McCain's VP choice. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I'm one of those who previously said I am consciously withholding judgment on her despite my worst first instincts.

I raised the question as to whether if Tim Pawlenty had been chosen people would be going this crazy or if in fact sexism is actually underlying all this hooplah (and I had to ask this of myself as well). If McCain had picked Jindal (also on short list) I'm sure the experience issue would have come up but would it have come with the same level of vitriol? The reaction seems disproportionate and I think that must be based in part on her gender.

To underscore this point everyone knows Tim Kaine was on Obama's short list -- he didn't pick him, but again, as with Pawlenty, if he had would everyone be going this crazy? His experience seems very close to Palin's (new governor, previously a mayor). Yet no one thought considering him was crazy -- even in light of Obama's relative lack of experience.

The difference I can see is (1) Palin is a woman and (2) she does not have an Ivy League pedigree. I agree the Ivy League pedigree would be a virtual assurance of a certain level of intelligence but is the absence of one necessarily an indicator she's a dunce? We don't know yet do we?

Also if something were to happen to McCain early in his term she could always do just what Obama did -- pick an experienced VP who makes up for these shortcomings. She wouldn't exactly be hanging out in the oval office by herself.

So I am waiting. To make up for her lack of experience she must come across as a super competent, intelligent person and I have not seen enough yet to know if she will. But I'm not sure the fact she did not jump into the national fray as governor and comment on national issues in and of itself says anything about her other than that she was obviously not ambitious in that sense. I don't know if we can derive from that that she doesn't understand the issues or have any views.

Again, I'm skeptical based on what little I know but am cognizant in fact of how little I know.

[Anonymous]

The actuarial tables show that McCain has a 14 percent chance of not surviving four more years - and that doesn't include any probability of serious and debilitating illness.

The odds are good she won't just be VP the whole time.

I am trying to be open-minded, but so far, I am not impressed.

[Anonymous]

There's that little thing known as congress, oh, and the president's cabinet. She would not be running the country alone should something happen to McCain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Biden may know more than Palen does re foreign affairs, but good luck attacking her during the debate. He'll have to be very careful if he doesn't want to look like he's beating up on a woman. And Sarah Barracuda may give him a good run for his money in debate style.

Biden won't attack her. He answer the questions. She'll answer the questions. Then everyone will wonder what the hell McCain could have been thinking.

Also, beating up on a woman? Did Obama have to worry about this w/HRC? The answer is no because they are PEERS, unlike Palin and Biden. She's just out of her league, that's all. Not everyone gets to go to Yale and not everybody gets to be VP of the USA. Should Yale have an open admissions policy? Sorry, but some clubs are elite, and being next in line to the presidency is one of them. No one needs to apologize for wanting someone who's qualified to do it.

Actually - it just goes to show that in the US, anything is possible. I think it is great to have someone who isn't an Ivy leaguer. I have worked with so many and really, they are so clueless about how the rest of the world thinks and operates. Not saying they are dumb, but in many ways, they don't get the lower classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HRC supporters will not vote for Palin. A vote for Palin is a slap in the face for everything HRC worked to achieve.

Ah, but don't you get it??
A vote for Palin is a vote for a chance to vote for HRC again in 4 years -- not so with a vote for NObama.

[Anonymous]

So if you were diagnosed with cancer and your MD gave you a 14% chance of surviving the next four years -- you would call those odds good?

Actuarial tables are based on a wide cross section of the population -- including those people who do not have access to adequate medical care or who do not take good care of their health.

Also, he has been cancer free for 7 years, which means the chances of it returning are very small.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:There's that little thing known as congress, oh, and the president's cabinet. She would not be running the country alone should something happen to McCain.

Are you serious? Congress is a separate branch of government. It can't legally most of what the president does. Moreover, can you imagine that in the case of emergency, Congress would have to take control? One of those "3 am calls" comes in and Palin has to make 535 calls (she of course blows off Eleanor Holmes Norton) in order to figure out what to do?

Back in the middle ages when a King or Queen was just a baby, a regent would be appointed to run things. Its almost like you are suggesting this is what would happen should Palin become president. In other words, you admit that Palin is not ready for the single most important job of the VP which it so be ready to step in as President.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
To underscore this point everyone knows Tim Kaine was on Obama's short list -- he didn't pick him, but again, as with Pawlenty, if he had would everyone be going this crazy? His experience seems very close to Palin's (new governor, previously a mayor). Yet no one thought considering him was crazy -- even in light of Obama's relative lack of experience.

Funny you bring this up. Here is what Karl Rove had to say about Kaine:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he’s been a governor for three years, he’s been able but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that he’s done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It’s not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I’m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?"

