To answer the questions …
posted at 9:15 am on September 2, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
My friend Jazz Shaw asks two provocative questions today at The Moderate Voice about Sarah Palin and the election. They revolve around family and experience, two questions that have arisen from accident and design. The answers to them will certainly provide a kind of political Rorschach test, but they are worthwhile questions.
What would the response be if Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and his wife Michelle had a pregnant unmarried teenage daughter?
I’d like to think that most people would leave it alone. Since that’s obviously not happening with Bristol Palin, then the next answer would depend on what the Obamas did about the pregnancy. If the hypothetical daughter chose to keep the baby or put the child up for adoption, they would get lauded for their response. If she had an abortion, it would stir up a hornet’s nest of reactions across the spectrum and turn into a political football.
The fact that a family has an unplanned teen pregnancy really isn’t that significant. What matters is how they handle it. In a way, I’d reject the framing of that question, because unless the Obamas locked their teenagers in dungeons, the pregnancy doesn’t reflect on the parents at all.
Would Sara Palin, given her breadth of experience, history, views and issues, been selected by Sen. John McCain as his running mate if she were a man?
Views and issues? Absolutely, as well as “history”; it was her track record on reform that McCain most wanted on the ticket. On the experience question, allow me to respond with another question, and let’s see if people still want to play the Identity Politics game. Why did the Democrats nominate Barack Obama for the Presidency with only three years in the Senate, seven years in the Illinois legislature, with no executive, military, foreign-policy, or private-sector experience at all, and no legislative track record at any level?
That’s the trouble with questions like these. They tend to lead to more questions.
Blowback
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“I don’t want my child punished with a baby”.
CynicalOptimist on September 2, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Relax this will blow over soon. Sure the people at dkos will obsess over it, like they do everything else. The rest of the MSM will get over it as the election campaign reaches its pinnacle over the next few weeks.
KillerKane on September 2, 2008 at 9:20 AM
This is an easy scenario. Contrast the Larry Craig response with Barney Frank and his brothel of man-love.
carbon_footprint on September 2, 2008 at 9:20 AM
I’m telling you, this is going to come back to bite the Dems in the arse….
CynicalOptimist on September 2, 2008 at 9:20 AM
By the way, Senator Obama does deserve credit for his statement calling this off-limits for the media. Where credit is due and all that good stuff.
carbon_footprint on September 2, 2008 at 9:21 AM
He’s black.
What do I win?
Jaibones on September 2, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Because he’s so clean and articulate?
AZCoyote on September 2, 2008 at 9:23 AM
I don’t want my country punished with a neophyte.
Doug on September 2, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Three free trips to the cookie jar.
CynicalOptimist on September 2, 2008 at 9:23 AM
The MSM won’t get over it, they’ll drop it strategically. I think it’s just dawning on them that their snotty condescension on Sara Palin has indeed stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The real story here is that the Democrat party over-reached in their smarmy rhetoric, and they just lost the heartland and the south. And Obama was counting on some inroads there in order to win the electoral vote.
The map is red.
jeff_from_mpls on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
The Dems have Bubba, Barney, Teddy, & Jessuh, all adulterers and/or deviants, all heroes to the Left.
Republicans severely demote or entirely cast off our adulterers (unless it happened 30 years ago, the guilty party has changed his ways).
But Bristol is not running for office, so leave her alone.
eea on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Nah, it was just one more attempt to innoculate Mrs. Hussein from criticism.
Akzed on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Is there anything about being a woman that makes Sarah Palin more virtuous? What would the male Sarah Palin even act and do?
ninjapirate on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
“What would the response be if Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and his wife Michelle had a pregnant unmarried teenage daughter?”
I don’t think there would be a response. #1, attacking Obama’s personal life always backfires. #2, with history as our guide, Obama himself was born from a single teenage girl, and people have left that alone.
“Would Sara Palin, given her breadth of experience, history, views and issues, been selected by Sen. John McCain as his running mate if she were a man?”
If Sarah Palin were a man, she wouldn’t have even been on John McCain’s radar screen.
SoulGlo on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Please, please, PLEASE, let the MSM and Dems (but I repeat myself) keep up the ‘experience’ line of attack.
