OK, I admit it. Sarah Palin is a great pick!

E.G. made some quip about PUMAs and cougars last night and I didn't get it. The "cougar" thing is new to me. (He explained.)

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/09/defending_sarah_palin_russ_dou.html

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202424173244

http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202424173645

interesting reading

Why aren't more republicans questioning John McCain's judgement? He met with Palin once - face to face, and talked to her on the phone "once," before he made his decision to select Palin as his VP.

What does that say about McCain's judgement and experience? Is that really who Americans want as our president?

They may well be questioning McCain's judgment, they are just not doing it publicly.

No one is really defending the choice of Palin with any real conviction. They are all reciting the exact same Republican talking points. They sound like parrots. But because they are all using exactly the same language, and mentioning exactly the same things (i.e. she has more "executive experience" than any of the other candidates ) it comes across as hollow and unconvincing.

firefly, I worked in management for most of my working career, and I always had a minimum of two face-to-face interviews with prospective applicants who I thought were in the top three, and I'm talking about commercial and nonprofit businesses. When I worked for a nonprofit organization, we not only did multiple interviews, but with all the program directors and administration making the choice of the best applicant for a program director slot we thought best met our expectations.

And here, McCain selects his VP with one face-to-face for one of the most important positions in our country. I still say McCain's judgement is not even close to being fair, and he's also senile (proven by his many mis-statements). What I don't understand is why so many Americans believe McCain and Palin will be good for our country.

I am pissed. I had a blood pressure raising pissy-fit in the car on the way home from work today. How DARE those conservatives tell me now that it is ok that Palin's daughter is pregnant. How dare they after all the righteous bullshit about their family values being better than mine. I am outraged.

I 'm happy with her identification
with libertarian Republicans of her State.
I support personal freedom.
David

Yes, indeed.
It depends upon the RESULT of his choice,
not how much toil or time he invested in his evaluative process.

In this case, the result was the voice of personal liberty.
That is MY criterion, when I decide for whom to vote or to donate cash or time
David

cicerone imposter, I agree with you.

The problem was that McCain really wanted Lieberman, or Ridge, but because both of those people are pro-choice, the Christian conservatives in the party threatened McCain with an explosive floor fight at the convention and vowed that delegates would reject those choices. McCain was now getting down to the wire timewise. He then discarded two safer choices, Pawlenty and Romney as being "too predictable" because he had been advised to shake up his campaign because his race was on a losing trajectory. Now he was really down to the wire. Palin hadn't really been seriously discussed until 4 or 5 days before she was picked. They didn't send the vetting team to Alaska to interview people about her, until the day before she was picked. In his first face to face interview with her, McCain offerred Palin the position.

The whole business with Palin was very rushed at the end because, until 2 or 3 days before picking her, McCain held out hope he could have Lieberman.
The choice of Palin was not that carefully considered or fully investigated. McCain couldn't get who he wanted, so he hastily settled on Palin because she would both shake things up and satisfy the Christian right.

It shows terrible judgment on McCain's part. That is what the Democrats are going to focus on. I don't know why anyone sees McCain as good for the country--with or without Palin.

Is she running for some office ?
Will u change your vote as a result of a pregnancy ?

In contemplation of McCain 's health, there is a good chance
that Gov. Palin will become President soon.

What I care about is having 8 years of a FREEDOM LOVING PRESIDENT.
Of the 4 candidates for President & VP,
she is for sure the most freedom-loving.
David

And what I care about is the hypocrisy.

Does it show terrible judgment, or was he forced into this decision? Your whole post is about other people McCain wanted (people I presume you feel would have been a better selection) and how he was forced (by his party?) to compromise with his desires (good judgement) and the desires of the people who elected him.

Yeah, but that only amounts to the opinions
of some of your fellow citizens, for the moment.

It seems to me
that what counts for a lot MORE
is the political and legal circumstances
under which we will live in the future.

I desire that my personal freedom,
and that of my fellow Americans be PRESERVED and enlarged.
Hence, my choice in favor of a libertarian candidate.

That pregnancy will have little effect upon me.
I don 't see that the hypocrisy of people whom I will never even meet
will mean anything to me.

If he was indeed forced into nominating the creationist hockey mom as running mate, doesn't that make him a terribly weak candidate, though? Wouldn't that destroy his whole maverick image?

Is it more important to him
to succeed in being elected, or to be a maverick ?

September 2, 2008, 7:28 pm

McCain Cancels Larry King Interview
By Jim Rutenberg
ST. PAUL " Senator John McCain on Tuesday canceled a long-scheduled interview with Larry King of CNN as punishment for what his aides said was an unfair interview of a McCain campaign spokesman by the network host Campbell Brown on Monday night.

Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, announced the news on Tuesday afternoon, saying, “A senior McCain adviser tells CNN the interview has been pulled because of a segment CNN ran last night during Campbell Brown’s ‘Election Central’.”

In that segment, Ms. Brown had grilled Tucker Bounds, a campaign spokesman, after he said that the role of Mr. McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard was an example of executive experience that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois did not have.
“Can you tell me one decision that she made as commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard, just one?” Ms. Brown asked.

Mr. Bounds responded, “Any decision she has made as the commander of the National Guard that’s deployed overseas is more of a decision Barack Obama’s been making as he’s been running for president for the last two years.”

Ms. Brown pressed again, saying: “So tell me. Tell me. Give me an example of one of those decisions.”
To which Mr. Bounds said, “Campbell, certainly you don’t mean to belittle every experience, every judgment she makes as commander.” The argument devolved from there, with no real resolution.
Mr. Blitzer said, “CNN does not believe that exchange was over the line,” adding, “We hope Senator McCain will join us here on CNN in the very, very near future.”

The campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

David wants to have his personal freedom advanced, so he is gonna vote for the party that loves to invade privacy, invade bedrooms, burn books, mess with science, and tell us how to live our lives as long as they comport with Christian beliefs.

I see.
I believe that OSD is a one issue voter.

Yeah.... I thought that was particularly funny! After all those weeks of complaining how Obama was "afraid" to meet McCain in a discussion, the maverick refuses to show up to an interview with Larry King because one of his aides couldn't answer a simple question.... which, of course, means he was subjected to "an unfair interview".

Well, the result of his choice is pretty evident; it's not the best choice for America. That's the bottom line - or should be for most Americans.

Yes she is!!

Awesome choice!!!

This woman is more qualified for the job of president than Obama and liberals can't stand it.