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

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[TheIndependenceParty]

Should the DNC create a redux of the "Why Not Hillary" commercial from last weeks? I think it would be telling to see the cavalcade of potential VP's who were passed over in favor of Sarah Palin. How many decades of service and leadership did McCain sacrifice among those men and women, simply to pander to Dobson and the Fundamentalist Christian Right?

[WilliamGossett]

Did you see the rsponse to Palin? almost $5 million overnight.

Don't discount her as a pick. She IS qualified to run the country as long as they can turn our country into a rught wing religious state - which they will. Step 1) Appoint judges to the Supreme Court that would overturn the Cosntitution and 2) start jailing "diussidents" under current "security" rules. The machinery is there.

Logic does not prevail here. The American electorate is not logical. I fear for the worst.

It was once foretold (by someone) that we would eventually lose our democracy and that day I fear has arrived.

[studioh!]

it's just SO reminiscent of Harriet Meirs - lost souls on a large world stage

not this time, not this person, not on our watch!

[Amydan48]

The republicans are looking utterly foolish defending McBush's irresponsible decision. Everything coming out of their mouths are lies and distortions. They explain that this virtual unknown has more experience Obama etc. Okay, then how come she didn't run for president if she is all that? And she is not running against Obama. Why don't they compare her to Biden? Plain and simple, she is being utterly used by men to lure disaffected Hillary female supporters. Women are not stupid. I feel sorry for her and her family. It is a sad day in American when republicans honestly believe that they are putting the interests of our country first by this extremely dangerous decision. Not this time. Not this time!!

[mcfried]

I just want to know what her positions are on the major issues. O has had a year to prove he understands them and has solutions. She has 60 days. She won't win my vote way too conservative but at least I can hear an opposing view point. Or maybe she will just follow Mc in which case I guess she things everythings fine and our current policies are awesome. Change My A$$

[flabud]

Along with the Quayle and Harriet Miers comparisons, I think we have to add a Katherine Harris comparison, too, as she and Palin seem pretty similar. No, Harris doesn't have 5 kids and the whole "hockey mom" thing, but she and Palin have the same views and other similarities. I'm from Harris' (former) Congressional district and the first time I saw Palin, I was reminded right away of Harris. Hopefully, centrist, undecided voters will see thru Palin's "just folks" and "reformer" labels and truly understand the policies, views and style of governing she supports.

[formerprosecutor]

ABC just stated Bush will not attend the RNC; other sources state that Gov. Schwarzenegger will be "busy with state business" and will not attend. Hmmm!

[OneLiberalLady]

Is it too far-fetched to wonder if Schwarzeneger could endorse Obama? I do not live in CA but the thought has occurred to me.

[Daly]

I am a CA res. No Schwarzeneger will not make an unqualified Obama endorsement but if you have listened to him closely, he has said that he would be happy to work in an Obama administration:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/13/schwarzenegger-id-be-obam_n_112377.html

His wife Maria the smarter of the team is already on board.

[KiwisCanFly]

Maybe the Republican base is so excited by McCain's VP pick that Republican President Bush and VP Cheney are unable to attend the 2008 RNC due to being over-whelmed.

[Invox]

Republicans are likely secretly thanking God for Gustav. They asked Palin to pray for it and she performed, of course. Now they don't have to fidget and worry while Bush and Cheney lie. It's a perfect opportunity to do some care packages and correct the deja vu of 3 years ago. Schwarzenegger? He's not a Republican anyway.

[Indubio]

Well, if they prayed for Gustaf then they are truly stupid. This hurricane is going to wreck the real purpose of their convention.

[Invox]

I suspect this is a relief to every Republican. They don't have to fidget while Bush & Cheney lie with a straight face. We get to witness a corrected do-over of their New Orleans mess of 3 years ago. And Schwarzenegger isn't a Republican anyway.

[speakyourmind]

I was so looking forward to watching Bush get "boo-ed" by his own party!

[HamletsMill]

Me too.

[KiwisCanFly]

OK, Arianna

Here is a start to making a case for the gulf between the crises we face and Palin's capacity to handle them.

Obama has been toughly vetted, and public perception has strengthened favorably over the months due to this.

Palin has not been vetted at a national level and she will be. I doubt whether the advantage will be to the McCain/Palin ticket.

