It’s Palin! Because They Couldn’t Get Geraldine Ferraro…
Well, the big news of the morning appears to be that John McCain has picked Palin as his running mate. I see this as a brilliant move; one sure to baffle Democrats and lead to victory for the Republicans in November. Palin is a fantastic writer, and his ribald sense of humor will surely offset the growing tendencies of John McCain to be a total angry, old prick. After witnessing the Obama acceptance spectacular last night, it was darn near impossible to envision what the GOP could do to regain some oxygen and momentum.
Boy, was I wrong. Naming Michael Palin, a founding member of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, as McCain’s running mate was a stroke of genius that is sure to revive a rotting, dying campaign that….
What??? Oh, wait a minute. I am being corrected; it is not Michael Palin, it is Sarah Palin. Well, who the heck is she? Hmmm, Wiki says:
Born in Idaho and raised in Alaska, Palin played point guard on her high school’s basketball team. She was the 1984 runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, receiving a scholarship that allowed her to attend the University of Idaho, where she received a degree in journalism. After working as a sports reporter at an Anchorage television station, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, was elected mayor of Wasilla (population 5,470 in 2000) in 1996, and ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2002. She was elected Governor of Alaska in 2006.
NPR’s Linda Wertheimer was asked by the host of their coverage for her thoughts. Paraphrasing, she said:
“I can’t think of a VP candidate on either party’s ticket whose resume is so thin and weak. Given that McCain’s health is what it is, he’s said that his VP pick is perhaps more important than most presidential candidates. Given that, I just don’t get this choice.”
Wow. Palin really does have a pretty thin CV for the party that only yesterday was carping about Obama’s lack of experience. It does, however, set up a fantastic campaign slogan:
"Sarah Palin: She Hasn’t Been Indicted Yet!"
Of course, she is from Alaska, so that could change any second now. At least this is a well thought out, carefully planned, choice for McCain that will help him combat Obama’s energy policy. Wait, hold on, I am getting another call (these breaking news stories are tough I tell ya; hard work, hard work). Ooops, it turns out that Ms. Palin just a couple of weeks ago was profusely praising Obama’s energy platform; but worry not my friends, there has been an emergency purge of that fact from her website, apparently last night, so nobody should ever pick up on that little nugget. Except maybe, say, The Politico:
On August 5, she sent out a press release applauding Obama’s embrace of natural gas and his plan to give $1,000 tax rebates to deal with rising energy costs. The link to the press release isn’t working — it looks like it was removed from the site.
Well, as Michael Palin would say, "It’s only a flesh wound!"
Really, Sarah Palin is a wonderful candidate. Perfect for the position. Since she is not blonde, there is at least a 50:50 chance that McCain won’t be trying to nail her on the Straight Cock Talk Express.
In all seriousness, this is a joke. There were only two paths that the Republicans could take to actually try to win the election. They could either try to balance the ticket with some business acumen with Mitt Romney, hoping to lock up Michigan and the Mormon vote in the process, or they could go with the David Broder bipartisan wet dream of McCain-Lieberman and try to make a play for all the centrists on both sides of the party divide. Anything else just is not a credible effort. But with Palin, the GOP doesn’t tarnish any of their alleged leading figures with the potential humiliating disaster brewing for November, and they give some street cred for the future to what they view as their best female rising star. Palin is too young and off the radar to be hurt by even a drubbing in November; if it turns out more positive, or McCain pulls a victory rabbit out of his hat, so much the better.
One thing is for sure; this was not McCain’s pick. Anybody who has watched and known McCain over the years knows that he is an old school boys club type. There is no way in the world McCain, left to his own devices, would pick Sarah Palin. No way. Nope, this is a desperation play and tactical move for the future. The real plan is Petraeus in 2012. That is where the braintrust, such that it may be, is for the Republicans right now.
In the meantime, I will leave you with this strong argument for the strength of Sarah Palin’s bonafides. Heard this on NPR while driving earlier in the morning. I believe (not positive) the discussion point at that moment was how Palin would stack up considering that Obama had named Joe Biden as his VP nominee; the GOP "strategist" fired back to the effect that:
Palin will do great! She was voted Miss Congeniality you know!
That would have been in the 1984 Miss Wasilla contest. Hey! She played the flute too!
In 1984, after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, Palin finished second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant which won her a scholarship to help pay her way through college. In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.
John McCain – Country First. Uh huh. More like the Geezer and the Tweezer.
bmaz,
Your posting is truly a work of art! You captured the essence of how unbelievable McCain’s selection is with outstanding style and humor! I believe it is most accurate and well-written analysis I have read today. I am still shaking my head and wondering when the other “shoe” is going to fall, however.
bmaz:
I agree with vieravisionary. This outdoes even that recent post with the triple-headed green cactus dildo lollipop.
bmaz, I have yet to see anyone yet refer to the scandal she is in the middle of… something along the lines of firing the guy who wouldn’t fire her ex-brother-in-law who was in the midst of ugly divorce proceedings with her sister. TPM has been covering it. I find it really baffling that Palin would get the nod, since the thing with her brother-in-law is still picking up steam.
Good catch, phred!
