McCain picks Alaska Gov. Palin as running mate

[duckman2000]

The kid has Down's Syndrome, yeah? From the way some people (read: media) talk about it, and her responsibility to take care of this special needs child, you'd think he was a complete muppet.

[laesperanzapaz]

@Frag: excellent post

@ 'she should be taking care of kids':  wtf guys?  Would you be thinking the same if it was Palin's husband that was picked?  I can't believe so many peopel - and all the women too like willco's - are actually avoiding Palin BECAUSE of her 'not taking care' of her disabled kid.  You can be disgusted of Palin for a million other reasons - which is what i am doing - but that?

Hey, they can't have it both ways.  In custody battles women tend to win because a child needs a mother.  Women can decide on an abortion even if the father did/didn't want to have the kid. 

I'm just being a contrarian, btw

what the hell does her ability to abort have anything to do with the 'she aint be takin care of her offspringz' argument?  All i am saying is that the 'childrearing' argument can only apply through a sexist perspective and not through an actual legit argument perspective.  Would people be having this argument if it was Mr. Palin who was chosen?

and speaking of sexism...



almost-Miss Alaska 

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I wouldn't base anything off of punditry.  They've had a pretty poor track record from all the Presidential elections I've followed (2000, 2004, 2008) and the types of people that would be appealed by Sarah Palin have a relatively small voice but have larger voter turnouts.

A lot of people on the internet are hoping that she will get buried but I think the end results will be a lot more positive for her until the VP debate with Biden.  Its the same type of people saying the same things so I'm not going to really think she will have as rough of a time as some want her to have.  We shall see. 

[y2kev]

dude, it's the same exact speech as yesterday

[ShogunOfFear]

I'll play the drinking game each time the GOP uses "maverick" if you guys take a shot with me everytime the dems say "Change".  We can get fucked up.

The funny thing is she has more executive experience than McCain or Obama, senators don't run states.  That's another thing interesting, she's the only governor on either ticket.  BTW have we ever had an election where both candidates were senators?  I'm watching football atm so too lazy to look it up.

[Mandark]

I thought Pawlenty was pretty much a lock for veep, but I doubt he'll be miffed for more than a day.

Maybe, but he worked to get McCain elected for over a year and now he finds himself stuck in Minnesota.  How's he going to spend his days, on a sex boat?

[recursivelyenumerable]

I was hoping to find out about some ritual or practice of the historical Vikings.  :'(

which ... would make less sense, I guess.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Pawlenty is a team player.  He's probably pissed but I doubt McCain is going to snub him.

Watching her speech in PA right now.....and I'm getting really nervous.  She's a pretty damned good speaker and she is absolutely trying to appeal to those Hilary supporters - referring to those women as "18 millions cracks in the glass ceiling that will break through this November" (well, paraphrasing sorta...).

Man oh man...

I don't think this is going to end well

Palin knows what she is doing.  Everyone here is pro Obama so they think that Palin was a bad choice in terms of what she can bring to the McCain table.  The pundits don't get her but to be honest, they don't get much of anything, unless it is a hindsight piece and of course, they always nail that because it is always 20/20.  They're like sportscasters, they fuck up constantly but they always find work because of the few times they get it right.

Her appeal is going to middle class women and this is what she is going to capture as much of as possible.  Fortunately Biden is a very good speaker as well and for the VP debates, he will run circles around her.  However, she has appeal (not just looks) and she will be making sure she gets as many middle class women (the Oprah viewers and The View viewers) as she can.  I think she will be pretty decent at it.  Obama/Biden is going to have to start getting more and more support from the male swing voters.

[Fresh Prince]

The only fault of evilbore (and GAF by extension) is that everybody relies too much on what their mama said. That being said these middle class women will be her most fierecest critics. She doesn't have the luxury of having a single grown child hence her family life will be under scrutiny especially regarding her attitude to her newborn and her political aspirations. Considering she is more 'glamourous' than Hillary I expect to see the nit picking on her appearence and manner to be ten fold.

I mean their are easy comparsions between her and Bush for the Democrats to exploit.  

