Say what you will about Sarah Palin (and a lot of us have said a lot): When crunch time came at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night, the self-professed hockey mom seized the moment and stole the show.
GOP Presidential nominee John McCain might have trouble living up to the performance his vice presidential pick delivered.
Palin wowed the convention audience of Republican faithful and also the vast majority of pundits and observers: Blunt, forceful, funny, sarcastic and searing, she stayed on point and message. She calls herself a "gal" but proved she can play with the big boys on the political stage.
Impressed? Yes, I was. The Sarah Palin that strode confidently onto the stage in the Twin Cities was a far cry from the image created by the left-wing blogosphere and Democratic attack squads. It’s easy to see why she is a rising star in Alaskan political circles and now the national Republican scene.
Serious questions still remain on the true character of Palin, just as they do about Barack Obama. Both remain relative unknowns on the national stage. But anyone who thought Joe Biden would send her weeping from the stage at the upcoming Vice Presidential debate is living in a delusional world. Biden will have his hands full.
Like Biden, Palin will serve as her party’s attack dog. She went after Obama like a wolf hound on a rampage. Unlike Biden, she is not a politician of the past but something the Republican Party has lacked for years: A fresh, young face that could rally first time voters to the GOP side of the fence.
Still, Palin will have trouble delivering the disenchanted throngs of Hillary Clinton supporters who swear they will never, ever vote for Obama. She’s pro-life and as extreme on the right as Biden is on the left. Palin supporters like to call her a "maverick," but – in the end – she is still a rabid right wing fanatic who spouts the ultra-conservative Republican Party line.
Democrats who left Denver thinking this election will be a cake walk for the party of the jackass now realize that Campaign ’08 will, in all likelihood, be another down to the wire election where a sharply-divided electorate rallies behind party lines.
With two months to go, anything can happen but Palin looks more and more like a smart choice for John McCain. She is youth that an aging candidate needs. She is passionate where McCain is dour. She is energy where he is tired.
Fasten your seat belts. This is going to be one hell of a ride.
52 thoughts on “Don’t sell Sarah Palin short”
Newly infamous email is true according to Snopes, author identified.
Click here to read it on Snopes website.
It’s been said before: Hell hath no fury like the wrath of a woman scorned.
The “buzz” over Sarah Palin is “much ado about nothing.” She’s not that cool.
This coming election is going to be determined by the youth vote and they can’t identify — or even comprehend — a Turkey necked old geezer like John McCain. Sarah Palin may seem “hot” to the geezers in the crowd, but reality dictates, to young voters, Sarah Palin is just Bristol’s overbearing Mom.
Have you sincerely LOOKED for anything to show that Obama could run the country? He’s put out some pretty detailed position papers, but it takes time and focus to go through those and it’s not as easy as just claiming he doesn’t have any administrative ability.
Doesn’t running a campaign that, against long odds, took on and defeated the Clinton machine count as some indicator of administrative ability? You’re going to claim that running a state with a population of only 600,000 for only 18 months shows superior administrative ability? Or are you just going to ignore Obama’s accomplishment because you’ll claim that he somehow “stole” the nomination from Hillary? It’s easy to win arguments when you just ignore what the other side says or ignore any reasonable but inconvenient contraditions to your argument.
And balancing a budget isn’t a big deal in a state that has a $5 billion surplus, has a very small population to serve, and much less infrastructure to maintain than states with larger populations.
Sherry’s got a point. While I have said all along I don’t believe Obama will win (and no I don’t believe it has anything to do with Hillary supporters who choose to vote for McCain instead) I think it’s damned time the DNC learn that the cigar filled room is a thing of the past too. They were perfectly happy with Hillary as the candidate until Obama stepped into the ring, then all the sudden, there was a viable man and Hillary got thrown over in his favor. I still don’t know who I’m voting for at this stage, but it ain’t going to be McCain and it certainly won’t be Obama.
