Who is Palin? We Still Don't Know.

First, let me say that John McCain's choosing Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate is not my idea of putting country first, but instead seems to me to have been a strategical tactic to save his flailing campaign at a time when Senator Obama's attention was at a peak.

Secondly, I'll say that, darn it, Sarah Palin is cute. However, my frustration with Governor Palin never answering a question was exasperating. She certainly was down-home and sassy. Certain statements she made struck me as ironic -- statements such as John McCain representing change and reform, when he has been so deeply aligned with George W. Bush.

In her charmin' demeanor, she managed to turn around questions so many times that she was almost believable as knowing what she was talking about. Unfortunately, for Joe Biden, Governor Palin was able to baffle him several times and at points, put him in the defensive position. She certainly is a quick study, but she could not possibly hold her own in foreign policy with Biden. However, so many times she turned Biden's answers around on him, cleverly inserting her own coached message without regard for the original question. It is almost impossible to believe that she was not heavily coached for this debate when the interviews with Katie Couric were so telling. So, who is she? We still do not know, even after this debate, because of what looks somewhat like a cover-up, in that she has never been able to speak extemporaneously, with the exception of the Couric interview, which was revealing.

I, for one, am terrified that all the "soccer moms" and the "Joe six-packs" will fall for the likable candidate as being qualified to lead our country. I don't want someone who is likable, I want the smartest, most prepared team, and that does not include the spunky Sarah Palin. The major component she has working for her is that she knows exactly when to throw in the statement, "John McCain and I are Mavericks!," a self-appointed label. She has embarrassed me as a woman who knows how to deliver a strong message or idea without having to be sarcastic, snarky, cutesy, or condescending with a down-home affectation. She gets my vote for Miss Congeniality though. Darn right!!

Read more reactions to the Biden-Palin Vice Presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[certainot]

couric should have asked her who she listens to, not what she reads- palin is the talk radio candidate, chosen to activate the talk radio base for the convention, to talk talk radio, and channel limbaugh.

[slc1950]

Just keep reciting words without any coherence - check

Just keep smiling and winking so no one will notice that there is no coherence - check

Just stare hard into the camera so no one will notice there is no coherence - check

Be sparklin' and charmin' so no one will notice there is no coherence - check

Heck of a job? You betcha!!!!

Dangerous? You betcha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothin' there - an empty shell of a human being.

[Ron]

With the recital of her talking points , that was speed crammed into her head , she focused on being cute and down home, trying to convince people she's one of them. She'll never be like one of us, and her habits of not being truthful will only haunt her in the weeks to come. Surely most people will see through the facade of her performances and realize she's not qualified and will continue to reveal more of herself , if they let her out into the public, and can be questioned.

[df2112]

Why is Obama qualified ... he's never held a job in his life.

[Arbicuswoo]

She's likable? I must have missed that.

[newdreams]

Why is it that we love Tina Fey and can't stand Sarah Palin? I think it's because, especially in hard times, we need people that are intelligent, collected, and are not afraid to use truth as their primary guide.

[df2112]

Much more likable than Obama. Plus, she's held down real jobs.

[hrayovac]

If I hear another would-be pundit use the editorial, "We" again as in, "We still don't know..", I'll cancel my subscription to...I dunno, the internet or something.
What "We" don't know is often what "We" (Crow) refuse to express an opinion on. Why on earth Crow would be afraid of at least saying, "Palin's an idiot" or "Palin's a fascist" concerns me. Is Crow pondering the wiggle room of having to shake hands with president Palin someday..or not being invited, as the case may be, because of her comment here?
Looky now: "We" as in all of us who can see that the emperor is naked, know that Palin is Bush, is Cheney is Rumsfeld is Addington, Norquist, Kristol and every other trecherous and treasonous S.O.B in that particular Washington crowd. If all you wanna do is have some fun, please go do that. But if you wanna speak the truth in a journal speak it. Don't be "offended as a woman" when you see fascism. Be offended as a citizen of the United States that your country has been overrrun by terrorists.

[Heavy]

She has filed for a restraining order against the press. The McCain camp understands the words of Abra ham Lin coln who said, "Better to keep ones mouth shut and be thought a fo ol, than to open it and remove all doubt"

[RRonin]

I have had a nagging thought in the back of my mind about what Palin reminds me of. It finally came to me: A WAITRESS. "More coffee, Joe? Warm it up for ya? Yew betcha! Pie's good today! Ya want the special? It's doggone good!"

[Greytdog]

Don't malign waitresses. They really are the working class that is underpaid, overworked, and rarely, if ever, have health insurance, are not covered by the Family Medical Leave Act, AND they pay taxes. Sarah Palin couldn't ever be a waitress - waitressing is all about multi-tasking, thinking on your feet, dealing with people from across all spectrums of society, maintaining composure, active listening, and teamwork.

[sciphy]

I don't like Sarah Palin. I am an average American and I just don't like her. She reminds me of the mean girls in high school.

[123dee]

Fortunately after the VP debate,my sister is now voting Obama. The real turn off
for my sister, was Palin cutesy, folksy, kiss blowing and winks to the audience;
she called Palin an empty headed con artist.

