Palin for VP - Inspired or Disastrous?

Also,anybody...?

This is high risk. On the one hand cookiemonster you could be right - she is obviously tough, probably the toughest of all 4 in the line up - but on the other hand there is the look of a blighted disaster about the GOP.

They are having a ragged little nomination do and they can't have Bush or Cheney at it because they are too bloody unpopular. A satellite glimpse of George will be followed by a spoonful of Laura to help the medecine go down.

And all the time across the screen people are seeing, and thinking about Katrina, Afghanistan is a ghastly mess, people are losing their homes and Russia, according to Fox and CNN has taken over Europe with impunity.

cactus flower wrote:

"Who constantly turns up to vote present ?" That's a very good question. Some people do it to collect expenses (our Councillors).
I think it would need someone who knows the nitty gritty of US politics to answer that.

Does voting present mean never taking a side ? Didn't he vote against the Iraq war?

I would read it more in terms of not making a decision that he may later have to account for. He never voted for the Iraq war because he couldn't as he was not elected at the time. So great stand is paper thin.

As for Palin, I think she is probably as tough as nails. Very high popularity ratings in Alaska, has run against Republicans on an anti corruption ticket so she is no wall flower. I wouldn't underestimate her. The debate with Biden on October the 2nd (?) may be interesting. Certainly she is currently soaking up column inches, and be it for good or bad that is a fair indication of public interest.

Looks like McCain is going to change direction and present himself as the candidate for change and reform. Real practical reform and not the aspirational and vague.

In a couple of weeks when the conventions are forgotten we should start to get more reliable polls.

Inspired choice for the Republicans, disastrous for the rest of us.

She is speaking with all the confidence of a small State with big oil revenue.

cactus flower wrote:

Inspired choice for the Republicans, disastrous for the rest of us.

She is speaking with all the confidence of a small State with big oil revenue.

I don't think it is that catastrophic. She is a redneck provincial in an untypical state whose constituency is the turnip greens eating folk and her nomination shores up the nascar vote over which the Republicans have a vice grip. Nobody who supported Hillary Clinton would even think of looking twice at Palin.

Slim Buddha wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Inspired choice for the Republicans, disastrous for the rest of us.

She is speaking with all the confidence of a small State with big oil revenue.

I don't think it is that catastrophic. She is a redneck provincial in an untypical state whose constituency is the turnip greens eating folk and her nomination shores up the nascar vote over which the Republicans have a vice grip. Nobody who supported Hillary Clinton would even think of looking twice at Palin.

Alaska is in the black. I would like to ask her what she would do about the National deficit.

As usual, the problem is not the Republicans, its the Democrats. Obama is very woolly, and has the same type of backers as the Republicans. The question of this election was never would the Republicans win it, but would the Democrats give it away.

Slim Buddha wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Inspired choice for the Republicans, disastrous for the rest of us.

She is speaking with all the confidence of a small State with big oil revenue.

I don't think it is that catastrophic. She is a redneck provincial in an untypical state whose constituency is the turnip greens eating folk and her nomination shores up the nascar vote over which the Republicans have a vice grip. Nobody who supported Hillary Clinton would even think of looking twice at Palin.

I agree completely. The selection of Palin was an admission from the McCain campaign that the Bush strategy is the only show in town for the Republicans. As a party they are bereft of ideas, totally adrift from their core principals and generally battle-weary. Why do people assume that she will attract Clinton voters? Those voters were personally attached to a campaigning female politician who has been on the scene for decades. They're not going to vote for Palin because just because she's a woman. There is absolutely no precedant to support that contention.

Palin did OK last night, we all can sleep a little easier in the knowledge that she can indeed read from an autocue. She'll be a useful little attack-dog but I still think that McCain will live to regret her selection. She's a policy lightweight and if Biden manages to keep the smirk off his face, he should make bits of her in the debate. The media and the democrats are also swarming all over Alaska, doing a far better job of digging the dirt on Palin than her new boss did.

Her speech was a brutal attack on Obama,

Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.

And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a “community organizer,” except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don’t quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren’t listening.

We tend to prefer candidates who don’t talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco.

Democrats are focussing too much attention on her and by so doing are forced into a position where their Presidential candidate is being compared with the Republican VP candidate. Not clever.

Lots in the speech about energy independence. Also a lot of the usual Republican nonsense about patriotism.

With regards Clinton's 18 million voters, it is not just the sisterhood many of them are Obama's small town 'bitter hicks'. I don't see them falling over themselves to vote for Obama and a lot of this speech was aimed at them.

It looks like a close election, it shouldn't be.

Sitting down with a mug of chocolate horlicks and came across this one, practically choked.



They can't be serious? Can they?

Well, she looks like she can match Vladimir Putin for the "macho pose with gun photo".... since she governs the closest part of the US to Russia...it seems weirdly appropriate!

Joking aside though, I don't share her politics, but if she's got 5 kids, is still married to their father and has a high powered job, she's probably got organizational skills. Especially if folks are right about Alasky being in the black.... only part of the US that is, possibly.

eff the Clinton vote, boys and girls; it's the MALE vote they're after with that wan. She's quite likely to make the top job....McCain was limping off the plane the other night. I'd give the election 50:50 and McCain surving a term another 50:50..... 25% chance yer looking at the next US prez

Yes, McCain looks as though he's held together by his suit, and quite likely is.
His oration was as tired and hers was energetic.

