Was Sarah Palin the Right Choice for McCain's VP?

[Raven]

John McCain's timing to announce Sarah Palin as his VP running mate was definitely successful at quickly turning the media's attention to his campaign after the big Barack Obama acceptance speech at the closing of the DNC. But the question that came up most was "Who is Sarah Palin?". Was she the best choice for the position? Will she help or hurt his campaign?

What do you think?

 

[WarPhalange]

I think their line of reasoning was that Sarah Palin is a woman, therefore other women will vote for her.

Honestly, it's what you'd expect from a person who thinks the solution to any international conflict is to use military power.

 

[AhmedEzz]

I think she was a very poor pick, that will destroy MCcain's chances. I recall Evo's words that she can be a president if something happens to MCcain - he has a long history of medical problems- and just that thought will make people even more disregard the republican nominees.

 

[Gokul43201]

McCain has already undercut the experience message.

This may hurt his anti-earmark message:

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26504638/

I remember when Obama disclosed his earmarks, he was blasted by the Repubs. He had secured about $75 million a year for his home state of Illinois, with a population of about 13 million people. By comparison, Wasilla's population is about 2000 times smaller. On the positive side this shows that, in this case, Palin was really good at what she did.

 

[Gokul43201]

Since she became Governor though, Palin has definitely been way, way more responsible with money. So the McCain-Palin campaign will have to make that the focus of her story.

...and continue playing the "woman" card! It's amazing that Obama gets blasted for playing the race card but here's the M-P campaign blatantly playing the sex card, again and again...

 

[wildman]

Since she became Governor though, Palin has definitely been way, way more responsible with money. So the McCain-Palin campaign will have to make that the focus of her story.

...and continue playing the "woman" card! It's amazing that Obama gets blasted for playing the race card but here's the M-P campaign blatantly playing the sex card, again and again...

It is easy to be responsible with money when you got lots of it. Alaska has been swimming in money the last two years from the high price of oil.

Basically, she is a light weight. She has never been tested politically.

Here are some FAKE bikini pics of Palin, pretty funny what people can do with photo shop these days:

http://inday-stories.blogspot.com/2008/09/more-sarah-palin-bikini-pictures-lookin.html

 

[BobG]

Here are some FAKE bikini pics of Palin, pretty funny what people can do with photo shop these days:

http://inday-stories.blogspot.com/2008/09/more-sarah-palin-bikini-pictures-lookin.html

This is a bad sign. You know it's only a matter of time before the fake bikini pics of Joe Biden come out. And it only gets worse after that ...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Wow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Ax2nTWhVM&NR=1

At about the 6:30 mark, she even states that believers [like her] gain divine knowledge of future events. Does this suggest that she would govern according to a voice in her head, as I suspect that Bush has done?

She actually believes that she can see the future; and she is teaching kids that they can do the same?

Note also that she does this with her own little spin on scripture. This isn't even coming from the Bible, but she throws it in as if it did.

 

[cristo]

Wow!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Ax2nTWhVM&NR=1

 

[LowlyPion]

At about the 6:30 mark, she even states that believers [like her] gain divine knowledge of future events. Does this suggest that she would govern according to a voice in her head, as I suspect that Bush has done?

To be fair she is reading from Ephesians 1:17. She uses it in this context as an invocation to charge up these young people to go out in the world. I'd say it's arguable that she is suggesting that she gets any divine visions. Though if one came to her I'd say she is by faith apparently predisposed to think it would come from God.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

To be fair she is reading from Ephesians 1:17. She uses it in this context as an invocation to charge up these young people to go out in the world. I'd say it's arguable that she is suggesting that she gets any divine visions. Though if one came to her I'd say she is by faith apparently predisposed to think it would come from God.

She adds her own interpretation to the gospel. The statement from the gospel was with respect to revelations about [the existence of] God, not knowledge of the future.

I've attended quite a few different churches, but that one is a first for me.

This may be a part of this particular church's belief, but if she really thinks that she can see the future, that is politically hyper-significant.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have to chuckle when I hear the Rep spin masters, and McCain for that matter, and Palin in particular, when they talk about Obama being "ordained", "parting the waters" blah blah blah. In fact it is downright comedy when one considers that the Republicans feverishly chanting "Sarah" have had all of two weeks to get to know her, and that McCain apparently picked her at the last moment [probably out of desperation].

Obama has been under intense scrutiny since late 2006. He survived nineteen debates in a field of pros, and countless interviews. So in light of this, it is difficult to understand the ordained bit coming from someone who apparently believes that she can see the future through divine intervention.

