McCain picks woman for VP slot

[WIP]

It doesn't have to be justified....she meets all the constitutional requirements to be vice president and president. Nobody is a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Why didn't the Republicans just have a casting call like they do in Hollywood? Any natural-born American citizen over 35 can be president after all.

As someone else pointed out previously, McCain is 72, average life expectancy for white American men is 75 -- you don't consider that rolling the dice when he's already had skin cancer a few times also?

[Oleg Bach]

But we are barbarians......it's all in the packaging.

I was frightened of you because of your bush - cheney tag - now I am petrified... - Yep BC - notice the other day when I reported to a club owner that the band leader stole the money and did not pay anyone - he thought that it was just fine - so moral neutrality and profiteering through privateering seems to be norm - can I get use to it and function and prosper? Who knows - I am good with a horse and sword - and still use my reactionary mentality to keep my young....nawh - let the filthy remain filthy and the good man true to his dedication - I may have changed and am no longer a barbarian- the scythian blood is hard to leave behind.

[bush_cheney2004]

...My wife and I, thought about having another child when she was in her late 30's and I was in my mid-40's, but we decided that along with a few minor health problems my wife has, that the odds weren't high enough in our favour.

OK...that was your decision....it is not applicable to other's facing the same question and having the right to go ahead with pregnancy.

Governor Palin's stock just went up.

[bush_cheney2004]

I was frightened of you because of your bush - cheney tag - now I am petrified... - Yep BC - notice the other day when I reported to a club owner that the band leader stole the money and did not pay anyone - he thought that it was just fine - so moral neutrality and profiteering through privateering seems to be norm - can I get use to it and function and prosper?

Ha! A common refrain from the land of "performing artists". Managers, promoters, agents, publicists, band leaders, even the damn groupies want more than their fair share of the pie. And here is the funny part....they sell us songs about peace and love.

[Oleg Bach]

Ha! A common refrain from the land of "performing artists". Managers, promoters, agents, publicists, band leaders, even the damn groupies want more than their fair share of the pie. And here is the funny part....they sell us songs about peace and love.

You are dating yourself with the peace and love bit - you are wrong on that sales pitch - the new preformer is a preditor who as the world turns to crap feeds off the corpses - there is a new breed of crash and burn destructive so-call artist - they are in the 30 to 35 age range - sinister is all I can say - and most are held together by stimulants and booze - not my cup of tea..as for my land of the performing arts - I am selective - if I perform it is confined to a small gathering at a singular locale...I just can't get into educating the mass anymore - they don't want the old fashioned save the world stuff - they just want to rock crash and burn...music is about life - the performing arts are like the rest of western voo doo death culture - creeps me out.

[White Doors]

I just caught a report by Jack Cafferty on CNN's Situation Room. Before the show went on the air, they'd already received over 6,000 e-mails about McCain's pick of Sarah Palin. The comments are overwhelming opposed to McCain's choice. McCain just gave Obama the keys to the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Well duh! CNN is the CBC of the USA. Wouldn't have mattered WHO he chose, the response would have been the same.

[White Doors]

All blogs aren't credible? Of course, you know that's an absurd statement. How convenient you can't remember which democratic senator it was.

About as absurd as sayign that Fox isn't a credible news source.

Good to see you being so consistent.

[White Doors]

I have an unrelated thought about Governor Palin that hasn't been made an issue yet, and that's regarding her youngest child, born with Downs' Syndrome. Everyone outside of Alaska is now becoming aware that Sarah Palin has all of the social conservative credentials that John McCain needed from a Vice President, to improve his standing with Evangelicals, prolife Catholics and other single-issue voters: she is 100% prolife, pro-gun, opposed to birth control.......and that's the rub! She would have been 43 years old when she started this, hopefully final pregnancy; and her age is an obvious factor that may have contributed to her having a baby with Downs Syndrome. This is either wreckless disregard for the increasing odds of complications during pregnancy, or an unthinking acceptance of anti-abortion, anti-birth control dogma. Either one is revolting!

