"Ms. Palin then took the stage with her husband, Todd, who owns a commercial fishing business. They were accompanied by four of their five children; she said the eldest child, a son, is in the Army, and he is heading to Iraq on Sept. 11.
She described herself as “just your average hockey mom,” who joined the P.T.A., was elected to the City Council and then served as mayor and as governor, adding that she did not get into government to take the safe course.
“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not why the ship is built,” Ms. Palin said, adding that she would “challenge the status quo to serve the common good.”
Ms. Palin praised the achievements of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost a long and bitter primary race against Senator Obama, saying that she had left “18 million cracks” in the highest glass ceiling in the land.
Then, making an explicit appeal to Ms. Clinton’s disappointed supporters, she said, “It turns out that the women in America aren’t finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling.”
Ms. Palin, a former mayor of the small town of Wasilla, an Anchorage suburb, and one-time beauty pageant queen, first rose to prominence as a whistle-blower uncovering ethical misconduct in state government. " NY Times
————————————————————–
Mrs. Smith goes to Washington?
Let’s see – What else is there? Oh, yes, evangelical Christian, handicapped infant child, probably only a couple of houses so far.
Well, hell. At least she isn’t pushing "peak oil." How bad can it be?
Alexandria, Virginia is full of people just like her. As driver for "she who must be obeyed," I go to meetings chock full of them. There are always people there who are on the school board or who want to be on the school board, city council members, planning commission members… You get the idea. By and large, they nearly all secretly hope that one thing will lead to another and someday they will be standing in the sun somewhere telling a crowd that "women in America aren’t finished yet" or some other inanity.
This fantasy life is not so funny today. It actually happened for this "hockey mom," married to a part Eskimo fishing boat captain. Hell, we may see this man on "Deadliest Catch" next season. That’s a thought. Is this guy going to have to give up fishing? No way!
"Is this a great country or what?" pl
PS Jose points out that I left out all the "Natty Bumppo" stuff about moose hunting, NRA life membership, etc. I never gutted anything bigger than a white tail deer. A moose must be an "awesome" job. pl
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?hp
As the problems get more serious, we get sillier.
P.S. Nice Rumpole reference.
Col, you missed the best part of her, she is Moose hunter.
Off-handedly I’d say that this smells of desparation by McCain. Gimmicky, yes. They’ve met only once, so who is it who cosigned on this risky “investment” for McCain? I wonder…anyway, I can’t see the few Hillary diehards gravitating to her (ideologies miles apart, too much of older woman does heavy lifting and then young, attractive woman slips in to reap benefits narrative). One Rep suggested that this is not really about McCain grabbing the women’s vote, but of solidifying the blue collar men, perhaps.
Anyway the three point shot is attempted by McCain, will he score or is it an airball? We’ll see.
Yes, I’d love to know her surname. Really anything really. No one really knows about her or Alaska politics, so McCain can frame it as he’d like and really who’d know.
I chuckled when MSNBC described Biden as “Catholic” and Palin as “Christian”
I have been in Alaska for the opening of moose season. It was some years ago and I was driving across the then dirt “Denali Road” [ it may still be that ]. Hunters were lined up to essentially massacare the Moose who were grazing between 15 feet to 1500 feet of the roas, on open tundra, with no impediments untill you got to the base of the Alaska Range. Rifles were being rested on the hoods of vehicles to steady the shoots. I had coffee from my camper eith a couple who’s real decision was whether they wanted to drag the body the 150 feet of the nearest bull. it was not “hunting” as much as culling and providing for the Winter. Understandable and o.k., but not a highskill project, at least on that day in that place.
Bio data indicates she is from an outdoors oriented Idaho family which moved to Alaska. I like to hunt and fish myself but I am still voting for Obama to register my opposition to the past eight catastrophic years of W and The Evil One.
