Darkhorse contender emerges: the governor of ALASKA

Today, John McCain turns 72. He should pick someone who could step right into the Presidency should the worst case scenario were to happen. This is not a good pick for that single reason alone.

Sarah Palin has more executive experience than Obama, Biden and McCain put together! She knows what it is to govern state bureaucracy.

Senators sit and talk in the chamber and have staff members who chase down social security cases, passports, etc.

She's not heading the ticket. The unexperienced B Hussein Obama is. Kraske's comments only apply if Biden heads the ticket and drags along Obama for the ride.

she has lived in Alaska for several years and thinks so highly of her. I am happy for my friend but am sad that I will have to tell her I still cannot vote for McCain. My friend constantly tells me and sends me e-mails about the Corrupt Bastards Club in Alaska and tells me how the people cross the corrupted elected officials off the list as they are charged by the FBI. She tells me how the FBI gets a job done that the people don't seem to be able to do by voting the yahoos out of office. As I have said before I believe it is past time for the Johnson County Corrupt Bastards Club and wish the justice system here would do what needs to be done.

Talk about sucking the air out of Denver! Osama Yomama picks a Wasingon insider for Veep, and Old Man MCain picks a woman governor, wow who gets to talk about change!

McCain's team played this beautifully.

Firstly, there is no such word as 'unexperienced'. Secondly, McCain is 72 today and things start to go wrong with people that age. Don't forget the great communicator and how much was hidden about his last months in office. To ignore McCain's age or the fact that he may become ill at his age, mentally or physically, is like writing a comment piece, not using a spell check and spelling inexperienced incorrectly. LOL

Apparently, John McCain is doubling down on winning Ms. Buffalo Chip, 2009.

In all seriousness, she appears to be a good person, and good mother, and, for a Republican, a good governor. However, there is something to be said the experience argument. Prior to being Governor, she was a city councilwoman and mayor of a town of 9,000 people. She's been governor of Alaska for 1.5 years--I will be very interested to see how the GOP spins this. Like or not, McCain is a cancer survivor in his 70's. This just became the issue of the fall campaign.

As a final thought--isn't she in trouble for firing the director of public safety in Alaska because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband?

Looks like Obama's "broken politics" speech was not a theme, instead it was a confession.

Touche, John McCain.

And as a bonus, she comes packaged with a scandal of her own making. She's accused of maneuvering to have her brother-in-law fired as a state trooped while he was involved in a bitter custody case with her sister.

But the real concern, again, is the "heartbeat away" problem. She just isn't ready. She better be a quick study on foreign policy when it comes time to debate Biden because she doesn't know squat.

Even Jonah Goldberg fears for it: Downside: She may not be ready for primetime. The heartbeat-from-the-presidency issue is a real one."

If there is a more genius pick, I can't think of it. For those of us who really wanted a wanted a woman president this year and who believe there's a good chance McCain will die in office (of old age, I am not suggesting assassination here).... just, wow.

Liberal posts already amuse me. So she's a bonafide bitch...not a problem. Because she wears that badge with a smile.

That should scare the bejeebers out of liberals. She's gonna walk up to Biden on their first debate and say, "Hello Joe. Joe? Joe??? My eyes are up here."

And then kick his ass.

As a chief excecutive experiencegoes, she is the only one of the four with any!

Not only does a cloud of scandal hang over Palin's head but she's also terribly inexperienced.

The sum of her experience before she was Alaska Governor? She was a beauty queen and Vogue model.

So that takes experience and "celebrity" off table in terms of "issues."

Look, McCain will be lucky to get through one term. Is Palin ready to be president? Oh hell no.

McCain muffed this one.

The pick had three goals: 1. Counter the change argument 2. Reach Hillary voters. 3. Retake the spotlight.

Goal 3. Is shortsighted and a stupid reason to pick a VP. Yes, Rogue, he takes the spotlight on the morning of August 28th, now he will surely win! Like so many things in this campaign, it is shortsighted.

Goals 1 & 2 are sounds goals, but I don’t think they will be achieved enough to outweigh the downsides, which are:

1. Making a choice that does not appear Presidential. The VP is your first big choice, it shows judgment. McCain chose someone who can be highly questioned on experience. We don’t know her, three years ago she was the mayor of a town of 7,000. She has only been governor of freakin’ Alaska for a year and a half. Picking someone of your own political gain instead of someone ready to step in as President is risky in a race where McCain is trying to make leadership arguments.
2. The experience argument against Obama takes a serious blow. Conservatives, you are kidding yourselves if you think this unknown governor has the same experience as Obama. Her time in Alaskan public life is short, her time on the national stage is non-existent. Obama has been under intense spotlight for 4 years and on politics for nearly two decades. Compared to your Moose hunter, Obama has a ton of experience and the GOP’s best argument is seriously negated.

