McCain Chooses Running mate!

[Rukia]

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McCain Chooses Palin as Running Mate

Published: August 29, 2008

DAYTON, Ohio — In a surprise move, Senator John McCain announced here on Friday that he chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“I’ve looked for the best to help me shake up Washington,â€

[LadyTevar]

my supervisor's been griping that McCain's an idiot chosing someone that untried and untested for the position. "Does he think she's going to bring the female vote? He's got another think coming!"

My supervisor's kewl

[Rukia]

But they're more than willing to put Obama in office as PRESIDENT when he's been "untried and untested" for THAT position? I mean look who he choose for his running mate: a "Seasoned Veteran" so to speak... he needed that experience behind him. And I do think that Palin will help bring the women's vote in. I would much rather see her than fucking Hucklebee, I'll tell you that much.

[LadyTevar]

Obama has had experience at the federal level, as a Senator. Palin's not.

I do agree with you about Hucklebee, and Romney wasn't much better.

[Derek Thunder]

Sarah Palin is a Creationist.

The volatile issue of teaching creation science in public schools popped up in the Alaska governor's race this week when Republican Sarah Palin said she thinks creationism should be taught alongside evolution in the state's public classrooms.

Palin was answering a question from the moderator near the conclusion of Wednesday night's televised debate on KAKM Channel 7 when she said, 'Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of information. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both.'

It will be interesting to see the former mayor of Palmer until 2007 (population 5700) debate Joe Biden on issues like Russia, Iran, and NATO.

[SirNitram]

[quote]“She never comes across as full on Republican,â€

[Cynical Cat]

Obama has a lot more experience than her (remember he served as a state senator before he went federal) and he isn't under a corruption investigation by the legislature of his own party. Could McCain have picked someone under more of a cloud?

[SirNitram]

Obama has a lot more experience than her (remember he served as a state senator before he went federal) and he isn't under a corruption investigation by the legislature of his own party. Could McCain have picked someone under more of a cloud?

Female.. Not often viewed as core Republican.. No experience.. Corrupt and under investigation.. Her whole foreign policy claim, to quote the propaganda mouthpeice of the GOP, is 'Russia is next to Alaska'...

Nope!

[Derek Thunder]

Also, I have been to Wasilla many times. Vice Presidents do not come from Wasilla.

[Dark Silver]

...the idiot actually did it?


Sorry Rukia, you know I love you dear, but you know I also disagree with you on just about everything political and this is just that much more so.

Palin is the WORST possible candidate for the Republican VP slot. He passed up Pawney(or however you spell it) and Romney, and a host of others, just to try to pander to the women's vote....

She brings literally nothing good to the ballot except that she has boobs. She has only two years worth of administrative experience as a Governor of a, and please excuse me Alaskans, backwater state in the frozen north. She couldn't hope to even approach Biden in a debate on wines, much less foreign policy. Biden will tear into her like no one's business, that's because that's what Biden does and has done for years.

AS much as McCain says he wants to be the next President.,....he sure is screwing up.

[Cynical Cat]

Let's not forget McCain's health isn't good and he isn't getting any younger. There's a real possibility of his VP inheriting the job if he becomes president. And he chooses this nonentity.

[SirNitram]

There's one fact I, in my cruelty, love about Palin.

Watching the talking heads blubber and flail about randomly, desperate to find something about her. She doesn't live in their little 'Village'. She's not famous. No one in the political media is related to her. But she's a Republican, so they have to suck up to her.. But they know nothing! It's Wedesnday of last week all over again, but without the creepy stalker aspects.

[General Havoc]

I confess that before this morning I had never heard of Palin. Ever.

I have to say I'm surprised. I was downright certain that the pick was going to be either Romney or Pawlenty. Romney was extremely popular among some segments of the Republican base and would have potentially brought parts of New England into play. Pawlenty would have delivered them Minnesota on a plate, and had impeccable Republican credentials. What does Palin give them? I don't see much of the Hillary vote swinging Palin's way when Hillary has come across strongly (more strongly than I expected) as endorsing Obama. Alaska is as Republican a state as you are liable to find, and Biden is going to thrash Palin back and forth in the VP debates. The Republicans managed to find the only national-scale politician with LESS experience than Obama.

I dunno... maybe I'm missing something. Maybe Hillary's supporters WILL turn to the Republicans or something... someone explain this to me.

[Charon]

The only reason I can think of for picking Palin are twofold.

