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

[SantaFeStars]

To those who think she is as qualified as Obama, please do your homework! When was the last time you read a book? Palin is not qualified to be President! Please try to educate yourself before voting for all the wrong reasons!

[MaxTaylor1]

No, she's MORE qualified than BO. Not AS qualified. Barack...t­he King of Air....hot air that is.

[fightforright28]

I am from Canada, I am a woman, and the choice of Palin is shocking. I am sorry for you, fellow Americans. To compare her "quest" to Hillary Clinton's is appalling. Her lack of experience is frightening. And what about having a baby with Down's Syndrome? I have a teenager with special needs, and let me tell you, special needs children take over your life. Is Palin above this duty, one she supposedly chose? It is an impossible road she is choosing, be clear. Five kids, a newborn with Down's Syndrome and you're telling me that she can be VP too? Superwoman Syndrome gone berserk. What about family values ? Forgotten? And that's not even touching on Palin's fanatical views that no woman in her right mind can stomach. Please, good American friends, remember that you had eight horrific years with George W....wake up ...McCain in 72, Palin could well be put in charge. Downright scary, and McCain is putting your country at serious risk with this choice. Cannot be denied.

[dadw5boys]

Palin is a shinning expample!

She has great Government Insurance so the bills for her childrens births are covered.

Republican love Government Job with that great Insurance.

[renatam]

Republicans have permanently excised MERITOCRACY from their Party. Consequently, they do not deserve to control the Executive Branch. The Supreme Court will NOT appoint our President, this year -- and the new President will not use an attack on the US as an excuse to commoditize an invasion and WAR for oil. The new VP will not be meeting the oil oligarchy in private meetings that result in $4. gas before the end of the second term.

The new President will take the FOR SALE sign down off The White House and keep the dollar so low our way of life is under pressure and foreign interests are snapping up our technologies and real estate at BARGAIN BASEMENT prices.

The new President will not permit Americans to DROWN in an American city -- and will not send our youth over to fight a WAR based upon lies, for the oil oligarchy.

[readyfornewleadership]

I also immediately thought of Harriet Miers.

[Trogenhorse]

Again, I think people miss the important point! McCain's first important decision resulted in a person HE didn't want, HE didn't chose on his own, HE doesn't even know. Look at the pictures of them together. There is NO warmth and friendliness. If he makes decisons in this manner now how will he make decisions once president?

Imagine facing Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and him making decisions based on what's the best spin? This is all about JUDGEMENT folks! He has failed this test!!!!

[dadw5boys]

PALIN TAXES OIL COMPANYS PROFITS IN ALASKA !!!!!

The same Oil Companies that gave Mc Cain that huge Campaign Donation !

Palin leaving Alaska lets the good old boys get control of the Alaskain Government again.

Win Win for the Oil Companies !

[booker52]

This pick of Palin by McCain tell me his judgement isn't there to be President. But then again I knew that before he ever picked her this just confirmed it!!!

[bullfinch]

Sarah Palin's agenda is a lot more dangerous and damaging to women (men too) than Jimmy Stewart's in "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington". But I agree with you. What are the talking points? I'm repulsed but I want to be rational.

[bodo]

The Alaska Speaker of the House listed all of Palin's qualifications to be VP as follows:
1. she is old enough
2. she is a US citizen

[crosseyedamerican]

Thank you so much Arianna! You are always so right-on.

McCain wants to out do Bush. So he hired a bigger Monica Goodling. More than like Harriet Myers, Palin is a perfect match for Goodling. They both, on a heart beat, place their personal agenda over the interest of the Nation.

[MKDelDios]

Babies, Guns, Jesus, Hot Dam!
Rush Limbaugh

This choice scares me! I hope it scares all americans.

[jcwtts1]

I think we were caught a little flat footed. The arguments about Palin, while seeming obvious to us, need to be articulated with as little emotion as possible. We have to vet her or voir dire her. We can do this respectfully but the goal has to be to get her interviewed by the mainstream press. Fox news won't do it, though Wolfson working for Fox might be interesting now. We have to ask basic questions. How many states in the lower 48 have you visited? How man countries in the world. Can you name the president of, Georgia, Russia, China, the Chancelor of Germany, Zimbamwae. What is your stance on Israel and the two state solution, Who is running pakistan, who is running haiti, what is your stance of Cuba, what is your stance on Venezuela, what is your stance on Columbia. Talk about NAFTA please and tell us what you think? These are the surface questions, each with five follow ups. She has to answer them all, and we need MSNBC, heck we need Tim Russert, never have I missed him more, and we need George Steph to step to the mike and be an honest broker for once. I'm not interested in the scandal I want to talk about Palin theory on speaking to foreign leaders, about diplomacy, etc., about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[hypocriteh8tr]

Not only that but we need to keep focusing on McCain. It's almost like her nomination gives him a free pass.