Bloody Democrats. I look at Obama, and no matter how terrifying the Republicans, I can feel no confidence that he wouldn't be even more dangerous.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/09/200893225527640103.html

A bt here on Palin's track record in relation to Big Oil, with balanced comments.
We can point the finger (and I will) but on getting something out of oil / gasresources, she has done better for Alaska than our governments have done for us.

Did anyone hear a rather bizarre conversation between Pat Kenny this morning and an Alaskan woman living in the Wesht of Oirland? It was by times hideously bitchy and yet quite factually informative between the sniping.

I find the prospect of Palin in power a little terrifying on a number of levels. Her foreign experience seems to be as limited as her experiences in any other arena and while I don't expect her to hide her son Trig away from the limelight, I was horrified by photos of her with him on the front of some of the papers today, not because he's a four month old baby with Down's Syndrome, but because she held him in her arms like a warhead, an accessory.

Kate P wrote:

Did anyone hear a rather bizarre conversation between Pat Kenny this morning and an Alaskan woman living in the Wesht of Oirland? It was by times hideously bitchy and yet quite factually informative between the sniping.

I find the prospect of Palin in power a little terrifying on a number of levels. Her foreign experience seems to be as limited as her experiences in any other arena and while I don't expect her to hide her son Trig away from the limelight, I was horrified by photos of her with him on the front of some of the papers today, not because he's a four month old baby with Down's Syndrome, but because she held him in her arms like a warhead, an accessory.

No - I didn't hear it but am dying to hear the bitching.. do fill us in Kate P.

The baby seemed to be enjoying the lights. She is a warrior woman all right, but there are plenty of them on all sides of the policitical spectrum.

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/player_av.html?0,null,200,http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte-todaywithpatkenny-Friday.smil

It's the first piece on the programme after the news - 4.45 mins in...

cactus flower wrote:

Bloody Democrats. I look at Obama, and no matter how terrifying the Republicans, I can feel no confidence that he wouldn't be even more dangerous.

I thought I was the only one, but there is something about him that makes me feel very uneasy. I would like to see the back of the Republicans, but do not trust him, or his judgement, not at all. Palin strikes me as tough and low on the compassion. Her drive for energy self sufficiency I can understand, but her as President! For some reason Thatcher comes to mind. Hard to gauge her in the short time she has been in the limelight. She may have a good go at financial prudence and I do think she would act in what she would see as the countries interests.

Kate P.
There seems to be a lot of air time given to attacking anyone who opposes Obama. Clinton got very unfair treatment and the bias continues. Why did the Democrat in your link get unbalanced air coverage? Why no opposing views?

Here are a few more examples of bias, which are worth reading;

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/the_unexamined_life.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1010902/is_oprah_winfrey_afraid_of_sarah_palin.html?cat=9

If I could also add another. Consider Edward's affair and the reluctance to cover, but with Palin anything seems OK, so the daughters pregnancy becomes news. It was the same with Clinton, we had everything from the size of her hips to her dress sense. Is it because they are women that makes them fair game?

On the other side there is that bastion of blinkers Fox News.

Squire wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Bloody Democrats. I look at Obama, and no matter how terrifying the Republicans, I can feel no confidence that he wouldn't be even more dangerous.

I thought I was the only one, but there is something about him that makes me feel very uneasy. I would like to see the back of the Republicans, but do not trust him, or his judgement, not at all. Palin strikes me as tough and low on the compassion. Her drive for energy self sufficiency I can understand, but her as President! For some reason Thatcher comes to mind. Hard to gauge her in the short time she has been in the limelight. She may have a good go at financial prudence and I do think she would act in what she would see as the countries interests.

Kate P.
There seems to be a lot of air time given to attacking anyone who opposes Obama. Clinton got very unfair treatment and the bias continues. Why did the Democrat in your link get unbalanced air coverage? Why no opposing views?

Here are a few more examples of bias, which are worth reading;

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/the_unexamined_life.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1010902/is_oprah_winfrey_afraid_of_sarah_palin.html?cat=9

If I could also add another. Consider Edward's affair and the reluctance to cover, but with Palin anything seems OK, so the daughters pregnancy becomes news. It was the same with Clinton, we had everything from the size of her hips to her dress sense. Is it because they are women that makes them fair game?

On the other side there is that bastion of blinkers Fox News.

My instinct would tell me if Obama was any good the media would be savaging him. I half expected them to start once Hilary was gone, but its not really happening. CNN's coverage of the McCain speech last night focused on people sleeping and tuned out.

cactus flower wrote:

My instinct would tell me if Obama was any good the media would be savaging him. I half expected them to start once Hilary was gone, but its not really happening. CNN's coverage of the McCain speech last night focused on people sleeping and tuned out.

