McCain's VP:

@Debra Law,

Quote:

She said the word "reform" 13 times.

And never defined what she meant by it, in terms of existing problems, nor did she clearly state any reform solutions.

All I heard were catch phrases and cliches, often strung together without logic.

For instance, she said McCain/Palin would allegedly address Wall Street greed and corruption, but later said that individuals and businesses want government to get out of the way of how they live and operate.

Well, the only way to address irresponsible greed, of the sort that that has toppled our economy, is with greater government regulation and oversight--but that's not compatible with government getting out of the way of business. So, which direction are you going, Sarah, toward greater government regulation, or toward a continuation of McCain's policies of deregulation?

On that score, and, unfortunately, on many other points as well, Palin glossed over her own inconsistencies, offered no specifics, and glibly gushed forth memorized talking points.

She proved she can command a stage, with a punchy delivery, a dazzling smile, an over-the-top folksy persona, and cutesy spunk and determination, and that she can skillfully dodge embarrassing or difficult questions without going blank. She "performed" well. She's comfortable in front of a camera. She should be, she was a beauty pageant contestant and a tv sports commentator. She loves the camera, and the attention.

The problem is, it was clearly a performance--a well rehearsed act. She did not demonstrate she could command respect on the world stage--somehow I don't think her self described, and somewhat affected, "hockey mom/joe six-pack" identity helps to project an appropriately dignified image, or even an accurate image, of America around the globe. She did not demonstrate that she has the innate ability, intellectually, to lead the country, if need be--she simply is not presidential in manner or gravitas. She did not demonstrate any indepth understanding of issues, she simply displayed she can retain her talking points and regurgitate them without putting her foot in her mouth--she did not demonstrate any ability to think or reflect on issues.

Anyone who appreciates the fact that the governing of the country is serious business would not mistake last night's display of Palin's personal style for true substance or ability to handle the complex problems we face. No one who really understands the severity of our economic problems, our foreign policy challenges, or how difficult the road will be for the next president, would have been doing as much relentless smiling as Palin did last night. Most Americans are not smiling about the state of our nation right now. We face very serious problems that require serious solutions and serious people to implement them. The one thing that Palin did not seem last night was serious--in fact, everything about her manner conveyed otherwise.

Sorry, Sarah, perky is not presidential. Spunk does not substitute for ability.

2 Replies

@firefly,

But, she has foreign policy experience cause she can see Russia from there...

Or Can she?

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@firefly,

firefly wrote: "All I heard were catch phrases and cliches, often strung together without logic. . . . She did not demonstrate she could command respect on the world stage--somehow I don't think her self described, and somewhat affected, "hockey mom/joe six-pack" identity helps to project an appropriately dignified image, or even an accurate image, of America around the globe."

Another well-written post, firefly, that reflects the thoughts of so many of us. Everything you said is worthy of being repeatedly stressed, but I want to focus on the above for a moment. Who in the heck is "Joe Six-Pack?" How many people actually identify themselves as being "Joe Six-Pack?" Doesn't "Joe Six-Pack" have a reputation for being a slovenly couch potato who sits in front of the television all evening with a beer in one hand and a remote control in the other?

Not so long ago, I heard McCain slam the "Georgetown Cocktail Party People" who were criticizing Palin for her lack of substance and intellectual sophistication. It appears that McCain--a very rich snob in his own right who truly favors the wealthiest of the wealthy in all of his policies--is attempting to divide the people via deception and class warfare. It's the rich/educated cocktail snobs who think they are better than Joe Six-Pack vs. the Joe Six-Packs of the nation.

But, it wasn't so long ago that "Joe Six-Pack" belonged to that category of people that the McCain campaign referred to as a "nation of whiners." Apparently, so long as the "working people" believe they will have the means to suck down a six-pack of beer every night while they watch television, they will quit their whining and the nation will be fine under McCain's dictatorship. Does McCain truly give a damn about anyone other than himself and achieving his life ambition to be president?

