I think, with the reaction that I am seeing, that apart from the fringe of the Democrat party, not one of their demographics is safe from Palin.

I have to admit that my initial response to her selection was that he picked her because of her 'plumbing' but I also have to say that I really had not heard of her and as such new nothing about her.

Now that I have read a bit more, and heard her speak...well, I think she's not only a great pick for now but also a great pick for the future - loads of potential for her to make that ultimate step to the top level.

Videos were removed...

But as a 30 something male...damn she is hot! And not just because of her looks...i admire her intellect as well!

Kate you're so smart.

And what I mean is you as usual you pointed out something mind-numbingly obvious.

That the left just can't get at all.

Kate:

Good fishing. I agree. Just read the blogs liberal or conservative to see us guys have gone completely ga ga over her. Gay's excepted of course. In fact I mentioned most of the condemnation towards her was coming from other Women in a post. Contrary to belief most Men don’t fancy a mouse for a companion.

I read somewhere that the top three hunting states in the lower 48 were pennsylvania Ohio and Michigan. The keys to the white house iow.

Indoor rifle range..., earbud hearing protectors..., and not a flinch!

She was chosen to pick off Democratic, blue collar men.

I know. I figured that out several days ago.

Kate:Yes, that will happen to a degree, but the primary reason was to "pick off" evangelicals and other conservative Republicans in order to rescue what was headed to be a dead campaign. Hard core Republicans planned grudgingly to hold their nose and vote for McCain, if at all. Very few had any enthusiasm.

She electrified the Convention and most Republicans, Krauthammer and Frummie not included. In his speech last night he rhetorically asked something like did I pick the right person for VP and the convention went wild.

McCain was almost no ones choice on Free Republic. In a straw poll on FR 70% of respondents said they were more likely to vote for McCain because of his choice of Palin as VP. I may even bestir myself to get an absentee ballot and vote for him.

Jack

Oh, and I was going to add: I think she'll be able to take Joe Biden's noise without flinching when she meets him in a debate in Oct.

Shhhh Kate, you don't want the Democrats to know our secret....

Sarah Palin is the secret bastard child of Ronald Reagan and Margret Thatcher, forgiven by John Paul II, of course. God bless them all.

Not to mention that Sarah Palin makes Hillary's ass look big.

Not to mention that Sarah Palin makes Hillary's ass look big.

We've been subject to a widely-accepted, culturally-promoted conceit that a woman can perfectly assemble the perfect woman if she buys the right products and acts a certain way and expresses the right political viewpoints, but the truth his that this assembled product is in fact BY (some) women and FOR (some) women, with men folded vaguely somewhere into the equation; the gals go off into another room and make themselves over, and then they come out and a room-full of women shriek and gasp and applaud, and the gynergy just absolutely threatens to blow the roof off, but meanwhile the guys are going "Meh. Nuhhh, well, uhh, neh...but you go, girl," or perhaps they duly acquiesce and nod, accepting their role as as helpful fodder for the cause that ain't theirs.

But then, there's actually the matter of what men like, as opposed to what they want. It seems to me, in my experience, that a lot of women seem to have no sense of what men actually appreciate in women, and that this misunderstanding is based on a specifically-promoted view that suits women on the left.

A couple of years ago I was watching the Canadian women's hockey team in a public...house, and I remember how the women in the room were surprised by the barking intensity of cheering coming from the men. It made perfect sense to the guys, of course; when we're watching, say, NHL hockey, what gets us riled up is when a Glenn Anderson creases the scalp of some board-smashing goon who thought he had #9 lined up, but the canny fisherman's son slip-slides past Mongo and drives to the net with the puck. Well, that pleasure is doubled when you see a big handsome Canadian gal, with her family name right there on her jersey, fighting her way out of the corner with the puck -- it just makes the monkey-brain bonus-light flash a little more frantically.

It's a different and far more deeply-rotted kind of "you go girl!" than when some putative feminist is savaging a strong woman like Sarah Palin -- or Kate -- with the assumed support of other women, and on behalf of some putatively oppressed sisteren-en.

When a woman steps forward and faces down Moloch on everyone's behalf it's actually more inspiring --*to men* -- than if some suit-guy is doing it.

I give you now the third and fourth verses from the Norwegian national anthem:

Farmers their axes sharpened
wherever an army advanced;
Tordenskiold along the coastline thundered
so that we could see it back home.
Even women stood up and fought
as if they were men;
others could only cry,
but that would soon end!

Sure, we were not many
but we were enough,
when we were tested sometimes,
and it was at stake;
we would rather burn our land
than to declare defeat;
just remember what happened down at Fredrikshald.

I don't know exactly what happened at Fredrikshald, but I do take the point. We're in this together. We cannot allow another Fredrikshald, and we'll fight together, as per our ancient prerogative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ja,_vi_elsker_dette_landet

Assistance, please.
I don't understand (in the article linked) the different usage of Ms and Mrs.

Both are married and using their married names.
Why the different usage? Is Healy subtly slaming one of them? (I don't know and Wiki is no help)

Ms. Palin / Mrs. Clinton (The Real ’08 Fight: Clinton v. Palin? By PATRICK HEALY)
Tks in advance

But then, there's actually the matter of what men like, as opposed to what they want.

Very nicely and succinctly put.

My mother grew up a tomboy- climbing trees, delving abandoned coal mines in Ohio, and playing mumbly-peg.

My first wife was an Uber-Wasp, and my second grew up unloading semitrailers... but they all could be very feminine, and they all could shoot...

