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Sarah Palin
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Anonymous
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It's such an interesting pick - tactically it will be very useful to McCain because Democrats will be constrained in making the obvious argument against Palin (experience). The fact that she's got 5 kids including a 4mo old is also fascinating - it really provokes an interesting discussion about working mothers.
But honestly it's a little sad in this day and age that the VP candidate of any party appears unfamiliar with the correct pronunciation of 'nuclear' and 'Iraq' (hint: it's not Eyerack.) Has she ever been anywhere outside the US? To one of the PPs who said enthusiastically that she will learn all she needs to on the job - what makes you so sure? How can Americans possibly elevate someone to a heartbeat from the presidency who has so little knowledge of, and experience with, the wider world? And yes, I would feel the same way about a candidate who had limited or sheltered experience with the US - but it's hard to say that about Obama, given the fact he's lived in very different parts of the country and was raised by a single mother on food stamps. I think Christine Todd Whitman would have been a much, much better choice. |
Anonymous
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I am one of those true "independents" who honestly has not yet made up my mind who I will vote for. DH is rapid Obama supporter; I'm still trying to sort it all out.
Last night, I was very, very moved by Senator Obama's speech... but today, honestly, it's Obama who? I am surprised at how excited I am by the pick of Sarah Palin. I think it was a brilliant move and, with all respect to the earlier posters who say it was a desperation choice... no way. On the contrary, it was a very bold and risky pick. Unlike the selection of Joe Biden, I might add, which was nothing but a desperation move.... known, solid record, white male. As "safe" as you can get. |
Anonymous
Thank you!! I seriously question the judgment of someone that would choose these names for their children. Shows a lack of common sense, IMO. |
Anonymous
Hard to disagree with you, but. . . let me try.  Obama's mother was on food stamps for a very limited time while she was a Ph.D. student and Obama's grandparents were helping raise him. It's not the experience of most women on food stamps; Obama was certainly never poor, but lived in a middle-clas family. Obama lived in Hawaii and Indonesia growing up. He went to college in California and New York. He went to law school at Harvard. Then he lived in Chicago. In contrast, Palin grew up in Idaho. She lives in Alaska. She went to a state university. Her husband is a blue-collar worker. Do you think most Americans can relate more to Obama, or to Palin? I think you're seeing this through the Beltway prism. But as another poster so aptly noted, most American voters don't live inside the Beltway.
I've always liked Christie Whitman, but she's not exciting. McCain's choice has simultaneously galvanized the right, which he needed to do, drawn huge and immediate criticism from the Obama campaign, and provoked discussion like this. That means he's on to something. Jeff was hoping for Alan Keyes.  I bet he would have settled for Romney. And had the pick been Romney, we'd see a yawn and a sign of relief from the Obama campaign. McCain shook things up. Compare it to Obama's VP striptease which, at the end, yielded . . . Joe Biden. Not exciting.
I'm about Palin's age. I grew up in the south; my friends were in pageants (a Miss Texas runner-up!) and I was in a sorority. But I also learned to handle a gun very competently and I was an athlete. I can relate to Sarah Palin. I don't share all her views, but I like her. (Alas, I don't look like her either, but I still like her!) Those of us who are pretty moderate in our views always have to pick and choose from the extremes the two major parties put on offer. McCain is betting that Palin will draw him a second look from a lot of moderate Democrats and Independents, and I think he's right. Jeff says it's a move born of desperation; Jay Cost of Real Clear Politics says it's a calculated risk. I agree with Cost. Obama left the door open to this and McCain is very wise to take advantage of it. |
Anonymous
Plus lots of talented people went to undistinguished schools. My husband attended Ohio State and is now quite successful in his field. |
Anonymous
This is absolutely the funniest thing I have seen in awhile. By all means, let us question the judgment of a politician based on what they named their children. Obama said the major judgment call of our time was the one about whether to invade Iraq. Oh, wait: His running mate supported the invasion of Iraq, and also advocated partitioning it into three areas! By all means, we'd better move on to a different judgment call. So now the pressing issue of our time is. . . . What did they name their children? |
Rich
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In case you all missed my earlier post, she is IN FAVOR OF TEACHING INTELLIGENT DESIGN. Who cares what she named her kids. I love the name Trig. I hope she has another so she can name him Calc. But haven't we had enough of the anti-intellectual, anti-science attitude for the past eight years?
Please excuse my shouting. |
Anonymous
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For the next four months (AT LEAST) she will either be dragging a four-month-old around the country on a grueling schedule where she'll have little or no time to dedicate to him OR she'll be leaving him behind while she's campaigning, essentially removing herself from his life for a third of his infancy.
What fucking bullshit!! You would NEVER post this if the VP choice was a man with an infant child. |
Anonymous
Exactly! And a lot of this sexism is from DEMOCRATS! It's sickening. |
Anonymous
| It's the only attack angle they can come up with -- other than she's not like them. (FIVE children, pro-life, husband is a blue-collar worker. GASP.) |
Anonymous
Yep. It's pretty amusing, really. Criticizing her for this stuff is just going to make people like her more. Driving voters right into McCain's arms. |
jsteele
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Can you honestly say that you would be comfortable with Palin a heartbeat from the presidency? What about her gives you confidence that she is ready for the job? |
Rich
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You're absolutely right! We should drop the nonsense and discuss her desire to overturn Roe v Wade, to teach Intelligent Design as science, and to drill in ANWR. If you're with her on those, you should probably vote for McCain, although I'm not sure he's with her on ID and ANWR. |
Anonymous
I don't really worry about Roe v Wade. Frankly, I worry more about Obama's Illinois vote on the born-alive bill. My Ph.D. is in a scientific field, so I'm not with her on that. ANWR, I'm not sure. I need more information because my default stance is headstrong environmentalism. In the meantime, I drive a Prius and bike to work. I don't think in black and white terms so much. Sorry. |
Anonymous
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Isn't it a bit insulting that McCain decides he wants a woman on the ticket but can only come up with someone with NO experience at any level and very little nationwide exposure? Palin is no where near the electric, motivational speaker that Obama is and there is no way that she can unify and bring people together the way he has done. I just can't believe that here are no other republican female candidates out there or did they all turn McCain down? It bothers me that if they do win (which I doubt will happen) the first woman VP will be there because she is a woman and some man thought he could get votes by putting a woman on the ticket.
I'd like to see the first woman in the white house there because she earned it, deserves it, and got it herself...not a token symbol. |