Breaking on CNN earlier.
Hmm. Thoughts?
When I saw then together on CNN, THIS is all I could think of...
I would've preferred Clark, being that he's twice the military man that John "Reverse Ace" McCain is, but Biden will definitely do. I'm just glad they didn't pick the super bland (Bayh, Sebilus) or the super-divisive (Hillary) and instead decided to put a true Bad Cop on the Hope Squad. Now Obama's free to represent the hope and change of the campaign while Biden gets to light McCain up for all of his gaffes.
Biden got a few good digs in during his acceptance speech, but I'm looking forward to his mocking the McCain campaign's habit of trotting out the 'POW' line with a frequency that'd make Rudy "9/11 9/11 9/11" Guliani go "Hey now, slow it down a bit".
In other news, John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his VP. Yup, a woman. So while the Dems get to elect the first black president, the Reps get to elect the first female vice pres.
Oh, yeah, he's definitely trying to pick up disillusioned Clinton voters.
I think McCain forgot the other criteria for a Vice President beyond "rallying the voters": pick someone who'll be able to lead immediately if you happen to drop dead. This is a desperate electoral-based pick.
EDIT: Oh dear God that poor woman just name-dropped Hillary in her speech. Hillary is going to LIGHT HER UP.
I love how McCain criticizes Obama for lack of experience, and then goes ahead and picks a woman with even less experience than Obama so that he can get the butthurt Hillary voters.
She is kinda cute for a governor, though.
I love how McCain criticizes Obama for lack of experience, and then goes ahead and picks a woman with even less experience than Obama so that he can get the butthurt Hillary voters.
Sarah Palin isn't running for President. Obama is.
Sarah Palin is a first-term Governor, having served as governor since November 7, 2006 before being tabbed for VP over a year-and-a-half later today.
Barack Obama is a first-term Senator, having served as a US Senator since January 7, 2005. He logged in 143 days of work when the Senate was in session before formally announcing his exploratory committee to become President.
In any case, when it comes to executive experience, Sarah Palin - having been both a Mayor and a Governor - has more than Obama. And Biden. And McCain for that matter.
But then again, I don't see how relevant any of this is, given that VPs have historically had less experience overall than the actual Presidential campaign. And since Obama is campaigning against McCain and not Palin, I don't get your point.
FWIW, I think Obama could learn a lot more from Palin than Palin could learn from him (if anything).
Yes, because governing a state with a population smaller than Houston's is good experience.
The point of a vice president is to replace the president if he dies or resigns, and with McCain's age, this is quite possible. This woman does not have enough experience to effectively fulfill this task. She has been governor of Alaska for less than two years, and the mayor of a town with less than 10,000 people. If McCain gets elected, and she has to take over for whatever reason, do you really think she will be able to run the country effectively?
And as for her having more executive experience than Obama, I think it's silly to take only that into account and disregard Obama's experience in the Illinois senate, where he served for nearly 8 years. Overall, he is the more experienced politician, and is quite capable of being the President.
Yes, because governing a state with a population smaller than Houston's is good experience.
Less than 20 miles away from Russia, about 100,000 people or less than the state of Delaware (where Biden hails from, FTR), a big player on the geopolitical scene due to its fossil fuel resources...
Meanwhile, compare that with Obama, who has governed...nothing. Hasn't even had to maintain or operate a budget. I guess that's why he can make such lofty promises.
The point of a vice president is to replace the president if he dies or resigns, and with McCain's age, this is quite possible. This woman does not have enough experience to effectively fulfill this task. She has been governor of Alaska for less than two years, and the mayor of a town with less than 10,000 people. If McCain gets elected, and she has to take over for whatever reason, do you really think she will be able to run the country effectively?
Theodore Roosevelt became governor of New York in January of 1899. Left office less than a year later in December of 1900 to become McKinley's Vice President. Hmm...
I trust her more than Obama and Biden.
And as for her having more executive experience than Obama, I think it's silly to take only that into account and disregard Obama's experience in the Illinois senate, where he served for nearly 8 years. Overall, he is the more experienced politician, and is quite capable of being the President.
Served for 8 years and accomplished...what? Getting sweetheart deals from Tony Rezko? Delivering the earmarks for his district (such as the $1,000,000 earmarked for the hospital Michelle worked at, the same hospital where she got a humongous raise without being promoted?)? Somehow losing any information he might have learned at Columbia University about basic facts about history, economics, and the Constitution? Give me some hard information here. Being a liberal in Chicago is not that hard.
Besides, the Obama campaign has said as much so many times before...it's about judgment, not experience.
Even by that standard, I trust Palin's judgment more than Obama's.
You'd trust the judgment of someone closely associated with Ted 'Internet is a Series of Tubes, Pork Barrel Spending King and Bridge To Nowhere architect' Stevens? You'd trust a polar bear-hating revenge-firing Creationism-believing pale imitation of Hillary Clinton over two guys with decades of public service apiece?
Seriously, really? I'd hope you weren't misled so easily.
You'd trust the judgment of someone closely associated with Ted 'Internet is a Series of Tubes, Pork Barrel Spending King and Bridge To Nowhere architect' Stevens?