I predict (and give away this fine idea with the hopes that the talented will run with it) a comic called the Perils of Palin. It will be salted with Little Known Sarah Palin facts. Like 'Sarah Palin taught Jason Bourne everything. From afar, while he was sleeping.' or 'Sarah Palin showed AlGore how to invent the internet'.*

Today's issue featured the lioness of daytime tv, who will return as a steady villain who will be vanquished eventually, perhaps with a metaphorical bucket of cold water and a "Get over yourself". "I'm melting" as she fades away.

* the correct palindromic Little Known Sarah Palin Facts are:

Sarah Palin knows she is A Sharp Nail.

and

Sarah Palin's vanquished opponents gasp, "Aah, The Sharp Nail...."

It's great that her husband has an actual job, which doesn't involve media, law or making speechs, where he actually does useful stuff. (The kind of work I've avoided since my twenties :)
Seriously, how ofen has this happened in a presidential race, whether it's candidates or spouses?
That has to be an advantage for a lot of voters.

Please, EBD, tell me what your occupation is. You write so very well (form, prose and especially content). I am in awe...you are a gifted writer.

Kate, you should get EBD to do some postings.

As for the Palin thing, I haven't said anything about her because I really know little about her. I am a bit taken aback by the enthusiastic response she has generated here from day one...how could you know someone's character only after a few minutes/hours of first hearing her name?

Anyway, I believe that Palin is turning out to be (almost) everything that people were hoping. Go McCain/Palin!

And she will haul in the blue-collar vote!! Why? Because most men who work for a living are not afraid of strong women! Unlike the metrosexual wimps on the left,who still haven't cut the umbilical cord and want a "mommie" figure to look after them.There are only two types of men...those who respect women,and work with them,and those who believe the mommie state is for them.

I realized this yesterday while reading the Rasmussen poll.

"She earns positive reviews from 65% of men and 52% of women."

"Indoor rifle range..., earbud hearing protectors..., and not a flinch!"

Somebody in the comments on that video mentioned "simulator", and I think he's correct. There wasn't enough recoil on that M16 for live ammo, and the camera's audio system would have had a sh*tfit at that close range on the bangs. That's why no ear plugs. In that shooting environment, with live ammo everybody in there including Gov. Palin would have had a good case of tinnitis after the first couple of rounds.

Simulators are frequently used - ammo is precious in theatre. Well, d'uh, the video description says its a simulator...

I am familar with the gun, only recently having sold a very nice AR-15.

Well, d'uh, the video description says its a simulator...

"As for the Palin thing, I haven't said anything about her because I really know little about her. I am a bit taken aback by the enthusiastic response she has generated here from day one...how could you know someone's character only after a few minutes/hours of first hearing her name?"

Because some of us have spent some hours checking her out. The nice thing about public figures and the internet is there is a wealth of good intel beyond the froot loops. Some of us too are paid professionally, to check people out... :) (profiling is only a bad word to those being profiled, not those doing it...:)

As much as I like McCain and Palin, it would have been nice to have someone on the team who has studied economics, science and/or philosophy at least at the undergraduate level. Just think of the decisions they will have to make and they are illiterate in these areas.

Of course if I have to choose between higher degrees and common sense, I would prefer someone with their heart in the right place and some sense. I know, I know, they can hire experts, but I don't think it is a great thing for our increasingly complex world and the explosion in fields such as genetics, computer science and nanotechnology to dismiss higher education.

Last night, I called a very close friend in Tennessee. I was speaking to her about my relationship. My friend is straight, I am lesbian. Why bring that up now? Only because there seems to be a misconception that gay people won't support Sarah Palin.

Anyway, in the course of the conversation, I mentioned that my girlfriend was upset at my support for Sarah Palin. (My gf is French Canadian and doesn't get to vote, I'm American and I do get to vote.) I find it distressing that she is almost a socialist and the relationship is on the swift decline.

Well forget having the rest of the conversation. I couldn't believe it. My normally rational and fun friend went off. She screamed into the phone for almost an hour. Not once did she slow down enough to let me get a clear sentence out.

Something about rape and forcing people to have babies. Something else about hating gay people. Then a lot of nonsense about the lies put out about Sarah. (See Fox News for debunking the Sarah Palin myths.)

I never got the chance to remind her that the President and VP do not make laws. Only congress can make laws. Or that Sarah Palin vetoed a bill to deny spousal rights to gay Alaskan state employees.

Wow, it was amazing to experience that type of complete out of control emotional outburst. I've always been of the opinion that I could disagree with someone without disagreeable behaviour.

Obviously that is not a shared value with all people, even my closest friends.

One big factor picked up from both McCain's and Palin's speeches, they're going to shake up the Establishment.

Kyla: it's an all-too-common reaction.

My parents are visiting right now and my mom, normally a staunch conservative, has fallen for the big Owe's swarthy ways. She wants him in the White House, and won't accept that Palin beats the hell out of him in almost every way (except for being able to pee standing up, and even then I wonder.) We had a heated discussion, I wouldn't say argument, for about an hour last night, and it finally occurred to me to let it go: once some people are committed emotionally to someone they "feel" is better, they can't listen to rationality anymore.

That said, of course I still love my mom; she's just misguided on this one.

"As for the Palin thing, I haven't said anything about her because I really know little about her. I am a bit taken aback by the enthusiastic response she has generated here from day one...how could you know someone's character only after a few minutes/hours of first hearing her name?"

Some of us had heard about her before . . .

"Just think of the decisions they will have to make and they are illiterate in these areas."

Nicola, I don't think that statement is valid, for several reasons. A higher education does not guarantee an understanding or provide a handbook for real world application of those subjects, or in fact, of most subjects. All it does is provide a context in which to place the experience one gains over the next few years. Once 10 years out, real world experience begins to level out the advantage gained by the head start in higher learning.

