The Beauty of Sarah Palin

RedState.com ^ | August 17, 2008 | Josh Painter

[Josh Painter]

I'm not talking about the mere physical attractiveness of Alaska's governor, though she has been blessed with an abundance of that gift. Palin was a competitor in the 1984 Miss Alaska beauty pageant after being named Miss Wasilla earlier that year, where she also won Miss Congeniality honors.

No, what I'm dicussing here is beauty in the political sense - as in the beauty of what John McCain, if he's smart and willing to make a really bold move, could accomplish by naming Governor Palin as his running mate for the presidential election.

Those making the case for Palin as GOP VP nominee include Jack Kelly on Real Clear Politics, American Spectator's Thomas Cheplick, Bill Krtistol and Fred Barnes of The Weekly Standard and Anchorage Daily News columnist William Ruger.

A number of bloggers have added their voices to the chorus in praise of Alaska's governor. Just a few examples can be found here, here and here.

There are websites devoted to promoting Palin for the Republican vice presidential nomination - Sarah Palin for America, Palin For VP, and Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President. There are even web ads made independently on her behalf. You can view them here, here and here.

There no need for me to echo all of the arguments made by those cited here for Sarah Palin. But I would like to add some perspective.

With energy and oil prices at the top of the nation's current domestic concerns, and with energy independence tied closely to national security at a time when Russia, America's old nemisis, is again on the rise, it is critical for McCain to have someone on his ticket who can speak with authority about energy. Palin demonstrates her command of the subject in this video clip from Glenn Beck's TV show.

Also, in one of the most under-reported news stories in recent weeks, Gov. Palin has accomplished a feat which has eluded the U.S. Congress for many years. She has pushed through the Alaska legislature a natural gas pipeline project which will bring new supply and price relief to the lower 48:

On Aug. 1, the same day the call for a vote on drilling began on the House floor, the Alaska state Senate approved a package of measures to license a new natural gas pipeline. House Bill 3001 lets Palin award the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act license to TransCanada Alaska, a pipeline builder that cast a winning bid of five.

The legislature had been trying for 30 years to authorize something like this and, up until now, had blown it. Palin got it through. Getting it off the ground, the state says, will be the biggest construction project in U.S. history.

Palin considers the $26 billion project her biggest accomplishment as governor. "It was not easy," she told IBD. "Alaska has been hoping and dreaming for a natural gas pipeline for decades. What it took was getting off the dime and creating a competitive market in Alaska."

The 1,715-mile gas line would stretch from Alaska's North Slope to Fairbanks and down to Alberta, Canada. Then it would take existing gas lines to Idaho. In 10 years, Palin says, the lower 48 states would receive 4.5 million cubic feet of natural gas a day. By 2030, according to Energy Department estimates, Alaska's annual natgas production would quintuple to 2 trillion cubic feet.

With the voters seeing nothing being done but congressional bickering on the energy front, Sarah Palin can point to this accomplishment to show that she's a "can do" leader on energy, something no other potential GOP vice presidential nominee can boast of right now. That's what the electorate is looking for, and this would make Palin a valuable asset to McCain's campaign.

But I've saved the best for last. The Democrats can hardly criticize Gov. Palin's resume as being too thin without calling attention to Obama's own limited experience. And that perhaps, is the real beauty of Sarah Palin.

- JP

[gscc]

You still have not posted a single constructive point to the discussion. Dick Cheney is not going to run with McCain. It seems you do not want to reveal your choice for VP since that would betray your real reason for the vendetta against Palin.

[Stephanie32]

“what qualifies SP to be VPOTUS”

Read posts number 31 and 33 as well as the thread about her yesterday. You’re not fooling anyone. You know she’s a good choice.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Vendetta?
I’ve made my case. Refute it, don’t slime it. Tell us what qualifies Palin to be VPOTUS.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Thanks. Duh, I can’t believe I forgot to check YouTube for vids.

[TonyM]

The people who are going to vote for all the right reasons are going to vote for McCain because he is the best choice. What we are left competing for is the dummy vote. That’s the vote from people who vote on things that have absolutely nothing to do with what really matters. By making Palin as VP it would get a lot of those votes because she is a women who men see as attractive and women see as strong. She would get much of the would-have-been Hillary votes. These are not the best reasons to vote for a President, but it is what the dummy voter goes for.

[DouglasKC]

Tell us what qualifies Palin to be VPOTUS.

From wikipedia:

The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."[4] However, unlike the two-election limit imposed on the Presidency by the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, there is no restriction of the number of terms a person can serve as Vice President.

Thus, to serve as Vice President, an individual must be: * a natural born U.S. citizen not younger than 35
* must have been living in the U.S. for at least 14 years[5]

Other than that, our founding fathers put no other restrictions on qualifications to be the vice-president. Anything else is just opinion. I like Palin because she makes the Republican ticket stronger and puts a young conservative in a powerful position.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Excellent post. Smart conservatives (people who follow politics) will vote for her stances on the issues (abortion; gun control; drilling). Your well defined 'dummy voters' will be voting for a 'women' or a 'working mom' or because she is pretty.

Lets face it folks, how many Obama voters cast their ballot out of a sense of either 'white guilt' or because 'he is sooo kewl...?'

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

I like Palin because she makes the Republican ticket stronger and puts a young conservative in a powerful position.

That she makes the ticket stronger, is opinion.

The Twelfth Amendment [qualifies Palin to be VPOTUS]

If we're to be disingenuous, please define "powerful position." (Is it so described in the Constitution? Or can just anyone qualified per the 12th Amendment handle it?)