I don’t drink Kool Aid. I call them like I see them and I do so without being under the influence of partisan intoxication.
The same old scenario will come up again with Neo-Cons manufacturing another 9/11 and Democrappers will cower like Cockroaches just being fanned out of their hiding places and allow Oberfuhrer McNuggets to activate the enabling act just like ol’ Dolf did after the Reichstag fire.
I will not be voting for Sir Obama of Camelot. Goddamn little Demo-prostitutes sucked up to Telecoms and gave those paper-hanging SOB’s retro-active immunity.
NO MORE LEXUS LIBERALS
NO MORE PANTS SUIT WENCHES
VOTE NADER
I did fight like hell. Dean, Reid, Pelosi, et al, suggested I engage in the human act of procreation with myself.
I am responding in kind.
I am not like some abused wife who gets her butt kicked and goes back for more. The only thing the Obama crew can throw out there is Roe V Wade and the USSC. Does that mean the democratic majority will continue to be without a spine?
Sherry…Please “don’t cut off your nose to spite your face” You are absolutey right in what you said about the DNC over riding the will of the people but, you and others are handling it wrong (in my opinion) Democracy means more than ‘something” to me and millions of others but you don’t punish “the people” by voting for the opponent who belongs to the party that handed us the duo of Bush/Cheney. They crippled the USA and her citizens, brought us hard times and shamed us world wide, they have ignored the constitution..abused their powers…practiced non-stop dishonesty and greed. Instead use your talents,unite and fight like hell by never giving up or in to the bastards who think they are kings…do all you can to insure it dosen’t happen again. If I thought what you were doing by voting for McCain was right, I would join you..but I don’t think McCain stands for whats in my nations best interest so I wouldn’t think of it. But I will hammer the hell; out of the dNC and hope millions of others will do the same. (the RNC is no damned different in my opinion)
This is a portion of an article by Gloria Steinem in today’s LA Times:
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message
Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton’s candidacy stood for — and that Barack Obama’s still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, “Somebody stole my shoes, so I’ll amputate my legs.”
Here is the link for the entire article:
https://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-200
Democrats are stewing and stirred up because McCain bested them at their own game. Dems brought a bright professor of Constitutional Law, conveniently ignoring his FISA betrayal of that document. Then they paired the newest insider with one of the longest running insiders in Washington.
McCain went for the visual. His Vice is prettier than the Dems’ Vice. No question.
She’s an outsider, and the nation, nay the world, is weary of the dynastic nature of the Inside Baseball that is US Politics.
None of this will matter a whit though, unless and until the MSM grows a couple of, well–hmmm — unless and until the MSM does their job without fear or favor. We need real journalists investigating all candidates. And we need real reporting from them. And we need it done in a way that the beer drinking, sports addicted, entertainment numbed, dumber than a 5th Grader American, can understand.
And, we need to get to know Gov. Palin better, and if she’s going to be a disaster for more reasons than her lack of experience and her own habits of wielding power, then she should be gone. Then again, one could say that about so many running for office…
Sigh.
Lillibet
If Hillary ran a better campaign, she wouldn’t have lost.”
When she won, the electorate was racist. When she lost, she ran a bad campaign. Neither she nor Obama had the delegates necessary to clinch the nomination. It was the superdelegates who put her over the top. Delegates like Rockefeller, Kennedy, Kerry and others who over rode the will of the electorate and voted for Barack Obama.
This is so much bigger than Roe V Wade.
Women make up 52% of the vote.. Not nice to piss us off. Some of us refuse to reward those who are so disrespectful of the will of the people. Democracy means something to me.
How can you take on the oil companies when you are taking from the oil companies?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/26/AR2008072601891.html
Wow. People tried to tell me that there would be Hillary supporters moronic enough to vote in DIRECT contrast to their interests just because they are pissed that she didn’t win.
I didn’t believe it.