For 1, agog voters will be reading about Palin’s ineptitude concerning the Wasilla indoor ice arena that left the community millions in over budget debt. Palin’s real legacy as mayor, is that the city is still paying for this today, while having to cut budget in library service, postponing capital improvement projects, and raising fees.

On a national level this type incompetence and arrogance will reflect as “more of the same” and focus on the McCain/Bush similarities, and not favorably so!

[pgobrien]

The New York Times printed this paragraph as part of a story on Palin"

--At the very least, the process reflects Mr. McCain’'s history of
making fast, instinctive and sometimes risky decisions. “"I make them
as quickly as I can, quicker than the other fellow, if I can," Mr.
McCain wrote, with his top adviser Mark Salter, in his 2002 book,
“Worth the Fighting For.” “"Often my haste is a mistake, but I live
with the consequences without complaint.­”"--

Now, THAT'S a comment that needs to be pushed as BAD JUDGMENT that
the rest of the country cannot be sanguine about.

It's not just Sen. McCain who will live with his quick, bad decisions. It's all of us. And Ms. Palin is a quick and bad one, so far as I can tell.

[Indubio]

The one advantage of the US campaign approach is that over the long haul its leaders are well vetted by circumstances. Palin will have to campaign for ten weeks with everyone looking at her past and present with a magnifying glass. My sense is that she won't look good when all is done. Her first few exposures to the national arena haven't made her look competent and I expect the situation will only get worse.

[lovethesinner]

I think there may be even deeper archetypes at work here. Somewhere, I read that the most HEROIC human fantasy is SAVING A CHILD.

Sarah Palin, at 42 years years old, and already a mother of four, consciously chose to carry to term a baby she KNEW had Down's syndrome.

As narrative, it's unassailable. Nothing you could possibly say about Sarah Palin will drown it out. The people who were unenthusiastic about supporting John McCain will be motivated to go and vote for him as a way to honor her commitment.

Plans are being made to turn the Republican National Convention into a HURRICANE RELIEF CENTER, as we speak. They are even talking about having delegates roll up their sleeves and pack supplies for Gustav victims on the floor of the convention.

NEVER MIND the RECKLESS OPPORTUNISM of REPUBLICAN GOVERNANCE that drown a city so it could CAPITALIZE on DISASTER, IGNITED the MIDDLE EAST so it could CAPITALIZE on FEAR. PAT BUCHANAN'S BRIGADES are here to offer us, "Force, rooted in justice, and backed by MORAL COURAGE."
­


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO2wzdOCqr8&feature=related

There's only one thing to do about all this. Start registering people, vote early, and pray that some force of nature has given us an advantage on the ground.

http://www.millennialmakeover.com/

Once again, we'll have to VOTE our way out of this HOLE.

O B A M A - B I D E N ' 0 8

[athenasword]

Excellent points. I wrote yesterday about how her knowingly having the Downs baby will be spun into a great pro-life narrative (not that I think she should have had an abortion; I just know it will be used). And, she may (with help from msm) gain a following. They are creating her fast and furious as a "reformer", an agent of change, and as having a "remarkable record". No one is challenging this too hard. And, yes, the RNC turning into a Hurricane Relief center might play well. Then again, it might look like panering, I don't know.

At any rate, we can't slack off!!

[dirtfreak]

I totally agree. There are still a lot of not-so-aware voters out there who'll see this 'hot governor of a cold state' with the 5 kids and the husband who's actually a union member, and justify their reasons for not going for Obama, and what's best for the country. They'll feel that the liberals should be happy that they're at least voting for a woman, since they still can't bring themselves to vote for a black person. To use a word coined by our wonderful leader, we can't 'misunderestimate' these people. We have to make the next 2 months a continuation of the Democratic Convention!

[pgobrien]

That's the ticket! We have to make sure that the votes are counted, though. Not a guarantee. Vigilance is required.

I cannot make myself feel sanguine about any of this. It's all too crazy. And some of the nuttiest among us have so much of the power. Amazing. Simply amazing.

This planet is passing through a VERY crazy spot in the universe.

I hope we survive it.

