It should be noted that Lyda Green actually has something of a contentious relationship with Palin because they have been political opponents. Her statement is probably colored by their rivalry.

All of a piece with recent trends in the GOP, which 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?' By this point, 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?'

This is how a booker for a talk-show approaches his task. You don't choose an assistant undersecretary of Transportation this way, never mind a potential president.

A party whose core principle is the provision of bright shiny things and middle fingers.

Deeply unserious.
Deeply insulting.

I don't think it takes as much to be a reformer in Alaska than it does elsewhere.

Maybe this is how the Republicans plan to drown government in a bathtub. They get someone who doesn't know how to take care of it and forgets it's in the bathtub and lets it drown.

That's Just What I Said

Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it?

Have you heard her talk? Same sort of analogies-to-nowhere. And just like George, her voice grates. My ear can't stomach either of them for more than 30 seconds.

The way to frame this choice is that she's an incompetent flunky, on par with Monica Goodling, Alberto Gonzalez, 'Brownie', etc.

I watched Maria Bartiromo do a long interview with Palin, in which Palin took every question as an opportunity to make her talking points:

1. Alaska stands ready to produce energy
2. Alaskans love them some big oil companies and know how to manage the "relationship" so that the money comes in but the environmental values are preserved.
3. Palin has great access to the oil companies, and they get along fine.
4. It's just irrational not to exploit Alaska's energy resources; environmental opposition is inexplicable.
5. America needs energy production.
6. Did I mention how much I and Alaska love big oil?

Even Maria was sharp enough to ask "If we gave you the go-ahead to drill and exploit today, when would the additional energy supplies come on line, and how much would they help?" to which Palin gave a non-answer.

I was deeply unimpressed with Palin's disconnected manner; she spoke as one who has memorized a great many talking points, rather than as someone who understands what they are talking about. Often and again her responses had only the most tenuous connection to Bartiromo's questions.

I think she's no smarter than Rep. Bachman (R, MN) which is not very damned bright.

Wow, strong stuff. McCain's screwed.

Yea, she does sound like Dubya. Or Harriet Meyers, or Brownie, or Monica Goodling, or any number of others tapped these last seven and a half years. Deeply unworthy and unserious people.

My only solice if McCain and Palin win, our own MsJoanne will have a second career as a Veep impersonator. ( Look at her pic on her website or at TPM, I tell ya she's a dead ringer. But I doubt MsJoanne could play that vapid.)

She's so gonna kill me for that.

Was this VP picked done to play politics or get serious about running the country?

The answer is obvious. When with the Repubs put country ahead of party?

Yes, YES, it makes her sound like George W. Bush. That's exactly the point! This VP pick is the perfect storm of GOP cynicism and sexism. The thinking goes as follows:

1. We'll pick a woman and get a buzz off the optics of that.

2. But she'll be younger than McCain, and therefore look subservient, so that won't scare off our sexist base.

3. She's someone who parrots the party line in everything, so our Haunted House round table of Karl Rove, Sideshow Bob, Montgomery Burns, and Count Chocula don't have to be afraid of disobedience.

4. And yet (and here's the best part) we'll pick someone with so little experience that she's a complete cipher, just like W. was, and therefore any ideas she has on foreign policy will be ideas that WE pour into her!

I mean, really. Maybe Democrats should be grateful. The only thing worse than a Republican as inexperienced as Palin would be a Republican WITH experience. Because, as we know, all the Republicans with experience over the last eight years have done nothing but screw everything up. And not a single one ever learns from the lessons of the past.

PS Also, the Troopergate thing? They don't care. If anything they prefer having puppets with a little dirt on them. Besides, if anyone mentions it, all they have to do is attack the Democrats and the "liberal media" for picking on a mother of five.

Often and again her responses had only the most tenuous connection to Bartiromo's questions.

The hallmark of Republican candidates.

Alaskan Reaction to the Palin Bombshell

Alaska State Senate President Lyda Green (R): "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?"

Alaska House Speaker John Harris (R): "She's old enough. She's a US citizen."