Additionally, unless you stay tight to your chosen field, you begin to become stale in it anyway. What's important from your higher learning experience for most is the skill set you picked up in critical thinking. This is topic independent.
Life experience will thereafter refine and develop these skills, or not.

No one, not the magic O, nor McCain, nor Palin, can carry the entire knowledge base with them they will need. That's what the rest of government is for.

There is a lot of confusion both in Canada and the US as to what the President's job is about, and its why the left can't understand that Obama is the wrong man for the position. Obama's skill set is the base kit for the legislative branch of government - congress - the lawmakers, not the executive branch, the managers.

Presidents don't make laws. They cause laws to be made, but the function of the executive branch is managerial. Day to day oversight of the operation of government, not legislature. This one of the reasons why senators frequently make lousy managers(=presidents), and why most lawyers can't manage either. Its just not their skill set.

This is where many get Palin wrong on experience. While the scale is different, being a working governor is exactly the skill set needed for the vice-presidential (and presidential) office. Regardless of who gets in, they will have to rely on the assembled expertise around them to point out the land mines.

Obama's choice of Biden is telling - its a clear indicator that the old guard democratic cabal is in firm control of the democratic campaign. Obama is just a sockpuppet - his skill set is legislative, not executive. He won't be running the oval office, the DNC will.

Contrast with the McCain/Palin ticket. While McCain will rely on a subset of the GOP to be the go tos, McCain and Palin will be the executives. That's the significance, and the importance of the choice of Sarah Palin to be the VP. For Sarah, the job as VP won't be much different than the job of governor - its the skill set she already has, and she brings the "basic training" to the office with her already. The only difference is scale. Her resume for less than 2 years as a governor in Alaska, in terms of what she accomplished in housecleaning the state's legislature is stunning. As newcomer's go, she's a perfect fit, and just what the doctor ordered if the Americans want real change.

Hillary's ass makes Hillary's ass look big.

Following the 'indoor shooting range' vid is an interview with Glenn Beck from a few months ago. Palin showed the same decisiveness and common sense that she has displayed this week. She didn't just appear out of nowhere last week.

Well said Skip. I am willing to bet that Sarah Palin will be respectful of the men and women who provide her security.

Hey MCcain's for change now!

Change! Now where could he ever have gotten that idea from?

And they're keeping Palin from the press.

I remember a quote from Truman ... something about ... heat and kitchens...

Ah, I think that was a given. She was chosen because McCain likes high impact, feisty, mouthy, women. He even has a thing for Hill the pill for god's sake. Carrier pilots are different.

Hmmmmm bet there are a few white collar men re-evaluating their politics and beer lately also!

On a slightly tangential point, does anyone know if Obama dismissed Biden's speech because it was "written by somebody else"?

'-it just makes the monkey-brain bonus-light flash a little more frantically.-'

Thanks EBD. Too funny. My weekend is saved.

very nice, skip. And that's exactly what ought to concern people - that Obama's candidacy shows that, as you said:

"Obama's choice of Biden is telling - its a clear indicator that the old guard democratic cabal is in firm control of the democratic campaign. Obama is just a sockpuppet - his skill set is legislative, not executive. He won't be running the oval office, the DNC will."

That's the point. Obama is a puppet; he's empty of content. He speaks well, but only from a teleprompter, which are all written by speechwriters..He has no 'content' of thought on his own. All he knows is to 'increase taxes and spend, spend, spend'. He knows nothing about the economic infrastructure. He's being run by the old democratic cabal; he's speaking for them. They want back in power...and he's their upfront boy. But that's all he is.

The McCain camp is quite different. Both McCain and Palin have 'content'; they aren't empty puppets. Their agenda is reform - and I think they'll pull it off.

Yeah, ET

McCain has 'content'. Heard him talkin' bout Change.

The content hehas is Obama's...McCain's an empty cracked old vessels filled with Obama's words. Beauty.

And Palin's inaccessible to the press. Real tough lady.

Knock'em dead, though, in hall full of rabid, desperate supporters! Gotts give her that.

Just think of all those clinging bitter bible belt blue collar males . . . voting for McCain/Palin and rejecting the Messiah and has faux blue collar VP.

Sarah Palin's vanquished opponents gasp, "Aah, The Sharp Nail...."

Wurstman Ever, ...um, ... er, ... could you maybe translate your post? Actually, I have to wonder if you've been drinking.

Just one additional thought on Palin. In her role as Gov. of Alaska she reminds me of former BC Premier William N. Vander Zalm.

The Dems should have went with Hillary, big mistake!

And that's why Hillary isn't there - Hillary could not be a sockpuppet for the DNC. The Democratic party is fractured presently, like our Liberals, and until its sorts its house out is not fit to lead; is in fact dangerous if it gets to.

There is a parallel between the liberal/democrat situation and the Islamic one. Radical elements in both cases have hijacked the agenda of their respective mainstreams, and in both cases, letting them have the reins of power would be disastrous.

While its fashionable for the frantic left to go on and on about "neo-cons", the reality is they are only a small part of the GOP and have never held power, despite what one thinks of George W Bush. Neither McCain nor Palin are neo-cons, rather, they are grass-roots conservatives, so the US is not getting a "neo-con" government if they get in. Oddly enough, the dems are the true so-cons, steeped still in old-fashioned aristocracy, and that's what the US will get if they elect Obuma.

The only thing old about John McCain is his age and body, and really, his platform reflects the wisdom that age brings - of learning how to recognize, embrace and channel the true strength of youth (Palin), which he needs to do because of his age, and the recognition that progress requires many hands lifting, another "benefit" one acknowledges as one get older :). McCain has chosen his protege, and he will guide her and teach her along the way, eventually handing off the reins. And in the tradition of the ages, the student will teach the teacher, too. Its a succession plan, like all good governance structures.

