Sarah Palin

[Fishhand]

McCain's birthday was yesterday. He's 72. I personally think he's a great man but his time has passed.

Whenever McCain and Obama eventually begin their debates I envision Pedro Martinez grabbing Don Zimmer's meathead and throwing him to the ground. Callous I know, but that's the mental picture I get.

In my opinion, Palin is a bigger stuffed shirt (literally and figuratively) than if McCain would have chosen someone like Romney. All those points jjtroutbum and jdmidwest bring up about Palin are good points, but come on, she fishes, is young and vibrant, full of ideas, excelled in athletics? I can not see how anyone can truly want an unproven untested hockey mom as a potential leader of the USA. She'll be a bigger puppet than our current president.

I think Obama has a vision for America and he can lead the majority of Americans to a brighter future. I thought it was a great day for the USA when a man of color received the nomination for presidency of the USA. All politicians have skeletons, faults, etc. but I place Obama in the same light as WJ Clinton. An everyday enlightened man from humble beginnings who can inspire ordinary people because he's been in their shoes. Obama is a leader.

[taxidermist]

I thought no political post??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin

Palin is the typical hockey mom.

She has jailed the Republican party head in AK for coruption.

Sent a man (ex BIL) to jail for tazoring a 10 year old.

deals with minorities Eskimos, Native Maericains, is married to one.

Has a child with downs Sydrome.

Sold the AK state jet, refuses to travel in motorcades in AK.

Obama has plans alraight for a Marxist state.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Taxi - did you even read that before you posted the link? Let me hit a few of the highlights for you:

Before becoming governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska, City Council from 1992 to 1996, and was elected mayor of Wasilla, a tiny city with a population of just over 5000, twice, in 1996 and 1999.

Palin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from the University of Idaho.

She then briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working in commercial fishing with her husband.

In January 1997, Palin fired the Wasilla police chief and library director. In response, a group of 60 residents calling themselves Concerned Citizens for Wasilla discussed attempting a recall campaign against Palin

The fired police chief later sued Palin on the grounds that he was fired because he supported the campaign of Palin's opponent, but his suit was eventually dismissed when the judge ruled that Palin had the right under state law to fire city employees, even for political reasons.

She also increased the city sales tax to pay for construction of an indoor ice rink and sports complex. At this time, state Republican leaders began grooming her for higher office.

Palin has strongly promoted oil and natural gas resource development in Alaska, and also helped pass a tax increase on oil company profits.

Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska

In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope. This negated a deal by the previous governor to grant the contract to a coalition including BP (her husband's former employer).

In June 2007, Palin signed into law a $6.6 billion operating budget—the largest in Alaska's history

Palin initially expressed support for the Gravina Island Bridge project, commonly known outside the state as the "Bridge to Nowhere." However, once it had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending and some federal funding was lost, Palin cancelled the bridge because Alaska's congressional delegation was unable to prevent the state of Alaska from having to pay for part of the bridge's construction. Alaska still kept the federal money, but she stated that Alaska should rely less on federal funding.

When on June 6, 2007, the Alaska Creamery Board recommended closing Matanuska Maid Dairy, an unprofitable state-owned business, Palin objected, citing concern for the impact on dairy farmers and the fact that the dairy had just received $600,000 in state money. When Palin found out that the Board of Agriculture and Conservation appoints Creamery Board members, she replaced the entire membership of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation. The new board reversed the decision to close the dairy, but later in 2007, with Palin's support, the unprofitable business was put up for sale. There were no offers in December 2007, when the minimum bid was set at $3.35 million, and the dairy was closed that month. In August 2008, the Anchorage plant was purchased for $1.5 million, the new minimum bid; the purchaser plans to convert it into heated storage units.

On July 11, 2008, Palin dismissed Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan for not adequately filling state trooper vacancies, and because he "did not turn out to be a team player on budgeting issues." She instead offered him a position as executive director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which he turned down.

Her power to fire him is not in dispute, but Monegan alleged that his dismissal may have been an abuse of power tied to his reluctance to fire Palin's former brother-in-law, Alaska State Trooper Mike Wooten, who had been involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin's sister, Molly McCann. Palin is currently being investigated by an independent investigator hired by the Alaska Legislature to determine whether she abused her power when she fired Monegan. The investigation is scheduled to end October 30, only days before the November 4 presidential election.Palin has admitted that her staff had made at least 25 contacts with public safety officials about firing her sister’s ex-husband, including at least one where an employee claimed to speak for her although she has stated that he acted without her permission or knowledge.

