BRAVO Rene!!!!! And I agree MT...no more reading or responding to good ole' Sal the pot stirrer's posts!!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Why does Republican presidential candidate John McCain seem so surprised about questions concerning his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate? Even before her ticklish personal issues came to light, people had cause to wonder about McCain’s judgment in choosing her — a political unknown with extremely limited experience in government. Alaska may be an enormous state land-wise, but its population is tiny — less than three-quarters of a million. To suggest that Palin’s 20-month tenure as governor (and head of Alaska’s National Guard, as party officials continue to emphasize) somehow make her qualified to be vice president — and, more importantly, president — of the United States is highly questionable. And before she became governor, Palin was mayor and councilwoman of a metropolis roughly the size of Mechanicville. Even if there were no questions about Palin’s professional abilities, it hardly seems unreasonable to wonder about her decision to return to work just a few days after giving birth to a baby with Down syndrome, and, just four months later, to accept McCain’s invitation to join the ticket. It’s tough enough raising five kids (only one of hers is an adult), but when one has such obvious special needs, how can she possibly do the job justice while running for vice president, possibly even running the country? As for her 17-year-old daughter’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy, it’s hard not to wonder whether Palin’s political career played some part by affecting her ability as a hands-on parent. So personal an issue would not be grist for public consumption if Palin were running for a lesser office, but the fact that it’s the vice presidency clearly makes it, and almost any other personal issue, fair game.
One of the great sights of American political life — a YouTube moment if ever there was one — was to see the doughboy face of Newt Gingrich as he extolled the virtues of Sarah Palin, a sitcom of a vice-presidential choice and a disaster movie if she moves up to president: “She’s the first journalist ever to be nominated, I think, for the president or vice president, and she was a sportscaster on local television,” Gingrich said on the “Today” show. “So she has a lot of interesting background. And she has a lot of experience. Remember that — when people worry about how inexperienced she is, for two years she’s been in charge of the Alaska National Guard.” It’s a pity Gingrich was not around when the Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by his nickname Caligula, reputedly named Incitatus as a consul and a priest. Incitatus was his horse. John McCain’s selection of Palin, which I first viewed with horror, could now be seen in a different light. Based on various television interviews over the Labor Day weekend — and a careful reading of the transcripts — it is possible that this is McCain’s attempt to make fools of his fellow Republicans. He has succeeded beyond all expectations. Gingrich’s point about Palin being the commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard has been echoed throughout the GOP. In fact, even Cindy McCain pointed out — rightly enough — that Alaska is across the Bering Strait from Russia and so Palin, by deduction, has been on the front lines of the Cold War, had it not ended in 1989. Richard Cohen Still, you have to admit that in all that time, especially since Palin took office about two years ago, no Russian invasion force has come across the straits, maybe because she was in charge of the guard, maybe because she herself is a hunter and an athlete. The record is unclear because no high-ranking Russian appeared on any of the weekend talk shows to say how they had considered an invasion of Alaska and then backed off when Sarah Palin became commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard. Who could blame them? Just to show that he would not ask of others what he would not do himself, McCain came before Chris Wallace to sing Palin’s praises. He said that he had “watched her record ... for many, many years” which is, a prudent man might say, more years than she’s had a record. McCain, as a fellow military man, did not mention Palin’s tenure as the supreme commander of the entire Alaska National Guard, maybe because he thought it speaks for itself. If that’s the case, he’s right. Probably the most depressing thing about Palin is not her selection but the defense of it. It has produced a parade of GOP spokesmen intent on spiking the needle on a polygraph. Looking right into the camera, they offer statement after statement that they hope the voters will swallow but that history will forget. The sum effect on the diligent news consumer is a feeling of consummate contempt for the intelligence of the American people — a contempt that will be justifi ed should Palin be the factor that makes Mc Cain a winner in November. One of the more heroic efforts at Palin worship came from the commentator-col umnist William Kristol, the former chief of staff for Vice President Dan Quayle. He had to use the code word “traditional” three times in a single sentence to make his point “It’s a pretty amazing story of personal suc cess, being at once a traditional woman who broke all of these traditional barriers, kind of the best of both worlds, if you believe traditional values.” About the only Republican who seemed totally sincere about Palin was Grover G Norquist, an anti-tax obsessive who once likened the argument that the estate tax af fected only a very few people to the argu ment — made by no one I can think of — that the Holocaust also affected a relatively few people. “I mean, that’s the morality of the Holocaust,” he said back only five years ago Norquist called the selection of the anti-tax Palin a “wise” choice. In 1959, the novelist Terry Southern pub lished “The Magic Christian,” a darkly comic tale based on the premise that people will do anything for money. The choice of Palin proves that people will also do anything for political power — including rising early on a holiday weekend to make fools of them selves. Richard Cohen is a nationally syndicated columnist.