” Palin was born Sarah Louise Heath in Sandpoint, Idaho, the daughter of Sarah (née Sheeran), a school secretary, and Charles R. Heath, a science teacher and track coach.[2][3] She has English, Irish, and German ancestry.[2] Her family moved to Alaska when she was an infant.[3] The Heaths were avid outdoors enthusiasts; Sarah and her father would sometimes wake at 3 a.m. to hunt moose before school, and the family regularly ran 5 km and 10 km races.[3]
At Wasilla High School in Wasilla, Alaska, Palin was the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes.[3] She was the point guard and captain for the basketball team. She helped the team win the Alaska small-school championship in 1982, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds, despite a stress fracture in her ankle.[3] She earned the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” because of her intense play,[3] and was the leader of team prayer before games.[3]
In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla contest earlier, then finished second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant,[4] which won her a scholarship to help pay her way through college.[3] In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.[5][6]”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
One indicator would be her association with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. McCain strategists would calculate her as firming up the Christian Right vote. About 70 percent of US evangelicals are on the conservative side, experts say. With her on the ticket they will indeed come out Election Day.
FCA says: “We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.”
This indicates a fundamentalist literalist orientation. In turn this could, but not necessarily, indicate a Christian Zionist perspective on her part.
http://www.fca.org/
And Palin, just a month ago, stated that she wasn’t aware of what the job of Vice President entailed.
Not ready on Day One.
I had assumed the following McCain quote was made up, an Onion satire – but no…
“…As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself,” the statement said, “Gov. Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.”
I suppose that it is good she doesn’t have a Dick Cheney complex, see link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtilB1teksc
Hmmm, sledgehammer vs. beauty queen in the VP debates!
Will it resemble this midnight movie classic “short” from my youth?
Rash. McCain is the latest reincarnation of Gen, John Bell Hood, whom Gen. Lee described as “All of the lion, none of the fox.” Seems like a desperation play to me. On to Nashville and glory. Well, so much for General Petraeus.
Colonel,
IMO moose-burgers are awesome
I’ve been reading that McSame’s choice choice of Palin is “good, bad, brilliant, incredibly stupid, etc.”
The MSM, as expected for a gaggle of gotcha gossips, is beside itself with joy over fresh meat.
This too will pass.
After all the circus hoopla has died down, 48-72 hours for Palin, and for McSame, no later than the end of next week with the end of the Republican convention, the rubber will finally hit the road.
As the final stretch campaigning gets underway then, Palin will prove to be the lightest of light-weights. Cue the flashbacks to Dan Quayle.
And John-boy McSame will, in essence, be campaigning all by his lonesome.
The “judgement” and “experience” issues that were to be the central thrusts of the McSame playbook will instead be inexorably turned back against him.
And the most important point? This will be by McSame’s very own hand.
Judgement? Poor will be charitable.
Experience? John-boy McSame should’ve known better.
He didn’t, and he doesn’t.
Not to put too fine a point on Mrs. Palin’s extensive political background/run-up, but can we look forward to those beauty pageant photos surfacing sometime soon…
S’more data on Palin the Pentecostal/Assemblies of God follower:
1. Jewish Telegraph Agency is naturally on it reporting Christian Coalition endorsement:
“Christian Coalition of America commends Senator John McCain for his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a pro-life conservative mother”
2. But for the real indicator consult Doug Wead the Karl Rove of the Christian Right. Wead coached Bush Sr, then Bush Jr. so as to lock in the Christian Right-evangelical vote for their campaigns. Bush Sr. introduced Wead to Jr.
Says Wead:
” What is Sarah Palin’s religion and why does it matter?
What is Sarah Palin’s Religion?
She is Assemblies of God.
Ted Boatsman, the former Alaskan District Superintendent for the Assemblies of God, was her junior high pastor at Wasilla Assemblies of God Church. She is currently attending Juneau Christian Center whose pastor is pastor is Mike Rose.
In high school she was the local leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
McCain does more than balance the ticket with a woman. He solves his complicated religious problem with Pentecostals, who according to a recent Barna survey make up almost half of all born again Christians. McCain’s on again off again relationships with John Hagee and Rod Parsley, as well as the ill timed Charles Grassley attack on six Pentecostal television ministries are now moot points.