What is really sad is that she won't have to pass the Russert test. I would have enjoyed that.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I have to chuckle when I hear the Rep spin masters, and McCain for that matter, and Palin in particular, when they talk about Obama being "ordained", "parting the waters" blah blah blah. In fact it is downright comedy when one considers that the Republicans feverishly chanting "Sarah" have had all of two weeks to get to know her, and that McCain apparently picked her at the last moment [probably out of desperation].

Obama has been under intense scrutiny since late 2006. He survived nineteen debates in a field of pros, and countless interviews. So in light of this, it is difficult to understand the ordained bit coming from someone who apparently believes that she can see the future through divine intervention.

What is really sad is that she won't have to pass the Russert test. I would have enjoyed that.

I was hearing Rush sarcasticly refer to Obama as 'the messiah' and couldn't figure out why until he played a clip of Obama's victory speech that was admittedly rather over the top. I'm not sure just how out of context it was taken but it easily came off as Obama saying the world would be healed if he were elected president.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I was hearing Rush sarcasticly refer to Obama as 'the messiah' and couldn't figure out why until he played a clip of Obama's victory speech that was admittedly rather over the top. I'm not sure just how out of context it was taken but it easily came off as Obama saying the world would be healed if he were elected president.

Maybe you could be more specific? Rush is hardly a credible source.

And you have to admit, if anyone has been annointed without reason, it is Palin. It will be a challenge for the media to present even a partial portrate of her before the election. In effect, McCain is asking the US to trust a small-time governer who is a complete unknown, as President. How is this not irresponsible? If he wants to play craps, he should go to Vegas.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hard to imagine, but it would appear that even Bush is left of Palin on the environment.

... Gov. Sarah Palin is suing the Bush administration on behalf of the state of Alaska to overturn the decision to add polar bears to the endangered-species list.

The Bushies are hardly radical environmentalists.[continued]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157319

 

[LowlyPion]

What is most notable about her qualification to assume the office at this point is that she is apparently on an extraordinarily short leash.

They aren't nearly ready for her to have an actual Press Conference.

They must be working overtime on preparing for a VP debate where I can imagine they can only hope that cute, smarmy remarks can pass as thoughtful policy positions.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

She adds her own interpretation to the gospel. The statement from the gospel was with respect to revelations about [the existence of] God, not knowledge of the future.

One thing that I should add for those who have no real exposure to religion. Most Christian churches teach that one can see God acting in their life, and many people believe is true, in subtle ways. And the notion of end-times prophesy is accepted by many churches. But even the Bible specifically warns against fortune telling and false prophets. Palin was saying that one can pray and see future events as they relate to today. In my experience, this is very unusual. Personally I think its' freaky.

Now this is particularly interesting since she apparently claims no real doctrine. According to the latest reports that I've seen, she attends a number of churches, and considers an evangelical, "non-denominational" church her home.

 

[Astronuc]

I heard today on the local public radio station that her Republican handlers are (admittedly) keeping her away from any journalist who would ask tough questions. Talk about evasion.

 

[GCT]

McCain's ingenious plan with Sarah Palin

Has Obama appeared on TV lately? Sarah Palin is everywhere. If Obama's votes depended on his celebrity TV status this is going bad for him; this pick by McCain is going good and in hindsight it seems to have been to

-Portray Obama as a distant politician ; when he's not on TV being liked by all he becomes an obscure character.

-Portray Obama as condenscending i.e. his polished personality versus Palin's " too naive to know anything yet a humble, earnest, and grounded " . It seems that some Americans sense that the Obama and Biden case is self righteous and glorified as compared to the real quintessentially American issues ... teenage pregnancy. Dispell the Obama historic grandeur with the genuinely religious concern of parent's everywhere over the issue of rampant fornication amongst our teens.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Pick a nobody who nobody really knows, including McCain, to potentially run the country in as little as 100 days. Brilliant!

This is the Palin honeymoon. Give it a week.

 

[chemisttree]

I think you give McCain too much credit. I think he liked her maverick political past and fairly blank slate. The rest is just gravy.

I do think that the McCain team is relishing the attacks on Palin by the left, who have shown themselves to be a group of mean, ugly, petty, thugs (or so they hope). Every attack covered on the evening news is a percentage point closer to winning the election. And the media and the left are handing it to McCain! How ironic!

He certainly isn't doing anything but standing back and watching the implosion... with a lopsided grin his face, tallying up his new lead in the polls.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Has Obama appeared on TV lately? Sarah Palin is everywhere.

Well, she sure has saturated PF. What are there - five threads about her now?

 

[turbo]

The honeymoon will be over soon. In Colorado Springs over the weekend, Palin said that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had "gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers." The fact that they operated as private entities seemed lost on her, as was the nature of the take-over and likely bail-out. If voters pay attention (and if the supine press dares to report on it) her lack of comprehension about last weekend's move should scare more than a few folks.

