might this just be the event that wakes up the media? perhaps this might be just such a screw up that even they abandon mccain.

we can only hope (for the sake of our country)

Sheagleton!

Every time I think of Luntz, Penn and Teller come to mind.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=If9EWDB_zK4

You know, he won the news cycle on Friday. That's worth endangering the country, isn't it.

The good thing is that when confronted with Palin's hard right credentials, independents reject her in droves. The bad thing is the media is doing little to inform America that she has a brutally hard pro-life position, she wants creationism taught in our schools, and she is against the Ledbetter bill.

I wonder what the American people are going to think of John McCain when her real positions on social issues become known?

As if positions ever mattered in an election.

"and a denial of any human responsibility in climate change?"

Hell. Even Newt Gingrich believes we're responsible.

I used to think Alaska would be great place to visit but given Sarah Palin's scandalous behavior, and that she was actually elected governor, I'm a wee bit nervous to visit. Sounds like the Wild West.

Fact #1 Mccain has the effontry and arrogance of a fighter pilot

Fact #2-McCain has a trophy wife , albeit a rich, long suffering one but a trophy wife non the less.
Fact #3-McCain has a trophy vice presidential candidate, Palin is pretty and absolutly unqualified.

This is all J. McCain thinks he needs to be president. The heck with Americans and the important issues of economy, health and corrupt management of the war.
All that is important is I J. McCain become president with trophy women suporting me.!
If she's pretty she can stand by her Man and that is all that matters.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=If9EWDB_zK4

Once again WaMo broke the link I posted. Try here Penn and Teller

Wolf Blizter and Charles Gibson were just spotted hysterically running out to a 7/11 store in a desperate need to find more DEPENDS as they are startin' to realize that the tax cut for the rich . .which means them .. might not happen now .. despite their lying efforts to manipulate public perception of McEvil in order to keep their million dollar paydays safe .............

Isn't our current VP kind of ideologically extreme?

Something I didn't quite think about: we who read the estimable Mr. Benen's blog know about McCain the Un-Maverick, but to most of the voters he STILL comes across as a moderate. So far, with the help of his media groupies, he managed to thread the needle: the public thinks he's moderate, but the base is being mollified by his flip-flops and increasingly right-wing rhetoric. But now he picks an unabashedly far-far-right running mate, and poof, there go his "moderate" credentials. That sound you hear is a loud "what the fuck?!" from all those who liked the maverick and hoped he would "stand up to the rightwing nutjobs". But lookit! he's picking one to take over if he croaks on the job. Oy gevalte!

The more I think about it, the more I notice that Johnny Mac has found himself hemmed in between the various warring factions that comprise the Republican party these days. He can't please one of them without infuriating the other, they don't do grey areas these days. And it was only a matter of time before he got properly pissed off and done something rash. Meet Sarah Palin, folks. Nail in the coffin. Oh yeah.

She'll probably try to back off her more extreme positions, but that's dangerous for her because that's all she's got going for her in pleasing his base.

You have to say this for McCain, in some ways he's rigid. In other ways...sadly no.

That's Just What I Said

Pre-Marital Sex = OK
Statutory Rape = OK
Teenage Sex = OK

But, zomg, no gay people. Why aren't we sick of these hypocrites yet? The Fundies are "excited" by this?

God. I can't take it.

I'm curious about Sarah Palin's executive experience: just how many employees does Wasilla, AK havve?

we won't win any votes complaining about the "advocacy of creationism", which most Americans frankly agree with. We should complain about her belief that her religious views should be taught in science class.

The whole pregnancy brou-ha-ha is rather silly but somewhat understandable in the current political climate. What is of much greater concern to me is Palin's extremism. There are indications that she has ties to and may at one point have been a member of the secessionist Alaska Independence Party. See this diary at DailyKos for details http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/1/84544/50180 If she is a secessionist, then, considering our history, she has absolutely no business being in the running for the second highest elected office in the United States of America. When I became a citizen of the US, I swore allegiance to the United States. A secessionist, by definition cannot in good faith do so.

she's extremely right-wing on all matters we know about...except energy!

there, she supports the obama position: increased taxes on oil companies with an energy rebate to alaskans.

i don't understand how the tax-cut fanatics in the gop are suddenly supporting socialism, but you never know....

Palin is Aleut for Eagleton.