Religious_Zealot on September 2, 2008 at 9:25 AM
How could you leave Silky Pony out??
carbon_footprint on September 2, 2008 at 9:26 AM
Let’s see, if you are John McCain, would you have picked the MALE governor of the biggest energy-producing state in the country when the country is in an energy crisis; who is known as a reformer who had taken on Big Oil and cleaned up corruption, after watching the GOP lose 50 House seats in 2006 due to corruption; who comes from as far away from Washington as possible, after your opponent massively stumbled by picking a 36-year Washington insider as his running mate; who comes from a middle-class background while you are being hammered for owning seven houses; who hails from a small town when your rival had already taken flak for dumping on small-town voters, and who you know will energize and excite the base of your party?
Nah. It had to be because she has nice boobs.
rockmom on September 2, 2008 at 9:26 AM
People don’t get extra credit for acting like civilized human beings. That’s expected of him.
JammieWearingFool on September 2, 2008 at 9:26 AM
And they dare to call Palin inexperienced.
eea on September 2, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Jammie, you forget he is a Democrat. They don’t have the same standards as Republicans you silly goose.
carbon_footprint on September 2, 2008 at 9:27 AM
The only way we would know about a teenage Obama offspring’s pregnancy is if she decided to have it.
If she didn’t, it would be aborted and we would never know.
Convenient, eh?
moflicky on September 2, 2008 at 9:28 AM
Unless we get wobbly Sarah will knock it out of the park tomorrow and we will get MAVERICK! manuevering room.
sven10077 on September 2, 2008 at 9:30 AM
More questions?
How would the media have responded if Sarah Palin had her political career launched at the home of a terrorist?
How would the media have responded if Tony Rezko helped finance her home?
How would the media have responded if Sarah Palin injected herself into a contentious, bloody election in another country, say Kenya?
Disturb the Universe on September 2, 2008 at 9:30 AM
Ed’s second question is the show stopper, or, rather, would be if the playing field were level. I see a headline this morning chortling over her hiring a lobbying group to get earmarks for Wasilla when she was mayor. That is a bit uncomfortable and needs to be dealt with.
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 9:31 AM
This should be the message 24/7.
TinMan13 on September 2, 2008 at 9:31 AM
1
Kronos on September 2, 2008 at 9:32 AM
Excellent summary of Palin’s attractions for McCain.
The McCain camp should use some of that money they’ve been raking in the last few days to get some commercials on air telling people who Palin is and why McCain picked her. They can’t let the Dims control the narrative — especially when all the MSM are going along with the Dim talking points.
AZCoyote on September 2, 2008 at 9:32 AM
I had a bit of buyer’s remorse this morning but only when it occurred to me how many heads would’ve exploded if McCain had selected — Patrick Fitzgerald.
Now that would have been interesting.
DrSteve on September 2, 2008 at 9:32 AM
Better question……Would you Senator Obama support the abortion of your grandchild?
Elric66 on September 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Featured @ Instapundit
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
The position of God was already taken?
mushroom on September 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Keep those
cards and lettersquestions coming in, folks!This is great - the more “doubts” (i.e. questions posed about Palin), the clearer and easier it becomes to point out to others how utterly unqualified Obama is for the Presidency.
Like the old saying (amended) goes :
“Be careful what questions you ask
for, you might actually getitan answer.”Lockstein13 on September 2, 2008 at 9:34 AM
Would Barack Obama, given the breadth of experience, history, views and issues, been selected by the Democratic Party as their nominee if he were a white man?
flyfisher on September 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Bingo! OR an STD for that matter.
AlreadyKnownAs on September 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
That’s a breathtakingly naive and immature response. “They did it so so can we??” Pathetic.
Why not just admit that it would absolutely be preferable if both parties had sufficiently experienced nominees for the jobs in question.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Proof? Or, even evidence?
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
Democrats nominated him to avoid a black voter revolt, and to avoid making excuses for the Clintons for years.
Right_of_Attila on September 2, 2008 at 9:35 AM
uhh…no.
Because he won the nominating process.
crr6 on September 2, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Lets’s be fair to our nation, Baracky started running for POTUS after only two years in the senate, not three.
And if the dems want to start hyperventilating over earmarks, they can be gently reminded that Mac doesn’t do pork while his opponents are experts at it.
