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McCain's Indiscretion
John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin isn't a mistake. It's a disaster. Like a moonstruck teenager, McCain was smitten overnight with Palin. But as the revelations keep pouring out about Palin, McCain is surely starting to realize that he has hitched himself to a volatile partner who threatens to upend his entire campaign.
Already media coverage is focused almost exclusively on the Palin drama rather than on McCain. Palin has the upper hand in the relationship with McCain. Her convention speech on Wednesday will likely upstage McCain's. The GOP hasn't experienced this big a mess since 1952, when Dwight Eisenhower mulled over dumping a young Richard M. Nixon. But were McCain to dump her overboard, the religious right would, in effect, accuse him of jilting her -- of political infidelity. In short, McCain is hostage to Palin, and she will begin to savor it. "To tie a prominent statesman to her train and to lead him about like a tame bear," wrote Henry Adams in Democracy, his nineteenth century Washington novel, "is for a young and vivacious woman a more certain amusement than to tie herself to him and to be dragged about like an Indian squaw."
McCain should have seen this coming, but as the New York Times reports today, his campaign apparently failed to examine Palin's record adequately. The choice of vice president was the first test of McCain's judgment. Barack Obama passed it with flying colors. McCain flunked it. If he can't pick a vice-president, how on earth is he going to run an entire government?
Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin
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No rational person would dispute the fact that; 1) man has contributed to global warming and global warming is a serious problem, 2) dinosaurs are real and the earth is more than 6,000 years old, 3) we can not afford to continue to squander money and the live of brave soldiers in a war in Iraq, 4) the trickle down theory of economics has made the rich even richer and most Americans worse off, 5) the war in Iraq has distracted our military form hunting down the terrorist that actually attacked us. Sadly these are disputed by most Republicans. To the extent that Sarah Palin is also driven by ideology and is uninterested in facts that dispute her ideology, she is the perfect candidate for the Republican Party and should absolutely remain on the ticket.
Whether her extreme ideological views should be tolerated by the American electorate is a totally different matter.
She'll remain on the ticket because she's what the base believes. On Sunday. The rest of the week, they're like fundamentalist Mormons who pretend they don't have extra wives. And like the Mormons, they unite economics with spirituality and think that their success in business comes directly from their Lord's largesse.
Republicans used to be in favor of supporting the arts and scientific research, but in order to win elections that guarantee huge tax breaks for the wealthy, they'll believe in anything, or rather pretend to believe in anything. The National Socialist government they've been running for the past 7 years has attempted to substitute hysterical ideology for science just as they've substituted counterfeit religions for real spirituality.
Now they're about to nominate an inordinately ambitious fundamentalist woman to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
Enough men will vote for her because she's hot to make this a contest. She's no stupider than George Bush, Cheney, and the neo-cons, just prettier. If they voted for Bush because he would be fun to have a beer with, it doesn't take much imagination to know what they'd like to have with Palin.
The idea that McCain is more fit to be president than the highly educated constitutional scholar we have in Obama is underlined by Palin's ridiculous lack of gravitas, but the American people like to get their news from news bunnies so why not their government? Gravitas, we don't need your stinkin' gravitas. Give us hot.
What revelations? Her 17 year old daughter is pregnant? So what.
I don't see what the big deal is. The reaction to her has been completely exaggerated.
You can argue experience all day. But this other stuff is pure tabloid garbage.
I believe all this will backfire in the end. She will become a sympathetic character.
JohnIII --"She will become a sympathetic character".
Yes, I agree.
A Statewoman and champion for Liberty and the Constitution.
-------No.
Troopergate
Bridge to Nowhere - was for it, then against it.
Take (my) tax money for bridge and give to alaskans
Involvement in Alaska Independence Party
Polar bears must die
Earmarks for her town
Putting town in debt for hockey rink
I could go on and on and on, but you're right--she's got experience. Just not the kind we need.
You want to know why it's a big deal that her 17 year old unmarried daughter is pregnant? It's actually quite simple. How would Sarah Palin react to the news that Joe Biden's unmarried 17 year old daughter was pregnant? How would John McCain react to the news that Joe Biden's unmarried 17 year old daughter was pregnant? How would Rush react to the news that Joe Biden's unmarried 17 year old daughter was pregnant? THEY WOULD CRUCIFY HIM!!!! It would be ALL OVER the news/internet/radio/print that this shows how he's a bad father and that shows that he can't be veep! THAT'S why this is a big deal!
Oh the same Times that said he was having an affair? Yea they really have the inside info on the McCain camp. Are they even allowed on the plane?
Notice that one was never proven wrong, though!
It is completely terrifying to think of how this man will govern.
Keep telling yourselves that Palin is a bad pick. If it makes you feel better then lie to yourselves. In the real world, not the Huffpost, DailyKos or Democratic Underground, people love her and applaud McCain's choice.
Sure you guys all tell each other how awful she is but you are preaching to the choir and a few of us amused trolls. She's a dream come true for the Right and she will swing some votes from you guys. Get over it.
If Americans can ignore Obama's lack of experience, the people he surrounds himself with, drug use and ethical issues then Palin firing some guy she didn't like will fade away.
If she's so great, where is she hiding?
I disagree that she's a dream come true, but I do agree that there's been a slight over reaction to the pick. American's aren't ignoring Obama's lack of experience, he's spent about a year and a half working to prove that he has the material to make a good president. In organizing a campaign and defeating the Clinton's, he's shown that he has pretty good organizational skills.
I really don't know anything about Palin. I think she's not worthy of attacking.
