BTW - her Wikipedia article seems to be a subject of intense focus. Look at the history - at the moment, it looks like there have been about 50 edits in less than an hour and a half…
We actually get to vote in the upcoming election on whether or not to allow sales of beer on Sundays – last time this came up for a vote was in the 70’s, when it was soundly defeated. Nobody’s managed to muster up enough signatures for a petition again until now.
Given that I live in one of the most conservative counties in the US, I definitely don’t underestimate the power of social conservatives. Even so, I think she’s gonna turn out to be a bad choice.
I think it’s going to be very close, but not because of Palin. It was going to be close anyway, and everyone who is saying that McCain managed to find the perfect running mate would have been saying that about anyone he picked, because they were never going to vote for Obama anyway. You have to rationalize your choices, so getting behind Palin in a big way is simply folks’ way of avoiding cognitive dissonance (look it up!).
Here’s an article discussing the effect Palin’s selection has had on a conservative base that was previously lukewarm toward McCain’s campaign: link
Yeah, I think if you had a time machine and went back to an alternate past and McCain had picked someone else, you’d do a search and replace for Palin in that exact story with his different nomination and the story would be (mostly) the same.
That’s just ridiculous. The one avoiding cognitive dissonance here is you. She may not be “perfect” but she’s clearly a very different pick from the lineup of old establishment men that McCain was supposed to choose from, and whom Biden was specifically selected to counter.
I’d vote for Obama over McCain if I was American, Palin or not, but I don’t think there’s any doubt that she improved McCain’s chances. She may win over some indifferent voters, and that’s more than anyone would have expected from McCain’s running mate.
I partially disagree. I don’t think he had to pick her specifically, but he had to pick a social conservative. If he had picked someone like Lieberman, a lot of conservative people would have still been holding their noses as they voted for McCain, or might not have voted at all. I know several people who weren’t planning to vote in this election because they felt their socially conservative views weren’t appreciated, but they’re very energized now. They feel that they finally have a horse in this race.
It does shore up the base for McCain, but that’s not going to be enough to win an election this time out. Democrats have about a 10 point edge on party id this cycle, unlike back in 2000 when they had about a 3 point edge.
This has a simple chart you can play with.
On spreadsheet grounds Palin helps, but that doesn’t include the high chance of her committing some major gaffes between now and election day. I figure her impact has nowhere to go but down.
OK, enough of this bullshit. That is a direct personal insult to over half of these boards, having nothing to do with the topic of the thread. Rollory you are a fucking dick. No, really, I personally think you are a rude, thoughtless, arrogant, prick. FUCK YOU. And shut up by the way, since you have nothing substantive to say.
Normally I don’t get down into flame war bullshit, and I try to stay heavily on substance. But I’ve had enough of this. Fuck you Rollory. Those comments were clearly inappropriate, not to mention incorrect. Shut the fuck up.
I watched a bunch of interviews and she’s not more gaffe prone than the other candidates. She can be disarming in a debate, and knows how to turn any question into an energy talking point. She only has to stay on script for two months.
I’ve been scanning right wing sites all weekend. I think a lot of people are underestimating the enthusiasm she brings. She does more than shore up the base, she gets people going absolutely nuts. The comments read like it’s Boston and the Red Sox are playing in the 2004 World Series. People were critical and lukewarm about McCain – with her, it’s all cheering. Hardcore conservatives think she’s hardcore; moderates think she’s moderate. Two months is not long enough for the glow to fade.
Absolutely. In fact, Gallup’s three-day poll now has two days of Palin in it-- and Obama’s lead went from 49-41 to 48-42. That about wraps it up.
Yeah; Lieberman, Kay Baily Hutchinson, Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney or the Ebay women (Cant remember her name) would have been a train wreck! Tim Pawlenty was the safe pick but a little on the boring side, Sarah Palin on the other hand is exciting for socially conservatives!
I’d recommend you read James Fallows on this.
Unless you have seen it first first-hand, as part of the press scrum or as a campaign staffer, it is almost impossible to imagine how grueling the process of running for national office is. Everybody gets exhausted. The candidates have to answer questions and offer views roughly 18 hours a day, and any misstatement on any topic can get them in trouble. Why do candidates so often stick to a stump speech that they repeat event after event and day after day? Because they’ve worked out the exact way to put their positions on endless thorny issues – Iraq, abortion, the Middle East, you name it – and they know that creative variation mainly opens new complications.
If someone is campaigning for the presidency or vice presidency, there’s an extra twist. That person has to have a line of argument to offer on any conceivable issue. Quick, without pausing in the next ninety seconds, tell me what you think about: the balance of relations between Taiwan and mainland China, and exactly what signals we’re sending to Hamas, and what we think about Russia’s role in the G-8 and potentially in NATO, and where North Korea stands on its nuclear pledges – plus Iran while we’re at it, plus the EU after the Irish vote, plus cap-and-trade as applied to India and China, and what’s the right future for South Ossetia; and let’s not even start on domestic issues.
The point about every one of those issues is that there is a certain phrase or formulation that might seem perfectly innocent to a normal person but that can cause a big uproar. Without going into the details, there is all the difference in the world between saying “Taiwan and mainland China” versus “Taiwan and China.” The first is policy as normal; the second – from an important US official – would light up the hotline between DC and Beijing.
She’s not dumb or something, it’s just that if VP is your first time to deal with the national political grind you’re going to regularly blow it.
Here we have a case of her whole-hearted support for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it.
- Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?
Yes. I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now - while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.
And here we have some serious lol.
- Are you offended by the phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?
SP: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance.
I am glad to know that our long-lived founding fathers were still alive and well in 1956 and decided to rectify that little oversight of “under god” not being in the damn pledge before then.
Diddy says McCain is buggin’ the fuck out!
Just popping into P&R to say “Go to hell”.
The Palin pick may be great for winning, but it shows zero regard for governing.
Troy
Crispus, they had a horse in this race back when Fred Thompson announced he was running. So what happened to the awesome power of an armada of fully energized social conservatives? Apparently there are not enough of them to turn an election.
This is the best political analysis I’ve seen today.
“…ALASKA, MOTHERFUCKER? There’s not even any crackheads in Alaska!”
The Knik so called bridge to nowhere isn’t quite what it’s made out to be in the national news. Thousands commute to Anchorage the long way from across the Knik arm every day. The bridge would cut the commute from near an hour to 15 minutes (depending exactly where they were). Not to mention Anchorage is fast running out of land for building, water and and national parks on all sides, with the bridge in place I have no doubt construction would explode across the arm. If the bridge ever does get built I can’t imagine it would lack for traffic.
Not that that is an any way a vote of confidence for Sarah Palin let alone Ted Stevens.
The issue is that McCain and Palin are touting her opposition to the bridge as proof of her being a maverick when she didn’t oppose it at all.