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 9:38 AM
\
So?
How many presidential candidates have ever picked the most qualified VP?
It’s always a combination of excellence & electability.
eea on September 2, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Because he
wonwas chosen through the nominating process.crr6 on September 2, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Fixed.
No charge.
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Actually 143 days, not even half a year. Id like to know what he accomplished in those days that he felt he was ready to run the country.
Elric66 on September 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
If I were Palin and the left and the MSM kept hammering this, every response would start out with something like: “Unlike Senator Obama, we don’t consider pregnancy a punishment…”
Kafir on September 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
I think many of the questions and attacks pointed at Palin over this announcement, at first glance, seem to stick, but since the news yesterday I’m hearing a lot of women – especially democratic ones in my life – that find this all disgusting. Women recognize the double standard and the attack on Palin’s motherhood, even if they won’t admit it, and it bothers them a great deal.
The Liberals and media are playing with fire, and with the approval rating the MSM has I don’t forsee this “scandal” hurting Palin but rather rallying many regular American families to her aid and support.
smfoushee on September 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Elric66
Obama already stated that he would advise his daughters to abort rather than carry to term unprevented and unwanted baby burdens. Because that is the candidate Obama’s policy on legislative record and votes, it is an issue for voters to consider this election.
Meanwhile, so long as they are law abiding citizens, what children do is their parents’ responsibility to handle up to the point when the child becomes an adult and lives by an adult’s responsibility. Private lives of children remain off limits. Trespassers beware.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:41 AM
She isn’t on the ticket for her foreign policy experience or 30 years in the Senate. She is on it as a reform candidate to help clean out that vipers nest, down the road, and for her energy credentials. Like McCain, you can’t get everything you want in a candidate. He’s shoring up one of his weak spots and planning long term for reform.
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Wait, what? He’s black?
fossten on September 2, 2008 at 9:42 AM
I would like to thank Ed for his post yesterday on his own family experience, which he has shared several times.
My own younger sister became pregnant (unplanned) at 17, just before she graduated from high school. This was back in the early 80s. The world did not end. She and the rest of our family got past the surprise and went on doing what needed to be done to support her and her baby.
And another thing … although it is impolitic to say so, being 17 in this situation is not the same as being say, 14 or 15. Not all that many years, it was not all that unusual for people to get married shortly after finishing high school. Bush 41 married Barbara when she was 19; they’d been dating since she was 16.
I wish Sarah Palin’s daughter and her boyfriend all the best.
BigD on September 2, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Because he
wonwas given the nomination through backroom dealing.crr6 on September 2, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Better.
Still no charge.
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 9:43 AM
This is true. There’s nothing here that’s really big news. Husband had a DUI? Who cares. Daughters pregnant? OK.
It’s not gonna stay in the news for weeks like Wright.
lodge on September 2, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Actually 143 days, not even half a year. Id like to know what he accomplished in those days that he felt he was ready to run the country.
Elric66 on September 2, 2008 at 9:40 AM
Better yet, ask Biden.
If only someone would.
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 9:44 AM
True, Id just like the question asked to him in that context. Love to see him squirm on that one. He would lose about every grandparents vote on that one.
Elric66 on September 2, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Lawyerly phrasing. How was that nomination justified?
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Every woman and every parent knows that so long as people are law abiding, do not to pry into the lives of other people’s children.
The only partisans who don’t get that are cruel and not to be enabled.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Relax this will blow over soon.
KillerKane on September 2, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Agree 100%.
Spengler wrote an excellent piece today—-> How Obama lost the election!
Marsh on September 2, 2008 at 9:46 AM
Ed,
Your musings are based on a false premise. They have to assume that such questioning of liberal values and liberal intent is permitted. Obviously permission is not granted. Freedom of speech is not an issue. Inquisitive freedom is not a consideration. Privacy and all that, you know.
On the other hand, conservative values are open to questioning and venomous attack just because they are conservative values. Freedom of speech is an issue. Inquisitive freedom is a virtue, especially when applied toward conservative public figures. In fact, liberals consider it a civic duty. Conservative public figures do not have privacy rights, you know.
See the difference. You MUST initially determine if the precedent descriptor is lib- or con- before preceeding with questions.