Alaska Democratic Party Chair Patti Higgins: "In this very competitive election for them to go pick somebody who is... under a cloud of suspicion, who is under investigation for abuse of power. It just sounds like a pretty slow start to me. We need a vice president who can step in if, God forbid, something happened to John McCain. I don't think she's someone who is ready for that 3am phone call."

Randy Ruedrich, Alaska Republican Party Chair: Not giving interviews.

Andrew Halcro, local blogger who ran against Palin for governor: "This shocking choice says more about McCain’s desperation than it does about Palin’s qualifications."

Alaska State Representative Mike Doogan (D): "Either Sarah Palin has talents and skills we were not aware of", or "John McCain fell down and hit his head." He also called the prospect of Palin potentially needing to take over as President "pretty scary".

AHA HA HA HA HA AHAHAHA HA HA HA HA!

Can't...stop....laughing......

Why are the media types taking Palin's selection seriously? Surely, this is a joke that unmasks McCain's shallowness and lack of seriousness. The man is as cynical as they come. It's also typical GOP.

McCain's move reeks of desperation and ensures his defeat. For this we must be thankful.

What a gift to Obama/Biden! By picking Palin, in a stroke McCain increased the gravitas of the Democratic candidates, making both the change and the safe candidates all at once. I wasn't sure what to think at first, but it's obvious to me now that this pick was a disaster for McCain.

Did anyone else pick up on McCain uncomfortable body language during the announcement? I bet he already regrets the pick.

Your link for Dermot Cole actually goes to a column that includes some quotes from Dermot. The whole thing is worth reading so here's a link. He points out some of the erroneous or deceptive talking points already making the rounds. Dermot Cole's column

I think that's exactly how the democrats go at her. Not on the inexperience, but the uncanny resemblance to Bush. Bush was a very popular governor of Texas before he was elected. He also likes things simple, and ran on cleaning up the government and working with both sides (the uniter schtick). They hold the same views on a whole lot of issues...not even mentioning that both are fundies. What is the difference between her and Bush...other than Bush is now more experienced and still f***ing everything up.

That those quotes come from Alaska is powerful stuff that Team Obama had damn well better be smart enough to use. Something like 67% of the public in one poll yesterday didn't know who Palin was. There is a small, critical window to define her before the RNC can do so.

"John McCain wants Sarah Palin to be a heartbeat away from being President. Joe Biden would be ready - do you know Sarah Palin enough to be sure that she is? Most Americans have never heard of Sarah Palin, former runner up in the Miss Alaska pageant and still in her scandal-plagued [show clips re Troopergate] first term as Governor of Alaska. But Alaskans know her first hand, and much better than anyone else does. What do respected Alaskans -- including Republican officials and opinion writers - have to say about Sarah Palin? [big blow ups of the quotes above, with voice overs reading them - probably female voice talent]. Maybe John McCain didn't really know her either [headlines about only talking to her twice]. John McCain - more of the same political judgments. Not change we can believe in. Vote Obama/Biden for real judgement, real leadership, real change."

C-SPAN re-ran an appearance Gov. Palin made on Washington Journal from February of this year last night, and she toed the line about how domestic drilling will solve the dependence on foreign producers. She is a liar for the oil companies and someone who has swallowed whole the Evangelical world view, not because she believes it, but because it wins the votes of the dumbfounded.

i agree that we may not want to hit Palin on inexperience directly, but we can make it more a question of how unknown she is. Or, we can take a bit of a risk and hit the comparative experience question very directly, and get some good out of the long primary season.

