McCain Picks Palin
ALASKA GOVERNOR BECOMES FIRST WOMAN ON A NATIONAL TICKET IN THREE DECADES
For the first time since Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 – and for the first time ever in the Republican party – there’s a woman on the national ticket.
GOP presidential nominee John McCain made it official this morning – naming Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his pick for the Vice-Presidency.
In addition to being a woman, being remarkably easy on the eyes and being a “real conservative” (straight from the mouth of the most conservative cat we know), Palin is also timely, making her dramatic entrance onto the national political stage at the precise time that Barack Obama’s acceptance speech was supposed to be lifting America to new heights of hope – and more importantly quelling concerns about a rift between the Democratic nominee and supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“It’s like all that unity stuff at their convention never happened now,” said one politico we spoke with.
And yes, our own Sic Willie is probably rethinking his recent comments regarding Alaskans, particularly in light of the fact that Palin’s fifth child has Down Syndrome.
Here’s Palin’s Wikipedia page, which is no doubt blowing up like the crack man’s pager today, and here are some first thoughts from Washington Post blogger extraordinaire Chris Cillizza on her selection …
Comments
By Kerry on August 29th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Let me get this straight… Alaskans are retarded… and we just landed one on a national GOP ticket? I guess we excuse this because she’s hot?
By Con-lib on August 29th, 2008 at 10:42 am
She hunts, fishes, eats moose burgers, is the mother of five, and has been governor for two years. Seems smart and probably a genuinely great person. Ready to “deal with that 3 am phone call”? Reckon Obama and Biden are licking their chops about now? Wonder what she has to say about Ted Stevens’ situation?? Mc Cain definitely showed his “maverick” side with this pick. VP debate should be pretty intersting if questions deal with foreign policy and readiness to assume commander-in-chief role. Biden will probably feel like he has to play nice so not to be portrayed as being too rough on that nice mother with five kids. Will she help the ticket with the so-called twenty something percent of Hillary backers that are not thrilled with Obama? A little i suspect, but not enough to really matter.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on August 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Actually, she has five children, the youngest of whom is a boy has Down Syndrome. Her oldest child is a son who serves in the Army, and there are three girls in between.
The Governor has no political positions that would offend the GOP base, and has as much relevant experience as the guy the Dems think is ready for the top-job (reminder, she’s only running to be president of the Senate, not the United States). And, she’s telegenic as Hell.
By Bobby Ewing on August 29th, 2008 at 10:54 am
You have to admit that Sarah Palin is pretty hot (remember she was in the Ms. Alaska Pageant) and MUCH BETTER on the eyes than Joe Biden
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=5055328
By CL on August 29th, 2008 at 11:08 am
#2,
“Ready to ‘with that 3 am phone call’? Reckon Obama and Biden are licking their chops about now?”
You have got to be kidding? Obama? Her resume puts his to shame, and he is the PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE. Even raising it only reinforces how laughably unqualified for president he is.
By SC Hillacrat on August 29th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Something about this is very unsettling.
Romney would have been the smarter choice for a greater number of folks — in what he could, no doubt, accomplish economically.
Sarah Palin MAY be a smarter choice for John McCain and a select few.
Oh! What do I know????????????
By Tim on August 29th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Biden = Dem version of McCain
Palin = GOP version of Hillary
By McCain's pandering continues on August 29th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I think Hillary had more in common with McCain than this poor lady.
I hope she can keep up with McCain’s flip flops on all the major positions – she supports off shore drilling – McCain didnt way back in May but changed his position in June.
For 75 of McCain’s documented flip flops and pandering to get elected- check out this link
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/flipflops
By Con-lib on August 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am
NotSayin’,Just Sayin’
I would think the fact that McCain picked a gov with 2 years experience and a term as a small town mayor pretty much nulifies any future attacks that his campaign might be contemplating about Obama’s credentials for the top job. McCain, whom I have a great deal of respect, is 72. Who knows what long term health issues those five years he spent in that prison camp actually took on him? So, to your point that she is only running for the president of the Senate- did you really think about that before you wrote it ?? VP has got to be ready to roll. Too bad this isn’t a beauty contest. She is pretty hot.
By CL on August 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
“I would think the fact that McCain picked a gov with 2 years experience and a term as a small town mayor pretty much nulifies any future attacks that his campaign might be contemplating about Obama’s credentials for the top job.”