[Madrun Badrun]

what does GOP stand for?  I've seen it 5 times in 3 days.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

The only fault of evilbore (and GAF by extension) is that everybody relies too much on what their mama said. That being said these middle class women will be her most fierecest critics. She doesn't have the luxury of having a single grown child hence her family life will be under scrutiny especially regarding her attitude to her newborn and her political aspirations. Considering she is more 'glamourous' than Hillary I expect to see the nit picking on her appearence and manner to be ten fold.

I mean their are easy comparsions between her and Bush for the Democrats to exploit.  

In the end, I hope you're right.  Just listening to McCain's crappy ass views alone should be enough to deter the masses from voting for him.  Plus this will destroy the PUMA idea of desperately trying to have a woman at the top position, even if she isn't capable of the job.  Now I'm not saying that women are incapable but Palin is not capable of high leadership and shouldn't be given a free pass because she has a vagina.  It is bad enough idiots like W slip through the cracks.  The day US politics looks past gender and race is the day something might actually be done right.  /idealist

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

i've heard many females say they wanted Hillary on the simple basis that "it's about time we had a woman in charge"

 

Yeah, people are idiots.  Voting for someone because they have a vagina is as brain dead as voting against someone because they have a vagina because in the end, you're still just superficially voting and not giving a damn about their policies.

[Fresh Prince]

i've heard many females say they wanted Hillary on the simple basis that "it's about time we had a woman in charge"

 

I'd like to give those pumas out there some credit and hope that they realise Palin is not Hillary even with policy differences aside.

[Phoenix Dark]

i'd just forget about them. the media places too much emphasis on a fringe group of feminists who don't matter. i'd be more concerned with middle class, independent women who like Obama but were disappointed that Hillary lost, and also don't consider abortion to be a game changing issue. i read one article that suggested this particular group could switch states like Michigan but honestly I think the mass of black votes will keep us in the democrat column. i'd be more worried about Ohio, a place where Obama is under performing

edit: And speaking of Ohio - whoops!

A counter to the outpouring of pro-Palin people from Dem campaign sources in Ohio:

 

    We've had multiple diehard Hillary supporters come into our office yesterday and today and say that HRC's speech didn't sway them and neither did Obama's, but they resent the Palin pick as trying to manipulate them and think it's insulting to compare her to Hillary, and they have gone from sitting this out to volunteering for Barack.

    There is a backlash we're seeing among HRC supporters who are now coming over.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/
 

[Phoenix Dark]

hell if that only happens in Ohio - but leads to Obama winning that state - I'd be perfectly happy.

[Fresh Prince]

Palin's got a lot of time to endear or alienate herself from women voters. Also if the 'media', democrats goes too hard on her then we'll get the Hillary effect 2.0.

[siamesedreamer]

I'm telling y'all, her looks are an issue for normal women.

[Mandark]

It's not just abortion where McCain's going to have problems with women.  He opposed the equal pay act after the Ledbetter ruling and opposed the S-CHIP extension.

Democrats could do worse than to constantly point out that McCain doesn't even want to spend government money on insurance for children in poverty.

[siamesedreamer]

Yeah, what's the deal with the equal pay thing? I heard that for the first time in Obama's speech.

[Mandark]

Supreme Court decision from last year.  Lily Ledbetter (who spoke at the DNC) sued Goodyear Tire for discriminatory pay.

The law on equal pay has a 180 day statute of limitations and the Supreme Court ruled that the clock starts ticking after the company makes a salary decision.  So even if a woman is getting paid less for equal work because of her gender right this very instant she can't sue if her last raise was more than half a year ago.

This isn't a Constitutional matter.  It's just statutory interpretation:  how is the law as written by Congress meant to be read?

After the ruling Democrats introduced a Lily Ledbetter equal pay act to clarify the 180 days as starting from the last unfair paycheck.  The GOP blocked it (in the Senate I think).

[Fragamemnon]

Equal pay for equal work got a huge response from the DNC audience, and it's something that you're going to hear about a lot as the season gets into full gear. The other big thing Dems should hit on is contraception-current GOP platform wording pretty much says "the pill should be banned", and I'd love to see McCain and/or Palin respond to being asked if they agree.

[Mandark]

The Palin choice reminds me of Michael Steele being tapped as Lt. Governor and later Senate candidate in Maryland.

The state GOP figured that black voters would support him because he's black.  He never broke with GOP orthodoxy on anything important to the black community and when Republican governor Ehrlich visited an all-white private country club Steele said something along the lines of "I don't follow golf."