Well, the Repub Convention has not actually nominated her yet, so there’s always a chance for buyer’s remorse tomorrow morning with the coming dawn…
Bob in HI
Oooo, I am sooo tempted to make a cheesy joke about a one-night-stand-VP, but I won’t… not yet, anyway ; )
Great writing bmaz.
So, is she booked for The View?
HA HA HA bmaz never a dull moment with your posts, GREAT! I always look forward to reading.
I’m glad the loss of your friend hasn’t dulled your edge. You make me think and laugh insightfully (out loud).
It was a clever chess move to throw a female in on a Hail Mary play. Kinda like the way he use to fly airplanes.
I’ll take you up on that 50:50.
The unbelievably low level of regard that Republicans show for public offices they staff or seek to staff continues to amaze me.
Imagine what Senator Leahy must be thinking as John McCain proposes that Vice President Palin and President of the Senate Palin will be the tiebreaker for those close decisions.
This is a contemptuous pick for Congress and a ridiculous and dangerous pick for someone who might be President. Two years as governor, a degree in journalism and what else?
bmaz, it’s another rabbit hole. Thanks for the smile.
Gerald, I’m agreeing here with Boston. The Rove/Norquist/Addington strategists hold all government in contempt. Their Harriet Miers nomination, Michael Brown, Monica Goodling, Rachel Paulose, Chertoff, Gonzalez, Mukasey, and all the young Republicans sent to Iraq to “nation build” and on and on are enough evidence. Wait until the country sees Palin’s views on the world, just a month ago she couldn’t say what the VP’s job was, hasn’t she been paying attention for the last 8 years? or since high school? But then the Republicans take advice from twits like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBI6g0A6Wpo
… “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality—judiciously, as you will—we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R….._community
hokay then.
vampires always need young virgin blood. it will get him to october 13th. after that he is still an old man masturbating in captivity.
Well, my, oh my….
She’s a Vandal!
IMHO, the Dems would be wise not to claim that she’s a Russian just ’cause she lived in Moscow (ID, home of the U of Idaho Vandals). ‘Course, given all Biden’s many years of foreign policy expertise, he’d know that Moscow, ID ain’t the same as Moscow, USSR. Just sayin’.
And she was born in Sandpoint? (Anyone who likes to ski at Schweitzer basin knows Sandpoint, ID.) That’s up the road from Hadley, which has been venomously defamed just because those Aryan Nations nuts moved up there. A whole lotta granolas livin’ up around them parts now, too, so don’t just think she’s a redneck ’cause she was born in Sandpoint — a nice town on Lake Pend Oreille, which for all those here who may not know it is pronounced “Ponderay”. (So don’t be saying ‘Pend-OR-ee-ell, or we’ll all know yur a buncha outsiders.)
More later in the day when I have time to comment a few things about that strange and mysterious mythic landscape called ‘Alaska’, which despite all conventional wisdom to the contrary IS actually largely held together by strapping tape.
Well… Alaska’s actually held together with strapping tape, whiskey, and political corruption.
And homemade hooch.
Protected by very, VERY large dogs, many of them part-wolf.
Lotta guns up there. Just like around Sandpoint.
My heavens, I won’t vote for her, but anyone trying to keep the Matanuska Maid in business is okay by me.
This must be the same committee that vetted Jean Duley.
Hey folks. Wow, what a speech last night. I am now totally pissed that I didn’t go join Marcy and the others at the convention as I had originally intended to. Man, what a show.
I have to give a shout out to the Plunger. I was just going through the comments on the other threads for the first time this morning and note that the Plunger and I have finally found a common wave; the Michael Palin angle. He mentioned it on the previous thread it turns out. I was driving my daughter to an early morning orthodontist appointment, then to school, when I heard of Palin being the choice on NPR. My first thought was “Spam!”. Heh heh,
Thanks for the HT, BMAZ!
See, a little humor always provides some common ground. Good post!
Awwwwww
Plunger
bmaz
Group hug
Oh, you guys gotta see this. This is really, truly, an actual picture of Palin and her staff in Alaska! Oh my.
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinVikings.jpg
Apparently, the women standing in the back row all said “no, thanks” when asked to be Sen. McCain’s running mate; they’ve got contracts pending with Fox News.
You’re not suggesting that’s going to hurt McCain’s chances, right? Because far from it.
Oh, heck no. They will love it. Heh, even I found it amusing. Doesn’t necessarily lend itself to the media thinking she is serious, which is a good thing, but it is kind of funny.
I hate to be the one to tell John-boy McSame, but this isn’t about getting a date for the prom.
Yes, Cindy can’t dance and is getting a bit rough around the edges, but that’s no reason to dump her now.
After all, she’s got the money. C’mon John-boy, money will last longer than one more foxtrot.
O.M.G….
If the former mayor of Wasilla can be Preznit, there’s hope for us all.
Humor and ridicule is great, but McCain’s VP choice seems to impress the MSM, and several important groups in the voting.
”a conservative favorite” — help build up their lukewarm support, and money giving.
”a woman” – which will attract some of Hillary’s former supporters and invigorate women many places.
[McCain is OLD OLD OLD! Sarah Palin could easily be the FIRST Female President if Old Man McCain is elected.]
bmaz, et al I think that we need to be more serious. Comedy Central is great but the polls indicate that a lot of voters aren’t laughing with you.