Understand now? ;-)
Yoop on September 2, 2008 at 9:47 AM
Because he’s bla…ringly awesome!
Seixon on September 2, 2008 at 9:48 AM
That’s a good argument, and I have learned to respect your opinion. But I guess I am not looking for the same thing as McCain is. I’m looking for someone to step into his shoes immediately, if necessary, and be President, not a compliment to the President.
But you are probably right in that this is the way it usually works politically.
Let’s hope that McCain stays well, (although I must admit to you that is not what I have always hoped.)
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Yesterday, searching for Convention coverage, I visited the Convention’s webpage and came across all the POTUS ads. Thumbs up!
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:48 AM
As a matter of public policy, unplanned teen pregnancies are VERY significant and I think the conservatives who are prepared to throw the issue under the bus for the purposes of grandstanding on abortion aren’t thinking this through.
Teen pregnancy has already been de-stigmatized to a point that makes most reasonable people cringe. A pregnant teen in the White House will only encourage more people, including, tragically, more teenagers, to think of it as normal.
Infidoll on September 2, 2008 at 9:49 AM
That is a fantastic point. I’ve been asking my dem friends (the non-liberal ones) over the weekend about her and they are clearly on the fence. You can tell they want to believe in her, but if they feel they’ll be giving up their own beliefs they won’t.
The dems will try anything to spook the populace in believing that Palin does not advance the cause for women. When the current meme is “Ah, ha! My political ideas are vindicated because my opponents daughter got pregnant!”, you can tell the DNC is scared.
pt on September 2, 2008 at 9:50 AM
A pregnant teen in the White House will only encourage more people, including, tragically, more teenagers, to think of it as normal.
Infidoll on September 2, 2008 at 9:49 AM
She will be a MARRIED teen, living w/ her husband.
Marsh on September 2, 2008 at 9:51 AM
I saw bumperstickers in my condo parking lot right after his election that said “Barack Obama for President: The Senate Will Do For Now.”
I used to think that was charming. I thought he’d serve a full term, of course.
DrSteve on September 2, 2008 at 9:54 AM
Well said. I agree.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 9:54 AM
How Bristol handles her pregnancy and baby is her business.
That Bristol is not aborting the baby is not tragic.
That more people including more teenagers see how to responsibly handle an unexpected pregnancy is not tragic.
BTW, the Vice Presidential family does not live in the White House.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Hate to admit it, but it’s likely he would be thrashed in the blogs… for no good reason. The difference is that the media would not spend 3/4 of their airtime on it during a hurricane.
My disgust with this issue is not that it’s being discussed or even that the lefty bloggers have escalated it in their world to a level beyond ridiculous. My problem is that the MSM are worse that the lefty bloggers. If they can’t talk about or invenstigate Michelle, Wright, Ayres, Rezo, etc… or Edwards then there is clearly no place for a 17 year old girl in the headlines.
That is hard to say. I think that she hit the short list because she’s female (but the media was singing her praises as a short list candidate, thus why I am livid that the tune has so drastically changed). I do not think she came off the short list because she is female, however. There is no question. She is one of the most impressive political figures out there, for good reason. I stand by my earlier statements that she has accomplished more in 2 years as Governor than the entire Federal Government has in 30 years on the most significant issues facing us today. McCain stated his views on this eloquently on Fox this past weekend and I believe him.
Now, just to make it fair and balanced:
Would Barack Obama, given his breadth of experience, history, views and issues, been selected by the Democratic Party as their nominee if he were not black?
Call me a racist, but I say no. Leave out Hillary. She ran a pathetic campaign and banked on Super Tuesday, Bill’s coattails and her own narcissism. After that she actually ran a real campaign but was bankrupt. She is almost universally despised, apart from her Ron Paul-like fanclub. Her qualifications consist of 7 years as Senator (of a State she never previously lived and would not have been elected if Gulianni hadn’t dropped out due to a cancer scare) and being married to a President. Obama’s win came from beating all the old white guys and Hillary beating herself.
This point is further proven now that he chose Biden as his running mate. If you take gender and race out of the primary, it would be Biden vs. McCain.
Damiano on September 2, 2008 at 9:56 AM
What is atrocious is for more people including, tragically, more teenagers to think that aborting babies is normal.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 9:58 AM
Be honest.
