stupid public to be milked dry..

Todd-what kind of dollars are 'millions'? Is that foreign currency?

As far a education, the most intellegent human being I ever knew graduated from high school but only cuz the parents insisted on it and it was better than putting up cord wood every fall.

The relationship between education levels and intelligence is non-existent. They may coincide, but that is just a fluk.

My youngest is still taking college courses. Well over 30. But working a couple jobs, running a household and has both feet firmly planted in reality. She enjoys learning, exploring and independent thinking with facts in hand. And has a built-in B.S. detector.

Am still listening to FDR's speechs. Especially like the "Forgotten Man" speech.

OMG-am I a populist conservative????

Someone a lot smarter than me once said "What is tolerated today will be accepted tomorrow". How true it is. I'm with you j.waller!

I imagine I'll get some flack for this, but I actually watched and enjoyed that episode of Family Guy. The Palin joke was one offhand remark reminding you that she does, in fact, have a child with Down Syndrome. Most of the show was about liking someone who isn't perfect and how to present yourself well.

--Yes, they mentioned most of the Down Syndrom stereotypes, but this is the same show that has a character entirely based on the idea of the creepy old pedophile

I just found a quote from the actress who plays the Down Syndrome Character on the show:

My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the "Extra Large Medium" episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine's day. Although they gave me red hair on the show, I am really a blonde. I also wore a red wig for my role in " Smudge" but I was a blonde in "Life Goes On". I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line "I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska" was very funny. I think the word is "sarcasm".

In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around...

Want to talk about uneducated.Ever listen to Obama,s
words and phrases? Want to talk about uneducated ever listen to Joe Bidens gaffing remarks?Thrown out of school for copying somebody elses work.Go back and listen to Obamas speeches.Sorry folks what we need our more people that are uneducated like you and me in office.

I like Virginia Gal's take.

I don't see TV much at all .. only rarely by accident at somebody else's place .. so I have no idea about this cartoon "Family Guy". Certainly this making fun of a Down kid sounds tasteless, at best.

But what I am wondering is, how does a tasteless cartoon get conflated into a comment about all "media" and presumed bias?

It seems quite a stretch to me. Aren't there other things to watch if you don't like that? If not, why watch anything?

Might just be me. As I said, I don't use TV, so I'm a poor student of its programming. But it's all about the commercials, isn't it? If a show has an audience, the broadcaster can sell advertising. If not .. no show. Does it still work that way?

The general idea of nastiness on the media covers 'news' and programming in general.

Remember when the Judd's (singing mother/daughter) first became popular. They were interviewed on a morning 'news' show. It was their first time in New York City. Interviewer actually giggled at some of their responses and how excited they were to be getting big in country music.

Rude.

Sarah Palin was not the reason McCain lost. She is the reason he got as far as he did. She has true conservative values and it drives everyone crazy that a beautiful, smart, woman will stand in the way of liberal agendas. John McCain has been a fence stradler ever since he has been in office, and it ruined his presidential campaign.

In my family we enjoy laughing as well, but it doesn't take a crude TV program like "Family Guy" (which I have only seen part of one episode due to its vulgarity)to get us to laugh. Laughing at the expense of someone else is not good humor.

I downgraded my tv programming to the "Family Channels". It was one of the best decisions I have made. I do not want my 4 year old, 2 year old, wife, or myself to be exposed to the filth that comes across the TV. It shows where our nation is at when it takes sexual references, crude talk, and profanity to make people laugh.

Part of the reason Pallin is such good material for an animated TV show is that most of her ideas can best be described as "comicbook-like". Funny, goofy, illogical.... She begs for the attention, and when she gets it, she complains. One can only hope she soon returns to the wilds of Alaska and is never again heard from.

Does anybody remember the famous person that said "Let he among you without sin throw the first stone"?

So many people looking down on someone they think is less than themselves. Is that what it takes to make people feel good about themselves? This is root of most forms of bigotry, ya'll know.

"Blessed be the meek for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God"!

Let's hope the next President will look to God for guidance and not the Wacko Leftists.

Sidemeat N Collards!

Let's hope the next President will not be a Wacko Rightest. Like Palin. God has nothing to do with this. We need a leader. She ain't one!!

God has no place here! Only Rightwing Nutjobs use God as an excuse to make the rich richer and the poor poorer so keep God where he belongs, in Church!

If you put ten Americans in a room and asked who is the most famous American of all time, bet George Washington would come up most of the time.

Now using this most famous leader as our example, how many here or anywhere else for that matter, can find in any of his writings or what others wrote of him, find that God had nothing to do with it??????

