No, not Paul Begala or some Democratic spinner, but these were TRIED AND TRUE LIFE LONG CONSERVATIVE AND INFLUENTIAL REPUBLICANS feeding on their own in response to the choices and behavior of the McCain campaign.
I did a search and did not find this information but if this has been diaried already, my apologies, just let me know and I'll delete.
We've all seen the vitriol coming from the GOP extremists and being instigated by the McSame/Failin campaign, but things are really reaching a head and are causing even the most faithful of Conservative Republican to take pause. Check this out this video from Bloggerinterrupted and pay special attention to the kid at 3:07:
WTF? "You need gloves to touch him?" What the hell do they teach these kids? And we should allow them to select the next leader of the free world? Well, the self-respecting members of the Conservative Right do not think so!
On the 10/8 episode of Larry King Live, 3 life-long republicans Kathleen Parker, Bay Buchanan (ugh!), and Michelle Laxalt sounded off on their feelings about the Republican ticket. Larry King asked each woman what they thought about Sarah Palin and her role as potential VP as well as her impact on the ticket. I had to rewind a few times just to be sure that these were Republicans talking.
Kathleen Parker, Conservative Columnist:
"I am still not convinced that she is ready to lead the free world if that should become necessary so I guess I stand by my original column!"
Hey Michelle Laxalt, GOP Consultant, tell us what you REALLY think (emphasis mine):
"I have increasing doubts about this ticket [McCain/Palin] and my doubts center around what I see the McCain management team doing with Gov. Palin. I see a team who brought a young Governor onto the national scene and tpssed her her into the deep end 5 weeks before November. I see them managing her. I hear from inside of the McCain campaign that she is essentially being treated like a secretary or a staffer, not a genuine VP running mate. And I think it is absolutely confirmed that when they send her out, this good 'ole boy team, some of whom parenthetically, Gov. Reagan and my father, Sen. Laxalt, fired from the Reagan campaign for these kinds of dirty tricks, they have sent this young, naive, very competent - perhaps, in Alaska - young woman out with the most incendiary talking points, the most dangerous, racist talking points, and I think they should be ashamed of themselves."
Bay Buchanan, Sister of Pat Buchanan, need I say more:
"Sarah is point for this campaign. She is doing a remarkable job..."
Blah blah blah, in summary, she went on to say she's a mavericky, barracuda, pitbull who is helping McCain excite retards. You all know the taking points, and sadly, I think Bay may actually believe that crap! However, it's the uncharacteristically loose-lipped, honest and frank side of the GOP that I'm unaccustomed to witnessing and made me want to share it for those who may have missed it.
Truthfully, the sensible GOP'ers seems to be doing all of the work for the Left these days. Between George Will, David Brooks and now the Ladies of the Right, I don't think the Left could ask for better spokespersons. Nonetheless, there I sat, wishing that there was a Donna Brazille or Debbie Wasserman-Shultz somewhere waiting in the wings to shoot down Bay's ridiculous talking points. Low and whatdoyoueffenknow, Kathleen and Michelle were all too willing to expose their party's bulls%*&@! Behold!
Kathleen, when asked if Failin Palin was helping McCain:
I don't think Sarah Palin is helping McCain. Yes, she's animating the base, the base is practically hysterical with animation, but he already has the base. The base is not going to vote for Obama so she’s not helping him with the people he needs which are women voters who have left him en masse to get back to Obama and with Independents and Moderates who are leaving the McCain camp and I think many of them were leaning toward McCain but now because of her and because of some of the incendiary language they’re moving the other way so I don’t think this is helpful.
Bay claimed:
“McCain never had the base. Never until Sarah Palin. That was Sarah Palin’s job and she did it perfectly. And the second thing is, for three weeks after that Convention we were climbing. She, Sarah Palin, was basically able to eliminate the bump that the Democrats got out of their convention and we moved ahead because of Sarah Palin. The day we started to drop was the day the banks collapsed. You can look at all the polls you want and blame it on Sarah, but it has a whole lot more to do with the environment than Sarah.
Michelle, then drops the bomb that no self respecting Right Wingnut wants to hear from their own when Larry asks her if she will vote for the ticket:
“Look, I think… I can’t believe the tone of this conversation. Here we are: 3 conservative loyal republican women and we are talking about a female who could become the VP of the United States of America and in my estimation she is being used unfairly as a tool by a team who, by the way, does not even support - nor does their candidate - equal pay for women for equal work. So, if… if she is going to be the traditional VP attack dog, which I concur with Bay is very much a traditional role, why didn’t her male running mate, i.e. the candidate himself, man up and speak to those issues? Calling his opponent, essentially, unpatriotic? Calling him a terrorist? I’m sorry. This is not the Republican party that Bill Buckley, that Paul Laxalt, that Ronald Reagan raised me on. And I don’t believe the American people like this kind of dirty politics. If they can’t win fair and square they shouldn’t trash the other guy!”
Well, no doubt the right will be pulling their credentials really soon. I wish I could find the video because the transcript does the exchange little justice. If someone else can grab it, please post and I'll add it to this diary.
And just in case you think they are only a few voices crying out in the wilderness, HuffPo has an article about an ex-GOP Governor who endorsed McCain during the Primary:
Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken tells the Grand Rapids Press that he's "disappointed" in John McCain and the campaign he is running:
He endorsed John McCain in the presidential primary, but now former Republican Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts about his party's nominee.
"He is not the McCain I endorsed," said Milliken, reached at his Traverse City home Thursday. "He keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me.
"I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."
The same site has another piece wherein the former McCain top strategist sounds off:
John Weaver, John McCain's former top strategist, says the Republican candidate is making both a moral and a a tactical mistake by letting abusive hecklers have free rein at rallies:
"People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain," Weaver said. "And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."
It must suck to be McCain since he has to be wondering, "Where were you guys when I was getting reamed in 2000 while being accused of fathering an illegitimate black child?" But why become that which you hate, Senator? Well, I suppose this gives credence to the old axiom, "When you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas!"
This is why your party is in shambles, Mr. McCain. This is why you are alienating every reasoned American, and there aren't enough nuts in the asylum to get you elected, Mr. Joker. May you and Mr. Rove go by the way of many others who have pursued political success at the expense of the fabric of our great country. This is why I hope to never see you or your ilk in our Executive Branch of government EVER. AGAIN. PERIOD!