After my first gasp of astonishment, I was impressed. McCain is playing his hand much better than was expected.
OT: The NYT has more on Putin’s Georgia accusations.
damn. if only huckabee had pulled it off and named palin his v.p., we would’ve had Moose & Squirrel.
Is that a Rocky & Bullwinkle reference?
Rocky & Bullwinkle have plenty of international & security experience!
You got that right! This smells of the Monica Goodling hiring test.
Let’s see:
1. Anti-abortion? Check!
2. Rapture is coming? Check!
3. Pro-Creationism? Check!
4. Pro-Oil? Check!
5. Pro-Death Penalty? Check!
6. Pro-NRA? Check!
And last, but certainly not least, does she have any relevant experience? No! Check!
Couldn’t McCain find a GOP who wasn’t under investigation?
No.
This has been another edition . . .
funny
Miss Polar Bear Chip?
Oh, she’s one of those? The we’re-suspicious-of-polar-bears people (really: it’s a cause) are even wingier than the pro-lifers. Somebody thinks that this will attract disaffected Clinton supporters?
Loo Hoo, Have you seen the picture of her sitting with a dead bear behind her? Check bmaz’ link at 15.
Glad we’re on the same thread.
Awwww! No fair!
I clicked about 25 minutes after your comment, and that link appears to have been pulled.
Who could have guessed….?
I have to admit that I didn’t think about the correct strategy for sussing out the Rep VP: watch the Wikipedia activity the past 48 hours…. any of the smart geeks around here have a way to determine when the Repubs were rapidly updating Palin’s website prior to this announcement?
NYT, August 5, 2008
She has so much experience … in something.
I dunno what, but she must have more experience in something than either Obama or Biden. /s
Over at TPM, they’re speculating that this pick is because the GOP is sure it’s going to lose, and they don’t want anyone with future political value to be caught in the fallout.
Hey, I said that in the post. Whadda ya mean TPM?
Gerald @19 – Now you are being funny right? Cause all that serious about Palin’s bonafides just cracks me up. In the first place, Rule #1 is nobody’s VP pick ever makes that kind of difference. Ever. The most they do is bring along a home state every now and then. Secondly, if there was ever going to be an exception to Rule #1, it sure as hell is not going to be Sarah Palin. Man, that is some dry humor you got there. Heh heh.
Well, maybe not at TPM. I’ve seen it at ‘Making Light’, though. The Palin-and-McCain thread is having a wonderful time.
Two things strike me about this pick. It reeks of factional compromise. Almost as if a group of power brokers got together with a long list of possible candidates and started working down the list until the found someone that nobody refused to support.
Also, it signals a real resignation to defeat (and not just a close election). If they thought they were gonna win or even come close, they would’ve put in someone to become the putative future party leader. There’s no way that’s a female Alaskan governor.
don’t underestimate the old white rust belt women. They can relate to Palin.
Care to see how Governor Palin handled her own bungled efforts to have a trooper fired? If I understand this correctly, two Safety Department Commissioners (were forced?) to step down in the course of a week.
At the end of the video, is a poll
Do you believe Gov. Palin is transparent and open? (At 5:27)
33% Yes
66% No
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related
I wonder if she can spell potato? What if her “love of moose meat” is something different that the obvious; if you know what I mean…
Please tell me you weren’t thinking Catharine the Great with the moose-meat reference… ; )
Catherine the Great boinked Moose? She always seemed more like the Squirrel type of gal….
Yes. It’s a little like Duley: she’s an ex-dogsled-gang-chick.
Kudos to you, fine writing, funny as hell, in these difficult days.
I predicted McCain would take on a woman just did not know which one. (this discussion was taking place in front of the MSNBC stage in Denver (after Invescolast night ) I know Dayton Ohio the city where McCain announced Palin really really well. I come from a vry large Catholic family living there including my mother (one of 11 children) and 29 first cousins. I have lost count of all of their kids and grand kids. This is the rust belt city of blue collar, hard working, folks. Many of them have played by the rules. Working 50 and more hours a week, paying their taxes, teaching their children to be accountable, joining the military, believing really believing that their leaders are living by the rules that they are trying hard to abide by. This is the home of some of the Reagan Democrats, the ones that sold their own self interest down the pike. Palin is a good choice to help take Hillary’s base from these areas.
Let me give you one example of a 65 year old Irish Catholic woman who raised five children along with her retired truck driving husband who live down the street from my 81 year old mother.(who was a factory worker when she was young, a devoted Hillary supporter (she felt Hillary paid her dues the way so many of these older women feel and that Obama skipped forward in the line up) although my mother will be voting for Obama. This Irish Catholic woman is resentful that Michelle and Barak had access to college and her kids (all very bright did not back in the day), She was unable to stay home with her children as Michelle’s mother was able to. Now let me be really honest here this gal is extremely prejudiced against blacks. (I believe Hillary and Bill as well as Karl Rove are very aware of this element in the race) They know that someone like Palin could tip the race. Palin is from working class roots, pro-fetus, from a union as well as her husband being in the union. She will tip the scale for the woman I am describing.
