Sarah Palin VP Pick

Fox News is reporting Sarah Palin is the VP Pick. A hat tip to Adam at Palin for VP for promoting Sarah Palin all over the internet. Here’s some Palin info from Adam’s Palin for VP.

What I had failed to realize was that she had habitually knocked of powerful incumbent opponents and was a quick learner on the job. In the 2006 gubernatorial election, she rolled over scandal-prone incumbent Frank Murkowski in the GOP primary, then went on to defeat former governor Tony Knowles in the general election - pretty impressive. Further back, she had knocked off an entrenched incumbent to become mayor of Wasilla, then developed a reputation as a hard-nosed, effective mayor. Her performance in Wasilla got her elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors and earned her the nickname “Sarah Barracuda”.

In the end, I decided that Sarah Palin had actually compiled a rather astounding record of achievements in her 42 years, and was more than capable of making the jump to the national level. So now I ask you who you would rather have as your Vice-President. You could accept conventional wisdom and choose from the lineup of old men currently being bantered about, or you could choose an inspiring leader like Sarah Palin. As for me, I’m going with “Sarah Barracuda”, a candidate who will help us win the election and then deliver solid results.
Selected quotes from palinforgovernor.com

FREE MARKET – “I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive project emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process.”

EDUCATION – Click here to read Gov. Palin’s full position paper on Education.

GUNS AND HUNTING - “I am a lifetime member of the NRA, I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth….I have always strongly supported the personal use of fish and game by Alaskans. I grew up hunting and fishing in Alaska, and I am proud to raise my children with this same uniquely Alaskan heritage. … Anti-hunting groups who oppose hunting and fishing rights will be the winners if we allow them to pit us against ourselves….As an Alaskan with strong beliefs on this issue, I am confident in my ability to build consensus among diverse user groups and reconcile the many competing interests in a manner.”

SMALL BUSINESS – “As Mayor and CEO of the booming city of Wasilla, my team invited investment and encouraged business growth by eliminating small business inventory taxes, eliminated personal property taxes, reduced real property tax mill levies every year I was in office, reduced fees, and built the infrastructure our businesses needed to grow and prosper.”

MILITARY - “I respect our military personnel and understand the importance of Alaska’s National Guard. As I watched our military men and women being deployed I recognized how important it is for their families to know how much Alaska and America support them.”

HEALTH CARE – “I support flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care that is needed, and is proven to be good for the consumer, which will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. I also support patients in their rightful demands to have access to full medical billing information.”

SOCIAL ISSUES – “I am pro-life and I believe that marriage should only be between and man and a woman.”

ENVIRONMENT – “Regimes to protect Stellar Sea Lions must be based on sound science not personal agendas…I will fight in every way possible to make sure that our fishing communities are protected from the personal agendas of federal fishery managers”

“I believe in protecting Alaska’s environment through fair enforcement of our environmental laws. Having a clean record on environmental regulation is critical to getting ANWR open and maintaining our fisheries mining, timber, and tourism industries.”

Convention Night Congratulations

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Why It’s Okay for Democrats and Independents to Vote McCain

Experience; that's the short answer. Experience is not a minor issue, ask any employer what they look for in a job applicant and see if there are any who don't rank experience as a top requirement. For Independents a vote for McCain is hardly a stretch. Senator McCain has exhibited an independent streak over the years that has endeared him to many Independent voters. If you look at the primary results it was Independents that either put him over the top, or gave him his margin of victory in numerous states. Senator McCain is also well liked among many of his Democrat colleagues. President Clinton, Senators Clinton, Biden, and Fiengold have all made glowing statements about Senator McCain. These comments have been far more complimentary than some made by conservatives that don't appreciate Senator McCain's penchant for breaking with the party line. Senator McCain has a history of not only getting along with Democrats, but working with them on successful pieces of legislation. For moderate or conservative Democrats they may have issues where they disagree with Senator McCain, but the prevalent belief is that Congress will remain under Democratic control, and Senator McCain clearly can work with those Democrats to create a balanced government.

Finally the party faithful, and liberal Democrats. It's understandable why some on the left would find it difficult to vote for any Republican if they never have before, or if they have strong objections to the Republican party. Senator McCain is an unrepentant Republican, but he has also repeatedly put his country's interest before that of his party or himself. He has long championed the idea that people 'dedicate themselves to something beyond their own self interest'. He has not just talked about it, but has lived it, and his family has lived it, as his sons currently serve in the military. Senator McCain has a superb human rights record. He was a critical player in getting anti-torture legislation passed. He consistently is a champion of the oppressed whether it is in Myanmar, Georgia, or Darfur.

Other Democrats and Independents are also coming to the conclusion that Senator McCain is the most qualified candidate ready to become President of the United States...

