Moosing Sarah -- Time for the Dems to Leash the Pitbull

It seems forever since the Democrats completed their triumphant Convention in Denver with its Obama/Biden/Clinton/Kennedy unity ticket and its intoxicating sense of take-it-to-the-finish line momentum. What happened? Not Sarah Palin. How could a small-time Alaska mayor and first term Governor derail the Obama freight train? No it was not Sarah Palin but the extraordinary reaction to McCain's wildly irresponsible decision to make her his running mate that seems to have paralyzed the Party.

Something about Palin scrambled the otherwise steady nerves of the Obama campaign. As if they were believing everything she was saying. Assuming that the Republican base was the country and hence thinking her success at her Convention there would be replicated nationally. (Did you see the face of that convention? Is that really the face of America?) Afraid to be accused of sexism (ironic after how it disposed of Hillary); or of unwarranted anger (Obama sometimes seems like Governor Dukakis, unwilling to rise to the bait even when it would be politically smart to do so).

Why is it so hard simply to tell the truth about Palin? Yes she is a successful and politically smart woman to be admired for that reason. But she is also a typical Republican values hypocrite preaching choice for women - except when it comes to pregnancy; preaching that family should be kept out of the political searchlight - except when it is useful to parade her own family on center stage; preaching against earmarks - except when it help her career to solicit them for Alaska; preaching about America first - except that she actually has made a career out of putting Palin first, Alaska second and America last (check out her Alaska secessionist husband).

She is a successful and politically smart woman, but she is also a right wing extremist who tried to delete books she didn't approve of from the town library where she was mayor and tried to fire the librarian when that didn't work; who is a creationist and, like the current occupant of the White House, who has little use for science, whether it is the science of evolution or the science of global warming; who never had a passport until last year when she visited her National Guard troops in Kuwait. Otherwise a stranger to the world in which America must make its way.

She is a successful and politically smart woman, but she is not merely pro-life, she is a no-exceptions-never-mind-rape-or-incest pro-lifer who thinks woman have no right to participate in decisions about what happens to their bodies if they become pregnant.

What the Democratic leadership has yet to figure out is that the real gender bias in the Palin appointment is the patronizing attitude that assumes what would and should be savaged and ridiculed in a man must be condoned or even welcomed in a woman.

Dukakis was skewered by twisted stories about rapists and released prisoners because he wanted to appear reasonable. War hero Kerry got swift-boated by men who never served in the military. Is Obama now going to let himself get moosed by a parochial Alaskan know-nothing because she's a woman?

Time to get mad. At Palin. At McCain. At the Bushes (yes both of them). Gender equality means women can't hide their biases and dogmatism behind gender.

Speaking of men, it is not really Palin but McCain who is the perpetrator we need to criticize. It is McCain who cynically chose a far right wing ideologue who shares the worst biases of the current administration in Washington and made her his running mate in a "campaign against Washington."

In other words, it is not the pit-bull in lipstick but the man who unleashed her who bears the responsibility. Michael Vick went to prison for turning his pit-bulls loose on others. I'm not recommending putting McCain in jail, just keeping him and his snarling (or is that a smile?) running mate out of the White House. Your move, Senator Obama.

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

Comments

[kincaid0329]

AFTER WHAT THE DNC & MSM did to Hillary - Karma seems good to me. I am a Black female who would never vote for McCain/Sarah - but neither will I vote for Obama. I am 62 years old and to the DNC - Pay back is a dog (Women always turn their backs - even on their own). They didn't stand when Afirmitive Action came forward (they sided with their men) and when Hillary needed them - AGAIN, They turned their backs - THEY WILL GET WHAT EVER IT IS THEY DESERVE.

[heal57]

You are living your life through Hillary as a woman. I am a 63 year old white woman and don't feel Hillary was the right candidate, but think Obama is. Do whatever you think is right but I want my kids and grandkids to have a better life. Hillary asked 'did you do it for me'? You should be supporting Obama. She is. Obama is the next president, so sit home if you like and be a whiney groupie for Hillary, but think it through. This is not about a woman. It's about a country.


Independent for Obama/Biden '08

[fishgirl26]

so, I watched the Alaska Governors debate on C-SPAN on Sunday. I seriously wanted to see if she had anything to say. What she did say astounded and scared me. As a woman, I value my rights as we worked hard to get them (Thanks Jeanette Rankin and all others who fought!) so I thought I might give her a shot. Here is a direct question and quoted answer from Ms. Palin:

Moderator "If a woman was raped would you deny her an abortion?" -paraphased question but you get the jist

Ms. Palin " I believe in choosing life and I believe that this woman should choose life and that life begins at conception"

Ok so, Ms. Palin wants this woman who already suffered through a sexual assault to suffer and be reminded for a LIFETIME of what happened to her???? SERIOUSLY???? Even if the woman give up the child for adoption the fact is that the child and the mother will always KNOW!!!