On another front, the McCain campaign is trying to characterize her ethics investigation as partisan, despite the fact that both the Democrats and Republicans in Alaska's legislature support the investigation, and neither group is very happy about the fact that she is stonewalling them and forbidding aides to testify. Subpoenas may be flying before the end of the week.

 

[LowlyPion]

It is well-established that all Christians seek the gift of prophesy.

Not to get too far adrift here, but that must clearly be your opinion. While I don't doubt that there are some extreme literalists that may cleave to such notions, just as there are those that think the creation myths of the Bible should be taken literally, or those Pentecostal snake walkers, I have to think those Christians are among the outliers of those that would describe themselves as Christian.

 

[chemisttree]

As usual, you get the most basic intent of the statement of conservatives completely wrong. Palin was referring to McCain's position regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... She made no assertion that the two lending agencies were government controlled. She did mention that they were costing american taxpayers too much, and indeed they are.

Americans should be outraged at the latest sweetheart deal in Washington. Congress will put U.S. taxpayers on the hook for potentially hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It's a tribute to what these two institutions — which most Americans have never heard of — have bought with more than $170-million worth of lobbyists in the past decade.

With combined obligations of roughly $5-trillion, the rapid failure of Fannie and Freddie would be a threat to mortgage markets and financial markets as a whole. Because of that threat, I support taking the unfortunate but necessary steps needed to keep the financial troubles at these two companies from further squeezing American families. But let us not forget that the threat that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to financial markets is a tribute to crony capitalism that reflects the power of the Washington establishment.

Fannie and Freddie buy home loans from lending institutions and reissue them as marketable securities — creating a liquid market for mortgage debt that lowers borrowing costs for prospective homeowners. The two institutions have easy access to borrow at low interest rates because they were originally government agencies and continue to be viewed as being backed by the government. The irony is that by bailing them out, Congress is about to make that perception a reality, even though government backing is no longer needed for their original mission. There are lots of banks, savings and loans, and other financial institutions that can do this job.

Fannie and Freddie are the poster children for a lack of transparency and accountability. Fannie Mae employees deliberately manipulated financial reports to trigger bonuses for senior executives. Freddie Mac manipulated its earnings by $5-billion. They've misled us about their accounting, and now they are endangering financial markets. More than two years ago, I said: "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose." Fannie and Freddie's lobbyists succeeded; Congress failed to act. They've stayed in business, grown, and profited mightily by showering money on lobbyists and favors on the Washington establishment. Now the bill has come due.

What should be done? We are stuck with the reality that they have grown so large that we must support Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac through the current rough spell. But if a dime of taxpayer money ends up being directly invested, the management and the board should immediately be replaced, multimillion dollar salaries should be cut, and bonuses and other compensation should be eliminated. They should cease all lobbying activities and drop all payments to outside lobbyists. And taxpayers should be first in line for any repayments.

Even with those terms, sticking Main Street Americans with Wall Street's bill is a shame on Washington. If elected, I'll continue my crusade for the right reform of the institutions: making them go away. I will get real regulation that limits their ability to borrow, shrinks their size until they are no longer a threat to our economy, and privatizes and eliminates their links to the government...

http://tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article735638.ece

Far from some misunderstanding on Palin's part, she merely reiterated McCain's position regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. They have grown too expensive for the american taxpayer to bail out and the continuation of their malfeasance will continue to cost taxpayers even more. The heads of both organizations were rightly fired... now let's do away with the whole system.

…and that’s why John McCain has been calling for years to reform things and cut bureaucracy. Even at the lending agencies that our Government supports, the fact is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac… they’ve gotten too big and too expensive to the taxpayers. (applause) The McCain-Palin administration will make them smaller and smarter and more effective for homeowners who need help.

It should scare more than a few folks that the left is so quick to misrepresent Palin's positions and try to scare american voters claiming that the Republicans are ignorant of basic economics.

The honeymoon has just begun.

 

[chemisttree]

Not to get too far adrift here, but that must clearly be your opinion. While I don't doubt that there are some extreme literalists that may cleave to such notions, just as there are those that think the creation myths of the Bible should be taken literally, or those Pentecostal snake walkers, I have to think those Christians are among the outliers of those that would describe themselves as Christian.

Uhhh, that quote from 1 Corinthians was from the New Testament of the Bible from the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

You remember the Catholics, right? They... invented... Christianity.

Outliers!

 

[LowlyPion]

Do you think Obama would govern according to the voice inside his head?

