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Readers' forum: Palin is a liability
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That Senator McCain would select her as his running mate reveals that he is himself capable of exercising dangerously poor judgement.
But, this is Utah, Sarah Palin is a Republican, and she has a pretty smile. She's being treated like a savior in heels.
And sorry to NB that we in utah tend to vote for people who share our ideals sorry that bothers you so much. Perhaps you should go back to California?
Oh, and did you hear the McCain campaign say that Palin would not be doing any interviews or taking questions from reporters? They want to make sure that they keep her in a scripted bubble so that she cannot be pressed to answer a question they have not previously screened.
Anyway, in the end it does not matter how the people of Utah vote. If Obama wins it will be in spite of Utah giving McCain his largest margin of any state. If McCain wins, he will do so without having ever campigned in Utah and in spite of his mother's anti-mormon statement.
The Democrats "wish" that they could take her out of the picture, but she's here and she's a winner. No matter how the Democrats try to smear her, all they're doing is showing America how crude and petty and coarse they can be. They had the chance to elect Hillary, but they chose Obama. Now they'll have to live with that choice. It's all about "choice" and the consequences of "choice".
In November, it will be very clear, that America doesn't agree with the Democrat Party's "choice" of candidates.
Depending upon how John McCain uses Sarah Palin and the role she shall play in a McCain White House, it is a perfect gesture to the social conservatives that the Bush years will continue as basic policy.
The debate about Sarah Palin is only within the Republican Party with the party leadership and advisors at odds with the evangelical base. However, in this instance, it is the base that wins because McCain had no change if he had picked his favorite, Joe Lieberman.
The opposition Democrats will find much in Sarah Palin to criticize and will make her stand on social issues and quest for economic earmarks a central issue of the campaign. Taking the money for the Bridge to Nowhere, first supporting it and then opposing it after it became a political liability, is but one telling example.
Now McCain must prove to Democrats and Moderates that his has not become more McBush in these last two months of the election.
Compare that to your guy, Osama, who was a Community Organizer for perhaps 500 people whose projects are now mostly empty and boarded up. He voted mostly "present" as a state senator and spent most of his two years in the US Senate campaigning.
Comparatively, there's no question Palin has more administrative experience. And she's not even running for pres. Osama's your light-weight. How anyone can vote for him based on experience is a mystery.
"What a silly comment. Republicans are throwing around the ludicrous talking point that she has more experience than Obama."
Show us where this isn't true. Administratively, she ran a city and a state, Osama ran a housing project.
"No Democrat believes it or is worried about it."
Democrats seldom embrace or believe the truth.
If you're really so blind that you haven't noticed the buzz (mostly possitive) that followed the Palin announcement you really are deep into the Democrat coolaid.
>>>>I'll ask again...Mike Richards...be honest with yourself- 2 weeks ago, Sarah Palin was a foreign name to you. Be honest with yourself- should something happen to McCain in the first year of the presidency, out of all the possible contenders, Sarah Palin is the one most qualified to run the country? Give me a break, man.<<<<
You're ignoring the big question... "Out of all the contenders, is Osama qualified to run the country?
Palin has arguably just as much knowledge of government as Osama... and tons more administrative experience.
What about the great mortgage deal Obama got through James Johnson, who was also part of Obama's VP search committee.
But lets not forget about Mr Rezko, a prominent campaign contributor of Obama's and also a good friend and patron. He is now under indictment for influence peddling and business fraud. He was also involved with Obama on a shady land deal.
Palin has undergone more media scrutiny in 1-week than Obama has in years.
And don't play the population card. Biden's state only has 100k more people than Alaska but I don't hear Democrats complaining about that.
Hypocrisy, thy name is the Democratic Party.
Your question will be answered in November. If a plurality of voters cast their ballot for McCain/Palin, then yes, those Americans who took the time to vote said with their ballot that Sarah Palin is qualified to lead this nation.
Of the four candidates, Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin, I would favor Sarah Palin over all of the others.
We're dealing with four people. You and I and all the others who participated in the Primary process eliminated anyone else from consideration (expect the minor candidates that could easily spoil the election for either the Republicans or the Democrats).