Ms. Palin, stay out of what I do with my body, stay out of my bedroom, and please voters (especially women) NO HOW, NO WAY, NO MCCAIN/PALIN!!!

[hu.man]

The only way Obama will lose this election is if he makes a major mistake. Republicans will be goading him to do just that. Palin is one their tools and no one should let her get under their skin. She lacks polish and is really self-destructing by constantly compromising her credibility. She is the sacrificial lamb, if you will. Who cares if the Governor of Alaska becomes a laughing stock? I think this experience will leave her with such a bitter after taste that she will not go near national politics again after this episode is over.

[triviolin2]

The Democrats need to politely, but vehemently, dispute the idea that this pro-life, anti-environment, pistol-packing, hockey-mom pitbull with lipstick (as the Rovican's define her) represents women's voices across America. She does NOT represent me or my values. Since when is raising your daughter to "accidentally" have children a good thing - I was taught that children aren't a right but a responsibility - one doesn't have children because you couldn't abstain from sex and now you're stuck... Since when are sarcasm, mocking and lying Christian virtues? Since when does having your state's border shared with a another country constitute foreign affairs experience? Since when does having a title mean that you have experience leading troops? (according to the actual commander of the Alaskan guard, she has done nothing remotely close to leading them) Since when is it desirable to be mean, spiteful, and vindictive, as long as you smile or laugh at the same time? Since when it is ok to claim you know the troubles facing the country and it's citizens when you've barely ever left your own state? Since when is being "just like the average American" a qualification to be VP? Since when is not knowing what the VP does acceptable for the person chosen to fill the job?
And, when will the Democrats point out the flip-flopping of McCain on the issue of choosing his running mate - how can he go from Lieberman to Palin? What does he stand for anyway?

[cutesky]

This whole thing with McCain and Palin is making me sick. I'm for Obama and Biden...Please let's not loose this election because Barack and Joe are too afraid to stand up to a woman from Alaska. Just let her have it!!! Treat her as you would any other nominee. To quote(you should all forgive me) John McCain....."stand up....stand up and fight!!!!"

[FOXYLADY]

AAAHHH TRIVOLIN......YOU'VE PLAYED RIGHT ON MY 'HEART STRINGS'!! I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOUR POST. AS FOR MY THOUGHTS ON THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES....THEY SEEM MEAN AND PETTY AND SO ARROGANT..........ARROGANT, THE WATCH WORD OF THE PRESENT REPUKE PARTY. SO 'HOLIER THAN THOU' AND LEVIN BRINGS THAT ATTITUDE FULL FORCE IN MY ESTIMATION. WE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE HOLIER THAN THOU RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO VOTED IN GEORGE W. BUSH TWO TIMES....AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT OUR COUNTRY??? GOD HELP US IF WE HAVE 'MORE OF THE SAME'....

[Devver]

You ask since when? Since GW has been saying so for the last 8.....

[angiemomma]

As a woman, I despise Palin and everything she stands for. Obama and Biden need to get tough, because they're going to get hit HARD with lies the average American will fall for hook, line, and sinker. I will lose all hope if they sit back and take it like the Swift-Boating Kerry took four years ago. Call them out as the liars they are...use the word "lie", or the American people just won't get it. Don't count on them to research the issues. FIGHT BACK!!!

[tigs]

so what is everyone going to do about it ,time for good manners and politeness is over ,fight the repubs at their own game ,, attack attack ,for the good of america .

[KodeBloo]

If the situation were reversed (citing abortion as only one example) there would be a nonstop drumbeat by Republican surrogates on every cable news show rephrasing the no-choice stance in ways similar to this: "Democrats protect the reproductive rights of rapists and incest offenders over the rights of women." But will Democrats do the same thing to Republicans when Palin is out there poisoning the American well with her right-wing extremist political views? No. We are too well-behaved. And that is why we will lose again to George Bush in a beehive and high heels.

[christabor]

Dems protect the rights of polar bears and eagle eggs over BABIES in the mother's womb.

[dipconsult]

We Europeans are appalled (I think I can speak for most of us) that a know nothing (economics, defense, foreign policy) lady of the far right may well be our political boss is a couple of years time.

If we had just one leader who was against the Iraq fiasco from before it happened, and who was highly intelligent, highly knowledgeable about all the key subjects and determined to put the country back on the road to international cooperation (defence, foreign affairs, economics, climate change, water shortage etc etc.) instead of following Bush's road to endless confrontation, we would be so enthusiastic! A landslide victor!

We have no one - Sarkosy and Merkel are the best we have. And you Americans may very well elect McCain the Vietnam hero who voted for 'Iraq' and made another Vietnam, and who chose Mrs know-nothing Palin to succeed him - truly recklessly risking our future as well as America's! . .