3. Can she handle the heat? Nobody knows. If she can’t, she may sink McCain.

4. Transparently pandering to women. In trying to reach goal 2, McCain may look like a placating old man. Plus, Obama’s biggest weakness is women over 65, and such a young woman from Alaska may hurt McCain there. And remember, Palin is pro-life, pro-gun and knows about ALAKSA , not a state many women can relate to.

That has to be the single most stupid comment I've seen today. And you're competing against Rogue and Jeetz.

Beyond Hillary being a woman, she had some serious chops to back it up. She is staunchly pro-choice. She is a fierce advocate of women's right. If nothing else, Hillary would have been one hell of a president just based upon her stances on women's issues. I didn't support Hillary, but even I know she was second to none on the really important issues for women.

By all indications Palin is the anti-Hillary. She's anti-choice. She's a Republican, which pretty much means she's against all of the issues Hillary spent her career fighting for.

If you were going to vote for Hillary based upon her policy position, I can't argue with that.

If you were going to vote for Hillary only because she was a woman, then you are a bonafide idiot.

You hypocritical follow anything the party says drone. What about how Cindy McCain is better than Michelle because she knows her place? And the sexist crap you post. Did you suddenly decide jokes about women needing to be in the kitchen aren't funny because you follow your party like a mindless troll?

And you can't seriously argue, without an ounce of knowledge about Palin (I bet you have never even heard her speak) that she can hang with Biden, a man known for being a solid debater.

Oh yeah, you are still huge a racist for supporting the KKK. Are you wearing a white sheet as you type?

McCain announces his VP pick, and Jeetz already declares her a "bitch."

Someone has issues with women.

In the same way "liberal" is not an insult, neither is "Republican." It matters what you do and what you stand for.

I know absolutely nothing about Sarah Palin, but you can bet that will change.

But the fact is, both candidates undercut their argumets with their VP picks, which just shows both are politicians. Obama was for "change", but he picked Biden, not exactly a change guy. McCain's argument was "experience", and picked a class-A newbie.

All I know is, maybe this will make the Dems quit b***ing about Hillary and start groveling. Just the way I like it.

The problem is that, in the final analysis, there was no good choice for McCain. The Republicans have run out of acceptable candidates to counter the new Democratic future.

But this particular choice of Palin only serves to highlight McCain's age issue, it panders to women, and it goes for the 'base' that would have voted for him anyway. It's a backwards pick, a misguided pick, and McCain just lost the election because of it.

Palin is better qualified to be Vice President or President than Biden OR Obama. She is an aggressive clean government reformer with CEO experience. That's two strikes on the Liberal Guy Ticket. McCain knows national security and foreign policy ... strike three on the "It's a Man's World" Ticket.

Which VP would I prefer for a key role in the war on terror? The NRA lady with five children, not the liberal ACLU wimp from Delaware. Palin was right about the Iraq surge. Obama and Biden were wrong. Palin was right that our soldiers would win in Iraq. Obama was wrong. Biden was wrong.

Change, huh? That's Palin, not Obama and not Biden. Obama has Tony Rezko all over him, got his fancy house with a sweet-deal assist from a guy now headed to prison on corruption. Biden is a party hack lifetime Congress member. His calling is to carry water for financial services companies, including mortgage lenders and credit card companies. Joe's special interest buddies then churn up campaign contributions to him. Sound familiar? He was plucked from obscurity by Obama. His first run for Presient crashed and burned because of plagiarism. This time, he quit about when the first votes were cast.

Palin has been CEO of a state government. Obama once ran a far-left grant factory with Bill Ayers, the unrepentant domestic terrorist, yet another weird and repellent Obama pal. Biden runs a Senate office.

Having beaten up Hillary for more than a year, Obama and his buddies now can try to beat up Palin. Great way to send women voters to McCain.

Of course the feminist momma's boys are going to weigh in on my comment now. They don't want to upset their honeys so they have to talk-the-talk.

The women I know, wear that name proudly. So stick with your overly sensitive "girls," boys. I imagine liberal honeys are just grinding their teeth right now.

