On Monday, HuffPost hosted the RNC version of our panel on how new media are impacting the '08 race. Moderated by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezinski, who I introduced as "the Hepburn and Tracy of morning TV," the panel included Cyrus Krohn, who left Yahoo! to spearhead the RNC's new media campaign, David Kralik, Newt Gingrich's tech guru, Peggy Noonan, Laura Ingraham, Tony Blankley, John Fund, Rep. John Shadegg, and Frank Luntz.
We really wanted to make our lunch menu RNC specific. We thought about serving quail shot by Vice President Cheney, but decided better safe than sorry. We also considered serving moose stew, which Sarah Palin told Vogue was her favorite meal. But luckily for our guests, Greeks don't really know much about cooking moose, so we decided to go with salmon. We weren't sure it was from Alaska, but decided to act as if it were.
We'll be posting video from the panel discussion shortly. And you can read what the press had to say about it here and see pictures of the event here.
At the lunch -- and later at the Xcel Energy Center, where the convention is being held -- I asked people to tell me where they were when they heard that McCain had picked Palin and what their first reaction was. Check it out:
Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
Sarah Palin's favorabilty ratings now exceed McCains AND OBAMAS
Both are some happy that the GOP has something to vote for.
I watched as both were giddy talking about her, even seeing through lack of experience.
Both were harder on Dems. Their show remains unbalanced. with a pseudo-independent slant.
Their show continues to provide a lackluster performance, in regard to giving viewers the truth
on the issues that they cover.
that nobody can say anything about her? Their base is "energized"!
It took until the VP pick for it to happen, and everyone thinks her experience acceptable-
I can't wait for the facts to come in! 'cause the GOP might give Moose Burgers, a bad name.
Catch it!
Now please sign my petition to make abortion illegal and gay marriage constitutionally prohibited and sex ed nonexistent and Christianity officially the church of America!
Scarborough talks constantly, when the guest isn't talking (and often when they are). No one seems the least bit interested in Mika's ideas or opinions (Not that they seem particularly interesting--but maybe they might, if she got to say more than a -rare-- word or short sentence every 15 minutes or so..
Get rid of Joe Scarborough!
I've watched way too much Cable news this year. By biggest complaint is the "Breaking News!" whatever where a plane, train , automobile is engulfed in flames and the Cable guys just say "hey, look at that will ya?". Sheesh. What a bunch of BS.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/us/politics/03wasilla.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Set your watch back 100 years with this gal, that is how backwards her belief and values are. I don't buy into the crap the GOP is spinning to sell her as the VP pick. Get real and get someone who is really ready, Mrs Palin isn't it.
But there is hope on the way. With folks determined to pick a regular guy or gal, this giant experiment in government by and for the people is nearing its end. The people have been speaking loud and clear lately, and it's obvious to those who actual are saddled with reason and insight that the masses are determined to run uncle Sam into a ditch from which he can not recover. Go get them, Sarah! You’re so cute.
(1) MONOCHROME - this party has no diversity at all. It was so stark in contrast to last week that I thought maybe it was my TV messing up. It wasn't.
(2) ECONOMY - granted the theme was Who John McCain was but I heard nothing about what he'd do for the economy. I cannot take John McCain's POW past and pay for gas no more than I could use the Staples button to do the same - even if Staples sold gas.
(3) OLD WHITE GUYS - speaker after speaker, old white guys. OK, they bashed Obama as best they could, but on abortion? Is that one of the critical issues on which this country of 300 million needs help on today?
(4) THE WORD "REPUBLICAN" - try as I might, I could not see that word anywhere on the floor. I would think that'd be a priority.
(5) MARTIN LUTHER KING - in a montage the image of MLK was included and the audience stopped clapping and cheering, but picked back up when an image of George W. Bush appeared.
They still don't get it.
It is clear that Sarah Palin's selection as the VP candidate is being used to distract attention away from the absolute failure of the Republican administration.
They know they do not stand a snowball's chance on critical issues facing the majority of the population.
Once again, they have fired up their extreme ideological base rather than admit their failures in leadership.
It's a classic Rove ploy to make this a big election over small issues.
This juicy gossip has done exactly what the McCain campaign was hoping for.
In reality, the Republican Mafia is terrified of losing their power in Congress to block audits and investigations .
They know full well that they are in very serious legal jeopardy if Senator Obama and a meaningful
Democratic majority in Congress come to power.
"BUT WE ARE THE COUNTRY"
Will you Please repeat that in your post here and everywhere.
Expect Gov. Palin to do well tonight. She may be new, but she is VERY GOOD.
Despite her inexperience, she DID beat sitting Governor Murkowsk, and she did beat Big Oil, partly because they thought she would be easy. She is NOT.
They lowered the expectations on her, but she WILL exceed them.
Do not underestimate this woman. She is tough and she is smart.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/insider/politics/july-dec08/carey_09-02.html
And she really knows how get things done.
http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_plank/archive/2008/09/02/the-case-against-the-case-against-palin.aspx
This story is not about Palin. It is about McCain's decision making process. If his VP choice is an example, I worry about McCain having the ability to start more wars and lunch nuks. Shoot first, twist facts after the fact. This is the same logic that Bush used to get the American public to buy into a pre-emptive war.
McCain will win the White House. It will not be because of the RNC motto of County First.
It will be because the Republican Party needs to extend the "Rupublican Dictatorship" over our nation. Dictators have all the money and the masses have nothing. The Republicans have adopted Marie Antoinette's theory of "Let them eat cake."
Did we really need to go to the moon....probably not. However, John Kennedy's vision gave our nation HOPE, PRIDE, a COMMON PURPOSE, and something to value as a nation.
A moderate, free thinking, 60 year old, Republican woman for Obama. I want some HOPE back in my life, afford health care, and meat back on my table.
The pattern seems to be watch, learn and eliminate your mentors when they are no longer of use. If they win Rove/Cheney gonna have a fight on their hands..