Posted on 08/29/2008 1:43:04 PM PDT by Zakeet
A leading House Democrat said Friday John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is a "risky" move that could ultimately prove disastrous to the Republican prospects in November.
Meanwhile, a top Senate Democrat said the pick is a "Hail Mary pass" and a "roll of the dice," in what is the initial reactions from McCain's rival party.
Speaking to South Carolina ETV Radio, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn likened the choice of Palin to Walter Mondale's choice of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984 and George H.W. Bush's pick of Dan Quayle in 1988. Both picks — relatively unknown political figures at the time — generated initial excitement but were ultimately deemed poor choices by many political observers.
"I think (her selection) would be something similar to Dan Quayle — Dan Quayle proved to be sort of an embarrassment as a campaigner, being thrust on a national stage like that could be very tough," Clyburn said. "Now Mondale tried to shake things up by going with Geraldine Ferraro, she proved to be a disaster as a running mate. And as a campaigner, she was absolutely awful."
"And so I just think that it is very risky for McCain to do this, but it may be all he has left," Clyburn also said.
In an issued statement, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Palin is significantly mismatched to Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden and said the prospect of her becoming president is "troubling."
(Excerpt) Read more at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com ...
Meanwhile, a top Senate Democrat said the pick is a "Hail Mary pass" and a "roll of the dice," in what is the initial reactions from McCain's rival party.
The Democratic spinmeisters are working overtime to try to portray Sen. McCain's veep choice in a negative light. It is a classic example of one's whistling past the graveyard (if I may change the metaphor).
Here are some of the reasons I consider it to be a truly brilliant political pick:
(1) Hillary's supporters already feel dissed. Many are fuming. The choice of Gov. Palin is, I believe, likely to be a very effective attempt to reach out to those voters.
(2) Gov. Palin is likely to energize the GOP's conservative base; and energizing the base is usually more important than currying favor with swing voters (although, as to the latter, I believe that Sen. McCain's overture to the women's vote will be rewarded to a far greater extent than it will be penalized for its appearing immoderate to centrists).
(3) I believe the McCain campaign teed it up for the Democrats last night, when it ran an ad congratulating Sen. Obama for his historic accomplishment of garnering a major-party presidential nomination. No doubt, the move was calculated--some might even say Machiavellian--but it was, I believe, ultimately effective. Sen. McCain came off as being gracious, whereas the Obama campaign (and, by extension, Sen. Obama himself) has appeared downright churlish in its rejectionism toward the Republicans' first-ever woman as a veep choice.
"It is a real role of the dice and shows...
A spell-checker is of very little use with homophones. This is where a real, live human being might be useful--one who knows that role and roll have no more in common than, say, hair and hare.
"Experience is being taken off the table considering you're putting someone within a heartbeat of the presidency with the thinnest foreign policy experience in history," spokesman Bill Burton said.
The Democrats have tried to advertise Sarah Palin as merely a "former mayor" of a town of 9,000 people, thereby ignoring the fact that she is now a state governor--which is to say, she is someone with executive experience. In fact, four of the last five US presidents (including two Democrats, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton) have been governors or former governors.
The more the Democrats yelp, the more I know they are hurting.
The selection of Gov. Palin will dominate the news throughout the weekend; after which, the Republican Convention will dominate through next Friday. This should essentially destroy the anticipated bounce from the Democratic Convention.
“risky”
“hail mary pass”
“roll of the dice”
“troubling”
Well, it looks to me like she is the answer to the dems prayers.
Then why do they sound so scared?
WHY do everyone on the left, including the MSM, have this worried, anxious look in their eyes?
McCain did not roll the dice. It's chess. His ego kept Obama from taking Hillary and with no foreign policy experience Obama needed Biden. That was his own pitfall. With Biden he left a mile wide gap up the center, and McCain was smart enough to go for it. The choice of a woman at that point was so obvious even I am smart enough to see it. Quick search of senators and governors turns up a pretty short list, and it wasn't hard to pare it down to Palin.
But 90% of life is being smart enough to make the right moves when they stare you in the face. The other 10% is nowing what success would look like if you could get it. Palin meets that one too, and Biden didn't. So McCain might be smarter and better prepared for the big legues than everyone thinks he is.
did not know this, will add to why she is qualified
” FEAR - That is what we are seeing from the left and MSM - “ “ Nothing other than FEAR and spin..... “ yeaahhh DemgoRats, FEAR THE PALIN !!
Whoa....any more links to Obama’s Kenya’s Orange party connections?
Wow .... I just got off of a flight from SE Asia and am just hearing about Palin ..... wonderful. CNN’s on the IAD monitor and Wolf looked concerned.
There is a video on Youtube showing her shooting a gun...it might be a machine gun. I don’t know enough about guns.It looks like she might have been with the military.
i was trying to find it again and so far havent come up with it.
I am sure we will be seeing alot of that because of the NRA issue but also the image of her being “tough”.
>>I smell fear in the liberals.
I wondered what that stink was. I thought a rat died under the porch.
After all, what could possibly be a more effective strategy for trying to win back those disaffected Hillary voters?
If you find please ping me I would like to see.
The Leftist anti-American, baby killing, welfare leach plantation runners are RIGHT...
Palin WILL be a disaster — FOR THEM..
She will eat that phony bastard Biden alive in the debate and on any comparison of ACCOMPLISHMENTS and freedom from CORRUPTION....
“Risky” indeed - for Obama, Biden, the DNC and the black racists, Marxists, Communists and your general run of Democrat low life base......to tangle with this babe on this ticket.
I wonder if the expected bump in the rat polls will be dulled by Palin being placed on the ticket
How sweeeetttt it is. You’ve got to know the dems are running scared with Palin as choice for VP. Hee hee....I LOVE IT.
Good catch!
Gun toting Palin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFjqZ_vvLNc&feature=related
REWRITE:
Repubs say Obama is ‘risky’, will be adisaster
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