Excellent, excellent choice. In fact, I love Palin's comment on capital punishment. "Hang 'em, yeah!"

She's the Gretchen Wilson of politics. Love it!

How's your Friday morning hangover, little fella? Your post on racism was a little crazy late last night.

You didn't hurt yourself did you? (smile)

realista delivers a hot pile of steaming bullshit.

We all know nothing nefarious happened between Tony Rezko and Obama. A Republican administration successfully prosecuted Rezko and found nothing.

Palin's "experience" is tissue paper thin. CEO experience? What working for the oil industry? Yeah that'll go over well.

War on terror? You must be joking realista. Palin's longest "executive experience" is cutting ribbons and making sure the trash gets picked up in a town of 7,000.

OOOOHHHH, she's a gun nut. Yeah, her .38 Special on the ground will come in handy the next time the terrorists fly a plane into a building or set off a bomb in a subway.

I wouldn't hold your breath on the "groveling." We're at the point where you either climb on board or you don't. No one is going to hold your hand and talk you through the denial or anger stages.

Of course, based on that last post, I happen to think you're a Republican who was never going to vote Democratic anyway.

And yes, after the last eight years, "Republican" is a bad word.

for supporitng saying the KKK is the same as the NAACP and that it had a useful purpose in the past or I will continue driving this issue home. Republicans are not racist, you are, and you are too stubborn to apologize for supporting the KKK. I will hold you accountable for your racist comments.

And calling women the "B" is not cool. If a woman calls herself that it is one thing, but you don't have the right.

What is Obama's experience?! Sarah Palin was a mayor and now a governor. Obama was a state senator and now a senator. He has 2 more years of legislative experience, she actually has executive experience. Do you see the problem with your argument?

Obama was a state senator for 200,000 people. Big deal.

It is pretty clear that Obama's politics of tomorrow line is a joke when his campaign attacks her so harshly. What happened to ending the divisive politics that divide up?

Palin is legit if you look at her record.

...then I'm never going to pick up on your insults. It took several re-readings of these comments for me to even notice you might be talking to me.

I am sure you and the rest of the Obamanuts can't imagine anyone in the party who doesn't think like you. Fine. And to decide that my shock, surprise and respect for the way McCain is playing this as "the single most stupid comment I've seen today" suggests you aren't reading enough.

I also never said I was voting for her/McCain. I said I know nothing about her.

What I'm saying is, even in the aftermath of Hillary's speech exhorting her fans to vote for Obama, she is still getting ripped apart by Obamanuts whose feelings were hurt in the primary and refuse to get over it. You are the ones who will lose this thing for the Dems.

And if this Palin character turns out to be a decent pol, then Obama better be very, very afraid.

The mayor of a town of 7,000 is not experience of note, especially a town in Alaska. It makes time in the Illinois Senate look bigger.

You're missing the point. It clearly shows a lack of cognitive ability. I'll break it down for you genius.

She isn't a mayor. She is an ex-mayor of a town of 9,000. She is currently a GOVERNOR.

The analogy was that the Obama's campaign attack ignores her current position as the chief executive of a state, which would be like the GOP attacking Obama for only being a state senator, ignoring his 4 years in the US Senate. Does that make more sense?

She is every bit as qualified as Obama.

I don't spend a lot of time worrying about spell checking with chicken sh*t trolls like you around. Either deal with an issue substantively, if you're capable, or piss off. And, any way you look at it Obama Yo Momma is unexperienced, inexperienced, under experienced and just plain out of it unless it's written down on a teleprompter in front of him.

The only question is who's paying for the words on the teleprompter.

I just watched her on TV - so much better than McCain. She went on and on about what a good boy John was and I thought McCain was going to bust out of his suit - his head kept getting bigger and bigger - Sara knows how to handle a man!!!! Politics at the heigth of showmanship - next 6 or so weeks is going to be a carnival in so many ways - hope the people have some sensibility about the whole show going on before their eyes or they will be paying dearly over the next 4 years.

" ... she is still getting ripped apart by Obamanuts whose feelings were hurt in the primary and refuse to get over it."

Can you point to an example from this week?

Being the executive over 5,470 according to the US census, doesn't mean crap for Presidential experience. Mayor of New York, sure, Mayor of Northern Exposure not so much.

The big issues facing Wasilla, AK:
- The moose that blocks one of the town’s seven roads.
- The town drunk who occasionally has to visit the tank.
- The right day to open fishing season.
- What day to hold ticker parade.
- The lap-sit library program - launched today.
- A $30.00 shoplifting that was worthy of press release today.

