Palin a Great Pick by McCain
The suspense over John McCain’s selection of a running mate is now over. While Governor Palin is unknown to many of the beltway pundits and talking heads I think she is going to resonate well with the people of Alabama. Her down to earth people skills and experience as an outdoorsman make her someone who people in Alabama will be able to relate to.
To begin with the 44 year-old Governor will compliment McCain’s reformist politics well. She rose to prominence in Alaska by taking on the political establishment. When she saw unethical behavior by those of even her own party she did not hesitate in confronting them head on. First, as a member of the oil commission she called out the Alaskan Republican Party Chairman for what she felt was an abuse of power. After that she went on to challenge an ethically challenged Republican governor in the primary and beat him because of her crusade for better ethics is state government. In short, she has the courage to take folks on regardless of the political consequences much as John McCain has done over the years by confronting Democrats and Republicans alike when he saw something he disagreed with.
I think as Republicans we have lost our way because we have neglected this style of governing. We need more leaders who are willing to stand up to unethical behavior, fiscal irresponsibility and the abandonment of our conservative values. Governor Sarah Palin does this.
Speaking of conservative values, Alabamians are going to find that Governor Palin is very close to the majority of people in our state. Her pro-life, anti-tax and strong support for energy independence for the United States make will make her a popular candidate in Alabama.
One final note- Democrats will crow about Palin’s experience, but do they really want the election in the months ahead to be about who has less experience Palin or Obama? If that conversation dominates the political battle ahead then the Obama campaign has steered off course. Interesting side bar- Palin has two more years of executive experience than Barack Obama.
Cam,
Let’s say it is Labor Day week, 2007 and your phone rings and it is Governor Sarah Phalin asking you to head her Alabama campaign for President of the United States.
Would you have told her yes? Would you have honestly felt that she was qualified to hold the highest office in the land?
She may well be a wonderful person, a great mom and wife with the highest of moral standards, etc, but in this case, we’re talking about someone who is one heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
If elected, John McCain will be the oldest person in history to take office as President. This is why his selection of a V-P takes on far more significance that it normally does. And just ain’t no way someone will convince me that out of all the 300 million folks in this country, she is at the head of the list for this slot in this election.
Forget that she can shoot and dress a moose, forget that she has carried kids to hockey games, forget that she was runnerup in the Miss Alaska contest because none of that has any bearing in this case. If she were running for Congress where she would be one of 435, this might all be well, fine and good. But there isn’t but one V-P and there is just no way that anyone will ever convince me that she is ready for this slot.
And if by “executive experience” you mean having served as chief executive of a state government, then she has more experience than John McCain. So should she be in the top spot with McCain as her running mate?
Heck, if this was the measuring stick, then why didn’t McCain tap Bob Riley? He has triple Phalin’s “executive experience,” plus served in Congress for six years.
Comment by LA — September 1, 2008 @ 12:49 am
She is perfect. I love her and she is a great leader. It energized me to give $2300 to her campaign with McCain. Go Repubs!!!!!!!!
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 1:00 am
I have to second the commenter above. She may have 2 more years of “executive experience” than any other candidate in this race, but before that her only experience was that she served as mayor of a town of 10,000 people.
I think the current corruption scandal in Alaska flies in the face of the “fighter of corruption” tag-line. She allegedly pressured the well-respected public safety commissioner to fire a trooper, her former brother-in-law, who was in a custody battle with her sister. When the public safety commissioner refused, she fired him and hired someone who was fired in 2 weeks over sexual harassment allegations.
Not only is that kind of nepotism unethical, it also rings of the kind of personal vendetta politics of the Valerie Plame affair.
Those are just allegations, but the attorney general and an independent investigator are looking into it. We’ll know in late October what the findings of the independent investigator are.
It’s also come to light that McCain evidently did not spend a lot of time investigating Palin’s background (I’m tired of the word “vet”). He only met her once, and did not contact the public safety commissioner who has accused her of pressuring him. One reporter was told that he was the first person to search the local newspaper’s (Anchorage something) archives, which are not online. And now McCain has (three days too late)finally sent a campaign task force to Alaska to do some background.
