8.29.2008

BREAKING: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tapped for McCain VP

News outlets are reporting that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is to be named as McCain's VP pick.

What do I have to say about that, you ask?

It seems like a low-brow, pandering pick aimed at attracting the jilted Clinton Dems who wanted a woman in The Office.

The question is this - is that really going to work? Does McCain think women will flock to his ticket, particularly women Democrats who feel jilted at Obama's pick and process? Is that really what you women are willing to do, you who are unhappy with the Democratic ticket? Do you care more about a woman, ANY woman, in the Whitehouse than supporting a philosophy of policy? Are you a member of a political party, or the Party Of Women? Because if you're just a Party Of Women, that really means you would vote for a woman using the Nazi Party platform, or the Communist Party, or whatever else. Because gender is the only thing that matters? Please make McCain be wrong on that assumption. Be better than that. Please be bigger than that.

Isn't it time to support a platform of policy rather than gender? Because if it's not, why don't you just support the idea of taking the vote away from males, and allowing only the females to vote?

Kind of crazy to me, I think.

On to another note, now that I have that out of my system. I would have paid a lot to be at the DNC in Denver this week. I would have loved to see Teddy Kennedy deliver his speech live and in person - it feels to me like a passing of history before my eyes. I think I am older than most who read here - I was born just a couple of months before JFK was assassinated, and I have always felt a sort of connection to that event, and the Kennedy presidency.

Okay, enough of that - you can flame me if you want. Whatever. But tell me what you think of Obama's pick. Remember when I picked Biden as my candidate in May 2006, before he had even announced his candidacy? I like him. A lot. He's not afraid to bloody a nose or two, not afraid to say that we should be enforcing the laws we have, rather than trying to solve problems by enacting new laws. He's not afraid to call "Treason!" when he sees it. He's not a millionaire rich boy who has no connection to the middle class. He is the middle class.

Okay, so there you have my political thoughts in a nutshell. On to other things - we spent a long weekend away last weekend to play some golf before the summer ended and school started up. It also happened to be the last weekend of summer rates in Mesquite, where, if you dare, you can play golf in 110 degrees for half price or better. We had some great times with some friends, saw a show at the Shakespeare Festival, and at Tuacahn, played four rounds of golf, met some great new people, drank some wine, sat by/in the pool, and generally had a great time. We played 36 holes on Saturday - that was perhaps the hottest day of golf I have ever experienced - by the time we got to the last nine, we were the only ones on the course, and I was wearing a wet towel on my head like Malibu Barbie.

To top it all off, I bested my personal low score on Sunday morning before we came home, posting a 75, to better my two 78s played earlier this year. So all in all, a great weekend, and a nice refresher to get back and down to the task at hand.

Unfortunatley, we forgot the camera at home, and therefore this post has more text than pictures. I'll try to do better next time.

12 comments:

The Absent Minded Housewife said...

Screw her...I'm voting for Obama.

I was hoping it would be Mitt. That would have been divine intervention from God. They would have lost for sure.

That One Guy said...

I was hoping for Romney too... talk about hanging an anchor (with good hair) around your neck. Guaranteed LOSE.

Unfortunately, they were smarter than that. Just barely.

That One Guy said...

And I can't wait for a VP debate. Biden's gonna punch her in the gut and steal her lunch money!

Dijea said...

As a woman, and a social democrat and fiscal republican - I'm not sure I like her pro-life stance. That being said, I'm looking forward to the next 60 days. I'll pay attention now.

Dijea said...

On the VP debate - she's a known debater. Biden may need to tone it down to not look so "angry."

Salt H2O said...

I can't believe everyone is giving McCain crap because he picked a qualified woman.

If picking a candidate who has executive experience, has turned down federal money, cut spending, and is raising 5 kids is pandering...pander away.

Palin is awesome, and finally someone conservatives can be excited about.

I think it's HILARIOUS that Obama has said something about McCain's number 2 not having international experience. Are you kidding me? Seriously.

That One Guy said...

Salty: COME AAAWWNN! You don't see this as an attempt to attract the blind women voters? (though I'm in NO WAY implying that I think you are one...)