These are some of the folks that Mike Barnacle talked about on MSNBC the other night. Some of these folks have been strongly effected by and are “resentful” with affirmative action. Now while this does not make sense, this is what they feel and what the Rovian Republicans will manipulate. They will take some of Hillary’s base votes. Hillary and Bill knows this along with Karl Rove. Governor Stricklands efforts in Ohio along with Hillary and Bill coming to Ohio could counter act this vote. Along with the youth who are largely in support of Obama and are not counted in the polls
Is the demographic you describe really big enough to go after? And overcome all the sensible people who will be turned off?
Yes it is just big enough. Rove knows the numbers that it takes to tip the scale or at the very least counter balance (so that it comes down to functioning machines, hanging chads, and paper back up ballots) This is part of the the vote that tipped Ohio the last time. Rove and others have this dissecting American voters down to a science. (god, guns, gay and now throw in the race and woman factor) These white rust belt women and (some of their husbands and family members) filled the school auditoriums in Dayton, Lima Ohio along with areas in West Virginia and Pennsylvania for Hillary. Yes I do believe that their are enough voters that fill this Rovian voter slice to tip the election. Of course many of us are wondering why the polls are even close after these eight years?
So when it comes to slicing and dicing Rove is one of the best. Will these votes be counter balanced by the cell phone only voters. I think it’s going to be really close. (I sincerely hope I am wrong)
Leen, There is not a chance that Massachusetts women will go for McCain because of this woman. Why are the women you are talking about different?
The only place that I have spent any time in Mass is Northhampton where my oldest daugher went to school for a year in Norton Mass. So are the women around Northhampton going to vote for McCain hell no. Are the white women in pockets around Boston going to vote for McCain. I don’t know.
I respectfully suggesst that you go find out for yourself. Go knocking on doors in these areas of Mass for Obama. Talk to these voters. Leave the door open for them to share their reasons for the way they will be voting.
I have talked to every person possible, of any persuasion, here in Arizona and have not encountered one single person like you describe, nor anyone that has encountered such a person. None. I hear the same report from every person in every state I know. This is just a waste of time to worry about the few people that might, might, be out there that fir this description.
Arizona is very different than Ohio. Arizona is far from the rust belt You are wrong. Why in the hell do you think McCain announced this in Dayton Ohio? (Rove dicing and slicing). We can agree to disagree on this one Bmaz. But I know you and the people you spoke with in Arizona are wrong.
As Ohio goes so goes the nation.
Governor Strickland of Ohio and Bill and Hillary Clinton will be here in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania trying to work on this factor. Guarnateed
sorry spent a summer in North Hampton which is not near Norton Mass where I spent just a bit of time.
She’s looking mavericky here – you know, standing up to big oil? – just like McCain was mavericky when he stood up to Bush on the 10%.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related
I have to agree with bmaz and disagree with Jane’s take down of Rahm Emanuel for criticizing Palin’s thin resume. She has a thin resume at both local and state level and no national political experience. She makes Jimmy Carter look like a cross between Einstein and Mohammed Ali.
Sorry, Jane, it is not unfair to criticize that lack of experience, no matter how much of a putz Rahm Emanuel is. It would be unfair to attack her for the wrong things: not being bright (she seems much brighter than McCain), for not being talented or ambitious, for being a woman.
McCain clearly doesn’t like her or know much about her. So much for leadership and judgment and his “personal approach”.
15 – huh, so that’s where Madonna gets her wardrobe ideas.
It is going to be hard for Biden to be attack dog against the ingenue mother of a Down’s Syndrome child, though. And since they are getting good polling on drilling up anwar and the offshore areas, she’ll be a face on the talking point.
I think a nice question for Ms Palin, to demonstrate her ability to handle the ME situation, would be to ask her to detail all the points of contact of Chalabi and McCain and McCain’s campaign lobbyists.
Palin’s resume may be “thin” for Linda Wirtheimer. But for some of Hillary’s base in places like Dayton Ohio Palin’s “resume” looks mighty fine. Working class roots, five children, pro-fetus, union union union, a son in the military. Her “resume” looks a lot like the rust belt women in Dayton Ohio.
McCain’s choice takes part of Hillary’s base that have often voted against their own self interest sense the days of Reagan turning greed into a god given virtue
Palin’s pick does suggest political panic, and likely a dearth of top candidates willing to take the plunge into McCain’s empty pool. But the Goopers are smart in that criticizing Palin is a two-edged sword; it will be used to suggest the Dems are hypocrites, not really pro-women. So the message her has to be about what she favors and opposes.
She’s a tough cookie who will throw hard objects at Biden and Obama without relenting and without remorse. But she would be a dismal replacement even for McCain, something a legion of would be regents would love her to be, so long as that puts her in their loving arms.
As Obama made clear in his impassioned speech, the policy, position and personal targets McCain has pasted to his own backside are many and easy to hit. Obama has started direct attacks, but wisely framed them by focusing on what he’s for, not merely on the many things McCain is against, then for, then against, oh, whatever. He needs to keep it up, to ramp it up. He also needs his personnel people working overtime now vetting his personal and Cabinet staff. He’ll need to hit the ground running and Bush will make that as hard as possible, starting with a corrupt telecoms system in the WH.
Christy Hrdin Smith says that she did not hear any in fighting on the floor between the Hillary and Obama delegates (mostly young).