1 Reply

@Debra Law,

Not only is McCain defending his veep choice, but he was telling crowds yesterday, "What do you think of Palin, heh, heh, heh?" And the crowds roared with approval.

Deep thinking people, those! ROFL

1 Reply

Sarah Palin, Polar Bears and Exxon Junk Science
Today, Guardian writer Ed Pilkington took a fresh swat at Governor Sarah Palin's use and defense of Exxon-funded junk science on polar bears in the State of Alaska's attempts to to kill the listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.
http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/research/2008/10/01/sarah_palin_polar_bears_and_exxon_junk

1 Reply

@blueflame1,

blueflame, Your link doesn't work.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

c.i. wrote :

Quote:

Re: Debra Law (Post 3424467)
Not only is McCain defending his veep choice, but he was telling crowds yesterday, "What do you think of Palin, heh, heh, heh?" And the crowds roared with approval.

Deep thinking people, those! ROFL

what happen ? something go off the rails ?

Quote:

Palin questions McCain's concession of Michigan
By JIM KUHNHENN " 1 day ago

SAN ANTONIO (AP) " Sarah Palin questioned Republican presidential candidate John McCain's decision to abandon efforts to win Michigan, a campaign move she only learned about Friday morning when she read it in the newspapers.
In an interview with Fox News Channel Friday, the Alaska governor said she was disappointed that the McCain campaign decided to stop competing in Michigan. In an indication that the vice presidential candidate had not been part of the decision, she said she had "read that this morning and I fired off a quick e-mail" questioning the move.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h21ZbzgPbTVRftcJPT5vkHkonY5QD93JB5JO0

what was mccain thinking when he decided not to tell his "sister-in-arms" ?
he must have just forgotten <GRIN> (happens to me too - i forget to buy buns even though i have been thoroughly instructed - i usually make a list now . perhaps senator mccain should consider making a "to-do-list" .)
hbg

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@cicerone imposter,

http://members.greenpeace.org/blog/research/2008/10/01/sarah_palin_polar_bears_and_exxon_junk_s Palin needs to take another look at Joey six-pack. With the economy being what it is he's now called Joey three pack.

1 Reply

@blueflame1,

Glad to see "greenpeace" exposing what's really happening in Alaska - under Palin.

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Apparently, Palin believes there's a "special place in hell" for Katie Couric.

Ms. Couric had the audacity to ask Palin what newspapers or magazines she read that helped to shape her world view. Palin was annoyed with Couric. How dare Couric ask Palin what she reads! Of course Palin reads. She reads COFFEE CUPS:

http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/41989/original.jpg

Palin said: "I'm reading on my Starbucks mocha cup, okay? The quote of the day... It was Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State and UN ambassador. ... Now she said it, I didn't. She said, 'There's a place in Hell reserved for women who don't support other women.'"

LINK

SO THERE, Ms. Couric! What Palin reads on coffee cups shapes Palin's world view--and because Palin was annoyed with you (a woman)--there's a special place in hell for you (a woman)--so go spin on that!

1 Reply

@Debra Law,

On the campaign trail today, Palin said she read the NYT, and supposedly spoke about an article in it. She claimed it, but there's no proof; her handlers probably gave her the words to parrot.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

The NYT? Wow. I thought the Republicans and the McCain campaign were at war with the NYT.

1 Reply

@Debra Law,

As I was doing a search for Palin's mention of the NYT, the following is what I found from The Swamp:

Quote:

Posted October 5, 2008 11:57 AM
The Swamp

by James Oliphant

It's Sunday, so it's a good day to chew on esoteric stuff. It goes down easier.

Here's a provocative column from the New York Times' Frank Rich, who asks the question: Why is Sarah Palin acting like someone who believes she is going to be president very soon?

Rich ties into the notion of McCain's health.

