On Friday, following McCain’s announcement that Sarah Palin was his choice for running mate, like way too many others I allowed myself to indulge in the fantasy that this was the stupidest decision of a GOP presidential candidate since Dan Quayle was tapped for the role. Now that my post-DNC sense of invincibility has worn off, however, so has my triumphalism. I woke up yesterday morning with a much different sense of the Sarah Palin choice. I think it’s a trap.
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Of course, Palin is useless for any actual debate on the subject that might require policy expertise and persuasive argumentation. In that, she’s similar to McCain, who is not identified as a Senator with any special knowledge on economic issues, and has been exposed as an out of touch multimillionaire.
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The McCain campaign is going to trot Palin out whenever they need to make the case that they feel America’s pain. They’re going to contrast her story to Obama’s, and even to Biden’s (not the part about being a scrappy kid from Scranton, but the part about being in the Senate for a million years). They’re going to have her stick relentlessly to her personal biography, and avoid at all costs any discussion of policy.And whenever any Democrat attacks her for being inexperienced, they’re going to turn to working class voters and ask why all these Harvard-educated, pointy-headed know-it-alls think that they know better how to help working families than a woman who worked her way through a demanding career while raising five kids, stayed married to her hard-working husband, and was so successful that she became a governor and then a VP nominee.
#38 “For example, one does not become editor of the Harvard Law Review by pandering at cocktail parties.”
Exactly. You have to have a mind that is geared towards legal minutia & rhetoric. Qualities that make you an excellent lawyer. NOT qualities that help you manage and run large entities with high productivity…
#37–Mike==actually I think you argue a valid point. In my view, there just isn’t enough of a track record to show how long her maverick tactics will be used. I haven’t gotten a good review on why she reversed herself on the bridge to nowhere or on the misuse of power in the troopergate affair.
Yes, she is religious. Very often such people substitute their view of evil for constitutional and administrative restrictions. Thats just fine when you agree with the goal, terrible if you are against the goal, and is procedurally defective.
These anti-abortion creationists care little about other people’s freedoms and should be looked at with disdain as “political leaders.” I agree with McCain–such people as his VP pick are agents of intolerance. Not good for “all” the people.
#41 Paddy-O
LOL That’s like saying the Sarah Palin’s mind is geared towards diaper minutia and PTA rhetoric.
It’s refreshing that it is no longer necessary to be a “middle-aged White guy in a suit” to make it to the White House. That is a good qualification to have dropped.
I’d like to bring up another Palin, Michael, of Monty Python fame (and also of Pole-to-Pole fame; he’s been to Alaska, in a ballsy way). Reminiscing about their magnum opus, “The Meaning of Life”, the Pythons chuckled that most of the budget for the movie was blown in the first few days with the expensively-choreographed, hilariously funny segment, “Every Sperm is Sacred”. Since daughter Palin didn’t know about or didn’t practice birth control, shouldn’t that segment become the Palin theme song?
Begining to look like Palin might be dropped like a HOT POTOAE (Thanks, Dan !!!) !!!
The Republican Way:
“Ooo, you want me for VP? Cool. I’m all yours. Loyalty to the Party. That’s my Prime Directive. Here’s a salute!”
“No, there are no–repeat, NO–skeletons in my closet.”
“Woopsie, pregnant daughter. That’s none of your business. This is the Party of Business, but that’s none of your business.”
“You didn’t ask about a pregnant unmarried daughter. How the hey am I supposed to know what you want? I thought you meant the OTHER kind of closet.”
“Five months. No doubt of it. I said FIVE.”
“Those pix of me at seven months pregger; those are REAL!!!! I just don’t get very big when I get pregger.”
“My daughter had mono for five months before my delivery of sweet little Trig. And now she doesn’t, but she’s pregger.”
“We are cashing in a lot of chits on this one, getting the whole story off onto page nine. You think the Repubs are powerless. Look around.”
“Any more Qs?”