You can guess how all that worked out.

[Human Snorenado]

The Palin choice reminds me of Michael Steele being tapped as Lt. Governor and later Senate candidate in Maryland.

The state GOP figured that black voters would support him because he's black.  He never broke with GOP orthodoxy on anything important to the black community and when Republican governor Ehrlich visited an all-white private country club Steele said something along the lines of "I don't follow golf."

You can guess how all that worked out.

Or former Pittsburgh Steelers WR Lynn Swann running as a Republican for PA Gov. against Eddie Rendell.  And getting the shit kicked out of him.

[drozmight]

This is basically McCain's trophy VP.

[MrAngryFace]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/30/obama-biden-em60-minutese_n_122688.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/30/palin-in-pennsylvania-its_n_122661.html -- extra lol

[tiesto]

I love the bit about Ford agreeing to be Reagan's VP but only if he secretly ran the White House.

This was also my response when I got offered a job writing software for a defense contractor.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'd tell you how they answered but it's classified.

[close]

If you don't mind me asking, what defense contractor was it?

Also, I was at my girlfriend's parents house for a family BBQ and her family (all hardcore evangelical Christians - my gf and I had a big fight about this that is still unsettled) and they all LOVE Palin. Go figure. Instead of being a "maverick" and attempting to bring the Republican party back to fiscal responsibility and smaller government, he attempts to tap into the evangelical base, the PUMAs who feel estranged by Hillary's loss, chicks who just want to see a chick in the White House, and those stupid people who will vote for McCain because "Palin's hot" (they're out there). It's a pretty shrewd move, I'll admit.

But on the other note, a few of my friends who are of the fiscal responsibility/smaller government/pro defense Republican type... absolutely hate the pick and now aren't voting for either.

Beforehand, if McCain won it wouldn't have been so bad (even though I've been probama from the start)... now, forget about it.

[Phoenix Dark]

The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate "has electrified conservative activists, providing a boost of energy to the GOP nominee-in-waiting from a key constituency that had been previously had been lukewarm -- at best -- about him," according to Politico.

"By tapping the anti-abortion and pro-gun Alaska governor just ahead of his convention, which is set to start here Monday, McCain hasn't just won approval from a skeptical Republican base -- he's ignited a wave of elation and emotion that has led some grassroots activists to weep with joy."

David Brody: "I'm telling you folks. The Evangelical base is revved up about this pick. A McCain campaign source told me that there is so much excitement from the Evangelical community about this pick that it's making their head spin."

http://politicalwire.com/

hm

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Yeah but the far right evangelicals and gun nuts would have voted for McCain anyway.  It is about the center and center-right voters that is the issue here.

As sad as it is, Palin's looks will be a bigger problem for McCain than his stance on equal pay.

[siamesedreamer]

After the ruling Democrats introduced a Lily Ledbetter equal pay act to clarify the 180 days as starting from the last unfair paycheck.  The GOP blocked it (in the Senate I think).

Smart move...

[siamesedreamer]

The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate "has electrified conservative activists, providing a boost of energy to the GOP nominee-in-waiting from a key constituency that had been previously had been lukewarm -- at best -- about him," according to Politico.

"By tapping the anti-abortion and pro-gun Alaska governor just ahead of his convention, which is set to start here Monday, McCain hasn't just won approval from a skeptical Republican base -- he's ignited a wave of elation and emotion that has led some grassroots activists to weep with joy."

David Brody: "I'm telling you folks. The Evangelical base is revved up about this pick. A McCain campaign source told me that there is so much excitement from the Evangelical community about this pick that it's making their head spin."

http://politicalwire.com/

hm

As of last night, they had raised over $7 million since the announcement. I don't know what good it does since he can't spend that money after next Thursday, but its definately a barometer of the excitement.

[The Fake Shemp]

Folks had a dinner party last night.  Several of the ladies were ecstatic over Palin and voting for McCain because "she is just like one of us".  Several beers later, they convinced my mom to follow suit.

[Phoenix Dark]

flip flopastrami

[Phoenix Dark]

he needs to go to Detroit. If Obama can get even a 60% turnout of black voters in Wayne County he wins the state hands down. I've seen his campaign downtown registering people but I really want to know just how big the effort is.