You don't get it - she is Barney Fife turned governor of the nations’ most remote state. What foreign policy experience does she have? ZERO, ZILCH, NONE.

Excellent. JoCoguy just conceded Barack Obama is qualified to become president.

Can't have it both ways my bitter, angry Republican friend.

No offense, panda, but I just assumed that would be a given. It'd be hard to find a worse speaker than John McCain.

How many people did John McCain speak before today? Last I heard, they were having trouble rounding up folks to fill a 10,000 seat auditorium.

Was it a packed house or were there empty seats?

Reminds me of Mondale picking Ferraro out of desperation. Hoping for the womens' votes, just because he picked a woman. Didn't work then - won't work now.

Just 1 1/2 years as Gov? After another full term, maybe she could be ready, but not ready now.

Both candidates said the most important goal was to pick the most qualified person to take over immediately as President. Biden has the background to take over if needed. There is no way Palin is close to being qualified to take over. She has no foreign policy background, and she's going to be a heartbeat away for the oval office. Romney, Huckabee, Ridge, and about anyone else that ran in the primaries, are miles ahead in being qualified.

This screams trying to pander to women and pander to his base. He couldn't take a chance on pro-choice Ridge, or a Mormon like Romney. So he got boxed into picking the next Dan Quayle.

Doesn't help she is governs a state that represents the oil and gas as it's biggest industry. Another person with a link to the oil industry in the White House. Please.

By the way, for all you drillers, McCain and his people had drilling in ANWR removed from the Republican platform. If you think McCain was going to open ANWR for drilling, he abandoned you.

I never said Obama wasn't qualified to be president.

I just disagree with his policy agenda. I respect and agree that we need to fix healthcare, education and take a new stance on foreign policy. However, I don't think Obama's plans will work.

As for "Barney Fife"- why can't someone from a small town become a governor and then VP? What is your aversion to small towns? Its a really ignorant statement to make.

Oh and she was the mayor of a town with 9,000 people.

So Captain Douche Bag (Cubagac) whats your problem? What specifically is wrong with being from a small town? Whats wrong with starting in small-town politics before moving on to statewide politics and then national politics? Isn't that what Obama did? He represented a small section of Chicago in the IL state senate before moving on to represent the whole state? You're a moron. You're an ill-informed moron. And more importantly, your a moron who has no business in politics. You espouse nothing but hatred and ignorance towards those who disagree with you. I won't say that it doesn't happen on the Republican side as well. I won't even say that there is less douche baggery on the Republican side. But what I'll tell you is that you are an ignorant piece of shit and anytime you'd like to debate issues, we can go point-counterpoint. I'll beat you into oblivion.

Palin's executive experience is 18 months leading a state of 600,000 people, or about the same population as Jackson County. IOW, Mike Sanders is now qualified to be a step away from the Presidency.

Or maybe not, because at least Sanders isn't under investigation for abusing his office to settle a family dispute.

Nothing wrong with coming from a small town. Problem is she has no experience outside of it.

How many world leaders has she met with? Has she traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan or Bosnia? Can you see her ready to face Putin in a crisis? The magnitude of governing the U.S. is much more complex than the issues that a member of the PTA or mayor of small town face.

Same issues that Jimmy Carter had...

Same issues that Bill Clinton had...

Enough with the double standards.

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/opinion/27dowd.html?scp=11&sq=&st=nyt

A selection of responses to Hillary's speech at the same publication:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/dissenting-view/

Anne Applebaum, of the Washington Post:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/08/did_hillary_convince_hillary.html

And Roger Cohen, same publication:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/08/when_you_cant_say_something_ni.html#comments

Just a sample from HuffPo, many more where this came from:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nora-ephron/hillary-the-admonisher_b_121791.html

And most of the attendant comments thereto. I could find more but my lunch break is up. I'm sure you're shocked.

"And, any way you look at it Obama Yo Momma"

You post trip like this, and then go after someone for not being substantive....

Pot, meet kettle...

I never said Obama wasn't qualified to be president.
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Ok – fine.

I just disagree with his policy agenda. I respect and agree that we need to fix healthcare, education and take a new stance on foreign policy. However, I don't think Obama's plans will work.
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Why? Costs are high now and Obama’s plan is not mandated care or socialized medicine. It gives all people the option to have the same care as Congress people, and those who cannot afford it are provided it. Do you think people who cannot afford it should be denied? I had a woman in a class who lost her mother to cancer b/c she lacked coverage. She didn’t get regular mammograms b/c she could not afford them. She didn’t catch the cancer in time and died. Obama’s plan would have prevented that death.

