Sarah Palin?

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Sarah Palin?

I'm going to come back and give an "update" on where I stand but to answer Jenn's question. Yes, I've seen pictures of her visiting the Alaska National Guard troop in Kuwait, so she has been out of the country.

[DCJenn]

Re: Sarah Palin?

wow-

ok, that's not what I was hoping for- but at least she presumably has a passport.

I'm so unimpressed w/ Palin but not because of her family crap. Families are messy. Our collective MILs alone can attest to that.

Jenn

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Sarah Palin?

Ok, had to put the little one down for a nap. Now that I've had a few days to digest all of this I don't think she's a good choice. Yes, I know pick yourselves up off of the floor and let me tell you why.

I know they say she has more "executive" experience then Obama which is true but how does that experience for a state of approximately 680,000 (47th of 50) relate to being the VP of the country? I was watching The View this morning (I know hardcore news) and one of the woman said "don't forget her experience as a mom" Ok, but I'm a mom, maybe not of 5 but I don't think that qualifies me to be VP. It doesn't disqualify her by any means but is it on her resume? Probably not.

Last Thursday night when the talking heads were speculating about who McCain would pick a name that was thrown out there as being vetted was Meg Whitman (former CEO of ebay). My DH knows her DH very well, he's a nsg at Stanford and was one of DH's mentors in medical school. DH has met Meg though I haven't. But the discussion we had was very much the same that I'm sure most people had when he announced Gov. Palin. What would qualify the former CEO of a major company to become the 2nd highest politician in the country?

When she was first appointed I came out swinging defending her and I still feel that I will on issues that I don't think should disqualify her. The fact that her husband has a 20+ year old DWI, that her daughter is pregnant and engaged, that she's a working mom of 5, are all not reasons to disqualify her from being the VP - they don't qualify her either though and I think that is where people are getting hung up.

If McCain wanted an "outsider", a female, someone to put the Dems on their heels he could have picked one of several other female governors or "new" senate or house members. I still haven't figured out what the theory is behind this pick but I think he's pretty much kissed this election goodbye. While the debate between Biden & Palin will be interesting I just don't see how McCain is going to get past all the questions about Palin and prove that she would be ready to be CIC on day 2 if need be.

Its going to be a historic election either way and it makes me very sad that Tim Russert is going to miss it, I would have loved to have heard his opinion on Palin.

[DCJenn]

Re: Sarah Palin?

Well, the more everyone gets wrapped up in the 'fluff' (special needs baby, pregnant daughter, blah, blah, blah) the less people are discussing the stuff that will keep me up at night...

namely, I honestly don't see that she has enough national and international experience to run the country.

Say what you will, but if God Forbid, Biden would have to step in on January 21, I have no doubt that he has enough of a background to deal with the issues immediately.

I have not heard anything that assuages my fear that as a Vice President, she's not ready for prime time. Being a Right to Life evangelical is not going to do a thing if we are attacked again by bin Laden, or if Russia decides to annez Ukraine, or the junta in Myanmar decide to squander foreign aid (again) or if we have another huge natural disaster. Sure, she can pick the Supremes. Yes that scares me (a LOT) but I'm more immediately afraid of someone who has 'commanded' the Alaskan National Guard and visited them in Kuwait (which is not a war zone) will be my husband's CIC.

The fluff is a distraction. If you're a feminist, (as I am) then you should see that she (and we as women) deserve to ask her the SAME hard questions that the men are answering. Why are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by the same people who question our very own decisions? Do I think it was smart to travel w/ an amniotic fluid leak? No, but I can understand her wanting to make it home to deliver!

I want to smack the pundits (left and right) upside the head and say, "Focus, you asshats! Stop demeaning women by assuming that 1) she is more interesting because of the family crap and 2) that she needs to be treated differently than the other candidates."

Let's get to the meat of the discussion. Can she run this country? I have heard nothing yet that tells me that she can.

Jenn

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Sarah Palin?

I agree Jenn and I think it will probably be next week before we really get to that issue. Just like last week it was all rah rah dems, this week is going to be all rah rah republicans and b/c of that I think they press is more likely to talk about the "fluff."

The other issue is that McCain's staff can't even seem to really answer the question. An interesting interview with Campbell Brown and one of McCain's staff:
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/pol....interview.cnn

Re: Sarah Palin?

Just watched the video. Dude, McCain totally needs a new spokesperson.

Aside on the media -- why do they keep referring to Palin's daughter as her pregnant unmarried teenage daughter? Doesn't teenage just about cover that?

[Cumberland]

Re: Sarah Palin?

According to her mom, pretty soon she will be a teenage married mother.

[SuzySunshine]

Re: Sarah Palin?

This one isn't any better...

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/211345...06854#26506453

Re: Sarah Palin?

According to her mom, pretty soon she will be a teenage married mother.

I know -- I just think it further sensationalizes it.

[Sheherezade]

Re: Sarah Palin?

Because I'm obviously not listening to Obama and letting this go (I'm trying! I'm trying, but the press keeps putting things up on my RSS feeds!):


http://www.salon.com/politics/war_ro...ney/index.html

This is just one more reason to keep your kids from setting up that MySpace page. I've already told my kids to never, ever, ever post nekked pictures of yourself lest ye become a famous person or apply for a job someday. Now, I'm going to add profanity to my list of things to avoid. *sigh*

Re: Sarah Palin?

oy vey! totally just something stupid a teenage boy would write, but .... most teenage boys don't expect to end up under the microscope like that.

Re: Sarah Palin?

Oh my...yes, I'm sure that having his myspace info on Salon.com was about the last thing on his mind.

Not presidentially important but I hope her parents told her she can keep the baby but not marry him. Just my two cents...where is the run away emoticon...

Re: Sarah Palin?

Me too, but if I remember 17 correctly it's probably more like this, "We're-so-in-love-nothing-can-ever-come-between-us-we'll-never-fight-and-this-is-going-to-be-easy-just-you-watch" but maybe that was just me at 17.

I agree and it is far better to be supportive. But...gads....

Not always the case, either. A former employee had a baby at 16 or 17yo and found a great family to adopt him despite thinking the bio dad was a good guy.

Re: Sarah Palin?

Me too, but if I remember 17 correctly it's probably more like this, "We're-so-in-love-nothing-can-ever-come-between-us-we'll-never-fight-and-this-is-going-to-be-easy-just-you-watch" but maybe that was just me at 17.

Not only you at 17! It also sounds familiar for some of the folks we have come looking here for the "hard truth". "Tell me how it is, and then I'll tell you why it won't be hard FOR US! We LOOOOOOOVE each other!"

(going back into my cave now)

[Vanquisher]

Re: Sarah Palin?

I would just like to point out that if this keeps up, Sarah Palin is likely to take over TomKat. Can we let that happen, people? Can we?