Obama and the dems have it exactly backwards. The student is trying to lead and teach the teacher. Its not a succession plan, its a coup, and like most coups, because they are coerced, are doomed to fail.

Palin's inaccessible to the press. You've said it twice Real. Keep saying it and everyone will jump to the Obama Rama camp.
By the way did you write that yourself, or do you have a speech writer?

Real

Actually, McCain has been talking the talk and walking the walk about change and reform in Washington for 20+ years now. Obama has not made a single bi-partisan move in the senate in his 2 years as a junior senator. In fact as the career aspiring politician he is he has avoided the tough votes in the senate and embraced the fluff.

So really Obama is the usurper on the whole ‘change' thingy.

Nice try though.

"But then, there's actually the matter of what men like, as opposed to what they want. "

Bingo. She's just a very likable person, at least to a nongay man.

People here who are are saying that she is strong, feisty, and tough...man-like, in other words; that misses the point entirely. We despise wannabe men. It is precisely her lack of - sorry, there is no other word that will do here and you need to understand this point - c___tiness that is so attractive to us. I can't find a thing I dislike about this woman, which is the rare exception rather than the rule with respect to attractive career oriented North American women.

We're not new at hot chicks in public office: Ruby Dhalla was a model before becoming an MP. I find her attractive as hell, above the waist anyway, and yet very unlikable. Ditto Belinda. Former beauty queen Helena Guergis dumped her campaign manager/husband as soon as she got elected, that sort of attitude doesn't go over well with us. None of the aforementioned will be pulling an approval rating of 80% like Palin does anytime soon. Rona Ambrose, childless and fond of pants, is the closest analogue I can find; too bad Harper hung her out to dry on the environment file.

Point being that physical attractiveness doesn't (entirely) explain her popularity with men. Whatever it is she is doing, and I still can't quite put my finger on it, it is working, big time. I hope she wins because she will make an excellent role model for women at a time that they desperately need one.

Today's leftist comment, once again proving why the 'tard' has been added:

"Hey MCcain's for change now!

Change! Now where could he ever have gotten that idea from?"

Reagan vs. Carter, etc.

real:
"And Palin's inaccessible to the press."

You say that like it's a bad thing?

In case you haven't noticed pandering to the media is not too popular around here.
And after the way media treated her this week...yes she is one tough lady.

Good leaders lead by example. Bad ones force people to comply. I don't expect nor think that McCain & Palin will legislate (they can't, really) that everyone acts like them.

Obama and Biden? Stronger stomachs than mine can build that list of compulsory legislation. It'll be cradle to grave, and then some. First they will pauperize everyone in the healthcare field, then...

I'm sure that Chavez will have suggestions.

That really hurts, that Palin is "inaccessable" to the press. Keep trying though, maybe you can find something that sticks better than your sides first effort, which was to demand the DNA from her whole family so that she could disprove the charge that her husband fathered her grand daughter and produced a downs syndrome child.

Why not go with the "sluts" approach like the National Enquirer is right now. "Nuts and sluts", that is how Democrats deal with inconvenient women.

Again, skip - you are exactly right. McCain and Palin are 'grass-roots conservatives' and that's the strength of the USA. Always was and hopefully always will be. Government for the people by the people.
The Democrats don't know what 'grass-roots' means and so, they'll call Republicans 'neo-cons', whic shows they don't even understand that term.

It's the same with our Liberals; they are also not a grass-roots party, as is the Conservative Party. The Liberals are based in the big cities, among people who work for various levels of Big Government - not the people who work in small businesses, not the entrepreneurs.

Both McCain and Palin have rejected the elitism of the Democrats, whereas Obama, Biden and the Democratic camp have rejected this fact: that the power to govern rests in the people.

As leftists, the Democrats, like our Liberals up in Canada, view the 'people' with disdain and a sneer of contempt (beer and popcorn). Obama informs everyone 'not to worry; that He, The Chosen One, is Coming to Save them'. No need for anyone to do anything. He'll look after them.

This attitude of elitism, of a superior class governing and 'looking after' the peasant population is basic to the Democrats and to the Liberals.

The Democrat feminists are furious, absolutely furious with Palin, because she's a member of the peasantry - How dare she aspire to high office; how dare she act as if she is equal to the Upper Class and go Above Her Station? To the Democrats, she is a member of the lower class - and that's where she ought to stay.

Hillary was/is a member of this upper class; the feminists were OK with her. But, women who are still not trapped within elitism, will support Palin.

"inaccessible to the press" Worked for Harper, and he is getting a majority government for it.

Palin and McCain have it in the bag.

I think the most interesting part of the speech was when Sarah talked about her husband, as my guy. The camera went to her husband who had this look, somewhere between a cat that ate the bird and animal lust. Every american married male knew that look. This is a woman hard to keep up to, but if I die trying I'll die with a smile.

Hewitt was interviewing Pawlenty (iirc) the next day and he commented that her description of her husband is what every man wishes his wife said about him.

There were ball busting toys in Hillary's likeness. I suspect the Sarah Palin toys will be a bit different.

Derek

Skip and lookout, your point is taking regarding folks scoping out the Republican field...but I refuse to believe the WHOLE OF SDA (except for me) scoped her out previously. Yes, I had read through the article that Kate had posted a couple weeks ago about Ms. Palin and was surprised a week later when the pundits weren't mentioning her name.

From what I can see, I like her...confident (but not in-your-face confident), comfortable with who she is, apparently intelligent, capable and personable...and being relatively attractive is nice, too. But looks can be deceiving...I'd like to monitor her a bit longer before jumping too enthusiastically to her bandwagon.

Fools go where angels fear to tread, and all that, you know.