So far, the Chicago Tribunes blogger 'The Swamp' is the only place where I've found anyone raise questions about her decision to have a fifth child in her 40's:

Her youngest child's plight underscores Palin's commitment to the "pro-life'' cause which McCain has pledged to make a central concern of his administration. She was not dissuaded by prenatal testing of the child and has said of him: "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection.... Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?''

How is it any business of yours what she does when she decides to have a family or not?

How absurd that you think you can control others birth control rights.

And how ironic.

[Pliny]

Well, my immediate response was that McCain was an idiot and his decision made Obama a shoe in.

As for Palin, didn't know her and still don't - but from what I have heard she has my attention.

If America wants change Palin should be popular. Obama parrots the same old leftist rhetoric the Democratic party has been spouting for the last three or four decades so how's he riding on the "Change" theme? Seems he may be inexperienced but he has certainly groomed himself for office by living a typical political career thus far. Talking the good talk but there is no evidence of him having stood for change. He seems to be politics as usual with just a little bit more syrup on top.

Remember he is running for President. Ms. Palin is nominated for Vice-President she really is the only one that needs to feel she can handle the position in order to accept the nomination.

The decision does take the limelight away from Obama for certain. It will be interesting.

Edited August 31, 2008 by Pliny

[Pliny]

How is it any business of yours what she does when she decides to have a family or not?

How absurd that you think you can control others birth control rights.

And how ironic.

WIP never thinks of himself, only what is good for humanity and the collective good. Certain Eugenicists of the twenties and thirties thought we should engineer the gene pool as well. It's popularity seems to be making a comeback.

[Shady]

How is it any business of yours what she does when she decides to have a family or not?

How absurd that you think you can control others birth control rights.

And how ironic.

You nailed it. Apparently, "a woman's right to choose" only applies to her decision to kill an unborn child, but doesn't apply to her decision to create and raise another one.

[Guest American Woman]

If America wants change Palin should be popular. Obama parrots the same old leftist rhetoric the Democratic party has been spouting for the last three or four decades so how's he riding on the "Change" theme?

Pro-life, lifetime member of the NRA, tax incentives for businesses, believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, would sign legislation for the death penalty, believes health care should be market and business driven ... no "same old rightest rhetoric the Republican party has been spouting" there-- Paulin's just a breath of Republican fresh air!

The decision does take the limelight away from Obama for certain. It will be interesting.

I sure hope it doesn't make her *gasp* a "celebrity."

[kimmy]

Well duh! CNN is the CBC of the USA. Wouldn't have mattered WHO he chose, the response would have been the same.

Absolutely agreed.

Palin is overwhelmingly considered to be a poor choice... among people who are already enthusiastic Obama supporters.

Whoever he chose, would have been absolutely the wrong choice.

His VP candidate would be either too white to add to the already overwhelming whitey-whiteness of McCain's whiteness, or a token minority and pathetic attempt to placate non-white voters.

His choice would be either Yet Another Middle-Aged Man, or a cynical grab for female voters who supported Hilary.

His choice would be either a complete unknown or somebody tainted by their political history.

His choice would be either too Northeast, Too South, Too Texas, Too California, Too Midwest, or apparently in Palin's case, Too Nowhere.

Either too old or too inexperienced.

Either completely inexperienced, or part of the Political Insider Culture That Obama Is Fighting To Change ™.

If McCain had chosen a mysterious person of indeterminate age, gender, and ethnic background, it would have been dismissed as too nothing, but if he'd chosen anyone else, they'd have been dismissed as too something.

There is absolutely no candidate on earth who the Obama enthusiasts would not have considered a poor choice.

Well, my immediate response was that McCain was an idiot and his decision made Obama a shoe in.

As for Palin, didn't know her and still don't - but from what I have heard she has my attention.

If America wants change Palin should be popular. Obama parrots the same old leftist rhetoric the Democratic party has been spouting for the last three or four decades so how's he riding on the "Change" theme? Seems he may be inexperienced but he has certainly groomed himself for office by living a typical political career thus far. Talking the good talk but there is no evidence of him having stood for change. He seems to be politics as usual with just a little bit more syrup on top.