As for Palin, I'd vote for her just because she never attended Reverend Wrights so-called Church. Wanna talk about someone's intelligence? How much you need to know it wasn't Gods teachings coming outta that place????

God has everything to do with it. Remove God, you have nothing! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

Sarah Palin is not stupid. In fact she is dumb like a fox. She could give John Kerry lessons on flip floping. If you want to keep track of her just look where the money is and you will see her.

God has everything to do with it. We need a leader and the closer they are to Him the better that leader will be. Family Guy is a show that mocks all absolute morality. Getting a Down Syndrome person to belittle others doesn't make it O.K.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT GOD HAS EVERTHING TO DO WITH THIS.

Sorry.... religion has nothing to do with government. Look at the mess in the Muslim world from mixing religion and politics. Nothing but crazies. Perfect stage for Miss Sarah.

Sarah Palin is a threat to this country. Not because she is in power, but because she states values are important. Show me any Dem or Republican that states that more clearly. Her ideas may be able to save this country yet. (Doubt it, this country is bankrupt because of spineless politicians who refuse to tackle the real problems). They have an 80 year head start.

With the other post where they aren't teaching US history in school anymore; how much longer can the people hold out on original values and the constitution? 30 year olds will be out numbered quickly because of declining birth rates. I am nearly 60. Never did believe social security would be there for me. I saw the notch babies in the early 80's take a hit.

I got the call yesterday that my neighhor's mom had passed away. She was a notch baby. I also remember her bringing over her 2 youngest grand children for a sled ride and instructing them how to roll off the sled in case the horses started to run. I had a 2 year old tied to a 3 year olds hame; 5 th hooking for the 2 year old. Vera was the community grandmother for me and everybody else my age. Some what like Palin, people without values could say she was uneducated; but she knew right from wrong. Most important thing you can know.

You're right about religion having nothing to do with government, but until GOD and the teachings of HIS SON is involved, we will have NOTHING! The country that became the most powerful in the world, was based on GODLY beliefs...it has fallen to it's current status, because those beliefs have been rejected and ignored. Folks are always wanting statistics to prove whether a theory works or not...I've never heard of a study on whether our country was in a better place when prayer was allowed in school, discipline and respect was taught at home, love for GOD and country was proudly announced and promoted throughout any media and the "Golden Rule" was taught AND practiced throughout the land. I guess "they" either don't want us to know the statistics or they figure folks have the common sense to know which was a better society and if the voters don't care, they don't either. I, for one, believes that my GOD belongs with me and my family in every aspect of our lives, whether it be dealing with my neighbor, voting for our President, in the school room, in the work place or doctor's office. If HE was in every moment of our lives, this world would be the place it was meant to be and we'd all want to have each other for neighbors and friends. If Sarah Palin's views are so despicable and money oriented, why are the masses waiting for her book, appearance...AND who wouldn't require fees for their travel, etc. She's not perfect, but she stands by her beliefs. That accounts for something to me.

Ya'll people better listen to What,Mooney Ranch, John T and Sharon A. They have got it right.Those that believe shall recieve, those that doubt shall do without

if god has anything to do with this i hope he straitens things up real quick and gives us some releaf..he must have been feeling mean the day he gave us the much touted free choice..it was a cruel thing to do to a pitiful species such as our own...

this country was founded on God, Guts, Guns, when the country got away from these principals. Its been going down hill ever since. any government that fears your freedoms & acess to arms to defend yourself isent good. Gun control works ask hitler, mouslinia, mao,all the other sociaslist. What has happened since god has been taken out of school, government & public life??

Grady. I'm still glad to be at the top of the food chain with Eternal Life in the offering!

Waller- No such thing as a populist conservative. A populist is another word for a communist of a different color.

But, there is hope for you. Next step is to leave both parties and vote your consicience.

I'm growing very weary of this discussion. I guess that's why we shouldn't let politics or religion into these discussions.
I feel like this group knows a lot more about horses, mules and oxen. At least many discussions end in agreement. There will never be agreement on any part of this topic.

This forum offers so many opinions and so much knowledge on anything you can think of concerning mules,oxen and horses. I think we're all very aware of how some can be overrun with the wrong type of posts, but as other previous posts have proven, the majority of "porch folk" believes that our thoughts on some subjects, when brought up, should be civil, well meaning and thought provoking AND should be discussed without a few here and there objecting. That's the problem with this country now, the "few" outspeaks the majority. JMHO...

BS.. religion and politics are a big part of life
and COUNTRY life is where people slow down a bit
and think about it a bit. .. or it used to be that
way.