Eeyore, personally I never heard of her before. I just like the way she picked up a rifle she'd never seen before and put 'em all in the scoring rings. Standing.

That's my kinda chick.

Ok, maybe she'll have some issues I won't like, maybe she could have held her elbow up a little higher in the video, maybe I think its pretty lame her 17 year old shows up pregnant when Mom's the frickin' governor (man that's dumb), but on the whole the Barracuda woman looks like the kind of Amazon you want if you're going to have a woman in office.

Men are expected to stand up, speak the truth and shoot straight, I see no reason whatsoever that women should be held to a lesser standard. Hillary Clinton is pure brass to Palin's steel.

And she FIRED the entire Alaska Board of Agriculture one time to fix a problem. That's what I like.

real @ 11:14, here's your Palin "inaccessible to the press" debunk for today...
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Colorado and New Mexico
10:00am Media Interview
10:30am Satellite into AARP Convention
11:30am Media Interview
12:30pm MT “The Road to Victory Rally”
Colorado Springs, CO
1:45pm MT Depart Colorado
2:50pm MT Arrive NM
3:30pm MT Media Interviews
7:00pm MT “The Road to Victory Rally”
Albuquerque Convention Center

Legacy - it' simple. Palin's not a twisted sister. She's not consumed by herself. She lives life large, beyond her skin. This alone would be insufficient to maintain popularity with the average guy. The clincher is that she inspires trust based on character and track record...as a woman.

Despite the mantra of male chauvinism being the only narrative the ideological left assigns to men, the truth is that most guys like nothing better than the reassurance that their lady is capable of handling anything and everything in their absence.

She has become America’s Lady.

Tenebris that was spot on. I feel many loving things for my wife, and one of the most endearing is knowing that she can take care of herself and her family, not needing me as some sort of conveyance which completes her as an individual. Hats off to strong women!

Eeyore, your caution is appropriate - everyone develops their own comfort zone when dealing with strangers, especially when the strangers are either promoted as saviours or demonstrably alpha, be they male or female.

I'm in the business of sorting people out so Sarah for me was a quick study, plus I married one of that model type (LOL!) so I'm familiar with its features... She resonates with me, because she's exactly the type of female that rings my bell.

I hadn't followed her career prior, and like most of the media, I didn't clue to her right off. My initial response was to the perfect audacity of McCain picking a woman just after O'loser dumped one (and that McCain was foxy enough to wait to see what the irishman was going to do.) Once I had a chance to check her out in some detail, Yowsah! But then I'm a sucker for a smart feisty strong woman. I've also learned over the years that when a truly dirty job needs doing, get a woman. Men may gravitate to the "heroic" jobs, but when its needs to be down and out dirty, a woman like Sarah will "just do it". There are more heroes in the dirt then there are in the skies.

It remains to be seen whether she can withstand the load. Handling the VP job will be easy compared to handling Washington, but she's got the right stuff. The biggest risk I think, is not that she can't cut it, but that she'll ultimately decide its not worth it. She comes from a healthier place than Washington, and the lure to go home may pull her back.

While Palin and Zero duke it out, McCain is running for president.

Posted by: Tim in Vermont at September 5, 2008 6:01 AM

I think Tim nailed it right. Palin is going after the middle of the road vote. They pay most of the taxes, they have the children in families that are in school or getting out of school, they are the ones who will vote.

Old and middle aged people vote, young people whom BHO is trying to get to vote will be split. The question is who would they vote for "one hot momma who faces life head on or a half black/half white who plays the racist card, who has never had a job outside of the political establishment".

McCain has the policies of reform. They just do not want to hear it. McCain is telling them that they can and be what they want to be, only it is not handed to them in a basket of good will. Fight for change.

Sarah in the meantime will take each and everyone of BHO/Biden social policies and un-set them with factoids of truth about what this social change is going to cost the middle of the road, older people and young people who are in the trades, average Joe/joey whom are just making a living. Trying to get ahead in life, get a better future for their kids. They are the people who are going to relate to Sarah.

I would put money on McCain,that he is going to win this election. Keep up the good work Sarah, McCain is going to run right up the center and get these votes.

Isn't Sarah Palin the story of human history?

Just when things looks like then can't get much worse or better, along comes someone out of the mist who leads us back to a more righteous path.

You don't get real leaders and decision makers by subjecting them to the higher education of today. nor from the ranks of the elite. They are the naturals who just know what's right when they are presented with a given situation.

I am old and I can tell you that smartest people I met in my life weren't the formally educated one's. Rather, they were the inherently smart people who couldn't stay in a classroom because it was boring, slow and just plain silly a lot of the time.

Smart people don't need others to make them smart. They quickly figure out what's what and make decisions. They vote 'yes or no', not 'present'. Real leaders like Sarah Palin are not hiding who they are or what they truly believe. I believe Obama does that sort of thing.

The social fabric of Alaska is so sparse, think and transparent that Sarah Palin really couldn't hide behind anything if she wasn't being truthful. The thick-layered and murky society of Chicago and of the Eastern Seaboard lends itself nicely to the sophisticated weavings of an ambitious democrat. You can bury a lot of bodies in the density of the urban environment, but in Alaskan society you are always exposed.

There would be no point in Sarah trying to hide anything behind a think wall of say ... ice. I believe this woman is as real and true as they come.

She will make a great VP.

The impression I get is that the pathetic homely non-Talented feminists begrudge her for everything she has done while also being a happy good looking person rather than the run-down/bitter/angry/bra-less/men-hating whiner that lives off the Government teat in the guise of an oppressed group of victims by the Old Boys network.