But wait until MSNBC find out. Expect all hell to break loose. She will be portrayed as a pro creationist – Neanderthal. Just wait. And, as well intentioned as they will be, thinking that they are doing Obama a good deed, it will drive the Evangelicals into the McCain camp. All of Senator Obama’s kind overtures to people of faith will be for naught.”
http://dougwead.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-sarah-palins-religion/
3. Next up, is what Rev. Hagee’s Pentecostal (Neo-Pentecostal) reaction will be.
Foreign policy wise, Christian Zionists believe in a biblically prophesied “Armageddon scenario” involving evil powers such as: the European Union, the head of which is considered the Anti-Christ; Russia, China, Iraq (Babylon); and the Medo-Persians (Iran). The scenario includes nuclear war which they welcome as part of the unfolding of the “End Times” and “God’s Plan”.
To document Hagee’s Christian Zionist position refer to CUFI “Christians United for Israel” website at:
http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer
4. It is critically significant that Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Church strongly recommended Palin to McCain. Land, a Christian Zionist Armageddonist, was a key supporter of the Iraq War (against the evil one from Babylon..)
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctpolitics/2008/08/richard_lands_v.html
It will not be too long before world capitals draw conclusions about the Republican ticket. Interesting times indeed.
Let the scientists report on her support for teaching creationism in the public schools:
http://scienceblogs.com/afarensis/2006/10/27/intelligent_design_and_the_ala/
Col.Lang:
We may not have a fix on who this governor of Alaska is but it’s clear that the social, fiscal and religious conservatives of the Republican party do.
Within minutes of Senator McCain’s announcement, Phyllis Schlafly, Richard Viguerie, James Dobson and whoever is running the Club for Growth these days, gave Gov. Palin and Senator McCain their unequivocal support: something they had been averse to doing prior to the announcement.
I got the sense that they might have already known about the decision and maybe even had a hand in making it suggesting to me that their real goal is the grooming of Governor Palin to become the Republican candidate for president in 2012 assuming, of course, that Senator McCain wins.
Certainly, they will enrich McCain’s coffers with money which he’s likely to need. The McCain campaign announced today that they will be putting up new and additional ads in states that heretofore had been considered Republican territory.
Thoughts also come to mind such as how best to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and a prayer that a new Charles Dodgson will rise up from the ranks of lonely mathematicians and capture in palatable form the essence of the fantastic nonsense that is this era.
It’s a nice folksy narrative, however, I have read elsewhere that her husband works for BP, and she is described in the Weekly Standard as “the nation’s most prominent advocate of drilling in ANWR.”
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/palin_could_prompt_mccain_flip.php
I wonder if her creationist leanings are telling her that God put that oil there for Us to use?
It seems the moose hunting “hockey mom” could also be the next Dick Cheney.
After watching Obama’s speech last night and considering McCain’s VP choice, I’m rethinking my prediction that McCain will win in November. Usually the VP choice seems pretty inconsequential…but that’s for younger candidates.
Let’s see how McCain looks at his convention next week.
Oh, and I forgot. I was hoping she was married to this “Palin!”
let’s fight the Russkies in Alaska so we don’t have to fight ’em over here.
Palin selection: Part gimmick, part pandering and 100% from Planet Zog. On the other hand, I strongly recommend the moose stroganoff my daughter-in-law made last fall.
Wow … the remainder of this presidential campaign is going to be fabulous!
A friend called for lunch who, after a full career in the U.S. Air Force (including 137 missions over North Vietnam), won a couple of judicial races here (Texas elects judges in full-blown partisan elections) before losing one. He felt McCain had made a terrible choice and had sunk his campaign. At that time, I had only heard some of Sarah Palin’s speech on the car radio.
Now that I have seen what she looks like and have read a little, I can see exactly what is going on.
This is Dog Whistle Politics, version 2.0.
Here, the subtext is not code language to activate prejudices and bigotry; it is a lifestyle and physical appearance that will touch a chord in relevant groups. It is not just the overt religion and opposition to abortion. This is more subtle than that.
There was McCain, standing as if at attention to Sarah Palin’s right, after introducing her in his droning voice, looking almost bashful or maybe like a proud father, as she literally “took over”.