SaintOlaf on September 2, 2008 at 9:59 AM
Well, he was present a few times, I do believe.
OldEnglish on September 2, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Her point was that the Pres. and VP and immediate families are role models, and should be.
Her point about abortion was that while it is good and virtuouis to show an alternative, it is still not a virtue to get pregnant before you have a settled life and the wherewithal to care properly for the child.
Also, to be honest, what is “unexpected” about a pregnancy when two teenagers have sex without contraception?
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:01 AM
JiangxiDad, knowing in advance that you will also see me as naive, immature, and pathetic for expressing this opinion, I have to say I think it’s a legitimate question.
Two different roles – Pres and VP; Palin has experience in all except foreign-policy.
Rod on September 2, 2008 at 10:03 AM
And even worse, preferable.
BigD on September 2, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Me too. Extremely. It was the answer I found dumb.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:05 AM
JiangxiDad
Get off your soap box.
There is more to virtue than appearance and saving face.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 10:06 AM
But it did take him more than 24 hours to make the announcement.
Not much of endorsement on Obama’s decisiveness there.
MarkTheGreat on September 2, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Well, I’m like you in that Fred, Rudi, Mitt, or Joe Lieberman might be better in that regard, however I have no doubts Obama would win with any of them on the ticket. This was a major gamble, but I think it was one with the best chances of success in Nov., and certainly for improvement in the GOP direction long term. McCain’s campaign will blow the whole thing if they focus on her gender in an attempt to win women voters, though.
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 10:07 AM
No one is arguing against that. But some seem to practically be arguing that “on balance”, it’s a good thing she got pregnant, because it’s an opportunity to demonstrate, (as in the function of a “role model”) one alternative to abortion, or the superiority of conservative values, etc.
All things being equal, wouldn’t it be better if she hadn’t gotten pregnant?
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:08 AM
St. Olaf,
Your man Huck endorsed Palin on FOX last night. What say you?
Disturb the Universe on September 2, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Save face? How? What have I said that suggests I’m looking for a way for conservatives, or Christians, or the Palins or anybody to save face? I’m only asking that people “face up” to the reality that this is not the preferable outcome for teens these days.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Freaking out because I’m realizing obama will probably win now.
SaintOlaf on September 2, 2008 at 10:11 AM
You say that like you have a direct line to the man upstairs. If it was gender, why did he persist in considering Lieberman till the last minute? We know Lindsey Graham was pushing Joe hard.
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 10:12 AM
You mean would it have been better for her mother’s VP run? Yes, surely.
Would it be better for her? How can anyone know that at this point? Quite honestly, JianxiDad, that question is above your pay grade, and mine.
BigD on September 2, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Also, to be honest, what is “unexpected” about a pregnancy when two teenagers have sex without contraception?
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Do we know if that’s how it happened?
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Freaking out because I’m realizing obama will probably win now.
SaintOlaf on September 2, 2008 at 10:11 AM
You must have been a hysterical mess when Huckster was still running, knowing that either Obama or Hillary would win in a landslide if Huck was chosen.
Bishop on September 2, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Yeah, I don’t really know Palin at all, so all I see is a pretty woman. When I saw people like Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Margaret Thatcher, I saw capable politicians first, and women only much later. Anyway, let’s hope for the best.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:15 AM
I see your point. There is a fair amount of lemonade being made
a capella on September 2, 2008 at 10:15 AM
You deserve an upding for that one! Good point!
Marybeth on September 2, 2008 at 10:15 AM
I was responding to mm’s supposition in an earlier comment.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:16 AM
On the first question, Morning Joe had Jonathon Alter (I think) as a guest. And in addressing the left’s response to the weekend’s news, he seemed to defend it with the argument that if the shoe were on the other foot, the right would have reacted similarly.
No comment.
On the second question, although I agree with some I’ve read elsewhere that Palin needs to drop the 18-million-cracks argument, I really never saw this as a pander to Hillary women. I think his choice went after three groups. First, it went right to energize the base. Successful, I’d say. Second, setting aside Hillary women, I think the pick would push Hillary men who for various reasons didn’t want to vote for Obama. To these guys, Palin married a guy like them, so I think they might identify with her much more so than Obama. Third, there’s a group of men and women undecideds who vote but who follow politics at best presidential election to presidential election.
