McCain Picks Palin
Sarah Palin is the 44 year-old Governor of Alaska. She has served there for two years, and has been selected by the 72 year-old McCain to be his running mate.
I’ll echo what Josh Marshall says:
John McCain’s central and best argument in this campaign is that Barack Obama simply lacks the experience to be President of the United States. And now John McCain, who is a cancer survivor who turns 72 years old today, is picking a vice presidential nominee who has been governor of a small state for less than two years and prior to that was mayor of a town with roughly one-thirtieth of the citizens that Barack Obama represented when he was a state senator in Illinois.
Whatever you think of Barack Obama’s qualifications to be Vice Presidential, Palin is manifestly less qualified. And that undermines the central premise of McCain’s campaign.
Great pick. I’m quite pleased with it. I look forward to Palin’s debate with Biden; it will be as useless as any other Veep debate, but I suspect quite entertaining. As an added bonus, Palin comes with pending scandal.
-
Advertisement
-
Latest
-
Alan Bedenko
Latest: Astroturf -
Sports Road Trip
Latest: Profiling OKC’s Ford Center – USRT roadie Day 2 -
Chris Smith
Latest: Economic Development 2.0 -
Brian Castner
Latest: Al Gore as Skeptic -
Tom Schuh
Latest: Hometown News at Noon: Fri 11/20/09 -
The Goose's Roost
Latest: I Blame the Spotlight Guy -
Christina Abt
Latest: Question of the Day.....Jim Kelly for Coach??? -
BfloBlog
Latest: Kevin Maguire Open Thread: Bruins as Sabres -
Marc Odien
Latest: Calls for Parks Usage Input from Community Groups -
Eric Saldanha
Latest: Friday YouTube Nugget
-
Advertisement
You need to log in to vote
The blog owner requires users to be logged in to be able to vote for this post.
Alternatively, if you do not have an account yet you can create one here.
Powered by Vote It Up
Frieda-Whoops.
If true that’ll leave a mark..
LC — you are missing my point.
Republicans claim to be holier than thou when it comes to all things “family.”
If she were a Democrat, Laura Ingraham and all those horrible Republican talking heads would berate her as neglectful mother. They would say she’s doesn’t have her values or priorities straight. No question about it.
“Palin has accomplished more as Governor in two years than Obama has done in the Senate in 4″
The fail is strong with this one….
She got an ethics bill and a pipeline construction act passed thus far. She vetoed a ban on benefits for partners of gay and lesbian state employees. She sold a jet purchased by the prior administration on eBay for $2.1 million.
Since being sworn into the U.S. Senate on January 4, 2005, Barack Obama has sponsored or co-sponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, the Lugar-Obama Cooperative Threat Reduction Act, the Coburn-Obama Transparency Act, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act and the Iraq War De-Escalation Act. He has held assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment, Public Works, Veterans’ Affairs, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He was chairman of the Senate’s subcommittee on European Affairs. He has made official state visits to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. All this, of course after being the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, seven years as a Illinois state senator, twelve years as a constitutional law lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, becoming the first black editor of the Harvard Law Review, etc.
But he never finished as the runner-up in the Miss Alaska Beauty Pageant, so what does he know?
Palins’ five children are Track, 19; Bristol 17; Willow 14; Piper, 7, and baby Trig. Those are hippie kid’s names, wonder if Flint has any polaroids of her.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/begala.palin/index.html
Give it to Begala on this one.
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Give it to Begala here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/begala.palin/index.html
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
She has a four-month old with Down’s syndrome!!! If I had a four month old with Down’s syndrome, I wouldn’t want to go to the movies for the evening. She will be gone for the next two months.
She returned to her job as governor after three days. When I had my baby, who was perfectly health, I took 2 weeks off.
I will say it: She is a shitty mother. She is putting her own ambitions ahead of her child. I would say it if it were a Democrat too. If she were President, she would probably put herself ahead of this country as well.
I can not help but point this out:
“Palin’s conservative credentials certainly aren’t in question. Among other things, she has backed the teaching of “intelligent design” as an alternative to evolution. “I am a proponent of teaching both [evolution and intelligent design],” Palin said in a debate during her run for the governor’s office.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12978_Page2.html
Intelligent Design taught in our schools, please, please give me a break!
(Sorry if this comment appears more than once.)
Begala is good here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/29/begala.palin/index.html
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
“I am a proponent of teaching both [evolution and intelligent design],” Palin said in a debate during her run for the governor’s office.”
gaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!
Scotty, I don’t understand you point, please explain. It is good to see you posting!