As we say down here, she is a “good lookin’ gal” (and Hillary Clinton ain’t). Her voice and projection, so critically important, are more genuine than Hillary’s, although fortunately for the Democrats she does not have the visceral verbal connection that former Texas Governor Ann Richards had.
Palin may be an “outdoorsy” person, but dressed up she can look just like the stereotypical Republican country club woman in Dallas or any Big City.
No one should scoff at or trivialize her National Rifle Association (NRA) membership, her fishing and hunting, her “blue collar” husband, and so forth.
Let me explain with a true story. A friend worked in Texas Governor Ann Richards’ office and became part of her “inner circle”. In 1990 Ann defeated a Republican oilman who began his campaign by riding a horse at the Texas Capitol building in Austin. But Richards was the quintessential Southern Matriarch, with the white hair, a splendid, natural, commanding voice with a slow cadence, and was tough as a boot. She became popular nationally. Then she made a fatal mistake–incomprehensible for someone as political as she was–and vetoed a law that established the right to carry a concealed handgun in Texas after you take a little course and get a license to do so.
In 1994, along came someone named George W. Bush, who announced that if elected, he would sign a concealed handgun bill. After Bush jr. won, my friend called me and said, “we lost the white men over 40”. Unfortunately, the rest is still not history.
I wonder if Pastor Rick Warren will suggest a little question and answer session with the vice-presidential candidates at the church in San Diego?
Two critical questions present themselves about Sarah Palin:
1. Is she a quick study?
2. Can you jerk her chain easily by baiting her, or can she keep her cool?
If she is a quick learner and has composure, McCain, or I should say, his “handlers”, chose well, and Joe Biden might find his head on a platter.
Sadly, she is hopelessly naive and wrong about the Iraq war and the other current military adventures.
If the public’s opposition to the wars turns into voting action, and the electronic voting machines (which both vote for us and count the votes) do not rig the election, Palin’s jingoistic position on the wars may save Obama’s campaign.
But if Obama and Biden, who have not fought to reduce the war funding one dollar, mealy-mouth around about the wars, and fail to address the out-of-control national debt and do not clearly vow to restore civil liberties, Sarah Palin may just make their lives miserable.
“Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.”
Can ye hear it? I’m in Europe and that music can be heard in the wind.
How pathetic of McCain; a born-again follower!
from:
http://www.slate.com/id/2198949
“According to both the Aug. 29 Anchorage Daily News and the June 13 Colorado Springs Gazette, Sarah Palin became John McCain’s vice presidential candidate largely through the machinations of someone even younger and less experienced than herself. From the Anchorage Daily News:
The hype can probably be traced to the Web site of a 21-year-old college senior majoring in political science at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Adam Brickley, a political buff who will graduate in May, started a “Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President” blog last year and has relentlessly promoted the idea ever since. (continues…)”
Well, 24’s David Palmer took credit for Obama’s candidacy. For Palin, I’ll give it to Battle Star’s President Laura Roslin.
Bio:
Rank Secretary of Education of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol
President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol (Miniseries – Eprisode 2.20, Episode 3.05 – current)
Colony Caprica
Affiliation Twelve Colonies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Roslin
In my part of the world people like her are apocalyptic home schoolers who sometimes try to take over school boards. We’ve had a number of them over the years.
This one strikes me as one of the newest breed of fundie/rightwing public women– she doesn’t overdo either the heavy makeup look ala Tammy Fay or the 19th-century Texas ranch look but rather fits right in with trendy suburbanites, is fond of talking up women’s equality, and avoids the heavy-handed dog-whistle phrasing. Today, for example, it was the quick “servant’s heart” reference, very subtle.
Personally, I think she’s very dangerous. Plausible and mainstream on the surface, but autocratic and with quasi-stalinist tendencies under the surface, she wants her way, and her way includes the right to define words for her own personal use. Essentially I agree with robt willman on this.
Biden and Obama need to be very careful not to underestimate her. She is even more unprincipled than McCain in what she will say to win.
Just my impressions; ymmv.
