I'm nervous about this Palin pick.

[washingdem]

I think her good looks and charisma will go a long way. Remember, this is a country that wanted to have a beer with Bush, so they made him president for 8 years.

[YDogg]

1. wait for the debates

[washingdem]

2. Yeah but you know people will be saying Biden has to go easy on her

[leftynyc]

7. Biden doesn't have to worry

Hillary, Barbara Boxer, etc. They'll tear her a new asshole.

[knixphan]

47. hell yeah.

Hill and Barbara, not to mention Kathleen and Claire...

Toast!

[livvy]

13. He will not...

He will be respectful, but he will not treat her with kid gloves. If she's big enough to be a VP, then she should be big enough to take a few knocks. If she can't take criticism and debate, she has no business running.

Biden values women as equals.

[washingdem]

17. I agree, but this is America. People are really dumb.

[demo dutch]

41. She is a former beauty queen with no formal education who

ran for Lt. Governor in 2002 She was a little known mayor of a small (but rapidly growing) Alaska town, Wasilla. She lost.
She was hired to be on the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission. A job paying well over $100,000 a year and essential for the natural resource dependent state of Alaska. She had no education or training in this field and But she wasn't the only politically based hire on the O&G commission. Randy Ruedrich was the Alaska GOP party chair and he was appointed too. Soon scandal struck. Randy was caught doing party business on state time and on state computers (sending out invites and fund raiser requests). Murkowski was already under an ethical cloud for appointing his daughter to his Senate seat as well as some ethical issues with the appointed AG. This scandal started to grow into the beginnings of Murkowski's massive unpopularity.

So Sarah Palin quit. She quit her job!! She did not propose ethical reform laws. She did not call upon party reform. She did not try to get Ruedrich removed as state party chair. SHE STILL HAS NOT REMOVED HIM AS CHAIR!!!

She did the typical Republican trick of talking the talk without walking the walk.

That's who "Dumb Americans" want sitting in the oval office, when McCain kicks the bucket?

[kitkat65]

60. There you go.

"She was hired to be on the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission."

[1corona4u]

54. Exactly, none of this crying --"he attacked me shit."

She better suit up.

[jakem]

4. that is the danger. low expectations for her to easily exceed.

[apnu]

39. And she has charisma. Its a competive pick to counter Obama's oratory.

The McCain camp has come to play. They will do and say anything to get elected. No ethics or morals bind them.

[mwb970]

49. It's so much easier to run without standards or principles.

Combined with the common lack of souls and consciences, Republicans have it made! No wonder they win so often.

[WeDidIt]

3. mainly because half the people I was with believed it until I explained the situation to them

[Egnever]

6. !!

[greguganus]

5. Hillary should challenge her to a drinking contest. n/t

[Clear Blue Sky]

8. In her favor, she has executive experience running a state.

Against her though, she has no foreign policy experience. She can expect lots of questions like "Who is the president of buttfuckistan?"

[Fire_brand]

12. yeah, for an entire year

[Norquist Nemesis]

18. You mean Alaska isn't a foreign country?

Let's check with the newsy person who said Obama was vacationing in a foreign country just to make sure.

*wink*

[stanwyck]

20. Executive experience dating all the way back to

2006. She W without a dick.

[caledesi]

42. "Executive" experience sure got us far (sarcasm). nt

[progressivebydesign]

45. LOL - Sorry, but you sound like GOP here.. n/t

[Clear Blue Sky]

65. Sorry, just trying to mention pros/cons as they will play out.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

9. Oh please.

Just stop with the gloom about a woman who has been in office only two years.

Jeebus.

[SuperTrouper]

10. Yeah, Dan Quayle was good looking and All-American boy and turned out to be a disaster

for the GOP and was eaten alive by Bentsen. Bush 41 won but Obama is no Dukakis and this gamble by McShame is going to backfire.

[greguganus]

15. If she's a better speller than Quayle, we are toast! n/t

[RedEarth]

29. She's got a degree in journalism

so not only can she spell, but that degree combined with being a mayor of a town of 5,000 people and governor of Alaska for two years makes her more than qualified....plus she's a former beauty queen.

[chatnoir]

31. She's got a BA in J from the Unv of Idaho

And that's all. So whether she can spell is debatable.

[RedEarth]

32. I know, it was sarcasm

[chatnoir]

38. Phew, how I missed that is beyond me lol

Up most the night b/c of the nomination combined w/the horror of this pick has my brain fogging over.

[Ikonoklast]

61. It's 'toest', you ninny.

Get it right.

:rofl:

[AlCzervik]

11. Palin Verses Joe Beiden in the debates, i ain't worried.

[nyccitizen]

14. If he goes too far he will look like a bully. nt

[AlCzervik]

16. and why would he go too far when he won't need to? Give the man some credit please.

[washingdem]

21. he won't go too far, but people in this country are dumb. he'll have to walk a very fine line.

[gatorboy]

64. A bully? I didn't know they were running for class president.

[Vinca]

19. A guy on MSNBC right now just said only a couple of years ago

she was the mayor of a small, podunk town and RAISED TAXES ON THE CITIZENS. UH OH. John-boy's toast.

[RedEarth]

22. Me too, she was mayor of a town of with a population of 5,000 people

and she's been governor of Alaska for nearly two years. Not only is she a former beauty queen, but she is more than qualified to take the over in case 72 year old cancer survivor McCain has any health issues.

Honestly, the people swayed by her good looks would not be voting for Obama in the first place.

