AmericanPapist Comments
I very much disagree that this is evidence of a poor vetting job. I think McCain knew about these minor issues, I believe he wanted her regardless, and in two days we are no longer going to be hearing about any of this.
It just highlights how low the media in this country has fallen - biased, highly partisan, with little intellectual rigor. Tom
I don't think she was poorly vetted at all... I assume McCain knew about all of this when he picked her, and most of it was public knowledge in Alaska. If it was going to come out at all, it would have come out right away, because I'm sure the first command in the Obama campaign and in newsrooms across America was, "Find out all the dirt on Sarah Palin."
It would have happened no matter who was picked, and we got it all out of our system in the first 4-5 days of her candidacy. And I consider it mild compared to what we find on most politicians.
Really, the one thing that didn't work out as planned was the fact that the convention was essentially postponed by a day, so we had a full two newsdays where the only stories covered were the Hurricane and Bristol Palin's pregnancy.
According to Nancy Pfotenhaur (I think I spelled that right) McCain new about the trooper story and about Palin's daughter's pregnancy and determined that they were not deal breakers. (BTW, Nancy P. is awesome with the press - I hope McCain makes her press secretary).
If anything, a pregnant teen daughter demonstrates how in-touch the Palins are with us regular citizens.
McCain picked the worst possible candidate. He thinks the liberal women who voted for Hillary Clinton will be attracted to her. Oh come on! Just like African Americans love Clarence Thomas. Roomney was the clear choice.
McCain picked the worst possible candidate.
If one thought he was out to pick up a bunch of fence-sitters--maybe. But if it was to fire up a base of which many were seriously considering staying at home, it's a pretty good move.
I find it interesting that the MSM and liberals are all wondering about the "wisdom" of a woman who has children and working a job that may take her away from her duties and obligations to those children.
Then I would like to ask them if they believe that women should not serve in the military, as going to war consists of leaving your children behind - sometimes for good.
Of course McCain is hoping Palin will help with women voters, just like he was hoping it would fire up the Republican base. Given the reaction to date, he seems to have hit a homerun on that second goal.
Just like Bush won the "security moms" in '04, McCain needs women to vote for him. Will Palin attract the rabid feminist Clinton supporters? Certainly not. Will she attract women who wanted to see Hillary on the Dem ticket because it would have put a woman in the White House? Perhaps. I don't believe that all Clinton supporters are rabid feminists who can't vote for a candidate who is not pro-abortion. Just like there are many Christians who would have voted for Hillary despite her abortion stance, I believe there are many middle of the road Dems and Independents who will like Palin, relate to Palin, and vote for Palin.
Oh, and if Palin is such a lousy choice, then the DNC would largely be content to let her hang herself with her own rope. As it is, they are in full smear mode--they clearly feel threatened. And just the thought that their Obama shoe-in is no longer a shoe-in, makes the appointment worth it.
Reality check arriving on this post! Senator McCain knew full well about Bristol's pregnancy before naming Governor Palin as his running mate. Sarah Palin WAS thoroughly vetted. What Senator McCain could not know is how rancidly despicable the voices of the left would be in the smearing of Gov. Palin by using her oldest child as some sort of club against her.
The Leftards have dishonored THEMSELVES, not Governor Palin with their lies and insinuations and they should be ashamed of themselves. Senator Obama (for whom I have no love) has behaved with far more honor than any of his supporters in this matter but you should all slink off on to the trash heap of campaign history for your offensive and un-American behavior.
Shame on all of you!
"He thinks the liberal women who voted for Hillary Clinton will be attracted to her."
In the word of the immortal Dom DeLuise(in "Blazing Saddles": "Wrong!"
McCain picked Governor Palin to firm up the Republican base. He not only firmed us up, he fired us up.
"He thinks the liberal women who voted for Hillary Clinton will be attracted to her."
It is true. And many of them are attracted to Palin for three main reasons:
1. Many of them are delighted to see a woman on the ticket. The wrong woman, yes, but a woman nevertheless.
2. Many of them realize that allowing an Obama victory will mean that Hillary has to wait 8 more years to run again. They want McCain to win so that Hillary can run in 2012.
3. Many are enraged by the sexist attackes against Palin, and are coming out in support of her.
This is going to backfire on the Obama camp big time.
