Matt Lauer interviews Sarah Palin on The Today Show yesterday. Nothing unexpected, but I think it's notable that she appeared on The Today Show on the same day that John McCain appeared on The Tonight Show. For all that talk of in-fighting on the Republican side, this speaks to at least some coordination between the two camps. McCain on Leno below. (He was a lot funnier than Palin, although I suppose he can afford to be.) Via The Daily Beast.

You know, there is so much talk today about Sarah Palin and what a monster she is. She's stupid! She doesn't know Africa is a continent! She spent even more money on clothes! She's a hillybilly who raided Saks! She talked to reporters wearing nothing but a towel! She's a diva!

The shark attacks are coming from both sides, and every single anchor on TV is taking a piranha bite out of her, too. Enough is enough. These attacks are repulsive. Look, I could not disagree more with Palin's views on pretty much everything, but she has been a trouper. Was she in over her head? Of course. Did she make a lot of mistakes? She sure did. Is she ambitious? As much as any politician is. Is she just plain wrong? Yes. But you know what? She jumped into the deep end of the pool without floaties, and she just about sank. And what does everyone do? Try to push her head back underwater at the moment she is about to take her first breath of air.

She must be exhausted. She must be overwhelmed. Still. And she must be sad. And she is still battling the sexist and classist media? (This Newsweek article is suspect. And everyone knows it. Everyone.) Imagine if the entire world were to call you stupid and backward and evil and monstrous. Every day, all day, for months. And just when you think it's over, the attacks instead double. Palin is not a monster. She is not evil. No one doubts that her intentions come from a place that she believes is good. But she is wrong. On so many things. But being wrong is not the same thing as being evil. Where is our compassion for this person?

Obama just won because he demonstrated that there is a better way to do politics. There is a better way to live and interact with each other. These attacks on Palin are part of the old world, the world before Obama was elected President. And it's our responsibility to make the promise of the world he unveiled a reality.

Possible roles for David Axelrod in an Obama administration

A letter to the President-elect: "This is a sobering moment in American history. You begin with a good deal of popular support, but mandates must be replenished. I suggest you think of the Oval Office as a classroom, and explain to the American people what we need to accomplish and what it will require."

McCain out of ideas

McCain aides take a swipe at Palin: "She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," this McCain adviser said. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

Obama responds to McCain's Meet The Press interview

An even more rabid Elisabeth loses herself and her reason in an introduction at a rally for Sarah Palin in Tampa.

Click below to jump the the full size players, or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.

Today's Buffet:

Daily Song:
Kanye West vs Radiohead - Reckoner Lockdown (DJ Earworm Remix)


Television:
Bill O'Reilly on The View (8:09)


Movies:
With all the political piling going on right now (motivated at least in part by sexism), I've been thinking of Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's Deckard, and Sean Young's Rachael. (7:57)

Politics:
After a 55-day wait, Brian Williams interviews McCain and Palin (10:20)

Music Video:
In honor of my blog's new name, kd lang's "Hallelujah" (5:15)

The players after the jump. Or click here to launch them in a new window. Or just pull up a chair, hang out, and watch them in The Media Bar.

Daily Song:
Kanye West vs Radiohead - Reckoner Lockdown (DJ Earworm Remix)

Television:

Bill O'Reilly on The View(8:09)

Movies:

With all the political piling going on right now (motivated at least in part by sexism), I've been thinking of
Blade Runner, Harrison Ford's Deckard, and Sean Young's Rachael.

Politics:

After a 55-day wait, Brian Williams interviews McCain and Palin (10:20)

Music Video:

In honor of my blog's new name, kd lang's "Hallelujah" (5:15)

An excerpt from her CNN interview.

From the AP:

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says she supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a break with John McCain who has said he believes states should be left to define what marriage is.

In an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network, the Alaska governor said she had voted in 1998 for a state amendment banning same sex marriage and hoped to see a federal ban on such unions.

