The Elephant in the Living Room is Sarah Palin

News Type: Opinion — Mon Sep 1, 2008 2:56 PM EDT

Superficially, the choice of Sarah Palin makes sense in some ways. Palin has an approval rating in her state reaching as high as 90% by some accounts. Palin is a vocal opponent of a woman's right to choose, a lifetime NRA member, and is seen by the religious right as a loyal christian conservative who can be counted on to be an ally on every issue on the far-right checklist. In other words, the naming of Palin will be read by many as a loud and clear statement to both religious conservatives and the gun lobby that they are valued by McCain as his base.

Palin is a mother of five, and juggles children, marriage, and her career in a display of empowerment which could be a draw to women and Hillary supporters who have not yet committed themselves, or who may have lingering frustrations over the dashed hopes of having a woman on the ballot. McCain's choice of running mate will also play into his campaign strategy of attacking Obama and offering false promises of energy independence and prosperity through nukes and drilling, all the while raising the specter evildoers waiting to pounce on America should we elect Obama. McCain can be packaged as the Commander in Chief, battling the bad guys with his steely resolve, while Sarah Palin can be sold as the easy answer for the energy issue, ready to whip Alaska and thousands of miles of coastline into a free gasoline pump, and don't worry about the damage to climate, fisheries, and coastline. Don't you believe it, my friends, as McCain loves to say: caveat emptor, let the buyer beware.

Sarah Palin is a hail mary pass. She has a long way to travel, through a whole lot of defense, and she may well not make it. The media will go with some fluff stuff about Palin for a while, and then the questions should come. Countless people, both those in the media and others, will be poring over Palin's record, and prowling around her past and present associations looking into family issues, career actions, and anything she has been remembered to have said or done. Maybe she will not be found to have any skeletons in her closet, but that cannot change the elephant in the room: Sarah Palin has not shown that she is in any way prepared to be a heartbeat away from the presidency at this stage in history. McCain has not chosen someone who is ready to be president herself in less than a year, should the health of the president become an issue. McCain has picked what he hopes will make him a winner in November. "Putting Country First" would have meant choosing a more proven individual to navigate the waters of McCain's term should he be elected and become ill or worse. Nobody wanted to play the age card on McCain, but with a choice so untested as his running mate Palin, he has played the card on himself and the issue must be raised. We cannot ignore this elephant in this living room, the stakes are far too great.

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{"commentId":2691193,"authorDomain":"StellaCa"}

StellaCa

A correction to your article: More executive and private sector experience than Barack Obama, who has actually gotten more accomplished during her time in office. She's also gone to-to-toe to rout out corruption from her own party. In less than a week, I was able to discover where Sarah Palin stands on the issues without the rhetoric-go-round. Too bad we can't say the same about Barack.

There's your elephant.

{"commentId":2691193,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"StellaCa"}

#1 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 6:31 AM EDT

{"commentId":2693714,"authorDomain":"danny-soapbox"}

Pittsburgh Dan

For good or bad...no matter what side of the political fence...another elephant in the room is this:

A week ago...we didn't spend 5 days on whether or not Joe Biden was a qualified VP choice--but rather, whether he was the right one from the remaining few that were substantively vetted. Should Hillary's 18 million and star power and history be added to the ticket? Was Tim Kaine too close to Obama, though meritorious? What about dark horse latino minority candidate (and foreign policy guy) Bill Richardson?

That discussion hasn't died down on the republican side...AMONG republicans, no less...as well as the mainstream.

Instead of weighing the dangerous yet qualified gamble of say...Tom Ridge or Joe Lieberman...or the conservative roots of Tim Pawlenty...or the "filling of the economic hole" of Mitt Romney...everyone's up in arms about someone who has questionable qualifications. At this stage of the game, with the state of our country...should we really even BE arguing whether or not the VP is in any way qualified?

In the race to show who makes considered and wise executive decisions...gotta score this one Barack 1, McCain 0.

{"commentId":2693714,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"danny-soapbox"}

#2 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 10:56 AM EDT

{"commentId":2695683,"authorDomain":"andrewspagnoli"}

Andrew Spagnoli

Right you are, Dan. Palin has gotten a lot of attention for McCain, but not exactly good attention. There certainly are some voters, like the first commenter who wanted to "correct" me. I wont bother correcting what was said there, as it would probably be a waste of breath. Among those voters who are not likely to go along with everything that McCain and Co. do, as far as I've seen, the choice of Palin has been met with reactions ranging from puzzlement and uneasiness among many I've heard from who had been leaning towards McCain to outright bafflement and derision from those leaning towards Obama. It doesn't look like a wise move for McCain in a term in office, or in the campaign.