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/228/story_22894_1.html

I'm confused about what your problem would be with Obama resorting to inner prayer? I don't see the context of his inner prayer to be any act of prostelyzation, like a call to censor books or ban abortions or advocate creationism or deny gay unions or treat foreign adventurism as justified Armageddon.

 

[LowlyPion]

Uhhh, that quote from 1 Corinthians was from the New Testament of the Bible from the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

You remember the Catholics, right? They... invented... Christianity.

Outliers!

I'd say your argument is grounded in a fallacy. You are presupposing that the Conference of Bishops are expressing anything other than Church policy and that is not at all necessarily representative of belief held by those that would consider themselves practitioners of the Faith.

Certainly an extreme position like literally believing in Prophecy may have been useful in building the Early Church to prove divinity among skeptical pagans, but to endow it today within the context of infallibility as even a majority core belief looks to me presumptuous at best.

 

[Evo]

Uhhh, that quote from 1 Corinthians was from the New Testament of the Bible from the Conference of Catholic Bishops.

You remember the Catholics, right? They... invented... Christianity.

Outliers!

I'm catholic and we never opened the bible. We used the Roman Catholic Missal in church and Catholics do not practice speaking in tongues. Catholics do not take the Bible literally like fundamentalist religions. I am sure there are offshoots and different priests run their mass as they see fit, but discussion of religion in this manner is a violation of the Guidelines.

You DO NOT know how qualified Ivan is to comment on religion, I do happen to know.

I will clarify the following for everyone.

Please refrain from specifically quoting scripture that was not quoted by the politician themselves.

Since religion has become inseparable from the candidates in this election, I am allowing discussion of the churches they belong to, along with the beliefs of those churches (such as in discussions we've had on Obama's church), what is in the mainstream press, and what the candidates themselves have said.

 

[russ_watters]

This is the Palin honeymoon. Give it a week.

Heh - I read an article today that said just the opposite: people are being to harsh about her.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/palin.standard.irpt/index.html

 

[turbo]

There are evangelicals (some very prominent) that insist on the sanctity of the existence and integrity of Israel because it is central to their beliefs regarding "end days" and the second coming of Christ. Palin's church teaches this, and I do NOT want her finger on any button more significant than those on her TV's remote if Israel decides to attack Iran. Sorry.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/04/palins-evangelical-faith-drives-pro-israel-view/

 

[russ_watters]

GCT, I don't know exactly what McCain was thinking, but there are some other interesting twists here. Picking a young maverick to go with an old maverick empahsizes the disparity between her and Biden: Biden is the epitome of the old, white, Washington insider, and for someone promoting change to pick him is a contradiction. McCain not only avoided that, he picked someone who re-emphasizes his biggest strength. Obama chose someone who neutralizes his biggest strength.

Cover story on CNN Politics:

Palin shoves Biden out of the spotlight

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/biden.palin/index.html

Further irony (same story):

Obama's former rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton, may be the Democrats' best counter to "Palin-mania."

Ironic because picking Hillary would have made it impossible to pick her! It's like a poker game, and the Repubs got to see the Dems bet first.

Right now, the pick is appearing to be brilliant.

Some more interesting analysis:

He just couldn't do it and maybe thought he didn't need to do it. He was wrong. That choice would have meant that McCain probably wouldn't have picked Palin. And if McCain had picked anybody else from his shortlist, the Republican convention would have been boring, and the party's base would not have been motivated.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/rollins.convention/index.html

In Obama's defense, though, I don't think he could have anticipated this pick.

 

[lisab]

There are evangelicals (some very prominent) that insist on the sanctity of the existence and integrity of Israel because it is central to their beliefs regarding "end days" and the second coming of Christ. Palin's church teaches this, and I do NOT want her finger on any button more significant than those on her TV's remote if Israel decides to attack Iran. Sorry.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/04/palins-evangelical-faith-drives-pro-israel-view/

I share that same concern, turbo.

It's terrifying to me to think that someone with an "end of days" world view would direct US foreign policy. Haven't we had enough of that?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I share that same concern, turbo.

It's terrifying to me to think that someone with an "end of days" world view would direct US foreign policy. Haven't we had enough of that?

I wonder if she is a dispensationalist. They actually want the world to end, and intend to help.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Heh - I read an article today that said just the opposite: people are being to harsh about her.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/08/palin.standard.irpt/index.html

Oh please, all of the media hype about her personal life has nothing to do with this. I am talking about her qualifications and beliefs. We have had two years to learn about Obama, but she is an unknown who deserves the most intense scrutiny that any candidate has ever suffered in 60 days.

If anyone feels sorry for her, then they should support her resignation right now, before the SHTF. The people supporting Palin are effectively supporting the idea of who they think she is, not who she actually is. This will change for most.