I know Democrats hope this is true, since their candidate is painfully, embarassingly unqualified, but it is simply not the case. She is the VP nominee, not the presidential nominee. McCain just has to emphasize that the least qualified person on either ticket is Obama and keep hammering Obama on his national security gaffes (negotiations without preconditions, the lack of arab interpreters in Afghanistan, invading our allies – Pakistan). That is a powerful attack.
By HR Pufnstuf on August 29th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
What is she going to debate with Biden? Whether or not Grizzly Adams had a beard? How to make a good totem pole? McCain needed someone who could land him some electoral votes, and Palin does not. He just handed Obama the keys to the White House.
Biden has the credentials to talk about handling issues in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia. Palin might be able to bring the Alaskan Inuits to the table for a policy discussion.
Good pick though for McCain, you never know when he might need some moose hunting tips.
Apparently, it’s as easy to win a gubernatorial election in Alaska as it is to win a beauty contest.
By Vik on August 29th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I think this is a very interesting choice. I am a female democrat, and I voted for Hillary. I wouldn’t vote for McCain just because he has a female VP, but on the other hand, it sounds like she is a real go getter, who is willing to go against her party for the greater good. I’m still not sure what I think about Obama. It seems silly that race and gender would even come into this – it should what the platform is and what they will do once in office that should be the thing we vote on. I’m still on the fence…
By confused on August 29th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
con lib, you spout well the dems current (and only) attack on palin. of course, she’s not the candidate for president. and her trifling executive experience is x+trifle greater than the dem’s number one guy.
this pick doesn’t detract from mccain’s ability to raise experience at all. how can it? obama’s going to say “wait wait, you can’t say i’m not experienced because your vice president is equally not experienced!”? if he pokes fun at her, he does so at himself, and even more so because (did i already mention this) he’s the candidate for president. that line is the “holy crap what do we say” line from the democrats. it’s the only bullet they’ve got in the gun right now.
and if you’re right, and it nullifies the experience argument for mccain, it sure as hell nullifies the “8 is enough” argument for obama.
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on August 29th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Con, you say “VP has got to be ready to roll” but the reality is they rarely do “roll.” We haven’t had a sitting president die from natural causes since 1945 and the most recent who died in office was 46. A presidential resignation is even more rare: once in 222 years. So, the reality is that the person who becomes vice president will likely only be president of the Senate, attend state funerals, and serve as the presidential candidate’s attack dog. Anything other than that is very unlikely, and not the sort of thing on which voters will decide the election (See Agnew, Quayle, and Bentsen).
What is certain is that the person who is running for president must be “ready to roll” on January 20, 2009. That’s the front-burner issue. Nothing suggests the oratorically-gifted Obama will be ready for the job by then.
By vagabond on August 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Let me get this straight. Obama is qualified to run the country because he speaks well, but the Dems say Palin can’t be number two because she has only been a Mayor, Governor and Commander of the Alaska National Guard. Her speech today was smooth and sincere. She picks off some of the female vote. Oh, and her smokin’ hotness will be on display in hi-def for the next two months. Brilliant.
By James on August 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I’m going to be a “funeral crasher” next year :)
By Not Sayin', Just Sayin' on August 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
vagabond, nobody said Obama is qualified to run the country JUST because he speaks well. It is clear to any informed and intelligent observer that equally important is the indisputed fact that Obama is also clean.
By dj on August 29th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
NRA vote…check
middle america vote…..check
middle american men who thinks that chicks who shoots guns are hot vote…..check
military vote….check
didnt abort a down symdrome child vote (prolife)….check
no real sustansive bad things about her vote….check
prettier than biden vote…check
women vote…check
speaks to the heart of america vote…check
causing obama campaign to go a reeling…..check
hillary vote…check
turn the momentum from obama to mccain…check
making middle class white women who watch oprah think twice about who to vote for…..check
is hot…check…did i say that already? (3,4)
reinvigorating the conservative base and making the GOP relevent again…..priceless
By rick on August 29th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Lets see….Obama’s claim to fame…..143 days in the senate with nothing to show he even arrived for work.
Sarah….mayor….6 years of running a city’s government, balancing a budget
Governor…..running a state, making alaska work
Ran a business…..
Worked her ass off to straighten out a corrupt government.
Yep, I guess that O’Dumbass has her beat. Shame on her for thinking about running against him since he’s cleancut, can read a teleprompter and has Joe as a sidekick.
If only the O’sucker crowd would realize the experience question isn’t off the table. And for those people who have a problem with the concept: John frontseat, O’dummy front seat, Sarah backseat….John experienced, makes decisions. O’dummy, not experienced except in whining, makes no decisions for fear of being wrong, Sarah backseat, not paid to make decisions except when old farts are deadlocked….Hope its simple enough
By Jorge P on August 29th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
I am Jorge P. from http://FightingBlue.com
McCain in the membrane…watch out because McCain is INSANE!
