- with 30 years' experience in public service and policy;
- who in the Senate serves on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, and the Senate Armed Services Committee;
- who is consistently in favor of women's productive freedom;
- who is consistently in favor of tough handgun regulation;
- who had a front row seat for the policy-making for two presidential terms;
- who, after serving as mayor of a town of under 10,000, has completed less than half a term as governor;
- who is a lifelong member of the NRA;
- and who is anti-choice.
OK, I'm done. But... did he really think we would fall for this?
9 comments:
I agree, it's insulting. She is no Hillary Clinton - hee, I hope Joe Biden gets to say that!
I am compelled to add the creationist piece. I mean - I'm just sayin'...
Snow-mobilin'
Gun-totin'
Oil-drillin'
Choice-hatin'
LGBT-dissin'
Creationist.
It is rich, is it not?
(o)
well.
they both have nice hair.
maybe they thought you wouldnt notice the other stuff...
Yeah, I'm gonna vote for a 72-year-old who just might keel over while in office, because his vice prez is soooo ready to step into the role of leader of the free world. After all, they don't let you compete in the Ms. Alaska competition unless you have a well-thought-out plan for world peace. ;-)
Mags, I agree, but the response here was interesting. I'm at "home" with very right-wing parents who think that her nomination may have just swung the election (I snorted coffee out of my nose at that one). Someone even said they would vote for her over McCain for President (I cried). The response from those who support him in the circle I am in was overwhelmingly "this was a great choice!" They were fooled. Me, not so much. Now off to figure out how to get FoxNews off the satellite dish.
I'm so glad the Republicans took another opportunity to demonstrate just how stupid they think the American electorate is.
Madalene,
I have never commented before, but am an ardent reader of your blog. I have found much inspiration from your musings and writings, but especially from your sermons. You have a human insight into theology which adds such color to such a dogmatic subject. I was especially touched and touched deeply by your sermon about God’s presence and concealment in the cloud (Cloud Rider, the 7th of Easter). I am a Calvinist (didn’t start out that way, I was Mormon): as to liberal or conservative? I guess I’m more middle-of-the-road, plain-Joe from Idaho.
But I’m actually a Democrat: one of about a dozen or so up here. I also supported Sen. Clinton and stood up for her at our caucus. I feel about her nearly as you have mentioned you do: she was the best Presidential material we had. But this post and the posting of these other “regulars” made me pause and actually get up the guts to write to you. Why is the choice of Gov. Palin so offensive to most liberals? Do we assume that because she is a woman she would hold Democratic views? Did we expect her be Sen. Clinton?
When I watched her and listened to her speech, I heard the same Republican rhetoric we have heard since… well, since the late Pres. Ronald Reagan, I suppose. I disagreed with her assumptions and analysis of Obama’s position on the issues, but I did see and attractive, well spoken woman who presented a very long speech, much of which was given during a teleprompter malfunction. I know I wouldn’t have been able to do that. Since that speech I have seen a thoughtful, passionate and intelligent human-being that holds opinions both like but mostly unlike mine. So what did we Democrats out to see? A liberal in the Republican ranks? Many comments to Gov. Palin’s place on the GOP ticket have been rather reactionary and seemed somewhat less than thoughtful.
I don’t believe that GOP strategists thought a female Veep would win over the female vote. As conservative as she is, I doubt that even crossed their minds or if it did, it most assuredly was on the periphery. It seems far more likely that her selection was a move to regroup the evangelical/Catholic-right that is so necessary in their bid for the Whitehouse. Many in this core group have always seen McCain as too liberal at best, a traitor at worst. And I believe her place in the GOP ticket has done just what those “stupid” Republicans intended to do: re-energize their party and pull them back together; which is something we Democrats have yet to really do.
If ardent liberals don’t see that the debate on the issues are far more important that who wears lipstick and pantyhose we just may loose this election. I was in and out of the Atlanta airport last weekend twice, both times with a three hour layover. While there I saw many young men and women waiting patiently for their flight back to Iraq. I saw a soldier in the bathroom looking at his obviously new tattoo in the mirror, dabbing it gently with gauze. I asked him an obvious question, “Is it new?” “Yeah,” he replied. “I just decided to get it before I went out again to Iraq… you never know…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but I could. He didn’t know if he was going to come back in a box draped with a flag. These are the issues we need to remember! These young lives could be at stake. We need to bring this election home and let’s NOT make it about lipstick!
Sincerely,
Brian from Idaho
Brian, I am so grateful for your thoughtful post. And thanks for your kind words about this blog... I'm really touched. It gives me a lot of joy to think the things I put here might be helpful in any way.
I have to say, I don't disagree with a single thing you wrote. With the advantage of hindsight, I would have to agree that Senator McCain likely was not looking for the "women's vote" so much with Gov. Palin as he was shoring up his conservative credentials, and she certainly has great appeal for that Republican base that is so suspicious of him. (I had dinner with a quite conservative gentleman tonight; he works with a major defense contractor. About the best thing he could say about McCain was... he likes him better than Obama!).
However, I do think Sarah Palin has tapped into something in the psyche of the American woman. As a dear friend of mine says, women are tired of politics being such a boys club, even in this day and age. And I suspect that Gov. Palin's appeal, her polish, her pizzazz... these are all very attractive. I am puzzled as to why someone who supported Sen. Hillary Clinton would gravitate towards supporting the McCain/ Palin ticket. There is virtually no crossover on the issues, so it must be because a woman is on the ticket. And... that saddens me. The idea that people would willingly toss away the positions they hold dear to give someone a position that then becomes very much a token... I confess, that does bother me.
I do regret the snarkiness of my early comments about Gov. Palin. I certainly didn't expect a Republican VP nominee to be a carbon copy of the Democratic candidate I supported. But... as the polls continue to droop for Sen. Obama (whom I am supporting just as wholeheartedly as I can)... I will admit: I'm disappointed in my fellow citizens.
Thanks again for dropping by.
Mags
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