One of the sickest and most corrupt things happening now is to hear the fucking 'spin' of the repiglican/ pundit/ pimps of the corporate media in their evil/ sick effort to gussy up this pathetic choice .. here the pig fuck called howard finemean ' it is a 'fun' and interesting choice' ...... fun ? interesting ? a heartbeat away from McEvil himself ? fun ? interesting ? and so it goes in the corrupt corporate media, the 'repiglican' media .. and then we wonder what the fuck has happened to our country ...

Interesting but not surprising.

Didn't the Civil Rights Laws immediately transform all Republicans into ardent color blind proponents of anti-discrimination laws to make sure that no white male is left behind?

All I know is that SNL must be considering a huge contract to Tina Fey to bring her back, even if only for a couple months.

The people spurned by McCain are as much a part of the story as who was chosen. Meritocracy has not been a Republican strength during these past Bush years, but certainly there have to be some seriously PO'd Republicans who were overlooked in favor of this choice from way out in right field. It will be interesting to see who comes out to stump for McCain and his close personal friend he had spoken with all of three whole times before making a selection.

But poor Sarah Palin. Does anyone really think McCain will really give a crap about anything she has to say? "But John, this situation with Iran reminds me of the time in Wasilla when we had a zoning meeting ..." I'll be amazed if she's even allowed in the Oval Office when McCain's in there.

I have decided that any female candidate will be treated differently than a male one. The life experiences of male candidates make them stronger. The life experiences of female ones are dismissed.

Governor Palin will never get my vote because of her stance on the issues. But I do feel sorry for anyone subjected to the misogyny of American culture. That is not pretty.

yep, sarah got a gun
hope you dont my me stopping by, have a safe and blessed weekend

If there was any doubt that this was a pander to the idiot demographic, the 'feminist' bloggers over at No Quarter are super-excited about voting anti-abortion this year!

John McCain's first executive Decision, Sarah Palin. shows he cares nothing for this Country, is incompetent, and is not ready to lead. With all our economic problems, threats of terrorism, he picks someone with much less executive experience than Barack Obama, who by the way was 10 years in the state senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate (a bio very similar to Lincoln who is considered one of our greatest if not the greatest President we have ever had), and which takes away McCain's most ardent argument to date that Barack is an empty suit! Is this another Alan Keyes moment when GOP put up Mr. Keyes to run against Barack in Illinois just because he was Black?

In her speech on Friday, they already have Gov. Palin "lying" to the American people that she was always against the Bridge to Nowhere, however recorded information will prove that this is not accurate and that she was for the Bridge to Nowhere, before she was against it!

"According to the Ketchikan Daily News edition on August 8, 2006, this is what Sarah Palin rushed over to tell the voters of Ketchikan during the primary election campaign:
'People across the nation struggle with the idea of building a bridge because they’ve been under these misperceptions about the bridge and the purpose,' said Palin, who described the link as the Ketchikan area’s potential for expansion and growth. Palin said Alaska’s congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge as part of a package deal and that she 'would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge.'� AND

according to the Ketchikan Daily News on September 29, 2006 this is what Sarah Palin rushed over to tell the voters of Ketchikan during the general election campaign:
'Part of my agenda is making sure that Southeast is heard. That your projects are important. That we go to bat for Southeast when we’re up against federal influences that aren’t in the best interest of Southeast.' She cited the widespread negative attention focused on the Gravina Island crossing project. 'We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that’s so negative,' Palin says"
Taken from Blogger AndrewHalcro.com

Not only is Palin less experienced and less qualified than Barack, she seems to lack the intellectual curiosity, or unwillingness, and depth to probe and understand the important and complexing problems/issues knocking at our door today. For example, "What is it exactly that the vice president does all day?" Palin offhandedly asked CNBC anchor Larry Kudlow in July. And when asked about her stance on Iraq by Alaskan Daily Palin answers "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq. I heard on the news about the new deployments"! Does this show someone who is ready for Prime Time! And, was she truly vetted? Sarah/McCain get ready for she is about to come under the "media" microscope!

