My obnoxious post earlier aside — this pick is catastrophically bad.
Most obviously, this pick is a craven attempt to try and peel off just enough women for McCain to win. That’s the math now in McCain land. All of the grandiose talk McCain had about new politics, about being a maverick is now boiled down to just a stunt in an attempt to win the White House. Key to this new math is the expectation that women will vote for McCain/Palin, just because she’s a woman, which would mean that McCain thinks that millions of women in America voted for Hillary Clinton because of her chromosomes. Never mind the fact that she had years of experience and a compelling message (a compelling message, by the way, is something that the McCain camp is still missing).
I cannot find a single person on a national ticket, ever, who is more unqualified than Sarah Palin — the only one that comes to mind is Spiro Agnew, and it should be noted that Baltimore county (Agnew was a county exec before he was Governor of Maryland) had about 450K people, not 8K. The 5th Congressional District has approximately 615K people, Alaska has about 680K people. She has served as Governor for all of about 20 months in a state with about half the population of Hennepin County — a state mind you that is flush in petrodollars. She hasn’t had to deal with a difficult budget, she has no practical experience with the difficult arts of governance — let alone the experience necessary to be President. She shows little or no understanding of foriegn policy and the response of the McCain camp to this, is that she’ll learn at McCain’s feet, the very robust sexism of that comment aside — do we need a vice president who needs to learn at the feet of a 72 year old cancer survivor?
Hillary Clinton could have been President — not because of her gender, but because of her judgement, her experience and her wisdom — these are as far as we can tell traits that Palin lacks.
And finally, more than Sarah Palin what this pick says
John McCain showed with this pick — his first presidential choice — that he doesn’t have the judgement or the character to be President of the United States. A guy who has run on his fealty to the country picked as his #2 someone wholly incapable of leading it.
[Edit]And, one thing earlier I forgot to mention, McCain met Palin once before last Wednesday and spoke to her on the phone just one other time. Think about that for a second, he picked a person who won’t help him govern any better but who he cravenly thinks will help him campaign better after having only met her once in person before last Wednesday.
That shows me pretty clearly that he doesn’t have the judgement, the temperment, or the values to be President.
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I actually agree with this comment - “this pick is catastrophically bad.”…for the Dems.
Yes, it is an attempt to get the women voters. Besides blacks, this is the largest group by percentage who are voting for Obama. This is large voter block to overcome. If he would have chosen a black, you would say the same thing. If fact, if he choose anyone but a white male, you would have said the same thing. And then, if he did choose a white male, you would have stated that this was the same old good ole boy GOP. What kind of change are we going to get from Biden, a 36-year career Senate politician beside racist comments about Indians?
“the expectation that women will vote for McCain/Palin, just because she’s a woman”, well since millions of blacks vote for Obama because he is black, why wouldn’t a woman vote for a woman? Or only blacks allowed to vote for someone who looks like them? Careful with your rhetoric – your biases are showing.
“I cannot find a single person on a national ticket, ever, who is more unqualified than Sarah Palin” – Try this link http://www.barackobama.com
Seriously – Sarah Palin has had to LEAD an organization, not just clamor for “Change”. She has beaten incumbents and well-known contenders. She has actually IMPLEMETED change, rather than just speechifying about it. BO’s entire time in the Senate (the same amount of time Palin has been dealing with issues and implementing change) had been dedicated to running for President, while wracking up the most liberal record among his colleagues Name one bill (not an amendment) that he wrote that has been voted into law.
Again, Sarsh Palin is bad…. for ObamaKinBiden.
Blacks are voting for Obama not because he’s black, but because he’s a democrat. Democrats represent people of color better than republicans.
African Americans have been voting overwhelmingly democratic for the last thirty years, at least.
“not one bill that he wrote that has been voted into law.”
http://obama.senate.gov/press/061206-congress_passes/
Furthermore, all of the following bills were co-sponsored with republicans.
The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act with john McCain
The Transparecy in Govt. Act with Sen. Coburn
Nuclear proliferation legislation with Sen. Richard Lugar
Honest leadership and Open Govt. Act
Stop the lies, MO, or you’ll end up in the dumpster with swiffer.