Must confess I found McCain's speech soporific, but there does seem to be an adoration of Obama that has no real reason. It is as though parts of the liberal (by American standards) media have decided on a fairy tale and are hell bent in seeing the story line play out to completion. Like yourself I initially thought get Clinton out of the way then destroy Obama, but no the howls about Palin were unbelievable so the Obama support continues. Wonder who Mr Big is?

Squire wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

Bloody Democrats. I look at Obama, and no matter how terrifying the Republicans, I can feel no confidence that he wouldn't be even more dangerous.

I thought I was the only one, but there is something about him that makes me feel very uneasy. I would like to see the back of the Republicans, but do not trust him, or his judgement, not at all. Palin strikes me as tough and low on the compassion. Her drive for energy self sufficiency I can understand, but her as President! For some reason Thatcher comes to mind. Hard to gauge her in the short time she has been in the limelight. She may have a good go at financial prudence and I do think she would act in what she would see as the countries interests.

Kate P.
There seems to be a lot of air time given to attacking anyone who opposes Obama. Clinton got very unfair treatment and the bias continues. Why did the Democrat in your link get unbalanced air coverage? Why no opposing views?

Here are a few more examples of bias, which are worth reading;

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/the_unexamined_life.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1010902/is_oprah_winfrey_afraid_of_sarah_palin.html?cat=9

If I could also add another. Consider Edward's affair and the reluctance to cover, but with Palin anything seems OK, so the daughters pregnancy becomes news. It was the same with Clinton, we had everything from the size of her hips to her dress sense. Is it because they are women that makes them fair game?

On the other side there is that bastion of blinkers Fox News.

It's a horrid system really, isn't it, in the greatest democracy in the world [sic], where the leader of the country is chosen by a competition from, effectively a field of two on criteria that have almost nothing to do with political ability or intention. It's like the Roses and their escorts, with the talk of frocks, hobbies, how they want to make the world a better place...

I don't know why there was no opposing view - perhaps the McKenna judgement doesn't stretch that far. But it was sickening to hear how the interview was so obviously a two-hander with PK asking questions on what seemed to be a prepared script that would yield certain answers. Tabloid tat really, though there were a few interesting pieces of information. The Alaskan came across initially as quite vindictive - her first comment was that Palin was out of her depth - and this was delivered like a personal criticism.

I wonder is Obama the personified opportunity for the Americans to cathartically purge themselves of their racist and slave past? Is it safe to criticise women for wearing Guantanamo orange and tearing up in the case of Clinton, but is there an absence of language to criticise the man who might be the first black president? Is he the 'great black hope?' He seems to be untouchable - and to me it's a case of the Emperor's New Clothes, a giant conspiracy that so many people are buying into because it makes all seem right with the world.

cookiemonster wrote:

Also,anybody...?

Do you know, in this Post-Palin World, I just can't enjoy Will and Grace in the same way I used to. That said, Palin is some bit of stuff which, whenever she's on the telly, makes a Democrat like me feel very guilty. It leaves me conflicted.

She's like my puns........ just apalin

SeathrúnCeitinn wrote:

She's like my puns........ just apalin

ROTFL.

Quote :

Do you know, in this Post-Palin World, I just can't enjoy Will and Grace in the same way I used to. That said, Palin is some bit of stuff which, whenever she's on the telly, makes a Democrat like me feel very guilty. It leaves me conflicted.

Did you mean to say 'who', in a non-objectifying way?

What's your opinion on Squire's question about why the women seem to be savaged by the press and public but Obama isn't?

Kate P wrote:

Quote :

Do you know, in this Post-Palin World, I just can't enjoy Will and Grace in the same way I used to. That said, Palin is some bit of stuff which, whenever she's on the telly, makes a Democrat like me feel very guilty. It leaves me conflicted.

Did you mean to say 'who', in a non-objectifying way?

Perhaps, but Palin has an effect over me which, as I said, makes me guilty. I'm still a Hilldog through and through. I think Hillary Clinton is the Lisa Simpson of American politics. Lisa is my favourite Simpso and that is why I want her real-life incarnation to become president at some stage. 2012 would be dandy, but we have to support Obama up till then.

Quote :

What's your opinion on Squire's question about why the women seem to be savaged by the press and public but Obama isn't?

Ambitious women are seen as cold, unfeeling and frighten the life out of the 50-something white male TV and newspaper executives and their savagery is a reaction to that. Attacking Obama like that is seen as racist and those same executives trip over themselves not to appear racist so they over-compensate by giving Obama a free ride. White America has a huge guilt complex about racial issues and the soft focus on Obama is a function of that.

Ard-Taoiseach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

Also,anybody...?

Do you know, in this Post-Palin World, I just can't enjoy Will and Grace in the same way I used to. That said, Palin is some bit of stuff which, whenever she's on the telly, makes a Democrat like me feel very guilty. It leaves me conflicted.

I am very, very sorry, AT.

I am neither an identifiable Democrat nor Republican and I was rooting for Hillary from the start but given the choice between Obama and the old man or the other old man and Hottie McHottie I'd go with the latter. Mainly because I believe Obama is full of hot air and not much else and a political liability but also because I think McCain in more honest and would make a better president, even if I don't agree with all his policies. Than and his vice president is an exciting choice and certainly stirred up the political scene in the US.