"I have voted along with the vast majority of Alaskans who had the opportunity to vote to amend our Constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman. I wish on a federal level that's where we would go. I don't support gay marriage," Palin said. She said she believed traditional marriage is the foundation for strong families.

You have to admit, that within her own misguided ideology, she is remarkably consistent.

Two new websites give voters a chance to see and hear the Republican candidates in an entirely new way.

Have some fun with Mccain, and then check out what Palin would say as President.

SNL received its highest ratings in 14 years when Gov. Sarah Palin appeared on the show on October 19 and danced along while a pregnant Amy Poehler rapped (surprisingly convincingly) as a stand-in for the governor.

Here are the lyrics:

"one two three . . .

my name is sarah palin
you all know me
vice president nominee of the gop
gonna need your vote in the next election
can i get a ‘what what’ from the senior section
mccain got experience, mccain got style
but don’t let him freak you out when he tries to smile
cause that smile be creepy
but when i be vp
all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me

. . . i’m jeremiah wright
cause tonight i’m the preacha
i got a bookish look and you’re all hot for teacha
todd lookin fine on his snow machine
so hot boy gonna need a go between
in wasilla we just chill baby chilla
but when i see oil lets drill baby drill

The complete lyrics after the jump.

"one two three . . .

my name is sarah palin
you all know me
vice president nominee of the gop
gonna need your vote in the next election
can i get a ‘what what’ from the senior section
mccain got experience, mccain got style
but don’t let him freak you out when he tries to smile
cause that smile be creepy
but when i be vp
all the leaders in the world gonna finally meet me

how’s it go eskimo
eskimos
tell me what you know eskimo
eskimos
how you feel eskimo
ice cold
tell me tell me what you feel eskimo
super cold

i’m jeremiah wright
cause tonight i’m the preacha
i got a bookish look and you’re all hot for teacha
todd lookin fine on his snow machine
so hot boy gonna need a go between
in wasilla we just chill baby chilla
but when i see oil lets drill baby drill

my country tis a
thee
from my porch i can see
russia and such

all the mavericks
in the house put your hands up
all the mavericks in the house put your hands up
all the plumbers in the house pull your pants up
all the plumbers in the house pull your pants up

when i say ‘obama’
you say ‘ayers’
obama. ayers. obama. ayers.
i built me a bridge - it ain’t goin’ nowhere.
[ohhh]

mccain, palin,
gonna put the nail in the coffin
of the media elite
she likes red meat
shoot a mull humpin moose, eight days of the week

[three gunshots]
now ya dead, now ya dead,
cause i’m an animal, and i’m bigger than you
holdin a shotgun walk in the pub
everybody party, we’re goin on a hunt
la la la la la la la la
[six gunshots]

yo palin, i’m out!"

This was rumored for the past few weeks, but it's been confirmed that Governor Sarah Palin will be appearing on SNL this weekend. Palin has said, "I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented. It would be fun to meet her, imitate her and keep on giving her new material."

I'll let her speak for herself.

Via The Daily Beast

The New Republic has an amazing piece on Sarah Palin. In it, Noam Scheiber offers the most comprehensive interpretation of the Palin persona and phenomenon that I have seen or heard yet. Her folksiness is a weapon, but not necessarily in the "I'm a good ol' boy" way of Bush. Bush knows who he is and has been -- he is the embodiment of American royalty.

In her version, Palin's unrelenting folksiness exists in response to a genuine fear she has of others. Not "The Other." Not the black man or the gay woman or the brown Muslim. No. A fear of others who might be better, stronger, faster. When we watch her speak or listen to her debate, we get to cheer her heartfelt attempts to move beyond her birthright and into a bigger world of more and better. For those of us born far outside of royalty, we, even when we disagree with her absolutely, we can't help but root for her.

Contrast this to Obama's coolness, which exists, I think, partially to mask his own belief that he is just slightly better than everyone else. Thankfully, he is.