McCain’s VP pick also shows a disdain for this country because if something were to unfortunately happen to McCain, Sarah Palin would be our next President of the United States. Can you imagine in her that role? This proves two things in my mind, McCain’s lack of love for this country and that he does not have the judgment to lead this country at this most profound time.

Some in the media call it Historic but in reality Is this decision Historic or Hysterical and a mockery to our political system? Some in the media label it a game changer but is it really a roll of the dice? And should a Presidential candidate play Russian roulette with the people's business? It is telling of McCain's character and judgment that with all the problems we face here today, he did not have the People's interest at heart in this V.P. pick but rather a desire to win for winnings sake and did not think of the consequences of his actions or maybe did not care what it would mean for this country if she were to be sworn in as President of the United States! And, ironically, the very things he accused Barack of being (which he is not) -- empty suit, no experience -- he got in his own V.P. Pick, Sarah Palin!

In McCain's/GOP's calculated ploy to pull Hillary women from Barack without consideration as to whether or not this woman has the ability and experience to lead the United States here and on a world scale shows a lack of sound judgment and it also shows that McCain is NOT READY TO LEAD in the 21st Centruy and is not serious about solving the monumental problems which must be faced -- problems which need serious thinking and not strategic games.

McCain's pick of Sarah Palin, a woman with very little executive experience, a woman who has approved a 26 billion dollar oil pipeline to a Canadian business instead of a business here in the United States, a woman who the Alaskan legislature approved a $100,000 investigation into her motivations in firing Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, on the allegations that Monegan's firing was the result of his refusal to fire Mike Wooten, a trooper who is Palin's former brother-in-law." has proven to the world how really pathetic the Republican party has become that they will try any trick in the book to keep the power in the hands of big oil and special interest and out of the hands of the people where it belongs.

I pose this question on her judgment about issues of pro-life and birth control: Apparently Ms. Palin became pregnant when she was 43 years old and newly elected as Governor of AK. How did she propose to conduct her office and raise a child, given her Family Values stance? She subsequently gave birth to a baby with Down Syndrome. This condition is often associated with mothers who are approaching the end of their fertile period. The questions are:
Was this a planned pregnancy or did some form of birth control (I would presume abstinence, given her beliefs about this area of sex education) fail? I have read that she made a choice to go through to term, so did she know her child had Down? How is she going to care for this special needs child while flying all over the country and perhaps the world (she has to go to Iraq, right)? Is Mr. Palin now Mr. Mom? He doesn't seem the type, does he? My judgment, based on his job and his "masculine" appearance.

I have many other questions, but this is a starter.

Your thoughts?

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

I've never understood the logic of the rape exception -- if you sincerely believe abortion is the same as the holocaust, why would you allow the sins of the father be exacted on the baby? I at least give Palin credit on that score.
I'm glad that McCain felt he had to throw a hail mary pass at this point, and the odds are strongly in our favor that it will be a flop, but I don't think belaboring McCain's "insult" to women is going to be a very effective campaign tactic. Let her prove herself to be another Dan Quayle against Biden, and if she holds her own she'll be another member of the Repub farm team for 2012. We can live with that.

Thank you for compiling the following list: "Senators such as Hutchison, Dole, Snowe, Collins, and Murkowski were skipped over, as were more experienced governors like Lingle and Rell, as were "mavericks" like Todd-Whitman, as were cabinet secretaries like Rice, Spellings, and Chao, as were business leaders like Fiorina and Whitman." Murkowski, by the way, is from Alaska. I have seen no previous mention of her existence!

Question: Has there ever been such a terrible VP choice -- and, more importantly, VP choice process? Has there ever been a more awful Presidential nominee? John McCain is George W. Bush without the consistency and the thoughtfulness.

Don't start getting too smug - the hack "news analysis" pieces are already starting to flow in:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30assess.html?hp

If there's one thing McCain does well, it's gaming the media. Be prepared for much more of this in the future.