MO I agree 100%, Sarah palin has implemented change in Alaska,
Smaller government, lower taxes, creationism, anti-abortionism, anti-gay, and a belief that global warming is not man-made are the types of change everyone in America is hungry for. That’s just common sense.
McCains choice of Sarah Palin proves he is a bold, strong, steady reformer dedicated to changing the tone in Washington, and will herald an era of compassionate conservatism to the White House.
I can guarantee you that Sarah Palin will help restore honor and respect and dignity to the White House. There’s not going to be any ‘controlling legal authority.’ Let’s return honor and respect to the political process by supporting McCains choice, and not accepting any view that says otherwise.
Because we Minnesota Republican bloggers have a track record of accurately predicting the outcomes of any issue, we say Sarsh Palin is bad…. for ObamaKinBiden, and that is true because we say so.
Anyone who disagrees…..um….(fingers in ears) LA LA LA LA LA LA
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Mike (MO)
lojasmo,
Sounds like you are threatening me. And here I thought Dems were pacifists.
Where is your proof that Obama actually authored the bill, as I stated? In fact, your list of co-sponsored bills again DOES NOT address my statement he has not AUTHORED any substantive legislation.
And, you FNI, Obama was not even in office when the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act was submitted. And, to further ad insult to injury, it was never even voted on. Liar, Liar, pants on fire.
“Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (“McCain-Kennedy Bill”, S. 1033) was an immigration reform bill introduced in the United States Senate on May 12, 2005 by Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy……….
Honest leadership and Open Govt. Act was SPONSORED by HARRY REID http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-1. Damn man, do your homework. You are embarrassing yourself.
“Democrats represent people of color better than republicans.” Really? Blacks oppose abortion and gay marriage, and want school choice. Seems that these are Republican issues. And speaking of color, does that mean Indians enjoy being made fun of by Senator Biden?
As for Abortion. http://www.lifenews.com/nat3349.html Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A new poll finds that black pro-life voters are more likely to support Republican candidates than African-American voters overall, but that they still tend to vote for Democrats. The survey also found that blacks and Hispanics are more likely to oppose abortion and embryonic stem cell research than white Americans.
So is Sarah Palin “unqualified” to be Vice President, your words not mine, because she’s the governor of Alaska, a reformer, a businesswoman, a mayor and a mother? Or is she “unqualified” because she’s a pro-life woman? As far as experience goes, she’s been governor only eighteen months less than Obama has been in the Senate. She’s the only person on both tickets with executive experience. As far as Hillary goes, Hillary has only been in the Senate two years longer than Norm Coleman. I guess that makes Norm almost as qualified as Hillary to be President. I think the attacks against Gov. Palin are mean spirited and pathetic. I can’t wait to see her debate Biden. I make two predictions: (1) Biden will come off as an angry, patronizing bastard, and (2) Palin will make minced meat out of him.
P.S. Geraldine Ferraro was a virtual unknown with only 6 years in the House (being one person out of 435) when she was picked for Mondale in 1984. Ferraro had such distinguished legislative experience which included stints on the Post Office Committee and the Public Works Committee. She had little foreign policy experience and no executive experience yet I don’t remember anyone saying Ferraro was unqualified. She was and so is Gov. Palin.
Chris….I would note that Ferraro didn’t win either, did she? Palin’s not qualified either.
Cheryl,
I’m sure that Congresswoman Ferraro would be very disappointed to hear that some of Senator Obama’s supporters don’t think she was qualified to be Vice President. She’s been complimentary of Gov. Palin and she hasn’t made up her mind about whether or not to support Obama. I don’t think Obama’s supporters like you would help that cause.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
I think the attacks against Gov. Palin are mean spirited and pathetic. When it comes to attacks against people we disagree with, only we Minnesota Republican bloggers are allowed to be mean spirited and pathetic. because we are always 100% correct on every issue. We are always 100% correct, as history will prove someday down the road at an undetermined date.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
She’s obviously qualified to be Vice President/President of the United States:
“No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.”