Bufflalo Mom is a sad, bitter, sorry excuse of a human being. As a matter of fact she did get “tested” with an amnio and decided to have her child. You all protest too much and are grasping at straws. I believe that this choice has you all shaking in your boots over the prospects of your rooke Obama being taken to school by that “old man” McCain.
That last comment was a wail of anguish…
Poor bufmama, she took a beating.
“I am a proponent of teaching both [evolution and intelligent design],” Palin said in a debate during her run for the governor’s office.”
Christ….yet another GOP’er building a bridge to the 19th century.
Get Off My Lawn – Great. All the more to my point. If she had an amnio she CHOSE to have that baby. Love the fetus; hate the baby.
Oh you precious little fetus.
9 months later… sorry kid. It’s been three days! Back to work.
God I hate Republicans.
Shaking in our boots?
Yeah. What Begala said:
John McCain needs what Kinky Friedman calls “a checkup from the neck up.”
In choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate he is not thinking “outside the box,” as some have said. More like out of his mind.
Palin a first-term governor of a state with more reindeer than people, will have to put on a few pounds just to be a lightweight. Her personal story is impressive: former fisherman, mother of five. But that hardly qualifies her to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
For a man who is 72 years old and has had four bouts with cancer to have chosen someone so completely unqualified to become president is shockingly irresponsible. Suddenly, McCain’s age and health become central issues in the campaign, as does his judgment.
In choosing this featherweight, McCain passed over Tom Ridge, a decorated combat hero, a Cabinet secretary and the former two-term governor of the large, complex state of Pennsylvania. iReport.com: ‘McCain pick might be a gimmick’
He passed over Mitt Romney, who ran a big state, Massachusetts; a big company, Bain Capital; and a big event, the Olympics.
He passed over Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator who is knowledgeable about the military, good on television, and — obviously — a woman.
He passed over Joe Lieberman, his best friend in the Senate and fellow Iraq Kool-Aid drinker.
He passed over former congressman, trade negotiator and budget director Rob Portman.
And he also passed over Mike Huckabee, the governor of Arkansas.
For months, the McCainiacs have said they will run on his judgment and experience. In his first presidential decision, John McCain has shown he is willing to endanger his country, potentially leaving it in the hands of someone who simply has no business being a heartbeat away from the most powerful, complicated, difficult job in human history.
Her husband is Yup’ik Eskimo, maybe they put the baby on an ice flow.
Well, the pro-Hillary bloggers all seem to have their dress over their head on this one, rueing how Barry missed the bus on picking a woman for VP. And Pundit has 63 comments on this thread, compared to seven on his thread on Obama’s now-forgotten acceptance speech.
Looks like The One may have been been upstaged somewhat.
Hey, Buffalomom–do you hate me? We’ve never met.
Two words: Thomas Eagleton, she will be lucky to last until september 1.
I heart you, Ward! xoxoxo – What I should have typed was I hate Republican hypocracy. If you’re not a hypocrite, well, xoxox.
Palin dissed veep job – classic! What a dope.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080829/pl_politico/12969_1
Maybe her selection is just a joke to distract from Obama’s wonderful speech last night. Desparate times…
Why is McCain getting a pass on the Keating 5 scandal? It was quite the big deal and in the news for a long time. He did not come off smelling like a rose. If it’s irrelevant now due to time passed, so is his status as a former POW.
By the way, many pro-choice women also would have opted to give birth upon knowing that their baby would be born with Down’s Syndrome. It’s not a nomination for sainthood. Most women would have opted to spend more time at home with their newborn too, even if they could afford a nanny.
While this choice was good for shock value and taking the headlines away from Obama, as a long-term strategy it seems pretty futile and reckless.
Joe Biden has actually met and negotiated with foreign leaders. Palin hopes she can cook them a mooseburger.
U.S. Senator (INSERT DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE) today announced that he has selected “Progressive” Democrat Governor (INSERT NAME) to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.
“Progressive” Governor (INSERT NAME) is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.
“Progressive” Governor (INSERT NAME) has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us – Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.
In Alaska, “Progressive” Governor (INSERT NAME) challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.
As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, “Progressive” Governor (INSERT NAME) understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.
“Progressive” Governor (INSERT NAME)has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.
Come on you liberals you can admit it. Dismiss your state of denial. If the above scenario had happened last Saturday and Obama had picked a “Sara Palin” as his running mate (instead of Cranky/Arrogant/ Sexist Joe Biden), Thursday night would have been the second time this week that Oprah “cried her eyelashes off”.
@Becky: You’re not allowed to ask McCain about the Keating 5 scandal because he was shot down and held prisoner by the Viet Cong for five and a half years. In fact, everying is explained away by Teh POW!
