First, a "thank you" to those on- and offline who gave me heads-ups Sen. McCain's choice was Gov. Palin.
A commenter asks:
Since you were hoping for Romney, I'm very curious to know what you think about Palin?I was planning to vote for McCain before he picked Palin.
I’m still planning to vote for him. Or them, as the case is now.
I know a fair amount about Mitt Romney and much less about Palin.
So I’ll do some studying of her policy positions and leadership acts before commenting further about Palin in regard to them.
Of course, while its important to know about her stands on the issues now and in the past, that information may not tell us much about what she’ll do in the future.
Consider, for example, Sen. Obama who said he was so strongly against FISA he’d lead a filibuster if it came to the Senate floor for a vote.
When FISA got to the floor, wonder of wonders, Obama voted for it.
On the other hand, when politician take principled stands on issues, that can tell us a lot, especially when their stands are unpopular.
If that puts you in mind of Churchill’s opposition to Nazism in the 30s; and Reagan’s and Thatcher’s unapologetic opposition to the Soviet Union, something for which most of the press and “thinkers” in their countries and the rest of the West derided them, you got what I’m talking about.
Do you have anything to say about Palin’s stands on public issues?
I’ll say a few things tomorrow about how she strikes me as a person.
The short of it: It was sooo easy to spot John Edwards, the "millworker's son" and "poverty fighter," as a phony.
If his $400 haircut didn't give him away, his 30,000 sq. ft. house surely did.
Now, Palin.?
She said she was "a hockey Mom."
And by glory, there was her husband and four of her five children right beside her and the fifth training with the Army and getting ready to deploy to Iraq.
She seemed so proud and loving of them all - just like you'd expect a hockey Mom or a Lax Mom or a Duke Mom or any other caring Mom to be.
I got so pulled in to what seems to be Palin's genuineness that I never thought of Edwards' haircuts or house until I was working on this post.
3 comments:
If you live long enough you'll see everything: the only candidate running for office who has belonged to a union is the Republican/VP.
The only candidate running for office who has actually lived a middle class lifestyle for most of their life is the Republican/VP.
Oh, and we have a pro-American French President.
Gotta run, the sky is falling.
-AC
Palin is an interesting choice. I would love to see the polling data that supported this move.
I mentioned a few days ago that Mondale chose Ferraro to try to change the game in 1984. McCain must have felt that he needed to do the same since Palin is a huge gamble. If he felt that he could win this based on the way things stood 48 hours ago he would have picked someone conventional and safe (and boring).
My guess is that they looked at the undecideds voters (10% or so)and determined that these were people who are likely to break to Obama. Perhaps they tend to lean Democratic or otherwise are looking to Obama to "make the sale". Perhaps they are these famous Hillary voters who are currently adrift.
Bottom line though . . . this was a decision based on a perception of weakness.
Having said that, I hope the media are more reasonable than they have been in the past. I'm sure many of them want to trash this woman. The inexperience charge aginst her is a real hoot. The McCain team has lost this message but, at the same time, Obama can't exactly harp on it too much.
An interesting Obama and Palin comparison.
BHO won his first office by getting his opponents thrown off the ballot. Legal, I'm sure, but a Republican who did this would have been seen as a thug.
Palin was elected Governor by taking on Frank Murkowski in a primary. This is like taking out a Kennedy in Massachusetts in a primary. She won her first office by bumping off an incumbent mayor.
The Dems think Biden will crush her in a debate. Somehow, I don't think she is going to be intimidated.
More on Palin . . .
I get the idea that she is very conservative -- anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, Pat Buchanan supporter.
At the same time, with respect to social issues, she appears to govern as a moderate.
1. She would not require that creation science be included in school curriculum and would not base choice of State BOE members on this issue. At the same time, she would not want to see a discussion of creationism banned in the classroom if it came up.
2. She does not support gay marriage but she vetoed a bill that would have prohibited employee benefits for same sex partners. Thus, the veto allowed the gay couples to get the benefits.
3. She did not want to see state funding increased for faith-based initiatives as she thought the level was adequate at the time she ran for Gov.
4. She said if Roe V. Wade were to be overturned, it would not be her call to ban abortion in Alaska but leave it to the people of the state and their values.
For me, this is cool. She seems to have a very clear sense of who she is and what she is about yet sees a bright line between her personal beliefs and what is appropriate social legislation in her state.
This is much better than some of the health fascists in Los Angeles who would allow a woman to have an abortion, cosmetic surgery, or tatoos, but would tell her she cannot eat a Big Mac.
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