I suggest Christy spend some more time mixing it up with middle aged and older white rust belt woman in West Virginia. These are the votes that are being flipped McCains way in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arkansas etc.
This is the vote the Rovian strategy is flipping and will continue to work on along with those men in the union in those parts
ok, I have it
he picked palin who will withdraw, making any choice made after her palatable
for instance, how could the base critisize him for picking lieberman or romney after palin withdraws?
it’s genious
Interesting
The issue with Palin is not whether you’d like to be her neighbor or like her to be your school board or city council president, but whether she’s competent to be president of the United States. Clearly, she’s not competent to be a Cabinet member. But she is much harder to attack without blowback than is McCain, obviously a significant reason she was chosen.
Pairing a young woman with McCain taps into the same psychology every morning talk show taps into: the yin-yang of the complementary matched pair. It’s the same psychology that casts young women with aging male stars; it highlights their masculinity, luster and staying power, while showcasing the woman’s new promise. A lot of starlets resent the hell out of that unless the chemistry is unusual good. With McCain and Palin, it seems to be negative out of the box. That creates an opening, but she’s tough, just like Hepburn, and the Dems will have to take her on her own terms, a disadvantage they should parry by keeping the focus on her slightly addled grandpa who, after all, is the competing to be Top Gun.
When we are looking at Bush as Prez Palin is a contender.
ot: interesting development in the anthony pellicano trial (private eye to the hollywood stars just found guilty of wiretapping & criminal conspiracy). one of the jurors was dismissed for “making biased statements – like how the defendants should be allowed to wiretap because the U.S. government does, and ‘this case is a joke case’ because ‘no one died.’ ” (bold mine)
link
Leen, I agree with you.
Palin will help with women across the board. [She could be the next President when that Old Man dies in office.]
She will also help with some fixed stare conservatives who don’t like McCain and are only lukewarm toward him, besides being upset at Bush’s spending. They will ”give more” now.
As for experience, Biden was to shore up Obama’s foreign experience and blue collar connections. Palin will shore up McCain’s lack of youth, and his reputation with women. Also this seems to be the year for cute children, and she adds there.
There may have been better picks, but they probably weren’t answering the phone.
And lastly, this has effectively derailed Obama’s send off last night.
Man, I am baffled where all this concern is coming from. For the five or six, heck lets say even ten, women out there that are going to vote for John Fucking McCain because Karl Rove stuck this little fundie pro-life, pro-creationism, anti-evolution, anti-health care, anti-environmental everything cookie on his ticket; well screw them, they are just too blindingly stupid to be associated with Obama and the Democratic party to start with. Anybody, and I mean anybody, that is persuaded to vote for McCain by Palin being added to the ticket are people that were dying to find some reason, any reason, to rationalize their vote; they were never going to vote Democratic to start with. This is just plain silly.
I agree. I think Blub’s comment from FDL is right on…or at least the only explanation that rings true to me:
Well, James Dobson’s in the bag. Follow the money. Phone lines to Colorado Springs must have been humming.
Bmaz..You clearly are “baffled” by the “concern” about this one and should be. (how often have you spent any time with rust belt older white women?) This is how the last election was tipped, sorry that you have forgotten. (god, gay, gun in southeastern Ohio, West Virginia) Now it will be race and gender for these voters.
Sorry to say that you have your head up where the sun does not shine on this one if you think that it is only ten women who will vote for McCain based on his pick for V.P. Palin represents these women more than Hillary, even though the issues that Hillary has gone after (health care for all, equal pay etc etc) has benefitted these women more (wonder how Palin’s record for women in Alaska adds up). Palin comes from the same background married high school sweetheart, five kids, hockey mom, union union and more union. And don’t underestimate the prejudice piece out there (the Clintons understand this factor) Bmaz you may be eating your words on this one.
While I agree it is difficult to understand why any of these women would vote for McCain based on his record. These are the women and working class folk that Rove and the Reagan strategist have been able to manipulate for years now. They understand as Jessie Jackson has on so many occasions artiulately pointed out. When you get the middle and working class in fighting based on god, gun, gay, race, gender the Republicans win.
When it comes to the “owning class” folks who could give a damn about those struggling it is all about divide and conquering the middle and working poor. When it comes to the multi nationals and other “owning class” folk winning we (hispanic, white, black, asians) are all plantation workers to them.
Let’s hope Obama’s incredible effort to UNITE U.S. works.
Bmaz that spam clip is hysterical. Have spent winters sea kayaking in Hawaii ( no I am not rich (a minimalist) living in camp grounds) Amazing how popular spam is on the big island. Spam sushi. Spam with nori wrapped around it. Spam and eggs. Spam spam spam. (never have developed a taste for spam).
Green eggs and spam!
I think she’s hot.
It all makes you wonder if Phyllis Schafly’s hearing aid was out of order the day they made the calls.
Thanks for the laugh, Mary. The idea of a McCain-Schafly ticket sounds like its made in heaven… for Florida retirement centers?
Bob in HI
Andrea on Hardball just said that McCain had only met her ONCE.
ONCE.
So, who knows her?
