Palin: Good or Bad Choice

[JSojourner]

Pardon my language, but I think we're phucked.

No, JS, you know I'm way more conservative than liberal but this choice truly concerns me.  Obiden can't be too unhappy.

See GM, you are thinking like an intelligent, informed American.  As usual.  But that's not how most people think.  Republicans have known this for years.  They know America wants a President you can have a beer with.  Not one who reads books.

This time, they are giving America a fairly boring number one.  And adding a number two that millions of Americans want to have much more than a beer with.  (Not to suggest Sarah isn't highly intelligent.  She is.  But that's not the part of her millions will vote for.)

But to your point -- I agree.  McCain is 72 and has a history with cancer.  She is the former mayor of a city of five thousand people. She is the first term governor of a state with about 600 thousand people. Idaho has almost twice as many.  

Compared to Obama-Biden...Obama will have had four years Senate experience, including stints on the foreign affairs and armed services committee.  Not a lot of experience.  But more than Palin.  And still, Obama's youth is no gaurantor against disaster.  He could die.  He could be assassinated.  So then Joe Biden looks like an infinitely better pick.

But you and I both now, it's no longer about who is best for America.  In either party.  It's about who wins the most votes.

[Big DaddyTX]

Question is though... if Palin is the nominee, will Parnell just drop his chances for Congress?

[Verily]

Question is though... if Palin is the nominee, will Parnell just drop his chances for Congress?

She'll still be governor until January even if McCain wins.

[Secretary Polnut]

At 72 years old for McCain, President Palin is not out of the question, and I'm not totally comfortable with that.

Very good point.

That was the first thing that crossed my mind.

If McCain were 10 years younger... sure. But given concerns about his age, having a VP with so little experience can't be spun to be a good thing.

[Storebought]

To the extent that "the base" (I hate that term) just loves her and endears them to McCain, then it helps.

[Lief]

Really? I have a hard time believing that the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-gun, pro-war Republican men that make up the party's base love the idea of an inexperienced woman a heartbeat away from the presidency.

[YRABNNRM]

I'm sorry but this just screams "PANDER" to me.

[Gravis Marketing]

I'm sorry but this just screams "PANDER" to me.

[JSojourner]

Really? I have a hard time believing that the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-gun, pro-war Republican men that make up the party's base love the idea of an inexperienced woman a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Then you don't know them.  

If abortive women (and/or the abortion providers) are thrown in prison...and gays aren't allowed to marry or have equal rights...they are perfectly content.  God will shower blessing on America.  That's all they care about.  (Speaking of the religious conservatives...not all Republicans.)

[Grad Students are the Worst]

To the extent that "the base" (I hate that term) just loves her and endears them to McCain, then it helps.

I doubt 10% of the base has heard of her.  If you're talking about the real GOP base that they need to get out, the fundies, they'll probably like her on paper but a little less in practice.  Just my gut.

[TexasGurl]

typical wing nut and ethically challenged.

[True Democrat]

Really? I have a hard time believing that the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-gun, pro-war Republican men that make up the party's base love the idea of an inexperienced woman a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Then you don't know them.  

If abortive women (and/or the abortion providers) are thrown in prison...and gays aren't allowed to marry or have equal rights...they are perfectly content.  God will shower blessing on America.  That's all they care about.  (Speaking of the religious conservatives...not all Republicans.)

I've heard she's somewhat moderate (for a Republican) on gay rights.

[Storebought]

Really? I have a hard time believing that the anti-choice, anti-gay, pro-gun, pro-war Republican men that make up the party's base love the idea of an inexperienced woman a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Palin herself is anti-choice, pro-gun, and pro-war. She doesn't strike me as all that anti-gay, though.

And to Alcon: Yes they have. That's why they're "The Base" (ugh).

[Grad Students are the Worst]

I've heard she's somewhat moderate (for a Republican) on gay rights.

She "has gay friends" and followed a court order to offer state partner benefits, which entailed a veto of unconstitutional anti-gay rights legislation.  She also supports civil unions.  I guess that makes her moderate for a Republican.  She isn't a fire-breather, but she is (unfortunately) a religious conservative, and seems perfectly happy with the status quo.  Other than her inexperience, that is my biggest (and probably sole) criticism.

[Grad Students are the Worst]

And to Alcon: Yes they have. That's why they're "The Base" (ugh).

This may be a point of disagreement, but I don't think McCain has ever risked losing the hyper-educated base.  Moreover, I don't think that's a major part of the swing electorate.  I think the low-information fundamentalist vote is vastly more important and worth pandering to.  They don't know who Sarah Palin is.  They'll like her positions, though.

I usually think of "the base" as a support system.  I guess you could consider that to be the high-information, activist GOP voters, but I think of that more as the "grassroots."  "The base" I usually think of more as the common, relatively reliable conservative voters.  Semantics

[jeron]

She's not the best pick, but i can see why McCain chose her. He wanted a younger person on the ticket to counter Obama. Personally, I would have chosen Pawlenty.

[Secretary Polnut]

She's now being painted as some warrior woman.

A gun-toting, anti-choice, pro-war woman is a smart choice with swing-voters?

Somehow I doubt it.

I think is a pick to reassure the base - with pandering to women as a bonus.

[Eleanor Martins]

I'd love to see her attempt to defend McCain's oil policies as a reformist governor who's willing to stand up to the oil companies.

[Reaganfan]

I'm still trying to get used to the idea of such a sexy Vice President...and you know my attraction to older women.

[Lunar]

Here's an interesting aspect of the debate that will be coming up:
If Biden is too aggressive to a feminine woman, he will come across as a major league asshole.  People could be aggressive to Hillary because she wanted to be seen as a man.

I still think the experience and celebrity arguments are 50% killed in swing states.  It's not hard for Obama to run ads calling McCain a hypocrite and Miss Alaska shallow just by tone of voice. 

It seems McCain is willing to do anything to continue the divide in the Democratic party.  I think my guess last night that Obama (and the Clintons) decided to focus 90% of his entire speech on the Democrats strategically was right - if Obama can make himself into the generic Democrat and McCain   into a generic Republican, Obama wins.  McCain choosing an unconventional pick further distinguishes him from the old & white man party.

One thing I worry about though from McCain's perspective.  I'm not sure if the bulk of PUMA-types really would be down for a 72 year old man selecting a MILF.

Let's wait for the sex tape to emerge guys!  Haha.

[Lunar]

Another note: she is younger than Obama - 44 years old.

oh, and she has the same first and middle name as my sister.  weird.

[JSojourner]

I'm still trying to get used to the idea of such a sexy Vice President...and you know my attraction to older women.

Older? OLDER?

Go haunt a house!  ;-)

[Storebought]

I'd love to see her attempt to defend McCain's oil policies as a reformist governor who's willing to stand up to the oil companies.

Palin supports offshore drilling -- yet another reason why "The Ba...", I mean, GOP partisans, like her.

[Lunar]

What's her experience except for being Governor since '06?

She has more than "the messiah".

Measured in millimeters though.  I mean, she was mayor of Wissala (~5,000 people when she was mayor) and before that she was a journalist.

[Iosif]

She's no Maggie Thatcher.