[Mr. Gundam]

plus her 16 year old daughter is preggers. You know, like Juno

http://www.spike.com/video/juno-like-city-in/2919340

She WAS pregnant. Supposedly.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

.

[laesperanzapaz]

I love the bit about Ford agreeing to be Reagan's VP but only if he secretly ran the White House.

This was also my response when I got offered a job writing software for a defense contractor.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'd tell you how they answered but it's classified.

[close]

If you don't mind me asking, what defense contractor was it?

Also, I was at my girlfriend's parents house for a family BBQ and her family (all hardcore evangelical Christians - my gf and I had a big fight about this that is still unsettled) and they all LOVE Palin. Go figure. Instead of being a "maverick" and attempting to bring the Republican party back to fiscal responsibility and smaller government, he attempts to tap into the evangelical base, the PUMAs who feel estranged by Hillary's loss, chicks who just want to see a chick in the White House, and those stupid people who will vote for McCain because "Palin's hot" (they're out there). It's a pretty shrewd move, I'll admit.

But on the other note, a few of my friends who are of the fiscal responsibility/smaller government/pro defense Republican type... absolutely hate the pick and now aren't voting for either.

Beforehand, if McCain won it wouldn't have been so bad (even though I've been probama from the start)... now, forget about it.

we really really really really need more of these people.  i mean, i disagree with them on many fronts but by god it's better than a far right theocracy.  better than a christian iran that's poisoning the govt

[laesperanzapaz]

wait so palin tried to fool everyone that she was preggers, that kid with the down syndrome, and all that 'i'm keeping hte baby'

so that she could hide her 16yo sexcapades

to please the religious right?

....

[Beardo]

we really really really really need more of these people.  i mean, i disagree with them on many fronts but by god it's better than a far right theocracy.  better than a christian iran that's poisoning the govt

You mean libertarians? 

wait so palin tried to fool everyone that she was preggers, that kid with the down syndrome, and all that 'i'm keeping hte baby'

so that she could hide her 16yo sexcapades

to please the religious right?

Is there any real proof to this claim? Why would she hide a 16 year old daughter getting pregnant.

[Beardo]

If she wanted to really impress the religious right she would make her daughter pull a Juno shenanigan and proclaim how great her family values are. The she can get the sympathy votes.

[AdmiralViscen]

Why would anyone travel like 16 hours after her water breaking to give birth to a premature baby in a bumblefuck little town instead of one of the two major cities she was present in in the interim?

Cohen, PM

[MrAngryFace]

nm cant get a good video link

[Beardo]

Why would anyone travel like 16 hours after her water breaking to give birth to a premature baby in a bumblefuck little town instead of one of the two major cities she was present in in the interim?

Cohen, PM

I dont know. But is that really a reason to not be a VP?

[AdmiralViscen]

Who said that this was a reason not to be VP?

[Phoenix Dark]

ahhh i get it now. initially i thought her daughter was currently preggers. it's an interesting rumor (and seems true due to those pictures) but ehhh...dunno. seems a bit too extravagant, ala Obama=moslem

[Fresh Prince]

As soon as she hits on it in a speech someone is going to either prove or disprove the story, but until then i can't see it being anything more than a personal issue that should be kept that way.  As much as I dislike her politics, I can't condone bringing family business into the public sphere.  However if she starts using the story as a sop to the religious right, and someone breaks it wide open, that is her fault.

After the 'Obama is a muslim', I think the Democrats need all the help they can get and play dirty.

[Phoenix Dark]

As soon as she hits on it in a speech someone is going to either prove or disprove the story, but until then i can't see it being anything more than a personal issue that should be kept that way.  As much as I dislike her politics, I can't condone bringing family business into the public sphere.  However if she starts using the story as a sop to the religious right, and someone breaks it wide open, that is her fault.

After the 'Obama is a muslim', I think the Democrats need all the help they can get and play dirty.

it might endear her to women even more though.

my mom also brought up the point that as women get older the chances of them conceiving a fucked up kid rise. it probably is her kid.

FA: Have you given your mom info on Obama's positions and such? There are a lot of people who just refuse to look up any info on the man so they can just say "what do we REALLLY know about Obama?" smh. Most people agree that the economy is screwed up and that McCain is the same as Bush, they just don't trust Obama sadly

[Fresh Prince]

That while she was busy playing politics, her family was falling apart?