Palin is considered to have similar policy positions to John McCain in some respects. One exception is drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which Palin strongly supports and McCain has opposed.[75] Another exception is her belief that global warming is not manmade. On August 4, 2008, Palin put out a press release praising portions of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's energy plan including the call for completion of the Alaska Gas Pipeline and proposed $1,000 rebates for families struggling with energy costs, although she took exception with its call for a windfall profits tax on oil companies. The press release in question appears to have been removed from the governor's website, but can still be accessed through Google's cache.

Alaska Republicans had mixed reactions to the news of Palin's selection. State Senate President Lyda Green, a Republican who has often feuded with Palin, remarked, "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?"

Yep she's a keeper.

By the way taxi, as I understood it, political talk was ok. That childish jibberish that is still going on was not.

Phil - as per my post above (holiday inn express) just adding humor in an adult form. Glad you liked it!

[davekeim]

Looks like we're on the band wagon since the Dems are done for the week! What a great speach. I'm all in!

Signed, Cardiac

[Fishhand]

The only reason I'm voting for Obama is because Dave Chapelle is going to be hilarious impersonating him.

Taxidermist, I caught a huge striper last month. I'ld like for you to stuff it. Can you? Let me know. Thanks, Jim

[Danimal]

Never thought about the Chapelle angle.Funny stuff. Dan-o

[soggyfeet]

I think Obama has a vision for America and he can lead the majority of Americans to a brighter future. I thought it was a great day for the USA when a man of color received the nomination for presidency of the USA. All politicians have skeletons, faults, etc. but I place Obama in the same light as WJ Clinton. An everyday enlightened man from humble beginnings who can inspire ordinary people because he's been in their shoes. Obama is a leader.

I can not see how anyone can truly want an unproven untested hockey mom as a potential leader of the USA. She'll be a bigger puppet than our current president.

First off she is not running for president. So you cant compare these two. But saying she is unproven untested hocky mom is funny. She is GOVERNOR of a state that is almost half the size of the US. Obama is in the senate by default and hasnt spent any time there except to vote agaist this country. I didnt like the idea of haveing the Clintons back in office but if it it would have been better to have a canadate like Hillary that has a pair. Obama is weak.

[Al Agnew]

Guys, it just makes you sound like you've been doing nothing but listening to the worst of the talk show hosts when you say stuff like Obama's plan for the country is marxist, and he voted against the country. Not only that, but it's insulting to people like me. We can disagree on what the right direction for the country is, but don't you dare accuse me of not loving this country just because I'm for Obama...and that, by inference, is what you're doing. If you want to get specific about which votes Obama cast that you don't like, we can debate the merits of them, but just throwing out those little sniping snippets does nobody any good. Geez, it sounds like you're rooting for a sports team...our guy is great and your guy sucks.

As for Palin...I see both good and bad there. I don't think you can judge her credentials to be (almost) President at this point. I don't necessarily believe she's UNqualified due to lack of experience. A short time as governor of Alaska is in reality her ONLY credentials on the executive side. I don't think you can honestly tout being mayor of Wasilla as being valuable executive experience, which would be the same as saying that because one of my friends was mayor of Piedmont, MO, he has executive experience that would qualify him to be President. Trust me, he ain't qualified. And the issues that Alaska faces are far from the same issues that the country faces. On the other hand, it's valid to bring up Obama's lack of experience as well. That is his weakest point.

But what we should watch with Palin is how she handles herself in the time we have remaining until the election. Obama, like it or not, has proven one thing, and that's his ability to inspire people. Just because you aren't inspired by him doesn't negate the fact that a whole lot of people are. And he's been in the limelight and under constant scrutiny for a year now...people across the country have seen enough of him to do some evaluation one way or another. Palin, being governor of a state that most people can't find on a map, except that it must be near Hawaii because it's always shown that way on a weather map, and that never gets much notice from the rest of us unless we're flyfishermen or moose hunters, is a virtual unknown at this point. That's why I say that we CANNOT judge her qualifications to be President if something happened to McCain...we just don't know enough about her. If she goes quiet and unnoticed after this first flurry of activity and we don't see much of her between now and the election, we WON'T know enough about her even then. If she stays in the news and visible in the campaign, we may get to know her well enough.

