Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Incredibly stunning to say the least, yet even on reasonably practical reflection, we may be witnessing another Dan Quayle selection moment in American politics. First termer and former beauty queen Gov. Sarah Palin! Was she that fully vetted? Can't wait to read all of her speeches in support of those Bush administration policies McCain claims to have walked away from.

So this is John McCain's bait to dissatisfied Hillary supporters? Sen. Obama was correct... John McCain just doesn't get it. He actually believes Rush Limbaugh who had to have collectively brainwashed the McCain operation that placing a neophyte female Alaskan governor on the ticket would convert the "over 50" Democratic moms to the GOP fold.

To think that McCain turned down far more nationally qualified individuals who have now been relegated to subordinate status in the pecking order of GOP politics:

1. Mitt Romney
2. Tim Pawlenty
3. Tom Ridge
4. Lindsey Graham
5. Charlie Crist
6. Joe Lieberman
7. Carly Fiorina

How must they feel? Dwarfed at the altar by a total unknown. Each rejected candidate now having to gamely march out before the national media to defend this singular act of a political Hail Mary pass. To steal an old adage of former Secretary of State James Baker... putting Sarah Palin into a debate with Joe Biden is going to be like throwing Howdy Doody into a knife fight!

Not to denigrate Gov. Palin the person -- she has a beguiling bio and has strong conservative, western credentials. She did not make any fatal error at her national political debut. After all she did get elected governor of a state. By definition she may be your typical "hockey mom." She may be all McCain claims she is in his introduction of her, but this is the person McCain will entrust to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? To be a commander-in-chief when the nation is fighting two wars???

Give McCain his due and applaud with one hand his audaciousness. Self-indulgence has long been McCain's dark underbelly. McCain's 72nd birthday present to himself... leaping without a parachute into the poltical unknown. It may turn out to be a game-changer. A potentially clever roll of the dice in a high-risk/high-reward to reach out to women and independents. But it appears more rash than rational.

If the McCain campaign was hoping to make the issue of experience a determining factor... it just took that issue completely off the table. McCain's campaign had to have recently concluded that the "experience" argument against Obama was not getting them anywhere, so now McCain is trying to steal away the "change" argument by redefining the race going into the GOP convention. Good luck!

Pure as the driven Alaskan snow... welcome Gov. Palin to the intense limelight of the national stage and the collective sounds of shocked gulps from your own party.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

Comments

[hopefulinpa]

I am hoping that all of those voters who voted for Bush realize how big a mistake it was by not paying attention to all of the issues. What a disaster it his pres. has been. But like it has been said I just don't know. I work with someone a young girl who just keeps saying barack will take her guns away. She is a hunter. I have tried to make her see this isn't so.. She also thinks we have enough Reservists (her boyfriend) to defend this country. And that Al Qaeda is in Iraq. etc etc, She watches Fox news. Those people do not get a full and unbiased reporting of the news. It is so sad actually to talk to some of these people and see how woefully uninformed they really are. BUT there are much more of us that are informed and voting for Barack/Joe!

[hopefulinpa]

Isn't Pawlenty Governor of Minnisota? I could be wrong... Anyway if I was one of them, Mitt, etc that was so rudely, crudely deceived. I would have the flu (At the last minute) on the night I was supposed to be supporting McCain. Cough, Cough, gee I am feeling just so bad, I won't be able to make it, you'll have to get someone else. What goes around comes around. I am not a believer of turning the other cheek unless when doing so you are following it with a could sound sucker punch to the face.
I mean lots of other Governors are not attending what is left of the convention and neither should they.

[richardgordon]

On the one hand it's reassuring to see the reactions of Huffington Post's Democrats to Sarah Palins appointment as VP running mate. But what about Hillary's disaffected supporters or the 50+% of voters who voted for George Bush in the last election? To be honest I am extremely nervous. After all Palin is about as American as Apple Pie with her position on guns, global warming and right wing politics.

Christ that's all we need. Another 8 years of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

[UnknownSoldier]

0Bama has positioned himself very well against the Republican/ MSM smear machine

[Indylady]

Why would you say that the "disaffected Hillary supporters" are the ones who voted for the (idiot)George Bush in the last election? A true Hillary supporter would never vote for anyone who would take away a woman's right to choice!! George Bush, McSame, and the creationist beauty queen Sarah Palin all want to appoint judges to over turn Roe v Wade. Hillary always fights for women's rights from equal pay to control over our own bodies! Obama has excellent ratings from NARAL too and of course as a former Hillary supporter(who isn't fifty yet) I will be voting for Obama & Biden 2008! Please don't let the GOP or the MSM(GOP's puppets) spread that ridiculous propaganda about "Hillary supports"!

We all know George Bush only won in 2004 because of the voter caging in Ohio and the other Roven voter suppression tricks! Please don't be blaming the Democratic Women voters for W. and Darth Cheney evil win.

[pdferguson]

I'm confused, is she McCain's VP pick or his third wife?

[Rog49Thomas]

A puzzling op ed piece.

I remember a party whose two candidates "avoided" (to be polite) national service in VietNam attacking the national service in VietNam of the candidate of the other party and in general calling him an unpatriotic lout. And doing so with a straight face and lapels festooned with American flags.