Satisfies all the requirements. The question is whether she will or would help take America in the direction that it needs to go in order to correct the problems that we’re facing - and, in the case of global warming, whether she even recognizes that they exist.
Chris: “Or is she “unqualified” because she’s a pro-life woman?”
EY: “Pro-life” is code for opposing legalized abortion. The implication is those who support abortion being legal are “anti-life” is nonsense. Palin opposes legalized abortion, even in the case of rape and incest (beyond Pawlenty’s position, who opposes legalized abortion, but believes there should be exceptions for rape and incest). There is a distinction between opposing abortion and trying to reduce the numbers of abortions by reducing the numbers of unwanted pregnancies, and opposing legalized abortion, which will not reduce the numbers of abortions, but will merely drive the procedure back to the back alley.
How many times has she been to Iraq to see the situation on the ground??
She’s not interested in Iraq, remember? She said so herself.
Obama talks about change. His supporters can’t name one instance where he’s ever led the way or implemented change. Sarah Palin talks about change and she’s targeted those in her own party and been very successful doing so. In other words, while everyone complains about experience, she can talk about her record, something Obama and Biden can’t because they have no record of achieving change. She has limited experience, but she has some executive experience which is much more important than McCain, Obama or Biden’s experience. Her experience in politics has been as a leader and manager, which rivals that of the other three candidates. What might have Democrats upset is that Palin is far more qualified to talk about change than Obama (or laughingly, Joe Biden). Was she a risky pick and one that could backfire, yes. But McCain will need to take risks to win in this environment.
mnpolwatcher, I agree 100%,
Explain to these moonbats why Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job mnpolwatcher!
Obama sponsored the most sweeping ethics legislation to get through congress since Watergate.
Palin spent a couple terms as a mayor of a small town (which she left 20 million bucks in the red) and has been governor for less time than Barack Obama has been running for president.
Palin admittedly knows nothing about Iraq, and recently said she has no idea what the vise president even does (hint..s/he serves as president of the Senate, among other things)
Palin is hopelessly out of touch with the workings of government. Her “executive experience” has landed her home town in hugely hot water.
Her choice as VP was yet another gaffe by McCain. She does not help among women, democrats, or independents, according to recent polling.
I have to agree with the republicans here. I’m loving her in the VP slot.
“She has limited experience, but she has some executive experience which is much more important than McCain, Obama or Biden’s experience. Her experience in politics has been as a leader and manager, which rivals that of the other three candidates.”
Oh puhleeze… Miss Alaska runner-up, sports reporter, a couple years as mayor of a small town, and a year as governor in a minimally populated state trumps decades of national Senate experience by either Biden or McCain?? Maybe you’d rather flip the GOP ticket if you think she’s more qualified than McCain??? What planet are you on???
I have been watching the McCain VP pick with great interest. If he’d picked the right person, I’d have given him serious consideration for my vote. But this?? For a man with his health concerns (age and cancer), he needed to pick a running mate who would inspire my confidence. He didn’t do it.
lojasmo,
Since Palin has been in office for almost two years and Obama has been in the Senate for three, that means Obama started to run for President with only one year of experience in the U.S. Senate and you claim he’s qualified ans she isn’t???
Your comments about Gov. Palin’s record are equally absurd. She was more than the mayor of a city. She has a record of fighting corruption against the most powerful people in Alaska. As Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil Conservation Commission, she blew the whistle on corruption and ousted some of Alaska’s most powerful including her state’s Attorney General. Palin took on Gov. Frank Murkowski and defeated him in the primary. She’s said no to bridges to nowhere and other pork barrel spending.
You mentioned Obama’s role in passing a Senate ethics bill. But there are many problems with that bill. It doesn’t end earmarks, only discloses them. And even though it puts restrictions on private air travel, it doesn’t ban such travel. John McCain said at the time that the bill didn’t go far enough.
Sarah Palin has a real record of throwing unethical people out of office. So far, the effect of the bill Obama supported, along with 86 other senators hasn’t led to much change in Washington given the continued billions of dollars in earmarks pushed through Congress.
