Comments on: On Palin

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:28:53 +0000

This has nothing to do with Hillary's Democratic supporters. It has more to do with independent women that wanted Hillary to win because they wanted a woman. The pick had more to do with pacifying the conservative base. If you read any of the conservative blogs out there you will see that they most are in love with McCain now. The election is statistical tie. You cannot win if you do not solidify your base, and if you can pull some disenfranchised voters.

I believe you got it wrong on the criticism of Obama. It is not his lack of experience that people have a problem with. Bush had one of the weakest positions of power in Texas yet he became president. Critics of Obama are saying that Obama lacks judgment.

By: J. Philip

J. Philip — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:44:26 +0000

Dolphin,

Fair point, but a vote is a vote and I for one am tired of being told I should vote for someone because they went to Harvard or Yale.

Incidentally, another blogger I read had Palin on his shortlist back in February.
http://redmindbluestate.blogspot.com/2008/02/friday-quickies.html

By: dolphin

dolphin — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:33:00 +0000

But if undecided people vote for her and McCain it won't be because they are stupid, it is because they relate to a regular person more than snooty elites I'm sorry. If somebody votes for McCain, Palin, Obama, or Biden thinking they relate to regular people more than "snooty elites" then they are in fact stupid. McCain's net worth is about 45 times that of Obama, but of course neither Obama or Biden or in the poor house. Palin has yet to release her financial information but since her husband is a higher up in BP Oil, one surmises she isn't exactly begging on the street either. One who votes for McCain/Palin because they believe the direction the country is heading in is good and necessary is not inherently stupid, they just have a very different way of looking at things. One who votes McCain/Palin because they don't want to vote for "elites" IS inherently stupid.

By: J. Philip

J. Philip — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:56:56 +0000

Actually, Palin was on none other than my older brother's list months ago.
http://tomfaranda.typepad.com/folly/2008/03/potential-mccai.html

She was on few short lists but alot of darkhorse lists.

By: tarylcabot

tarylcabot — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:07:47 +0000

don't recall Palin being on any of your speculation lists ( link below to 1) & i certainly would not have put her on my list. Why not elisabeth dole (no one could deny that she has the savvy & experience to be president on day 1) if you wanted to ad a woman to the ticket?

certainly undercuts the "not experienced enough" argument and my conservative brother (who will vote for McCain anyway) viewed Palin as a "what is she supposed to add to the ticket" puzzlement.

http://www.kipesquire.net/2008/02/some-political-predictions/

[Kip replies: I said I was no good at these things. I just don't have the politician mindset. Fortunately.]

By: Dustin

Dustin — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:05:59 +0000

J. Phillip . . . some would say Bush won the presidency (well at least the 2nd time) beacuse he was someone "the people" could relate to. Frankly if "the people" didn't learn their lesson the first time around, well then I don't know what to say really. I don't much like Obama, but I know what I'll get and what rights I stand to lose under the too far right Supreme Court with McCain. That's a chance I'm not willing to take. I'm not gunna wait around till I'm 70 for this country to decide I am deserving of certain rights while every other country in the world does so, passing us by.

By: J. Philip

J. Philip — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 23:57:19 +0000

The problem with the picture we are looking at is not Sarah Palin, her experience, or how conservative she is. It is the notion that Joe Biden, the hair-plugged plagerizer, and Obama, a state legislator 3 short years ago, both from a senate with a microscopic approval rating, are going to solve anything. I don't think for a minute that DT Lad, Kip, Thor or Tony were voting for McCain anyway, and I am not voting for Obama no matter who McCain picked. But if undecided people vote for her and McCain it won't be because they are stupid, it is because they relate to a regular person more than snooty elites who suddenly decided in the last 10 minutes that we need an energy policy. [Kip replies: I think we're saying the syllogism flows the other way: yes, voters are not stupid, therefore they will not be swayed by Palin. Not, "anyone who votes MCain-Palin did so from stupidity," which is not quite the same thing. I do think, however, that the "he's insulting our intelligence" vote will be consdierable.]

By: dolphin

dolphin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:00:45 +0000

J Phillip, The thing is, while she is a social conservative, she's going to have a few things that begin to tarnish her as she becomes more well known. Her first veto as governor was against a bill that would have prohibited the state from providing benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. Grant she only vetoed it because the AG told her it was unconstitutional on it's face, but the bigots never let things like the (state or federal) constitution stop them so I think there's a chance at least some will hold this against her. Secondly, she's a woman and there's a not so small segment of the social conservative population who don't believe women should be in leadership positions (she's actually helped a bit here by being VP pick instead of presidential candidate, because she'll be looked by them as at a bit more of a "kept-woman" standing behind her man, but still). Her age doesn't help McCain. McCain has children older than her. Her age only serves to make McCain look even older and combine the extra emphasis on McCain's age with her inexperience and she's just made McCain's age and health a major issue again long after it had initially fallen on the back-burner.

By: Alec

Alec — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:36:18 +0000

All due respect, J Philip, you are surely kidding? She's….awful. I don't know how to send the message beyond that. She's a slap in the face to practically everyone apart from brain dead evangelicals who would vote for a corprse if it supported their agenda. I just don't see the appeal.

Apart from Tina Fey parodies, I suppose…

By: Thor

Thor — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:27:33 +0000

Really I think Mccain and his Campaign are going off the strategy that Americans are stupid. Look this women is a heart beat away from the White House and what are her credentials. She has been Mayor Of Alaska for about 20 months, she has been mayor of a town of 5,500 people, and oh lets not forget she is a "Hockey Mom" prefect for the Minnesota convention. Mccain is aiming for the ignorant vote. The Hillary supporters who cared about Hillarys gender than her polices and the conservatives who find the most important issues are abortions, gay, and guns. With Mccain not having that clean of a health record it is easier for me to be scared at what may happen if this lady became President. Imagine her foreign policy being run by Neo-cons in the administration.

Will this strategy work probably.