Now McCain is looking increasingly shaky, whether he's repeating his "Miss Congeniality" joke twice in the same debate or speaking from notecards even when reciting a line for (literally) the 17th time ("The fundamentals of our economy are strong") or repeatedly confusing proper nouns that begin with S (Sunni, Shia, Sudan, Somalia, Spain). McCain's "dismaying temperament," as George Will labeled it, only thickens the concerns. His kamikaze mission into Washington during the bailout crisis seemed crazed. His seething, hostile debate countenance -- a replay of Al Gore's sarcastic sighing in 2000 -- didn't make the deferential Obama look weak (as many Democrats feared) but elevated him into looking like the sole presidential grown-up.

Rich talks about Palin's "hubristic self-confidence and hyper-ambition:"

* In the last of her Couric interview installments on Thursday, Palin was asked which vice president had most impressed her, and after paying tribute to Geraldine Ferraro, she chose "George Bush Sr." Her criterion: she most admires vice presidents "who have gone on to the presidency." Hours later, at the debate, she offered a discordant contrast to Biden when asked by Gwen Ifill how they would each govern "if the worst happened" and the president died in office. After Biden spoke of somber continuity, Palin was weirdly flip and chipper, eager to say that as a "maverick" she'd go her own way.

But the debate's most telling passage arrived when Biden welled up in recounting his days as a single father after his first wife and one of his children were killed in a car crash. Her perky response -- she immediately started selling McCain as a "consummate maverick" again -- was as emotionally disconnected as Michael Dukakis's notoriously cerebral answer to the hypothetical 1988 debate question about his wife being "raped and murdered." If, as some feel, Obama is cool, Palin is ice cold. She didn't even acknowledge Biden's devastating personal history.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

I really fail to see why so many Republicans are hailing Palin as the second-coming of Reagan. And why people are already talking about her as a presidential candidate in 2012 if McCain loses this election.

Are these people out of their minds?

Is this just Republican hype to cover up McCain's blunder in putting such an unqualified individual on this ticket?

Even without Tina Fey's help, this woman is a joke.

She has no positions on national or foreign policy issues--she's never even thought about such things.

In three interviews and one debate she displayed no ability to think with any depth or to reflect thoughtfully--on any subject. In the interviews she rambled, sometimes incoherently, grasping to string together the talking points she had been provided with. In the debate, she dodged questions and managed to turn her presentation into more of a stump speech, regurgitating more talking points and material she had been coached to repeat. When asked what she thought was her Achilles Heel, she appeared not to understand the question at all, and her answer was totally irrelevant.

No knowledge, no curiosity, no ability to think, questionable ability to even understand.... no intellectual substance. An empty vessel who can be crammed with talking points and folksy colloquialisms. And she is hailed as "an effective communicator"? Communicator of what? Republican propoganda? She's certainly not communicating ideas. She's certainly not communicating leadership ability.

Palin represents the arrogance of mediocrity--she presents her sheer desire for power as her main qualification for seeking such power. Implicit in this arroganance is the notion that any "hockey mom or Joe six-pack " can simply step into the offices of VP or president and function effectively in those positions. Experience in Washington, or even knowledge of Washington, doesn't matter, knowledge of the world doesn't matter, substantial education doesn't matter, true executive ability doesn't matter, leadership ability doesn't matter, intellectual depth and the ability to comprehand issues doesn't matter.

Doggone it, all that matters is determination, spunk, a flirtatious wink, a big smile, a great pair of legs, and a handy barrage of folksy colloquialisms--what matters is superficial style. Obviously, it doesn't require much to be governor of Alaska, because Palin hasn't displayed much ability beyond her quirky, pseudo-folksy style of speech and manner, and her ability to memorize and deliver talking points and prepared material in a punchy manner.

To say that Palin represents the average person is to do a disservice to the average person. The average person is smarter, better informed, better read, and better able to form and express definite opinions. And the average mother is considerably more concerned with the needs of her children and providing them with some semblance of an organized homelife than Palin (and her husband) appears to be. The average working woman likely balances her obligations of family and career far better than Palin does--Palin's children seem to get farmed out all over the place because neither parent is consistently around.