{"commentId":2695683,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"andrewspagnoli"}

#3 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 12:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":2695862,"authorDomain":"danny-soapbox"}

Pittsburgh Dan

I've been trying hard to put a "non partisan" hat on (in addition to my American Hat the republicans want us all to wear, of course)...and I can't seem to find another reason to put her at number two other than the fact that it's designed to create buzz, and more importantly, energize a rabid ultra-conservative base that until now we hadn't HEARD from in this election.

Mission accomplished, then, yes?

Now...if I slip my own partisan hat ON? (an Independent who registered Democrat so he could vote in PA Primaries?)

....Sarah Palin is a female version of former arch-conservative Senator Rick Santorum. I've seen that path up close and personal, and am proud to say I was one of the voters who helped boot his extreme butt out of the Senate in favor of a slightly less qualified (but far more centrist) Bob Casey Jr.

{"commentId":2695862,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"danny-soapbox"}

#4 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 12:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":2696901,"authorDomain":"seltaeb04"}

Frederic-426126

If Palin is the elephant in the room, then Obama is the canary in the Democrat Party's coal mine.

She's simply being demonized by the liberal (in-the-pocket-of-Obama) media for political gain. She certainly has far more integrity and backbone than her counterpart Joe Biden.

{"commentId":2696901,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"seltaeb04"}

#5 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 1:01 PM EDT

{"commentId":2704836,"authorDomain":"chrystinaandrada"}

Thoughtprocess

chalk one up for the rabid bigot squad. Her butt sits in the 'right' pew on Sundays. That's about all that matters to them.

I am a former McCain tepid voter. Almost anyone else, other than Huckabee, might have gotten my vote. Now, because McCain has proved that he cannot make a decent decision, I have to go for Obama. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I THINK OBAMA WILL MAKE A BETTER PRESIDENT. He won't. But, I do know who and what he is. There will be no surprises. It will be a painful 4 with him. But it did take Carter to get Reagan. Obama is your carter, and I'm voting for him.

{"commentId":2704836,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"chrystinaandrada"}

#6 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 7:18 PM EDT

{"commentId":2706791,"authorDomain":"shellastep4"}

Girlhvhope1

Obama is the right person for the job. He has proven that as far as I am concerned. Mccain has chosen how he plans to get things done and so far he has lost all his ground with me. I do feel racism is alive and well and I do believe that most of the republicans are accepting Palin and Mccain cause they don't want to vote for a black man who which I will remind you is also very much white as he is black. I am so tired of this hateful mentallity. I will be voting for Obama for president 2008, cause it does't matter how much experience you have if you have a strong character and belief system in which will help all of Americans improve are situation and not just for the few but for many. Look at Reagan he didn't have a bit of experience but he was an ACTOR PEOPLE! Reagan was one of the most loved Presidents of our times! So people need to come off it and stop looking for excuses not to vote for a Proud Mulato African American from being President who happens to be fresh and new and he represents all of us as a Nation, ONE NATION! If tha's what people are mad about they're crazy. By the way I can't stand Amy Holmes a republican analyst on CNN, she needs to get her head out of the sand!!!! I strongly agree with the fact that it does matter. These are the standards that republicans hold everyone to, and that we should all be obstinate and that no sex education should be taught in schools, yet her daughter is having plenty of it. If she can't govern her own home then how do we expect her to govern American by her so called high standards. I feel that repubs make way to many excuses and don't hold their own to the standards they claim they believe so strongly in. Hey I don't want to persecute Palin cause I frankly have alot of respect for her when it comes to her accomplishments, but this is in Alaska, where? She didn't even get a passport until 2007, she isn't savy on foriegn policies and at least we have had the opportunity to get to know Obama and Biden, we don't know her and the little we do know is already way to hot to handle. It's not that Democrats don't have compassion for this woman, it's the media who is on the attack and rightful so since the media and Mccain and his camp have been on top of Obama, it's only right that they now Mccain's camp get the scrunity they deserve. So theres's where I stand vote Obama 2008!

{"commentId":2706791,"threadId":"345904","contentId":"1800806","authorDomain":"shellastep4"}

1 vote

#7 - Tue Sep 2, 2008 8:53 PM EDT

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20 Reasons why Sarah Palin is Unfit to be Vice President of US	Gideon Polya	Sun Aug 31	33
Palin: What She Isn't and What She Is	Shawn Gordon	Mon Sep 1	108
And I Looked And Behold A Palin Horse...	Scott Isaacs	Sat Aug 30	291
To rebut rumors, Palin says daughter, 17, pregnant \| U.S. \| Reuters	Reuters	Mon Sep 1	14
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ANDREW SPAGNOLI

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The Elephant in the Living Room is Sarah Palin

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