I guess Cheney likes the oilco polity of the vp pick. One of the most turbulent times for authoritarian executive governance is transitioning to new leaders. The Medvedev watch in РОССИЯ is comparable in some respects, waiting for voice to develop. The election margin of loss for the Republican Party should be determinative of how profoundly that organization must ponder its need for regeneration.
She’s a bright girl.
The bar has been set so low
All she has to do is stand up.
Love,
Pat Buchanan
I preferred my Palin tribute to Ted Stevens:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zey8567bcg
What I’m seeing in this quote from just a month ago: Palin replied: “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question.” http://www.politico.com/news/s…..12969.html
is someone who really hasn’t been paying attention, and for good reasons as been told in her bio and by others here. Her weakness? is just that she can’t possibly get to know all she needs to just to hold her own out on the national campaign circuit. Daddy Ted is having problems in her home state think he’s not going to call in a marker or 2 tying her down in what should be on the red side? The next 3 months will be tough and her saying she’s used to being productive and working real hard? coming down to the lower 48, to the East as well as West Coasts, big city politics….good luck with that. If the press follows along with their typical 1/2 assed job then she may get more of a pass, if they hold just a small light up to her experience even the rust belt catholic mom’s wouldn’t follow someone who doesn’t know how to get from here to there.
Guess it’s a good they didn’t tell her about that bucket of warm spit thing before she said yes, huh?
The thing that happened to Michael Palin after all this was that his google rank dropped a couple notches.
Who does this clip remind you of? But alas, it is an Aussie senator.
Am I missing something? Is “rust belt white women” a new code word for teh stupid?
As a 75 y.o. who has known many economically, educationally deprived
women, I wouldn’t chalk them up in the Palin column quite so quickly. Challenge and adversity have an educational value – especially when
it comes to recognizing such things as ‘character’ and ‘earned’ rewards.
I would say get out into those neighborhoods and find out for yourself. Leave the door open for these women to express their real feelings. It’s quite disturbing.
I don’t live in “the neighborhood” – I provide a government service to women like those you cite and get to know them rather well in the process. My point is you’re stereotyping a group that I have found to be more diverse than you allow.
I just said my mother will be voting for Obama. And I know many others from those backgrounds who will also be voting for Obama.
But I have talked with many in that part of the country that Palin will certainly influence their votes. I repeat why in the hell do you think McCain announced in this decision in Dayton Ohio. They know this element is there
One thing that crossed my mind while I was just out was that Palin received less than 140K votes out of less than 250K cast. So I looked at the population of Alaska – less than 684K (rank 47). How many cities in the US are larger? How many cities have more complicated bureaucracies?
Is this putting America first?
My point is simply that these “women” were never going to vote Democratic to start with. There is NOTHING that Hillary Clinton had that is going to cause any woman with even a reptilian brains to flock to this stupid twit Palin instead of Obama. This is the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. Just what the hell does this woman have that is attractive to a true Hillary Clinton supporter unless they are just looking for some petulant asinine reason to show their pettiness? The answer is NOTHING. I can live fine without people that fucking ignorant; don’t want them in my party whether they are male or female. If that is what they are ignorantly and petulantly willing to do, they have NOTHING in common with the Democratic party and clearly don’t give a flying fuck about our issues. Good riddance; I will not pander to driveling ignorance like that.
And it is this closed down and radical response that shuts down dialogue with people who think in ignorant ways (voting against their own self interest) that the Republican party will continue to bank on. All the way to the presidency.
Until we clearly get a grip on how to help folks understand how their self destructive prejudices destroy their own self interest…Republicans will continue to manipulate these voters. Jessie Jackson has the clearest understanding of the Republican party’s ability to divide and conquer the working poor that I have heard expressed.
B maz if you think that the one woman that I described as being alone in her views then you are sadly mistaken. I have spent the last 20 years knocking on the doors of people who think this way in old coal mining towns in southeastern Ohio and West Virginia. This thinking is pathetic and backwards but it is out there.
I know that Governors of these states (went to the Governors discussion in the Denver convention center) will try to counteract this phenomena by focusing on jobs and energy (clean coal(cough).
Worry about em all you want; I am not going to waste my time on people that fucking stupid. This is a ruse that will distract the feeling and emotion gathered up last night. It already is, and it is the most insane thing I have ever seen. This is playing right into the hand Karl Rove wants. I have better ideals to pursue and better things to do than play into Karl’s meme. No more for me.
I hear you this Palin nomination has taken away from the enthusiasm and Obama’s efforts to focus on uniting Democrats. But after spending years talking to folks in these parts and how their votes have undermined their own self interest is fascinating, confusing and mostly disturbing at the same time. ( I agree that it pathetic and stupid, but it exist)
I am firmly convinced that this is the factor that the election will come down to (unless those young only cell phone user votes counter balance the votes that Rove is going after in place like Dayton Ohio).
By the way Bmaz when you talk to those folks in Arizona what are the reasons so many will be voting for McCain. You must know your state is not a bell weather state
They are voting for McCain because they are freaking Republicans. constantly trying to pander to the elusive right center is what has killed us. Chasing these idiots wastes our time. If I see any more pandering to this crap, I might defect to Bob Barr. I am sick of stupid insignificant people running the discourse. To hell with them. McCain can have them. If we can’t overcome that trivial amount of bunk, we don’t deserve to win. I want nothing to do with them.
