The VP Candidate from Alaska

[jennylovskt]

You mean what we have now?

Could be worse if Palin is to be a leader of this country.

personally I think the president should be more concerned about THIS country than other countries. Kissing up to the global community and ignoring your own, like Obama has done for a lot of his early campaign

And that would be Obama's stratigic loss had he done so. He should know better who would actually matters on whether or not he could get into White House. But I didn't know about his "ignoring his own country" part. Did he?

Oh, God! I was one of the John McCain supporters (I am too conservative, and a bit afraid of liberal). Since when have I started to sound like a real Obama people?!

Really, personally, I think Obama vs. McCain. It's even. Either way, you will have some gains and some losses. However, Obama-Biden vs. McCain-Palin, the former would be a much safer and better choice. At least Obama could give people a hope on what he could do differently.

I truly believe that Obama won't be worse than Bush. Bush was very lucky to have the chance twice. Why don't you give Obama a chance?

Of course, it's your country, your decision.

[Mathman]

personally I think the president should be more concerned about THIS country than other countries. Kissing up to the global community and ignoring your own, like Obama has done for a lot of his early campaign, and showing them more respect than the voters you are trying to get doesn't show me that you have the right set of priorities for the job.

I think the two go together, Toni. I think that over the past seven years we have seen a great decline in respect and admiration from our allies, and we are now seeing a corresponding emboldenment of our enemies.

Russia thinks nothing of doing whatever they want in Georgia, Iran goes merrily about it's nuclear policy, because they know that the U.S. cannot rally any support from the international community as we once could. Plus, the Bush administration has run up the national debt by selling a substantial part of the future U.S. treasury to foreign governments, notably China.

To speak bluntly, President Bush is a laughingstock in much of the world. This cannot be good for the United States, no matter how greatly "America First" slogans may appeal to voters.

(JMO. )

[Tonichelle]

I'm not saying we should ignore the outside world or our allies... but the president hopeful shouldn't be worrying more about THEIR outlook on him when he has a campaign to run here. And he's a whole lot more gracious and attentive to them it seems than he is to us. Not something I want in a leader, sorry, I'm all about our country first. Because it's our country. Isn't the rest of the world telling the US to get out and only come to our aid when we call? So why not just focus on us for a while, eh?

Yes, I get that Obama is now in the US and campaigning and all of that. But which Obama is going to show up where? Is he going to be the one that was in San Fran? Or the one in the midwest? How is he planning to change and unite the country when he can't even pretend to respect all areas of the country? Or what about snubbing our troops and using them as just a photo op? What a GREAT guy! Where can I sign up to kiss his feet?

[Medusa]

How is he planning to change and unite the country when he can't even pretend to respect all areas of the country?

Because McCain/Palin are so respectful of everyone. They just respect the gays so much that they want to prevent them from getting harassed in the military by forbidding them to be who they are, they respect gays so much that they don't think that they should weaken the LGBT-people's position in society by including them in the hate-crimes definition, they respect all the women so much that they want to own the woman's body for 9 months everytime the woman gets pregnant, they respect rape-victims so much that they want to improve their self-confidence and feeling of independance by allowing them to pay for their own rape kits.

You just don't like him because you don't think that he respects you enough, you don't like him because he didn't worship you by appointing your oh-so-great governor , you don't have the feeling that he respects your worldview enough - do you really care about everyone else in the whole country, or just about you and people who think / live like you? Like I said before, this whole discussion represents in a nutshell why democracy is such a messy ugly thing.

But which Obama is going to show up where?

And which McCain is going to show up in the White House? The one who promised not to take the low road to the White House, the one who impressed people with his sense of honour and duty, with his bravery and resilience... Or the one who is campaigning like the sleaziest Slytherin ever, making up lies, turning honourable achievements into disgusting attacks?

Not something I want in a leader, sorry, I'm all about our country first. Because it's our country.

Yeah, I think we all got the "country first" thing when we look at the half a million civilian victims in Iraq and at the fact that those are rarely mentioned in the US media. After all, those aren't American lives, they are just, well, other people - meaning: not worth a damn.

[Medusa]

A Conservative for Obama by Wick Allison, D Magazine

Barack Obama is not my ideal candidate for president. (In fact, I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses.) But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history. I disagree with him on many issues. But those don’t matter as much as what Obama offers, which is a deeply conservative view of the world. Nobody can read Obama’s books (which, it is worth noting, he wrote himself) or listen to him speak without realizing that this is a thoughtful, pragmatic, and prudent man. It gives me comfort just to think that after eight years of George W. Bush we will have a president who has actually read the Federalist Papers.
[,,,]
“Every great cause,” Eric Hoffer wrote, “begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” As a cause, conservatism may be dead. But as a stance, as a way of making judgments in a complex and difficult world, I believe it is very much alive in the instincts and predispositions of a liberal named Barack Obama.

I enjoyed that comment.

Does anyone remember this website: http://www.sorryeverybody.com/ ? It was kind of uplifting back then, seeing how strongly people felt about the election and the outcome. I hope they won't have to set up another one like that.

Update 18 hours later...

I enjoy talking to myself, it's lots of fun.