Worship and religion, the way I see it is people
say one thing but RELLY worship what they spend the
majority of their time and money on. Many here worship
horses and old equipment, and in the spring the smell
of freshly mowed hay, quietness where one can hear the
wind play with that grass.

and we can worship more than one thing....

OTHERS worship hot cars, big fancy houses, money,
and far too many worship themselves too much.

that being said,
Few relly know what they want. There is nothing wrong with that. If we keep open minds and keep practicing country courtesy, this fourm may help one find direction toward what is relly important....

we might discover how to thing for ourselves

we might find most politicions have been replaced by mindless puppets ... and they are the good ones.

we might find our rural heritage.

You never know what might come from an exchange of ideas. Who'd a thunk that I would admire Sarah Palin??? Who'd thunk that FDR's "Forgotten Man" speech of 1932 might 'click' a newer thought from me???

If we sit around and talk but not about NAIS, government policies, food production and multinational corporate entities taking over agriculture we might well find ourselves unable to do the things we here on the Porch like to do-small scale, sustainable ag production and traditional (healthy??) foodstuffs for ourselves.

Bret4297 says, "A populist is another word for a communist of a different color."

That is blatantly incorrect. Ron Paul, for example, is a populist conservative, and by no means a communist.

You might as well have said that you can't be a conservative unless you are a racist bigot who doesn't love their neighbors, thinks everybody who's not just like them, doesn't worship as they do, speaks a different language, has different color skin, has no rights.

That's what most people seem to think conservative holier-than-thou preachy-types are .. but they are incorrect as well.

"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man".

Thomas Jefferson, US President.

Even the founding fathers knew that religion and politics together was bad mojo. The Middle East is a perfect example. I certainly don't want my President getting guidance from imaginary voices in his head.

There was a time when politics followed Christian rules. That time is not refered to as "The Wonder Years or The Time of Peace and Love. We refer to those days as The Dark Ages. Odd, no?

To KC Fox, when was god taken out of school? If he is so powerful, how can simple brick and mortar keep him out? Forced prayer in school was correctly banned per our wonderful Constitution. You are free to pray to whichever god you choose anywhere you please. You just can't force me to join you. It's a freedom thing. I challenge you to name a religious freedom you have lost.

Science flies to the moon. Religion flies into buildings.

Y'all can keep it. I was born right the first time.

Does anyone (Joe?) know if I can copy the 'Liberalism vs Spiritualism' article that I read in the "Connection" magazine (Amish publication)?

I don't understand copyright rules at all.

You can copy anything if you request and receive permission from whomever has the reprint rights. Sometimes that is the publisher. Sometimes it is the writer. You can copy anything if you provide reference to the original and are using it only as one component of your argument or presentation. You can copy most things if you are duplicating them for personal use, say as in a letter to a friend. It gets a little trickier if you are reprinting an article in whole in an association newsletter, for example. If the newsletter is a benefit of membership for which dues are paid, the article could be considered protected under copyright law. It is a question of whether the publisher or author is being denied compensation he or she should reasonably expect.

In nearly all cases, if you ask for permission from the publisher, you will get it. You will certainly not have to wonder anymore. A lot of times the publisher will just ask that their publication be provided credit and a copy of the thing in which the article is being reprinted.

Joe

For Koty, there are other sites that may be of interest to you should you not like this one!
We "the porch monkeies like it how it is!

Listened to FDR's 'Forgotten Man' speach again.

Sarah Palin could have written this one.

Lord help me.

Marcia, the term "populist" has been perverted by the media to mean something it doesn't today. The populists were an early form of organized argicultral interests if I recall correctly. The part that's ignored today is that all for of collectivism or union organizing were a spin off on Marx.

As I said, a communist of a different color.

You can call Ron Paul or Bill Clinton a populist. The modern meaning is any politician that has appeal to a mainstream version of their particular "faith". It's a meaningless word in the modern context.

Populism is simply political doctrine and/or activism that asserts and supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggles with domination by the privileged elite.

The Populists to whom you refer were most famous for their advocacy of the free coinage of silver. Marxist, you say? Nope. More Ron Paulish Libertarian, actually, by a durnsight. And again I repeat, and I assume you will agree, Ron Paul is no Marxist.

There are populists in every organized society and political subdivision throughout the world. Your definition doesn't square with the various forms of populism that now exist or have in the past existed on the planet. They only operate on a tiny sliver of historical political discourse.

Your take is that which is promulgated by the priviledged elite to throw the "fear of Marx" into 'em .. common people into staying split up, protecting the interests of those elite. It makes fools out of well-intentioned and good people, and it seems to be working on you. I hope you find your way out of it.