Remember he is running for President. Ms. Palin is nominated for Vice-President she really is the only one that needs to feel she can handle the position in order to accept the nomination.

The decision does take the limelight away from Obama for certain. It will be interesting.

I can't buy the idea that this choice hurts McCain. It's dubious whether it helps him any, but I doubt there were any alternatives that would have helped much either. I doubt there's many people out there who were seriously considering supporting McCain if he'd picked (for example) Mitt Romney, but are going to support Obama now.

She will certainly be a popular choice among conservatives. Will she be a popular choice among women? Not necessarily. But despite what Obama enthusiasts say, it's not a given that Hilary supporters will scoff at Palin and support Obama. I heard during CBC coverage of the convention last week that as many as 40% of Hilary supporters might be leaning towards McCain, and that was before any mention of Sarah Palin as VP candidate.

Personally, I can tell you that while I don't care for Hilary Clinton, I found the idea of a woman winning the top job in the world to be kind of exciting. (just as I suspect that for many non-white people, the idea of a non-white man becoming POTUSA is an exciting idea even if they don't agree with a lot of Obama's ideas.) As much as we're admonished to not get caught up in "identity politics" as it has become known, there is a human instinct to identify with people who are like us, and to want to see them succeed.

Obama supporters will have to treat Palin with the utmost respect. Nearly half of his own party wanted Hilary to win, and among that contingent his standing is not super solid to begin with. If the Obama camp is smart, they won't give Hilary supporters any reason to remember that they wanted a woman to win in the first place.

-k

[jdobbin]

Pro-life

I think that any woman who believes in Roe should consider their vote carefully. A vote for McCain Palin will likely mean a new Justice on the Supreme Court who strikes down the law.

Edited August 31, 2008 by jdobbin

[Guest American Woman]

If the Obama camp is smart, they won't give Hilary supporters any reason to remember that they wanted a woman to win in the first place.

I'm a Hillary supporter who wanted Hillary to win, not "a woman." Some people talk as if any woman will do; as it it wasn't about Hillary as a person, but only Hillary as a woman. Hillary and Palin have very different views. I can't see why a lot of people would switch from supporting Hillary to supporting Palin, and I don't think it's going to happen.

[jefferiah]

Pro-life, lifetime member of the NRA, tax incentives for businesses, believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, would sign legislation for the death penalty, believes health care should be market and business driven ... no "same old rightest rhetoric the Republican party has been spouting" there-- Paulin's just a breath of Republican fresh air!

So the republicans chose a republican? Whats your point?

[Guest American Woman]

QUOTE=American Woman: @ Aug 30 2008, 09:14 PM) *

Pro-life, lifetime member of the NRA, tax incentives for businesses, believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, would sign legislation for the death penalty, believes health care should be market and business driven ... no "same old rightest rhetoric the Republican party has been spouting" there-- Paulin's just a breath of Republican fresh air!

So the republicans chose a republican? Whats your point?

Did you even read the post/comment that I was responding to? If you did, and you still don't get my point, I'm afraid repeating it won't help, but here goes anyway:

It was said that: "If America wants change Palin should be popular. Obama parrots the same old leftist rhetoric the Democratic party has been spouting for the last three or four decades so how's he riding on the "Change" theme?"

My point is that Palin isn't bringing any "change." She "parrots the same old rightist rhetoric the Republican party has been spouting...."

Edited August 31, 2008 by American Woman

[Riverwind]

I think that any woman who believes in Roe should consider their vote carefully. A vote for McCain Palin will likely mean a new Justice on the Supreme Court who strikes down the law.

Yep. It will be a tough decision for many. On one side you have a party dedicated to reducing the average American's economic freedom by artificially increasing the cost of energy. On the other side you have party that wants to restricts an individual's personal freedom. It is a bit like having to between having a foot or a hand amputated. Edited August 31, 2008 by Riverwind

[jdobbin]

Yep. It will be a tough decision for many. On one side you have a party dedicated to reducing the average American's economic freedom by artificially increasing the cost of energy. On the other side you have party that wants to restricts an individual's personal freedom. It is a bit like having to between having a foot or a hand amputated.