[missy53]

Absolutely. Obama needs to be running an ad showing the McCain voted AGAINST investigating Bush after Katrina, as did Lieberman, and I'm sure all of other McCain's cadre. He should use this opportunity to remind people McCain and Bush were laughing over McCain's birthday cake the day after Katrina. This should all be in an ad.

[Invox]

I agree. This election is now about math. Democrats have to get their voters to the polls.

[realistic2008]

It is about time the Democrats do something really right and drastic at the same time, file a "Class Action Suit" against Bush and his administration on behalf of the American and peoples of the world and see how far McCain and her PAL...IN are willing to go to defend them..

[kaspiahn]

Obama promises change, but brings in a long-time Washington insider. Please defend that one.

[myahquote]

Obama is going to try to change the way Washington works! He isn't going to destroy the process wholesale he is going to work to change it.

To effect change within the current system of course he needs people who have the experience, like Biden, of twisting arms of the old guard.

Biden's a straight shooter, A senator that is the least wealthy of all the senators (except one or two maybe) this demonstrates he's not selling out to enrich himself. He's for the middle class, he's sensitive to the poor, but he knows the rich are only going to allow so much change.

[Summer71]

Palin vs. Putin. That's putting country first? That's making us safe? Obama made the choice he knew was right for the country and right for our safety. McCain will simply pull any publicity stunt he can to win. That's not putting country first. That's putting his own ambitions first at the expense of everything else he gives lip-service to.

[Fremon]

Get off the rhetoric of the right. Change will be from the top down and competence will help him to get there. No such thing will occur with the Republicans. She is going to bring change to Washington? Say it again and again but it doesn't hold water. Get a new theme.

[nomac08]

Unlike GOP's choice, Dems have someone w/exp who knows WA & can step in on day 1 if something should happen. Can Palin do that? Mc's 72 & serious health issues.

[deceiveandobsfucate]

By definition, an 'Insider" is one who makes the cocktail rounds with lobbyists and schmoozes with everyone to know everyone's business, and how. Biden went home every night for most of his career to DE to raise his sons. Yes he's been there a long time, but he's not an insider.

[RBFL]

The scary part is tht Mc Cain could win. Someone please remind him before it's too late that Geena Davis was cancelled before the end of the first season.

[renatam]

All week we will hear Republicans say "Washington is broken." They should know, because THEY broke it -- and then, after dismantling SERVICES -- repatriated the dollars to special interests, wars of choice, corporate cronies, nepotism deals, etc.

Americans, PLEASE don't fall for these lies -- again.

Heartland, you have HAD your choice and chance. Think of New York City and DC -- and our security. Think about another path and our children. You need our cities -- and New York City/Wall Street -- to be stable and a part of rebuilding our ECONOMY.

[ChescoMom]

Forget that-- now it's back to g0d, g u ns and ga y s.

[CitizenInformed]

McCain's kneejerk switch to emphasize "reforming Washington­"....what does that mean for Repubs? It will be interesting to see him explain this....in the context of a Republican presidency that has been so blatantly corrupt...­.a presidency he is very much in bed with. McCain just doesn't make sense.

[Witchitalineman]

I agree Arianna. It's almost an insult to the seriousness of the office and the issues that lay before us as a country. I am in bewilderment of McSame's selection.

[kaspiahn]

Palin is more qualified than Obama.

[folksonomy]

ORLY? Let's see your comparison chart of education and everything else. C'mon kiaspiahn! We're waiting!

[chroma]

Really?

Obama has an international family. His undergraduate degree is from Columbia. He was the head of the Law Review at Harvard Law School and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School. He spent ten years in the Illinois legislature. He has been in the United States Senate since 2004, where he serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We were in Europe when he was there meeting heads of state and it was clear that he impressed them very favorably. He defeated, in a hard won primary, the esteemed and internationally respected Senator from New York.

Palin has a B.S. in journalism from University of Idaho, was the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. estimated 6, 715) for ten years. Prior to that, she served two years on the Wasilla City Council. She has been Governor of Alaska for twenty months: in that time, her approval rating has been slipping from a high of 80% to 65% currently.

Now, do you really think that Palin is more qualified than Obama?

[Fremon]

How may I ask?

[Invox]

On which planet?

[situationcritical]

White is black.--Bu­shworld.

[gingerlilyose]

what makes her more qualified than Obama? the rep no that they are in trouble this election