So, Brother Marc, what makes you think they won't continue to attack Brother Neo on the "experience" issue while touting the fine experience of Governor Palin?

After all, when one sees the transcendent issues facing this great nation of ours as (a) flag burning,
(b) gay marriage, (c) abortion, (d) Illegal aliens and (e) Islamofascism, Governor Palin seems well qualified to lead our country forward into the 11th Century.

[richardgordon]

LOL!

[Rog49Thomas]

I hope we're both laughing on 4 November.

[MorningJoeCheeto]

Stop drinking.

[NotWaldo]

In Wasilla, Alaska, the most effective mosquito repellent is a shot-gun.

[rasthedestroyer]

THIS IS THE CHOICE FROM A MAN WHO CRASHED 5 PLANES..... GO FIGURE???

[Heavenhelpusall]

And don't forget his unremarkable finsh 5th from the bottom of the Naval Academy. It goes with the territory.

[RumiSouth]

Funny, that sounds familiar: a legacy grad given command of a fighter jet...

[DebbieinPhx]

Yes but maybe he put her on the ticket for her amazing C+ average in communications from Idaho State.

[StarkRavingNakedEmperor]

One plus. A few pollsters keep saying that Obama is not doing very well with older white men at this time. I have my doubts about that because they said the same thing during the primary and Obama came out all right with them. One thing I know McCain's pick of Palin can only help Obama with that demographic, because the only thing older white guys distrust in a position of power more than a black male is a female, especially one they view as very sexy and a little ditsy. In the end, when the votes were all tabulated Barack did better with white males by over 10-15 percentage points than did Hillary. I spoke to a few of my white male friends and the jist of their explanations was-"It's a man's world and we want it to stay that way!" They are just not quite ready to fully acknowledge female ability and sacrificially engage in full power sharing. Not able to fully admit this to themselves, they just say--women arent quite ready to develop the toughness, courage and competence that is required. When push comes to shove the good ole' boys club prevails and the boys will support and cover for each other, even if it is growing to be a bit more colorful these days. These guys will go to Obama before the former beauty queen just like they did when the choice was between Obama and Hillary.

[zanzig]

Oh lord, this reminds me of my last workplace where the director promoted a neophyte into the job that had been vacant for 2 years on the basis that there was no one presently suitable for the post despite the fact that several women were actually doing the duties of that post, between them. His justification, when called on it, "Well you wanted a woman in the job didn't you?"

[lemonyashes]

Here's the Republican talking points game:

How many times when McCain is criticized does he pull out the POW car?

With Palin the talking points game: And it has already started, criticize Palin your a sexist! This was used against the mouthy James Carville tonight on Larry King. They pulled the sexist card and it shut him up cold! The other point is if you criticize her lack of experience they are already saying "you don't want us to talk of Obama's experience so you can't talk about Palin's. Also, notice Palin didn't mention her pro-life status, this is designed to fool pro-choice women. But pro-choice women aren't fools nor foolish, after all they think of their choices and their rights.

These are designed to shut everyone up just like George Bush shut us all up "If your not with us your against us". I'm tired of this 'just shut them up' mentality, it's been going on 8 long years. So women will have to help our candidates and commentaries get past these overwarn strategies. The POW thing is already wearing thin.

[NightRider]

The most effective response to the sexist charge is to point out how the Thugs have treated a mother and a grandmother: Nancy Pelosi

Democrats have nothing to shy away from in that regard.

Can't wait for the some of these reporting in the Anchorage Daily News to come to light. This is the (September) surprise the country was warned about. Fasten your seatbelt folks!

Maverick or Radic?

[marko77]

McCain's choice for VP makes perfect sense. As some commentators have stated, this is a move that hooks the hard-core Christian fundamentalist, right wing extremist crowd. Without these votes, McCain had NO chance, and he knew it. And even with it, he should lose.

[dontomas]

So if we consider how McCain works, if Hillary was the nominee then his VP would be an ultra conservative black man to get those Obama supporter votes. Imagine basing your decision as to who might end up being the President of the US on how many votes you can get from supportes of the losing candidate of the opposition party. Its insulting to all voters.

[hoper01]

Obama was right when he said this election is not about small thing. Apparently, this is not something clear to the McCain camp. They still think it is popular to play us like pawn in their despicable game of chess. Why in the name of God would he choose this woman except for the fact he is trying to further deepen the rift in the democratic party. This ain't game. Things as they are demand urgent deliberate attention of both party.

[TRYKER]

Serious about their march back into the dark ages, the reps choose Palin who joins the Creationists that want Intelligent Design taught in school where Science used to be.

If she's good at lying, she has a future in the rethug party.

They haven't got a prayer, but the comedians should have uber fodder.

[jnealy1234]

A RISK

[MPeter]

The very first serious decision he makes and it is flawed!! I can't wait to see LIEberman, Graham, Romney, Fiorina and Pawlenty's faces on TV as they defend this crappy choice. LIEberman has been humiliated and humbled at the same time. I can't wait to see the Democratic Party punish him.

[lenoirlady]

I can't wait to see the Democratic Party push him - -OUT!!!!!