Call it what you want but "populism" is just another form of communism, or that's what is morphs into is probably a better way to say it, since that's where the idea comes from.

I can find no mention anywhere of Ron Paul being considered a populist or endorsing that idea. You may wish it were so, but the most recent candidates identified with populist politics are John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich, hardly the Ron Paul types. Ross Perot is also mentioned as a populist.

Perhaps my definition is a bit harsher than you like because I've dealt with quite a few "populists" that later turned out to be nothing but good old communists in the end.

It's not that your definition is harsh .. it's that it is clearly incorrect and misguided. While there is nothing that precludes "populism" from being promoted through a communist agenda, there is nothing .. absolutely nothing .. that says populism is of the exclusive perview of communists, besides a cockeyed version that ignores the obvious. To the contrary, any political party or politician can indulge in populist initiatives to promote their agenda. Hatred, racism and isolationism/nationalism are often the currency of populist appeal that unites all across the political spectrum. When you find leftists supporting a rightwing libertarian such as Ron Paul, maybe because both camps are united against the war on drugs, or fiscal policy, or a host of other issues, you can be assured populism is in play.

I have given the correct definition of populism earlier. You may choose to ignore it all you like, fail to fathom the meaning of the word itself, and continue down a path of providing aid and comfort to media and other elite you claim to despise. Many fall into that pattern of self-abuse. It is not surprising to find it anywhere people are welded to their indoctrination into a particular political ideology, and act on their programming to blame some evil boogeyman, i.e. non-existant "communism".

John Edwards a communist? Come on. That's absurd. Do you think everyone who lives in a mansion, fronts for hedge funds for a living, gets $400+ haircuts, but gives donations to a church, praises Jesus and cheats on his wife while giving a little lipservice to helping poor people in crisis is a communist? Edwards is a Democrat, one of the phoniest, possibly trying to pass himself off as something more appealing to the far left. A populist relies upon drawing support from across the spectrum, not one end of it to the exclusion of the other.

So the same people that agree with your definition of populism are wrong about Edwards? Huh, maybe you should go back and reread the Wikipedia entry your posts sound like they're repeating.

Anytime you have the "peasants" organizing to fight off the "bourgeois" you have a form of populism and communism. Edwards would be a prime example of the type I think of, Al Gore too- lip service to faith, morals, financial reality, etc., supporting organized labor (peasants) while remaining in the elite themselves always and forever. If you were to offer men like these, and many Republicans too, the chance to control industry, health care, gov't, education, etc while heading a central politburo they'd jump at the chance. Their message may seems populists, but their aim is communist, fascist or socialist at heart.

The definition can be far more nuanced than you and Wiki believe.

"Even the founding fathers knew that religion and politics together was bad mojo." Hmmm This makes me ask where do you live? Have you ever studied your history? Have you ever looked at your money? IN GOD WE TRUST, was put on US money sometime around 1863 or 64 dont remember for sure. IN GOD WE TRUST is not religious specific, and is in no way close to being a state church. If you are in doubt "Dwight D. Eisenhower approved a joint resolution declaring In God We Trust the national motto of the United States."

"The Middle East is a perfect example. I certainly don't want my President getting guidance from imaginary voices in his head." Imaginary voices in no way a religious belief. But as to the voices I do feel that they might help B.O. or dose he hear them already? At least Sarah has a spine to stand up and do what is right and take the blame for it and not blame someone else for what she dose.

Jim

The separation of State and Church argument is probably one of the most misunderstood ideas we have going. It was simply the Founders ensuring the Federal Gov't didn't establish a mandated religion. The States were free to do as they chose. Massachusetts for instance had a State religion AFTER the Bill of Rights was signed and it was perfectly legal.

The separation between church and state argument has become distorted from the original intention. It was intended to protect religion from government, not the other way around. The founding fathers came from cultures where there was a national (government sponsored) church, where people had been forced to attend, and were forced to pay tithes. During the 1600's, many immigrants arrived from the British Isles, Germany and France seeking religious freedom in the new colonies and territories. By the time that the colonists were thinking about organizing an independent government, they weren't likely to want a new establishment of the old order. It's too bad that people calling themselves Christians behaved so badly towards the people who were already on this land, and to each other.

First -

Why do you assume that "Family Guy" or any other cartoon that pisses you off must be from the liberal media? Those SOBs are all about money. Period. And BTW - which channel airs that stuff - FOX - known for its conservative family values. Or is that only when it's convenient?