Are you sexist? Don't you think that a Governor could run the Country as well as a Senator whose greatest claim to experience is that of a community organizer? By the way, I'm not putting down Mr. Obama because he was a community organizer. I'm questioning his ability to be chief executive when he has never held a job that includes the responsibilities of chief executive.
Conicidentally, did you see the Daily show a couple of days ago where Rove proclaimed that Palin is qualified because she has been the Mayor of the 2nd largest city in Alaska (it is not with Fairbanks, Juneau and Ankorage ahead of it, pop 5700 when she ran it) and that she is Governor of the largest state in the US. Then he juxaposed this with Rove statements on Tim Kaine (D, VA) where he said he is not qualified to be President because his only experience is being Mayor of Richmond VA, the 105th largest city (pop 200,000) and being Gov of VA for 3 years.
Then he showed O'Reilly saying how Bristol Palin's pregnancy was none of anyones business as long as she isn't expecting public support for her or the baby, and then a clip of BillO talking about Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant and unwed at 17. For Spears Bill said that an unmarried 17year old being pregnant is a disgrace and can only be reflective of bad parenting.
Oh, the hypocrisy is thick on the right wing.
The person who is the most happy with McCain's choice is Biden. They are lobbing softballs at him, and have done for the past week. Since Palin's announcement, the press is giving Biden a free pass.
Here's an interesting statistic. 6 months ago, Democrats soundly rejected Biden's bid for the oval office. Of the nearly 40 million votes cast by Democrats in the primaries, they only cast about 80,000 for Biden. He was one of the first to bow out. What's that, about 0.2% of the vote? He only got 3% of the vote in his own state!! Now Dems are all over him as the right guy to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? The right guy to push the change they are clamoring over?
And Palin? She got more votes from Alaskans when she ran for Governor of that 'small' state. 114,000 Alaskans gave her a vote of confidence as opposed to 80,000 Democrats nationwide.
Do Democrats really want Biden? Do they even really like him?
And GeeBee, if McCain had selected God himself to be his running mate, you still wouldn't have voted for him.
They may also want to consult with their local public health people and ask how many teenagers have been treated for sexually transmitted diseases because they believed President Clinton when he told the world that what he and his lady friends were doing was not sex.
Go up and down the roles of Congress and list those that have been "caught" in sexually compromising situations, tally up those numbers and then report back which party leads that race. But then, Democrats have always been good at telling everyone else how to live and how to give while doing just the opposite themselves.
You and I read each other's posts regularly. Have I ever suggested that I would vote for Mr. McCain because of his executive experience? If I vote Republican this year, it will not be because of Mr. McCain's experience; rather, it will be because he had sense enough to realize that his view of America was not compatible with the view of Americans outside of Washington. He had the sense to bring on board someone who is completely in touch with the common, average American. He had the sense to look outside of Washington for the solution to the problems caused by those in Washington. Mr. McCain is either the luckiest guy in politics, or, perhaps, just perhaps, he actually knows what he is doing.
Clearly, Sarah Palin is not considered to be a liability by Mr. McCain.
It doesn't seem to bother them as they watch the country run into the ground while their leaders get filthy rich.
Such incredible ignorance!
"Ask yourself if McCain were to have a minor heart attack before election day, would Pubs put Palin at the top of the ticket?"
If B. Hussein Obama died of lung cancer (he smokes) before election day would you put Biden, the worst of all the Dem candidates, at the top of the ticket?
And another thing... is your guy, who did hard drugs as a young adult, a good example for America's youth?
I had to laugh last night when McCain ripped the 'platform of change' right out from underneath Obama. His choice of a running mate shows that he is serious about change in Washington. Obama chose a Washington retread who had already been widely rejected by Democrats in the Primaries. Change? He may be looking for the White House to change from Republican to Democrat, but outside of that, it's politics as usual.
This is expected conduct for liberal Democrats. That's why the press lets them get away with it. There's no shocking story to report.
PS: You forgot the escapades of Teddy Kennedy at Chappaquiddick.
And yet Utah will still vote red even though the elephants have squashed our wonderful state and culture into the ground time and time again.