Palin may have thin foreign affairs experience, but she’s governor of a state that borders two foreign countries, that has an awful lot of acreage, and that has an awful lot of natural resources. Sometimes, to take a big leap forward, you have to make a bold choice. Sorry, but I can’t help thinking of an unlikely teen-ager (David) who took down Goliath with a slingshot. It may not work out. But if it does, I’ll relish the look on Obama’s and Biden’s face when they’re going down in a heap.
BuckeyeSam on September 2, 2008 at 10:17 AM
“If Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and his wife Michelle had a pregnant unmarried teenage daughter” then she’d probably have a discreet/secret abortion and we’d never hear about it, and you know it. Normally, a politician with a pregnant daughter would insist that she have a “quiet” abortion in order not to damage the politician’s career. Most politicians, and journalists for that matter, would insist that their son or daughter finish college before even considering starting a family. I’d bet many of the journalists pushing Bristol onto your t.v. have their own dirty little secret – many of them had abortions when they were young. The fact that Bristol will not have an abortion makes the elitist journalists and politicians feel bad about their own lives and they lash out. The Palins could easily have had Bristol get an abortion and nobody would have known. Instead they are bravely doing the right thing and being responsible parents, and the chattering classes are beating them up for it.
dw on September 2, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Yes, true. Thank you.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Lol!
You think Mac would have lost all the people who are voting for him based on experience with Huck(the most experienced candidate in either party) on the ticket?
Hilarious.
SaintOlaf on September 2, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Thank you Marybeth, I know no reporter or journalist would dare phrase the question like that but it would be interesting how he would respond. I know what he said before but phrasing it like I did really makes it personal and hit home.
Elric66 on September 2, 2008 at 10:19 AM
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:08 AM
You stated that your daughters are still young children.
Think again, privately. If against all your teaching and fine living example, your daughter were to become a pregnant teenager, exactly how would you handle your own disappointment?
To blatantly state the obvious, that we hope our children never make mistakes, is one thing. But to further state that those parents whose children do not meet high standards of obedient perfection do not have your permission to live in the White House is just too rich.
Get a grip on a condescending fall from grace yourself.
maverick muse on September 2, 2008 at 10:22 AM
As I’ve pointed out several times before, the governor of Alaska has to deal with foreign countries all the time. It borders both Canada and Russia, and does not share a border with the US.
During her time in office, Palin has negotiated with Canada regarding roads, railroads and natural gas pipelines.
Palin DOES have foreign policy experience. The only way to get more foreign policy experience would be to become president.
Senators on the other have no foreign policy experience. They may get to talk about it, some a lot, but they never have the opportunity to put their talk to action. This is not experience.
MarkTheGreat on September 2, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Precisely. Unless someone dies, the role of the VP is to preside over the Senate and pick up the slack for the President in whatever role he crafts for you. From that perspective, Palin is more qualified that anyone else on either ticket. The only context were anyone can remotely question her fitness is by assuming McCain will die. Sure, he’s old but he’s also not the one who needed a week vacation during the campaign. McCain is no more likely to die than Palin, and far less likely than Obama (assassination) or Binden (aneurysm).
Yup. That is why there was an entire thread doing that last night.
So instead of begging for more praise for The One, go start reminding him that he’s supposed to fire all the nutroots in his campaign that have been pushing the story. You may need to remind him also that and executive can fire people and is considered personally responsible for his staffs’ actions on his behalf. Since he’s never run anything in his life before, it’s understandable that he’s confused on these types of things.
Damiano on September 2, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Skyhook:
The Monster on September 2, 2008 at 10:25 AM
So your immediate assumption is that a woman’s competence is inversely proportional to their looks?
MarkTheGreat on September 2, 2008 at 10:25 AM
I don’t see where I said that.
JiangxiDad on September 2, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Actually somebody asked the same question as Ed in my thread, though perhaps a bit more “directly” by asking if he would be the nominee if he were white. I had to honestly say, no… probably not. He would probably still be a “rising star” based on his oratory skills, and might be taking a run at the Illinois Governorship in 2010, but I doubt we’d see him running for president until he was in his mid-fifties. Just IMHO of course.
Jazz Shaw on September 2, 2008 at 10:26 AM
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