By the way, even though Gov. Palin might not know as much about Iraq as John McCain, she is the commander of the Alaska National Guard. That’s more military experience than Obama has.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Explain to these people who disagree with you how Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
You can defend her all you want but that doesn’t change the fact that there are more than a few people who were on the fence who have fallen off on Obama’s side because of deep disappointment with this pick.
Sean,
I can understand your need for “obnoxious” (your words, not mine) comments about Gov. Palin. Democratic pollster, John Zogby, has McCain/Palin over Obama/Biden 47%-45%. Zogby said, “Republican John McCain’s surprise announcement Friday of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate - some 16 hours after Democrat Barack Obama’s historic speech accepting his party’s presidential nomination - has possibly stunted any Obama convention bump.” http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1547
Who in their right mind votes for president because of their vice president’s pick. I believe a female voice in office would be great. I wonder when the debates are constructed if they will model the same questions as in a beauty pageant. If that will be the model of the debate then she may have a chance to overcome Biden, otherwise she will not have a chance!
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris, I agree 100%,
Everyone knows these Zogby poll numbers will last until November.
Explain to these people who disagree with you how Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
You know, Chris? I think you’re on to something. This controversial pick certainly has people talking about other things than the DNC! Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. Maybe that’s why he really did it.
Max,
I’m watching liberal Democrats Geraldo Rivera, Geraldine Ferraro and Susan Estrich as I write this and none one of them are saying anything bad about Sen. Palin. Both Geraldo and Susan said what a brilliant pick she was for the GOP. Somehow I don’t think the American people are buying into your talking points. Geraldo, Estrich and Ferraro are not.
Talking points? I thought I was giving my opinion.
Chris I agree 100%,
Everyone knows liberal Democrats Geraldo Rivera, Geraldine Ferraro and Susan Estrich accurately represent a majority of the views of Liberals exactly.
Explain to these people who disagree with you how Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
After scanning this thread (which was made faster my skipping over the lengthy and frequent TFRGW posts), I have a couple conclusions:
1. Palin was a risky pick. Not stupid, not bad, but risky.
2. As a moderate Republican, I like what she brings to the table. I am a pro-choice conservative, mind you, in the mold of Ramstad. “But how can you like Palin if you are pro-choice,”, they ask. Because I respect her view, and I agree with 80-90% of what she has done as Governor. I am probably closer to Barack Obama on the matter of Choice/Life, but there is an entire universe of policy decisions where I think he is completely wrong. Like headed in the wrong direction by about 180 degrees.
3. The argument that McCain has against Obama’s experience becomes null. But — and this is important — to criticize Palin’s experience is to criticize Obama’s experience. Plain and simple. Does compaigning for President make you qualified for President? Because everything that Obama has excelled at in his Senatorial career has been in telling people why he should get a promotion. He has spent alarmingly little time doing to job of a Senator, and much less doing it well.
4. People value Executive Branch experience. A Governor on a ticket typically defeats two Senators on a ticket.
- Bush was a Governor… defeated Gore/Lieberman and Kerry/Edwards, all Senators
- Clinton was a Governor… defeated Bush/Quayle and Dole/Kemp, all Congresspeople
- Bush beat Dukakis the Governor, a rare exception
- Reagan was a Governor, beat Mondale/Ferraro, two congresspeople
- Reagan v. Carter was a race between two Governors
When you are a Congressperson, to horse-trade and try to make your voice heard. When you are a Governor, you lead.
DantheMan,i agree 100%,
Explain to these people who disagree with you how Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job Minnesota Republicn blogger Danthe”Man”
#1 Internet Stalker,
It’s pretty amazing that you could say Geraldine Ferraro, a liberal Congresswoman from New Jersey and the first woman to run on a ticket, and Susan Estrich, a woman who has ran three Democrats’ presidential campaigns are not representative of what experienced liberal Democrats think about a person or an issue.
