Palin pick an insult to our intelligence

[LightbulbSun]

She's bubbly, Obama's charismatic. Seems to me they are equally qualified! C'mon. Why is Obama even in the race? He made a good speech at a national convention 8 years ago that made him popular. That's it. He's too inexperienced to have a real track record or real political clout and when he speaks, there is no substance, just applause-lines. What makes this so ironic is the Palin pick beats the Dems at their own game. They made this a popularity contest and Repubs just one-upped them at it and are now winning.

I wasn't sure about this pick at first, but now I'm loving it for the irony it creates and the mirror it points at Obama. It is tough for him to bash her for being all looks and no substance because some of that is going to bounce right back at him.

Oh, and Palin does have something in her resume that paints her as a true maverick. That business with her taking down the top brass of her own party in Alaska is very impressive to me. What does Obama have on his record that paints him as a reformer as he claims to be?

FWIW, Obama is right to pound on McCain's voting with Bush for the past 8 years, but McCain does have an easy out: he has a proven track record as a "maverick" prior to that (and oh, by the way, what was Obama doing prior to 8 years ago?). The danger for Obama that it allows McCain to highlight his own record as a maverick and point out Obama's lack of a record means that it may be a dangerous issue for Obama.


[edit] Oh - the McCain-Feingold Act was 2002. I didn't realize that it was so recent. Bush was President then, but Obama wasn't even in the Senate yet.

You can't deny though that Biden owns Palin in foreign policy which is why Obama should still have the upperhand. Let's not also forget Palin supports retarded ideologies such as pro-life, creationism etc. She hates smart people like you Russ and wants to recreate the Dark Ages with her policies. That alone makes me give my vote to Obama and Biden. When the other side reeks so badly of anti-intellectualism, go with the other side, even if that other side may very well turn out to be all talk and no substance.

 

[Gokul43201]

If she is causing this much commotion on an "intellectual" forum, she must be doing something right. LOL

If by "right" you mean "being a nutjob crackpot", then yes ,you're right.

I hear the question "what are her accomplishments?" and then I look to the Obama camp...

Obama accomplishments at the National level:

1. He wrote the portion on private jet usage in the 2007 lobbying practices and disclosures bill that was signed into law despite opposition from folks like Ted Stevens. While this is virtually unknown, everyone seems to have heard about Palin selling off the jet purchased by Murkowski.

2. With Republican Senator Tom Coburn, Obama wrote the federal accountability and transparency bill that was signed into law last year.

3. He was lead sponsor of a bill to provide relief and promote democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was signed into law in December 2006 (this during a Republican controlled Congress).

4. With Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, Obama co-wrote the anti-proliferation law that enhances U.S. ability to take down conventional weapons stockpiles and to intercept WMD material.

5. Obama's Dignity for Wounded Warriors bill was absorbed into the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act that was passed last year.

Those are the ones I recall right away. And for 2 of the nearly 4 years that Obama's been in the Senate, the Republicans controlled it and blocked virtually every Democrat-sponsored bill from even making it to the floor.

This is too rich.

She has rocked to boat in Alaska by going against the political grain of her own party without regard to "how things are done here". She has more cohonas than Sen Obama so far as I've seen.

Despite the spelling, I think I get the sexist reference.

As for the "how things are done here" bit, I wonder if McCain will repeat his "$3 million earmark to study the DNA of bears in Montana" outrage when it becomes known that Palin requested a $3.2 million earmark to study the DNA of seals in Alaska.

 

[LowlyPion]

Spoken like a true politician.

Indeed your failure to list any of her ACTUAL accomplishments - preferring instead apparently to do a Bartleby's - is what is really spoken like a true Karl Rove type of politician. The failure to provide such a list merely confirms that your account is overdrawn in representing that the woman has the kind of chops to execute her office with competence.

 

[turbo]

McCain has gotten himself into a pickle. Daily, it seems, new details come out about ethical lapses in Palin's unvetted past. Today, Bloomberg press is carrying a story summarizing a few of the ethical lapses that have come to light to date.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080911/pl_bloomberg/alulrclkxig4;_ylt=As4KCn.Pv6njgOHBQ.Icl.Ws0NUE

McCain is in a tough spot. If this stuff keeps coming out, his only recourse will be to continue lies, distortions and attack ads to distract voters from her problems. He can't dump Palin, or the GOP women and evangelicals will be outraged. If she manages to come up with some believable personal reason to withdraw from the ticket voluntarily, her supporters will still believe that she was forced out, and that bodes ill for McCain. Assuming that she does withdraw, McCain has yet another problem. He has repeatedly called her the "most qualified" VP choice, so who (with any real qualifications) is going to want to take the VP candidate slot after she's gone? Would Pawlenty agree to run with McCain after being passed over initially? Not likely.