Com'on folks , Hillary was played for the fool when slick-Willy was caught teaching Monica how to Bob-For-Cigars.
But because Hillary was married to a Male/Pig/Democrat , the feminists and lefties saw her as a brave and strong female for standing by the person that psychologically abused her with the Public shame to her Daughter that saw Hillary make a really bad choice for a dad .
Maybe Chelsea isn't Slick-Willy's child and now the marriage is balanced out from the two of them being pathetic parents .

As for Palin in General , if only she was an Orphan who was raised by Step-Parents in a Log Cabin and never went past the 8th grade because then she could get a Law degree, become a Governor for 1 of the 13 Colonies that became States in 1787 , then become the President who demanded an Election even during the Civil War to show how Freedom works in Practise , and finally.... end Slavery in the USA .
The irony in all of this is that according to Obama's own views on Politicians that have little experience, Obama would have mocked Abe Lincoln as un-qualified and unable to handle a crisis if the Telegraph wire rang at 3:00am to warn of the deep-South opposing the end to slavery.
Females in canada have become vicious and hateful towards Palin just because she is successful and good-looking, and the fact that Morgentaller gets the OOC for stopping poor females from producing criminals in our poverty ghettoes says more about Canada than it does of Morgentaller.

Let the insults begin...

Skip, very penetrating analysis of the experience question. I like all your comments.

And John V has nailed it. I live in Alaska. There is no where to hide up here. Our total population is the size of a small town and everyone knows everyone personally. I know members of her administration myself. As we say here, what we don't know we make up. GOVERNOR Palin (why always the first name and not her title?) has always been subjected to the closest scrutiny.

Wurstmann:

The palindrome of Bolton is "Notlob".

"A sharp nail" is an anagram of "Sarah Palin".

Nice try, though.

The campaign of Sarah Palin reminds me quite a bit of the first campaign of Charlotte Whitton for Mayor of Ottawa. There too, the media were entirely against Charlotte, with snide remarks and sexist innuendo. I still have an obscene letter sent to my grandfather, who was a supporter. These days the same remarks would appear in a left-wing blog, so some things do change. But Charlotte was very popular, especially with men (including priests, interestingly enough), in good measure because of her blunt no-nonsense pugnacity. Oh yes - Charlotte was a hockey champion in her youth, when at Queen's.

Palin's not a twisted sister. She's not consumed by herself. She lives life large, beyond her skin. This alone would be insufficient to maintain popularity with the average guy. The clincher is that she inspires trust based on character and track record...as a woman.

Tenibris- this is the essence of Governor Palin, IMO. She attracts Conservative woman because we identify with her - and admire her.

I grew up with three brothers and 11 cousins (I am a country kid so my friends were limited to the two couples who were my parent's friends) - 9 of those cousins were boys and the two girls were 10 years younger than me. I was forced to play with the boys so I knew how to trap and shoot gophers, I knew how to fall off my horse if I got 'shot' playing cowboys and indians, I could pound nails in the fence, drive tractors, play baseball, walk on the top rail of the corell etc.

My Dad and my Uncles were huge fans of mine (if I beat the boys in a race, they cheered for me and jeered the boys) but the boys were never allowed to hit me, they were expected to treat me with respect because I was a girl. I got respect but I knew better than to abuse that respect - the boys would have revolted and shut me out if I had not played fair.

Those boys and their little sisters were my best friends and they are to this day. We have unconditional respect and love for each other.

Today it is rare for women to be true friends with men because of the 'sex' thing - it was never there with my cousins and I as an action, it was accepted as a fact. The boys did not swear or pee on the ground in front of me (for that reason they would leave me in the dust sometimes and I just let them go because I did not want to be there for their fowl language and peeing contests).

Governor Palin's choice of husband speaks volumes about the person that she is - she knows she can venture out because she has a strong man to back her up, a man who is not intimidated by her success. He is not her rival, he is her strength and remains his own person. His life is not governed by the Governor but Heaven help the man or woman that would cross her. You will have noticed, as I did, that Governor Palin admires, and respects the accomplishments of her husband. That is fair. Sarah can be who she is because the man she married is a Man, not a pip squeak.

Hilary's problem is that she married a mouse with a big ego.

I used the word "think" rather than "thin" at two places in my comment. Sorry for that ... Typos.

Hi to all you old timers! ...haven't been posting for a while... the campaign doesn't leave much leisure time...

I want to say something about the gals.

Palin is a promising newcomer to the national stage. She might have a very bright future. So far her major virtue is that she is an obvious conservative, and that brings back some conservative voters. McCain is a moderate Republican, and a lot of conservatives were just going to sit the election out.

Let me say something about two women who are probably more important than Palin, once one has factored in that Palin is the draw for disgruntled conservatives.

Cindy McCain and Nancy Pelosi.

Cindy McCain very well might wind up being John's de facto chief of staff.

Inasmuch as McCain is a reformer, it will take a very strong chief of staff to keep his attention on the ordinary duties of the presidency.

He will need to correct Bush's mistake and fire a lot of liberals who are entrenched in the bureaucracy. People who will automatically work against him as soon as he takes office.

Bush's refusal to fire these people is one of the reasons for the Bush Derangement Syndrome of the left.

And just as Nancy Reagan had Donald Regan fired, someone has to watch McCain's back and be a hatchet man.

Cindy McCain has a forture reckoned at $100 million. She could have been Paris Hilton, but instead she became an Audrey Hepburn.

Cindy McCain demonstrates what wealth and breeding can become when it works for the light side rather than the dark.

However, underneath that gossamer refinement she is tough and will be wanting to eliminate threats to her husband whose eye is constantly gazing at an expanded arc of government reform.

Cindy McCain is a perfect wife for a president to have, and if McCain doesn't choose a very strong chief of staff, Cindy will do the job for him.