You might also want to see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pak-rH0dCeA
in which Gov. Palin says "I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?"

[gscc]

Both this thread and yesterday’s more than makes a case for Palin. How would you strengthen the ticket other than to convince Cheney to run again? Obama is the single most dangerous candidate to ever emerge in this country. With so many states divided by less than 1-2% she is a difference maker - the difference between winning and Obama. You can criticize but you can not come up with an alternative that would constitute a winning ticket, at least not without revealing your true agenda.

[DouglasKC]

I like Palin because she makes the Republican ticket stronger and puts a young conservative in a powerful position.
That she makes the ticket stronger, is opinion.

Certainly. But saying she isn't qualified is not true. She's qualified. It's your opinion that she wouldn't be any good at the job.

The Twelfth Amendment [qualifies Palin to be VPOTUS] If we're to be disingenuous, please define "powerful position." (Is it so described in the Constitution? Or can just anyone qualified per the 12th Amendment handle it?)

I defined "powerful position" as second in line to the Presidency, a national platform/exposure, and a prominence in world affairs.

You might also want to see the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pak-rH0dCeA in which Gov. Palin says "I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?"

After watching it, I think she was making a joke. She was downplaying expectations and she was saying that if she were vice president she would want to be as active and involved as she is as the governor of Alaska.

[bray]

If you like $4/gal, Thank Congress. If you want $10, Vote No Oilbama.

[Eye of Unk]

Well I am sure she will get a lot of support from Alaskans that qualified for the Permanent Fund Dividend that may be a bit over $2,000 this year PLUS the initiative she passed into effect another $1200 to each person added to their PFD.

I suspect there will be a lot of booze, drugs and bling spending coming up in October when we get that money.

I am going to try and not touch my 14 yr. old sons amount of roughly $3200 and get it into a savings account.

Read about this “resource rebate” here; http://www.adn.com/legislature/story/488420.html

Would she do the same to all of America if she was voted in as Veep?

Give each person under certain qualifications something like one or two thousand dollars to off st the higher fuel costs?

Thats basically what she did for Alaskans, and I think for Alaskans ONLY.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

You can criticize but you can not come up with an alternative that would constitute a winning ticket, at least not without revealing your true agenda.

Yes, I certainly can criticize. Palin is outstandingly underqualified.

No, I cannot suggest anyone whom I consider a truly excellent choice.

I don't know what you mean by my true agenda, but it sounds rather irrational. I have merely stated the obvious here, and regretted that it needed to be stated. Democrats fall in line behind a charming vacuity; we are supposed to be more judicious.

I'm beating a dead horse now, or swatting flies over it. She's not VP material, and I'm resting my case.

[Delacon]

Why hasn’t the beast replied back?

[Eye of Unk]

Don’t feel alone, I happen to live in the town she was mayor for and I knew of “other” little dealings that I hope not to see a repeat of in a grander scale if she had the power to do so.

Personally I think the Republican party can find someone better qualified, her history is short, she has no background to me of the sort that would lead me to think that she would be a worthy successor to being the President if McCain was not capable of that position.

Heck martha Stewart would be a better choice.

[steve-b]

Sarah Palin is a lightweight compared to a Bobby Jindal or even Heather Wilson.

Hell, she's a lightweight compared to Barack Obama, and that's saying something.

[Josh Painter]

She’s got more executive government experience. You lose. Thanks for playing...

[HighlyOpinionated]

I think some of you guys, the beastie boy especially, are not really conservatives or Republicans. You have come to FR and signed in and lain in waiting for the day you could "dis" the Republican choice for President and Vice President. Or maybe you have another agenda, but you're in the fray right now and you're causing an affray. Or trying to start one.

You can't be happy with Palin, you have this or that about her. Well, McCain VETTED her. She passed. She, as is he, is a Maverick. A Republican Maverick. She bucked the Party and SHE WON. You want to throw her 14 years of real experience next to Obama's 143 days in the Senate and a couple years in the Illinois Senate where he did nearly NOTHING and only knows to vote "present" because he can't make up his mind? While Obama was out tossing 3 pointers, Palin was visiting the troops in the hospital in Germany. While Obama was trying to "find" himself, she was going toe to toe with big Republican men in Alaska.

Or is it because she's a wife, an accomplished woman, and a mother of five, that you dislike her?

Sarah Palin is not a 'lightweight' nor is she 'inexperienced' nor is she one with whom you probably want to tangle. If she can stare down the Republicans in Alaska, she'll have no problem staring down Harry Reid or Harry Byrd or any other Senator when she sits as President of the Senate.

So what I'm sayin' is . . . lighten up. The Republicans have a winning team. And all the Democrats have is Obama and Biden. And "inexperience" is not off the table.

Have your doubts, voice them, but quit disrespecting people. It's unbecoming of a FReeper.

[Mr. Silverback]

Visiting a soldier at Landstuhl


Visiting troops in Kuwait



Miss Wasilla

With her husband


Barbarians, the ultimate bitter clingers!

Now, I'm not lusting after her or anything, but that windblown hot librarian look is definitely something that's gonna work for a politician.

Reportedly her dad shot that bear on a highway in Denali County.








A few days after her son Trig was born

More Trig

Helping the Elks raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project

With the boss.



Oh...and Governor Palin, if you're reading this, I have a good looking, tall, smart 13 year old Boy Scout I'd like to introduce to your middle daughter. :-)

[Mr. Silverback]

1. You're wrong.

2. Enjoy fuming. You're going to be doing it for four to eight years. I think McCain just won the election.