And Now for Something Completely Different
John McCain unaccountably taps Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for the VP slot on his ticket. I am dumbfounded by this decision. I suspect a plot is afoot to restore Dan Quayle’s political standing.
OR, it is, perhaps, a typo. Maybe he meant Monty Python veteran Michael Palin.
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Now THERE’S an idea.
I notice that Alaska’s two biggest newspapers (??) have said Sarah is not ready for prime time. I also notice that she’s a creationist. Hr Republican bona fides — she’s pro-drilling, anti-choice, and knows how to lie. She said in the press conference with McCain that she told Congress thanks but no thanks re: the bridge to nowhere, but in fact she supported the idea in no uncertain terms. You can see why McCain likes her.
Comment by Al — August 30, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
You have to admit in the short term it was a good strategic move by McCain. He blindsided the media which is always fun to watch, and he tripped up the rehearsed reaction of the Obama camp for the predicted VP picks. It was a buzz killer for Obama’s acceptance speech and interrupted the Oprah-ization of Michelle. Also, I don’t know if McCain planned this, but discussions about Palin’s amount of experience tend to lead to comparisons of Barack’s similar lack of experience which can’t be good for the Dems.
Comment by mike — August 31, 2008 @ 2:03 am
I’d say it was a good tactical move, in that it served the immediate crisis and interrupted any media afterglow that may have followed BHO’s acceptance speech at Mile High Stadium. That speech was so good and so widely viewed (38 million) that it threatened to be a deal-closer.
But in the end, it was a Pyrrhic action. He massively undercuts his own claim to the advantage of experience; he’s provided a grand example of fire-ready-aim at a very inopportune time; he’s basically insulted any HRC supporters he might have been trying to woo (’Look! She wears a dress too, so, uh, same thing, right?’). The only group it may immediately resonate with is the Christian Right, and those poor bastards have been burned enough in the last eight years, it won’t be a slam-dunk.
And it appears that they’ve NEVER vetted her background, and that alone looks like it will be a deal-killer before she ever gets to a first debate with Biden, which Joe can only lose if he somehow gets portrayed as ‘beating up on a girl’.
The main word that keeps popping up in my thoughts is ‘Eagleton’. I’d give better than even odds that Palin will be off the ticket inside of a week.
Comment by Mark — August 31, 2008 @ 5:52 am
McCain might undercut his claim of bringing experience by picking Palin, just as Barack undercut is claim of bringing “Change” when he picked Biden.
And I wouldn’t write Palin off too quick - sounds like she will be appreciated in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana and that’s where the fight is for this election.
Hey she was known as Sarah Baracudda when she played basketball for the State championship in high school - maybe she can even beat Barack in a little one on one.
At least it keeps the race interesting.
Comment by mike — August 31, 2008 @ 11:06 am
I don’t know … competent foreign policy decision making constitutes significant change at this point. I think Biden fits in fine.
And screw ‘interesting’. I’ve got an 11-year-old son, and ‘interesting’ could see a reinstated draft. I want the Dems to move directly to checkmate at this point.
Comment by admin — August 31, 2008 @ 11:36 am
It’s true, if the Dems win, and something happens to Barack, THEN we would have someone experienced and competant on foreign policy at the helm in Biden.
Comment by mike — August 31, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
McCain should have named Hillary. He’s already using her in a lot of his commercials.
Comment by Al — September 1, 2008 @ 5:03 pm
All right, all right, all right. I think we have sufficiently covered this space. To quote the great Michael Palin from the ‘Holy Grail’ movie: “Let’s not bicker and argue about ‘who killed who’ … this is supposed to be a happy occasion!”
Comment by Mark — September 1, 2008 @ 7:32 pm
That’s a funny Holy Grail quote that I didn’t remember!
I watched Sarah Palin’s speech at the RNC Convention - She was good - she’s no Tom Eagleton - look out, this is going to be a race.
Comment by mike — September 4, 2008 @ 12:15 am