For good or ill, McCain is stuck with Palin.

Even the Wall Street Journal is chiming in, citing letters from Palin's ethics adviser, former US Attorney Wevley Shea in which he warned her that the troopergate ethics problem was "grave" and warning her that she should not try to evade the bipartisan legislative investigation into the actions of her aides and herself in trying to get trooper Wooten fired, and then firing the public safety commissioner when he refused to fire Wooten.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122109403841221751.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

 

[drankin]

Let me ask again. Just what are those accomplishments?

What makes her qualified in the least to be anything but a National Embarrassment if she were to ever by some unfortunate happenstance assume the office of President?

I take the failure to offer any actual specifics to be an admission that she is totally unqualified. (Btw, throwing out rocking the Alaskan State House is a nothing argument. What substantive decisions has she pushed through besides signing her own stay at home per diems and selling an airplane?)

I think his point is that there is a lack of accomplishments for both Obama and Palin. So it's pointless to show her as lacking and disregard Obamas likewise lack of accomplishment. And she is only running as VP.

 

[muppet]

I didn't know that Obama had helped to write US law. Do people really not consider that a substantial achievement with direct relevance to his candidature?
I really loathe the thought of a creationist getting anwhere near the whitehouse. The doctrine flies in the face of an overwhelming body of scientific evidence, and if she thinks it should be taught in schools then she's asserting that her own religious views (which the overwhelming majority of Christians don't believe) should be inflicted on millions compulsorily, which hardly accords with the idea of a secular state affording people the freedom to exercise their own personal views, does it? She can't even really appeal to some wishy-washy garbage about providing a balanced viewpoint (or similar insubstantial nonsense) without including aspects of other religious teachings- the Qu'ran's description of God making man from a germ-cell, anyone? (which is, of course, substantially nearer the mark )

 

[Evo]

The Young Earth Creationist in my office, the one that I've mentioned that thinks that dinosaurs are a Darwinist conspiracy and the skeletons are fake is voting Palin-McCain. He's thrilled as he feels it won't be long before we get creationism taught in public schools with a Palin-McCain ticket, he's anti-evolution, anti-stem cell research, anti-gays, anti-abortion. Listening to him talking about how America is going to be purged of sin is about to make me bust a blood vessel. His church group is actively campaining.

 

[LowlyPion]

I think his point is that there is a lack of accomplishments for both Obama and Palin. So it's pointless to show her as lacking and disregard Obamas likewise lack of accomplishment. And she is only running as VP.

Except of course that Palin has yet to carry on substantive policy discussion or demonstrate any particular knowledge about anything, except her far right morals that she would impose on others.

The fact that you continue to skate around the issue, deny accomplishments, throw up the false argument about Obama, merely confirms that you know pretty well how miserably short her actual record of serious accomplishment is and how unsuitable she would be by education and thoughtful analysis of the issues, to serve and protect the laws and rights of all individuals in the country, and not just those of her Pentecostal faith.

 

[LowlyPion]

The Young Earth Creationist in my office, the one that I've mentioned that thinks that dinosaurs are a Darwinist conspiracy and the skeletons are fake is voting Palin-McCain. He's thrilled as he feels it won't be long before we get creationism taught in public schools with a Palin-McCain ticket, he's anti-evolution, anti-stem cell research, anti-gays, anti-abortion. Listening to him talking about how America is going to be purged of sin is about to make me bust a blood vessel. His church group is actively campaining.

We can expect people like that to be OK with meddling in the private lives of others, as though imbued with Divine Right, though they surely would take offense if any attempted to meddle in theirs.

All I can say is such people are not representing the central spirit of the New Testament, having lost their way in the wilderness of the various translations that abounded to build the early church to win pagans over. The real Spirit of loving your neighbor and not imposing your beliefs on others, if they are not drawn to the Light, seems lost on them. They've bought the lie that The Bible is a Literal message. Too bad for them. Too bad for us that are subjected to such intolerance.

 

[Evo]

You're about to reach post 666 LowlyPion...

 

[LowlyPion]

You're about to reach post 666 LowlyPion...

It'll match the tattoo on my scalp?

 

[LowlyPion]

For good or ill, McCain is stuck with Palin.

When souls are sold - all sales are final.

He's made his Faustian bargain with the Far Right and with it has cast his honor to the side.

 

[drankin]

We can expect people like that to be OK with meddling in the private lives of others, as though imbued with Divine Right, though they surely would take offense if any attempted to meddle in theirs.

All I can say is such people are not representing the central spirit of the New Testament, having lost their way in the wilderness of the various translations that abounded to build the early church to win pagans over. The real Spirit of loving your neighbor and not imposing your beliefs on others, if they are not drawn to the Light, seems lost on them. They've bought the lie that The Bible is a Literal message. Too bad for them. Too bad for us that are subjected to such intolerance.