I think this pick is disastrous for McCain. The left is already spinning it as a lack of judgment, and it’s only been three days. Not to mention, her lack of foreign affairs knowledge and little experience on national issues will really hurt her in the Veep debates with an elder statesman like Biden.
She’ll initially seem attractive to Alabamians for her good looks, enjoyment of hunting, and pro-gun, pro-life stance. But anybody who takes a closer look will quickly be disappointed.
But that assumes anybody takes a closer look… :D
(Also, she seems to think that the founding fathers wrote the “Pledge of Allegiance”, and because of that, she thinks we should keep “under God” in the pledge so that it will be in its original form. But the pledge of allegiance was written in the 1890s, and nearly 60 years later Congress inserted “under God” into it. The lack of knowledge about something like that makes me think of her as vacuous and inattentive, but at the end of the day it’s rather unimportant.)
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 1:19 am
Some sourcing for my comment:
Corruption scandal - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/211769.php
McCain sending campaign staff to look into Palin’s history 3 days later -
http://www.andrewhalcro.com/vetting_the_veep_post_announcement
Not read local papers -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/mccain-camp-didnt-search_n_122823.html
Pledge/Founding Fathers -
http://eagleforumalaska.blogspot.com/2006/07/2006-gubernatorial-candidate.html
If you want more, I’ve got it, just tired now.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 1:31 am
Just a few weeks ago Palin said on CNBC that she did not exactly know what the duties of the VP were. Yea she sounds more than ready to me. Are you freaking kidding me! A couple of more “Maverick” decisions like this one and McCain will spending his last few years in a padded room.
CNBC Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4gkPXSDtGQ
Comment by GOP a crumbling party — September 1, 2008 @ 2:52 am
It is sincerely amazing how much the GOP and its surrogates depend upon the television/radio media to maintain the fiction that is their political party. Palin, like McCain, has a media face but her actions do not match her positions/decision/votes, etc. More than at any time I have known, this election has shown the enormous divide between old and new media and the equally huge divide between old and young. Only the over 60 crowd who depend upon television and rags like the B’ham News believe the kind of stuff this acticle espouses. What a fairy tale.
Comment by nlacey — September 1, 2008 @ 5:29 am
let’s refrain from sourcing the huffington post if you would like to engage in a truly non-partisan debate. otherwise, your argument is obviously flawed.
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 6:53 am
Well I obviously don’t agree with a lot of the folks on here but I can tell I have stirred a hornets nest with my post. I haave to say this is a new one for me because usually my posts are so boring I get only a passing complaint or nod. This debate is why we have the blog!!!!
Comment by Cam Ward — September 1, 2008 @ 7:11 am
In comment #4 the first source Madison lists is “Getting Real About Palin” which says that Palin began pressuring Public Safety Commissioner Monegan to fire her ex-brother-in-law, state trooper Wooten. There’s a link from that article to one in the Washington Post (http://voices.washingtonpost.com/washingtonpostinvestigations/2008/08/exclusive_chief_fired_by_palin.html?hpid=topnews) which had just interviewed Monegan. In that article, Monegan is quoted as saying “She never directly asked me to fire him,”
I guess people can interpret what actually occurred any way they want to in order to further their cause.
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Sarah Palin is Alaska’s version of Kay Ivey! you go girl!
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 7:21 am
@ #7: Please explain further why HuffPo is not source-worthy in this case, and how my argument is flawed.
@ #9: True, I suppose “pressure” could be clarified a bit more. But it seems to me that there is something to these allegations, nonetheless.
We’ll know more clearly what happened in October.
@ #8: Yay for lively debate :D.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 7:59 am
Cam, I’m with you on the pick, (envious, ill intentioned leftists not withstanding). It was a great choice that is noticeably energizing the base. Everyone I’ve talked to is enthused.
The selection has also brought back out the hateful, vile side of America’s left wing folks. They are already attacking not just Palin, but also her 16 year old daughter. Just despicable. Reminds me why so many decent, great leaders choose to avoid politics.
