The Moderate Voice - Latest Comments in The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:24:13 -0000

Thanks outspoken. The woman has skills - some very valuable skills. But so do you - so do I - so does my town's mayor, so does Bobby Jindal. It is so upsidedown world to read true red conservatives argue that she is the best choice to be president if McCain were to be incapacitated or otherwise no longer the president -how can that be?

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:22:39 -0000

Jim - yeah - the dates and times - there's more there - nothing jives (1984 beauty queen award, off to college but she moved around college a bit, degree in 1987 marries high school sweetheart then - I read she eloped - why - again, not untoward - I have a relative who eloped too - but what was the reason - this is all open) . That does NOT mean there's something untoward, but for goodness sakes, even superficially, for all the whining about Clinton and experience and Obama and experience and senators don't make it to the White House, you'd think we would get a far more media-tight blogger-proof resume from them before announcing her.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

outspoken — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:10:05 -0000

I lived in Anchorage for 6 years and two of it was out of the military working for a non profit in the oil and gas industry. I luckily moved out of state just before Murkowski became governor and Sarah Palin was a nobody besides serving on the town council. She wouldn't have made it to Governor if it was not for the endorsements or votes from the people she has supposedly been citing "corruption." You do not make it in that state without the good ole boy system unless it has changed since I lived there. She has always been a nice person from what I remember from the few times I had met her, but she is definately not qualified to deal with the US and being VP. They always say, don't bite the hand that feeds you. I guarantee there will be some major issues to come up concerning Stevens and the other "big ones" in the oil and gas industry concerning her run for VP.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jim_Satterfield — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:58:21 -0000

According to her bio her bachelor's degree in journalism is from Idaho. I think that's probably the longest she's been out of the state.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:20:06 -0000

Jim, totally agree. To say that she's been living in her own private Alaska is an understatement. I even wonder how much her family has ever been out of the state, let alone her. I read something that quoted her as saying in March 2007, that she didn't think about Iraq because she needed to think about her job as governor - that was not long after she took office. I cannot imagine Ohio's governor Ted Strickland giving an answer like that.

And as you say she lives in an oil rich state - how could she not be keeping up on Iraq?

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:17:47 -0000

Yes Ricorun, I am serious - actually someone who I don't know if she wants to be named sent me the tip and when I googled it to check it out, there were only three links to the info but that was two hours ago so there maybe more now - MyDD found it by following a local Alaskan paper - probably very wise for those who want to follow Palin and McCain.

I would also guess that this whole rumor about whether she pretended to be pregnant to protect her daughter will also be investigated by McCain's people once they are up there. It should be easy enough to put to rest if it's false with birth certificates, hospital records and so on.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jim_Satterfield — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:52:52 -0000

Also, when it comes to arguments about her experience let's be honest about Alaska. Abandon the romantic view of the state and it's inhabitants for a bit. A blog on the Dallas Morning News site points out something that occurred to me pretty quickly.

There are 16 mayors in the U.S. that have more constituents than the entire state. Heck, the Kansas City metro area has 3 times as many people as Alaska. In addition something not mentioned in the article is that governors of Alaska don't have anything approaching the fiscal concerns of other governors. The amazing amount of revenue the state derives from oil and mineral leases makes it completely atypical among the states. No other state has that gigantic flow of revenue into the state coffers that allows it to not only not have an income tax but also not have a sales tax. And while Palin may have decried the road to nowhere and some other earmarks does she have a record of opposing the huge amount of pork that Stevens and Young have been bringing home to Alaska that wasn't as well publicized and wasteful? That certainly helped the state economically when they already had that amazing income stream. No, I don't think that Sarah Palin has faced anything like the challenges other governors have faced but I also think that the Obama campaign doesn't need to go there a lot for these facts to come out.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Ricorun — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:23:51 -0000

jillmz: I just read that his campaign is headed to AK to investigate the "troopergate" investigations of her in her state.

Oh dear. Are you serious? If that's true that's exceedingly damaging for McCain.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:59:55 -0000

I believe it is both but certainly reckless - I just read that his campaign is headed to AK to investigate the "troopergate" investigations of her in her state. Me thinks that that should have been done, oh, at least last week?

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Ricorun — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:01:09 -0000

I agree with JSpencer and elrod. The character and qualifications of Palin, however they come to be judged, is a concern. But that is only secondary to the concern about what it says about McCain's decision-making. That Palin was a last-minute pick is not a problem in itself -- but only if it can be assumed she was properly vetted. If she wasn't, that IS a problem. It reflects recklessness, an inclination to make important decisions on the spur of the moment without careful consideration of the consequences. I would hope that's not a quality anyone wants in a president -- especially at this point in time.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:56:36 -0000

Outspoken - I agree. What you describe are the family values that every parent considers, regardless of where they are on the political spectrum. It is beyond cavalier to throw them aside now.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

outspoken — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:09:04 -0000

Okay, so McCain is free to pick who he chooses and I'm not voting for him anyway, and I am all for working mothers, since I am one myself. I feel it is very selfish of Palin to accept the nomination considering the fact that her newborn baby is a special needs baby with downs syndrome. So she has 4 other kids and a husband at home to take care of this baby, but it is a mother's responsibility to be there for her child in a critical moment like this. How is she going to have the time to run for VP or if she makes VP to take proper motherly care of her child. It is not fair to her child nor is it fair to the US if her thoughts are elsewhere if McCain wins. Also, what extra danger does that put her son in when he is deployed to Iraq and the enemy even gets an idea of who he is and who is mother is if McCain wins. I'm just highly disappointed in his pick and her acceptance.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:56:21 -0000