Nancy Pelosi.

It might surprise some of you to hear me say that Nancy Pelosi is as big a threat to Obama as she is to John McCain.

As Speaker of the House Nancy wields real power. She can stop bills from coming to the floor to be voted on. She can threaten conservative leaning Democrats to get on board in a variety of ways. She can decide who sits on important committees and who should be stripped of their committee postions. She can install sock puppets as chairmen of those committees, and she can round up RINOs to vote for her agenda.

Should we have the misfortune of an Obama presidency, Ms Pelosi will control him like a marionette. He is too young, too inexperienced, with too few congressional friends to challenge Pelosi's iron rule.

If McCain is elected, he has the seasoning to fight back against the Speaker, and he has friends on both sides of the aisle to give him support. However, the struggle against Pelosi will be meaningless unless he starts to use the veto. And although this might be helpful to the nation, all those politicians affected by the veto will hate him and become vicious enemies wishing to publicly discredit his presidency.

Nancy Pelosi wants to be the queen bee. Had Hillary won the presidency we would have been witness to the biggest Washington cat fight in the history of the nation. Neither one of them would want to give an inch to each other. It would have been one ferocious fight to see who would be dominant cat.

(You know, Hillary bought her Washington mansion simply so she could try to smother an important Washington socialite inasmuch as she and Bill were not invited to this wealthy socialite's parties.)

Nancy Pelosi is at present the biggest enemy that either presidential candidate has. Palin helps bring conservatives on board in the Republican Party. However, this does nothing in respect to Washington's political left.

Cindy McCain, with her background of wealth, power, effectiveness, charm and political savvy, will be the real behind-the-scenes enemy of the Pelosi agenda. Because to the extent she helps make John strong, power will flow into his hands.

Obama has spent two years tearing down his country, telling people there is nothing to be proud of, how it is hated, blah.
McCain refuted all this at his convention, by making people proud to be americans, country first, duty, honor and service. McCain/Palin are for reform, Obama want to change the country to become what the ghettos of black communities are. Take from the rich white and give to the poor black. Hey, there are many very rich blacks, including him and his wife.
As for her avoiding the media, I think the media is afraid of her as she has a gift for turning the question back on them. If they ask her if it wasn't proper to vet her, she might come back with, have you vetted Obama's connections to the Weathermen and Ayers, or Rev Wright and so many other hidden facts about him. Have the vetted his attempt to silence the media with threats of pulling licences, or lawsuits, or how about his and his wife's list of questions that can't be asked. There could be a lot of red faces on anchors. I do notice a lot of long faces at cnn and other networks. They also look embarassed as they know they went over the line.
How will women react when it is public knowledge that Obama intends to send out women to slag Sarah.
Think of all the times you or your sister slagged each other, but how they fought when someone else did. This could be a classic case of that defense.

Greg - Presidents no longer have the power to fire rank-and-file federal employees - only some of the top layer. The bureaucracy is entrenched. This Scragged article explains: http://www.scragged.com/articles/government-of-by-and-for-the-bureaucracy.aspx

I can think of nothing upbuilding to say about Speaker Pelosi. She is not so much a political enemy as an irrational animal - utter and completely deranged.

Sarah Palin has established a pattern in her life that's very reliable, she accepts challenges and with quiet sincerity gets the job done. She's motivated by a commitment to community service and family.

Contrast her to Hillary who had to fake being a mom with that one lonely kid of hers. The woman dare not utter anything about the nature of her marriage thanks to Bubba's infamous serial infidelities that are probably ongoing and her acquiescence. Hillary's first "real" job at the Rose Law firm was riddled with scandals - Whitewater and her insider commodity trade. The Clintons as a team never perform an action that they haven't cunningly calculated what they are getting out of it. Hillary took White House furniture on her way out the door and has amassed millions panhandling from donors. Her Senate seat had lots of cronyism and paybacks in place to secure it. We all know this and I'm only repeating it because she's still the top dog female in the Democrat party.

McCain delivered a gift to the young women in this country who have been desperate for a high profile role model. This is a far bigger leap than a Cabinet appointment. Picture in some typical women's studies class the typical angry gender victim hag suspending all commonsense and basic humanity when hammering away on Palin's "pathology".

"GOVERNOR Palin (why always the first name and not her title?)...

Couple of reasons Mal - first, that is how she was introduced to the rest of North America in this campaign - "folks in Alaska just call her Sarah..." and partly because she presents so readily as someone who might be your friend or neighbour. Those who are captivated by her have made her theirs - more so because the Obama bunch have steadfastly refused to acknowledge her governorship. The closest I actually have seen out them is Biden referring to her as "Lieutenant Governor". The Obamaton virtually always refers to her as the "mayor of Wasilli". This just reinforces the identity her supporters have with her, and brings her closer to them - Hence, she's Sarah, the Governor of Alaska.

If she makes it in, she'll become Vice-President Palin, or Vice-President Sarah Palin, but to middle america she will always be Sarah, or simply Sarah Palin. That's a huge identity strength for her.

Tenebris, greetings and salutations!

You're absolutely right. McCain needs to fire those people in top positions and when interviewing new candidates make sure they understand that the president wants people sympathetic with his positions to have jobs lower in the bureaucracy.

This unelected bureaucracy we have in Washington sometimes reminds me of the Politburo.

A good observation about Pelosi. Frankly, she is as dense as Obama is vacuous. And ironically, she is probably more of a threat to Obama with his ridiculous naivety than she is to McCain who has her number.

You know, those qualities of unification that McCain spoke of at the convention are genuine spiritual realizations galvanized in the crucible of the Hanoi Hilton. McCain now has a higher and genuine vision. We are all Americans, superceding any party affiliation.

