Admin
Verse of the Day
The Newsroom
Recent Posts
- I Haven’t Deserted You
- Can You Relate?
- Tis Better To Give Than To Receive
- Commander-In-Chief
- Got A Minute?
Recent Comments
- Sue on I Haven’t Deserted You
- ~J~ on Can You Relate?
- ~J~ on Happy Thanksgiving
- Piano Girl on Does Our President Have to Go to Church to Prove He’s Christian?
- ~J~ on Does Our President Have to Go to Church to Prove He’s Christian?
- David M. on Does Our President Have to Go to Church to Prove He’s Christian?
- ~J~ on Those Wonderful Church Bulletin Bloopers
- David M. on Those Wonderful Church Bulletin Bloopers
- ~J~ on Bar-B-Que
- ~J~ on Taking The Charity Out Of The Church
Blogroll
Newspaper Rack
Categories
I stayed up until about 5:30 this morning and was snoozing away when the phone rang and my son told me the big rumor was Sarah Palin was going to be Sen. McCain’s vice presidential pick.
It was enough to get me out of bed and tune in to the television. Around 10:00 am it was sort of confirmed by a campaign official backstage, but I was actually waiting for official word. I dared not hope McCain would have chosen someone I have read favorable things about.
When he made the announcement and she came out with her husband and four of her five children (the oldest son is preparing to go to Iraq) I was ecstatic.
This is a mother of five children, the youngest being born in April. He has Down’s Syndrome and she knew it before his birth. She could have aborted him, but she didn’t. She could have kept him home and used the excuse he was just a baby and she didn’t want him to travel, but she didn’t.
She had one of her daughters proudly holding the baby while he slept and another daughter holding his bottle. Clearly this child is loved and they are not ashamed of him.
When McCain turned and saw the baby he gently kissed him. It was a very touching scene.
She’s a wonderful speaker, based on what she said today. She gave homage to Geraldine Ferraro who was the first woman vice presidential pick some 24 years ago. She also praised Hillary Clinton for putting 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling and said this year she hoped we could finally smash that glass ceiling, much to the delight of the audience.
No sooner had her name been announced and before her appearance we heard from the Obama camp that she was just a former mayor from a city of 9,000 people and has no foreign policy experience. Tacky.
What Obama’s campaign didn’t mention is that she is governor of Alaska, had a state-owned aircraft and sold it when she got into office to save the state money. She drives around the state or takes a commercial plane for her official travel.
She has never been afraid to fire anyone for not doing their job and enjoys an unheard of 80% approval rating in her state. There is an investigation because she fired the state highway commissioner and some think it’s because her sister is married to a state trooper and she wanted the commissioner to fire the trooper since they are going through a divorce. She has welcomed the investigation and I think there is nothing more to the story than that she just fired the commissioner.
She gave up her state police security detail upon becoming governor because she said she can take care of herself. Today she was surrounded by the Secret Service and she won’t be able to get rid of them until a) she loses the election or b)she is no longer a vice president, assuming she won’t run for president.
I have to admit the pride I felt today when I learned this charismatic woman was selected, and she looks as though she runs on batteries that never run out.
For the first time this election season I am excited about the McCain ticket.
Written by ~J~
kimsch Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 8:38 pmVisit kimsch
then she called and woke me up!
Sue Says:
August 29th, 2008 at 10:08 pmVisit Sue
Hey ~J~
What a tremendous surprise this was! I loved every minute of watching her this afternoon and have enjoyed reading most of the coverage of her selection.
Remember, the bottom of the ticket would be important this year more than ever? This I think proves it.
And, I bet she even stayed home and baked chocolate chip cookies once in a while!
Great choice and finally something to give this election cycle some life.
~J~ Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:20 amVisit ~J~
Sorry, kimsch. I thought you were already up and I wanted to share the news with my blogging friends.
Guss Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 5:41 amVisit Guss
Just when I thought he had a chance. I will vote for Obama because this man has lost his mind.
Guss Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 6:02 amVisit Guss
J, this is nothing to be excited about. This has got to be the dumbest thing he could have done. When the press gets done with her she will look like a mental case that hasn’t got an idea what’s going on. This is awful. To think that I was going to vote for him scares the hell out of me. The days of being elected just by the base are gone. I just can’t believe that he would do this to him self.