Well, there is a new development and I can't just not mention it here.

I'm not saying we should ignore the outside world or our allies... but the president hopeful shouldn't be worrying more about THEIR outlook on him when he has a campaign to run here. And he's a whole lot more gracious and attentive to them it seems than he is to us. Not something I want in a leader, sorry, I'm all about our country first. Because it's our country. Isn't the rest of the world telling the US to get out and only come to our aid when we call? So why not just focus on us for a while, eh?

This comment is really funny right now, because Spain just joined the "Axis of Evil". Well, I am exaggerating. But just a bit - read this http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the...h_prime_m.html. Come on! Spain? What did Spain do? Except for pulling out off an illegal war, legalising gay marriage and snubbing the Pope? Oh, and reelecting the socialists. This is getting hilarious. Way to go, McCain, way to go... I think now we Europeans are officially entitled to worry and to cheer for Obama.

[jennylovskt]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080923/...MtaGeZf6Ks0NUE

What is going on? It sounds a little funny. What is republican campaign afraid of? Is she too inexperienced? Will she say something that might change the image of what republican wanted to put on her?

[Medusa]

[CENTER]You can always count on the US to do the right thing - once it has exhausted the alternatives[/CENTER]

[CENTER]Winston Churchill[/CENTER]

[CENTER][/CENTER]

Thank you St.Louis!

[jennylovskt]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ack-Obama.html

Probably Sarah Palin has regreted by now for the decision to accept John McCain's invitation as the V.P. candidate "without a blink".

[Medusa]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ack-Obama.html

Probably Sarah Palin has regreted by now for the decision to accept John McCain's invitation as the V.P. candidate "without a blink".

I am/was no fan of Pain, for sure. Everyone who reads my former comments here knows that.

But it is always very easy to praise and hype the winner - and condemn and despise the loser. After the election lots of Republicans were suddenly praising Obama, historical moment etc., etc. At some point I really asked myself if these guys lost deliberately, the way they were rejoicing in the victory of Obama. Or is that part of the US-American politeness that I just don't get (but actually love!)?

And of course people want to have a scapegoat for the loss, and some found that in Sarah Palin. Which is just dishonourable. And Palin is completely right when she says that those attacks (e.g. that she didn't know Africa was a continent) are "cowardly". I am quite sure that those things she apparently didn't know where taken out of context.

The people who try to discredit her now also seem to forget, that she returns to Alaska as a popular governor with an important role, as a mother of a bunch of kids, who will need time to adjust anyway - they don't need their mother's reputation trampled on by her own allies. It is one thing to get attacked by the opponents while campaigning, but getting attacked by some low campaign aids in the aftermath of a lost election is just cheap and cowardly.

And about the death threats: the winner writes the history books. All those millions celebrating all over the US on Tuesday and Wednesday - what if the dems lost and some of those would have turned violent? Then we wouldn't be talking about some death threats that were conincident with some remarks by Palin, then we would be talking about the violent potential the democratic party has, about the lack of values the liberals present etc.

It's always the same. In Germany lefties and conservatives love to accuse of each other of being the more "radical" "violent" ones. Being on the far left myself I also happen to say that the ones on the right are more prone to be violent then the ones on the left. But I guess in the end it's not true, everyone has the potential and considering the fact that the right lost in the US - we are talking about the violent potential on the side of the Republicans. I wouldn't give those "statements" too much importance and especially not accuse Palin of inspiring those people, they don't need to be inspired, they already are.

[Tonichelle]

what started the whole 'she doesn't know geography' thing came from her joke that she would be great at foreign policy because she could "see Russia from her house!" this is actually an Alaskan joke that no one outside really got. And said she was lying because no one from Alaska could possibly be intelligent.

The republican party has really split over who lost the election - Sarah or John. Personally - I put it squarely on McCain's shoulders and really the GOP handlers that were calling the shots (both sides have 'experts' that tell them how to do things, we're fooling ourselves if we think they don't). The longer Sarah "ran alongside" McCain the more I started buying the idea that they didn't really do a whole lot of research into who she was. I think they really thought she'd just be a sweet little barbie doll they could parade around and win the uterus votes. They wouldn't let her speak her mind, because it was too controversial. If it didn't fit with their campaign (of shoulder shrugs and eye winks, apparently) then they didn't want it. Sarah finally had enough and was tired of the whole thing and said she was going to be Sarah Palin not GOP Barbie, but it was too late.

What disgusted me about my own party was the men not taking her seriously. Yeah, they liked her as the VP nominee, liked what she'd done up here... but they never said that first, it was like a footnote. All they cared about was how much they'd like to have a night with her. She fought the wolves in Alaska, but I don't think she was prepared for the wolves in DC or in the country in general.

If anything, it just shows me how much I don't want to move outside of Alaska. If that makes me an isolationist so be it. I haven't read so much hate for one state's people as I have about my own. Good grief! and the fact that the media and GOP seem to think that's Sarah's fault just bugs me. She didn't bring the hate out, she just became an easy target because McCain's "protection" did the exact opposite.

I think what killed their momentum was the seeming lack of respect for the VP nom by her own party (I still think it has more to do with she's a thorn in the side of republicans who aren't about their promises anymore).


