Sunday Roundup

Picking Sarah Palin was clearly a Hail Mary pass. But the McCain campaign is tapping into an archetype that resonates deep in the human psyche. That of the unknown innocent plucked from obscurity and magnificently rising to the challenge. Hollywood has long recognized the appeal of this fantasy. Think Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, A Face in the Crowd, Dave, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. So in questioning Palin, it's not enough for Democrats to mock the smallness of Wasilla, Alaska or shout, "it's insulting," "it's ridiculous," "it's pathetic." They must make the case that given the gulf between the crises we face and her capacity to handle them, this is a truly dangerous choice. Forget Dan Quayle. Palin is more Harriet Miers -- chosen for all the wrong reasons, and glaringly not up to the task. Maybe an anxious nation can offer John McCain a do-over.

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

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Comments

[athenasword]

Thanks Arianna. Besides staying clear about this pick being a reflection of McCanes' poor judgement, we also need to make sure that we don't allow the media to continue to redefine the word "experience". The way it is being painted, I could honestly be a VP candidate with a resume that is limited to being on my town council for a few years. Or maybe by running a Brownie Troop.

We also can't allow the media to allow (unchallenged) people declaring that Palin's experience is equal to or more than Sen. Obama's. This is just insane and untrue , but I'm hearing it.

[loisinthepink]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-jrk2e0MMs Gotta love Rove...Says it all. snark

[mheister]

Beautiful!

[Torus34]

Just for fun ...

It's December 31st, 2008. You are about to board a plane when you are told that the pilot is none other than John McCain and the co-pilot is Sarah Palin.

Do you board, or do you seek another flight?

[eden4barack08]

Depends, am I on a suicide mission or not?

[jcause28]

I get on a Canadian flight.

[nellie]

I walk.

[Fremon]

No you wouldn't. You would take the flight and millions did when they elected Bush.

[Mahi Joe]

Wait, before I pick. Are they still giving out those little bags of peanuts?

[Fremon]

McCain is playing the maverick with the country's future as his bet. Who really loves America best? Who really wants to become president and damn the consequences?

[fignozzle]

mccain has made a mockery, a dangerously cynical mockery of the office to which he aspires with this choice.
i could not be more insulted, offended, and frankly scared.


obama/biden/08

[pgobrien]

If Sarah Palin is qualified, right now, to be Vice-President of the
United States, second in line for leader of the most powerful country
currently on this planet, then SO AM I!

I'm throwing my little cloche hat in the ring.

VOTE PAT V-P 2008!

(I think women all over the country should declare themselves
qualified and ready to serve, and throw their hats in the ring. We
should ALL put ourselves up for election for the Vice-President of
the United States from the Republican Party.)

[mcfried]

I'd vote for you over Palin I find her scary in her ultra conservative views.

[Ridgemore]

There are significant differences between experience and qualifications / credentials / competence. Here are a few examples of people with lots of the former who never exhibited very much competence.

Monica Goodling - DOJ, 2001-2007

Michael Brown - FEMA, 2001-2005

Alberto Gonzales - Private Practice 1982-1994: Counsel to Tex. Gov., Sec. of State, TX Supreme Court; 2001-2007, DOJ and U.S. Attorney General.

No one who has ever been interviewed for a job or interviewed a job candidate would look objectively at Obama’s and Palin’s credentials and experiences and select Palin as potentially more competent – unless your name is Monica Goodling.

The Palin gambit goes like this:

Look at this picture of an elephant (i.e. Palin i.e. person with much less experience than McCain).
Now don’t think of an elephant (i.e. person(s) with less experience than McCain i.e. Palin AND Obama).

Each and every time you think of or see Palin it reminds you (voters) that McCain (top of the ticket) has more experience than Obama and that experience does matter. After winning the election, Palin steps aside (for family) allowing McCain selects a new VP if concerns about her abilities linger.

[Fremon]

This is how he would govern. By his gut feeling. More Gonzales'/Myers/Rumsfelds/fema/ etc. So much for a deliberate choice best for the nation. By comparison Obama looks Lincolnesque.

[myahquote]

Palin's lack of Academic Achievement. Why isn't anyone talking about the fact that it appears that it took Sarah Palin 3 colleges and 5 years to just get a Bachelors in Science degree in Journalism?

And I would argue a BS in Journalism is not even as good as a BA.

She does make Obama look experienced. But even if she was a mayor of a city versus a village of 9,000, Obama with his years of state legislative experience and his 4 years in the Senate is far more qualified.

But most importantly, Obama has a law degree from Harvard , where he was president of the law journal - a feat available only to the top students.

I'm sorry but I think a president and Vice President should have either some demonstrated history of being a leader in government or business or in the military or academic achievement.

Obama has the academic achievement. His book definately exhibits his knowledge of foreign affairs. Obama has meaningful government achievement and his work organizing the community and running the primary campaign shows his ability to organize and run an organization. McCain and Biden have also demonstrated different aspects of that. Palin? I just don't see anything in her background that is impressive other that the fact she exposed some republican corruption.

[jrbluejay]

A BA is less than a BS. A BA is a Bachelor in Arts and A BS is a Bachelor in Science. She has a BA not a BS.