What you say is right... she IS generally qualified. And as she sits a breath away from presidency, her experience is likely on par with Obama... as in - Neither has "managed" so much as a Dairy Queen... BUT it's pretty hard to see past the fact IT SEEMS like they were looking at women first for the slot... it just seems pretty blatant to me.

Bottom line for me: The DEM ticket is stronger than the REPUB ticket.

My story, and I'm stickin to it.

(And THANKS for stopping by, and leaving a comment!)

Anonymous said...

Your plea to women sounds more like a cry of desperation than valid argumentative point. Stating that women would vote gender-based regardless of political affiliation is chauvinistic at best. Maybe we should repeal women's right to vote all together since they would potentially be so enamored about a woman on the ticket that they would even chose a Nazi candidate. Are you intimidated by the Palin pick?

You don't think that the Biden pick was also pandering to the Dem base and trying to shore up Obama’s lack of experience? It’s the only thing that makes sense because I'm not sure how else 35 years in the Senate qualifies him under the platform of “change”. How blind are you? Oh that’s right, Biden took a train ride every night so he hasn’t been influenced by Washington. Maybe the Washington influence skips a generation and that’s why his kid is a lobbyist. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. These are politicians, and both sides are going to pick the person that best advances their cause. The best part about the Palin pick is that the #2 on the Rep ticket still has more executive experience than the top bill on Dem ticket.

It is amusing that you openly support Biden when he supported the decision to go to war. The big issue that exposes Obama and Biden’s lack of judgment is that they did not support the surge...nice work there. One of the main reasons that the surge was not supported in the Dem ranks is that it better positioned their rally cry of "the war is lost". Good quote there, Harry Reid. I don't want to argue whether the war was just or not, but Biden voted yes to go in, but no to the surge. The only way that there is now a viable exit strategy on the table, that includes us winning the war, is due to the surge. That is something that the McCain “judgment” was actively backing. Let’s vote for the experience and judgment in the #1 slot, not catchy, hollow slogans and celebrity appeal.

OneHungMan said...

Regardless of whether McCain wins or not, his VP candidate is pretty hot.

That One Guy said...

Anon: I don't think I'm chauvinist at all... I don't and/or wouldn't have a problem voting for a woman at any level, any time. That's not what I am saying here. What I AM saying is that this pick is odd and seems (and most importantly, LOOKS OUTWARDLY) single-minded. Answer me this: What weakness in McCain does Palin reinforce or shore up? I'm saying I just don't get it. They were looking for a woman first, policy/positions second. That's where the chauvinism was... in my view. And lot's of other peoples' view.

The papers this morning reported that the McCain camp didn't even arrive in Alaska to vet this choice until last Thursday, one day before making the announcement. I wonder if they knew everything there was to know - what we know now.... hard to say. One thing is certain, Palin does line up behind the big party GOP planks, as expected. So that's something I guess.

In the long run, whether you are a Repub or Dem, I think one has to admit that, at this early point at least, Obama/Biden are generally controlling the conversation.

Again, the way I see it.

Salt H2O said...

The way I see it the two tickets are very balanced:

Biden is to McCain
as Palin is to Obama

Two old crownies that know how to work the government- two young enthusiastic candidates- both vehicles of change- one wouldn't have a shot if he wasn't black and the other wouldn't have been considered if she wasn't a woman.

The tickets are pretty even steven.

(For the record: The state of Alaska has roughly a few more citizens than a dairy queen)

That One Guy said...

I think that's fair... given the state of the media frenzy right now around Palin, for things other than politics, it will be interesting to see how things shake out with her - who she really is.... people (the media) are/is actually wondering if she is going to even make it through the season before either volunteering to step down, or being asked to do so.

Sheesh....

Good one, on the dairy queen comment. While she is wildly popular in her home state, she is certainly not without a cloud of controversy there either. To the Dems, she looks a lot like the establishment policy of government bullying, mismanagement, and power mongering...

Again, interesting to see how that all shakes out in the next several weeks.