Minnesota Republican blogger Chris I agree 100%,
Geraldine Ferraro, a liberal Congresswoman from New Jersey and the first woman to run on a ticket, and Susan Estrich, a woman who has ran three Democrats’ presidential campaigns are 100% representative of every Democrat.
Continue to stalk the blogs of people who disagree with you obsessively, because that is the only way we Minnesota republican bloggers will win. Everyone knows we Republicans are on our way to an easy win.
Great Job Minnesota Republican blogger Chris
Funny that all these right wingers don’t realize they’ve now made this an election about Sarah Palin instead of Barack Obama. Making an election about one of your candidates is not a good thing. We know first hand with John Kerry in ‘04.
dantheman
your party identification is warping your reasoning ability when you say Palin’s experience equals Obama’s. Scholars disagree:
“John McCain was aiming to make history with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and historians say he succeeded.
Presidential scholars say she appears to be the least experienced, least credentialed person to join a major-party ticket in the modern era.
So unconventional was McCain’s choice that it left students of the presidency literally “stunned,” in the words of Joel Goldstein, a St. Louis University law professor and scholar of the vice presidency. “Being governor of a small state for less than two years is not consistent with the normal criteria for determining who’s of presidential caliber,” said Goldstein.
“I think she is the most inexperienced person on a major-party ticket in modern history,” said presidential historian Matthew Dallek.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/13001.html
I eagerly await the GOP convention to hear arguments for why Mccain / Palin ticket deserves election.
-country first? not so much after this highly political, poorly qualified VP pick
-superior experience? VP pick shows belief that lengthy DC experience not needed to be prepared for presidency
- good judgement? reports about VP selection process (last minute, very little vetting, little personal contact) highlight impulsive decision makling under pressure rather than careful consideration.
My first impression of Palin was positive on a personality level, but I have since come to see her totally unprepared and a little ditzy. To see what I mean watch a couple of Palin youtube videos (“what does a vice president do?”)
“She has a record of fighting corruption against the most powerful people in Alaska. As Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil Conservation Commission, she blew the whistle on corruption and ousted some of Alaska’s most powerful including her state’s Attorney General.” Chris burbled the above without noting every one of the corrupt politicians she “fought” was a REPUBLICAN. Every bribe taken was handed to a Republican. Every shady deal in the Alaska mess was done with a Republican.
So how does her attempting to work at cleaning up her own Republican party from bribery, corruption and being owned by the Oil Business make me want to vote for more national Republican leadership. This is a disconnect… you do not reward corruption by voting the same party back into power.
Her being against condom use, against public schools and for mixing Christian religion with secular government issues, add to the reasons she is not ready for prime time and well, a Republican shill.
In today’s Star Tribune there is a story about how McCain was impressed by Palin back at the February National Governors Assocation. This meeting took place toward the end of February - I think the last week. Fast forward a month and a half to April 18, 2008 - the day Palin’s 5th child Trig was born. Are my dates wrong - or my math? Did McCain meet Palin when she was in her 7th or starting her 8th month of pregnancy? Something has to be incorrect here.
amuse - I’m not following you. Cleaning up ones own party, especially one as corrupt as what Palin faced as a newcomer to the Alaska GOP, is a badge of honor, not a liability. In fact, I’d be more likely to consider voting for Obama if he has found a way to take on the Chicago and Illinois Democratic political machine, rather than find a way to blend in to it.
Reform. When Obama says it, you all tear up with joy. When McCain or Palin demonstrate it, you make up reasons why it can’t be so. Interesting.
Reform. When Obama says it, you all tear up with joy. When McCain or Palin demonstrate it, you make up reasons why it can’t be so. Interesting.
Reform, McCain the maverick. Reform, Palin’s taking on of the Stevens machine. Obama has done nothing. That’s the theme we’ll be hearing for the next few months from the GOP. Trouble is, much of it is patently false. McCain’s maverick status is largely media construct and when you bother to look at his record you find McCain is all about McCain. The pick of Palin is cynical political posturing. McCain puts winning a campaign over the interests of his nation. The GOP has proven again that it’s less interested in fixing the massive problems that our nation faces, then winning an election.
south metro -
Point taken. But let’s, for a second, assume that what you’re reading is true, that on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being most ready and prepared to become President, that Palin is a 1. That makes Obama about a 1.5. Perhaps a 2 after that grand speech in Berlin.