"Sarah Palin is an unknown young first-term governor of a uniquely situated state, with extreme right-wing views that are far outside the mainstream, views against birth control even for married couples, views against choice even for victims of rape and incenst, views against nearly every environmental protection. The Republicans have argued that Obama is just a little older, and is in his first term as a US Senator, and they call it even. The American public knows nonsense when they hear it. A US Senator deals much more with national and international issues day in and day out than the governor of Alaska. Obama's time in the Illinois state senate was longer than Palin's time as mayor of a town of just 8000 people. Obama has strong record as a community organizer, Harvard Law Review editor, and professor of Constitutional Law. More important, however, most Americans have known Obama for more than 4 years since his stirring speech at the 2004 convention. Americans have had an opportunity to judge for themselves his knowledge of the issues and his readiness - for the past 19 months he has campaigned across the country, his readiness tested in over 20 debates with an exceptionally talented group of opponents including the obviously tough Hillary Clinton, like former Ambassador, cabinet member, and current New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, well-recognized experts on domestic policy like Senator Chris Dodd, and well-recognized and ready-to-lead experts on foreign policy like Joe Biden. We know Barack Obama was well-tested and found ready, rising to the top of a strong field of contenders in a long tough process. Can anyone really say that about Sarah Palin, who is unknown on the national stage and who John McCain talked two only twice before selecting her? At a crucial time of troubles at home and threats abroad, do you know Sarah Palin well enough to take that chance?"

Turn the experience question into a "who do I know better, Obama or Palin" question.

Truly, the Palin selection has nailed the coffin on McCain's bid. But he can still win. And the only -- I repeat, only -- way he can now, is not on the issues but by relentlessly hammering away at one idea: his slogan, "Country first," and any moment when the Obama campaign or an Obama surrogate betrays this quote from Obama's acceptance speech: "What I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes."

You follow? Palin's selection is blatantly and unabashedly a political choice. But Obama and his team can't come out and make anything approaching that point, lest they betray Obama's promise and allow McCain to hammer away at the "Country first" argument. In other words, that is the central trap McCain has set. McCain has decided to run these next two months an intensely hollow, superficial, politically-disingenuous campaign, and he is daring Obama to betray his promise and call him on it. And if the Obama camp does pursue that line of attack, it surely will backfire, because for all of Palin's obvious and ever-growing flaws, she can project the image of a nice, likeable person. And what worked for Bush.

If Obama and his surrogates are smart, they will not fall for that utterly stupid trap, because it is the only hope McCain has. They will hammer away at the issues and relentlessly tie McCain to Bush. They should, in effect, utterly ignore Palin and her utterly political role.

After just one day, we're already seeing plenty of people not connected with the Obama campaign -- many in Alaska -- make the argument against Palin. That will continue, and it should stay that way. Meanwhile, Obama now has a clear path to victory: Ignore Palin, attack McCain-Bush, and plug his policies for change.

Put another way: repeat Obama's convention speech every day from now until November. McCain has no chance against that.

This is about politics not governing. It shows crappy judgement. It's a continuation of Republican corruption. It's an ignorant disregard for civic responsibilities - just like hiring unqualified partisan hacks throughout the Justice Dept.

Barack called all of this on Thursday night. John McCain doesn't get it. I think he was too generous. I don't think McCain has a clue because he doesn't really give a shit. He just wants to die knowing that he'd been elected president. End of story.

Experience and judgement get confused. Judgement is where most Americans today give up on Republicans. What does it say about our candidates that the 'inexperienced' Barack picks someone substantial to compliment his ability to govern, and the 'experienced' McCain picks a spunky PTA member in a pathetic attempt to hoodwink voters who aren't paying much attention.

What a gem, that McCain.

Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it?

As they say, Bush has been a heartbeat of Dick Cheney's away from the Presidency for 7 1/2 years now.

Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it?

Need we be reminded that Bush won twice -- against two highly experienced dems who were strong on the issues?

Need we be reminded that Bush won twice -- against two highly experienced dems who were strong on the issues?

I need to be reminded. As I recall more Americans voted for Al Gore than for George Bush in 2000, and Bush was only installed president by an improper judicial coup d'etat.

Priceless quotes:

State House Speaker John Harris, a Republican from Valdez, was astonished at the news. He didn't want to get into the issue of her qualifications.

"She's old enough," Harris said. "She's a U.S. citizen."

Former House Speaker Gail Phillips, a Republican political leader who has clashed with Palin in the past, was shocked when she heard the news Friday morning with her husband, Walt.

"I said to Walt, 'This can't be happening, because his advance team didn't come to Alaska to check her out," Phillips said.