- dumped his disabled wife and 3 kids for a blonde beer heiress and violated miltary rules against adultery while doing so? POW!
- tossed off a brutal joke about Chelsea Clinton at a fundraiser (”How come Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father! hyuk-hyuk!) POW!
- abandoned most of his long-time principles to adopt radically right wing positions in this Presidential campaign just to suck up to the Religious Right and the neocon nutjobs that got us into Iraq? POW!
-cheated by listening in to the questions asked of Obama in a joint forum in front of evangelicals a couple weeks ago? POW!
- doesn’t know how many house he (well, his wife) owns? POW!
POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!
@Get Off My Lawn – you are so right. Obama had a chance to pick the most unqualified VP candidate in history, not to mention one mired in an abuse of power scandal. And oh yeah, is virulently anti-choice (even in cases of rape and incest) and wants to install creationism, (cough) er “intelligent design” in our schools.
What a missed opportunity.
@ Ward – 38 million people watched Obama’s speech:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_en_tv/cvn_obama_s_audience_1
but you’re right…seven comments on a blogpost is pretty lame. Surely we could have had dozens more saying “That was fucking awesome”
About the ID issue…
“In an interview Thursday, Palin said she meant only to say that discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms:
“I don’t think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”
She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state’s required curriculum.
Members of the state school board, which sets minimum requirements, are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature.
“I won’t have religion as a litmus test, or anybody’s personal opinion on evolution or creationism,” Palin said.”
source:http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html
Well, that’s very reassuring that the members of the state school board, who are appointed by the governor are free to ignore her when she prattles on about intelligent design and all the pretty flowers and animals God created and how much of a dick Charles Darwin is. Uh-huh.
And of course, all these intelligent design clowns are very quiet about it…more of a personal belief, nothing to share, nothing to, say, promote or proselytize.
@Ward “Well, the pro-Hillary bloggers all seem to have their dress over their head on this one, rueing how Barry missed the bus on picking a woman for VP. And Pundit has 63 comments on this thread, compared to seven on his thread on Obama’s now-forgotten acceptance speech.
Looks like The One may have been been upstaged somewhat.”
Obama made absolutely the correct choice in Joe Biden. McCain did not with Palin…I actually breathed a sigh of relief upon reading of the selection.
Does anyone seriously believe that the primary goal was anything other than picking a female to attract the allegedly disaffected Hillary fans?
Obama’s speech is not forgotten or upstaged. It was great and everything we could have asked for. However, we’d much rather pick on errant things like the Palin pick than praise the successful like Obama’s speech. Eight is enough!
Change we can believe in—
Is picking a VP running mate who was in the Senate when the Presidential candidate was in Junior high, and John McCain was getting beat up by the NVA
That’s how you bring change to washington.
Palin Runs AK
Palin spent her life living closer to Russia than Obama has ever even stood.
The DNC’s own site labeled “DONATE NOW TO HELP US DEFEAT THE NEXT CHENEY” Didn’t even have Palin listed as a possibility.
Face it–McCain chopped off Obama’s convention Bump–nobody’s talking about him today, just Palin.
McCain snookered the DNC, and Rove’s grinning from ear to ear.
Democrats got their ass whooped, pride shook, and money took—all in one day.
GET USED TO IT. IT’s going to happen again and again.
Buffalo Mom–I don’t hate ANYONE–Not even Mike.
But you hate Republicans.
Do you kiss your kids with that mouth? Hope not.
Scotty, it sounds like she was back peddling a bit to me, from the article you linked to she originally said:
“Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it’s so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.”
Saying “teaching both” two times.
38 million people watched Obama’s speech last night, maybe millions more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_en_tv/cvn_obama_s_audience_1
But yeah, 7 comments on a blog post is kinda lame. We should have had dozens more, all saying the same thing – “That was fucking awesome”
Our attention is on one of the most ludicrous and gimmicky VP choices in modern history. Dan Quayle thinks this woman is unqualified. McCain-Palin ‘08 should change their name to Henry-Punky Brewster ‘08
Hank – I want some of the glue you’re sniffing
It’s a great pick!
Foreign policy experience would be nice, but most governors (Clinton, Carter, Reagan, Bush 43) don’t have a lot of it. What they do have is executive experience. Palin has more of this than all 3 of the other presidential/v.p. candidates combined. Unless McCain drops dead in the first month, Palin will have time to acquire foreing policy experience on her frequent trips to the funerals of foreign leaders. As for the “small state” argument, I didn’t hear many folks complaining about Howard Dean for this reason in 2004, although Alaska has about 60,000 more people than Vermont.