How are the Democrats raising the cost of energy? The Republicans aren't?

Edited August 31, 2008 by jdobbin

[Shady]

Absolutely agreed.

Palin is overwhelmingly considered to be a poor choice... among people who are already enthusiastic Obama supporters.

Whoever he chose, would have been absolutely the wrong choice.

His VP candidate would be either too white to add to the already overwhelming whitey-whiteness of McCain's whiteness, or a token minority and pathetic attempt to placate non-white voters.

His choice would be either Yet Another Middle-Aged Man, or a cynical grab for female voters who supported Hilary.

His choice would be either a complete unknown or somebody tainted by their political history.

His choice would be either too Northeast, Too South, Too Texas, Too California, Too Midwest, or apparently in Palin's case, Too Nowhere.

Either too old or too inexperienced.

Either completely inexperienced, or part of the Political Insider Culture That Obama Is Fighting To Change .

If McCain had chosen a mysterious person of indeterminate age, gender, and ethnic background, it would have been dismissed as too nothing, but if he'd chosen anyone else, they'd have been dismissed as too something.

There is absolutely no candidate on earth who the Obama enthusiasts would not have considered a poor choice.

Wow, very well said and completely accurate.

[peter_puck]

It doesn't have to be justified....she meets all the constitutional requirements to be vice president and president.

By that logic, the average hobo on the street corner would be an acceptable choice (as would many members of the Taliban).

Somehow, I think the bar should be set a little higher.

[Riverwind]

How are the Democrats raising the cost of energy? The Republicans aren't?

Whatever the Republicans say on GW you can be certain that they will be pragmatic and minimal because they see it as an economic rather than a moral issue. No such assurances would come with the democrats because many see AGW as a moral issue and are as fanatical as any anti-abortion crusader. As I said, it will be a difficult choice for Americans. It is easy for me because what happens to abortion rights in the US won't affect Canada but harebrained anti-AGW policies could.

[peter_puck]

Palin is overwhelmingly considered to be a poor choice... among people who are already enthusiastic Obama supporters.

Whoever he chose, would have been absolutely the wrong choice.

Well, I am pro McCain, and I think the pick was a (potential) disaster. You are right that the Obama camp would have probably said whoever was chosen was not a wise pick, but this time, they are right.

Why pick a candidate with such a glarring weakness and no real strengths ?

[jdobbin]

Whatever the Republicans say on GW you can be certain that they will be pragmatic and minimal because they see it as an economic rather than a moral issue.

Please. You have no evidence of that at all. That is your hope but if you listen to McCain, you can expect quite a lot of spending on global warming issues. Read his website.

As I said, it will be a difficult choice for Americans. It is easy for me because what happens to abortion rights in the US won't affect Canada but harebrained anti-AGW policies could.

Let's see: back alley abortions or saving the plant.

[Riverwind]

Please. You have no evidence of that at all.

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/sarah_pal.../29/126139.html

Palin Speaks to Newsmax About McCain, Abortion

What is your take on global warming and how is it affecting our country?

A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.

http://thechillingeffect.org/2008/08/28/a-...nd-trade-plans/

Incidentally, while the public clamors for drill, drill, drill, Mr. Obama wants high-cost, cap-and-trade carbon regulation enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, Mr. McCain also wants cap-and-trade, but not if India and China don’t go along. Apparently Mr. Obama will not be constrained by the rest of the world.

Any plan that is conditional on the participation of India and China is equivalent to saying the US will do nothing.

Let's see: back alley abortions or saving the plant.

Spoken with the same moral rhetoric that an anti-abortion fanatic would use. However, in their case they would likely charaterize it as a choice between stopping the mass murder of innocent children or a job killing tax grab. Edited August 31, 2008 by Riverwind