David M Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 8:06 amVisit David M
I’m 100% with Guss on this. He chose a woman (pandering to the women who supported Senator Clinton) who has no real experience (there goes that argument about Senator Obama) who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency–of a 72+ year old man. You like her because she didn’t abort a Downs syndrome child and got rid of the state airplane! Abortions are decreasing and Downs syndrome children are not necessarily even very impaired. You think she’s frugal because she flies commercial in a state that has few airports. I would have thought keeping a state airplane makes more sense in Alaska than any other state. Our Governor uses a state plane and we all think it’s smart and efficient. We’re only the 5th largest state and we think it keeps him able to get to our more remote areas. 80% of Alaskans like her after 2 years in office. Wow–that’s great. Our governor got 76% of the votes for his second term but it didn’t help him get the presidency. So McCain now has sewed up Alaska’s 3 electoral votes. What a maverick! Now I’m convinced early senility is a real possiblity. Apparently he met her privately in person once. So-great-she’s pro-life and younger than some of his children. If the Republicans wanted a woman for the first time ever; this is the best we can do? This weakened the ticket for me. I’m not voting for McCain after this ridiculous choice.
Sue Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 10:27 amVisit Sue
David and Guss:
What Palin has done is excite those of us who have not had much interest in this election at all.
Just the fact that she is not Washington establishment and still has a human aspect about her will sell well with part of the electorate.
I suppose Joe Biden was a great choice for the man of “change?” Why? Just because he has sat in the Senate and chaired a committee? (He too comes from a state with only 3 electoral votes.)
What executive experience does that provide him? Further where is the executive experience for Barack Obama or John McCain?
Believe me, I still struggle with the top of both tickets, but in selecting Palin, a woman with 5 children who has been unafraid to take on her own party in an attempt to clean up corruption McCain IMHO has shown he is a Maverick, not the opposite.
~J~ Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 11:10 amVisit ~J~
David,
What I wrote last night were my real thoughts on this selection. She has been mentioned for several months as a great choice for a running mate by people I admire, such as The Anchoress.
Having a Down’s baby does not qualify her to be VP, but not aborting it when she had the chance speaks volumes to me.
Selling the state airplane and traveling by commercial plane or driving herself shows a frugal side of her to cut back the costs of government. The same applies to getting rid of her State Police detail. Now they can be free to do the jobs they were hired to do. That tells me she doesn’t think of herself as a celebrity or someone who was more important than she is.
Yes, McCain has sewn up Alaska’s three electoral votes, just as Biden has sewn up Delaware’s three electoral votes. Oh, wait! They were already reliably Democratic anyway, just as NM and Maine are. I’m not saying your vote is worth nothing, but I doubt either of those two states are in McCain’s sights.
Did you know the taxpayers pay for Biden’s Amtrak ride to and from work each day? Is that frugal?
It looks to me as though you and Guss were both decided to vote for Obama and this just gives you an excuse to say it publicly now. I still love you both, but we disagree on this.
David M Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 11:47 amVisit David M
I care about you too much to argue with you, but we must be concerned about the vice-president. Joe Biden is ready to lead today and Governor Palin is not. She has wonderful attributes for the conservative wing of the party in her positions, but Senator McCain has entered his 73rd year of life. The statistical chances of Governor Palin assuming the presidency are greater than the chances of Senator Biden. I regret disagreeing because I love most of her policies and I do love you, but I think this was a very poor choice for the GOP in 2008. Really-look at this message–Senator McCain says Senator Obama is inexperienced, so he choses a Governor with less than 2 years of experience. You don’t need to like or dislike Senator Biden’s beliefs, but I implore you to view this on a pragmatic basis. The vice-president needs to be able to assume office from day one. Remember-there could be no learning curve. I believe William Henry Harrison served only 31 days. Obviously medical science is better and today President Harrison would probably have survived what was likely pneumonia, but we cannot take that risk. So my message is: I like Governor Palin; I like her beliefs; I like everything I know about her politically and as a person. But this plays as an act of desperation and undercuts Senator McCain’s message about experience vs. inexperience. It plays as pandering to the female voters and the conservative wing of the party. I think you view yourself as conservative and I view myself as moderate. I think you view sexual orientation as a political issue and I do not (my state has protected sexual orientation against discrimination since 1972). I think it is a personal issue, not a political issue. And with the deepest respect, I don’t know where you are going with the issue of Governor Palin not aborting a child with Downs. I mean, I have real difficulty justifying abortion ever. I guess if a family must choose between the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child, the family has to make that choice and the government should stay out of it. I do not believe the government should ever enter that equation. The enthusiatic support for Gov. Palin because of her political views really troubles me. We can love her policies, but where’s the balance with her experience? Sure, she bucked the GOP establishment in Alaska, but can she reach across party lines? She never has had to do so. Sorry-but I think this is a terrible choice and it’s even difficult to say that because I really like her. I will tell you that your comment that Guss and I decide to vote for Obama and this just gave us an excuse for saying it is extremely insulting to me. I cannot believe you said that.