[skillfullmeans]

Republican values hypocrite? Women can get pregnant anytime they wish. Let's be honest. It's not about choice "when it comes to pregnancy," or the equally ridiculous term "reproductive rights." It's about choice when it comes to destroying a potential human being. To value the life of the unborn, even when created by rape or incest, is not hypocritical. Comparing the choice of career with the choice of abortion is asinine at best.

[arthur2008]

This is absolutely on target. John "Country First" McCain's embrace of the people and campaign strategies he once knew enought ot condemn as "bringing shame on the country" has shown that he will stop at nothing to satisfy his late life power lust. At the convention alone, he had his minions (Palin among them) unfurling every not-so-coded bigoted and fear mongering garbage in the book. In selecting Sarah Palin John McCain has upped the ante, because she is an inescapable reminder that he may well be too old, too compromised in terms of health, and maybe -- let's be blunt -- to often forgetful and confused. At the very least, he is far too compromised in terms of integrity and concern for country.

[debb17055]

Imagine this scenario.:

The Presidential candidate will not allow their second in command candidate to be questioned by any of the media without his or her consent that the interviewer will be defferential and noncondensing to so called candidate.
Just when did the USA become more like the USSR? Answer is, in the last week. So much for democracy !
The news today that MSNBC put a muzzle on both Keith Olberman and Chris Matthews just poured cement over the nailed coffin of journalistic opinions. I don't care if you are a blue state, a red state, or a purple state.
Can we just take the muzzle's off of everyone and let us decide for ourselves? In order to do that we have to have the facts, so if you take that away from us, all we are left with is propoganda.
Is that what you think is good for this country, and the rest of the world?

[usacicsass]

The Democrats and their propaganda wing, the left wing media, have for years completely miss read the nation’s political leaning thinking that it was liberal. Liberals falsely determined that resentment towards the Iraq war would galvanize unity against Republicans and conservatism. They also used the 2006 electoral gains as confirmation that liberalism was finally here. But they were wrong. The Iraq war wasn’t the problem, it was the slow progress towards success caused by democrats always getting in the way that was the problem and then Harry Reid claiming the war was lost. Thank God for John McCain. John McCain’s surge in Iraq created success despite Nancy Pelosi’s “do-nothing” congress. Americans want success but the left despises it. Today we have the endless smear campaign against Governor Sarah Palin which has created the largest conservative led backlash ever seen against liberalism and the media. Finally, a giant has been awakened and now the left is in a total panic.

[Hardtostop]

Post this on his website. If she's gonna run with the big dogs then she has to play like the big dogs play. RULES DON"T CHANGE BECAUSE YOU WEAR A SKIRT

[theobviouschild]

Barack Obama is doing the same thing he has done his entire life: being authentic and speaking the truth. It is not his responsibility to 'leash the pit bull' that he had no part in foisting upon this unsuspecting world.

[kellygrrrl]

SP made a major gaffe re Fannie/Freddie debacle.

Economists are pointing it out

MSM is not talking about it -- wouldn't matter anyway -- no one seems to care.

Voters are blinded by the Shiny New Object

[GregM-NJ]

Ever since Barack got the nomination, he has wimped out especially on the issues that really mattered to me. Examples: He recommended that we invade Pakistan and increase the troop levels in Afghanistan. I thought he was the peace candidate. You know, bring the boys home. Stop messing around in all these countries where we don't have business. Then, he dropped public financing when he said from the beginning he would go in that direction. He claimed to be the candidate of change. He's become anything but that.
On top of that, Russia invades Georgia and Obama's response is the matter should be taken to the UN. Hello? Anybody home? Everybody knows Russia has veto power in the Security Council. That won't work in the UN. What are he and his advisors thinking. Wake up Barack!!!!
Forget about the Republicans, this is our election to lose. Get it?!?

[maxiemom]

There was a time when the mainstream media would do its job and actually print the truth about the monster that is Sarah Palin. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The media belongs to McBush; they spend too much time covering up his inadequacies, mistakes, and lies. They're his enablers. they've made this wench seem like a real, viable alternative, which is a joke: she's more like Bush/Cheney than McBush is. She's just a prettier package.

McBush will do anything to win this election: lie, pander, cheat, divide the country, whatever it takes. He's spent the last 8 years kissing up to every despicable cretin who opposed him in 2000 to win this nomination, and sold his soul to do it. Using someone as extreme and loathesome as Palin fits in nicely with the anything goes tactics McBush's used to get what he wants. He's the worst kind of hypocrite. Like Palin is out for herself, McCain is for McCain. Period.

The only thing Obama and co. can do is hit her with her record, which is the most abysmal of any major candidate since Bush ran in 2004 (hers is worse, given the time frame). POUND HER LIES INTO DUST, AND LEAVE HER THERE!