Here is the leader of the Free World once McCain’s dementia becomes more than obvious…
http://www.henrymakow.com/palin2.jpg
FFS America go and vote Obama
The election will prove the wisdom or non-wisdom of the choice.
Col. Lang, I’m just wondering if Gov. Palin blew operational security in Dayton when she named her son’s unit, deployment date, and country of deployment. I’ve never been in the military, but isn’t this something that’s not kosher? Excellent and informative blog, BTW.
Of course the obvious reason she was picked was because…
FOX News Channel’s Steve Doocy suggested that Governor Palin has foreign policy credentials because:
…she is right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia.
she was the only republican they could find without material amounts of skeleton in her closet
<"the white men over 40".>
robt willmann,
Quite agree per NRA which I have belonged to and may rejoin if Democrats win — even though I am voting Democrat, I don’t trust them on this issue (Second Amendment).
My experience shooting at a local pistol range here in Virginia in a city, Roanoke, is that the “white men over 40” stereotype does not hold true at all. I think this applies across the United States.
Why? Regular shooters include many females of different ages and backgrounds, hispanics, african-americans, asian-americans as well as the “white males” (in my case well over 40.) In short, a cross section of America.
Concealed carry classes I have seen reflect the same mix specifically including many “housewives” and female “college students” not to mention “young marrieds” and “boyfriend/girlfriend” taking the class together.
I have seen many ladies shooting with skill in lanes near me using 9mm Glocks, 357 mags, and the like. The women new to the sport seem to me to be very determined to become proficient. And why not?
Where ARE the beauty pageant pix? An eager world pants in anticipation.
As to “She-who-must-be-obeyed” — Ayesha, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess of the lost city of Kôr — I always took it to be Rumpole’s little Rider Haggard joke from the same drawer as Wordsworth, Rousseau (I think) and, in the pilot episode, Prince Kropotkin.
“For a man, to look upon her face is to fall hopelessly & vainly into madness; for a woman, it is to dissolve into futile, jealous obsession. Sir Henry Rider Haggard’s creation, the character She, more than fits the image of the Femme Fatale; She-who-must-be-obeyed shows the concept’s evolution from the redemptive but sensual beauties of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood through the darkly sensuous & deadly, androgynous mysteries of the Decadents & beyond. We see her condemned, reshaped, resurrected, redeemed & damned as Victorians in general & Rider Haggard in particular wrestle with their visions of beauty, honor & truth in the wake of industrial & scientific revolutions which had changed the face of England & the character of her citizens forever.”
http://www.violetbooks.com/haggard-ayesha.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_(novel)
Maureen,
I thought the same thing regards the photos. I wonder, as well, if there are other photos out there? If so, they are worth millions, today.
As to moose hunters and moose hunting. I live in Maine. I’ve been around moose. The word “hunting” has never entered my mind with regard to them. The word slaughter does however. My god…they will just stand there. They have no fear of man. The poor saps. All the moose jokes? They are lost on me.
The Palin pick seems perfect as a metaphor for what the nation is going through. Sit back and watch this farce play out.
Where ARE the beauty pageant pix? An eager world pants in anticipation.
As to “She-who-must-be-obeyed” — Ayesha, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess of the lost city of Kôr — I always took it to be Rumpole’s little Rider Haggard joke from the same drawer as Wordsworth, Rousseau (I think) and, in the pilot episode, Prince Kropotkin.
“For a man, to look upon her face is to fall hopelessly & vainly into madness; for a woman, it is to dissolve into futile, jealous obsession. Sir Henry Rider Haggard’s creation, the character She, more than fits the image of the Femme Fatale; She-who-must-be-obeyed shows the concept’s evolution from the redemptive but sensual beauties of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood through the darkly sensuous & deadly, androgynous mysteries of the Decadents & beyond. We see her condemned, reshaped, resurrected, redeemed & damned as Victorians in general & Rider Haggard in particular wrestle with their visions of beauty, honor & truth in the wake of industrial & scientific revolutions which had changed the face of England & the character of her citizens forever.”
http://www.violetbooks.com/haggard-ayesha.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_(novel)
Is this “appointment” proof of McCain’s senility? Who can we expect for his Secretary of State-Pat Robertson?