Comment by Brian — September 1, 2008 @ 9:36 am
“…decent, great leaders…” Should have been “…decent people and great leaders…”
Also, here is what the leftists are saying about Palin’s daughter.
Comment by Brian — September 1, 2008 @ 9:38 am
I’d note that on DailyKos, where the “Palin faked her pregnancy” diary originated (from the personal reader diaries, not the front page), that idea is being attacked over and over again in various diaries, and being disregarded as false or not worthy of further attention in others.
But still, it’s pretty sick. Especially since there’s no truth to it at all.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 9:58 am
We should definitely take our political jabs and have a full fight on the wisdom of the Palin pick but the mean spirited personal attacks really do nothing to help a political process that people are already cynical about.
Comment by Cam Ward — September 1, 2008 @ 10:08 am
McCain’s pick of Palin demonstrates exactly how little judgment he has when it comes to big decisions. He said two months ago in an interview that, being the oldest presdential nominee, his VP pick would have to be ready to lead from day one and that, given his age and his health, his pick would be all the more important. And yet he picks someone he, and the nation, hardly knows just so he can “shake things up” and win over Hillary supporters.
How does a 72-year old Presidential candidate and two-time cancer survivor justify selecting as his back-up a woman who counts among her years of executive experience the time she spent as mayor of an Alaskan hamlet? She also counts in her experience her time on the local PTA. This is a woman who says she has no real interest in foreign policy, yet McCain is trying to cast this election as one that requires a leader with foreign policy prowess.
To secure his election, McCain has moved this mother of five children (one of whom is five months old and has special needs) over four thousand miles away, leaving only her husband, a commercial fisherman, to care for them. It is offensive to think that McCain did not consider how this choice would impact Palin’s family, much less how it woulde affect the county’s long-term wellbeing.
Just another example of how inaccurate McCain is when he shoots from the hip.
Comment by Baudrillard — September 1, 2008 @ 10:40 am
16 re you serious??? It is obvious that people do not care about experience. If they did..OBAMAwould not be on te ticket. Get overit—GREAT PICK…and blew he DEMS out of the water…hahah.
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 10:50 am
The logic (or lack thereof) in #16 is something I’ve seen in quite a few places from the left. Blaming McCain for the Palin pick because of the hardship on her family. That argument wreaks of sexism and flies in the face of what liberals have been preaching for years. Palin is an individual with her own mind and her own capability to discern what is appropriate for her family. She could have requested to be omitted from VP consideration at any time, but she made the decision to pursue it. Aren’t we supposed to respect a woman’s right to choose? Why demean all women by suggesting that they don’t have the good sense to do what is right for their family and merely follow the orders of boorish men who have no regard for the welfare of children? I would bet a box of doughnuts you actually have no regard for Palin or her family, though.
Hey, doesn’t Obama tout his experience as a “community organizer?”
Comment by Brian — September 1, 2008 @ 11:09 am
Baudrillard, I’m the brother of someone born with Down Syndrome who lived to be 70. When my little brother was born our sister was younger than two of Governor Palin’s daughters. She helped care for the baby while our mother was running the household for a family of 8, which was much more of a full-time job in those days than it would be today. My baby brother had no “special needs” at that stage of his life that required more care or attention than any other baby does.
The governor’s husband is more than a commercial fisherman. He is the father of a young child, and as such I would imagine he will make sure the baby is well cared for if indeed it has been left with him in Alaska. Is there any evidence that Governor Palin’s daughters are not living at home where her husband and the baby presumably are?
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 11:14 am
A picture is worth a thousand words…
The physical location of the majority of Palin’s vaunted “executive experience”:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/images/wasillacityhall.jpg
Comment by JC — September 1, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Cam - I agree that Governor Palin is an excellent choice.
But I quibble with your comment that “Palin has two more years of executive experience than Barack Obama”.