The whole troopergate thing works in her favor. I mean, c'mon...isn't the vice president's job to use the office to attack enemies, exact personal vendettas, and power grab? It's a great choice. She's seasoned at it.

Listening to you.

In the cool
celerity of a
diffident young
bird I try
to forget a dying
behaviour, the
sound of a picture
and a luminous
care, easily,
like an earnest
desire.

Francesco Sinibaldi

Mudflat: "Randy Ruedrich, Alaska Republican Party Chair: Not giving interviews."

It should be pointed out that "how a hockey mom turned Alaska's political establishment on its ear" -- according to the title of Palin's book -- the "ear" was Randy Ruedrich's. They hate each other.

"Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it?"

Yeah, except for the delegating authority part--see Cheney, Dick.

"Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it?"

Yeah, except for the delegating authority part--see Cheney, Dick.

Here is a complete article from an actual Alaskan. He probably doesn't need even *more* traffic than he's already received, but it's such an informative article that it ought to be publicized:

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

Check out the incredibly rude comments about Lyda Green that got a giggle out of Palin on a talk radio show:

http://www.adn.com/opinion/comment/story/295464.html

Davis X. Machina nails it. McCain is so infatuated with the kid glove treatment he gets on talk shows that he's confused the world of publicity with the real world. It's been pointed out elsewhere that McCain's (uber belligerent) foreign policy pronouncements for the last several years are all designed around making a big splash on the talk show circuit. The press -- by encouraging McCain's "good quote" vanity -- is midwife to the Palin choice.

Loneoak:
That explains Green's comment that Brent talks about at the top of the comments.

There's never been a politician from Alaska on the national stage before, ...

since Mike Gravel stole the show at the openning Democratic presidential debate, right?

Erickson's description kind of makes Palin sound like George W. Bush, doesn't it? -- PA

Not quite. It's true that he tends to oversimplify complex issues (down to his own level of understanding) but he's never been famous for his micromanaging tendencies; that's Cheney's (and before him, Rumsfeld's) signature characteristic.

[* The Anchorage Daily News' Gregg Erickson: "[Palin] tends to oversimplify complex issues, has had difficulty delegating authority,]

Alaska must be where all the mental incompetents of the South go to hide. Read the comments section of the Dermot cole article in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner to see what I mean.

She repulses me with her superficiality and congeniality overcompensation

Not that I'm defending Gov. Palin, but in the interest of fairness, it should be noted that since she took on the republican establishment in Alaska, and fought corruption within the Republican party there, perhaps her republican peers are not the best people to rely on for a fair view of her credentials.

Anyone figure dick man will stay right where he is, take the vp off his i.d. card and continue on to the final show??
Doesn't matter who is running for either position, p or vp.
With dick man it has never mattered who is elected.
Anyone think after 30 years of constructing his nightmare he will allow an end before he wakes up?
Look, he filled the current void with someone who did what they were told.You think johnny mac is any different?
The big difference now is: the world smells the sewage.
The u.s. media looks like a comedy act with no connecting brain cells and no short term memory.
This latest mac-move is the same as a rich teen buying a hot car to pick-up all the chicks.
You see how that can work well in the dick dream media?
Note: dick dream = most people with fuctioning connected brain cells nightmare.
Wake-up everyone!

Given her ignorance on foreign policy, she is prime picking for lurking neo-con war-mongering thinkin' if indeed OldieMcSame expires, and as a rookie she'll need advisors--like Georgie did in 2000. Be very afraid

Not that I'm defending Gov. Palin, but in the interest of fairness, it should be noted that since she took on the republican establishment in Alaska, and fought corruption within the Republican party there, perhaps her republican peers are not the best people to rely on for a fair view of her credentials.

So, given the quotes from the Democratic side, she doesn't make friends and allies very easily, then?

"[Palin] tends to oversimplify complex issues..."

She will fit in beautifully with the drill here, drill now crowd. Republicans always look for the simple one line solution to any problem.