Sarah Palin is/was nothing but a "news reader" on a local TV station before someone with $$$ decided she'd be a perfect "talking head" to put out front in Alaska politics. I don't believe she's had an original thought in her life. There's no way in hell she wrote her book in the short amount of time since she resigned as governor of Alaska. That thing was written, edited, reviewed and published in less than 6 months. And she wasn't in some sort of 6 month seclusion laboring on her book but was pounding the airwaves. It just doesn't work that way. She had a ghost writer and won't even acknowledge that.
And now she's a new "talking head" on FOX - the channel that runs "Family Guy - in case you forgot. Remember, she's the one who had to address Joe Biden as "Joe" in her VP debate because she kept referring to him as "OBiden" in her multiple practice sessions. You all mention that she's got a spine and is a straight shooter. She doesn't even know what she's talking about - just says what she's told. That's why she can't elaborate on anything she hasn't rehearsed.
After all that, I do agree that a TV show taking shots at her Down's child is low brow. There's so much about her to dislike that one needn't stoop to bashing her for choosing to have a baby while in her mid forties. Better would be - if she's all about family values, who's taking care of that kid while she's commenting for FOXNEWS, travelling around promoting her book or campaigning for office? Not her.
Lastly - these arguments eventually deteriorate into "we need more god" or "things used to be so good" arguments. Written/recorded history (include the bible here)is rarely, if ever, a complete picture of the past. While jwaller may be moved by listening to old FDR speeches, they are just that - speeches - recorded practiced performances commented on by a news media with its own biases of that time.

Communism, socialism, populism, capitalism, democracy, - look up the definitions and explanations before you start throwing them around.

Read or watch George Orwell's "Animal Farm" - an indictment of communism - but it really shows that communism fail(ed) as soon as it reverted to a class system with some being more important (and thus entitled to more) than others - at that very moment, it ceased to be communism.

Also, one needs to recall that the socialist movement in the early 20th century America gave workers (average Joes): decent working conditions, reasonable hours, 5 day work week, child labor laws ... Money, greed and lust for power are the greatest hazards that plague our society - and they're in every faction - liberal/conservative, christian/atheist, capitalist/communist. So don't buy into the marketing of "Super Sarah" - she's already been bought and packaged for you.

Wow - the anti-intelligence folks are here in full force.

"In most circles I'm considered unintelligent for my lack of higher education, but before the Dems took over both parts of Congress, my business was bringing in nearly a million dollars a year. Not bad for someone that never set foot in college."

Since when did "knowing stuff" or "being educated" start being measured in dollars?

"Those that believe shall recieve, those that doubt shall do without"

I think you got that one wrong, Neil.

It's more like "those who believe, we can deceive, those who doubt we'll just out shout!"

If you think all the godless heathens will burn in hell, then let them (us) instead of cramming this antiquated BS down our throats.

BTW - read more history and get educated - many/most of the founding fathers were atheists or agnostics BUT all were businessmen worried about making a serious money. Mt. Vernon wasn't your "average" homestead.

No I do not have it wrong, time will tell and it will be to late. I just use a little common sense, if my life and peoples lives I have seen lived out before me, is all there is to this life kill me now, there is something better than this to look foward to, other than a pine box in a 6x6x4 hole in the ground. Someone posted about how they like topics that we all could pretty much agree on. I know we All will agree on this IF every human-being would do them, DO NOT STEAL,DO NOT KILL,DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST THY NEIGHBOUR,DO NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOURS POSSESIONS, HONOR YOU FATHER AND MOTHER, DO NOT LIE.Can we all agree on these few things. No one is cramming anything down anybody's throats,it is free just for the asking. Like I said those that believe shall recieve, those that doubt shall do without.I make my choice You make your choice,it is as simple as that.

Neil - if you were using common sense you would conclude that religion came out of human consciousness and wondering why we are here. There is no purpose or higher calling - you just live and then die, like every other living thing. That's the evidence - not some ancient beliefs that tell us suffer now for a better after life. That's a great story to keep the impoverished from rising up against the upper class. Humans are just not that special.

"I just use a little common sense, if my life and peoples lives I have seen lived out before me, is all there is to this life kill me now, there is something better than this to look foward to, other than a pine box in a 6x6x4 hole in the ground"

Geoff-You didn't say that the world would be a better place if we all Did the things I posted earlier can we agree on that. I like Perchorons and german shepherd dogs,what's your prefrence, I am sure we will find something to agree on.

Nothing to do with wikipedia, Bret 4207 .. statements that amount to populism = communism are just ridiculous and indefensible.