[chroma]

These questions should be asked in the VP debate, at the very least. Biden should breeze through: he knows this stuff backwards and forwards. Palin? Who knows, at this point. (This is one of her big problems: she is not vetted, and there may not be enough time to do so.) You can memorize the answers to some (eg, presidents): my guess is that there will be intensive drilling on the campaign airplane.

More compelling questions should be asked about the problems we face with each of these hotspots and each potential VP's thoughts on those. We'll see how their answers compare.

[athenasword]

Yes, yes, yes. And, it needs to be more pointed... Instead of can you name the president of Russia, China, or Georgia, we need to ask her to speak of her views on their recent actions (military, economic, etc) and give us her policy positions.­..

[Move2Europe]

The Palin nomination is NOT designed to attract Hillary supporters. The two groups this is meant to attract are the Republican base AND working class white MALES. Read Palin's bio: lifelong NRA member, beauty pagent runner up, hunter and fisher, mother of five, anti-corruption history. If you don't think that appeals to white working class males, maybe you don't know too many of them.

[LCM1220]

EXACTLY!!! This is aimed at uneducated, white males. "Wow what a chick, she can shoot, spit out babies and wear a bikini. She's got my vote!!!!"

[ImagesAndAdjectives]

A lot of the "working class white males" you refer to are also very sexist and would never vote to put a woman in the White House as commander-in-chief. I know, because I heard the comments about Hillary from that group during the primaries. "Anyone but Hillary" was their motto, and not because of her political views.

[pgobrien]

I want to hear the answers to those questions that jcwtts1 is asking.

[Anthrofreak]

I am afraid you may be right. I know this population quite well. However, I am counting on their sexism in the sense that Old McCain may croak and they cringe at the thought of having Ms. Congeniality in charge of our country. How can she raise a family and conduct the war on terrorism, fix the economy, address the energy crisis etc at the same time?

Oh wait, all that experience as a beauty queen pageant loser, PTA, mayor of 6,000 people, Governor of 600,000 people and that journalism degree, she's well equipped. (See Irony)

[harobamason]

Arianna I was so looking forward to your view on McCain’s choice for VP and once again I couldn’t agree with you more. The nation has spent the last 19 months dissecting these candidates for the presidency then Sen. McCain pulls a rabbit out of a hat. For McCain’s choice to be based on one interview of a person he met back in February only proves more his flawed judgement. Sarah Palin's inexplicably laughable lack of substance, most-especially on the foreign policy stage simply puts our nation in grave danger. She maybe a quick study as the Republicans are keen to boast but with only a few weeks before her debate with Mr. Biden, what can she illuminate about Senator Obama?

The next 64 days until this election is not enough time for her to understand the perils of our nation or our lost standing on the world stage.

She is chiefly an ideological choice, so the main attacks should be ideological. It will take time to convince moderate voters that right-wing crazy people come in attractive, 44-year-old female Alaskan packages. We will have to do our best.

So Arianna if your powers are what they be I ask that you keep Robert J. Elisberg column “The Worst Vice-Presidential Nominee in U.S. History” up front and center for all the world to see until the Vice Presidential debate. Sen. McCain has truly failed the Commander-in-Chief test by selecting a trophy VP.

[UnknownSoldier]

Agreed

[Ricky08]

A DO OVER is what the whole republican party needs .. starting with the nominee.

[benson80]

I think McCain made a bad choice. Obama chose his VP for his credentials and what he could bring to the ticket. McCain chose Palin because she's a woman and to court angry Hillary voters. He couldn't have chose her because of her credentials. She doesn't have any. Also an Alaskan reporter, Gregg Erikson stated that her 80% approval rating was actually at 65% and sinking. Republicans think that this gimmick is going to work. But it's stupid to think that the American people (especially women) are dumb enough to vote for someone because they like to eat moose burgers and likes to shoot things. These media outlets keep touting these things like they're credentials. I'm sorry, but I don't care if she has 5 children. What can she do about the economy? What can she do if we're attacked? These are things she'll need to face if she was president. What will she tell Bin Laden? "I have 5 children and I like to eat moose burgers, and I was for the bridge to nowhere before I opposed it (flip flop), so you better stop attacking us or I'm going to get my husband whose a 4 time snow machine race winner." Bin Laden would laugh in her face. I just hope that the women of this country don't fall for this gimmick and vote us into oblivion. We can't sink any further as it is.

[UnknownSoldier]

The word to describe her is EXTREMIST, which is ok because everything she represents is her PERSONAL CHOICE. Now she should acknowledge that she has made PERSONAL CHOICES in her life and ALL AMERICANS should have the same options. That will kill her with the Right Wiing NUT evangelicals, because they are EXTREMIST just like BinLaden.

The Democrats need to focus on J W. McBush's judgement and temperment in choosing this candidate over some more moderate Republican choices.