Part of Bush’s problem with governing, is that he chose weak and like minded advisers.
McCain shows the first sign that he might do likewise.
I’ve never shot a moose, but I’ve photographed them a few times. Outside of a house cat, I don’t know of anything it’s easier to get close to with a camera. And that only goes for my own house cat. Those of other people are considerably more skittish.
Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich endorsed Sarah Palin for Vice President weeks ago.
July 31, 2008
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/31/mccain-veep-talk-turns-female-candidates/
Two excerpts:
With Mr. McCain not a favorite of social and fiscal conservatives, prominent leaders of the party’s right flank say choosing a bona fide member of their class could re-energize the Republican base.
“Sarah Palin is a great choice,” said Grover Norquist, a Republican activist best known for his economic conservatism.
“She’s got it all, and is a remarkable leader who brings a number of good qualities to the table,” said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.
While most insiders find that option unlikely, Newt Gingrich warns Mr. McCain not to pick “one more relatively boring normal mainstream Republican white guy.”
“This fall, there’s going to be a lot of energy surrounding the Obama campaign and we need to find ways to generate a substantial amount of energy around the McCain campaign, and an effective, dynamic different kind of vice-presidential nominee, I think, would make a difference,” the former House speaker said.
Mrs. Palin is “a mother of five, is a genuine Alaskan, is a hunter, is a dog sledder, is very much for drilling for oil, has a great reform reputation, took on big oil on behalf of the people of Alaska,” Mr. Gingrich said. “I think she would bring a level of excitement and uniqueness that people would have to stop and say, ‘Boy, this is kind of intriguing.'”
Now we get two more months of cries of sexism! every time someone criticizes her.
Thanks John.
Governor Palin leaves Senator McCain Enraptured…
After watching McCain during his introduction of Gov. Palin as well as continuing to watch McCain during her acceptance speech, I have an observation I would like to share. Take it for what it is worth. But do not read the first part too literally or too seriously, except for the last paragraph.
McCain played with his wedding band (or what looks like his wedding band) the entire time. Just check out the video, if you don’t believe me. It’s a bit embarrassing for McCain, once people realize it.
Nervous tic or something more suggestive? We know he is happily married, so that leaves other suggestions, which I find relevant, as it may intimate an underlying political strategy, or dare I say, unconscious desire.
No doubt Gov. Palin is an accomplished woman of great integrity and sterling character (and, yes, attractive). And quite frankly, I agree with some of her political stances and would have voted for her as mayor or governor (actually she’s very attractive). So perhaps choosing her is a shrewd political move (confession…I always thought the Democratic Governess of Michigan is most definitely qualified…and wow).
And, while we are at it, I do have empathy for what Ms. Palin and her husband face in the next few months, particularly when dealing with the Andrea Mitchells and Chris Matthews of the world.
But on a political level, if I may, McCain’s choice of Ms. Palin actually represents a continuation of a different kind of marriage — the political marriage of Likud (meaning Jabotinsky, not Buber) Zionists with Christian Rapturists.
As everyone knows, McCain is the front man for Norman Podhoretz and his Likud mission of spreading the gospel of Dimona throughout the Holy Land, starting with Iran. And, from what I can glean so far, Ms. Palin at one time attended the Pentecostal Wasilla Assembly of God (unverified). According to its website, its members, sure enough, are Rapturists. Here is part of its mission:
“WE BELIEVE…in The Blessed Hope. When Jesus Raptures His Church Prior to His Return to Earth (the second coming).”
Assuming that Gov. Palin is a Rapturist, McCain’s decision merely replicates the ideological marriage between Norman Podhoretz and John Hagee. So somewhat surprisingly, McCain’s choice for VP is all about our foreign policy in the Middle East. It seals the deal, even more so than if McCain had chosen Lieberman (Joe or Avigdor, no difference). Certainly Hagee, Dobson and his crowd will say that this Republican ticket is a match made in heaven. And no doubt this decision by McCain leaves Podhoretz and his chorus singing in a joyous rapture, “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran”.