"...right now I'm wondering where the John McCain I really liked in 2000 went, what happened to the moderate?"

Ding ding! We have a winner!

I couldn't be more pleased with Sarah Palin's nomination either. McCain lost the election in one grand move with this ill-advised, thoughtless pick.

It's easy to understand why McCain would make this VP pick - he's desperate and willing to do anything. He's demonstrated this over and over in his campaign - willing to do or say anything to get the Presidency. I don't see this pick so much as "the Return of the MavericK" as a further demonstration of a complete lack of judgment for making good decisions.

I'm sorry, but comparing Biden to Palin is not even really possible. Palin might be a good pick after a term as Governor, but now? Two term city Mayors of most major American cities have more experience.

She's very extreme and seems to have a major problem with the truth. This opens McCain up to a legitimate Keating 5 attack when the Repubs re-roll out Wright. If we are to believe McCain back then his only crime was naivete. He obviously has not learned his lesson. Sarah Palin was obviously able to tell him what he wanted to hear and get away with it.

Before we get too excited about Palin's unelectability, recall that Reagan was friendly toward creationism and harbored bizarre ideas about trees causing more pollution than cars (or something), and that Bush The Worse got elected* when anyone with half a mind should have at least suspected that he was friendly to theocrats and polluters and hated science, and got re-elected* after he'd proven it.

(*Yeah, I know, "elected")

She should be positioned as what she obviously is: a Republican choice for the President of the United States, maybe in office next year. Where does she stand?

"Potential-president Palin believes...."
"Palin, who could select the next three Supreme Court justices, advocates...."
(Breeding rights for rapists, etc.)

All the birthing going on at the Palin house shows she sticks to her principles. But they're awful principles. And there's a lot of choice being touted in a family that doesn't believe in choice for anyone else.

That's Just What I Said

"Are we comfortable in having a VP who represents the extreme right wing, including the advocacy of creationism and a denial of any human responsibility in climate change?"

The right-wingers are not only comfortable with it, they insists upon it.

A recent study by the Barna Research Group concluded that most Americans under the age of 40 have a negative view of evangelical Christians as a result of the activities of the Christian Right

apparently Palin also got Wasilla into a legal battle that has cost the small city $1.5 million in legal fees and a settlement. If she hadn't acted so rashly in an eminent domain land grab, the city would have purchased the land for $125K and not be paying off this kind of debt...

here

I couldn't be more pleased with Sarah Palin's nomination either. McCain lost the election in one grand move with this ill-advised, thoughtless pick.

Exactly. That's why I am hoping the bigfoot baby story dies a swift death. Think about it:

1) If bigfoot is true, McCain has an excuse to climb out from under his pick. He was misled!

2) If bigfoot is false then McCain has no exit from this celebrity-cum-inexperienced fool.

Palin is such a good distraction for McCain. There is just so much there to go on about. Once agin demonstrating is lack of good judgment but still removes the focus from his destructive poliicies.

She is, for lack of a better phrase, pretty far out there, a fact that Americans in general are yet to appreciate.

Alaskans haven't seen much of it, either. Although she is a sincere social conservative, Sarah Palin is not a demagogue on these issues. In fact, the Alaska GOP blames her for not doing enough to combat gays & abortion, when given the chance.

Ian S: "There are indications that she has ties to and may at one point have been a member of the secessionist Alaska Independence Party."

This would be the same rumor mill that produced the "her own grandson" garbage? If Palin is a member of the AIP, Alaskans would know about it. She isn't.

Grumpy, in Texas George W. Bush was an avowed conservative who nonetheless worked with both parties to get legislation passed that would be reasonably palatable to everyone.

Then he got into national office where the checks and balances were basically removed by a compliant Republican Congress.

I'm really not willing to take a chance on another "compassionate conservative."

Sometimes I fear that Obama, with all his intelligence and competence, is applying a rational approach to an inherently irrational process.

That's Just What I Said

Those so called "moderates" in the Publican party will accept anything as long as they continue to get the tax cuts...anything...even if they oppose it, as long as those tax cuts remain in place.

"Money trumps...er..a..peace sometimes. Heh he heh."-George Bush

Something I didn't quite think about: we who read the estimable Mr. Benen's blog know about McCain the Un-Maverick, but to most of the voters he STILL comes across as a moderate. So far, with the help of his media groupies, he managed to thread the needle: the public thinks he's moderate, but the base is being mollified by his flip-flops and increasingly right-wing rhetoric.

