Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain reacts to almost heading the wrong way off the stage after shaking hands with Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama at the conclusion of the final presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, October 15, 2008.

The bottom picture is from a Clifford: The Big Red Dog childrens book.

Spooky, huh?

In a large crock pot:

Combine 1 pound of all purpose fear, a pinch of 9/11 and dollop of fake homeland security.

Combine tax cuts for the wealthy, exclusive Halliburton contracts, oil profits and corporate welfare til smooth, then add to the mix.

Coarsely chop off social programs for the poor, strain Social Security through private cheesecloth and then drain and discard unnecessary excess minorities.

In a separate pot, bring bigotry, gay bashing and pro-birth rhetoric to a boil. Stir in right-wing religious zealots and the elimination of the Separation of Church and State. Bring to boil again and then generously pour into the mix.

Stir in secrecy, fraud, corruption and criminal negligence. If desired, mash fixed intelligence with a treason masher and sprinkle with super secret background.

Add Swift Boat smear tactics to taste and garnish with language manipulation (from secret playbook).

Put a lid on it and go on vacation.

Danger: Do not lift cover. It may explode in your face.

Inspirational electioneering, straight talk and devious spin — new technology means it’s all getting easier to detect and dissect

http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/mg19926746.200-software-spots-the-spin-in-political-speeches.html

From its inception, in 1892, the Pledge has been a slavish ritual of devotion to the state, wholly inappropriate for a free people. It was written by Francis Bellamy, a Christian Socialist pushed out of his post as a Baptist minister for delivering pulpit-pounding sermons on such topics as “Jesus the Socialist.” Bellamy was devoted to the ideas of his more-famous cousin Edward Bellamy, author of the 1888 utopian novel Looking Backward. Looking Backward describes the future United States as a regimented worker’s paradise where everyone has equal incomes, and men are drafted into the country’s “industrial army” at the age of 21, serving in the jobs assigned them by the state.

And

Bellamy’s recommended ritual for honoring the flag had students all but goosestepping their way through the Pledge: “At a signal from the Principal the pupils, in ordered ranks, hands to the side, face the Flag. Another signal is given; every pupil gives the Flag the military salute–right hand lifted, palm downward, to a line with the forehead and close to it… At the words, ‘to my Flag,’ the right hand is extended gracefully, palm upward, towards the Flag, and remains in this gesture till the end of the affirmation; whereupon all hands immediately drop to the side.” After the rise of Nazism, this form of salute was thought to be in poor taste, to say the least, and replaced with today’s hand-on-heart gesture.

Crazy stuff…  It is a shame politicians have a history of reacting, instead of thinking.  Or researching.

Althouse has a great parody clip of McCain & Palin. Worth watching!