My point is that Barack Obama, as someone who spent 2 years learning the ropes of the Senate and then 2 more years on the campaign trail, is no more qualified to lead a nation than Palin. Sure, he’s given way more speeches. He’s had way more interviews. He’s been in more debates. But those activities are to Presiding what interviewing for a job is to doing the job.
Palin’s not the perfect pick for me. I would have preferred Pawlenty or Colin Powell (rumor is that he had considered it). But just as McCain is no longer able to poke at Obama’s experience, saying that Palin is sorely unqualified doesn’t say alot for Obama.
Obama leads by 3 according to this morning’s Rasmussen Report (left leaning). That is exactly where we were the day before the DNC.
One other point, if you watch Palin’s acceptance speech, you can catch McCain checking out her ass.
One other point, if you watch Palin’s acceptance speech, you can catch McCain checking out her ass.
“mnpolwatcher, I agree 100%,
Explain to these moonbats why Sarah Palin’s ideology will be different than the ideology of George W. Bush.
Great Job mnpolwatcher!”
TRWFG,
If Palin is so unqualified, Obama or Biden must have various instances of targeting those in his own party or rooting our corruption that would make Palin’s accomplishment’s seem minor. Can you please name one? As for Palin’s ideology, she may be similar to Bush ideologically. I think most conservatives and independents aren’t necessarily turned off by Bush’s ideology, but by his poor management skills (Iraq, Katrina, hiring choices, etc). I assume you were just changing the subject since you had no answer though…
Chris, if you’re going to say that Palin has been in office for 2 years, then you don’t get to short Obama. Palin has been in office for 20 months, Obama for 44 months. I’m ok with saying Palin’s has 2 years, but then Obama gets credit for 4, you know what I’m sayin’?
Good for Palin for rooting our corruption in her own party. That’s the sort of thing that every politician should do. (Which is why Obama was instrumental in ethics reform in the United States Senate) But her TrooperGate scandal kinda mutes it don’t you think? I’m happy to see her go after corrupting influences, but when she tries to exert influence as Governor for her famly’s benefit it loses a lot of momentum. when she couldn’t get her sister’s ex fired, she canned his boss who told her no, and she’s been caught lying about it afterwards. Strange choice for the poster child of GOP reform, eh?
I’m also not too impressed with her BS about the “Bridge to Nowhere”. She didn’t say “no” to the federal government on this one, the state funding for it didn’t get pulled until after the federal funding was being canned. That’s not political courage, that’s the 3rd string QB taking a knee in a rout in the 4th Q and calling their role critical…
“Obama or Biden must have various instances of targeting those in his own party or rooting our corruption that would make Palin’s accomplishment’s seem minor. Can you please name one?”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/washington/03lobby.html
“I think most conservatives and independents aren’t necessarily turned off by Bush’s ideology”
Perhaps not, but most Americans are.
“his poor management skills (Iraq, Katrina, hiring choices, etc).”
Palin has those in spades. She left her small city 20 million dollars in debt at the end of her term as mayor.
Thanks for the link, lojasmo. Looks like Obama played it pretty safe, not rocking the boat too much.
Leaving reformer McCain to say:
“This will continue the earmarking and pork-barrel projects,” Mr. McCain said. “We are passing up a great opportunity and again the American people will have been deceived.”
reformer McCain??
1982-88: McCain takes over $100,000 in contributions from our well-remembered buddy from Lincoln S&L, Charles Keating, and his employees. McCain and Keating are very close, with McCain frequently joining Keating on outings to the Bahamas, on Keating’s dime. Keating also has what Silverman calls a “business relationship” with Jim Hensley, Cindy Hensley’s father, and with Cindy as well.
