Posted on 08/29/2008 10:31:47 AM PDT by americanophile
Don’t kid yourself…John McCain just put all his chips on the table and rolled the dice.
Over the past many months, McCain’s team had skillfully underscored the natural impressions of Americans – that Barak Obama was the lightweight in the race; the candidate of risk. Now, with a single stroke McCain has undercut his most effective argument. He has weakened his case for wisdom and experience, and elevated a one-term governor of a small-population state based on her gender.
McCain had plenty of safe choices. Choices that would have bolstered Americans’ inherent understanding of McCain’s competency and ability; choices that would have underscored the longstanding notion that whatever gimmick the Democrats try, the Republican Party remains the serious one.
With the electorate evenly split, McCain’s first job was to pick a competent running mate that would not undermine his standing, and would reassure voters that should something happen to the oldest man ever to be nominated for president, a competent, experienced leader, ready to serve as commander-in-chief in a time of war, was waiting in the wings.
The former Miss Congeniality, and hockey mom from “the last frontier” is a bizarre choice.
McCain’s pick today has all the hallmarks of a political gimmick and a hail-Mary pass. While it is likely to excite some conservatives, his choice will refocus the entire campaign away from Obama’s status as a political neophyte and will reshuffle the risk calculus in the favor of the increasingly familiar, and always-eloquent Obama. With Biden on the ticket, Obama has lessened the sense that he poses a serious danger to the electorate. McCain’s selection by contrast is likely to shake voters and cast uncertainty on the wisdom and safety of a McCain presidency.
With competent and proven individuals waiting in the wings such as Governor Mitt Romney, the selection of Sarah Palin is a most unfortunate choice.
John McCain may have just lost the 2008 election…cue the hurricane.
Good. Then you should be happy for the V.P. pick.
I am not and will not vote for the RNC party nomination.
This is all I have to say on the subject:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2070143/posts?page=71#71
Yes, go ahead and vote Democrat, you sexist. And remember Obama is half white, but Palin is all woman.
I wouldn’t have voted GOP if Romney had been picked.
He’s anti-gun, saying he’d ban semi-auto guns, he changed to conservative views only when he decided to run for Pres, and he ran Mass. as a liberal, being strongly pro-homosexual.
Ed
Tell us who the last president was that made his VP choice based on this reason. Tell us the last president who made his VP choice for reasons other than who they believe will bring the most votes on Election Day.
Its unfortunate that McCain picked a pro life conservative over a drug plan pusher with nice hair?
GIVE ME A BREAK!
Good enough place to bump this thread.
Obama bin Biden vs. the Beauty & the Beast
Truthguy, you sound more like one of Obamas minions. There are plenty of conservatives we just don’t get the media coverage that the loud mouth Democrat liberals get. This was a brilliant, strong move by McCain. Get over it. The disaster awaits you and the libs.
Our VP pick has more experience than Obama. Let them pound on that!
Palen is a horrible choice. Anyone from Alaska is a horrible choice. The place is rife with corruption and puppetmasters. Palin’s rapid and improbable rise from housewife and PTA maven to governor strongly hints that she is, contrary to her feign, in the pocket of the same people who kept Stevens in power. When Stevens sings, Palin’s gonna get named. It’s just going to be horrible.
FWIW, I got it...
I might point out that while McCain’s attacks on Obama’s inexperience and lack of seriousness were effective (he shouldn’t stop), some voters are afraid of McCain, see him as an over-eager hawk. This might not help in that department, but I don’t see how it will hurt. Based on what little I’ve read about her, she doesn’t come off as a lightweight, just a normal person with some executive experience. IIRC, W was a governor whose foreign policy experience was following his dad around and possibly dealing with Saudi businessmen. What do you think, is she a better pick than Ferraro?
GOPublius would be somewhat right if we had a rational electorate.
The fact is we don't! (and maybe we never had & never will get !)
I think Governor Palin is a average to good choice, not a great choice if rationality was the only motivating factor for voters. (That is a C+ choice mainly because she needs a little more experience!)
However given the electorate we have and their motivations for voting either for or against a particular candidate, the choice of Governor Palin is sublime for now & for the future.
When they arrived I was watching FNC and listening to Rush.
They asked what I was watching and I told them the next VP of the United States.
A woman?!? Who is she?!?
She's the governor of Alaska,
NRA Life Member,
she hunts,
fishes,
played basketball in high school and made the winning free throw for her team in the state tournament,
has 5 kids,
the last one was born with Down's Syndrome and she told her doctors that an abortion was not an option, saying the baby was a gift from God,
another son is in the Army and leaves for Iraq 9-11-08.(9-11?!? - WOW!)
Started working cleaning houses (WOW! Really?!?)
ran for PTA and won,
ran for mayor and won,
ran for governor and won
and now she is running for the second highest office in the world.
Their reaction:
"I wasn't planning on voting but I'm voting for her!" "Me too!" "Me too!"
My reaction:
Well, that's four votes from Florida.
Hmmmm. Looks like Huckaliar might be ghost writing for GOPublius.com.
Make sure you don't say that around too many women if you value your life. You might start a riot.
She's been picked not for her experience but for her transparent integrity and wholesomeness and just plain character. I applaud the choice, but I'm not blind to its deficiencies. She has not been picked because she has vast experience. She has only enough experience to demonstrate her character. But in her case, her relatively little experience is plenty enough to demonstrate character.
I bet the mainstream media never finds one instance of plagiarism in her past.
The RNC should have thought of that then.
Very good.........:o)
She is great. Great, great, great.
I know a tree by its fruits.
Every mormon I have known well has been a fine and ethical person.
I wish I could say the same about a large majority of people who call themselves Christians.
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