Sarah Palin: Did The Blogs Create McCain's VP Pick?

Slate:

According to both the Aug. 29 Anchorage Daily News and the June 13 Colorado Springs Gazette, Sarah Palin became John McCain's vice presidential candidate largely through the machinations of someone even younger and less experienced than herself:

The hype can probably be traced to the Web site of a 21-year-old college senior majoring in political science at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Adam Brickley, a political buff who will graduate in May, started a "Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President" blog last year and has relentlessly promoted the idea ever since.

Brickley has never been to Alaska or met Palin. But while researching potential vice presidents, he stumbled on Palin and thought she would be a good No. 2 to just about all of the major Republican candidates in the race at the time. ...The "Draft Palin" movement picked up momentum in more mainstream media, including a column last summer by Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard. Others followed, including talk over the past couple weeks from conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. [Actually, Limbaugh's been chatting up Palin since Feb. 2008; Brickley created his blog in Feb. 2007, during his sophomore year.]

Read the whole story: Slate

Comments

[MissingAmerica]

You might know this would be the ONE time McCain becomes aware of the internet! Perhaps we should have told him to cross party lines and offer the spot to Hillary!

This woman is nothing like Hillary, and to suggest that she would win the female votes is insulting.

I am a woman, and I have become increasingly concerned for the welfare of my country. I read, I study, I become involved. This woman is against the greatest asset of this country -- its recognition of each persona as an individual with free choice.

She would continue the fearmongering and the assault on human rights, equality and intelligence. She would help the GOP try to further entrench their ideological agenda in this country that has never been about ideology. She has approved the teaching of Creationism in schools, a study which spreads religious beliefs and rules out intelligence and science.

The Middle East has always been at war because the countries are based on religious ideology, and the wars are between factions who believe differently from the other. They are easily manipulated because they are kept ignorant and know only what they are told. Is that what we want for America?

If McCain wants to pander to GOP men by putting an ex-beauty queen in this slot, fine. Let them have their dreams about making it with the Vice President of the United States. But don't insult my intelligence to do it.

[rock2casbah]

Not to mention equal pay, the Pregnancy Leave Act etc all of which will be brought before the US SC.

[GhettoGrapevine]

"...while researching potential vice presidents, he stumbled on Palin and thought she would be a good No. 2 to just about all of the major Republican candidates in the race at the time."

Uh-huh. Coincidentally, it was at about this same time that young Brickley's mother began complaining about the kleenex constantly disappearing from the bathroom.

[Vurz]

McCain has always had an eye for beauty queens and models. He has committed adultery with at least one of them in his 72 years.

She at least looks like she has the energy to push him away.

[P3UMXT]

This made me laugh...Th­x!

[bryan0218]

McCain's first wife was also a beauty queen.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

A married beauty queen. His worst moral failing wasn't his first.

[OfficialA]

Google Palin and her husband Todd and read for a couple of hours. They are like the prototypical evil high school prom King and Queen from high school movies. She's certainly not stupid. She is cutthroat, however. And it seems Todd has been exerting influence as if he were governor.

These people are frightening.

[charles77]

Some sobering thought for both sides in the Sarah Palin frenzy.

I never heard of her before Friday’s announcement. I immediately googled her and found some fascinating material. Keep in mind this was before all the new pages appeared so all the articles were on what see had actually done. OMG!

Everyone seems assured Biden will destroy her in the VP debate.
Newsflash, 2 years ago she debated the sitting GOP Governor, who also happened to have spent over 20 years in the US Senate, and killed him and won the election in a landslide.

Every seems assured she wont hold up without a teleprompter.
Watch this video interview with Newsweek on female governors last march.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/156190?tid=relatedcl

There seems to have been a 2 year old grassroots effort to get her to VP, first for Rudy, and only later for Jonnie. Look for the older stuff on this site; front page is RA RA for her now.
http://www.palinforvp.com/
Was she behind this? Is this part of HER overall plan?

[tyger]

This is why Repug must not win election. It's all about winning for them. To hell with what the country needs. I swear repugs are more dangerous than any terrorist.