Lisa Sisinni: Why I, a Clinton supporter, will vote for John McCain

I've never voted for a Republican presidential candidate, but this year is different. I'm voting for John McCain.

Throughout the primary season, I supported Hillary Clinton. Between the final two Democratic contenders, Hillary was the only candidate who demonstrated leadership and a true understanding of key issues. She inspired millions of women around the country, Democrats and Republicans alike.

When Barack Obama became the presumptive Democrat nominee, I was faced with a difficult question: Could I support a candidate who gives good speeches but has no substance and little experience? No.

Angry Clinton supporters toast McCain, roast Obama

The last place Kathy Archuleta could have ever imagined she'd spend the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, was at a happy hour sponsored by the Republican Party.

But the 54-year-old Democrat joined several other Hillary Clinton supporters, along with volunteers and officials from John McCain's campaign, at a Happy Hour for Hillary.

The event, sponsored by the Republican National Committee and approved by the McCain campaign, was a chance for McCain and Clinton supporters to come together for one cause: their opposition to Barack Obama's candidacy.

Why It’s Okay for Democrats and Independents to Vote McCain

Bill Clinton John McCain Endorsement?

Sure sounds like an endorsement. Certainly not a reach to see McCain as Clinton approved.

Bill Clinton Endorses John McCain Sort of

Reporting from the Republican National Convention

Next week I will be blogging from the Republican National Convention. Thanks to Blogs for John McCain's Victory, and the RNC I've been granted a press pass to cover the event. As I joked with one person, I'll need go find myself glittery flag apparel, and a straw hat covered with McCain stickers so that I can appear appropriate. None-the-less, it's very exciting to cover this event, and I plan to post frequently at Blogs for John McCain's Victory, Purple People Vote, Blogs4McCain and NH4McCain.

Also, I'd like to ask readers for their input. Is there any part of the convention that you would like to see? Do you have any questions you would like asked? I'll do my best to provide a view of the convention not normally seen in the main stream media, and hope I can provide answers to readers questions. Hope you'll check in frequently, and thank you for visiting/reading.

-Katherine Morrison

The Obama Biden Ticket

So Senator Biden is the pick; good choice. As mentioned in previous posts during the NH primaries Senator Biden and Senator McCain were the only two candidates to talk about Iraq in detail. They both deserve credit for that. Obviously this is why Biden was picked. Senator Obama needs some help on foreign policy, which he hope he can get from Biden. An interesting wrinkle to this pick is that Senator Biden has said numerous times that Senator Obama is not prepared / not qualified. In fact at his event in New Hampshire at the end of his talk he said (paraphrased), 'If you decide not to vote for me, I hope you choose some one with experience. These are difficult times and we need someone who knows what they're doing.'

I agree. His statement was a pretty clear hat tip to Senator Clinton, who once again got snubbed by the Obama camp by not being vetted, and apparently did not even receiving a courtesy phone call. However, the statement holds just as well for Obama v. McCain. McCain doesn't need a VP who will help him when tested on foreign policy. Don't believe me just listen to Senator Biden...

Will Biden Help Obama With His Homework?

What Will Bill Clinton Say at the Convention?

Excerpt from Barack Obama's aides worrying over what Bill Clinton will say in his convention speech

The episode has contributed to growing tensions in the Democratic Party before the convention, where some party leaders are exhibiting signs of buyer's remorse about Mr Obama, who has failed to open up a big lead in the opinion polls over Republican John McCain as many had hoped and expected.

Mr Clinton is apparently reluctant to be shackled to a set text and would prefer, in the words of one of his former aides, to "just go out and say what's on his mind".

But that is exactly what has Obama campaign staff on edge, given Mr Clinton's previous off the cuff interventions in the campaign. When he dismissed Mr Obama's campaign as a "fairytale" and compared him to the twice-failed black presidential candidate Jesse Jackson, his words were widely interpreted as racist.

Recently asked whether Mr Obama was qualified to be president, Mr Clinton responded: "You could argue that nobody is qualified to be president." Those familiar with Mr Clinton's views say that his continuing scepticism about Mr Obama is real enough.

A senior Democrat who used to work for Mr Clinton said: "Bill Clinton does not think Barack Obama will be a great president and he doesn't want to say so.

Clinton Dems Not Ready for Unity in Denver

Exerpt from Unity will need to be more than a word in Denver

We'll be hearing the word "unity" next week, but in interviewing delegates and others across the state for the last two weeks, it's more show than substance at the moment and it remains a major challenge for a party with a history of internal turf wars.

Hillary Clinton won the big states that the Democrats will need to win in November, but -- especially with it becoming obvious she's not in the whisper/leaks for vice president on the ticket -- some Clintonians think the Obama forces could do more to reach out to them (and, no, none of them wants to be identified.... yet).

That apparently is not going to happen -- at least in public -- at the Minnesota delegation meetings. Of the 27 speakers given slots, only five endorsed Hillary Clinton during the primaries.