The only thing that could spoil the Republican victory party is if someone digs up serious dirt on her. I doubt the Governor of Alaska has had to worry about the New York Post going through her garbage like a New York governor would have to. But unless they find something, it’s game, set and match for McCain.
So, Kevin – Palin’s 20 months in office as governor trumps Joe Biden’s 35 years in the U.S. Senate, including tenures as Chairman of the Senate Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Relations?
Why would we need to dig up dirt on her? She comes prepackaged with an ethics scandal!
And Howard Dean was in office for almost 12 years as governor, after 4 as Lieutenant Governor.
Current rumor at DU-the baby she just had was actually her 16 YO daughter’s illegitimate child.
Very classy, those guys!
Shorter thread:
REPUBLICANS: She’s Susan B. Anthony and Colin Powell wrapped up in an ultraconservative, hockey mom body. Her 2 years as executive of a state with 670,000 people is equal to 100 years as President of the World. As Alaska governor, she is the first line of defense against an imminent Russian invasion.
DEMOCRATS: She’s a lightweight who is embroiled in controversy, and has taken away several of McCain’s signature attacks against Obama. Although she satisfies the moose-hunter constitutional requirement to serve, she is a cynical ploy by McCain to try and attract female voters who still pine for a Hillary presidency. While people are concerned about Obama’s experience, he has selected someone with all the experience one would need. OTOH, McCain has experience but is quite old and has selected a veep with even less experience than Obama.
Even shorter thread:
REPUBLICANS: We love her! Obama sucks!
DEMOCRATS: Ha ha! Obama rocks!
Damn, Alan–you should just put up a link to the bottom of this thread, so folks can skip the folderol and go straight to the money-shot! Mille grazie!
No, Humanist, John McCain’s foreign policy experience trumps Obama’s. So does Biden’s, for that matter. Palin’s executive experience trumps everbody’s. BTW, I would agree with lawn’s earlier trap comment. This is exactly the sort of debate Republicans are looking for. If we’re talking about experience rather than change in 9 weeks, then New York might even be in play. (I don’t expect this to be the case, though, as eventually the Democrats will recover and get back on message.)
Excellent choice! I liked her the most of everyone being talked about although I was certain she was a longshot at best. Washington outsider, woman, not an eastcoast RINO, pro-life. She’ll energize conservatives and maybe help McCain transition into the exec role. She understands taxes kill and profit gives life. I’m with Prof. Harwick on this one. Impending scandal? Over a firing of some sort? Anybody remember that guy named Elliot?
“NOBAMA”
“Keep The Change”
I have to laugh at all the Barry Obama supporters go out of their way to slander Gov. Palin. To read the terrible comments from “BuffaloMom” about Palin’s choice to have a Down Syndrom child was downright scary. With filthy mouth bitches like “BuffaloMom” (Mom via turkey baster), Republican rule will be guranteed for the next two generations.
So much for an era of political change… The ony change that would occur with the election of Obama would be insults and division under the Democrats rather than Rove.
Shame on the alleged Obama supporters comments on here.
So much for Obama’s statement that “we can disagree w/out being disagreeable”
BuffaloMom illuminates that only more division, hatred and insults can be expected with a Barry Obama Presidency.
buffalomom calling someone “a dingdong.”
now that is priceless.
meanwhile, after enduring weeks of relentless negative campaigning by the convicted criminal jon powers, jack davis has decided to hit back with some “character” advertising of his own.
and, while powers features things dan rivera and len lenihan invented in his commercial, davis hits the high points — powers’ fraudulent charity, his practice of scraping a meager living off of campaign contributions and his criminal record.
10 out of 10!
professor hardwick and hank are both, as usual, quite correct in relation to the upcoming presidential contest. and queen carlotta is correct about the turkey baster buffalomom waddled down to tops to pick up. i saw her there.
We could finally have someone in the White House to whom we could masturbate and people are complaining?
this just in…..
buffalomom was actually eating ding dongs — purchased with food stamps — at the time she called the governor of the great state of alaska a dingdong….
100th post…..she has better legs than Biden too.
Dr. Hardwick, had she been governor for 10 years like Dean had this would be different, but jumping from being the Mayor of a town of about 6,000 people and then only having been Governor for about 2 years doesn’t constitute major executive experience and has no security experience.
If Barack Obama is a ‘roll of the dice’, then Sarah Palin is playing Russian Roulette.
I am absolutely floored, and pissed, at this.
You would think that a Presidential Candidate would pick a VP based on a combination of (a) a person who will help him get elected, and (b) a person most qualified for the job.
McCain has absolutely thrown (b) out the window.
This is absolutely disgusting.