Pregnant Daughter. Hmm. As someone who has actually raised a daughter to adulthood, I can say with all honesty that it is hard. At about 14 they start to hate to you. You can’t do anything right. If you give them an expensive car, you are trying to win their love. If you make them buy their own, you don’t love them (I made mine buy hers).
Luckily, my daughter graduated HS drug-free, jail-free, and child-free.
But I have friends are weren’t so lucky. One friend’s daughter (he has two daughters) has a multi-racial child by a drug dealer . The other daughter is 180 degrees — scholarship, good part time job, etc. He did divorce his wife while the kids were still in HS but why would one go bad and the other not?
People seem to think that as parents you have complete control over everything your kids do. That’s not so. All you can do is teach the lesson. Sometimes it sticks.
What does this have to do with Mrs. Palin? She is obviously human and probably a nervous wreck right now. And her husband is probably cleaning the shotgun getting ready for a wedding.
What does this have to do with the nation’s monetary policy or foreign policy? I haven’t a clue. All the damned Palin articles in this blog are turning it into a tabloid.
I would like to see more articles on the issues and not the spectacles, please.
I think Palin is doing plenty of damage to Dems because so many Dems seem to be doing such a good job making themselves look like bleep over Palin’s family.
Nothing is apt to hurt Obama much worse than bunch of out of control supporters that make people want to spew.
As one man once said, “I can deal with my enemies but God save me from my friends,” or words to that effect.
I think we are giving the GOP way too much credit here.
The other laughable thing was “Bush did 9/11″. Gimme a break, bush is such a moron he couldn’t conduct such an elegant conspiracy.
I attribute such things as 9/11 and Sarah Palin’s VP choice to mere GOP idiocy, which can be so extreme it gets confused with conspiracy.
Just enjoy, it will get worse I can guarantee it. Next thing you know the baby will be from incest, or the daughter gets caught with 1 kilo of colombian cocaine, or Palin actually is a man or something.
A Trap for the Dems ??? No, the INEPT REPUKES just backed McBush INTO A BUZZ-SAW !!! How can John SAVE HIS A$$ ??? New Veep, seems the only way !!!
#47, Tom,
What does this have to do with the nation’s monetary policy or foreign policy? I haven’t a clue. All the damned Palin articles in this blog are turning it into a tabloid.
It demonstrates her integrity. McCain brought her, three of her children, and a grandchild on stage. Palin was held up as a virtuous mother before we even knew what her policies were. She is being shown as disingenuous and how her policy of anti-contraception, anti-sex education, and anti-abortion doesn’t work. Does what else she believes in work as well?
So your point is very valid, her private life shouldn’t matter. Yet because she made it part of her political persona, it has become an open topic. Add this to the fact that she is under investigation for corruption by the Alaska legislature.
Add this to the fact she tried to fire the town Librarian because she wouldn’t ban books Palin thought objectionable. Palin backed down when the Librarian caved. She fired the town Police Chief because he enforced the law as written. She fired the town streets Maintenance Manager because he couldn’t plow all the streets with the budget and reduced manpower given him.
The Dems could trip by making too big a point of her lack of qualifications and directly of McCain as well.
Its been fun so far listening to the liars defending her record.
My favorite so far really has been several who have said “Alaska is close to Russia.” I would never have thought of that one.
I’ve also heard “If you can raise 5 kids you have executive experience.” But that is an old saw brought out routinely.
Twist and shout. Spin and pander.
#52, Bobbo,
You forgot. Alaska also borders Canada. Therefore she has foreign experience on twice the fronts as any other Governor. Plus, there are all the illegal Eskimos from Siberia slipping across the ice.
UPDATE: The illegal Eskimos immigration has stopped for now. Apparently they can’t slip across the ice as the North Pole is ice free. Once the weather cools, look for them to start hitching rides with the Ice Road Truckers.
You can put big ears on Obama but he is still a chauvinist pig. I wonder what is running down Chris Matthews leg now?