Elrod, thanks - that is absolutely true. Great point. Not to mention frightening re: how McCain could have made this pick - truly.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

elrod — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:29:58 -0000

Whatever you think of Palin as a person, she has established no vision for the country. It isn't just that she's inexperienced - and I don't buy the argument that small-style executive experience trumps legislative experience - but that she seems to never have given thought to issues of national leadership. She has literally no profile on national issues. Her only political history of national import is supporting Pat Buchanan's 1996 and 2000 campaign. That's her prerogative. The real question is why did McCain think she could step in at any moment and serve as President?

This reflects very poorly on John McCain's judgment and leadership. Whatever he does, he does not put "country first."

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:05:58 -0000

Thanks, BDavid - I didn't know that. I did hear about how Chris Matthews had to correct Pat Buchanan - now that's some opposite day stuff! From NYT's The Caucus:

"5:16 p.m. | Who You Calling a Girl? From Katharine Q. Seelye: Pat Buchanan on MSNBC just referred to Ms. Palin as a “girl.” And Chris Matthews, who was accused of being sexist during the Democratic primary because of remarks he made about Hillary Rodham Clinton on the air, corrected Mr. Buchanan, telling him that Ms. Palin is a woman, not a girl."

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 09:02:30 -0000

JSpencer - that's a really good point w/backup - thank you. You are really right. This decision, even how it was made, echoes other choices McCain has made during his campaign. You know, people vilified Hillary Clinton for wanting this presidency so badly and going after it at all costs, but truly, it is McCain who is showing that kind of willful disregard for logic and this country and the voters - and himself, frankly. Wow. Thanks again for this comment - very profound actually.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:48:56 -0000

Anna - I think what you felt was felt by parents everywhere - maybe not all parents, but certainly many parents, ALL along the political spectrum, and perhaps even more so on the right - given that family values thing. As I've written, however, we have to be careful not to allow the spin to be, headed toward women and women who call themselves feminists in particular, that "Oh ho! we give you a working woman and now you don't want her!? What hypocrites!" We can't let that be the calling cry - we MUST own this discussions and speak out. This discussion has been so driven underground and by the media - let's use this time to set the record straight and set the foundation for gender-neutral criticism of how work and families should be managed and treated, on all levels.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:45:11 -0000

Silhouette - would you take raw crude and put it in your car? Would you give your beloved the piece of rock that miners pull out of the diamond mines as an engagement token?

I agree - this woman has chutzpah and skill and beliefs in line with the GOP. If I were someone who believed what she believes, I would be thrilled EXCEPT THAT the same argument that those of us left of center applied to not choosing Hillary Clinton (not this woman) is available to women on the right of center: not this woman. Why not this woman? For many reasons - but you cannot shut down the option of saying not this woman because...she's a woman.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:42:17 -0000

I mean this when I say this, Stockboy, I could not say what you just wrote any better. I agree 100%. Thanks.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:39:40 -0000

Elrod, I agree but GOD FORBID if McCain is elected and Palin has to become president at some point, we are completely wrong - because if we are right, well, not even God will be able to help us.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:38:05 -0000

Thanks, Kathryn. Yeah - I confess, I find the 72-44 age thing a bit creepy - I know that's not right, but it was a reaction I felt when I saw her very awkwardly kiss him yesterday at the rally. Of course, that was before I knew that he'd only met her formally once and then clandestinely another time, all in the last 6 mos. I've got lots to write about this pick but again, I feel it's a huge miscalculation because frankly, Republicans who go for it show their shallowness either way - either they vote for her because she is a woman and will help McCain win, or they are voting for him and are ignoring her lack of readiness, on many fronts.

When Bush/Cheney came in, I might not like them or agree with their politics, at all, but I didn't fear that Cheney would only pass laws that were good for Wyoming. Palin knows extremely little outside of AK and is on the record saying that she would need to believe that the VP job would be fruitful for Alaskans. No, no no.

Ok - I will stop myself for now. :)

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

RememberNovember — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:36:09 -0000

If McCain picked Ron Paul instead of NeoBarbie, I'd be sorely conflicted. Such as it is, this short-sighted, long barreled moose hunter may fly with the minority of slavering fundementalists, but once she opens her mouth it's over, Johnny. At least McCain can pronounce "nuclear".
Palin is not Obam's match- what has Palin done for this country? Served on any Foreign relations committee? Voted on any key votes? The arguments that she is equal to Obama for her 18 month Mulligan'ed shoe in to the Governorship of a state that has less people than NYC or Chicago is WEAKSAUCE. Stop grabbing at straw barbies. It wa a panic move because Unkle Karl told him not to pick LIE berman.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:34:23 -0000

Pattonguy, good point, thank you. :)

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

denisedh — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:59:29 -0000

My thoughts exactly. I meant this to go under Anna's comment, sorry.

Re: The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin

BDavid — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:52:11 -0000

Governor Palin supported Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. Buchanan's name sets off more blinking lights than an airport runway. Associating herself with this man is evidence of either her lack of knowledge or her agreement with his disgusting beliefs.

BDavid