Ted Stevens, the 'Bridge to Nowhere' guy? The same Bridge to Nowhere that Gov. Palin turned down? The same Ted Stevens whose primary opponents were supported by Gov. Palin while he was denounced heavily by her?
Palin served as Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004; she resigned in protest over the actions of her fellow Alaskan GOP leaders, including then-Alaskan Governor Frank Murkowski. Essentially, they were ignoring her reports of rampant GOP corruption. When she chose to run for Governor, the GOP establishment ignored her and supported the incumbent Murkowski. Palin beat him, and went on to beat former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles with no support from Alaskan GOP leadership.
So no, the whole 'Palin-Stevens' thing doesn't fly.
You'd trust a polar bear-hating revenge-firing Creationism-believing pale imitation of Hillary Clinton over two guys with decades of public service apiece?
Polar-bear hating: You mean suing to keep them off the endangered species list? Even though their population has grown since the 1950s? Woopty-doo.
Revenge-firing: *grins* Ah, this one. Read and be informed.
"Palin used her position as Governor to get back at the man whom her sister was divorcing, and fired the man who refused to fire her sister's ex-husband". This is the slimiest attack that the Democrats and the media will launch. It concerns a current investigation into allegations that Governor Palin fired former Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not bend to her will.
When Palin fired Monegan, her office gave no reason for her decision. As the Commissioner serves at the discretion of the Governor, no reason is needed. In an effort to save his job and get back at the person who fired him, Monegan claimed that he was fired because he would not fire an Alaskan State Trooper, Michael Wooten, who was going through a messy divorce with Palin's sister. Recently, the Associated Press ran an article about some tapes that surfaced regarding phone calls made by some of Palin's staff worried about Wooten - and worried about the safety of the Palin family:
JUNEAU, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday said at least two dozens calls were made from her staff members to Department of Public Safety officials questioning the employment of a trooper who went through a messy divorce with Palin's sister.
But Palin maintained none was done at her direction, a claim backed up by one administration member caught on tape.
...The Palins have accused Wooten of drunken driving, illegal hunting and firing a Taser at his 11-year-old stepson, Palin's nephew. These allegations led to an internal investigation, which occurred before she ran for governor.
Todd Palin has said the family was concerned about the governor's safety, claiming Wooten threatened to kill Sarah Palin's father and made vague threats to her. Todd Palin has said he took concerns about Wooten directly to Monegan.
So, the tapes seem to prove that Governor Palin was unaware that anyone from her office was aware of this, which should take care of questions about Palin's possible complicity. But we should go past that, and look at the facts of the entire situation. Even if this investigation shows that someone in Palin's office did pressure the Public Safety Commissioner to fire Wooten, this is a fight that we should relish having with the white male hierarchy of the Democratic Party and the drive-by media. Let's get all of the dirt about Wooten out in the open. Show that the police union and the Commissioner were protecting him, and then ask why? What would any American do, if faced with the same situation - an overt threat to their family?
Over the years, many of the allegations against Wooten - including the fact that he Tasered Palin's sister's 10 year old son and threatened the life of Palin's father - have turned out to be true:
Grimes suspended Wooten for 10 days. He also was punished for illegally shooting a moose and using a Taser on his 10-year-old stepson. The trooper admitted to using the Taser on his stepson in a "training capacity" and said he shot a moose on his wife's tag, but didn't think the act was illegal.
...Wall's investigation did find that Wooten threatened Palin's sister, Molly McCann, with shooting her father if he hired a lawyer to represent her. Wooten denied making the statement, but Palin, McCann and Palin's son all confirmed that he did.
Wall said the act wasn't a crime because Palin's father was not present when Wooten made the statement.
Who the heck uses a Taser on a 10 year old kid!? It appears as if Wooten's gotten off scott-free so far, and it's those that are protecting him that should be ashamed.
So no, that one doesn't fly.
Creationism-believing: And? It means diddly-squat if she isn't going to force schools to teach it. From the gubernatorial race in 2006:
In an interview Thursday, Palin said she meant only to say that discussion of alternative views should be allowed to arise in Alaska classrooms:
"I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. It doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."
She added that, if elected, she would not push the state Board of Education to add such creation-based alternatives to the state's required curriculum.
Members of the state school board, which sets minimum requirements, are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature.
"I won't have religion as a litmus test, or anybody's personal opinion on evolution or creationism," Palin said.
Evidence to contradict?
Pale imitation of Hillary Clinton: Well, not as pale. A conservative governor. Certainly like her more than Hillary. I trust her more than Hillary, who I'd trust more than Obama (begrudgingly).
Two guys with decades of public service apiece: Both of whom having been on the far left-wing side of the political spectrum (Obama and Biden were, respectively, the #1 and #3 most liberal senators in the nation last year, more so than avowed socialist Bernie Sanders) for that time, whilst also showing to be consistently wrong on big issues of national importance, and spouting old liberal policies that have failed time and again throughout history. So...no.
Seriously, really? I'd hope you weren't misled so easily.
