McCain’s selection of her is completely contrary to his agenda in every way

Well no, not if you’ve been paying attention. It was wholly in line with his history. McCain does what he believes is right, even if you don’t like it. So does Palin. So did Reagan. What gets me about all this MDS is that apparently, you people want a weak, simpering panderer who will kiss your behind the minute you demand it. What’s conservative about that?

We’ve been fortunate in one regard: for some reason, Barack Obama has chosen to run against Sarah Palin rather than John McCain in the last two weeks. We win that argument every time in two ways: Obama can’t beat Palin on experience, and McCain winds up looking like the only person running for President.

Interesting thought; but there’s a big problem with it. (1) To any honest observer, Obama’s experience compares as favorably as, if not moreso than, Palin’s. It’s a different kind of experience, which appeals to different kinds of people. But Obama’s experience at the national level of politics and his having run both a US Senate as well as a Presidential campaign have given him lots of experience relative to the leadership job that comes with the position of the Presidency. (2) Obama versus Palin may indicate that only McCain is running for President; but it just as easily may indicate that the GOP Presidential nominee is really Palin and not McCain, at least as far as Republicans supporting the ticket are concerned. It is very likely, and seems to be the case when I read enthusiastic Republicans, that Palin headlines the ticket and that McCain is more the afterthought. I think it’s the GOP that needs to worry that Palin doesn’t become the party’s reason for the Presidency, because that is most definitely a losing strategy. And if Obama can make Palin appear as the top of the ticket in the public consciousness, his job in defeating the Palin/McCain ticket becomes all the easier.

I know I’ll get flamed for this, but I think Palin can’t live up to the expectations some folks have for her. The big bounce McCain has gotten is IMHO from previously hesitant McCain supporters “coming out of the closet.” The convention, the pick of Palin, and some effect from all the media attacks on Palin make people likely to vote for McCain more likely to feel safe in expressing their support.

I mean, a month ago, one could expect to be given some cockamamie “test” for implicit racist attitudes just for saying you are voting for McCain.

And I am very much in agreement with PJ O’Rourke on politicians:

After all my time covering politics, I know a lot of politicians. They’re intelligent. They’re diligent. They’re talented. I like them. I count them as friends. But when these friends of mine take their intelligence, their diligence, and their talent and they put these into the service of politics, ladies and gentlemen, when they do that, they turn into leeches upon the commonwealth.

They are dogs chasing the cat of freedom. They are cats tormenting the mouse of responsibility. They are mice gnawing on the insulated wiring of individualism. They are going to hell in a hand basket, and they stole that basket from you. They are the ditch carp in the great river of democracy. And this is what one of their friends says.

Yes, that about sums it up. Very few of those carp ever start to tell me its time to start fishing the river clean of them because of the bloated mess they are presenting as their swollen bodies protrude above the water. When one starts to hear that from other carp, then the time just might be around to start banging the worst on the head and generally fishing the river with nets for awhile. Maybe dam up the thing and lower that downstream water level a bit so they don’t have so much to get corpulent on.

That means voting them out of office and getting those in office who can cut down the water level just before they change into carp. Then fishing them out of the river.

Gov. Palin hasn’t become a carp yet… but the gills on the rest of the candidates tells me a lot about them.

Quit with the freakin’, dude. pabarge on September 11, 2008 at 9:35 PM

They detested Reagan too. I remember all to well Sam Donaldson et al surrounding Reagan, peace be upon him, like a pack of jackals.

Terrye on September 11, 2008 at 4:01 PM

Eat their own? No, we just expect those who espouse the same beliefs that we do to live up to them. If they lie or deviate from what they promised, they get called on it. If they call us bigots and tell us to shut up, we promote them…er, wait a minute…

Ed, we’re not DIMocrats. We’re Republicans. We’re different, and one of the ways in which we differ is in our capacity to combine our enthusiasm for America with our ideals and our objectivity.

Remember President Reagan. We loved him just as much as we love Sarah and the nut-mutts on the left loved to say the same vile things about him as they’re saying about Sarah.

Dude, these people are justifiably terrified. They’re spiritual dinosaurs and they know it and they know that Sarah, like Ronald Reagan has has the mirror to give them the Medusa treatment.

Quit with the freakin’, dude.

That being said, and pure politics aside, the real issue in this race is that the Democrats have offered us a zero who has shown no capability to lead an office, let alone a nation, and whose impulses all arise from a default Marxist view of the world. Whatever we can say or not say about McCain’s policies, he’s really the only qualified candidate on the ballot.

Doubling the child tax exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 will improve the lives of millions of American families.

This bread and butter promise has gotten zero attention. The crowd applause to the previous comment drowned this out at the convention. McCain hasn’t repeated it since. I recall Clinton made a tax credit promise in the 90’s which is why my conservative father voted for him twice (Oh the shame).

McCain needs to repeat his every chance he gets.

Yep, your right… I was one of those who had problems with Reagan… after he betrayed those of us who were in Lebanon in 83…. and used the troops who were supposed to be relieving us on station to invade GRENADA?

Interesting learning that McCain warned him about that. Between McCain’s call on the surge and finding out he warned about using Marines in that fashion in ‘83, he’s the man when it comes to protecting our military and using them responsibly.

It is fun though to see The Big O lose his star power to someone that actually earned it.

Terrye on September 11, 2008 at 4:01 PM

Oh, you mean the Conservatives don’t tend to blindly follow a single Godhead leader?

Yep, your right… I was one of those who had problems with Reagan… after he betrayed those of us who were in Lebanon in 83…. and used the troops who were supposed to be relieving us on station to invade GRENADA?

Conservative leaders are not above reproach, and if you expect Conservatives to remain silent about problems they have with McCain, or Palin… I think you have unrealistic expectations.

Let’s not forget that she is a politician, and like all politicians, she should really have to win our trust regardless of party affiliation or personal affability. I say this knowing full well the attacks on her and her family are the nauseating politics of personal destruction decried but ably practiced by Democrats.

This election is not over, not in the bag for our side, and will turn at least once or twice before November 4th.

The broadcast networks, most cable news outlets, and most major papers will tilt heavily to the Obama campaign. McCain will have to make his case to us and to independent voters over this media favoritism – and it remains to be seen whether or not he can do so, despite his compelling personal history.

The experience angle never works. Obama is seen as credible by many voters by virtue of the fact that he is the Democrat candidate. It has to be issues, issues , issues – and we have the winning arguments on most issues – IF McCain can make them.

To be honest, I don’t see any Palinmania taking root, not permanently for sure.

By definition, for us to determine if it takes root permanently, a significant amount of time will have to pass. It’s only been two weeks or so. Your observation is fatuous.

Conservatives have a habit of eating their own. Even Reagan had his critics in his own party back in his day. One might not know that to hear him eulogized today, but there was no shortage of people on the right who complained him.

Correction: conservatives consume those who need to be consumed. When a conservative does something that even suggests shame or brings opprobrium upon conservatism, he or she is dispatched (think Trent Lott). Contrast this with Liberals, who almost never consume their own, unless the perpetrator is caught red-handed in some act of indisputable moral turpitude. Even then, they are lauded for their courage (think Bill Clinton) unless they are of no use politically (think John Edwards).

I just hope that this time they wait until after the election to turn on Palin.

No you don’t, Terrye. You are hoping they turn on her NOW.

First debate – its over

Rubber hits the road

Man am I a bad speller or what?
petunia on September 11, 2008 at 2:38 PM

Your spelling will never be criticized on HA because, as busy movers and shakers, we all type fsat.