And for all those people who keep bringing up Dan Quayle, remind me again who won that election?

Now is not the time to start high-fiving ourselves on a job well done.

This is supposed to impress women voters? Seriously?

Yes, it could. Just ask yourself this question: How much worse would she have done than Shrub for the last seven and a half years?

Everyone is railing about her lack of experience and her stands on the issues. But how much did experience and issues matter in the last two elections? And will they matter this time around?

I hope so but I have my doubts. I think she may turn out to be much more a problem for dems than we think.

McCain skipped over more capable women for a younger, less experienced woman he barely knows.

Yeah, that'll play extremely well with middle-aged female Hillary voters.

Sure, St John, here's my "thought": It's none of our business - not your business and not my business - what an adult, competent woman chooses to do with her body, or to crap all over her for her family arrangements (and, btw, you're wrong about her husband - he's been very hands-on and involved).

Among the more striking things about this choice is that it's been relatively common on the right to see outrage that African-Americans might vote for Obama because he's African-American himself, while their candidate chooses someone who's unappealing to feminists on the issues but who they think will draw in feminist voters because she's a woman.

John McCain picked Palin because McCain thinks women are stupid.

@ St John Have you noticed in the vids on tv that she is dragging that baby around with her and using it as a prop. Very classy. Up next noun , verb Downs Syndrome.

Why does McLame need a competent VP when he has his lackies Joe and Lindsey at his beck and call 24/7. Palin as VP will be sent home to take care of the kids: McLame only needs her to get elected, after that she's done.

It is unfair to suggest that the McCain campaign is being sexist when they judge that women are so stupid that their votes can be bought merely by picking a woman for the VP nomination.

The fact is that the McCain campaign strategy is entirely based on getting the votes of stupid people of all genders, races, creeds, colors et cetera, by bamboozling them with bullshit. They have a "Sarah Palin" of one sort or another for everybody. They aren't singling out women.

If McCain (Rove) picked a woman who was more qualified, more experienced, better known to him, or simply not facing a serious ethics inquiry for recent misuse of power, he would have a much harder time dumping her in favor of a GOP white male in a week's time.

1) Palin was chosen to shore up the evangelicals and lock in the NRA cadre. Pulling in some strays from the Clinton cult is just a bonus.

2) Palin was also chosen to draw the klieg lights and stop a potential 10-point Barack bounce. When the lefty blogs spent all day yesterday on Palin you can be assured so did the rest of the world.

That's two "mission accomplished" signs for Rove.
Of course this won't win the election. It's triage. But that's where the republicans are right now. We might as well call it voodoo politics: Character assassinations and gimmicks to try to stop the bleeding and hope for some breaks somewhere down the road...

The GOP has long since abandoned the notion of 'governing'.

The question they now ask when they come to a fork in the road is not 'What's the right thing to do?'. It's not 'What course do conservative principles suggest?' It's not even 'What do we do to win?'

It's down to 'What will piss the liberals off?' and or 'What will amuse the press?'

You choose guests for a talk show that way. You don't pick an assistant undersecretary for transportation that way, never mind a VP.

Governance, based on bright shiny things, and middle fingers.

Deeply, deeply unserious.
Deeply, deeply, insulting,

Give Palin a break. Her position on abortion is reasonable.

IF you believe that the fetus is a human being and has the right not to be murdered then it shouldn't matter if the fetus was created by a rape or incests.

After all, murder is murder.

However, if you take the view of the majority of Americans, then Palin's views are pretty extreme.

They are extreme but they are understandable.

If she ever became President then I believe she would make sure that her Court appointments would vote to overturn Roe and probably want to make abortion illegal since she considers it murder.