And you are justifying this vote for a man who promises to put the 5th anti-choice vote on the Supreme Court because you think it will bring about new leadership (i.e. Hillary supporters) to the DNC?? You’re actually willing to trade a woman’s right to choose for another shot at Hillary being President?
And you’re STILL arguing about the TX, MI and FL primaries!!??
Again, wow. How unbelievably stupid.
Let me add more one line to your list of “Why things would be different if they weren’t the same”. Try this one on for size…..
“If Hillary ran a better campaign, she wouldn’t have lost.”
Business as usual for the thief’s of Baghdad.
Deja Vu nails it perfectly; Snide/conceited mouth, a real match for the last eight years of smart-ass-holes in the WH. Just what we need. HACK!
There is a difference between taking on the oil companies and taking from the oild companies.
https://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/oil_company_executives.php
During the Dreyfus Affair, when it became obvious that the evidence against him had been forged – and the French investigators knew it was forged – they nonetheless refused to withdraw the charge of treason on the grounds that it would destroy public confidence in the Army. Besides, as one investigator claimed, they had additional evidence from a source who could not be named but whose integrity was beyond question.
As Yogi Berra (supposedly) said, it’s deja vu all over again.
Most sincerely,
T. J. Flapsaddle
My apologies Colo. I assure you it is not my intent to discount the arguments to be true. It is my intent as a part of honest debate to suggest your friend may have some references.
I have no doubt if taxes were cut in one area they were increased in another. Jay Rockefeller crowed as govenor he cut the food tax. Great! He also raised the sales tax on everything else by 2 per cent. He doesn’t talk about that.
Any time someone tells me they lowered taxes, unless they can show me where they lowered spending (which is almost never)
Anther thing about Ms. Moose Shooter is that her swipe at our Civil Libertys really shows that she is a card carrying Neo-Con. I saw their eyes glazed over last night. The Republican Party has really changed.
The rabid right is not a failure of the intellect, as Doug correctly points out. Palin is obviously reasonably intelligent. So were Hitler and Stalin. The GOP is a failure of the heart, or what used to be called decency, compassion, selflessness, tolerance and wisdom. Ironically, all the things Christ spoke of. This is not to suggest that Christians are much interested in Christ’s views, as easily witnessed by anyone who noticed the thunderous applause the white “Christian” audience gave Palin for every snide, smart aleck smear that came out of her conceited mouth.
Nothing to do with sexism. I determined I was going to vote for McCain when Clinton withdrew. Perhaps when the dems get slammed again, the likes of Ted, Nancy, Harry and Howard Dean will no longer be in power at the DNC. Perhaps under new leadership, the will of the people will have merit. HRC won the battleground states and if they applied a winner take all strategy, she would have won.
She won TX by 5% but managed to lose the caucus by 16%. And BHO walked away with 2/3 of the delegates. So much for the will of the people.
Although Clinton didn’t campaign in Michigan, all the delegates except for the ones voting for Hill went to BHO, including those voting for Edwards. Hillary won FL, and although BHO) was on the ballot and ran an ad, he was all for counting the delegates by half.
At the convention, he did not want her nominated from the floor as is tradition and suddenly once the golden boy had it in the bag, we could give full voting rights to MI and FL
Shame on em. There is no way on this earth I am voting DEM. No way. No how. Nobama!
Yes, I’m sure it’s only the altruistic concern of the Democrats and their fellow-travelers for the sanctity of the campaigning process that prompts their activities to “out” everything about Palin.
Obviously, I think otherwise and I consider this response on another thread to say it very well.
Most sincerely,
T. J. Flapsaddle
But, but… she’s a creationist who thinks the world was created about half an hour ago. Doesn’t that mean her judgement should be in question? Or is it OK in the US to believe in twaddle like that AND expect to be taken seriously as a politician?
And what about this ‘rapture’ business? She believes in that too so I understand.
Let me get this straight, when people standing for office hold beliefs like that they should be led away by men in white coats as quickly as possible and taken to a place of safety – our safety.