[cafemocha]

I judge Sarah as a bubble-headed tabloid educated queen bee filled with wreckless ambition, a burning contempt towards intelligence and wisdom, possessed by the conceited world view of pray tv preachers. Put her close to the nuke-you-lar button she will say, "Bomb Baby, Bomb. You betcha, bring it on!"

[alonzo24]

This I do know!! She is not black.

[FeyFan2008]

Republicans: you are on your own! I live in the South. We have a church on every corner. I have never understood why with non-profit tax exemptions they cannot band together into one network and help people. Would we really need the welfare system if the people who say they are here on Earth to serve God, worship God, would truly do God's work? Instead of building mega churches - how about helping the people in need! It is so funny to me that they wonder why Air America Radio was not a hit with Liberals....well, we do not like being told what to do. We like to have ideas and hash things out with the idea of the greater good. Conservative radio is negative, it is decisive and the people who listen love to be told how to think and why they should think that way. Sounds like a lot of churches, huh? Coincidence...I think not. McCain/Palin - the thought of these two in POWER gives me nightmares. Obama/Biden SERVING their country gives me hope! I want better for my son - isn't that what it is really about - making sure we are leaving the next generation off in a better place??? We have a lot of work to do to change the last 8 years! VOTE!VOTE!VOTE! Even if Obama is ahead in the Polls now, the one that counts is in November - SHOW UP & VOTE!!!

[ZamDem1]

I completely agree that it is the "churches" raking in millions a year that out to be serving their communities.

It is one of my principal arguments in my suspicion and distrust of INSTITUATIONALIZED RELIGION. I have no arguments with "organized" religions, but those that become institutions wielding political power are scary. IMHO, they go against everything that we are shown in the Gospels.

[LilyK]

As one who was raised in a fundamentalist, Bible-totin' household in the South, I suggested to my Yankee (ie, "liberal") friends in 2004 that we all go into a different Southern evangelical churches (but preferably Southern Baptist) and tape the sermon on our cell phones. The political power that these churches wield -- with no one calling them on it -- is incredible and incredibly frightening.

There is NO rational argument that can be made for the "other" side when the minister is telling you that if you vote for Al Gore, John Kerry, Barack Obama....you're not a Christian and you're "gonna go to hell." No church that is dictating the vote should be allowed to keep their non-profit, "non-politcal" status.

What the fundamentalists and the Sarah Palin-evangelicals seem to forget is that even Jesus admonished against mixing religion and politics ("Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's). Somehow I just don't think God has declared himself a Republican.

[Deni]

In a couple of weeks one of the local churches here will have their Fall Festival. They'll raise $100,000+ for foreign missions. There are plenty of people in this town who live in poverty and will have no heat this winter. All that money goes overseas and none helps the people in this town that need help.

[FeyFan2008]

I agree with you Sheryl! I will make a disclaimer: I'm a fan, own CDS & seen you in concert! I am 40 years old and like you I have a young son's (4 year old) future to think about....no McCain, no Palin, No Way!! She did McCain no help at all in that debate. This is starting to feel like American Idol, you know the least talented should be kicked off, but there are a community of jokers out there that want to see them fail each week, so they keep them on the show. Now granted, I give McCain credit for picking Palin to open my eyes about his decision making process and for giving me some of the best laughs I have had in a long time. Then I remind myself the difference between Republicans & Democrats as so well said by Obama, (paraphrasing here) they don't care, we do. Democrats want to use government to help you in hard time. Make America a better place to live. What is so wrong with helping our own people & others around the world? I guess that makes me a Liberal. TBC

[df2112]

Nothing wrong with making the world a better place. I suspect most republicans would agree with most democrats on that premise. However, most republicnas I know believe in working 60 hours a week and then putting everything they have left into their children. Most democrats I know believe in taking money from republicans to relieve themselves of the effort involved in working 60 hours a week.

[MasterfullyInept]

Ms. Crow, your pretty cute yourself, as well as being a great advocate for progress.I'll always remember you challenging Karl Rove and his classic response."I don't work for you!"Thanks for you good work on behalf of all Americans.

[judesedit]

If you can't afford a 6 pack and can't keep your hungry little hockey player fed, I would think you would take notice. It's hard to know the truth when tv is a lot of propaganda. Murdoch wants the republicans to win, no matter who, so he can monopolize another industry without regulation. You have to look for the truth anywhere and everywhere. McCain won't release his medical records, either. They are like 1000 pages long. Handed to few people to see for 3 hours and told them "no copying". They also shuffled the papers. Do you really want poor- judgement Palin as president in these volatile times? A woman who made the choice to have a down-syndrome baby, but not to take care of it, who drags her kids on stage as a gimmick, when they should be in school, who chooses to fly on 2 airplanes after her water broke, so she could give a speech, endangering the life of the baby and the airlines, who insists on carrying the baby off of the airplane, while wearing heels, knowing she could fall at any minute, when her husband is right there, who preaches abstinence as another ploy, when she herself was pregnant before she got married , and who's already refused to appear for a subpoena? Wake up! If you want a dictatorship, a draft, medicare, health insurance, social security at the mercy of the stock market, then vote for the war-mongers.

[df2112]

I don't care about any of that. It's all unimportant to me. I want my money for my family. Live and let live ... you want to screw your life up, go for it, but I'm not picking up your tab.