Melinda,
I agree that it is none of our business what these adults do, and what a woman does with her body, except when their decisions are a reflection of their judgment in larger issues. As a woman, or a couple, is it responsible to have a child, when you already have 4, at the same time your are just starting a job, Governor, that will require substantial amounts of time and energy? At 43 years of age, for a woman to become pregnant is a greater risk than for a younger woman, from what I have heard and read. Down Syndrome is not an unusual outcome of such a pregnancy. I admire her 'choice' of going through with the pregnancy. I am personally pro-choice, but do not consider abortion as an acceptable form of birth control, except in extreme cases. As I asked upthread, did the pregnancy result from a conscious decision by her and her husband, or was it a failure of birth control? Abstinence seems to be her BC of choice, since she is advocating it in the schools. What kind of family values is she demonstrating to working mothers who may not be as able to afford all the "rented" services of which she may avail herself? How does Phyllis Schlafley view the choice of working outside the home while there is an infant whose needs are way beyond the average? I feel I may be rambling, now. The point I am making is that the personal decisions of Ms. Palin reflect on her professional decision-making capacities. If she does not take into account the larger implications of her personal decisions, how will she make similar and more significant decisions that impact not only this country, but the larger global family?

No, Melinda, I do not "crap all over her for her family arrangements". I merely point out that there are larger factors at play here than those personal arrangements.

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation
peace,
st john

I just want to remind defenders of such radical anti-abortionism: Don't prattle about how rare the option of abortion for rape or incest is. First, that isn't very helpful to the women who do get into such a fix, and how stressful of course it is (imagine, having to carry the baby of a man who raped you, reminded of that event every minute of every day.) Also, the attitude about such issues is significant as a matter of principle, and to show the attitudes and prioritis of the person holding (and enforcing per context) such views.

Melinda, the clear problem with Palin is *Palin*, not the fact she's a woman, and John McCain for putting electoral scheming above the national interest. We pretty much all admit we'd have little to gripe about if e.g. Kay B. Hutchison or Olympia Snowe had been picked (and wonder, why weren't they?) So please, you and kindred please stop putting up such red herring/straw woman arguments, OK? They are just diversions put out by cynical promoters of the Right's status quo, don't be fooled (and by golly, what can we think of "PUMAs" etc. if they are crass and childish and dumb enough to fall for voting for Palin just because she's a woman, and to hell with country and party?)

McCain skipped over more capable women for a younger, less experienced woman he barely knows.

He must have thought he was choosing a new wife.

That's Just What I Said

Doesn't this choice give Democrats the perfect opening to describe John McCain as the unpredictable gambling man and then to ask the country if that's what they're looking for in their leader?
B

I had a thought yesterday about this choice and saw it expressed elsewhere this morning.

First off, on the question of directly peeling off left leaning feminists from Obama. This isn't likely to happen out of the box. They will size up Palin on the issues and dismiss her. There may be a few women in the middle who will vote for McCain as a result of the selection who might otherwise vote for Obama. I don't see that as game changing.

The whole point of the choice is the way in which we on the left respond to Palin. If we, and more importantly the Obama campaign, are seen as trashing her and using subtle or not subtle jabs based on her gender, then left lean feminists, still smarting from the primary fight against Hillary, may be alienated from Obama and vote for McCain or not vote at all for president. That could be game changing.

It is imperative that we take the high road when it comes to Palin. By all means, go after her competence and ethic but don't even give the appearance that it is about her gender.

A minor point--Secretary Chao is ineligible to be VP (as a naturalized citizen, she's constitutionally not eligible for the presidency).

Vaginas of the world, UNITE! You have nothing to lose but your choice!

McCain's choice would make sense in a singles' bar around closing time, but not otherwise.

Melinda: Among the more striking things about this choice is that it's been relatively common on the right to see outrage that African-Americans might vote for Obama because he's African-American himself, while their candidate chooses someone who's unappealing to feminists on the issues but who they think will draw in feminist voters because she's a woman.

The only way that analogy would work is if Obama was a member of the Klan.

Jon Stewart had a GREAT segment to this effect. Samantha Bee was going on about how nothing mattered but the plumbing because "women don't think with their big head, they think with their little hood". It was hysterical and spot-on.