Barack Obama was the Chair of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2000, which was an ‘education’ foundation started by Weatherman terrorist Bill Ayers, who served on the Board. Together, Obama and Ayers spent $49 million and “had little impact on school improvement and student outcomes”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Annenberg_Challenge
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 11:15 am
Palin can make her own decisions about her family. There’s plenty to attack Palin on without questioning her family’s ability to raise children.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 11:27 am
By the way, it now appears that Palin’s daughter is pregnant:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/01/1318541.aspx
This, of course, does not mean that Sarah Palin faked a pregnancy.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 11:32 am
What pray tell does the pregnancy of a 16 year old have to do with this woman’s qualifications? Is Palin the first parent to have a teenage girl get pregnant? If Michelle Obama is off limits as the Demos want shouldn’t the family of Palin be?
Drop the personal attacks on both sides and get back to the issues.
Comment by Old Prosecutor — September 1, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
Old Prosecutor: It has nothing to do with her qualifications. Just a news update.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
Just to keep the record straight, according to Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2944356420080901?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true) Bristol Palin is 17, plans to keep the baby and marry the father.
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 12:08 pm
McCain should have vetted his VP candidate a little more. There is just too much to talk about. Whether it is true or not does not matter it all amounts to negative attention for the campaign.
Comment by GOP a crumbling party — September 1, 2008 @ 1:21 pm
#27, if you’re talking about Bristol Palin being pregnant, the link to the Reuters article in #26 will take you to an article in which it says: “Senior McCain campaign officials said McCain knew of the daughter’s pregnancy when he selected Palin last week as his vice presidential running mate, deciding that it did not disqualify the 44-year-old governor in any way.”
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 1:33 pm
but remember 28, you have to be “perfect” like “the one” to run for pres or vice pres in 2008. dems making a big deal about this forget the teddy kennedy legacy…you want to get brutal, we can put his cancer on the shelf for a while and discuss what happens when you drink, drive, wreck and run.
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Nobody’s saying Obama is perfect. One time, I saw him miss a three-pointer.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
Madison, if it has nothing to do with her qualifications, why is it news and why did you feel compelled to post it?
Comment by Old Prosecutor — September 1, 2008 @ 2:10 pm
I felt compelled to post it because the topic of discussion in these comments had veered, at times, into a discussion of Palin’s family. There was breaking news regarding that topic. I posted it because it related to a topic that had been discussed in these comments.
The fact that Palin’s daughter is pregnant also quashes some of rumors that had been alluded to on this thread, so I thought it was relevant in that sense.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
Palin’s family is relevant. Since Palin represents the Republican view on family values, she has done a pitifiul job with her daughter. Abstinence is what her daughter should have practiced. Having a hancipped brother of my own to care for, it is a tremendous amount of work as they get older. At least the Palin family is very fertile.
Comment by War Eagle 34 — September 1, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
I believe that Palin is the worst choice of a running mate since George Bush picked Dan Quayle and Ross Perot picked admiral James Stockdale.
This choice was not properly vetted. I do hope that my fellow Democrats will refrain from attacking her family.
Under no admission was Palin even a serious contender for Vice President until about ten days ago. The pick was based on attempts to pander to the female vote and the conservative base. This was not based on her experience to lead.
Comment by Progressive E — September 1, 2008 @ 3:29 pm
Sarah Palin is a joke. 20 months as governor. That’s it. She would not be ready to be commander-in-chief if McCain wins and then something happened to him. Simply not ready. Obama has spent the last four years demonstrating to the American public that he is ready to lead. Palin has 60 days to make her case . . . and I think that hill is too high to climb.
Comment by Anonymous — September 1, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
#34-You are right, there is enough to say about Palin’s lack of experience. However, the way she raises children is fair game. If she can’t raise children with moral values, how can she lead our country! But beware that the people of this blog can be so low that they will attack you as well as your position. Yesterday my very favorite #29 called me Honey and I am a man.
Comment by War Eagle 34 — September 1, 2008 @ 3:58 pm
When the history of the conservative movement of the last thirty years is written, one entity will deserve blame for its demise: Fox News. It has accomplished what no book, treatise, etc. could; i.e. Conservatives see “liberals” everywhere.