[confused08]

23. but obama

You don't think that Obama's good looks and charisma are helping him a little? I mean I am obviously not saying that is all that Barack is.... he clearly has very defined policy positions he has articulated and really represents change, but I think to say that his looks and charisma played no role at all is a little disengenous

[confused08]

24. but obama

You don't think that Obama's good looks and charisma are helping him a little? I mean I am obviously not saying that is all that Barack is.... he clearly has very defined policy positions he has articulated and really represents change, but I think to say that his looks and charisma played no role at all is a little disengenous

[Liberal Dose]

25. Everyone will compare Palin to Hillary, and Palin will PALE by comparison. eom

[confused08]

26. but obama

You don't think that Obama's good looks and charisma are helping him a little? I mean I am obviously not saying that is all that Barack is.... he clearly has very defined policy positions he has articulated and really represents change, but I think to say that his looks and charisma played no role at all is a little disengenous

[confused08]

27. but obama

You don't think that Obama's good looks and charisma are helping him a little? I mean I am obviously not saying that is all that Barack is.... he clearly has very defined policy positions he has articulated and really represents change, but I think to say that his looks and charisma played no role at all is a little disengenous

[TheZug]

28. Don't be a Nervous Nanny Democrat.

Jesus. McCain blathers on about experience and then he picks a first-term governor from Alaska? This is amateurish strategy. Calm down.

[mzmolly]

30. Not with fundie types. I fear he's just alienated a huge portion of his

base. Remember many of these people don't think women are capable of leadership.

[confused08]

34. actually I think

He made much of his base very happy... her positions makes her look pretty far to the right.... Hell, McCain looks almost liberal in comparison

[mzmolly]

37. I hear she's pro-choice?

:shrug: I don't think they'll be happy for several reasons?

[mvd]

40. Anti-choice supposedly

But look at this part of her Wikipedia page:

"Palin's first veto was used to block legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to the partners of gay state employees. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with Alaska's attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation."

That might not make the bigots in the base happy.

[mzmolly]

44. I just saw MSNBC speak about her "pro-life" stance, but you

raise an excellent point above.

[Eurobabe]

33. Thanks for your concern

Don't worry your head about it.

:eyes:

[washingdem]

63. Good input.

[HughMoran]

35. Your concern is noted

But a more substantiative argument might be in order here...

[washingdem]

62. You're missing the point. I like substance. DUMB PEOPLE DON'T. "I'd like to have a beer with Bush"

[HughMoran]

66. The only response for dumb people is for us to be shallow & about looks

That's just not how to run a country.

You can't argue with stupid people.

[mvd]

36. Don't be that nervous

Some points:

- The only thing maverick about this is he chose a woman. Otherwise, she's the same Bush-supporting Republican that has corruption charges

- It totally knocks out the inexperience argument against Obama

- I believe it was a close race more because of disgruntled Hillary supporters than anything. I believe the polls showing more unity over the reaction on a few PUMA boards.

- Biden will clearly have the advantage in the debate

- I don't see it helping electorally, unless Alaska speaks for the continental west

[knixphan]

58. yes, yes, yes and YES.

[progressivebydesign]

43. An NRA babe?? Hardly! And can anyone imagine HER as president??

Cuz that's what the VP is... has to be ABLE to be president at the drop of a hat. Can anyone actually believe that this newbie gov who is up to her ass in scandal, is ready to lead our troops??

John McCain and his advisors are on crack if they think that ANY female would work. What a fucking insult to women! They can shove their token woman up their ass.

[demo dutch]

48. This election more than ever before, since he might kick the bucket given his age & history!

[spanone]

46. not me, she has absolutely NO experience NONE, ZILTCH, NADA, ZIP

[demo dutch]

50. A former beauty queen with no formal education connected to oil who quit her job!

[spanone]

51. governor for LESS than 2 years....before that??? city council

[Mad_Dem_X]

53. I agree - She has nothing on Biden

As a (male) co-worker of mine just said, "He won't tear her apart; he'll embarass her."

[mvd]

55. The only one who could win it for McSame was Powell IMO

Palin, the next best choice, still is fatally flawed. McSame might lose by 3 now instead of 5 or 6. :hi:

[Sparkly]

52. I'm not worried a bit! Chimpy's image was completely different.

The fiction around the Chimp was that he's rugged and a tough guy, etc... They aren't going to get there with this pick. Good looks and charisma don't inspire confidence about being "rugged" and "tough," and it's that hyper-masculine macho thing that tends to get people feeling "comfortable."

[Fire Walk With Me]

56. Eeep...well said.

:scared:

[Overseas]

57. How about her support for CREATIONISM-- think that'll help?

The country didn't make George president. The Supreme Court did. And in 2004 election fraud did.

But I'm sure Palin's cuteness will help McZombie. People will want to chat with her. And I hope they do, and ask her about her support for intelligent design and her anti-choice positions.

[vanderBeth]

59. Do you know what? I felt a little squimish

when I heard her name. Not terribly worried, but thought about how superficial the American voter could be.

Then I called my mother at work because she wanted to be notified of McCain's pick. My mother is a registered Independent, but has leaned right the last 3 elections. When I told her it was Sarah Palin, the first thing she said was "Sarah Who?" I said Sarah Palin and she then said "He chose a women?!" I said he was pandering to women and she said "He obviously is!" in an angry voice. This was all before she found out about all that experience she has. She was very likely to vote for McCain because of the "Obama is inexperienced" arguement, but now she seems upset. As she said, this might hurt more than help.