Neal, I really have no idea what you're referring to. I made the argument that her family arrangement is nobody's business but hers and her family's and I drew a contrast between right wingers complaining about blacks voting for blacks while they expect women to vote for a woman.

That said, I've been following Alaska politics closely since before Palin was elected and here's my impression: 1) She's been a competent, clean chief executive in a state that's lacked both for much of its short history ("Troopergate" doesn't actually go to her ability to govern), 2) she's a pretty cool woman, and 3) she's wrong on pretty much every major policy issue and has no business in national office. I've been dismayed by the sexist, nasty personal attacks on her from people ostensibly on my side (note: if you're sexist you're not really progressive) over the past 24 hours and I'd like to see it stop. There are plenty enough substantive problems with her candidacy.

They're all taller than he is.

@socratic_me: I missed that one since I don't get Comedy Central. Obviously this is a reference to John McC's choice for VP being made by his "little head". There are so many negatives to this candidate, I cannot imagine how this is being taken seriously by anyone who really understands presidential politics and can see a larger view of the world. I heard Bob Sheaffer CBS, with Katie Couric, relate this decision by McC(assuming it was his decision) to his being a fighter pilot, and being willing to take a gamble with this nomination. Fighter pilots are not people who think rationally and with forethought. They are used to taking orders and following them, regardless of possible personal risks. They do not think about the people who are receiving their bombs, their families; they do not consider the enemy pilots' personal stories or ambitions. They follow orders and shutter their hearts to any possible humanitarian considerations. John McC made a choice based on very small criteria. He is not fit to govern, nor is his VP choice, Sarah Palin. To have a Bob Sheaffer, who presumably is an intelligent and informed "journalist", blow off this choice as that of a "gambler/fighter pilot" who has a chance of becoming POTUS is dumbfounding.

I am committed to Oneness through Justice and Transformation.
peace,
st john

How much worse would she have done than Shrub for the last seven and a half years?

Well, she's about equal unqualified substantively on national issues, about equally corrupt apparently, and less good at managing to put even a veneer of legitimacy over her corruption, so I suspect she probably wouldn't have lasted the last seven and a half years even if she had somehow been dropped by the hand of God into the Presidency.

The U.S. Attorney's scandal -- or something just like it -- would have broken immediately when it happened, with a clear paper trail implicating her directly, rather breaking slowly after it happened with something approximating plausible deniability and an underling at Justice to put front and center and pin attention on.

She's, to all appearances, incompetent, corrupt, and not even all competent when it comes to corruption.

Feminists have decried any deviation from their abortion-on-demand doctrine as inherently patriarchal, the logic of which I've never completely understood since most women want some there kind of restriction. But consider this: If McCain were to be elected with Palin as his veep and if he were to then die in office wouldn't that make a woman the head of the patriarchy?

The pundits have gotten it all wrong. She was anointed, not because of her appeal to women, but because of her appeal to men as a beauty contest near-winner. So, when John McCain told his advisors, "I want Sarah!" and they thought he wanted to give her the second slot on his political ticket, he was really thinking about giving the second slot - out of at least three - to Cindy.

Why didn't he just pick his daughter. Their picture on People (the classic substance free magazine) looks like a family portrait. At least the press brought McCain's daughter flowers.

Total conspiracy/cynical news cycle/plot theory:

McCain picked Palin to change the subject in the news cycle away from Obama's thoughtful and moving acceptance speech. Palin will become embroiled even deeper in her personal scandal for firing the guy that wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law and she will have to drop out. Then someone else gets to step into her pathetic shoes and McCain gets the press from two VP picks instead of one. Which second pick will look "very experienced" compared to Palin, whether or not they would be a good VP or not.

"Troopergate" doesn't actually go to her ability to govern

The fact that she uses her power as the state's chief executive to carry out personal vendettas by pressuring public civil servants to do her family's bidding doesn't go to her ability to govern????