You know, I’m beginning to think that holding weird beliefs is a actually a pre-requisite for holding office in the US these days. Pretty much like countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia in fact.
Honestly, if McCain and Palin get their sweaty palms on the levers of power, we’re screwed. And before you call me a Dumbocrat or whatever, I’m not even American so I don’t care!
…if Palin is such a poor choice, why does her nomination so stir up the Democrat establishment and their fellow-travelers?
Probably because the Republicans have reflexively adopted her as the second coming of Mary, the mother of Jesus. If they had simply behaved as if she was who McCain picked and we’ll support his choice, that would be one thing, but the behavior that there is no one else in the Republican world as good as her, is off the wall.
I have been trying to define her. What is the ethics behind this? https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5713866
What I’ve got so far is she is a pro-drinking, anti-abortion, gun loving, narrow minded, Jesus freak that likes to hide things from people. Her reason for hiding her pregnancy for seven months was she was a afraid people would think she couldn’t do her job. So, what else is she covering up? Is she taking on the oil companies or just taking their money? I’m sure McCain doesn’t have any ties to the oil business. Ha. Ha. Ha. Have you ever noticed that whenever McCain reforms something, things get worse?
I almost forgot to add that she promotes teen pregnancy.
Yes. Sherry, I have her name and her profession and her e-mail address. However, to protect her privacy I stated I would not publish her name.
Why do you always try discount everything some of us say just because you don’t agree with it or chose not to accept the facts?
colocritic
FWIW, here’s a link to Ms Noonan’s opinion of the Honorable Sarah Palin [R-AK]: https://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html
Hill Country resident
A good stem-winder of a campaign speech, hitting the hot-buttons and resonating well with the choir and the Amen! pew. It did what it was supposed to do.
What I thought to be the core of your rant:
Serious questions still remain on the true character of Palin, just as they do about Barack Obama. Both remain relative unknowns on the national stage. But anyone who thought Joe Biden would send her weeping from the stage at the upcoming Vice Presidential debate is living in a delusional world. Biden will have his hands full.
And, as others have commented both here on CHB and elsewhere, if Palin is such a poor choice, why does her nomination so stir up the Democrat establishment and their fellow-travelers? If it were really that bad a choice, I’d think that the people who are supposedly smart enough to understand these things would just sit back quietly, smile, and wait for the election to confirm the GOP folly.
Most sincerely,
T. J. Flapsaddle
colo, I have much respect for your opinions, although we don’t always agree. This person who sends and email is almost like friend of a friend of friend. Does friend have a name?
Obviously this person is a detractor, writing to a detractor and may or may not know she is being quoted.
Do I think Sarah is all that? No. But she may be enough to keep the emptier suit out of the White House
colocritic..This gibes with much of what I have read, and yes, it does remind me all too much of our current W.H.resident. Thanks!
Doug:
I’m a bit disappointed that you seem to have drunk the Palin coolade. Sure, she’s good looking. Sure, she can give a good speech. But, she’s just a politician, not a “true” conservative savior.
Her big line: “I said no to thanks to the bridge to nowhere” has already been shown to be a blatant lie — by her own answers to a questionaire on the subject.
Look at some of the first hand comments above.
McCain had to do something to stir things up, and he did. We’ll see if the American voter is stupid enough to fall for it. Of course, never underestimate the stupidity of the American voter, or the mendacity of the GOP. Remember Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2008.
I do agree: It will be a hell of a ride.
Well said colocritic. They always say one thing to get elected and do the opposite once they get elected. That’s why they preach freedom and have destroyed the rights of the American Citizen.
Throw in what I saw after googling admiral’s son + songbird and you got quite a pair. That’s not even mentioning the keating 5 fiasco or the many attempts at using his influence on behalf of lobbyists. Some were rather unethical. Then of course there is the problem that he has turned his back on every piece of legislation he ever supported and voted with Bush over 90 % of the time.