I don’t understand McCain at all; he argues all summer long about Obama not having enough experience. Then, in a blink of an eye he chooses a running mate with no experience at all.
No disrepect to the State of Alaska, but we are talking about a state that has more reindeer than people. I can understand why Gov. Palin was chosen for the publicity, but she is clearly unqualified.
This only proves that McCain’s judgement is clouded and has no clue.
By James on August 29th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Jorge – it’s no wonder your views are as lame as your website – apparently you didn’t get Obama’s memo to stop attacking her resume – of course – with a website as lame as yours you obviously aren’t on his talking point distribution list.
Memo to dems – the hottie has MORE of a resume than Obama. Look for the dems to huddle into the night to think of a more compelling line of attack – like she’s a gun clinger?
By rick on August 30th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Gee…I’m sorry Jorge that I wasn’t clear enough, Sarah Palin has a boatload more experience than the Acorn wannabe has. God, Guns, Brains, Compassion and Beauty to match…..Her other half is both lucky and in trouble.
By Silence Dogood on August 30th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
“Lets see….Obama’s claim to fame…..143 days in the senate with nothing to show he even arrived for work.” Was this posted back in 2005?
Population of Alaksa, about 680,000…O.K., given it is not like being mayor of one of the top 25 largest cities in the United states, but none the less she is a Union member along with her husband, and tips her hat to Hillary Clinton, that should go over well with most far right Republicans. She also raised taxes on bigh oil companies to fund Alaskan government projects. Don’t worry though, she is on board now for off shore drilling and in ANWR (hey where ever the monies at right?). She admitted she really hadn’t given much thought to the situation in Iraq as late as 2007.
Welp, sounds to me like she is ready to take over for John McCain as well as corral the push overs at the U.S. Senate. For the sake of the nation couldn’t McCain have pandered better to Women voters with Kay Bailey Huth. or Chritie Todd Whitman?
By Jorge P on August 30th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Hello everyone and Happy Labor Day To All. God bless our unions for making it possible to have a middle-class in America!
I understand that it does not much to excite a Republican: saying a few words like guns, revoke women’s right, destroy public education, Fascism, etc., can make any Republican salivate like a dog hearing a dinner bell.
So of course I can understand why Republicans love this choice and it is typical for Republicans to FLIP-FLOP and spin an argument to defend the nomination of an inexperienced governor and the clouded judgement of McCain.
Truth is, Middle America get’s it and Gov. Palin will do no good in convincing voters that her right-winged radical views will help America. Truth is if McCain is elected we will continue to reward big companies to export OUR jobs overseas, we will continue to borrow money from the Chinese, and instead of Bush brown noising the Saudi’s it will be McCain.
Wow, talk about “Chage”.
VOTE 4 OBAMA
By Walker Tuller on August 31st, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Wow, what xommentary!
1- If two years as governor is too meager experience to be veep, why did BO make Tim Kaine, a 2-yr. guv of Va one of his favorites and in his top three? Why was the press and MSM so gushy about Kaine?
2- To the commentator who said it must be easier to elect a governor in Alaska as become a beauty queen: Hello! She knocked off an incumbent GOP governor in the primary, rarely done anywhere, and this guv had served in the US Senate with constant reelection for 22 yrs. If that’s not enough after getting the nomination, she knocked off the favorite, A TWO-TERM FORMER GOVERNOR WHO WAS AGAIN THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE.
3- I just heard on TV a Dem lib. woman saying the trite, worn-out, “I know Hillary Clinton and she’s no Hillary Clinton.” Darn right! I bet Palin has never thrown any lamps at her husband, bragged that she never baked cookies or was a stand-by-your man woman. the initial impressions of palin I had were that of SAVVY and AUTHENTIC, unlike Hillary’s scripted pre-coronation inevitability as an argument for her nomination. This talking head said HRC had “35-yrs. of experience.” yet she had no govt. elected experience until the Establishment ran her for SEN in NY. She ambled around the White House for eight yrs. but the biggest informal quasi-govt. projecct she had, health care, she totally botched.
What it all boils down to is that the Dems. were caught flat footed and now find that the condescention doesn’t work. They thought they had a lock on women and are threatened by a savvy woman who gets results but doesn’t toe the liberal line. The she’s more of Bush is as far from the truth as Alaska is from DC a a reformer who speaks truth to power and tells it like it is in reforming.
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