Foreign policy- Obama was right about Iraq before the war, and now Bush and McCain are backing his lead on a timeline. Obama was right about striking Pakistan and right about talking with Iran, which he is now doing.

Education - Obama promised a focus on teachers and college scholarships for national service, which McCain opposes.

As for "Barney Fife"- why can't someone from a small town become a governor and then VP? What is your aversion to small towns? Its a really ignorant statement to make.
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I lived in a small town. I like small towns just fine, good people, but being Mayor of my town would not be anywhere enough experience for the following reasons:
-The constituency is too small to represent the entire country. My town is in no way like America as a whole and leading the town would not provide the experiences needed.
- Small town management does not provide foreign policy experience.
- Small town problems are well, small. You don’t typically face problems that carry the weight of national problems.
- Small towns don’t provide the same stress on leadership. The press is limited and nothing like the pressure from larger jobs.
- Analogy: Running a mom and pop business vs. a corporation with 2 million employees. The complexities are of massive at the big company, the bureaucracy, the different leadership requirements etc.

Small towns are fine and good but a town of 5,470 according to the 2000 census is not enough when combine with one and half years governing our most remote state.

Isn't that what Obama did? He represented a small section of Chicago in the IL state senate before moving on to represent the whole state? You're a moron. You're an ill-informed moron. And more importantly, your a moron who has no business in politics. I'll beat you into oblivion.
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Obama moved up from community, to state, to national. He wrote two books laying out his vision and has been on the national scene since his tremendous speech in 2004. Palin is not a national figure and has done nothing to earn the pick other than help McCain score points with women.

And I will gladly debate you without calling you a blowhole if you cut the moron crap. And I will clean your clock.

You espouse nothing but hatred and ignorance towards those who disagree with you. I won't say that it doesn't happen on the Republican side as well. I won't even say that there is less douche baggery on the Republican side.
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Maybe my blowhole label stemmed from anger over fighting with jeetz. I will renounce it in the name of civil discourse. But do you kiss your mother with that filthy mouth?

But what I'll tell you is that you are an ignorant piece of shit and anytime you'd like to debate issues, we can go point-counterpoint.
--------------------------------
Any time.

At least Obama had a plan and team to select his VP. McCain never explained his process and it appears he went by his gut and what would help politically, and did not research her background.

In 2006 debates:
Palin said she has smoked marijuana -- remember, it was legal under state law, she said, even if illegal under U.S. law -- but says she didn't like it and doesn't smoke it now.

"I can't claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled."

http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html

And a subject near and dear to us in Kansas: She support teaching creationism in science classes:

The volatile issue of teaching creation science in public schools popped up in the Alaska governor's race this week when Republican Sarah Palin said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state's public classrooms.

Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night's televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, "Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both."

Her main opponents, Democrat Tony Knowles and Independent Andrew Halcro, said such alternatives to evolution should be kept out of science classrooms. Halcro called such lessons "religious-based" and said the place for them might be a philosophy or sociology class.

The question has divided local school boards in several places around the country and has come up in Alaska before, including once before the state Board of Education in 1993.

The teaching of creationism, which relies on the biblical account of the creation of life, has been ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court as an unconstitutional injection of religion into public education.

http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/story/8347904p-8243554c.html

"Same issues that Jimmy Carter had...

Same issues that Bill Clinton had..."

So you're saying those were effective Presidents?

I was looking for Democrats, not nationally syndicated columnists or members of the "liberal" media. Can you try again?

McRove thinks women must be dense. He/they think women are so stupid they'll fall for this stunt. He/they think women who campaigned until the very end, gave money until they couldn't give more, volunteered with all their might, will swoon for this XX chromosome of a sham candidate? Who is Palin to be calling on Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro and thanking them for paving the way? Palin's anti-woman, anti-choice, and anti-science. She sounds like a local candidate for the state school board, not a serious vice-presidential pick.

McRove, you were wrong. Women are not stupid, they will not fall for this. No way, no how, no McRove.

Random words from JoCoGuy this week: prick, asshole, douchebag.

This from the guy who screeches periodically about civility and warns against coarsening the civic discourse on the Internet.

What a jackass.

I didn't realize until leftbehind brought it up, but she's a Creationist. Egads.