Defining these people as “idiots” is elitist and not very Democratic. While I will agree that their complicity in allowing their thinking to be so easily manipulated is deeply disturbing, I will not give up. These are the folks who often work so hard, believe their elected leaders, and send their children off to the “elites” dirty fucking immoral wars.
Bobby Kennedy was dedicated to these folks, Jessie Jackson continues to be dedicated. These are the folks who pay dearly for their ignorance.
Hope we all get back to Obamas efforts to unite> I am
Precisely. There may be a few dead enders out there that are willing to vote against every interest they have; after a point, so be it, we can’t waste the bigger and broader momentum of last night on them. The energy, votes and victory are with what occurred last night NOT Palin this morning. Acting like she and the few nimrods that might follow her are significant makes them significant. They cannot be. I really question whether these people would have ever voted for Hillary when push came to shove to be honest. The winning play is with lifting Obama and the broader ideals, not getting bogged down with Palin. We should stop all the fretting, just doing it is giving her presence more credibility than it is entitled to.
Just wish it was less than a “few dead enders”. More like a few million, that Rove will be working on. One thing I know we can agree on is that it is shocking that this race could even be close after the last eight years. But it looks like it will be.
What will you be doing in your neighborhood to help Obama unite the Democrats?
Leen,
I am paying attention to what you are saying. I’ll report back.
Y’know, this is starting to sound to me like excusing racism. if they are willing to vote for someone like Palin who is so far from representing their interests than Obama who would, then what other reason is there? Not much to do about that except point it out when you see it.
No excuse for racism. Ignorant, pathetic and disturbing. Whether it is in the U.S. Israel or South Africa. But trying to understand efforts of those who try and are successful at manipulating humans dark side is important.
If the rust-belt women will vote against Obama because of racism, how is talking to them going to help? He will still be black no matter how much we talk, and dissuading someone from a lifetime of racism probably can’t be accomplished in one or a few conversations. The more interesting challenge is to find those who are looking for a reason to vote for Obama despite their racism, not for the ones looking for a reason to vote against him because of it.
We all recognized from the beginning of this election that we’d have to write off the die-hard racists, but that’s OK — they wouldn’t have voted for a white Democrat either. It’s the liberating effect of the success of the Southern Strategy.
I did not say that “all” rust belt women will vote against Obama. There are “puma’s” people united my ass) in these regions of the country. The folks who will have their votes manipulated will be based on gender, guns, gay, god, and for some it will be race. The Clintons understand this factor because they have spent the most time in that part of the country
George Bush = Harriet Meiers for the big show = Major misjudgement
John McCain = Sarah Palin for the big show = Major misjudgement
Great post Bmaz.
So, let me see if I get this argument:
She’s a hockey/soccer mom, mother of five with a baby boy with special needs, a son going to Iraq, will outlaw abortion, teach creationism, will not seek to save the polar bear, AND because she listened to someone who told her to stay away from the bridge to jail… she’s ready to work with the world, although she has professed no interest in keeping up with world affairs.
That’s why my cite about gov135b, it’s theory in microcosm, Republican party implosion.
I’m trying to shut up but
on MSNBC, Rep. Eric Cantor is saying that because she has “raised” five children – and mark my words, she has NOT “raised” them – she IS raising them – people will vote for her.
Let me tell you some facts: she hasn’t raised children until she and her husband have gone through the homework catastrophes of a decent middle school, been through the many ways that high school children implode, explode or otherwise wreak havoc on a family’s mental health and then successfully navigate the twenties. I won’t even begin on the challenges in raising a special needs child. So, please don’t try to sell women that the job has been done.
How stupid do they think women are?
Yes, Indeed. Point on
ACHHHH! Am about to tear my hair out!!
just talked with my 19-yo cousin from Va Beach, VA.
A rabid Hillary supporter — who “just couldn’t watch Obama’s speech”
thinks McCain’s pick for VP is absolutely brilliant!
I have to scream!!!! This is a kid who worked for Webb!!! What is wrong here!
Is this just outright racism?????? Help me, FDL’ers!
remind your cousin that hillary worked her entire adult life AGAINST most of what palin stands for. palin is pro-life and wants creationism to be taught in schools. hillary has been supporting women’s rights, affordable health care, labor strength, and a powerful middle class since about the time palin was born.
hillary made this point well in her brilliant speech; tell your cousin not to go there!
so you can tell your cousin that being swayed by this cheap shot on the part of mccain’s camp to woo “disgruntled” hillary supporters is an INSULT to them, and to intelligent women everywhere.
does mccain really think women won’t notice that palin is so far to the right of hillary you have to do a linda blair just to glimpse her? does he think we won’t notice the insult? not just to hillary supporters and women in general, and not least of all, to palin herself??
i mean, this is no better than all those misogynists who hired women for affirmative action only to abuse them on the job. palin is a token, not a real choice; how degrading!!
so ask your cousin if s/he is really that stupid, so stupid they think it’s ok for someone with so little experience in anything beyond her hometown and family (which evidently heavily informs her governance to unethical ends) to be that heartbeat away from ruling the free world, from appointing our next supreme court justices, and from discerning between solid military advice and condescension from the misogynists who picked her.
and then suggest s/he talks to webb to see what he has to say about it.
a youtube of local, coverage channel 11, of Palin’s scandal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQx42Tsz5NQ
I’ve been reading that McSame’s choice choice of Palin is “good, bad, brilliant, incredibly stupid, etc.”
