Posted on 09/30/2008 2:11:15 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
So Sarah Palin's participation in the vice presidential debate is going to be the sparring equivalent of bumper bowling. The McCain camp insisted upon a tightly formatted structure for Palin's debate with Joe Biden, one that is designed to protect her from spontaneous questions and discussion.
Geraldine Ferraro was granted no special protection when she debated George H.W. Bush in 1984, and it is inexplicable why the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates gave in to McCain's demands now. It's hard to call this progress. An experienced, knowledgeable female candidate should not require special treatment.
But Sarah Palin is a female candidate who exists as a token. Nobody except Palin herself believes she is qualified to be vice president, not even McCain and his campaign managers. Palin was put in place to bring in the evangelical right and toss a bone to women voters who might somehow fail to notice that Palin does not support women's issues.
Those who shudder at the thought of Palin being VP should worry even more about her becoming president. This is a very real danger with a 72-year-old president who has a history of cancer.
Here's what we know about Sarah Palin before the debate begins:
1. We know she lies. She said thanks to that "bridge to nowhere" until it became a national embarrassment, and then she kept the designated $223 million from U.S. taxpayers for other uses in her state. She has been corrected many times but continues to lie, in keeping with the Rovian finding that a lie repeated becomes a fact in voters' minds.
2. We know she is under investigation for abuse of power. "Troopergate," in which Palin allegedly fired the Alaska public safety commissioner for refusing to fire a state trooper who is Palin's former brother-in-law, points to a larger chronicled morass of friendship hires, personal vendettas, questionable per diem charges, and the involvement of her husband in policy decisions.
3. We know she is a poor fiscal manager. As mayor she left Wasilla, a town roughly the size of McFarland, around $15 million in debt after building a sports complex.
4. We know her life has been marked by a scant education and apparent incuriosity about the world. She attended five colleges in six years to get a bachelor's degree. (Who does that?) She has barely left the U.S. in her lifetime. Within the United States, Alaska is sparsely populated, has a relatively small range of racial diversity, and is in many ways isolated from the Lower 48, thus limiting even her experience of this country. In the 1980s, greed was good. What's good now, ignorance? Haven't we had enough of that?
5. We know she is no friend to women. She supports abstinence-only sex education (and we see how well that worked for Bristol). She opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Along with McCain, she opposes equal pay for equal work.
6. We know her handlers are terrified of what Palin would say to the news media if reporters were allowed unfettered access, to the point where they are denying access that is essential to our democracy. The plan is to get the public to vote for someone we have not been allowed to question. We've talked so much about pigs during this campaign. Ever heard of buying a pig in a poke?
And so we have a female VP candidate who was raised to the White House by powerful conservative men who appreciate her backward views and her beauty queen looks (and her gun-toting, moose-hunting ways; this lends a note of feisty pizzazz). During these long weeks of campaigning, she has been seen much more than heard, a woman whose voice has been either scripted or muzzled. Consider her the Stepford Veep.
But here's the most important thing about Sarah Palin: what selecting her says about John McCain. Choosing Palin to be a heartbeat away from the presidency was irresponsible beyond redemption. McCain's formerly admiring biographer, Elizabeth Drew, now says that "John McCain is not a principled man."
That's obvious.
Joan needs a chill pill... better yet an enema. Might help to clean all that cr@p in her system so she doesn’t has to spew it in her columns.
This woman’s views are shared by the majority of The Sheep.
She can hold her own to anyone in congress, as they are dumb as dirt (most of them)she has them scared shitless.
All you need to know about this article is its source: “Diana” at Madistan.com.
LIIIIIIIBBBBBEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!
Oh, cry me a river. Where was all the gnashing of teeth when the “nonpartisan” commission refused to have town hall style debates and insisted on using all Democrat moderators?
I’m sure the structure has to do with motormouth Joe, not Mrs. Palin. He’d use up 15 minutes asking a question & give her about 30 seconds to respond.
I am so sick of this “Heartbeat away from the Presidency” BS. Shut up already!
Barack Obama's favorite bridge? The one he wanted more than he wanted to help the dying victims of New Orleans? THAT bridge? I HOPE SO BAD they bring up the bridge, and I hope she has the exact dates of the bridge votes memorized.
Sticks and Stones will ....
Ny bad! Sorry, Diana.
Joan Fisher at Madistan!
Still LIIIIIIIBBBBBBBEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!
John 1:5
And the light shown in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 3:19-21
19 “Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil.
20 “Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God’s help.”
Palin doesn’t support abortion - I guess that’s the women issue the author meant.
She supports raising a beautiful family (only have to look at those kids to know they are nurtured well), has room and brains to work during her ‘spare’ time and has a great husband any other woman would die to have.
Well Joan - you sad load of chromosomal damage - I have this terrible feeling you represent all the unhappy mixed up genetic disordered types out there who will never be happy no matter what lives you live - unless you are stripping other people of their fulfillment and joy.
My sympathy to you for all you have missed.
Good night! All these Lefties know how to do is make crap sandwitches.
Biden is a lying fool, who is so foolish that he doesn’t even know he’s lying (sorta like Clinton).
I have no doubt that Sarah is far smarter, but I also have no doubt that the Lamestream Media would craft questions along the line of “when did you last beat your children”.
A realist would have to admit that Sarah is actually more qualified than the combination of the two dhimmi candidates, and given the complete idiocy of our senate, she’s probably a lot crafter than even McKennedy - er - McCain.
Along with McCain, she opposes equal pay for equal work.How does she reconcile the fact that Øbama pays his women staffers $0.83 for every $1.00 he pays the men while McCain pays women staffers $1.04 for every $1.00 paid to the men?
Whatever, Tuck. LOL!
The Rats just aren’t ready for a woman president. First, they shot down HC, now they are dissing Gov. Palin. Tisk, tisk...shame on the Rats.
“Did your hear about Palin? She used a “Magic 8 Ball” to answer the interview questions!” “I know! She’s just too much really!”
Overheard in a bookstore in Washington state.
The McCain camp insisted upon a tightly formatted structure for Palin’s debate with Joe Biden, one that is designed to protect her from spontaneous questions and discussion.
Is this true? I certainly hope not. I want her to stand on her own and kick butt. She does not deserve special treatment. This is getting ridiculous. Both sides need to get a grip...this is for Vice President of the United States of America. My Mother is much more conservative than Sarah Palin and should not be Vice President. We really need a grip here. Give her a fair and honest debate with Joe Biden PERIOD!!!!
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