1986: During McCain’s race for the Senate, Arizona Democrats ask the Udall staffers not to allow McCain to cling too closely to Udall, worrying that McCain is using Udall as a campaign tool. Udall aide Bob Neuman later says he tries to be subtle, but when McCain figures out what Neuman wants, he bawls Neuman out using words the aide refuses to repeat. Neuman later says McCain was so extreme in his reaction that, as Silverman writes, he thought “there was something really wrong with the guy.” McCain is running for Barry Goldwater’s seat, with Goldwater’s endorsement. But after the Keating scandal, Goldwater loses much of his respect for McCain, and, Silverman writes, “soon found he had to stop McCain from using his good name.
1986: McCain jokes to an audience from the National League of Cities and Towns, asking if they’ve heard “the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly, and left to die?” The punch line: “When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, ‘Where is that marvelous ape?’” Neuman later says, “John McCain is the Eddie Haskell of politics. You can attribute that to me, and he’ll kill me for it.”
1987-1988: McCain battles against campaign finance reform, in part on behalf of his pal Keating.
1990: Facing criticism over his relationship with Keating and an upcoming re-election battle, McCain flip-flops and becomes a proponent of campaign finance reform and reducing government spending. Silverman calls McCain’s efforts “a farce. McCain famously sponsored a law designed to control special interests’ grip on Washington, but at the same time, he took money from those interests.” She adds details and links that I won’t go into here, but her summation of his efforts: “sadly cosmetic.” What he has done is take such a shrill stance against certain types of earmarks — pork, in the vernacular — that Arizona has lost out on federal funding for, among other worthy projects, a program at a Scottsdale hospital that trains military medical personnel in trauma care. Some of that training has been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, for those who were lucky enough to receive it before the program lost much of its funding.
Sounds like is McCain is all about McCain as the cynical political postering pick of Palin is evidence of.
Irony.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/145424.asp?from=blog_last3
Sen. John McCain did not divest himself of the money from the PAC until Sen. Ted Stevens was indicted. Sen. McCain did not refuse it from the start and he had to know exactly who Sen. Ted Stevens was.
And now Sen. McCain chose for his VP a person who is a reformer in Alaska Republican politics, making this a relevent issue.
“If Palin is so unqualified, Obama or Biden must have various instances of targeting those in his own party or rooting our corruption that would make Palin’s accomplishment’s seem minor. Can you please name one?”
This is actually a very relevant question by MNPolWatcher. Where have we ever seen Obama go after his own party? Where have we ever seen that his judgment was based on doing the right thing even if it wasn’t the party position? He has surfed gracefully to the top of the Democratic party by being the prototypical Democrat. Great news for the 25% or so who ID themselves as party line Dems (who just so happen to be active on this board), but not so great news for someone looking for Independent Leadership.
I’ll be the first to admit I love Obama the personality. He is smart, motivating, and optimistic. But I haven’t seen a thing that tells me an Obama administration, when it comes down to how it will affect my and my kids’ lives, will be any different than any very left-leaning President. His policy will be same-old, same-old, big government getting bigger. His leadership is great, but frankly, I don’t need to be led. I need someone who will make sound policy for the future of our nation.
For his incredible Blue State, Red State speech in 2004, I sure haven’t seen anything indicating that he has any interest in anything other than a solid hue of blue nationwide.
But I haven’t seen a thing that tells me an Obama administration, when it comes down to how it will affect my and my kids’ lives,
Ummm, maybe the VP pick. McCain’s obvious and cynical kneeling before the religious right with this pick should indicate how flawed and self-serving his judgment is. John McCain will always put John McCain ahead of the best interests of this country. Should McCain have some serious health problem in his first term, Sarah Palin could very well be in the position to select a Supreme Court justice. Are you really comfortable with that? I’m not, and it’s going to become very evident in the next couple of months, most people in the country are not, as well
Is there any way you can answer my question by speaking ABOUT Obama and not AGAINST McCain? I was specifically asking for examples on when he places principle above party. You see, there are many of us out there, probably 75% of the populus, who don’t believe in the Democratic platform on a plank-by-plank basis. It would be nice to know that Obama would taken an enlightened, balanced approach to governing.