But we're not supposed to think about such things. We are simply supposed to view the "happy family" photos and not think about the underage pregnant daughter, or the son who may have joined the military to help straighten him out after a problem with drugs and bad behavior, or the infant with Down's Syndrome who is dragged out and carried as a prop in late night noisy crowd situations, and not even given the comfort of being allowed to sleep in a carrier because then he would be out of the camera's range. We're not supposed to wonder what sort of family values Palin actually represents, or what sort of family life she actually has.

If Palin is the brightest new star on the Republican horizon, the Republican party must be seriously bereft of real talent. If Palin is already being considered seriously as a presidential contender for 2012, the country must be bereft of even common sense.

3 Replies

@firefly,

I signed on this morning intent on giving my deeply nuanced opinion of Sarah Palin and the future of the GOP, but firefly read my mind.

Joe(and the mind of tens of millions of American voters.)Nation

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@firefly,

Quote:

If Palin is the brightest new star on the Republican horizon, the Republican party must be seriously bereft of real talent.

Of course, she isn't, by the criteria that you or I (or Joe) would use. But those aren't the criteria in play.

This is a marketing gambit and it is conceived of as a marketing task...how do we 'brand' or 'position' this product such that a viable percentage of the consumer market (demographics sliced and diced) will be encouraged to think positively about the product?

One of the lovely bits in "O Brother Where Art Thou?" is the Coens' take on pre-TV political campaigning (the language of it, the train stops, the gimmicks like the little man with the broom, etc). The period of time portrayed was, surely in many ways, a more innocent time for middle america. But I think a convincing case can be made that the onslaught of consumer advertising (backed by serious statistical analyses of consumer behavior) has not merely become extremely effective in changing perceptions but also in training the electorate to think and behave in certain ways (would there be any "blonde jokes" without the "blondes have more fun" campaign by Clairol? Quite possibly not.)

Add into this mix the rich tradition of anti-intellectualism in america, the serious money which pivots upon who holds political power, and someone like Palin begins to look inevitable.

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In the US, we embrace everything, even mediocrity.

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@farmerman,

you betcha Wink

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@blatham,

But it's a marketing gambit without any depth of how she will run our country. This tells me more about conservative Americans than it does Palin; her winks and smiles seems to work better than words or knowledge.

We're sunk; half of America thinks this "woman" is presidential material.

Our friends and allies all over the world must be shaking in their boots.

2 Replies

@firefly,

firefly wrote:

I really fail to see why so many Republicans are hailing Palin as the second-coming of Reagan. And why people are already talking about her as a presidential candidate in 2012 if McCain loses this election.

For the same reasons so many Democrats are hailing her as the next anti-christ, she appeals to the Republican philosophy. I'd not heard anyone talking about her in 2012 should McCain lose. Where did you see that?

Quote:

Are these people out of their minds?

Is this just Republican hype to cover up McCain's blunder in putting such an unqualified individual on this ticket?

Even without Tina Fey's help, this woman is a joke.

Most liberals are seriously threatened by her. You can tell by the rhetoric spewed about. Just look at Debra Law's repeated posts trying her best to denigrate her. You only attack that which threatens you.

Quote:

She has no positions on national or foreign policy issues--she's never even thought about such things.

That's just a bullshit liberal talking point.

Quote:

In three interviews and one debate she displayed no ability to think with any depth or to reflect thoughtfully--on any subject. In the interviews she rambled, sometimes incoherently, grasping to string together the talking points she had been provided with. In the debate, she dodged questions and managed to turn her presentation into more of a stump speech, regurgitating more talking points and material she had been coached to repeat. When asked what she thought was her Achilles Heel, she appeared not to understand the question at all, and her answer was totally irrelevant.

If I wore liberal glasses and read only liberal pablum as many here seem to do, I'd think that as well. But, in truth, she does pretty doggone well for herself. Every debate has been a dodge and weave fest. Obama did it, McCain did it, Biden did it and Palin did it. Oh dear. When asked at my last job interview what one of my major weaknesses were, I said I tended to work too hard. What's your Achilles heel?