Prior to McCain's choice of Palin, there was buzz about the "rift" in his campaign over strategy. Supposedly the Rove faction was arguing against filling the VP slot with someone who would appeal to moderates - das base, that's the ticket. Others felt McCain should choose someone who would grab centrist Independents from Obama.

I think the choice of Palin leaves little doubt who won the argument. The Media - and some "PUMA's" may think this choice is about luring women voters away from Obama. I think that is the reddest of herrings (which is a goal met for Rove & Co). Sarah Palin is means to "lock up" and ENERGIZE women who never would have voted for Obama. She is a GOTV running mate. The fact that some indempendent male voters will look past her glaring lack of qualifications because of her "naughty nurse" appeal may also lock up some male votes for McCain.

McCain's choice of Palin is a sick joke. And, I for one would like to see that point made early and often. But the media will not do it unless the Dems do it first.

As I heard someone say the other day, our competitors in other countries are moving forward and chasing technological advances and educating their best and brightest to discover and exploit the opportunities therein. WE are bickering over whether to hobble our public schools with an argument over whether Creationism has a place in science classes. Sarah Palin holds paleo views in a 21st century world. Placing her in a position to become VP of this nation is a nod to the Fundies and a great step backward - despite the "historic" aspects of her candidacy.

She's, to all appearances, incompetent, corrupt, and not even all competent when it comes to corruption.

Agree completely. But, again, judging from recent experience, this disqualifies her for what position?

I think this should be seen more as putting some superglue into those 18 million cracks. It is worse than tokinism, it could be designed as a simple way to escape from the blame of losing an election. It definitely is designed to take the light off of Obama's challenge on Thursday night, or maybe just to inadvertently answer to it:

"a debate about who has the temperment and judgement to be president of the united states"

Agree completely. But, again, judging from recent experience, this disqualifies her for what position?

Well, that depends on what the American people have learned from the last 8 years.

Oh goodie.

Just what this country needs.

A Trophy VEEP.

"A Trophy VEEP"

That is really good.

It is truly stunning how unprepared this woman is for the job. Even though I don't care for them I feel for Romney et al. What a slap in the face for these experienced people to be passed over for this.

It was interesting to see the clip from Fox News on the Daily Show. Fox was trying to spin Palin as having experience in foreign affairs because Alaska is pretty close to Russia. As Jon Stewart pointed out, since Alaska is close to the North Pole she is also on good terms with Santa Claus.

I can't see how it helps McCain to drop her in a few weeks in favor of a real candidate. Doesn't that make him look incompetent? Of course, he will have the MSM spinning it in his favor.

Ann Friedman's article had a good line that warrants repeating:

most of us understand that a woman candidate is not the same thing as a woman's candidate.

We will be hearing that McCain has a terminal illness and will be stepping down.
He will take one for the team. Romney or Huckabee will step in.
Probably Romney since he is like an invincible, ageless, tanned movie star Stepford guy.
I have a feeling informal advisor Rove was left out of the Palin decision.
McCain is certifiable,
as we say in the mental health business

You all have a much higher opinion of the electorate than I do, probablly because I live in Nevada. But sorry folks, the choice of Palin is playng really, really well around here with women voters. Deep sigh, but no surprise. I have wondered many times what percentage of the Nevada electorate uses forwarded emails for their main source of electoral information. It's gotta be huge.

I don't necessarily mind a candidate being anti-abortion if she (or he) supports things like access to contraception and sex education, equal pay for equal work and economic justice. From what I gather, Sarah Palin doesn't support any of those things, as well as many other issues I care about.

I'm a liberal Democrat, so I'll toss this hypothetical situation out to you: if the party put someone on the ticket (either as president or veep) who was 100% progressive on economic and foreign policy issues, but anti-abortion (but in favor of the policies shown in the lead paragraph), could you support him or her -- or would failing the "choice" litmus test override everything else?

http://fghjejrjtyghprp.com

http://fghjejrjtyghprp.com

http://fghjejrjtyghprp.com