This info is from an e-mail from a person that knows Sarah very well – For what it’s worth I’ve included some of the facts she put down. I’ve checked this out on Snoops.com and there is nothing there about this, so it is authentic.
I’ve not used her name for privacy reasons.
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. I attend more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a fiscal conservative. During her six years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same six years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation
(1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren’t enough to fund everything on her wish list so borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the 20 voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? Or a new library? No. $1 million for a park. $15 million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn’t even have clear title to, and that was still in litigation seven years later. The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5 million for road projects that could have been done in 5 to 7 years without any borrowing. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
She’s not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As mayor, she fought ideas that weren’t generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren’t evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.
Sarah complained about the old boy’s club when she first ran for mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of “old boys.” Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal — loyal to the point of abusing their power.
Remind you of our current W. H. resident?
colocritic
Sherry, I can’t believe that a “Hillary girl” would say of Palin, “You go girl!” Is it really for you more about gender than political perspective? I can understand that you are disappointed that BO got the nod over your candidate, and that you feel he is (comparatively) short of “substance”, but would you really vote for the Republican ticket and platform over the Demo one just because it has a female on board? Is YOUR political position and thinking so lacking of “substance” as that??
Back to Doug’s basic points. She is in essence simply delivering a Repub base for ‘maverick’ McCain. “Palin supporters like to call her a “maverick,” but – in the end – she is still a rabid right wing fanatic who spouts the ultra-conservative Republican Party line.” She is a true believer, part of the religious fascism that is threatening the American republic and the world with its consummate zeal for Armageddon – for potential self-prophecy. All on the basis of a belief. Dangerous stuff, in a dangerous world. We need more statesmanship to steer the ship of state through these waters than that political take on things. I’m not a great fan of Obama/Biden either, but I think that team can deliver a great degree of political nous than McCain/Palin can.
McCain’s hair-trigger temper running through his finger to the red button? Thanks, no thanks.
I liked her and I won’t sell her short buttttt the Old big boys club (rep) better watch out she takes pride in saying she beat them and threw them out. Can’t get much older than what I saw last night. They are the ones that should be worrying she likes to eat and spit out guys from the old boys club and especailly rep so Doug is right once again. Fasten your seat belts it is going to be one hell of a ride for both parties.
Ann
Surpised? Hardly. Elections are engineered to sharply divide along party lines. They wouldn’t have it any other way. Like Pavlov’s dogs to the dinner bell. DING!
I am definitely NOT selling Sarah short..but I was disapointed in her talk..meaning the talk she gave that was noticably written by someone else. It was just too contrived, and sarcastic, coming from someone giving her first speech before a national audience. Sarah is a smart, confident politician..yes, I said politician. She may not have been in the political arena long by some standards, but long enough to be used as a tool for McCain. She can refer to herself as a “regular gal” and a “soccer mom” but she is not regular by any means. I have been reading all I can find on her and have found she is no dummy, has guts and and a lot of NERVE. Time will tell if she is ready to wrestle with the big guns heading the GOP, but I have my doubts. I still believe she may withdraw from the race once the facts about her a learned, twisted and slung. I was never going to vote republican, so she sure as hell did not change my mind, but I think she may have changed others.
I won’t sell Sarah short, I made that mistake with Bush and look what happened…the big money got him appointed POTUS anyway.
Peggy Noonan president Reagan’s former speech writer says Palin is political Bullsh**t!
Well for sure you can’t take anyone for granted. But the she read a scripted speech before a crowd that would have cheered her wildly if she broke wind. The word among my undecided friends and coworkers is “she really didn’t say anything” and they are becoming more and more convinced that she is a rapid right winger.
colocritic, I hear ya, but I haven’t seen anything from BHO that shows me HE knows how to run a country. I DO know that Palin knows how to balance a budget. Great start.
You are a fan of BHO and you are worried about substance?
Comments are closed.