I just think if it were Obama's daughter who was pregnant, she'd just have an abortion and no one would know a thing about it. God bless Bristol for choosing life for her baby.
Contrary to the assumptions of the NY Times et al., she was thoroughly vetted. Even Mr. Saint-Paul has noted that the campaign has provided specific details as to the vetting of Palin. Honestly, how hard is it to make a phone call? Apparently folks left and right of Palin are grasping at straws to take her down.
Laura Ingraham.com will have Romney and Dr. James Dobson on her radio program tonite, for some great insight. I believe I heard it mentioned that Obama's mama was only 18 years old when she gave birth to him. All this is Clearly sexism...["Woman is the nigger of the world."song by John Lennon.] I haven't heard that one in awhile, it is very good.
Dick Cavet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S...h?
v=S5MMxWWK218
AMP: The above is incorrect. Just take it off it you cannot post it,Thomas. :)
While I thought the announcement was unusual, I think many families can relate. And I'm quite "put-off" by the attention that this matter has garnered. If I recall correctly, there was absolutely no investigation into Chelsea Clinton and the Bush twins ongoing party mishaps barely made it into the back of the newspaper. So why target this 17 year old?
This attack is clearly motivated by Palin's ardent defense of the unborn.
I'm tempted to send the daughter a shower gift, given all the attention the poor girl is getting.
Fire up the base of the republican party? Really? Maybe it was important to the religious right, which makes up part of the republican party, but it has not done much for economic conservatives many of whom are not part of the religious right yet form a solid base of the republican party. Oh and Rasmussen polls had Obama at a shocking 51% today. It's a big deal to pass 50% in the polls.
McCain knew about the pregnancy and decided to pick her anyway. As I've said to my friends, Bristol and her boyfriend made a mistake, they had sex and got pregnant, they have chosen to carry the baby to term and to get married therefore "fixing" (that term is used in the loosest of meanings) that mistake.
As soon as I heard the news, I thought, oh God there goes the family values issue. Good for Bristol for standing firm on her beliefs and keeping the baby.
The media is so hypocritical. They think every teenager should be able to fornicate with impunity. After all that is what is depicted on TV and in films. So here is one who refuses to abort and they act like it is a capital sin! For them, family values means fornication without a baby.Their reaction shows how little they know about what is right and wrong.
Dave,
Polls? You're kidding, right? This far out, the polls put out are meant to shape opinion, not measure it.
Based on the absolutely hysterical media reaction and the Obama-bloggers unbelievable filth campaign against Palin, her husband, and children, I'd say the internal polls are probably looking pretty bad for the Messiah right now.
God willing, Obama will lose in an landslide of epic proportions
I think that the main matter here is simple. What kind of an example does this set for the teens in this country. Especially the younger teens at 13 - 15. The Palins could be the "Second Family" of this country and should therefore be expected to set an example. A pregnant 17 year old, married or unmarried is a very poor example. Let's face it, Bristol Palin obviously did not practice abstinence. This is the message to young teens, it will be ok to have pre-marital sex, when you get pregnant it will be celebrated as long as you don't have an abortion. This is a very poor example. Very poor example. There are many qualified persons for this position, many of them woman. McCain needs to ask Palin to step aside and bring in another qualified person who has their family business in order. A teenage pregnancy is not the end of the world but it is not something that should be celebrated. What are people thinking. Now the teenage dad and his family are coming to the convention, this is just inappropriate. Are we now going to celebrate this teenage dad as well? This is tragic. I am glad to see that the family is going to support these children but they should be supporting them in private. Sara Palin had no business accepting this nomination knowing that her teenage daughter is pregnant. Our party needs to set a better example for our children if we really expect them to respect our support of abstinence only until marriage.
this is not the media. I want to know who might run the country. Rebulicans act as if they are so free from sin. And so when you are in this position everyone should know all. Including your family life.
Rebulicans act as if they are so free from sin
Well, not really. The primary difference is that in the modern liberal philosophy that many Dems subscribe to, there is no such thing as sin. So when they suddenly decide that being a career mom is problematic, it's like watching Wille E. Coyote get blown up by one of his contraptions.
"Republicans act as if they are so free from sin."
Evidence, please?
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