However, Pelosi has had no such epiphany. And she will see any opening opportunistically. Nancy Pelosi, because of the power she presently wields, is the Darth Vader of American politics. And it will be most unfortunate if McCain's highmindedness will not simply understand Pelosi for what she is... but Cindy will. In fact, although Palin will only have such authority as is delegated to her, with the exception of a tie-breaking vote, she and Cindy could get together to impose quite a little conspiracy against Pelosi.

There is a T-shirt out that says:

"I am Sarah Palin ... Her story is my story!"

I believe that what is Sarahcuda's power is that she is so damn normal, yet at the same time outstanding ... that most of us identify with her. She is our daughter, our wife, our sister, mother ... even fantasy. She hits us on at least one of those levels. Only the most elitist pricks or insecure leftists would feel uncomfortable around her. That's my take.

Most of us could sit down with her and chat like we knew her without all the pretentions that usually surround famous people. In interviews with people from Alaska this comes through loud and clear. She is not above ... and doesn't feel above ... us. Sure, it could all be smoke and mirrors, but politics is show business and this lady is the star.

ps: the PUMA girls love her. They all disagree with her on abortion ... but they love her none the less.

http://blog.pumapac.org/

I wonder what a person with "no foreign policy experience" was doing shooting a rifle simulator in Kuwait in 2007?

As I recall, the One only got to Iraq a month ago.

I would not be at all surprised if Mrs. Palin turns out to know Sunni from Shinola and the location of Zanzibar.

And I would not be surprised if Mrs. Palin has been being groomed for rather longer than MSM knows or dares to report.

jay: They interviewed an Alaska National Guard General yesterday. He said that Palin's trip was a fact finding mission and support mission. She went there to listen. When she came back she brought in sweeping budget changes that gave her soldiers what they wanted and needed. The General said that in his whole career, she was best Governor he's ever worked with.

Greg, I think the Dems in Congress if McCain takes the WH are going to have to muzzle or deep six Pelosi. Congressional elections are in 2 year cycles. A McCain win is a message to them that can't be ignored. Pelosi can't be unseated because she has an adoring moonbat district, but, she's making all of the congressional Dems look stupid. How long can that go on?

Face it, Bush never used the bully pulpit in any forceful or timely way. He didn't do a good job educating the public on Iraq. McCain is a different animal. He will in a clear forceful manner go to the public and will educate them on just who is obstructing his policy agendas. Pelosi's last stunt obstructing the energy bill really caught the public's attention. Bush was typically silent. McCain will trash her publically. He has a temper.

Norman:

I am willing to bet that Sarah Palin will be respectful of the men and women who provide her security.

Actually, I'd bet that Sarah Palin will be doing the security sweeps so that the Secret Service can feel safe.

KevinB: **The palindrome of Bolton is "Notlob".
"A sharp nail" is an anagram of "Sarah Palin".
Nice try, though.**

I don't think Bolton/Notlob is a palindrome either.

Equally nice try though.

I do not think it will be only Cindy and Sarah watching over McCain if they win the election. Former CEO's of EBay and Hewitt/Packer are going to be right there.

I think Cindy will use these resources to protect McCain. It will keep Nancy down in the house and it will give him time to make the decisions that has to be made.

As far as knowing about Sarah Palin previously - she was the top pick on Hot Air for months before her selection. Hot Air is where Captain Ed from Captain's Quarters ended up. Go Sarah'Cuda!

http://hotair.com/

glasnost:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218

Try to pay attention around the 5 minute mark.

Get This...when was the last time ANY story took off and soared away to the skies for more than , what is it?..three ...five days...

my work here is done...Official Thread Killer jw

Pallin's job is to excite the base in what was to be a boring and even drab affair. But as you mention and what scares the bejesus out of the lunatic left, is that Sarah is everything that Clinton would hope to be and for which Obama's baby mamma wouldn't have in da house.

Facts is facts.

Jackie Chan was supposed to be filming a movie at the top of the WTC that morning.

Not only was Jackie Chan not there, but none of the film crew or other crew members were doing setup either.

Inside info to JC from the ChiComs?

We report, you decide.
8.D

"Why was the FBI investigation of hijackers shut down?"
Says WHO? Was another agency investigating the failure of the FBI to perform their duties?

"Why were military response stand down orders issued?"
Which military group where and what were their response orders for a revised understanding of an unimagined attack?

"Why were distracting war games set up on 9/11 of all days?"
Distracting to who?
Did the attackers know of these preplanned wargames?

Afterwards, Sarah Palin's vanquished opponents gasp, "Aah, The Sharp Nail...."

Improved by the introductionary clause.

@kevinb I am dead in the water, clutching my forgotten and half-assed pun(?). Which should be, today (I admit), 'palingrammic'.

@david They're anagrams, one for Sarah Palin and another for Sarah Heath Palin. I leave Sarah Louise Heath Palin for someone less faint of heart than I.

Both are a reaction to the anagrams promoted by TrueBelievers that always include the word 'anal'.

ps. Not volunteering to be skewered by the press -- imagine if she did not match McCain -- seems obvious. The press is playing a mean game of gotcha these days. They are also being played finely by rope-a-dope. There's more to be had from the current situation. To be sure McCain/Palin, as we all, are taking names...

Palindromes are words that spell the same word read backward or forward: pop, mom, hannah, poop are all examples of palindromes.

it would have been nice to have someone on the team who has studied economics, science and/or philosophy at least at the undergraduate level

All *that* information is available for study by anyone near a library or with an internet connection. Nowhere near all study happens in universities. Thank gawd.

It's been said elsewhere, but bares repeating:

What can Sarah Palin bring John McCain that he couldn't get for himself?

Republican. Votes.