[Dyser]

The most disturbing thing about this:

"The hype can probably be traced to the Web site of a 21-year-old college senior majoring in political science at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs."

This was the idea of a 21-year-old college *senior*? Wow, educational standards have fallen if the person that comes up with that idea makes it to senior!

I don't know whether to thank him or beg fate to prematurely remove him from the breeding pool... so we don't get more ideas from future generations like McToast and Eggs '08.

[OldKnute]

Oh Right,, And the AP,, Goddess of Reform is all McCain can come up with?

Dyser,,, YES,,, YES,,, YES. McCain probably thinks he is a genius. Remember,, he know nothing about the net or how it works. Look at My-Space and Face Book. You can get popular there, for trashing others and having flame wars, and being a BULLY.

The Simon Cowell effect.

Now McCain thinks with Palin he can lock in the Hillary turn out???

DUSTBUNNIES!

The women in America are the most independent, careful minded and hard core scrutinizers of all. They are the hardest to impress of all. I am not talking the Limbaugh Lollies,, or Dobson Dollies, or Billo Bimbos, I am talking women who know life!!!

Doubt me??

Watch in November.

In the mean time,, watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SOh6mSEZss

The NEW women of America,,,,, not OLD,, I SAID NEW,,,, are NOT that easily taken IN. They KNOW that it is not just what you SAY,,, but what you can deliver,,, McCain is NOT IT!

Oh,, Ladies,, pay close attention to the last shot in the Vedio,, now put Baraks face there. Barak CAN deliver. Hehehehe!

JMO

All the best

Knute Neo LIB.

PS, I am NOT THAT OLD.

[kvet]

Lets call it like it is......

The Blog didnt create her.......

Mccain Panicked after Invesco...­....

Plain and simple....­..

[thinkworklivelove]

McSame has turned this election into a gimmick and a joke....ju­st to get the news cycle today and next week. America deserves better. HRC was a serious candidate!!! This demeans the hard work that HRC put into her campaign for the last 20 months. Women do not want a fake, wannabe candidate to make-up for HRC.

[MizFlagPin]

This decision highlights M.c.N.u.t.­t.'s judgement. He panicked after the Dems rocked the house in Denver.

[BethStuart]

I agree. McCain has demeaned Clinton and many other serious women candidates for the national ticket. America does deserve better than pandering for short-term poltical benefit.

[pahpah25]

I THOUGHT, AT FIRST, THAT MCCAIN SELECTION OF PALIN WAS A JOKE....HE IS KNOWN AS A PRANKSTER.­....BUT I ALSO SEE IT AS AN INSULT TO SERIOUS REPUBLICAN WOMEN WHO ARE REALLY MORE QUALIFIED THAN HE IS...THEN IT OCURRED TO ME THAT JUST MAYBE ..THE SERIOUS REPUBLICAN WOMEN& MEN, REJECTED HIS OFFER, PERHAPS SEEING HIM AS A LOOSER AND THEY ARE LOOKING AHEAD TO 2012......­PALIN IS ALL HE HAD LEFT; UNLES HE WENT WITH LIEBERMANN­....ON THE BRIGHT SIDE..SHE IS CUTE, YOUNG SO WILL PROBABLY GIVE THE OLD GUY THE KICKS HE NEEDS TO GET UP AND GOING EVERY DAY....

[rock2casbah]

All the cheerleading in the media about historical yadda yadda. I do recall Geraldine Ferraro being a VP candidate.

So once it has been done it is old news. Women are past symbolism. Hillary was running for President on issues. She may have used the glass ceiling line to her advantage but women were voting on what she believed in and this woman is the total dichotomy. Also an insult to all the candidates.

[adroy]

In light of 'old shcool' scare tactics: Any possibility that Ms. Sarah Palin may become our President is just a possibility.

It is NOT a statistical probability that Palin might be sworn in as a U. S. President within the next term.

The biased media are making far too much over Palin becoming our next President. Give it a rest.

Palin has taken on political corruption, and not just on the other side of the isle! The fact that Palin is still politically alive and well as a viable Vice Presidential candidate speaks as to why she is respected on both sides of the isle. She has an 80% approval rating!

