McCain picks woman for VP slot

[bush_cheney2004]

Doesn't everyone want to bring the troops home? I suspect that most of the troops would rather go home, too. Do you not want to bring the troops home? Can I safely put you down as someone who does not want to bring the troops home?

Don't bring them home until the job is done.....that's what most of them would say too. And don't even think about pulling that Jimmy Carter crap of never sending them in the first place.

[Stephen Best]

Don't bring them home until the job is done.....that's what most of them would say too. And don't even think about pulling that Jimmy Carter crap of never sending them in the first place.

Not that anyone actually knows what the job is any more, given the lies about what it once was.

Have you polled the troops to know they want to stay until the job is done, as you vaguely put it? It seems the troops are voting with their wallets and supporting Obama by a margin of 6:1 over John "100 years" McCain. You have some evidence that most of the troops want to stay in Iraq and/or Afghanistan until the job is done? Or are you just repeating Pentagon propaganda talking points?

[moderateamericain]

Not that anyone actually knows what the job is any more, given the lies about what it once was.

Have you polled the troops to know they want to stay until the job is done, as you vaguely put it? It seems the troops are voting with their wallets and supporting Obama by a margin of 6:1 over John "100 years" McCain. You have some evidence that most of the troops want to stay in Iraq and/or Afghanistan until the job is done? Or are you just repeating Pentagon propaganda talking points?

Stephen theres been a total of 323 donations. That sample size is tiny. Thats not ever .01 percent of the total armed forces. Not to mention nearly everyone I know active or ex military is voting for Mccain. I can think of exactly 3 people that I've talked to who are voting for Obama. And there reasoning is because he's black. (they also happen to be black)

[Liam]

So, I just read that Todd Palin's former business partner raced off to court yesterday to get his divorce papers sealed. What's that about...?

[stevoh]

I was probably still a bit groggy ths morning when I posted about McCain's speech. One thing I failed to mention is that I think it was designed to speak to people outside the arena and, in that regard, it may be viewed as more successful than I seemed to give it credit earlier. I don't think it will be considered the most memorable speech of the convention by a long shot, but it might help McCain a bit with moderates and independents.

I suspect there may be a danger looming on the horizon for McCain, and the reaction of the crowd last night tipped me off to this. I didn't get the impression that people in the audience, the inner members of the GOP, were all that happy to be told they abused the public's trust. I think some of them, while feeling better about the GOP ticket's prospects in November, are probably back to being a little concerned that McCain might not be one of them and that, if elected, might actually try to compromise or seek middle ground on issues that are most dear to them. You could tell that some of the lines in the speech fell flat, and not only because of its delivery but because of content and implication.

I don't think the right will trust McCain to deliver on the issues that are most important to them (abortion, gay marriage, creationism, etc.) and I know they think they've been shown the back of the bus before. Palin goes a long way in closing that trust gap, but the campaign is going to need to tone down Palin's out-of-the-middle views or at least de-emphasize them in order to appeal to the middle. I think there's a strong possibility that the right wingers will want Palin to be the voice of the campaign and will not sit back and stay quiet if she is muzzled.

Dead on. I noticed the same thing as well. He is struggling with two different purposes:

1. re-assure his base that he is a strong republican

2. re-assure everyone else that he is different from the current batch of republicans

So, early on, he praises George Bush as a great man. Later, he promises to clean up washington and make things right. These two ideas are in opposition because it is clear that you shouldn't need to clean up the same washington that was led by a great man that you support.

[Stephen Best]

So, I just read that Todd Palin's former business partner raced off to court yesterday to get his divorce papers sealed. What's that about...?

Who knows but the National Enquirer, the guys who reported on John Edward's affair, are reporting that Sarah Palin and Todd Palin's former business partner had an affair.

Also, Sarah Palin has also been sent to back to Alaska apparently.

[bush_cheney2004]

Not that anyone actually knows what the job is any more, given the lies about what it once was.

Don't confuse politics with mission or unit cohesiveness. The "job" is to engage and kill the enemy, just as it has always been. Hell, we still have troops in Germany, Japan, and Korea...other places too. Wanna bring 'em all home for a picnic with Jimmy Carter?

Have you polled the troops to know they want to stay until the job is done, as you vaguely put it? It seems the troops are voting with their wallets and supporting Obama by a margin of 6:1 over John "100 years" McCain.