This is interesting. I didn't realize you were such a theologian. Would you care to cite the relevant verse to back up your opinion that "such people" aren't actually being followers of the New Testament? I think you are stepping outside of the boundaries of the PF forum. I'm surprised Evo is allowing you to go on about your religious beliefs.

 

[LowlyPion]

This is interesting. I didn't realize you were such a theologian. Would you care to cite the relevant verse to back up your opinion that "such people" aren't actually being followers of the New Testament? I think you are stepping outside of the boundaries of the PF forum. I'm surprised Evo is allowing you to go on about your religious beliefs.

If censorship is your thing - it's apparently Palin's as witnessed by the firing of the Wasilla Librarian - then by all means. I'm not invested in that observation. It's merely my opinion, and it's not my intention or interest to debate the point, except I would note that religion has become a central issue of the campaign, and it will become increasingly difficult to avoid its mention with the kind of polarizations that the McCain-Rove Cadres are promoting in order to distract from the disastrous Republican stewardship of the economy and foreign policy.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I didn't know that Obama had helped to write US law.

It's his job as Senator.

 

[Gokul43201]

I think his point is that there is a lack of accomplishments for both Obama and Palin. So it's pointless to show her as lacking and disregard Obamas likewise lack of accomplishment.

It seems you may have missed post #37.

And she is only running as VP.

For someone that has at least a 20% chance of not surviving the first couple of years in office.

 

[LowlyPion]

You're about to reach post 666 LowlyPion...

Don't look now.

 

[Evo]

Don't look now.

How do you take a snapshot of that? I know how to print screen.

 

[LowlyPion]

How do you take a snapshot of that? I know how to print screen.

If you don't have it now - too late.

The devil made me do it.

 

[lisab]

If you don't have it now - too late.

The devil made me do it.

Evo, can't you delete a post ?

 

[LowlyPion]

Evo, can't you delete a post ?

Yeah. But which one?

Decisions. Decisions.

 

[Evo]

Evo, can't you delete a post ?

Yes, yes, I can.

Yeah. But which one?

Decisions. Decisions.

Just as long as it's one that counts. Buwahahaha.

 

[koolmodee]

Watch what Matt Damon has to say on Palin.

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=C6urw_PWHYk

 

[LowlyPion]

Yes, yes, I can.

Just as long as it's one that counts. Buwahahaha.

You better keep your running shoes on then.

 

[muppet]

It's his job as Senator.

Huh. Quite different to the UK then; here most members of parliament just decide on Acts put before them by the cabinet.

 

[quadraphonics]

Those are the ones I recall right away. And for 2 of the nearly 4 years that Obama's been in the Senate, the Republicans controlled it and blocked virtually every Democrat-sponsored bill from even making it to the floor.

The best part is how, after stonewalling and filibustering every bill that came in the door, they have the gall to complain about the "do-nothing Congress." Also ironic that the party that runs on the "stick it to those arrogant elitists" plank displays such clear contempt for the intellects of its own members. I patiently await the day that betting on the obtuseness of the average American no longer pays such rich dividends...

 

[ramsey2879]

If by "right" you mean "being a nutjob crackpot", then yes ,you're right.

Obama accomplishments at the National level:

1. He wrote the portion on private jet usage in the 2007 lobbying practices and disclosures bill that was signed into law despite opposition from folks like Ted Stevens. While this is virtually unknown, everyone seems to have heard about Palin selling off the jet purchased by Murkowski.

2. With Republican Senator Tom Coburn, Obama wrote the federal accountability and transparency bill that was signed into law last year.

3. He was lead sponsor of a bill to provide relief and promote democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was signed into law in December 2006 (this during a Republican controlled Congress).

4. With Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, Obama co-wrote the anti-proliferation law that enhances U.S. ability to take down conventional weapons stockpiles and to intercept WMD material.

5. Obama's Dignity for Wounded Warriors bill was absorbed into the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act that was passed last year.

Those are the ones I recall right away. And for 2 of the nearly 4 years that Obama's been in the Senate, the Republicans controlled it and blocked virtually every Democrat-sponsored bill from even making it to the floor.

Despite the spelling, I think I get the sexist reference.

As for the "how things are done here" bit, I wonder if McCain will repeat his "$3 million earmark to study the DNA of bears in Montana" outrage when it becomes known that Palin requested a $3.2 million earmark to study the DNA of seals in Alaska.

Well finally someone has seen fit to put into print something constructive that Obama has done. Makes me rest more easily. Cant wait for the national debates of the candidates face to face. Have not made up my mind yet.