So, let's compare:

Virginia: 7,642,884
Alaska: 670,053

Richmond: 192,913
Wasilla: 5,469

The choice of Kaine would be "intensely political" and would say that Obama is not concerned whether his VP is capable of being president.

Conclusion: The choice of Palin is even more intensely political and says even more clearly that McCain is not concerned about his VP's readiness to be president.

Also, I think much of the talk about Kaine was a smokescreen to keep Republicans oppo researching the wrong guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if you were diagnosed with cancer and your MD gave you a 14% chance of surviving the next four years -- you would call those odds good?

Actuarial tables are based on a wide cross section of the population -- including those people who do not have access to adequate medical care or who do not take good care of their health.

Also, he has been cancer free for 7 years, which means the chances of it returning are very small.

He's a man in his 70s. I'd say his chances for a heart attack are high enough to worry me, even w/o having one of the most stressful jobs on the planet.

[Anonymous]

Actually, his latest health examine (from the Mayo clinic I believe) shows that his heart is in great shape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of those who previously said I am consciously withholding judgment on her despite my worst first instincts.

I raised the question as to whether if Tim Pawlenty had been chosen people would be going this crazy or if in fact sexism is actually underlying all this hooplah (and I had to ask this of myself as well). If McCain had picked Jindal (also on short list) I'm sure the experience issue would have come up but would it have come with the same level of vitriol? The reaction seems disproportionate and I think that must be based in part on her gender.

To underscore this point everyone knows Tim Kaine was on Obama's short list -- he didn't pick him, but again, as with Pawlenty, if he had would everyone be going this crazy? His experience seems very close to Palin's (new governor, previously a mayor). Yet no one thought considering him was crazy -- even in light of Obama's relative lack of experience.

The difference I can see is (1) Palin is a woman and (2) she does not have an Ivy League pedigree. I agree the Ivy League pedigree would be a virtual assurance of a certain level of intelligence but is the absence of one necessarily an indicator she's a dunce? We don't know yet do we?

Also if something were to happen to McCain early in his term she could always do just what Obama did -- pick an experienced VP who makes up for these shortcomings. She wouldn't exactly be hanging out in the oval office by herself.

So I am waiting. To make up for her lack of experience she must come across as a super competent, intelligent person and I have not seen enough yet to know if she will. But I'm not sure the fact she did not jump into the national fray as governor and comment on national issues in and of itself says anything about her other than that she was obviously not ambitious in that sense. I don't know if we can derive from that that she doesn't understand the issues or have any views.

Again, I'm skeptical based on what little I know but am cognizant in fact of how little I know.

You would not know this reading the Private School thread in this forum, where every admittance is based on wealth and connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Que Sarah, Sarah....

COL (Chuckling Out Loud)

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
To underscore this point everyone knows Tim Kaine was on Obama's short list -- he didn't pick him, but again, as with Pawlenty, if he had would everyone be going this crazy? His experience seems very close to Palin's (new governor, previously a mayor). Yet no one thought considering him was crazy -- even in light of Obama's relative lack of experience.

Funny you bring this up. Here is what Karl Rove had to say about Kaine:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he’s been a governor for three years, he’s been able but undistinguished. I don’t think people could really name a big, important thing that he’s done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America. And again, with all due respect to Richmond, Virginia, it’s smaller than Chula Vista, California; Aurora, Colorado; Mesa or Gilbert, Arizona; north Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada. It’s not a big town. So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I’m really not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of being president of the United States?"

So, let's compare:

Virginia: 7,642,884
Alaska: 670,053

Richmond: 192,913
Wasilla: 5,469

The choice of Kaine would be "intensely political" and would say that Obama is not concerned whether his VP is capable of being president.

Conclusion: The choice of Palin is even more intensely political and says even more clearly that McCain is not concerned about his VP's readiness to be president.

Also, I think much of the talk about Kaine was a smokescreen to keep Republicans oppo researching the wrong guy.

Well put. And the point of course also is that Obama did not choose Kaine! He chose Biden. Presumably Biden's experience carried the day.

[Anonymous]

Not a good choice at all in my opinion!

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's that little thing known as congress, oh, and the president's cabinet. She would not be running the country alone should something happen to McCain.

Are you serious? Congress is a separate branch of government. It can't legally most of what the president does. Moreover, can you imagine that in the case of emergency, Congress would have to take control? One of those "3 am calls" comes in and Palin has to make 535 calls (she of course blows off Eleanor Holmes Norton) in order to figure out what to do?

Back in the middle ages when a King or Queen was just a baby, a regent would be appointed to run things. Its almost like you are suggesting this is what would happen should Palin become president. In other words, you admit that Palin is not ready for the single most important job of the VP which it so be ready to step in as President.

Admitting nothing of the sort. I think our country would be just fine.