David M Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 12:01 pmVisit David M
And-by the way-New Mexico is NOT “reliably Democrat.” President Bush won here and Al Gore won by about 800 votes. And-incidently- Governor Palin doesn’t believe global warming exists and the Artic icecap is the second smallest it has ever been. I can accept that she doesn’t think we contribute to global warning–as odd as that belief is–but to deny it exists!! That’s completely out of touch with reality.
Marge Says:
August 30th, 2008 at 10:46 pmVisit Marge
My argument isn’t because McCain chose a women for his running mate. My argument is the way Senator McCain constantly criticized Senator Obama because of his “experience” running for the highest office in our country only to turn around and put his foot in his own mouth by choosing someone with the same faults he is accusing Obama. My choice is and has been Obama from the start after Senator Clinton lost the nomination. I have the same sentiments as Guss and David.
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 12:00 amVisit ~J~
One difference there that seems to escape the yellow dog democrats. Palin is number 2 on the ticket and will have time to learn the ropes. Obama is number one on the ticket and won’t have time to learn the ropes.
We’re going to start being just as political against Obama/Biden as our commenters are being about McCain/Palin. After all, we’ve sat back and been nice all this time, but it appears nice isn’t what you want. We’ll back it up with facts and not talking points, though.
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 12:21 amVisit ~J~
David,
Just as you are insulted by my remark I was hurt and insulted by your first comment.
You can’t understand the abortion issue. Here it is, plain and simple. If she had been a Democrat chances are she would have aborted an “imperfect” child, but she chose life for him.
You speak of Biden being ready the first day. For what? Bloviating? He’s nothing but a windbag. A personable windbag, but a windbag nontheless. Obama is not ready from day one since he has spent his entire legislative career voting present or being in attendance at the US Senate a total of 143 days while campaigning the rest of the three years he’s been there. That’s not even four months actually gaining any experience as a Senator.
This woman has cleaned up corruption in her own party in her state. McCain will not need as much OJT as Obama, and in the times we live now we cannot afford to OJT another president. Comparing Obama to Palin is comparing apples to oranges, but it gives a good talking point to the Democrats about McCain not being able to use the experience issue.
Compare the two candidates for the same office. If you expect the next president to die immediately after taking office then concentrate on the number 2 on the ticket. Otherwise you go with the feeling the number 2 can learn the job if given a few months and the authority by the president to learn it.
I am not afraid of what other people do with their sex lives, but, David, as a Christian man, what has God Himself said about it? He calls it an abomination. If it was an abomination then it’s an abomination now as He does not change His mind.
You talk of abortion as though having fewer is better. God condemns the shedding of innocent blood and that’s what abortion is. Killing the most innocent for convenience and that’s what the Democrats stand for and have stood for for many decades.
I’m going to tell you all one thing about this election: If you are a believer then vote the Bible. Vote the Bible on abortion, homosexuality and any other social problem.
In my working years I had many homosexual and lesbian friends, but it didn’t mean I had to approve of their lifestyle. So I take umbrage at your comment to me about homosexuals and how you think I feel about them. If they are celibate they are following the Bible. If not, they are not and there are no two ways to get around that.
Obama has threatened television and radio stations as well as newspapers if they ran some of the Republican ads. The word “fascist” is tossed around like a salad these days, but what is shutting up the press if not fascism?
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 12:28 amVisit ~J~
McCain raised $3 million in three hours after announcing Palin as his running mate. His site crashed and the phones were busy so we don’t know how much more was raised, but that was more than he had been raising in a month. It appears someone is happy with the choice.