The liberal Democrats are scared to death of Palin because she really does have a plan for reform and isn't afraid to implement it so the attack her and her family.
Firstly and formost, we people have to realize that she wont be able to take care of her kids escpecially her crippled baby, and secondly is she was doing the job of mother at home then the daughter wouldnt be getting pregnant behind the parents back. What business is it of hers to be running for any office with 5 kids at home especially the crippled 1. Thirdly my friends indeed, there are questions that her husband once got DUI and this was hidden from the public too. There is no way McCain can win with a woman on the ticket and indeed she should resign and they should pick Romney if he wants a chance to get the womens vote and especially the Italian vote at this point. You people over there think I am stirring pots but the only pots to be stirred are that OBama has gone up 11 points in the polls now that the is feminist got schaffed in there by McCain to destroy the party. JUST LISTEN TO THE NEWS PEOPLE the media is wanting her off to protect the nation from her inexperience, when will you wake up that we are all in trouble over here with a woman, it will never fly with the women voters, ever ever ever. I tell you this from knowing many women and not one will support this ticket now since McCain did this to just bribe the votes from them and they know it.
Last updated: 1:59 pm September 3, 2008 Posted: 4:15 am September 3, 2008
HOLY hoop skirts: When did the clock tick back to 1958?
When Joe Biden tragically lost his wife and infant daughter in a car wreck in 1972, not a single colleague, friend or competitor advised him to quit his newly won Senate seat to raise his two little surviving sons.
Rather, he was sworn into office from the injured boys' bedside, and took to commuting an hour and a half each way from Delaware to Washington. And when Biden's second wife gave birth to a daughter, no one thought to ask him to step aside and stay home.
They all do it. John Kennedy did it; so did Barack Obama: Men run for office and serve in elected positions while creating small children without ever being patronized as "super dads" or "multi-taskers."
Nor are they penalized, ridiculed or dismissed for ignoring their kids. They're good dads.
If Sarah Palin, tapped as John McCain's running mate, were a man, it's unlikely we'd even be having this conversation. (A man, or a Democrat.)
Palin is a mother five times over. She also hunts, fishes, coaches hockey, has a day job as the governor of the state of Alaska - and is known to commute home from the state capital of Juneau daily during session. Just like Biden.
And, until at least four months ago, Palin also had the ability to bear a child, which we've just learned is a talent she shares with her 17-year-old daughter.
But women on the left, who fought long and hard for the ability to raise children simultaneously with election cash, are in spasms. (Some have simply kept silent. Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton - where are you?)
The same lefty media that studiously ignored the adolescence of Chelsea Clinton can't wait to dig into Bristol Palin.
The Diary section of Daily Kos Web site had a curious way to make Palin's daughter into a campaign issue: "Considering Palin was chosen solely for her religious right family values cred, Bristol's shotgun marriage and pregnancy are very fair game. They are the direct result of this lunatic abstinence-only garbage, and should be highlighted as such."