Fair minded Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike should not allow Palin's to be 'dissed' by haters. And, though it may not mean much to some people, Palin did it all while raising 5 children.

Sarah Palin is NOT an old school conservative. Palin is a social conservative with the vision, will, and energy to conduct non-partisan politics.

[JR49]

Pick up Palin as VP is insult to American inteligence.

[Dyser]

With a 72-year-old cancer survivor..­. it's not a statistical probability?

I'd like a hit of some of those statistics, please! Then I'll go buy some Powerball tickets.

[doctorwang]

"Fair minded Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike should not allow Palin's to be 'dissed' by haters."

To question the competency of McCains choice is not "hating". Neither is it disrespectful. If you want voters to have a hands off approach when it comes to Palin you can forget about it. McCain is 72 and has health issues. She could very well become our president. We deserve to know who she is- both the good and the bad.

[hlhicks]

It's already been discovered that she lied in her little speech today in Ohio. She conveniently forgot that she is on the record as having approved of the bridge to nowhere and calling HRC a whiner a few months ago. Palin deserves the same level of scrutiny as any other candidate and to do otherwise would be doing our country a great disservice. She doesn't get a pass because she has five children. I wonder how long it will be before the GOP starts playing the gender card to forestall any true vetting of Palin. I for one would like to know how the mayor of a town of less than 10,000 people (who is middle class) funded a gubernatorial race.

[Dave01]

Lets not forget that she also doesn't get a pass just because she has a vagina.

Oh by the way, have you heard? John McCain was a POW.

[Marmann]

Yes, particularly a VP choice who ADMITS that she has no idea what the job of VICE PRESIDENT entails!

Click on the following link, and at about 2:50, IN HER OWN WORDS, she admits to not knowing anything about the job she's been nominated to perform. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pak-rH0dCeA

[Dave01]

At John McCain's age, that statistical probability goes WAY up!

[willowbarcelona]

Who would you rather have a conversation with Vladimir Putin or visit with heads of state in the Middle East? Joe Biden or Sarah Palin. Think Ms. Palin can stare down Hugo Chavez the way Hillary would have? This is a choice out of a comic book.

Can't imagine how furious the many fine and accomplished Republican women all over the country, but especially those in Congress, must be that they have been passed over for consideration by a beauty queen. All on his own Sen. McC has rewound the tape to 1957. It's as if McC is mimicking W's son-of-accomplished father self-destr­uctiveness­.

This is the Monica Goodling-Harriet Miers VP choice. Condi at least deserved a nod, as did Kay Bailey Hutchison.

[rock2casbah]

Not to mention crazy a@@@ Ahmidinajad. He would have a field day with her. McCain has to be out of his mind.

[gcallaghan]

This is a picture before Palin's interviewed:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v225/caship/1903451448_635a36aed2_o.jpg

This pic is downtown Masilla, where palin earned her qualifying "executive experience"

http://mudflats.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/wasilla.jpg

[JoeBlough]

She looks better than Rutherford B. Hayes

[greeniefromOH]

Or Dan Quayle.

[Marmann]

Is that elitist wine she's drinking?

[bryan0218]

Thanks, that was nice!

[BlueOnBlue]

The Weekly Standard reference to Palin as VP certainly sounds logical. McCain pretty much supports whatever that publication suggests, from invading Iraq to choosing his campaign team and, now, to picking his VP.

I think it might be the only thing he reads.

[robiform]

Adam Brickley sounds like the male version of Monica Goodling, the extremely unqualified vetter of DOJ employees. So it figures that he would push someone who is as qualified to be vice president as Dan Quayle was!!

[chiefeditor]

Good judgment certainly didn't create her, based on what I've heard today: http://www.entertonement.com/collections/2654/Sarah-Palin

[honeydiva]

Oh yeah they can attack his 0ld age now...she'­s a heart beat from the presidency­...literal­ly..the stupid idiots. lol

[honeydiva]

He didn't even know this woman and the media is on her behind you can believe that. she better enjoy today...be­cause it's on!