[Anthrofreak]

I thought a B.A. and B.S. were equal, but are differentiated by skill sets learned and different types of information. You get a B.S. in Science or Math. You get a B.A. in Social Science or the Arts. One isn't less than the other. They are different sets of knowledge and experience that even overlap in certain disciplines like Psychology.

[UnknownSoldier]

McCainE and the Main Stream Media's idea of CHANGE is Changing from an Oil Man as VP to an Oil Woman as VP.

The Republicans really think their Base and the American Voters are Stupid.

[coolfin]

Obama supporters should not attack Palin on lack of experience. We’re taking the bait if we do so.By picking Palin, Mccain has taken the experience argument, which is his central argument against Obama, off the table. This is a huge advantage for Obama. During the presidential debate, whenever Mccain brings up the experience argument all Obama has to say is “you picked a 2 year governor from Alaska that even you hardly know, to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. So either you’re a hypocrite or obviously experience is not an important factor for you”. Obama wins the argument.

[Audrey85]

I'm not arguing with y'all today. This is a Hail Mary pass and more of the same to divert and con the citizens of the United States. If you fall for this 11th hour pass then you get what you deserve and the innocent will suffer right along with you. Stop voting race and vote for a better future for all not some. Why isn't anyone talking about what Alaska is saying about this woman, or the fact that she is currently under investigation. Enough, no more of our money on continued scandals and investigations unless we are charging the current administration with war crimes. I'm a woman and I'm not falling for this, this woman is no HILLARY CLINTON, she ain't even Chelsea.

[UnknownSoldier]

The MSM media is not reporting that Alaska has 2 Republican parties (Coalition, and non Coalition), and that the Democrats in Alaska are a defacto 3rd party.

I'm not sure which Republican Party Palin belongs too but I'm pretty certain it is the more extreme of the two.

What was McCainE thinking when he selected this EXTREMIST, sure she has a wonderful life story and she is very pretty, but what does that have to do with her Political Views.

[HSimpson]

C'mon, who could say no to that face huh?

[sbvpav]

i would say more monica goodling, but harriet myers also; individuals chosen for their ideology not knowledge of and adherence to the constitution and experience. my concern about both mccain and palin is who would really be running the show and pulling the strings.

[Stagesamurai]

God help us all - or if there aliens, have them take us HOME!

[mockingbird1979]

I just finished watching Meet the Press and I'm totally mystified. The roundtable, consisting of Brokaw, Mike Murphy (with no Dem strategist at the roundtable for balance), Doris Kearns Goodwin, Andrea Mitchell and David Gregory, were simply fawning over Palin. Very, very little was said about her actual qualifications, and much was made about her label as Alaska's "hot governor" and her penchant for moose-hunting. I think Gregory even called her "cool" at one point, and her use of the word "awesome" was lauded for its "everywoman" quality. WHAT!??? She is the veep candidate, not a Pillsbury bake-off winner! As a woman, watching that fluff roundtable was insulting....

[HeadForTheHillarys]

Good news is I think if everyone takes a pill and Joe makes sure the VP debate is a pre-emptive non personal address followed by a boring non event we win that one.

To Barack: get out the vote and take your vitamins.

To honest patriotic true conservatives: pumping Trillions out of the barrel of a gun puts America in a corner that's tight both politically and economically. What do you really think McCain will do? How do you think more war, debt and isolation will affect the country?
Freedom and the constitution have never been less safe. Maybe it's time to sacrifice the false safety of self righteous ignorance to protect the constitution. Maybe we can over come our cowardice in the face of the corrupt theocrats who seek our acceptance of a shallow dog whistle "don't ask don't tell" "might is right" definition of patriotism. Don't you believe that the constitutions' concepts can only protect us when we are courageous enough to trust, protect and demonstrate the power of their example?

[jrbluejay]

America is nothing else but a well trained society. The machinery behind this masterful plan hope to control all your thoughts and actions. The acquired the media (all) and put them in the hands of the wealth controllers so the plan could be achieve. Feeding us garbage everyday, modifying our behaviour to accept their plan, which is ultimately a society that fears itself and distrust all. We are at the mercy of media manipulators who are adept at deceit. They use and abuse the radical evangelist, racists, gun fanatics and all who fear someone will take away their Abercrombies.

[HeadForTheHillarys]

This is Rove and if football is the metaphor this is the "bootleg play" which if used at the right time really ups the anti on needing to defence the oppositions ground game.
Obviously he and his campaign team had a short mid and long term scenario in response to each potential VP pick on our side that among many things, accounted for momentum build and party unity through our convention.
I believe Mrs. Palin was and is his favorite scenario as the pick will distract the media, and energize the religious right (get out the vote game) who (dog whistle) believe that McCain will at best be one term and in that term take them closer to their ultimate goals which as everyone here likely knows are to stack (destroy) the court, over-turn Roe, gut the constitution, silence or box out dissent, win the culture war etc. The neocon goals are a bit broader and include a level of social control through the next 12 years (given they hone her skills to win against HRC or?) that will make the last few years look like the summer of love. He has the dog whistle... the MSM is what it is .... and so my argument is that if we don't get past this pronto and put the focus on McCain we will lose.