What we CAN do is look at what record she does have. Being an athlete, hockey mom, former Miss Alaska candidate, hunter and angler, float plane pilot, etc. means very little to me. I came from a wholesome family, like to hunt and fish, work for a living (and not always that cushy job as an artist), and probably a bunch of other stuff that would convince you that I was a regular guy, but I know I ain't qualified. The question is, what has she said and done on issues related to governing?

She has challenged the status quo in Alaska, although not to quite the extent that some say...she's still good friends with Stevens and supports him. But there is no doubt but that she has been a reformer. She's challenged the oil companies on a couple of issues but has also sided with them on many points. I'd say that in the reform department and "good government" department, she's a cut above the average politician. That may be a function of her relative inexperience, but even that, in this instance, is not a bad thing. When you don't have the experience, you don't have the connections of convenience that help you get things done but also put you "in bed" with unsavory characters, and you also don't know how hard some things are to do, and have the enthusiasm to get them done.

On the issues facing the country, she has most clearly weighed in on energy issues. She seems to be mostly on the same page with McCain, and NOT on the same page with the more conservative elements, in acknowledging that we have to work on climate change and energy independence. But I DON'T at all like her insistence on drilling ANWR, an action that will do little to help with energy independence and is a short term (well, not so short since it wouldn't produce anything for more than 10 years) action with long term bad consequences.

I don't much like her stands on some of the social issues, but that's why the conservatives like her. All in all, I think she's a gamble for McCain that could turn out well or ill. I'm waiting to see which way it goes.

[soggyfeet]

Al I am by no means trying to insult you or anyone else on this forum. But when a person that is running for PRESIDENT and he votes to leave our troops high and dry that doesnt impress me at all. I'll agree that the guy is one hell of a speaker its a good thing hes not a car salesman or we would all own four cars each. My issue is the troops. I didnt vote for Bush either time but I will suppourt his actions. The war was voted on and at frist the majority of the nation was for it. Now alot of the country has flipfloped. Some people die and they dont want it anymore (what did these people think war is, a video game). I'm not a war monger but heres the way I see it; we were there we pulled out before things were done. Now we are there again and again the democrates want to pull out again before things are taken care of. I just dont understand why they vote for something but not follow through. As a political person they should stick with their votes (as Obama has done) and help the situation instead of second guessing risking the lives of Americans. So my problem isnt with Obama as much as the donkey party. They seem so concerned about lives but they want to cut funding to the troops and promote abortion(which is a whole other topic). To me its almost like the donkeys want to protect third world countries, people who cant take responsibality for their actions, and animals. Im an independent usually but the last few years the democratic party has gome way too far towards the radical side ( I wont even say left cause it doesnt do it justice). This election is different from the last two. Obama is a good caniadate but needs a few terms under his belt to get to were he thinks he is. Its more heated it seems this year cause the last two elections the democrats didnt even have a canadate(Kerrry and Gore dont count).

I just want what is best for this country not for myself. McCain may not be that but to me he is the better choice. When we see a caniadate come around that makes people responsible for their actions and not give them frees handouts hopeing to get votes or allowing the the border gates to stay down letting anyone that wants come in and do what ever they like legal or illegal; THAT IS WHEN WE WLL HAVE CHANGE

[Fishhand]

First off she is not running for president. So you cant compare these two. But saying she is unproven untested hocky mom is funny. She is GOVERNOR of a state that is almost half the size of the US. Obama is in the senate by default and hasnt spent any time there except to vote agaist this country. I didnt like the idea of haveing the Clintons back in office but if it it would have been better to have a canadate like Hillary that has a pair. Obama is weak.

Half the size of the US in land mass, yes but, a similar population as Detroit. My point was...McCain is old and he's got that glandular thing going on...Lamont from Sanford and Son said it best, "YOU'RE TOO OLD, Fred!" I wasn't trying to compare her apples to apples with Obama, in my opinion, she's not Presidential material. I could be wrong, though. Definitely been wrong before. I think the GOP is grooming her for a presidential run later down the line.

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure of Obama's history in terms of his senate victory (who he ran against, margin of victory, etc.). I didn't think they would just hand over a senate seat to someone by default. So, I Googled it and checked out the wikipedia synopsis. It looked like his Republican adversary in 2004 dropped out of the race 86 days before voting day because of a sex scandal. The GOP then nominated Alan Keyes. Keyes obviously didn't have a chance, but he garnered 27% of the vote.