Sarah Palin?
So much for conventional wisdom.
Senator John McCain has picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. She appears to have come out of nowhere with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Minnessota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and Senator Joe Lieberman being seen as the likely contenders. Palin had been mentioned, but she never seemed to be anything more than a second-tier choice. Steve Heimel, a reporter/host for Alaska Public Radio, told CNN that even her staff didn't know that she was under serious consideration.
The Palin pick is certainly "out-of-the-box" thinking and a gamble. It's also a reflection of the need for the McCain campaign to respond to the phenomenon that is Barack Obama. McCain could not have gone with the "same old, same old" which is what many of his potential choices represent. Obama's ascendancy has been a "game changer" and forces the Republicans to respond in different ways. It's doubtful she would have been the pick if Hilary Clinton would have been the nominee.
She's known as a reformer, ethically clean, and a conservative. She's also under investigation for allegedly putting pressure on the state public safety commissioner regarding the firing of a state trooper who was married to Palin's sister. She's also vastly inexperienced. Her debate with Joe Biden on international issues will be very interesting to see. McCain has constantly talked about the need to have someone in the White House experienced enough to deal with the war on terror. It's difficult to argue that she adds anything in that regard.
More later . . .
August 29, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
One hundred years from now they'll teach University courses about the 2008 Presidential Election. What we are witnessing is a seed change, nothing short of a Revolution.
Quietly, in basements and dens around America, an army of MILLIONS of Bloggers and fellow travelers is no longer responding to the media - considering what the media puts in front of us - considering the facts they have fed us, the facts on which we have had to base out thoughts. What has happened this year, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WORLD HISTORY, is that the PEOPLE have actually turned the tables and WE THE PEOPLE now CONTROL the agenda and the information which is available to the people. The media have been reduced to following our lead; OUR findings of facts and the Blogsphere's exposure of Sarah Palin's appalling scandals and background are a prime example.
The REVOLUTION is HERE, we are not only fighting it we are WINNING it - not with hate, guns, rocks and blood - but with facts, and communication, and an Internet with a billion points of light - each point of which can take facts off and add new ones on.
For the first time in my adult life - America has a REAL chance at change.
God Bless America!
Posted by: Mylegacy | Sep 4, 2008 11:27:19 PM
Is it chickens coming home to roost?
The American Idol syndrome has hit the presidencial elections!
Posted by: jeremiah | Sep 4, 2008 5:39:00 PM
note to Mylegacy:
OINK. Sexism lives.
Racism -- BAD!
Sexism -- Hilarious!
Kiss my butt.
Posted by: Pat | Sep 4, 2008 12:12:11 AM
Larry - nice try. Try harder next time.
No one is attacking Sarah Palin PERSONALLY. She is 100% allowed to be who she is - it's not her fault that she's been picked - it's John McCain's.
She may have abused power in "Troopergate." She fired a Police Chief and Librarian for not supporting her. (The librarian was rehired the P.C. settled out of court.) She didn't teach her daughter about birth control (and if President would not want your daughter taught). She's anti-choice, even in the cases of rape and incest. Her husband was a member, and the party claims she was a member (and she attended at least two of their conventions) - of an Alaskan separatist party. The leader of which once said: "The fires of Hell are glaciers compared to my hate for the American Government." She asked her librarian, "How do you ban books."
Simply put, if she was any further out of the mainstream she'd be...er...er a supporter of Pat Buchanan when he ran for President..er...actually she was.
John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" is clear and straightforward:
I, John McCain, am not fit to lead this great nation.
Posted by: Mylegacy | Sep 3, 2008 1:45:34 AM
LMAO! C'mon, Gramps! She was a birthday gift! You don't name a birthday present as your VEEP running mate.
I actually look forward more to seeing the VEEP debates than I do watching Kid Obama mercilessly thrash Gramps. Joe Biden is going to most graciously walk this aging celebutard's pink poodle in that comical showdown.
...more experience than Obama... PLEASE! Obama has more folks on his current campaign staff than this chick mediocrely led badly as mayor in Wasilla. She's under investigation right now for screwing up a job she's only held 21 months! I suspect this election's October Surprise is going to be Palin getting Perp-Walked LIVE off the Straighjacket Regress scenicruiser on Halloween night for that abuse of power thingy she can't seem to make go away. Did they vet this chick? Seriously!!! Because, it really does seem like Gramps overlooked quite a few pieces of infinitely more qualified sticks of expensive furniture in his many homes before just all willy-nilly giving his birthday gift the VEEP nod. I hear she was a flautist in her school band and in the Miss Alaska competition. She must have really blew that thang for Grand Dude. Cash-strapped as the McCain run is, the Flautist managed to render Gramps to be utterly oblivious to life on Planet Earth, not to mention endangered the nation. Think about it. If Rove is able to cheat the Geezer in and the Geezer croaks from booze and broad abuse at his inaugural gala, Caribou Barbie will be left in the Oval Office unsupervised to take that 3:00 AM call. This chick is not the Rethug answer to Hillary. She's the girl version of Dan Quayle.