This point by Free Proton at 15:05 deserves some attention. Never ever forget that here in blog-world, you're dealing with a real elite (yeah, I said it) who actually spend three or more minutes a day thinking about politics.

The election isn't decided by people like us, and that includes the right-wing hacks transcribing GOP talking points on their blogs. That's why the great ratings for Obama's Denver speech really encouraged me. Perhaps hearing facts about McCain's ideological pandering to his party will convince a few people, and perhaps that will be enough to swing a few states.

Grumpy:

"If Palin is a member of the AIP, Alaskans would know about it. She isn't."

Don't put words in my mouth. She has certainly praised the AIP and the Vice Chairman of the party has publicy claimed that she WAS a member prior to her run for the non-partisan position of mayor of Wasilla. Americans need to know if their choice for VP includes someone with sympathies for a group whose mission is to see the US broken up. Secessionism is un-American if not anti-American. She need to be vetted on this thoroughly.

A bit off-topic, but I just noticed and thought I'd share this in case anyone here reads it. A 2006 Gubernatorial Candidate Questionnare ( http://eagleforumalaska.blogspot.com/2006/07/2006-gubernatorial-candidate.html ) asked if candidates were "offended by the phrase 'Under God' in the Pedge of Allegiance." Palin's answer: "Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its [sic] good enough for me and I'll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance."

I personally find the "under God" debate a bit pointless, but it would be nice to think Palin would know enough history to be aware that the phrase was added to the Pledge in 1954. The founding fathers had nothing to do with it.

...but it would be nice to think Palin would know enough history to be aware that the phrase was added to the Pledge in 1954. ..

Hahaha! To expect a Communications major from University of Idaho to know history is like expecting [... insert your own ..].

I saw this focus group session on CSPAN and can attest to Joe Klein's observations. (I even saw him when the group of journalists who had been watching behind one-way glass came out to question the voters at the conclusion.) It was fascinating to watch the session. It gave me empathy for professional pols who have to decipher what voters are thinking. Opinions among those in this focus group were fluid and a bit incoherent. Accountability came up during the session, and this is the one quality that virtually every one agreed was paramount--more important than experience or new ideas. Morton Kondracke asked the group for clarification on this. "What do you mean by accountability?," he asked with a puzzled look on his face. "How is Barack Obama accountable?" There was long pause, before one member of the group attempted an answer. Nobody else jumped in with a better one. In answer to the final question, "McCain or Obama?," a sizable majority raised their hands for Obama. It was something like 15-11, if memory serves me right.

"her ideological extremism seems to have generated the least amount of attention"

... BUT the said extremists have got it. She's there to electrify that public, isn't she ?

Re Palin and the pledge:
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/31/174153/834/246/581480

She is, for lack of a better phrase, pretty far out there, a fact that Americans in general are yet to appreciate. -- Benen

And what is McCain? A moderate maverick? Yet, that's the image Americans seem to have indelibly imprinted on their collective consciousness. They've had *months* (if not years) to correct that opinion and hadn't; you can't expect them to do much better on Palin after only a couple of days.

What's surprising is that there is any resistance to her at all from anyone beyond the "lefty blogs"; I'd have expected everyone to have bought into "if McCain picked her, he must know what he's doing; it's such a Maverickety decision"

"...a group whose mission is to see the US broken up."

This overstates the goals of the Alaskan Independence Party. They were founded by some folks disgruntled that independence was not offered as an option during the referendum on Alaska statehood.

Alaska also had an AIP governor, Wally Hickel, though he mainly ran under their banner in 1990 as a convenience and never really quit being a Republican.

Well, Teresa, welcome to reality.

Daily Kos has an excellent post about Palin's religious extremism.

It connects all the dots like the dots that should have been connected before 9/11...and would have been connected if Al Gore had been president instead of George W. Bush...thus saving the lives of thousands of U.S. citizens by stopping a terrorist attack by right-wing, religious fundamentalist, ultra-orthodox, ultra-fanatical extremists...like Sarah Palin...just of another religion...but just as extreme, totalitarian, authoritarian and monopolistic.

Which, of course, makes her the perfect Republican choice to be John McCain's running mate. Bleecchh!