Palin's debut as a motivational speaker: Houston attendees rate her a 'Fail'

By GottaLaff

David Niewert over at Crooks and Liars has something special for us today. Everyone close your eyes and open your hands:

But no one told attendees that Palin would be speaking at 8 a.m., so bitterly disappointed fans standing in line at 10:30 a.m. weren't happy.

That's okay. PayMe McWordSalad got what she needed: Money.

Let's take a looksee at some of the reviews. We all know what a charismatic speaker she is... as long as she has both hands visible for reading crib notes, that is.

Alrighty then, Reviewer Number One on LikeMe McBigBucks' fancy Motivational Speakin':

"I wasn't motivated" one man said to me in the elevator as I left the speech, "she sounded un-prepared and erratic and focused an awful lot on her script."

What?! She used a script?! I thought she frowned on people who rely on prepared text. I'm shocked! Shocked, I tells ya!

Let's hear another review from a devoted fan:

"She already gave her speech?!" One man exclaimed in the lobby after arriving minutes too late [...]

Everybody's a critic.

Well at least she showed her impressive storytelling ability, right?

The speech itself seemed more like a sermon, Sarah frequently attributed "God" and "Jesus Christ" to lifting her out of despair. She gave several long rambling examples of tough times in Alaska, during which she would occasionally lose her footing and immediately jump to praising the state for it's beauty.

Or not.

As I gazed around the audience from my VIP seat - just feet away from the stage - I had the impression that most of those sitting near me were insulted.

Way to motivate, Speaky.

Okay, just to be fair, let's hear from one final attendee. Your review, sir?

As she left one man with a thick country drawl leaned over to me and said "you know, she's not that impressive in person."

Three thumbs down. PalinFail.

H/t: Pigboy

Houston Chronicle endorses Obama

By GottaLaff

GObama!

After carefully observing the Democratic and Republican nominees in drawn-out primary struggles as well as in the general campaign, including three debates, the Chronicle strongly believes that the ticket of Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden offers the best choice to lead the United States on a new course into the second decade of the 21st century.

Obama appears to possess the tools to confront our myriad and daunting problems. He's thoughtful and analytical. He has met his opponents' attacks with calm and reasoned responses. Viewers of the debates saw a poised, well-prepared plausible president with well-articulated positions on the bread-and-butter issues that poll after poll indicate are the true concerns of voters. While Arizona Sen. John McCain and his running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have struck an increasingly personal and negative tone in their speeches, Obama has continued to talk about issues of substance. [...]

Perhaps the worst mistake McCain made in his campaign for the White House was the choice of the inexperienced and inflammatory Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Had he selected a moderate, experienced Republican lawmaker such as Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison with a strong appeal to independents, the Chronicle's choice for an endorsement would have been far more difficult.

In comments to the Chronicle editorial board during his Texas primary fight against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama explained why he believed he would be the best choice for president.

"More than any other candidate, I could bridge some of the partisan, racial and religious divides in this country that prevent us from getting things done," said Obama. "I believe that I could attract independents and some disillusioned Republicans into a working majority to bring about change on critical issues."

Back in the spring, Obama's sentiments seemed more a hope than reality. Since then, we have watched him grow in the roles of candidate and leader, maintaining grace under fire without resorting to political expediency. He is by far the best choice to deliver the changes that Americans demand.

This is the first time the Chronicle has endorsed a Democrat since 1964.

H/t: One of our Anonymi

Hurricane Bucky

By GottaLaff

UPDATE from Houston:

One of our favorite Commenters, "Bucky", just called me from Houston. I hadn't heard from him since right after Ike came and went, so it was great to hear his voice.

Electricity won't be restored in Houston for a very long time, so he may go stay with a relative in Abilene, but the good news is, he's fine. His apartment had a few leaky windows/roof, but otherwise survived the storm. Bucky was also smart enough to stock up on food and water, so he's still fine for a couple of more days.

However, it's such a mess there, and with no power, he's thinking of getting out for awhile.

Most important, though, is that Bucky is fine. We love you, Bucks!

Now let's hope everyone else affected by Ike pulls through as successfully as Bucky has.