I would say that there are infinitely more people who have been misled by the Anointed One, the Obamessiah. But hey, that's just how I think.
So, is the Kool-Aid cherry-flavored? You're certainly drinking it with vigor.
C'mon, your refutations are barely rational. That was her in the ad I posted, with Stevens in 2006. Stevens was stumping for her in 2006, and he's still stumping for her. Not to mention that she never actually FOUGHT the bridge, and only killed it after the feds told her "no more funding for it".
And trying to get the polar bears knocked down from 'endangered' to 'threatened' so the unneeded drilling can commence?
As for the Trooper-Gate "refutation", going to American Thinker for info is about as truthful as going to the Free Republic comments sections. And by golly, when a "LIBERALISM IS A DISEASE" website can only provide a "she didn't know what her staffers were doing" Bush-style defense, you know they're running on vapors.
Oh, and she laughs at cancer-survivors being called "b*tch". And also has no idea what the Vice President actually does.
And seriously, "executive experience"? The mayor of Indianapolis has more executive experience than her merely by way of population count. You don't see HIM being vetted, do you?
Fact is, the Pubbies are deflated right now. Oh, they put on a brave face, but the smiles are forced and it's hard to hear their sorrows over the screeching sound of their spin-machines. "It's not so bad" they say. Nope, it's worse. McCain's dropped "country-first" for "election-first" and bought into the whole PUMA-nonsense (remenants of Limbaugh's Operation Chaos). He's going to get screwed over by his very own party because they fooled him into believing that picking just ANY woman would blind the uteruses of the actual Hillary supporters and bring them to his side. That's not how it works, McCain.
If Barack Obama is not ready to lead, despite his astounding insight into foreign policy for a newbie (holy crap, maybe we should meet with hostile foreign leaders and figure out what their damage is! Obama was so right on that one that the Bush administration changed their stance on it during an election season) and his ability to connect with the peoples of other countries (which, as LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD, should be quite important) and having Joe Biden as an experience-blanket to keep him in check, then Sarah Palin is so far away from 'ready to lead' that she doesn't even know what it looks like.
Obama was so right on that one that the Bush administration changed their stance on it during an election season
Sorry, but I've got to hear this one. When was this?
Condi meeting with Iran diplomats? US diplomats meeting with North Korean diplomats? All of this in the last couple months? Ringing any bells here?
Also, the Iraq timetable Obama supported? Another Obama policy the Bush admin co-opted.
I can almost SMELL the buyer's remorse from the Republican side.
*eyes nearly roll out of sockets*
It is mind-boggling that this is the ploy that the conservative faction is playing to win, so dire are their straits it seems. I smell the attempt to paint Democrats as woman-haters here. When the vice-presidential debates occur, I wouldn't be surprised if they said Senator Biden's debating will be an indication of the Dems treating women as inferior.
"FWIW, I think Obama could learn a lot more from Palin than Palin could learn from him (if anything)."
This one mystifies me. I'm vaguely certain the POTUS doesn't need to know how to shoot wildlife or leave a small city in $20 million of debt. But if the point is purely executive experience, any mayor/city planner/municipal board member of any city anywhere is more qualified than Obama, McCain, and Biden--because they're legislators.
"Less than 20 miles away from Russia, about 100,000 people or less than the state of Delaware (where Biden hails from, FTR), a big player on the geopolitical scene due to its fossil fuel resources..."
I'm pretty bloody puzzled by accounting for the proximity to Russia and the population. If this were several centuries ago when the words "territorial borders" were the punchline to a geopolitical joke, worrying about the proximity to Russia might be valid. But since the Seven Years' War is no longer raging, it's unlikely that the Cossacks are going to invade Alaska for a raid. Governing a state and representing it in the federal legislature is not a valid comparison, so the population quip has no meaning. As for Russia's importance in geopolitics, when Ms. Palin goes toe to toe with as many foreign heads of state as Senator Biden, this statement may in time become relevant.
"Theodore Roosevelt became governor of New York in January of 1899. Left office less than a year later in December of 1900 to become McKinley's Vice President. Hmm..."
T. Roosevelt also served as a New York state legislator, New York City police commissioner, and Assistant Secretary of the Navy prior to his gubernatorial election. Incidentally, William McKinley also knew Roosevelt personally long before selecting him as his ticket partner. Hmm indeed.
There were and are any number of Republicans well-suited to the task of vice president, and many considerably more so than Ms. Palin. Her particular selection indicates three important points for Senator McCain's odds:
1. He needed someone to solidify his conservative street cred before the Republicans all but abandoned him from pure scepticism.
2. He needed someone of the next generation down to ensure the ticket didn't have two dinosaurs on it.
3. He needed to stick something to the Dems in some way; it happened to be that she has a uterus. If you believe she brought anything else of value to this ticket (that is, anything of practicality to the job), I dare say I would be enlightened to hear it.
I do hope Obama wins the presidency, but it would have been nice had he picked Hillary as his VP. But Bidin doesn't seem to be to bad.
FWIW, I think Obama could learn a lot more from Palin than Palin could learn from him (if anything).
In b4 keeping the family in check and daughters from getting knocked up. 