And, David, I’m moderate on a lot of social issues and conservative on a lot of financial issues. I love you too and hope we can keep an open discussion going. We happen to disagree on this choice and nothing is going to change either of our minds.
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 12:35 amVisit ~J~
Another thing: Palin is rescinding the state taxes on fuel in Alaska effective Sept. 1, 2008 and going to Aug. 31, 2009. How’s that for helping the comman man?
Do you think Obama and Biden will donate time and money to the hurricane effort if it becomes necessary? Nope.
I’m not a fan of Hillary Clinton, but Obama treated her worse than I’ve seen people treat dogs. He promised to help her retire her debt and didn’t and now that he is the official nominee she can no longer raise funds to retire that debt.
She came through for him at the convention, as did her husband. Maybe there was a backroom deal for them, but we haven’t heard about it. I don’t want a president who holds his head higher and looks down on people when he’s speaking and then tries to persuade me he’s one of us. The only change he’s going to bring is the change he lets us keep in our pockets and you can count on it.
Guss Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 4:54 amVisit Guss
J, This might have excited the base but oh my god what has it done to the independents and democrats that were going to vote for McCain? What the heck would happen to this country if, god forbid, something were to happen to McCain? He has just blown it by thinking that woman are so stupid that they would vote for him just because he has a her on the ticket. J, please stop with the insults. Don’t put party ahead of friends and logic. This is truly a bad pick.
Guss Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 5:19 amVisit Guss
I have eaten moose meat, have a snowmobile and don’t much care for my in laws. When I was young I was a body builder and took second place in the Mr. Maine contest. I should have thrown my hat in the ring for vice president.
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 5:25 amVisit ~J~
After not being excited about anything in this campaign, including the other three candidates you tell me to be logical because this pick excites me. Not because I happen to carry two X chromosomes in my DNA, but because the woman impresses me. If she were a man and did and said the same things I would be impressed with her.
She is the ultimate outsider. I could never in good conscience support Obama because he doesn’t have any experience and has spent what little time he’s been in the Senate on the campaign trail to be president.
He has promised things for this campaign and then backed down on his promise. A few cases in point: He pledged he would take public financing for the campaign but reneged on it when he saw how much star-power he had. He promised to go to town hall meetings with McCain and when he figured out without a teleprompter he’s nothing he reneged on that.
He promised to help Hillary bail out of her campaign debt if she’d support him, but when the chips were down he reneged on that and basked in the glory of hers and her husband’s words last week.
Where is he going to get all the money to pay for everything he is promising the people? Sure, the government can print money but it won’t be worth anything unless we have something to back it up, and thanks to our last Democratic president we now owe China our country. All for the princely sum of sleeping in the White House and tossing in some tainted money.
So, you are complaining the number 2 on the ticket, the only one of four with executive experience, is too inexperienced to become president if she should have to, while at the same time supporting a man who has spent less time in state-wide office than she has. Sounds logical to me.
I’m not insulting anyone, but if anyone feels insulted by what I have written I will gladly apologize right now.
~J~ Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 5:30 amVisit ~J~
By the way, how experienced in running a government was George Washington? He turned out to be pretty good. I’m not comparing Palin to Washington, but I think you get the point.
Guss Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 5:44 amVisit Guss
I get the point but not the reasoning. I have to feed the chickens and let them out so you have a wonderful day my beloved cousin.
Sue Says:
August 31st, 2008 at 11:21 amVisit Sue
“By the way, how experienced in running a government was George Washington? He turned out to be pretty good. I’m not comparing Palin to Washington, but I think you get the point.”
(and a good point at that ~J~)
For that matter, how much experience at being President does anyone have before they are actually performing the daily tasks of the office?
The last time I looked anyone entering the office for a first term has never been President of the United States before so each and every one of them has learned on the job.
Why did we not seem so concerned when Ronald Reagan was elected for the second time at the same age John McCain is now?
For that matter he was in his late sixties when he won the first time so I suppose we should have concerned ourselves that he might die in office instead of concentrating on his governance.
And, Guss, while I think you know how I feel about polls, this one from Zogby (not exactly a right leaning polling organization) might answer some of your questions about Democrats and Independents voting for McCain:
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews1547.html
Check out the rest of the poll. It shows those other than Republicans drove these numbers.
McCain needed to solidify his base and that is exactly what this pick did. Now this really becomes a horse race.