You want someone who represents our values for President, so why are you picking a candidate whose party threw us down the drain because of our religion? Please someone help me understand this
Hard to fathom there are STILL those who would admit they support Cheney and Bush and everything they have done to this once great country.
It doesn't seem to bother them as they watch the country run into the ground while their leaders get filthy rich.
I support Bush and Cheney for a number of reasons including: 1) Bush is our duly elected President, 2) he has kept this country safe from terrorist attack since Sept 01, and 3) he has maintained a healthy economy for the last six years (until the Dumbs took over Congress two years ago). What else of significance is there?
Those on the left are so obviously jealous that the Republicans found Sarah Palin.
The left thought BO was the only one with charisma and "it". Well now the Republicans have found someone with "it" and the left can't handle it!
I still think Obama will beat McCain on issues and not his cuteness or washington outsider, community organizer, savior of the universe, first black president immage. But at least Palin will help make things interesting.
In fact, everything is exactly the opposite.
The reason Democrats bring it up is that the Republican's are the party that believes that personal conduct outside of work is relevant to the job performance of an individual. Democrats have long held the belief that personal activities are personal and that a person/politician should be judge on how they execute their duties of the job.
Republicans impeached Bill Clinton for telling a lie about an extra-marital affair.
Now, when a Repbulican VP candidate elopes and has a baby 8 months later and her daughter follows and gets pregnant at 17, it is the GOP saying we should leave peoples personal lives out personal.
It is the double standard, impeaching Clinton on personal matters and they crying foul now that is the height of hypocrisy, not the press asking questions about Bristol Palin.
a) Is George Bush not our elected president?
b) Have we had a terrorism attack on our country since 911 that even comes close to the type of human life taken at that time?
c) The economy was in good standing until Congress took over in 2006. Hum -- the same congress that WALKED OUT on even VOTING on an energy bill. Not even VOTING. Wow -- kinda like Obama voting present.
For all of you that like to claim that McCain votes with Bush 90% of the time -- Bush doesn't write law. McCain has voted 90% of the time in the last year with HIS PARTY. Republican. (and that's within the last year -- biased media -- only about 75% overall). Obama has voted 100% of the time with his party -- 100% -- when he has bothered to vote and think and not just whimp out saying "present" because he's too afraid he might be judged by actually voting for or against something.
BTW - looking at this article from an accounting standpoint, a liability is also an asset if it hasn't been 'bought and paid for'. So, in that sense, I'd agree that she is a liability.
"The reason Democrats bring it up is that the Republican's are the party that believes that personal conduct outside of work is relevant to the job performance of an individual. Democrats have long held the belief that personal activities are personal and that a person/politician should be judge on how they execute their duties of the job."
So a bank robber or extortionist outside his normal work-a-day job is OK with you? Is that your point?
"Republicans impeached Bill Clinton for telling a lie about an extra-marital affair."
Bill was impeached for lying in a court of law and under oath. His own state pulled his lawyer's license.
But, you compare Palin 1996 Mayor to Obama's Community organizer time. Let's look at the real resume comparison.
1980 - 1984
Obama: B.A. in political science from Columbia University.
Palin: Wasilla High School, runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant.
1985 - 1990
Obama: became a community organizer as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP). Grew the budget from $70,000 to $400,000 and started job training programs, a college preparatory program, and tenants' rights organization.
Then attend Harvard Law School. Elected president of the Harvard Law Review, functioning as editor-in-chief and supervising a staff of 80 editors.
Palin: BS in Political Science from Uof Idaho then commercial fishing with Hubby.
1991 - 1995
Obama: graduated from Harvard Law School; Taught Constitutional Law at Uof Chicago and practiced civil rights for a law firm.
Palin: Joined the Alasaka Independence Party (which advocates Alaska seccession from the US) and elected to Wasilla city council.
more to come...
"wrz: what else of significance? What about your Pres did hard drugs AND alcohol. What kind of example is that to hockey moms?"
Poor example. We elected one druggie, why make the same mistake twice?
I know you're too blind to see this, but Bill Clinton was impeached for admittedly lieing under oath to Congress (not for personal reasons).
Just thought I'd share that news flash with ya.
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