[Beardo]

That while she was busy playing politics, her family was falling apart?

Ah so a woman in politics = playing??

[Crushed]

FA: Have you given your mom info on Obama's positions and such? There are a lot of people who just refuse to look up any info on the man so they can just say "what do we REALLLY know about Obama?" smh. Most people agree that the economy is screwed up and that McCain is the same as Bush, they just don't trust Obama sadly

My dad's the same way, though he's also racist. (his excuse is that blacks "betrayed" him and the other educated whites after they helped to fight for civil rights)

"He was at a Muslim school! I don't trust him."
"But he's not a Muslim, and even if he was, religion can't be a barrier for public office."
"I know he's not a Muslim, I'm just saying that he was at a Muslim school and his father was a murdering Muslim Mau Mau."
"...but how does that-"
"I don't trust him; we shouldn't elect Mau Maus to the Presidency."

[Fresh Prince]

Ah so a woman in politics = playing??

From a socially conservative view woman in politics = playing. Yes.

[Beardo]

Ah so a woman in politics = playing??

From a socially conservative view woman in politics = playing. Yes.

Ah ah ah Those were your words buddy.

I consider myself socially conservative and I dont know wtf your talking about.

[Beardo]

I was on my way to the gym when she called me so I didn't get to talk to her for more than 10 minutes, but I did give her some basics.  Essentially, I told her she needs to stop paying attention to the smear ads and email forwards and start learning more for herself.  I asked her how she felt about Roe v. Wade, about taxes, about the economy, and how she felt about Bush.

How does your mom feel about taxes?

[Fresh Prince]

Ah ah ah Those were your words buddy.

I consider myself socially conservative and I dont know wtf your talking about.

Jesus learn about context and povs. How can you be socially conservative if you don't know what you believe in? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_conservatism
Mothers main aim in life is to care for their children and husbands and careers are always secondary in nature.

[Beardo]

Ah ah ah Those were your words buddy.

I consider myself socially conservative and I dont know wtf your talking about.

Jesus learn about context and povs. How can you be socially conservative if you don't know what you believe in? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_conservatism
Mothers main aim in life is to care for their children and husbands and careers are always secondary in nature.

That's funny the wikipedia page has nothing about Mothers or women's "place" in society. I guess the left and you re just assuming things you really shouldn't.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though if you can link me to a right wing pundit saying that "Women in political positions are just playing"

[Crushed]

For fuck's sake "playing politics" doesn't mean "pretending" it means that someone is just making political moves for their personal gain.

[Flannel Boy]

my mom also brought up the point that as women get older the chances of them conceiving a fucked up kid rise. it probably is her kid.

Yeah, a 44-year-old woman's fetus is about thirty times more likely to have Down syndrome than a 16-year-old's.




Come on Beardo, many social conservatives believe in traditional gender roles, meaning that they'd think it was wrong that Sarah Palin worked at all.

[Beardo]

For fuck's sake "playing politics" doesn't mean "pretending" it means that someone is just making political moves for their personal gain.

So black people in politics are just "playing?"

smh @ beardo and his knee jerk reaction

This is what he said

That while she was busy playing politics, her family was falling apart?

He's asserting that conservatives want women at home baking pies and we cant handle a strong women with children which is complete BS.

[Flannel Boy]

I don't know, I can easily imagine someone like Laura Schlessinger or Michale Coren, a socially conservative Canadian broadcaster, saying something like that.

[Beardo]

"Playing politics" is a common enough term that opening it up to reinterpretation is pretty dumb, like cable news pundit grade dumb.

Not the way he used it.

I don't know, I can easily imagine someone like Laura Schlessinger or Michale Coren, a socially conservative Canadian broadcaster, saying something like that.

I'll retract my posts if you can find a link to one of them saying that within the past 10 years.

[MrAngryFace]

"Playing politics" is a common enough term that opening it up to reinterpretation is pretty dumb, like cable news pundit grade dumb.

Not the way he used it.

I don't know, I can easily imagine someone like Laura Schlessinger or Michale Coren, a socially conservative Canadian broadcaster, saying something like that.

I'll retract my posts if you can find a link to one of them saying that within the past 10 years.

PROOF? lol haha just a little FoC humor