Conservatives are now convinced of the truth of their own propaganda and thus, Don, Anonymous, etc. can no longer argue the merits of anything. It’s the Limbaugh/Sean/O’Reilly/Ailes Syndrome.
The Palin pick is like nothing so much as Karl Rove’s math.
Comment by nlacey — September 1, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
War Eagle 34, need I remind you that we have had numerous presidents who apparently weren’t raised with moral values if we use your criteria to judge them by? Bill Clinton comes immediately to mind and he served for 8 years. FDR is another one who served for even longer.
We all should lay off of family members of candidates of any party and stick to real issues if we were raised with moral values.
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 4:18 pm
nlacey, prior to your comment #37 I believe I had posted only comments numbers 9, 19, 26, and 28, all of which I thought were just to pass along information. I didn’t realize that I argued the merits of anything. Perhaps you can point out where I did.
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
Doc: Totally out of curiosity and with no rebuttal in mind, what are you referring to when you mention FDR up there? The hiding-his-disability thing or was there some other scandal I am unaware of?
I know what you’re talking about when it comes to slick willie.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 4:39 pm
Madison, I suppose your query is directed at me since I’m probably the only commenter who has mentioned FDR.
I was born in 1933 and my middle name is Franklin, named for FDR. I saw FDR in person when he came to Chattanooga to dedicate one of the TVA dams, Chickamauga Dam. I cried when he died. So I remember a bit of his history.
Part of his history which is well known and accepted as true is that he had affairs with women other than his wife even before he was elected president. Lucy Mercer was one of those women. I believe she was with him at the “Little White House” at Warm Springs, GA, at the time of his death.
Comment by Don — September 1, 2008 @ 4:59 pm
Don, you are so right. Most people who are attracted to political office are flawed. Some sort of nacissistic problem. Or perhaps, being in office gives one the feeling of omnipotence. Some have proven to be great presidents and some not. In the old days little was said by the media. Today the media goes hunting for infidelity. Anonymous, is that really you, or do you have a split personality? Do we agree on Palin or are there 2 of you?
Comment by War Eagle 34 — September 1, 2008 @ 5:57 pm
Quit eating your ribs and look at the beginning. Segall has his first commercial and it is here. I like it since I think Cafta and compound 1080 can be our undoing.
Comment by War Eagle 34 — September 1, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Don (with an ‘n’): Ah, I understand now. Thank you.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
Brian and others, “the leftists” are not a monolith. I’ve heard and seen plenty of people on the left, including at least one big-name blogger, calling out the rumor-mongering for the nasty mess it is. I don’t assume that “the rightists” are all spreading the “Obama is a sekrit Muslim, pass it on!” smear either.
Comment by Kathy — September 1, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
Sarah Palin has to only have horse sense to be president.Case in point. Bill Clinton in public service all his life, in his second term sent Hughes Aircraft and Loreal Electronics to China to Launch our Satallites, said it would be cheaper, Well the third missile misfired and fell a few miles from launch site. The Red Chinese Army scooped it up, and there went our missile techonology.This is Clinton and the democrats. McCain and Palin would never do something like this. Never, never,never.
Comment by B R Atkins — September 1, 2008 @ 9:26 pm
Well, that is simply impossible to argue against.
One time Bush the Elder, a lifetime politician, puked at a state dinner, deeply embarrassing the United States. Obama would never, never do that. His stomach is strong.
One time Herbert Hoover let the country slide into the Great Depression. Obama would never do that.
One time, Bush the younger ignored a memo entitled “Al Qaeda determined to strike inside the United States very soon.” Obama would never do that.
One time, the Bush administration and ignored years of science and models about what might happen in the aftermath if a large Cat 3 hurricane New Orleans. Obama would never do that.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 9:40 pm
Madison - Obama spent years working with Marxist terrorist Bill Ayers. McCain would never do that.
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 10:01 pm
Obama kicked off his State Senate campaign at Marxist terrorist Bill Ayers house. McCain would never do that.