1.) A woman. A lot of idiots are still of the opinion that Obama stole the race and all they really care about is that a vagina is close to the White House. This will take some of the woman vote, just like Obama being black does give him some of the Black vote. Additionally, he won't be loosing any more votes from the Conservative base which would perhaps not vote for a woman because they'll see her as just the VP while they're voting for McCain.

2.) Non-entity. McCain is trying to take what he thinks is Obama's selling point, that he's new to Washington and thus not corrupted by it, and stealing from it. Palin is known for being very hard on corruption and since she's a newbie she isn't seen as being a part of "Washington politics".

It's a big risk, but it has a slim chance of working out for him. Assuming the GOP doesn't fuck it up royally (which they likely will).

[SirNitram]

I've thought, and here's the 'pros' vs. 'cons' as her pairing with McCain goes.

Pros:

1) Justification for the psychodrama queens of NoQuarter and elsewhere, who were really always GOP, but now get to claim they will support a candidate based on having ovaries.

2) Shoring up his disintigrating Religious Right support.

Cons:

1) Woman. Sexism is alive and well in the GOP.

2) Experience. Her pathetic track record means McCain will look increasingly moronic trying to attack Obama on it.

3) Scandal. Not only is she from Alaska, she's got an investigation of her very own, to say nothing of her endorser, Stevens(This endorsement has been scrubbed from her site after 10AM and 3PM, so she's learning from McCain).

4) 'Is She Ready?' McCain is 72, cancer survivor, crippled to the point of 'full disability'. The odds of his making one whole term, let alone two, are not good.

5) Pork. Alaska receives 508.34 dollar per capita in earmarks. Her state beats out every other on the pork list, and despite her outright lie on TV, she actively lobbied for the Bridge To Nowhere.

6) Creationist. That sound you hear is the few moderates running, screaming.

7) Anti-Abortion. That was the women's vote.

[frigidmagi]

It'll cement the women's vote in most of the South and parts of the Midwest, but those were his strongholds anyways.

[SirNitram]

It'll cement the women's vote in most of the South and parts of the Midwest, but those were his strongholds anyways.

It'll support the Religious Right's women vote. Anyone who cares about women's rights won't be able to ignore the blatant push for abortion being outlawed under these two. I simply don't buy that 'Having a woman' locks up the women's vote.

[General Havoc]

True, I hadn't considered the impact of having an anti-choice woman for a VP. I doubt most of Hillary's people had considered that as being part of a good feminist.

[frigidmagi]

It'll support the Religious Right's women vote.

Which is mostly in parts of the South and the Midwest Nitram.

[SirNitram]

It'll support the Religious Right's women vote.

Which is mostly in parts of the South and the Midwest Nitram.

I know this. But there's no shortage of pro-choice women in the south and midwest; saying it locks up the women's vote there is inaccurate, and I simply wanted to correct.

[frigidmagi]

Fair enough, although I got to be honest and say my own experience in the areas leads me to believe that pro-choice women are decidedly in the minority. With perhaps the exception of the 16 to 25 demographic and even then it's somewhat iffy. When I was in high school, being Pro-Choice was right up there with Communism. Granted that was a while ago (I graduated in 99, so it's been what a good decade or so now?)

[SirNitram]

Also realize that political opinions change after high school and to your 30s before setting in. Finally, remember the Ostracism Factor. If it was akin to being Communist, how many would honestly have admitted their leanings?

[Cynical Cat]

While the Southwest is far from the most liberal part of the country, Oklahoma isn't the most liberal part of the Southwest. When I went to high school in Flaggstaff, which not quite two decades ago, it was politically to the right but pro-choice would have been a slim majority. Of course a university town doesn't represent the whole Southwest either, but let's avoid stretching personal anecdotes further than is warranted.

[frigidmagi]

I would count Oklahoma has more part of the Mid West then the South West honestly but that's a side issue.

Since we're all hashing over whether or not pro choice women are on the ground in these areas does anyone have a geographic specific poll or something along that lines?

[SirNitram]

I just got a solid, recent one.

Gallup:

Importance of abortion overall:

Must Share Your Views: 13%

One Of Many Factors: 49%

Not A Major Issue: 37%

No Opinion: 2%

Pro-Choice vs. Anti-Choice in Midwest:

Pro-Choice: 48%

Anti-Choice: 46%

Poll, lots more data availiable there, but got the relevent bits