Actually, spoke to my parents last night (both moderate republicans, mom listens to hannity and rush), and they were DUMBFOUNDED by the Palin. They saw it as political pandering, and that she was in no way qualified to be VP. Neither was happy about the impending granddaughter, either, and thought that the whole thing was a bit of a joke (the VP choice). It was reassuring to hear something from people who aren't GOP shills talking about what they really feel...
The more I watch this unfold, the more I believe that Palin was never meant to last until election day. She was meant to excite the base in ways that McCain couldn't do alone and then be replaced by a choice they wouldn't otherwise support. The freepers are already turning Palin into a victim of the "liberal media" and will treat her ultimate withdrawal not as a failure on McCain's part, but instead as a source of unity and a rallying cry against the Democrats and their supposed ties to the media. It's a disgusting tactic, but the Dems need to be prepared to get out the right message when she leaves.
Interesting thought. I don't think so, to do this on purpose would be pretty crazy. To pull her at any point would be hilighting McCain's lack of good decision making skills.
I talked with my sister, and for the first time, she's going to vote democratic in the general election. The pick of Palin was just way too risky. The only way she said they could win her back would be to show that McCain's judgement is sound. I don't know a way to repair that. Picking a different VP and dumping her would really hurt!
The Republicans are counting on Governor Palin to make a good impression with her speech but based on her last one, she does not look or sound presidential and I suspect people will be asking themselves, "Senator McCain is very old...do I want this person leading the free world?"
I can only hope she flops, but... hmmm... I've seen a good amount of other footage of her speaking. She is good, people. She is really good in front of the camera. Better than Gina Davis in that lady president tv show. She could strike a home run in the making-a-strong-impression department.
And wait till he started picking his Cabinet.
I can imagine the circus that would be.
But, but, but...the Surge is working!
It is working. You should be proud of your fellow country men who sacrificed their lives in order for us spoiled Americans living in a bubble of existence. We won the Iraq war. We are going to leave a stable liberal democracy in the middle of the middle east. Not only will this be good for America, but it will also help that troubled region as well as the world. WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH HAVING SUCCESS IN IRAQ? THIS SHOULDN'T BE A PARTISAN ISSUE! WE SHOULD UNITE IN JOY THAT A HORRIBLE WAR IS DWINDLING DOWN AND THAT WE CAN LEAVE WITH HONOR THAT THE REGION IS CHAOTIC! KEEP DRINKING THAT KOOL AID!
It looks like YOU'RE the one that's been drinking the McSame Kool Aid. Maybe it's time you had a "RealityCheck101"--interesting choice of monikers, by the way.
Truth is, you can put out any fire if you throw enough water on it.
The question is: Why start that particular fire in the first place?
We won an illegal war that WE started against a less advanced country.
You are proud of this???
That's just like bragging about beating your two year old in chess.
Or picking a fight with an elderly person and bragging that you won.
just to prevent snide remarks, I meant not chaotic.
You just know McCain would love to dump Palin and shout a snide I told you so, accompanied by the bird, to his aides. But it would spell the total end of his campaign. Either way, with her or without her, this goose is cooked and ready for the dinner table.
Is it any wonder McCain did this to himself? His first wife was a former beauty queen. When she lost her looks, he dumped her in favor of a former beauty queen. On his first major decision of the campaign he picks a former beauty queen. We are seeing a pattern here, aren't we? Some men have this problem for a lifetime.
If he wins, at least we'll have an interesting cabinet to look at.
You misunderestimate these people: both the right wing and Rove's gang.
What I predict will happen: She'll bow out. The McCain camp will blame it on Obama "spreading rumors" to cause her fall. Nevermind nobody knew her a week ago. Nevermind the McCain team itself sent out the press release about Bristol Palin. The misinformation will keep the extreme right wing afire, and I have no idea how anyone can put that out: certainly not the "liberal" media, which will be complicit in the attack (i.e., actual reporting).
Obama will win. The Reagan coalition will crumble. For most, Palin will break the spell of Republicans as anything but power-hungry liars. But the extreme right wingers will pay no heed to that idea. They will instead move into a cave somewhere in Utah, where, like any religious extremist group, they will work out their plots, albeit amid postered walls of Palin in a flag bikini wielding an assault rifle. They may even attract the handful of PUMAs still out there. They will live off desert shrubs and dreams of installing a prolife progun female by coup. Or else they will mobilize for secession from the union.
But I don't mean to be facetious. All you need to do is watch "The Power of Nightmares" to see where this is leading.
But, the extremist Christians are harmless in comparison to the Neo-Cons. They are the real problem. They aren't going anywhere, yet.
could it be she was put on the ticket simply to distract any more attention to obama? think about it, right now who is getting ALL the headlines, she is. what if she decides in the next 48 hrs. that 'family' is more important to her, and she takes herself off the ticket. mc,,,cain, the gracious candidate says how terrible he feels and appoints someone to the v.p. slot. mission accomplished. i think if played right, all the conservative christian right will stay on board.
Certainly possible.
There is little doubt Palin's convention speech will upstage McCain's. But, the right wing knows that. They also know they can stonewall on Palin's background through the election. They'll squash "Troopergate" and related scandals. After all, Alaska is a Repubican state and the Republicans control all the levers of power. They will have little trouble stalling all proceedings. This is like the Bush administration on a smaller scale.
Having Palin upstage McCain may actually benefit the right wing. She'll draw out the base. She'll fool a bunch of independents. Left untouched, she'll help the ticket.
The Democrats need to go after Palin for her abuse of power, her Bush-like tendency promote party loyalists instead of competent people. Troopergate should be enough to stop her momentum if the Democrats actually go after her on it. Forget the personal stuff, Palin's no maverick, she's a Bush clone with the same shoot first, ignore the facts proclivities.
How long do you suppose it will be until Palin decides that McCain needs to withdraw "for the good of the ticket"? :-)
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