Quote:

No knowledge, no curiosity, no ability to think, questionable ability to even understand.... no intellectual substance. An empty vessel who can be crammed with talking points and folksy colloquialisms. And she is hailed as "an effective communicator"? Communicator of what? Republican propoganda? She's certainly not communicating ideas. She's certainly not communicating leadership ability.

That's funny. Keep thinking that. When she is VP, you can again blame voters for electing McCain and Palin. I wonder why that will be? Probably because their message resounded better then the one Obama-Biden had. If you actually listened to what she said during the debate, I mean actually listened and not just read what Huffington said about her or what the ramblings that you find at KOS, you wouldn't think such things.

Quote:

Palin represents the arrogance of mediocrity--she presents her sheer desire for power as her main qualification for seeking such power. Implicit in this arroganance is the notion that any "hockey mom or Joe six-pack " can simply step into the offices of VP or president and function effectively in those positions. Experience in Washington, or even knowledge of Washington, doesn't matter, knowledge of the world doesn't matter, substantial education doesn't matter, true executive ability doesn't matter, leadership ability doesn't matter, intellectual depth and the ability to comprehand issues doesn't matter.

Palin didn't ask to be VP, she was asked. I can pretty well be assured that it wouldn't matter who McCain picked, you guys would be saying the same **** about his VP pick. It really comes down to the fact that you are upset because you see your Obamanation crumbling before your eyes. Choosing Palin has energized the Republican base and she will bring out voters that ere most likely to stay home. It's all well and good that Obama has energized the left of the country, but past performances have shown that college students and hippies tend to not actually vote while older people do. Maybe we might actually have 50% of the voters in our country actually vote this year, but I doubt it.

Quote:

Doggone it, all that matters is determination, spunk, a flirtatious wink, a big smile, a great pair of legs, and a handy barrage of folksy colloquialisms--what matters is superficial style. Obviously, it doesn't require much to be governor of Alaska, because Palin hasn't displayed much ability beyond her quirky, pseudo-folksy style of speech and manner, and her ability to memorize and deliver talking points and prepared material in a punchy manner.

No, what really matters is getting voters to the polls and checking McCain as the next President. The rest is just a means of getting that done. The repeated jibberish about her being coached, folksy, winking, etc doesn't matter. The thing is, it works for her and you guys just can't stand it. I love that.

Quote:

To say that Palin represents the average person is to do a disservice to the average person. The average person is smarter, better informed, better read, and better able to form and express definite opinions. And the average mother is considerably more concerned with the needs of her children and providing them with some semblance of an organized homelife than Palin (and her husband) appears to be. The average working woman likely balances her obligations of family and career far better than Palin does--Palin's children seem to get farmed out all over the place because neither parent is consistently around.

You must not watch the Jay Leno show when he does his Jay Walking bit. Your attack on her being a mother just shows your own stupidity and caveman style of thinking. What's more surprising is that I can see many of the liberal women here nodding along with you when you write crap like that.

Quote:

But we're not supposed to think about such things. We are simply supposed to view the "happy family" photos and not think about the underage pregnant daughter, or the son who may have joined the military to help straighten him out after a problem with drugs and bad behavior, or the infant with Down's Syndrome who is dragged out and carried as a prop in late night noisy crowd situations, and not even given the comfort of being allowed to sleep in a carrier because then he would be out of the camera's range. We're not supposed to wonder what sort of family values Palin actually represents, or what sort of family life she actually has.

...unbelievable.

Quote:

If Palin is the brightest new star on the Republican horizon, the Republican party must be seriously bereft of real talent. If Palin is already being considered seriously as a presidential contender for 2012, the country must be bereft of even common sense.

nah, she is just the VP candidate that can pull your strings like a puppet master. She says jump and you do. So do the many of you it appears. It's a good show to watch your true feelings on women, motherhood and politics. It's a true testament to liberals in America today and why Obama will lose.

4 Replies

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