It also seems that troops are returning for second and third tours....after re-enlisting.

You have some evidence that most of the troops want to stay in Iraq and/or Afghanistan until the job is done? Or are you just repeating Pentagon propaganda talking points?

Yes..emails from Iraq, Afghanistan, Naples, and CENTCOM. I didn't say all troops were so inclined, but I think a majority are sure not willing to cut and run.

[Stephen Best]

More on the Todd Palin's business partner story on Reddit here. The request to seal the divorce records was denied.

[Stephen Best]

I didn't say all troops were so inclined, but I think a majority are sure not willing to cut and run.

Here's a thought. Let's let the troops vote, and majority rules, between coming home and having a picnic with Jimmy Carter or staying "in country" killing the enemy until the job (whatever that is) is done.

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=American Woman: I wasn't any more interested in Obama's DNC performance than I was Palin's RNC performance. But thanks just the same for all the references to "internet geeks" and "people who are too dumb to know" anything, apparently. I think just as highly of you.

As you're always one for semantics, note that I didn't actually call you either of those things.

Note that I didn't "actually" call you either of those things, either.

But while you're in "all about semantics" mode, let me repeat what August1991 said: "I didn't listen to the speech but I was certain that "the Left" would immediately step in and claim that someone else wrote it."

Then here's what you had to say: "I'm sure you were well aware that August's point was not to wonder whether she wrote the speech herself, but to predict that the Democrats and Obama supporters would seize on that as a major talking point..."

Do you know what the definition of "claim" is? Because from your "I'm sure you were well aware of" defense of August, it doesn't sound as if you do. You see, I'm guessing August is intelligent enough to have said 'I was certain that the Left would immediately step in and make an issue of the fact that someone else wrote the speech' if that's what he had meant. But he didn't. He said the left would claim she didn't write it. And she didn't. Nice effort trying to make it something it wasn't, but you failed miserably.

Evidently you felt it gave you a reason to go into attack mode though. So predictable. People don't like Palin because of her political stands and you make it all about us not liking her. Try to stick to the issues, since that's what we object to and are critical of. If you think a girl who is raped by a family member should be forced to have the baby, so be it. But I don't. And that's just one of her views that I take issue with.

Again. I find it very ironic that if McCain wins, the first woman VP will be about taking away women's rights.

[Guest American Woman]

Who knows but the National Enquirer, the guys who reported on John Edward's affair, are reporting that Sarah Palin and Todd Palin's former business partner had an affair.

Also, Sarah Palin has also been sent to back to Alaska apparently.

Hmmm. That's interesting. Glad to hear the divorce records won't be sealed.

This is an interesting read: About Sarah Palin: an e-mail from Wasilla A suburban Anchorage homemaker and activist — who once did battle with the Alaska governor when Palin was mayor — recounts what she knows of Palin's history.

[bush_cheney2004]

Here's a thought. Let's let the troops vote, and majority rules, between coming home and having a picnic with Jimmy Carter or staying "in country" killing the enemy until the job (whatever that is) is done.

The troops didn't get to vote to go there in the first place...that's part of the deal. Are you blaming them for choices made by others?

[White Doors]

Wow, the Character assasination attempts go on and on.. And self described feminsts here jump happily on the band wagon... I guess it's partisanship all the way eh?

[Guest American Woman]

Wow, the Character assasination attempts go on and on.. And self described feminsts here jump happily on the band wagon... I guess it's partisanship all the way eh?

Who are the self described "feminists? And what "character assasination atempts" are you referring to?

But yeah, Palin's support here does seem to be "partisanship all the way;" you got that right.

[bush_cheney2004]

....Again. I find it very ironic that if McCain wins, the first woman VP will be about taking away women's rights.

And which rights would those be? Have all previous VPs supported such rights? Why is Sarah Palin singled out again because of her gender? This is becoming a repeated refrain, one that will only get her more votes.

[M.Dancer]

And which rights would those be? Have all previous VPs supported such rights? Why is Sarah Palin singled out again because of her gender? This is becoming a repeated refrain, one that will only get her more votes.

Girls are so...catty with each other.

[White Doors]

Raaawwwrrrr!!!!

[Black Dog]

Wow, the Character assasination attempts go on and on.. And self described feminsts here jump happily on the band wagon... I guess it's partisanship all the way eh?