1988 Biden Ad: The White House Isn't the Place to Learn How to Deal with International Crisis

The Trouble with the Democrat's Love of Liberal Elites

Excerpt from The Mystery of Obama's Problems

John McCain is pulling ahead of Obama. The latest Reuters poll has Grandpa Munster up five percentage points over our secular messiah. The Real Clear Politics average of polls has Obama and McCain in a virtual tie. And, according to RCP, if the race were held today and McCain took the toss-up states where he's currently ahead, he'd be the next president. Yes, it's early. McCain has had a good couple weeks. But these were McCain's first good couple weeks since he secured the nomination. Meanwhile, with the exception of the Jeremiah Wright unpleasantness, Obama has had a good couple years.

The winds at the Democrats' backs are hurricane-force gales, and yet there's Obama holding steady, like a young Dan Rather in his schoolgirl rain slicker, immobile and unmovable.

Ask the typical Obama supporter why this should be so and you'll get a range of answers. Some just stare at the poll numbers the way my late basset hound would look at me when I tried to feed him a grape: with pure unblinking incomprehension. Others act like the guy who sits alone with his shopping bags at the public library, muttering about Fox News conspiracies and how Karl Rove-like aliens are doing terrible things with probes of proctological exactitude. Still others just shake their heads at the racism of anyone who could possibly have a problem with a very left-wing politician with almost no experience, who often sounds like his campaign slogan is: "People of Earth! Stop Your Bickering. I Am From Harvard, And I'm Here To Help."

Perhaps therein lies the answer to this supposed mystery. Indeed, perhaps there's no mystery at all, and Obama's problems are the same problems Democrats always have at the presidential level: He's an elitist.

Oh, I know. Upon reading that, some liberal spluttered herbal chai tea from her nose at the injustice of this whole elitist canard, and the earnest Ivy League interns at some liberal magazine have burst into laughter, offering the appropriate bons mots from Balzac at the preposterousness of such a suggestion, saying: "Don't you conservatives understand? Democrats care about the little guy. They're on the side of the proletariat -- I mean workers -- and as Obama has so eloquently put it, if the workers would only stop clinging to their silly sky god and guns, they'd understand that."

Liberalism is often a problem at the presidential level. Cultural liberalism is a burden. Haughty cultural liberalism is a disaster in the making. For good or ill, the presidency is a cultural institution as much as it is a political institution. And it's fundamentally a culturally conservative one. Fair or not, many perceive Obama as a cultural outsider. This week, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said of Obama's friendship with former left-wing domestic terrorist Bill Ayers: "They're friends. So what?"

Independent Group Challenges Obama on Ayers Connection

Obama Buys Real Estate from a Convicted Felon, Then Criticizes McCain for Owning 7 Homes

Barack Obama's attacks on Senator McCain this week have been extremely sloppy and very ironic. First, he criticized a McCain fund raiser for having ties to Jack Abramoff. Yet Senator McCain led the Abramoff investigation, and Obama fund raiser William Ayers not only has shady associations, but he is an unrepentant terrorist and was a member of the Weather Underground. Now Senator Obama is critical of Senator McCain for owning several homes, some of which are investment properties. A rather ironic criticism since none of Senator McCain's properties were purchased from a convicted felon unlike Senator Obama who purchased property from Tony Rezco, good friend, Obama fund raiser, and convicted felon.

Obama Buys Real Estate from a Convicted Felon, Then Criticizes McCain for Owning 7 Homes

Recipe for Economic Distaster

Democrats Praising McCain

Democrats Praising McCain

Pro's and Con's to McCain's Humor

Senator McCain's sense of humor has been both an asset and a liability over the years. It is certainly part of his basic appeal, and it is one of the reasons he relates so well at town hall meetings as his humor creates an immediate connection with the audience. His detractors will note that some of his jokes have been inapprporiate, and in some cases that's true, hence his humor as liability. It can also cause problems because in print, jokes often don't come across the way they do in person. For instance, during the primaries Senator McCain jokingly called a student who asked him a somewhat inappropriate question 'a little jerk' (clip below). There was quite a buzz in the papers until people actually saw the clip, and it was quite evident that he was joking.

So now comes the humorous and sarcastic McCain ad The One. In this case humor turns out to be the perfect remedy for an over-inflated ego. It's hard not see lines like, "We are the ones we've been waiting for" or "a light will shine down from somewhere" as flat out funny. To add to this Obama's reaction is priceless. His stern condemnation of the ads 'juvenile' just shows his inability to laugh at himself. You know that if you make a joke at Senator McCain's expense he'll likely be the first one to laugh (as he has done numerous times when teased about his age). On the other hand, Senator Obama blew it by taking this joke and himself so seriously.

The One


WMUR - Little Jerk


Humor as a Remedy for Hubris