The MSM, as expected for a gaggle of gotcha gossips, is beside itself with joy over fresh meat.
This too will pass.
After all the circus hoopla has died down, 48-72 hours for Palin, and for McSame, no later than the end of next week with the end of the Republican convention, the rubber will finally hit the road.
As the final stretch campaigning gets underway then, Palin will prove to be the lightest of light-weights. Cue the flashbacks to Dan Quayle.
And John-boy McSame will, in essence, be campaigning all by his lonesome.
The “judgement” and “experience” issues that were to be the central thrusts of the McSame playbook will instead be inexorably turned back against him.
And the most important point? This will be by McSame’s very own hand.
Judgement? Poor will be charitable.
Experience? John-boy McSame should’ve known better.
He didn’t, and he doesn’t.
actually, maddog, it harkens back to tom eagleton, mcgovern’s first veep choice, whose treatment for depression leaked (how was that, exactly?), and was withdrawn from the race.
to my mind, at the time, it seemed like the fact of the withdrawal was itself the fatal blow to that ill-fated campaign.
i’ll venture a guess that we may see a similar forced withdrawal of palin as the facts about the investigation into her abuse of office emerge (such as the revelation that she is claiming ‘executive privilege’ – learning from her heroes – to avoid releasing emails).
the report is due out in october, so things could get mighty interesting. though, as corrupt as alaska is, i would not bet a plug nickel that the report fails to protect a native gal from losing her veep status.
Why would her abusing her office and the claim of executive privilege cause her to withdraw? The people who would vote for her seem to think that behavior is perfectly acceptable.
well, i should think it’s not so much the people who would vote for her anyway who will matter but those who won’t vote for her because of those behaviors, actually.
i know i know, the rules don’t seem to apply to repugs the same as they do for dems, but if the questions regarding the abuse of power problems are targeted by the obama campaign, and if the media bothers to actually report them, she should be forced to withdraw. or mccain will replace her.
the report on her conduct comes out just days before the election, and the fact that mccain took her on anyway makes me very suspicious that the fix is already in. but in the meantime, the details are not good, and what is public is already terribly incriminating, as she evidently made direct contact with the safety commissioner about this patrolman; the patrolman was not fired, but the commissioner was. he has been interviewed by time mag, due out this week.
there may be an echo chamber and a number of talking heads who sing her praises, but the women of this country as a whole will not. she’s probably the scariest person to be up for high office since dan quayle and harriet miers; bush, of course, set the bar so low it’s hard anymore to compare.
in any case, as rahm emmanuel suggested, this is a decision made in political panic. face it; they don’t have a deep bench, if you could call their options anything like first string material. it’s pretty pathetic, and the decision was made as a cold political calculus, not with any consideration for the larger implications of what this country needs. i don’t think the bulk of the voting populace will miss this.
Apparently Romney feels like he’s been led by the collar, tied to the top of the family car and taken for a ride.
Hard to believe we let him into the country.
Sad to say, there have been at least 200 years of people doing gender biased voting for people who are incompetent, corrupt, or something. What is to stop them from doing the same old thing? Simply that it is a new, untried gender?
Here’s a view from Alaska, complete with a picture of Wasilla
Had some fun at work telling a non-politically involved co-worker who asked me about Sarah Palin that she was George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend.
I’m hearing this woman now that I’m home from work. Nails on chalkboard.
I agree with bmaz here, there is no hope for Hillary supporters voting for this pageant entrant. Let’s face it, women who enter beauty-type pageants have been out of the cool zone for at least 40 years.
…women who enter beauty-type pageants have been out of the cool zone for at least 40 years
The beauty pageant thing has some nice possibilities for snark. My son just sent me a link to this Youtube, with the comment “Did you guys see the video of Sarah Palin being vetted for her International affairs experience?”
Her voice sounds like one of the actors on Saturday Night Live from a while back.
All this concern trolling is getting annoying. The pick is what it is, and I think it’s a pretty bad choice – not that he had a lot of great choices.
This is the Bob Dole and Dan Quayle partnership that Republicans were clamoring for and never got!
lol… TBogg is calling her a GILF.
Even with that hairdo? Woowhee. De gustibus…
The die-hard HRC supporters are apparently thrilled with Palin. From my favorite site:
And here’s just one comment:
Well, if you are voting by the uterus factor, I guess that is all legit logic.
omigod. i used to love those women; almost joined when i lived in TN. holy cow, the idiocy, the short-sightedness, the hatred.
wow. bitterness unleashed. i sympathize with abused women, but wow. this just perpetuates the abuse. it’s like a headlong dive into abuse forever.
wow.
ROT-MF-F_LM-MF-AO!!! Oh my GOOOOOOD!
She has the looks of ‘an award winning real estate agent.” I don’t think Biden or Obama will have to take her apart at all. I think there are things in her past that the press will just completely crucify her for.
She is one heartbeat of a very old heart away from being President and that should absolutely frighten people.
thanks B, Tweezers is good, but
my fav: Ailin’ & Palin