Now roll back the last night's tape on Grampers' introducing Caribou Barbie at the 2008 NaziCon. LOL! He ain't reading the teleprompter. Nope! Ol' Gramps was checking out the booty on his cutie, dirty old rascal. These sanctimonious, self-righteous ReThugs need to stop! Family Values party? I don't think so, naw! Magic Drawers and Leibertwit have to be livid after all the kissing of Gramps wrinkly old behind those two did.
It's at this phase of the game that Gramps needs to appeal to the judges for that do-over VEEP selection. McCain need not be too proud to just viciously beg the RNC to reconsider that one. The chick supported the Rat Buchanan Presidential candidacy, and even he maintains that Gramps made this horrible error during an obvious mind-numbed senior moment. Come, come, Gramps, you're going the wrong way!
Posted by: rage | Sep 2, 2008 1:32:36 PM
"Ollie." I said - "Do you remember Sarah Palin from your time in Alaska?"
"Yep, I 'member that gal. Good looker she was. Great point guard an' dang near won a beauty contest - too bad for her there were better lookin' gals there. What I 'member most 'bout 'er was the way she fired!"
"Oh yes..." I said "...I hear she was a great hunter and has a bear rug on the sofa in her living room."
Ollie replied, "Naw - not that kinda' firing - the other kind. You know, she just likes firing people - an' she were mighty good at it! 'Course, everyone knows about "Troopergate," her firin' ol' Walt Monegan an all - 'course then she lied about why she did it - didn't seem right - for such a God fearin' woman an' all. Anyway, the guy what replaced ol' Walt had'a quit in a couple o' weeks on account of his sexual harassment problem. Randy folks we got up here in the land of the midnight sun. 'Course, ain't nothin' gonna come of it all - heck the Alaskan government investigation won't even get to depose her 'till a few weeks from now an' she's got herself all lawyered-up to keep slowin' it all down - by the time they're ready to get at 'er Bush, Rove and Cheney will make sure that problem goes bye, bye. Yes sir.
Then there were the time she got all righteous when she were Mayor of Wasilla - fired the Chief of Police and the Library Director for not supporin' her election. Serves 'em right - what's not to support 'bout that girl - her being such an upright Christian an' all. Mind you, the recall effort forced her to rehire the Librarian and she settled out of court with the Police Chief. Good thing they rehired the Librarian - every town Wasilla's size ought to have at least one person that can read AND write.
Well then we got the time ol' Todd Palin, Sarah's other half, got upset when Sarah's long time friend and long time aide started to date Todd's friends ex-wife and ol' Todd got her to fire him. Serves him right - messin' with ol' Todd's friend like that - what's a buddy for, eh?
It's hardly worth talkin' 'bout but there were that "Dairygate" thing too. When she were elected as Governor the "Creamery Board" had decided (after years of study) that they had to unload a money losin' state owned diary. "Nonsense" she said - or somethin' near like that. So she fired 'em all an' replaced them with her hand picked dairy creamery expert friends - not everyone has a pile of 'em - but our Sarah had! 'Course - they come around to agreein' with the guys what she had done fired. Heck, they only spent $200,000 more tryin' to save the place 'till she got ol' Uncle Sam to step in with some good ol' mainland greenbacks.
Yep, that's our Sarah. Say, did I ever tell you she dang near won a beauty contest?
Posted by: Mylegacy | Sep 1, 2008 9:27:12 PM
Surely you jest. She is no more qualified than Obama is either...but.....9000 citizens is pale in comparison to let's say............9 million. There are more people in Chicago's south side than the entire state of Alaska.
I just think it is galling that McCain thinks that the selection of a "conservative" female will win him voters from Hillary's "non-conservative" base. Are women that pissed at Obama for beating her in the primaries that they would be willing to compromise their beliefs just to get a woman the second in command job?
If that is the case, then women may NEVER (I mean EVER) get a shot at being that close again.
Just my 2 cents....
Posted by: larry | Aug 31, 2008 3:25:44 PM
Professor,
I think you are wrong about Gov. Palin being inexperienced. As a wife, a mother of five children, a former mayor, a governor and commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard, I would say she has more executive experience and leadership skills then Obama. I honestly wouldn't try to compare their resumes because his would be much thinner than hers. I believe Gov. Palin is being discounted the same way Hillary Clinton was destroyed soley because she is a women. This is especially true because so many men are too insecure to view women as being anything other than their mothers, wives or nannys for their children. Women are too often seen as objects to satisfy and serve men and when they want to step into roles outside of those, many men become agitated and are unable to handle it. Women are not put on this earth to be objects and servents of men so men should stop fighting and get over it because women are comfortable being in many more places than just the kitchen.
Posted by: diddy | Aug 30, 2008 11:43:36 PM
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