Head Count in Fairfax, VA: 23,000? 15,000? 8,000? Were you there? Do you know? 8,000 is still BIG!

well, sir, the LA Times is trying to nail down the *exact* number who attended last week's rally here in Fairfax, VA (it was more than double of the 4,000 expected...but 23,000? Not that anyone does not care to believe anything but HYPE...

((( e.g., i read it on the internet and 23,000 must be so! )))

McCain-Palin crowd: 23,000, or a third that size

By DON FREDERICK AND ANDREW MALCOLM, TOP OF THE TICKET September 14, 2008

One of the many, many imprecise aspects of daily journalism is estimating a crowd size -- especially when the gathering is large and sprawling. In such cases, reporters learn early not to hazard a guess of their own but to rely on officialdom. But sometimes, in another sign of the vagaries of pinning down a count at an event for which tickets haven't been allotted, the figures from the local authorities vary.

Such was the case Wednesday as John McCain and Sarah Palin wrapped up the road tour that took them to several states since the Republican National Convention ended a week ago.The GOP presidential ticket ventured into the heavily Democratic Virginia suburbs adjacent to Washington, where a boisterous and undeniably large audience greeted the pair. But exactly how large? Most news reports, such as CNN's, went with the police estimate of at least 23,000 (a number eagerly embraced by the McCain camp).The New York Times, though, used in its story the reckoning from fire marshals: 15,000. Meanwhile, Marc Fisher of the Washington Post, a columnist for the local section, wrote that he counted it at 8,000 (though he also noted the 23,000 police estimate).

Regardless, there wasn't much question who the star of the show was.

Excerpted from The Times' political blog Top of the Ticket, at latimes.com/topoftheticket.

# # #

P.T.A. --words of wisdom from Sylvia H.

I received an excellent new way to refer to the acronym "P.T.A." from Sylvia Hadash, a friend of mine from Manassas, VA. It's

P RESIDENTIAL

T RAINING

A RENA

and do you know what? There isn't a darn thing wrong with that! What better training ground than state and local politics, the senate, more....Hey, this nonsequitur (sic) should go on a tee shirt and bumper sticker! It makes sense.

And for anyone that says that John McCain is too old, Sylvia countered, "Ronald Reagan was 70 when he accepted the oath of office."

Yes, he was.

We have nothing to worry about.

McCain + Palin, carry on! Campaign VS Obama and Biden. And OBAMA: reminder: lipstick on a pitbull, not a pig (!)

# # #

What in the world was Keith Olbermann doing? His ego reminds me of Arthur Godfrey, new media style

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/23/080623fa_fact_boyer?currentPage=all

Is Keith Olbermann the second coming of Ed Murrow? (article above) Absolutely not. But he is Keith Olbermann. More like Arthur Godfrey, (pictured) me thinks. Powerful. Influential. BIG! And so, Is MSNBC becoming the Olbermann network? Jossip thinks not. Just place his name in a search engine and dredge up Rachel Maddow, Morning Joe, Chris "toady" Matthews, and a cast of characters that the late Tim Russert would have kicked off the set for bad behavior! GO BILLS! Brokaw can stay.

This story above is from back in June. Fast forward to September. Keith covered the R N C from the NY / NJ studios, complete with denouncing the producers of the convention for showing a film commemorating 9-1-1 -- AND here is this gem, getting off all over OBAMA ! (Bill Maher said that, I didn't):

Bill Maher: Keith Olbermann And Chris Matthews Were Ready To “Have ...
Aug 30, 2008 ... Bill Maher: Keith Olbermann And Chris Matthews Were Ready To “Have Sex” With Obama During Convention. By Rob on August 30, 2008 at 08:07 pm ...sayanythingblog.com/entry/bill_maher_keith_olbermann_and_chris_matthews_were_ready_to_have_sex_with_o/ - 106k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Well, Keith is sharp, and funny, and I laff my ass off, but that ego can be deflated by one little pin PRICK (pun intended? you decide.)

# # #

Is MSNBC...the 'keith Olbermann Network'? Where is the pretty colored bird?

He is as baaaad a baaad ass as that preening pea-cock in living color! He is trying to do a Bill-O-Reilly, that man! And he is funny as hell! So much for starting out at ESPN!

Now he is attacking Go-Joe Scarborough who will have to go to righty-F O X with (gulp!) KARL ROVE (oh, noooOOOOOOOOO!)



Get me a f--bromo seltzer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/26/joe-scarborough-vs-keith_n_121420.htm

Oh, read this one! KEITH'S continual RISE TO POWER - Cutting Dan Abrams' balls off and laffing about it --oh, be-have!

Original Post: Rachel Maddow will replace Dan Abrams as host of the 9PM hour on MSNBC, the New York Times' Bill Carter reports. Just last month in a Times article by Jacques Steinberg, MSNBC president Phil Griffin declared Maddow "at the top" of a "very short list" for those who should have their own show, though at the time he said he "[didn't] know when" that would be. As Carter reports, the final stretch of the 2008 election season will be Maddow's debut as the host of her own MSNBC show:
Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host -- and one-time general manager of the network -- Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel.
The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams's last program on Thursday. After MSNBC's extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8.
MSNBC is highlighting the date, 9/8/08, connecting it to the start of the Olympics on 8/8/08, as a way to signal what the network's president, Phil Griffin, said "will be the final leg of the political race this year." He added, "We making that Rachel's debut."
Mr. Abrams, who is well liked at MSNBC, is expected to remain at both that network and at NBC News, where he is the chief legal correspondent. He will also serve as an anchor during some of MSNBC's daytime coverage, as well as a substitute host on NBC's "Today" show, Mr. Griffin said.
The last broadcast of Abrams' "Verdict" will air Thursday.
Abrams, the network's former General Manager, told the Times that he understood the decision.
"Putting my general manager's hat back on, considering where the network is right now, it is actually the right call," he said.
Almost immediately, Keith Olbermann took to DailyKos to celebrate the news, brag about his involvement in the decision — "Yes, I had something to do with it," he wrote — and remind readers that though Maddow's rise at the network was quick ("less than five months between first paid appearance and own show"), his was quicker ("I believe I still hold the MSNBC record: I came back to guest host for three days in 2003 and 39 days later I had a contract to do the 8 PM show.").