The stupendously sexist New York Times printed a front-page article noting that some unnamed women argue over "whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try."
Which left the field weirdly clear for Phyllis Schlafly, who helped defeat the Equal Right Amendment - and also ran for Congress while raising six children - to tell the Times, "People who don't have children, or who have only one or two, are kind of overwhelmed at the notion of five children."
The only question we should be asking is: Can Sarah Palin do the job?
In reference to the letter about about the area of Alaska vs the number of people. I can shed a bit of local light on that. Duanesburg is 72 square miles and makes up the largest part of Schenectady County. Due to the number of residents (voters, perhaps?) we are in my opinion frequently overlooked. As the Supervisor in a town this size with precious few support staff and two sewer districts, two parks, and planning and zoning issues, a highway dept with no Highway Supt. I find myself as do other members of the town board doing many more things then our "city" counterparts do. I can not only carry on a lengthy and intelligent conversation about the latest in waste water treatment plants and perilous issues with grinder pumps, I can practically climb down in the hole and repair one myself. One Town board member has been haunting the local truck dealerships in search of a better deal on a truck than those available at state bid. Guess what? the leg work paid off he found one several thousand cheaper and a better truck. My point is that i would take Palins experience of a large area mass and few people over that of one of the good old boys network anyday. Regardless of being male or female. When you don't have the staff that bigger towns and counties and states do you frequently find yourself in the trenches doing the work and understanding much more than the average politician. I will take practical experience every day. That along with a touch of common sense and no penis I'm pretty certain I will be voting Palin in November's election. NO OFFENSE GUYS
Firstly and formost, we people have to realize that she wont be able to take care of her kids escpecially her crippled baby, and secondly is she was doing the job of mother at home then the daughter wouldnt be getting pregnant behind the parents back.
Like how Hillary Clinton just stayed home to raise Chelsea, right?
Quoted from 191
What business is it of hers to be running for any office with 5 kids at home especially the crippled 1.
The same as any person who is concerned with what's happening in their local area trying to run for any office.
Quoted from 191
Thirdly my friends indeed, there are questions that her husband once got DUI and this was hidden from the public too.
There's also a question about Ted Kennedy taking a midnight ride into a lake, with a prostitute still strapped into the seat of his car, so why isn't he pushed aside under these same circumstances? Because he's male and because he's a Democrat.
Quoted from 191
There is no way McCain can win with a woman on the ticket and indeed she should resign and they should pick Romney if he wants a chance to get the womens vote and especially the Italian vote at this point. You people over there think I am stirring pots but the only pots to be stirred are that OBama has gone up 11 points in the polls now that the is feminist got schaffed in there by McCain to destroy the party.
It will, I feel, end up pulling more Conservatives back to voting for a person as liberal as John McCain, if I would say so, just give a chance to get through the convention. Obama is just feeling the small bump from his convention now, and the Republicans almost fully lost the first day of their convention (by their own choice, due to the fact that they care about the people who were about to get pounded by another hurricane aimed straight at Louisiana).
Quoted from 191
JUST LISTEN TO THE NEWS PEOPLE the media is wanting her off to protect the nation from her inexperience, when will you wake up that we are all in trouble over here with a woman, it will never fly with the women voters, ever ever ever.
I'm sure you're talking about that unbiased media over at CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, right? The ones that look at EVERYTHING, from ALL SIDES? In fact, the reason that I will from now on italicize these when talking about their news coverage is due to the fact that if their coverage is going to be slanted, their name might as well be also.
Quoted from 191
I tell you this from knowing many women and not one will support this ticket now since McCain did this to just bribe the votes from them and they know it.
Funny, I also know "many women," some of which (notice, I'm not going to classify them all together like many in the media have) have decided that since she is the running mate (and whether it is on her plumbing or her politics), have decided that they will be voting for the McCain/Palin ticket. It's less of voting for McCain/Palin and more voting against Obama/Biden.
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