 

[ramsey2879]

If censorship is your thing - it's apparently Palin's as witnessed by the firing of the Wasilla Librarian - then by all means. I'm not invested in that observation. It's merely my opinion, and it's not my intention or interest to debate the point, except I would note that religion has become a central issue of the campaign, and it will become increasingly difficult to avoid its mention with the kind of polarizations that the McCain-Rove Cadres are promoting in order to distract from the disastrous Republican stewardship of the economy and foreign policy.

I heard of that censorship argument, but then I heard from glen beck that it might not be accurate, like the books "censored" were not even in print at the time. I will try to get the source but first I would like to find out what your source of the original charge was.

 

[turbo]

Well finally someone has see to put into print something constructive that Obama has done. Makes me rest more easily. Cant wait for the national debates of the candidates face to face. Have not made up my mind yet.

Wait until you see Obama and McCain head-to-head on economic and foreign policy, and just pray for a VP debate that is heavy on foreign policy, as it should be. Palin is a light-weight, and proved herself to be so today with her first interview with Charles Gibson. She tried to dance her way out of saying that the Iraq war is God's will, by claiming that she was quoting Lincoln and saying that she never would presume to know God's will - except in that same speech in which she claimed that it was God's will that there be a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska to the lower 48 and urged the students to pray for that, too. What a loon!

McCain is old and has a bad track-record with cancer, and Obama has a bull's eye painted on him in the mind of every racist and white-supremacist. The VP picks are more important in this election than in any in my memory.

 

[Evo]

Holy Moly! Has anyone seen this clip of Palin trying to justify her statements about God and the Iraq war? Watch as out of nowhere she suddenly brings up her son! WTH? I'm sorry, listening to this just reminds me of that poor Miss USA contestant, I was waiting for Palin to suggest we give other countries maps.

She really does not do well in unrehearsed interviews. She hunched over and watch her hands. Perhaps I should not tip them off, eh?

Click on the third video clip down titled "Palin clarifies God and War Remarks" for the gist of her remarks.

http://abcnews.go.com/wn

 

[turbo]

Holy Moly! Has anyone seen this clip of Palin trying to justify her statements about God and the Iraq war? Watch as out of nowhere she suddenly brings up her son! WTH? I'm sorry, listening to this just reminds me of that poor Miss USA contestant, I was waiting for Palin to suggest we give other countries maps.

She really does not do well in unrehearsed interviews. She hunched over and watch her hands. Perhaps I should not tip them off, eh?

Click on the third video clip down titled "Palin clarifies God and War Remarks" for the gist of her remarks.

http://abcnews.go.com/wn

Oh and "world peace" ala Miss Congeniality. She is a dud.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Huh. Quite different to the UK then; here most members of parliament just decide on Acts put before them by the cabinet.

Here's how I remember it from my 7th grade social studies teacher. There are three branches of the US gov't. The Legislative branch makes the laws. The Executive branch carries out the laws. The Judicial branch interprets the laws. The legislature is Congress, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate (therefor, as a Senator, Obama participates in the making of laws). The Executive branch includes the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet. The Judicial branch is the Supreme Court and the other lower federal courts.

I don't know much about gov't in the UK. I was under the impression that there was no executive branch, but rather certain members of the legislative branch carried out those duties. Can you explain the system in a few words?

 

[LowlyPion]

I heard of that censorship argument, but then I heard from glen beck that it might not be accurate, like the books "censored" were not even in print at the time. I will try to get the source but first I would like to find out what your source of the original charge was.

There is nothing to look up. The story was widely reported in Alaska. I posted a link to the situation from the NY News fact checking. She interviewed the Town Librarian and asked if she would remove certain books, and the Librarian's response was that those books were on a recommended list appropriate for the size of the Wasilla Library and size of community it serviced. Palin subsequently fired her, and under heavy local pressure apparently figured the direction the wind was blowing on her fascist attempt to restrict access to information, based on her own personal beliefs, relented and rehired her.

If you want to hunt up some trumped up dates of publications and titles feel free. But the real moral of the story for me is that that the Town Librarian apparently understood more about the US Constitution than the Town Mayor. You know the one that unblinkingly presumes that she is on a mission of reform and ready to serve as President Day 1. Now that's real humor right there.

 

[LowlyPion]

The Executive branch includes the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet.

Odd that you would know that and our own current VP conjures a different picture when it suits his convenience to avoid deposition.

 

[LowlyPion]

I'm sorry, listening to this just reminds me of that poor Miss USA contestant, I was waiting for Palin to suggest we give other countries maps.

It really is like watching those painful beauty pageant Q&A's.

Invoking Lincoln's references to God? It was Lincoln that held the Nation together, something her husband would seek to undermine with his involvement with the AIP. Bet that won't be covered in the interview.

I did notice an editing jump in one of the videos. Was that ABC editing it down or Palin editing a miscue out?