Obama ran a stronger campaign. That was evident from day one. I've never thought McCain was good at campaigning (there were a lot of people that couldn't get over his 2000 run in the primaries where he kept trying to get the youth vote with Star Wars comparrisons... hello, dated!) and I was on the fence as to who I would vote for (wasn't going to be Obama or Nader, but wasn't sure about McCain either lol) until he chose Sarah. I know most don't care what state she's from - but I do. Because I'm here too, so I know what she's done up here. I trusted (and still do) her. So it swung my vote as it swung others not to. *shrugs*

there's another side to the party that wants her to run in 2012. I think the only way she'll even be remotely ready, though, is if she somehow ends up with one of Alaska's congressional seats... and the only one that might be up in the air is Stevens' if he is kicked out when he returns (if he returns, we won't know who won till the 21st! blah!). We'd have to have a special election, and if Bob Bird doesn't get the republican nod, then I hope Sarah might jump in, just so we can at least pretend we're in the race for that senate seat



and I'm rambling. like I said on the other thread - Obama is my president whether I voted for him or not. He said as much when he accepted the position on Tuesday night. We won't agree on every topic, and it's my right to disagree and speak out, but I still support and pray for the president regardless of politics. No sour grapes here - I get my governor back. so I'm a happy girl.

[jennylovskt]

what started the whole 'she doesn't know geography' thing came from her joke that she would be great at foreign policy because she could "see Russia from her house!" this is actually an Alaskan joke that no one outside really got. And said she was lying because no one from Alaska could possibly be intelligent..

I wish I could believe you that she was joking when she said that her foreign policy credential was enhanced because she could see Russia from her house. She was so serious and sincere when she said that.

In fact, after that interview she gave, after the V.P. debate where she totally disregarded the debate rules, and not to answer the questions being asked in order to avoid the things she doesn't know, the charge on her not knowing Africa is a continent but not a country, sounds so credible. No one would believe that Hillary doesn't know that Africa is a continent but not a country.

The republican party has really split over who lost the election - Sarah or John. Personally - I put it squarely on McCain's shoulders and really the GOP handlers that were calling the shots (both sides have 'experts' that tell them how to do things, we're fooling ourselves if we think they don't). The longer Sarah "ran alongside" McCain the more I started buying the idea that they didn't really do a whole lot of research into who she was. I think they really thought she'd just be a sweet little barbie doll they could parade around and win the uterus votes. They wouldn't let her speak her mind, because it was too controversial. If it didn't fit with their campaign (of shoulder shrugs and eye winks, apparently) then they didn't want it. Sarah finally had enough and was tired of the whole thing and said she was going to be Sarah Palin not GOP Barbie, but it was too late.

What disgusted me about my own party was the men not taking her seriously. Yeah, they liked her as the VP nominee, liked what she'd done up here... but they never said that first, it was like a footnote. All they cared about was how much they'd like to have a night with her. She fought the wolves in Alaska, but I don't think she was prepared for the wolves in DC or in the country in general.

If anything, it just shows me how much I don't want to move outside of Alaska. If that makes me an isolationist so be it. I haven't read so much hate for one state's people as I have about my own. Good grief! and the fact that the media and GOP seem to think that's Sarah's fault just bugs me. She didn't bring the hate out, she just became an easy target because McCain's "protection" did the exact opposite.

I think what killed their momentum was the seeming lack of respect for the VP nom by her own party (I still think it has more to do with she's a thorn in the side of republicans who aren't about their promises anymore).

Obama ran a stronger campaign. That was evident from day one. I've never thought McCain was good at campaigning (there were a lot of people that couldn't get over his 2000 run in the primaries where he kept trying to get the youth vote with Star Wars comparrisons... hello, dated!) and I was on the fence as to who I would vote for (wasn't going to be Obama or Nader, but wasn't sure about McCain either lol) until he chose Sarah. I know most don't care what state she's from - but I do. Because I'm here too, so I know what she's done up here. I trusted (and still do) her. So it swung my vote as it swung others not to. *shrugs*

there's another side to the party that wants her to run in 2012. I think the only way she'll even be remotely ready, though, is if she somehow ends up with one of Alaska's congressional seats... and the only one that might be up in the air is Stevens' if he is kicked out when he returns (if he returns, we won't know who won till the 21st! blah!). We'd have to have a special election, and if Bob Bird doesn't get the republican nod, then I hope Sarah might jump in, just so we can at least pretend we're in the race for that senate seat

and I'm rambling. like I said on the other thread - Obama is my president whether I voted for him or not. He said as much when he accepted the position on Tuesday night. We won't agree on every topic, and it's my right to disagree and speak out, but I still support and pray for the president regardless of politics. No sour grapes here - I get my governor back. so I'm a happy girl.

I feel the sympathy for Sarah Palin. Had she not accept McCain's V.P. candidate role, she would be so comfortable in Alaska. I suspect whether her rating is going down in there after this whole thing?

In the meantime, I think it's unwise for Republicans to have Sarah Palin be the next star for the GOP, even though she has excited the Republicans base so much.