If it turns out that Plain was schtupping her husband's business partner, that will be an issue. Do you think it shouldn't be?

I'm also not sure what's weird about feminists who might want to point out the irony of a "family values" candidate with an unwed teen mom daughter and a possible history as a philanderer.

[bush_cheney2004]

If it turns out that Plain was schtupping her husband's business partner, that will be an issue. Do you think it shouldn't be?

Yeah, but we have to wait until she is president to impeach her for lying about it!

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=American Woman: ....Again. I find it very ironic that if McCain wins, the first woman VP will be about taking away women's rights.

And which rights would those be? Have all previous VPs supported such rights? Why is Sarah Palin singled out again because of her gender? This is becoming a repeated refrain, one that will only get her more votes.

Here's a news flash for you. I was against all the other VP's who didn't support such rights too. Shocking, isn't it?

But I'll try to explain the "irony" to you in simple terms. All the other VP's who didn't support those rights were men. They were men not supporting women's rights. Palin being selected to run is being seen, or at least portrayed, as a triumph for women's rights. Yet rather than supporting women's rights, she is trying to take away women's rights. It wouldn't be "irony" if it were just another male VP Republican candidate; it would be par for the course. So of course it would be a female candidate that I would "single out," or it wouldn't be ironic. Hope that helps. If you still don't get it, look up "irony" in the dictionary. If your still confused, I won't be surprised-- but you can't accuse me of not trying to dumb it down for you.

[guyser]

That's incorrect. The speech was actually written on monday, with her, and two others, and was practiced on tuesday, before her appearance on wednesday. Facts are stubborn things.

I have a hard time believing that something of that importance was written that close to the RNC. I still say it is SOP, and I have no qualms with it.

One source, and admittedly they are LW....Huffington...

But mainly, this was just a speech. Written by others, that she practiced, practiced and practiced.

...another, Philadelphia Daily News

But...it was a great speech -- written for someone else, a male in fact, days before the Palin selection was even a gleam in John McCain's eye, but a great speech nonetheless

...and another, Washington Post

An initial version of the address, which speechwriter Matthew Scully started crafting a week ago for an unnamed male vice-presidential pick, included plenty of attacks aimed at Democratic nominee Barack Obama along with ample praise for McCain, aides said.

USA Today...

The piece also previews the speech. Written by former White House speechwriter Matt Scully, it will combine autobiography and policy

IN the Huffington Post piece, the guy does make a pretty good argument in that the speech as delivered, has in effect put tremendous pressure on Palin to keep it up. She was that good, in that anything she does know will be measured against it. She took on the Iraq war, a specialty of Bidens, and as he opines, Biden may just eat her up in debate on that issue. Perhaps had she not been gushing about Iraq being almost done, or saying talks with terrorists doesnt work (all the while Bush is talking to Iran-according to sources)-then she would allow herself some wiggle room.

Who knows, she was good that night, the camera loves her but not a lot of information as to what they will do.

As an aside, I know one of the cameramen who worked the RNC....he swears there was not deliberate attempt to embarass Palin by including the teleprompter.No mention to him via his headset, to get both in a shot. He claims by accident he did get part of it once, but did not think his camera was used at that time.

The signs? Many were already there in the seats when people showed up, and that groups were walking around giving out more all the time.

Theatre baby, theatre!

[Stephen Best]

The troops didn't get to vote to go there in the first place...that's part of the deal. Are you blaming them for choices made by others?

Heaven's no! I'm offering a test of your thesis which asserts that most of the troops want to stay "in country" killing the enemy until the job (whatever that is) is finished, and that the majority would rather do that than picnic with President Jimmy Carter. You do have a way of leaping to non sequiturs don't you?

And I'm shocked, shocked to learn that the troops don't get to vote to go where they want. Who would have thought?

[WIP]

Thoughts on McCain's speech:

- I was completely underwhelmed....................................

I was overwhelmed by the return of the green screen!

[Stephen Best]

And which rights would those be?

Let me take a wild guess. The right to choose. Would that be one?

[guyser]

I was overwhelmed by the return of the green screen!

I did not think he looked comfortable.And most certainly not as much as she seemed.Nice buildup using Fred Thompson though. Sadly, he came out flat and looking nervous.

Admittedly, I did not stick with watching it, since the Jays were poised to sweep the Twins.