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 10:03 pm
George W. Bush hired a guy who thinks it’s kosher to make race-based attacks on candidates (which he demonstrated when he made those attacks on John McCain). John McCain would never do a thing like that, because John McCain said that there’s “a special place in hell” for reserved for people like that.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/mccain-hires-go.html
But now he has. My point being that, the argument that McCain would never make a military blunder is kind of silly, isn’t it? There’s no way to defend against that. You can’t test it. It’s like say my invisible shirt is brown. Prove it’s not!
As far as Ayers go, yes, Obama was on a panel with him. A panel that worked for school reform. Because Ayers works in school reform. His radical youth was despicable. It was a poor political choice. I don’t understand what the point of the Ayers argument is though. Is the suggestion that Obama is a member of SDS?
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
No, the suggestion is that Obama has poor judgment regarding his associations, that many of his associations are with radical leftists (Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Marxist professors), and that, IMO he shares many of their leftist beliefs.
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 10:21 pm
Don’t forget that Obama and Ayers spent $49 million on ’school reform’ and achieved nothing.
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 10:23 pm
I’ll take that he’s had some bad associations, and that he politically made bad associations. But I’d argue that he associated with Ayers because he was a major school reform expert asked to sit on a school reform commission. Not that he shared the political views Ayers was known for in the ’60s.
I don’t know about Wright. Maybe it helped Obama in his Senate race to attend Wright’s church. But every part of Obama’s message to me suggest that his views are the opposite of black separatism.
I have an acquaintance that talks a lot about revolution, violent and otherwise, and has even tried to convince me to join him. I don’t, because I don’t think we’ve sunk that low. But I don’t avoid him because of his political views. I avoid him because he’s annoying when he plays the guitar, he always tries to one up you if you’re swapping songs. And he never brings his own beer. Nonetheless, I look past his political views (only to find the crappy person underneath). He means more to me than that, he’s a good source of entertainment, and we’ve had some pretty good jams.
Associations are associations. But I did judge McCain for coming back only to associate with the radical fundies like Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell. So I’m probably being a hypocrite here, to some degree.
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
(I should note that my acquaintance argues from an ideological standpoint, not planned anything. I feel pretty sure I’d have major issues with that).
Comment by Madison — September 1, 2008 @ 10:54 pm
When were Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List? Ayers’ wife Bernadine Dohrn spent most of 1970s wanted by the FBI for her terrorist activities. Obama kicked off his State Senate campaign at their home.
Your comparison of Robertson and Falwell to terrorists is disgusting…
Comment by Reactionary — September 1, 2008 @ 11:11 pm
I, for one, am glad that she took steps to fire that turd of an ex-brother-in-law. He tasered a step son? Some one like that has no business being a state trooper. bad news for him is that he had someone who new of his poor behavior elected as his boss. You mess with the bull - you get the horns. Good For Sarah!! You go girl!!
Comment by Anonymous — September 2, 2008 @ 1:12 am
For clarification purposes only, my comments were not addressed at Palin’s decision to accept the VP nomination, 18 and 19; they were addressd at McCain’s lack of judgment in asking a mother of five children, one of whom has downs syndrome and one of whom is pregnant, to leave her family in Alaska to campaign for him.
Thos comments simply state fact and in no way “demean all women by suggesting that they don’t have the good sense to do what is right for their family and merely follow the orders of boorish men who have no regard for the welfare of children.” Palin did what any aspiring public figure would have done, and McCain expected nothing less. The fact that McCain put her and her family in that position in the first place is my only complaint.
I have no doubt that Palin’s husband and kids will help take up the slack, but that doesn’t replace their mother. I say that not as a “boorish man,” but as someone who helped his father raise three siblings, including an autistic brother and a four-year-old sister, after my mother died.
I don’t think these issues are being raised only by “boorish men” or the “liberal media.” Recent polls show that many women are offended by this VP pick, and it is a sentiment I have heard from women firsthand.
Comment by Baudrillard — September 3, 2008 @ 10:06 am