Don’t believe me? Check out this 30 second McCain ad.
http://tinyurl.com/67xnfr
FAscinating choice. Personally, I was hoping that McCain would have chosen Alan Keyes. But not all dreams can be realized.
Paling is the highest ranking elected public official in Alaska, not currently under indictment, so that’s a plus. Also Biden can’t beat her mercilessly in the VP debate, as he would have Romney or Lieberman.
Perhaps most importantly, this is an offering to the christianists and evangelicals, who had been promising to sit on their hands. McCain can’t win without their votes. This might be his big chance. I hope, for the nation, that she is better than her resume.
All
One of you posted a URL for a photoshopped picture of the gov. as floozy. I put it up as a joke. Just wanted you all to know…
In re moose as a game animal. Ridiculous. Maureen and I lived in Maine with our parents in the fifties. We lived out in the woods on the Kennebunk plain. Game everywhere. Moose were a problem on the roads because the damned things were not afraid of people or motor vehicles and would not get off the road to make way. If you hit one, the damage to your vehicle would be serious. This is a very large animal. pl
Richard is wondering about appointments.
Here’s a leaked photo of McCain’s intended cabinet and deputy secretaries!
On a more serious note, there is absolutely no way her political experience is deep enough to get her through the next 60 days of a presidential campaign without a ton of handlers. From a purely “operational” sense, she’s a campaign liability rather than an asset. Can you imagine what his campaign staff are thinking today?
Maybe McCain is hoping the Dems won’t have it in them to relentlessly attack a hockey mom and beauty queen.
We’ll see.
Colonel,
it appears that the israeli govt. types are all in an uproar that mccain didn’t pick their darling sen. lieberman as his vprez pick. they apparently were counting on lieberman being one heartbeat away from the presidency so when mccain’s failing health, lieberman could have slid into the top spot as their israeli-first’er prez.
mccain’s choice and the georgian debacle really screwing up their planned attacks against iran from georgian territory which thanks to putin ain’t happening, they really have their shorts in a knot.
Re: Palin beauty pageant pix- there are a couple in the slideshow accompanying this HuffPo article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin-former-beauty_n_122400.html
Patience, folks, I’m sure there are plenty of other photos of Gov. Palin’s efforts on the pageant runway…
My memories are similar to Pat’s of living in the Maine woods. Deer & assorted varmints were considered game & enthusiastically hunted- I’ve fond memories of my brother & various uncles heading down our long driveway for a day of bagging a few. Hunting moose? Would be like hunting potted plants, & about as slow to get one off the road (hazardous @ night in particular).
Just a last thought on Gov. Palin- I’m betting Hillary Clinton will be quite visible in the Dems’ response to the choice.
Was just reading how the charming Sarah referred to HRC as “a whiner” last March.
Ahem:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/156190/output/print
Colonel,
moose-burgers are still the cat’s meow. ummm lip smackin good eats. 🙂
Moose probably is very tender, J, & good for making a burger. All that standing around, just as w/beef cattle, might account for moose meat tenderness…
Moose were a problem on the roads because the damned things were not afraid of people or motor vehicles and would not get off the road to make way.
Some “hunters” I grew up with down South would have loved to have moose around… No need to buy a spotlight for the pickem-up truck.
Last comment on moose, & the hunting thereof-
“…But when the birchbark-call
Is shaken with the sound that hunters make
The moose comes plunging through the forest-wall
Although the rifle waits beside the lake.”
Stephen Vincent Benet got it just about right.
This is beginning to look more like a remake of a Mickey Rooney movie starring John McCain as Mickey and Sarah Palin as Judy Garland i.e. let’s get the gang together and run a country.
Moose, or elk rather, is one of the greatest roadhazards over here in Norway, we have to kill lots of them every year just to keep the population down. Moose meatballs are even better than the burgers, with garlic and basilikum the rough texture of the meat is yummy. But I imagine our elk is a bit smaller and more stringy than Palins preferred targets.
She’s shattered the concept of a glass trophy case.