The shocker was designed to take the thunder from Obama's super performance and appeal to the emotions of the uninformed, incurious electorate. Not since Dan Quayle has this country seen a bet on an unknown entity of this caliber. There is a bigger surprise yet to come from the Reps. Do not forget HSPD51 (martial law and suspending elections) as a possibility for keeping the Reps in power.

I get it! This election is now going to turn out to be an IQ test for women. You supported Hillary but she is out, so you will support any woman.

McCain must really think women are stupid.

Sarah Palin

The facts: She was leaking amniotic fluid at 4am in Texas. She says she called her doctor at the Mat-Su clinic in Alaska. Later that morning she gave her speech, got on a commercial flight to Alaska, on arrival in Anchorage, 8 hours later, she by-passed Anchorage hospitals and drove 45 minutes to Mat-Su clinic to her private doctor. 1. Every hotel has doctors on call for just such occasions. 2. Any doctor, on hearing about possible amniotic fluid "leakage", who did not advise their patient to seek a doctor's attention, would be guilty of the MOST horrendous malpractice. 3. Any "mother", in her 8th month, who didn't seek a doctor's attention and flew from Texas to Alaska (against airline regulations), if the infant died, could be prosecuted. 4. The only reason to not seek ANY attention while in Texas or ALL the way back or even in Anchorage is so her own private doctor, who is part of the cover-up (does she go to the same church?)and can make it look as if the child is Sarah's and NOT her daughter's. Faking a birth certificate is a felony. 5. Her daughter was out of Anchorage high school for the 5 months leading to the birth. Family reason for her absence - "Mono"(Mono usually lasts 2 weeks to 2 months.) 6. None of this would matter much except to Fundie types like Sarah and her religion being an unwed mother has always been a point of attack against secular America. And, Sarah keeps lying about "getting up in the night and using the breast pump" yet STILL getting her governor's work done. Making political capital out of lies and a cover-up isn't a good look for a potential VP. It is the only way the whole ridiculous story told by Sarah Palin fits. A doctor would NOT have told her to NOT see a doctor in Texas if Sarah was ACTUALLY pregnant at age 44.

I'm amazed at all the speculation here. Nothing about this fraud, Palin, matters. As long as Diebold and ESS count the votes, they--rethug corporate surrogates--have the only power that matters: McCain will "win" and Obama will "lose"--period. Regardless of the intent of the majority. Regardless of all the apparent lying, corruption and deceit. Indeed, it is the only explanation why the Bush-Cheney criminal syndicate has committed the crimes it has without any sort of "mandate" and with complete impunity. They know they can get away with anything because the entire voting process is fraudulently fixed AND the majority of American's still believe it isn't!

We saw it in all elections since 2000 and there's nothing--short of violent civil war--that's going to change it. 2006 was no exception even though it may have looked like it. Unless the majority is willing to violently stand up against the likes of Blackwater, the brainwashed satraps of the military industrial state and their corporate media, there will never again be another Democratic president--ever. We live in a fascist tyrrany--period!

Will is correct, the people who vote don't matter, it's those who count the vote, to paraphrase Stalin, the Uber NeoCon. The fix is in and we no longer live in a Democracy. In retrospect it's easy to wonder if we ever did. No matter. Only violent overthrow of the United States Government is sufficient at this point to turn the tide of fascism in this country.

In sum, it would be difficult to imagine a more mediocre record. Most candidates for dog catcher have contributed more to society. Yet with the help of adoring reporters, Obama has managed to parlay extraordinary speaking and political skills into a presidential campaign built on sand.
HEY NEWSMAX.... WANT TO COMMENT ON SARAH????

I am much more scared about her experiences, growing up and living her entire life in a small town only leaving the country once that being in the last year or so.
We have to be careful, very careful, there are 3 supreme judges that are due to be replaced in the coming years, do we want her draconian views and beliefs pushed on us. they obviously do not work!! but more discussing is that she waits to release the news of her pregnant daughter that abstinence obviously did not work, the day a major hurricane threatened to destroy New Orleans, that was no accident her and Mccain were hoping for devastation so her news would get virtually no coverage!!!