Mrs. Palin Goes To Washington

The First Part of Her Speech From the RNC tonight is Here,

This is Her Whole Speech From the RNC tonight:

By DemocracyRules

This guy gets a well-deserved slamming:

Expect to be disappointed.  No one could possibly fill the shoes that people have designed for Sarah Palin.  In fact we will soon find that she has feet of clay.  She is not a Republican messiah, she cannot do all things and solve all problems.

The MSM will fight her with every means at their disposal.  She is not a Communist and they hate that.  While these attacks are occurring, her supporters will also see her slide back from her dragon-slayer image to being one of those politicians we like and respect, but whom we recognize as having human failings.

(1) THE ALASKAN CRACKER
This is the most likely way the MSM will portray her, and we had better get used to it.  If McCain – Palin win this one, it will be in spite of the MSM.  They want their Communist to be President.

Palin is a frontier woman, and I know frontier people.  I have lived in such places.  Yes, it’s true, North America still has a wild frontier, and Alaska is part of it. 

Get ready to find out that Sarah Palin has some Native Indian blood.  I can tell, it’s the way her face is, most Native Indians will see it in a glance, and some would know the tribe. There was a bride back there in her family, who got married in her buckskins, and there’s nothing wrong with any of that.  In a way, this is a very mixed marriage, because her husband is part Inu (Eskimo), and there was often bad blood between Native Indians and the Inuit.

Yes, let there be no doubt that Sarah Palin knows that Bambi is just a fairy tale. 

Alaskans mostly enjoy nature, but few see it as a Walt-Disney fairly tale.  Shooting a deer, hoisting up by it’s hind feet, cutting it’s throat to drain the blood, then eviscerating it very carefully on the spot, this is just part of life in the frontier wilderness.  It’s meat, and humans need meat.  This is not Manhattan.

NONE of this is going to sit well with the MSM. 

They are all “southerners”, all “townies”, with soft hands and a morbid fear of the dark.  They believe that to get your dog to behave, you have to “reason” with it.

They will laugh when she does not know who Kandinsky or Corbusier is, or when she confuses Azerbaijan with Turkmenistan.  She will look funny in a Halston dress, and her eyelids will droop at Don Giovanni.  The MSM will try to eat her alive.

(2) THE REAL DEAL

She is charismatic rugged individualist.  She expects to be self-reliant. She’s a real log-cabin Republican.  For her, even Fred Thompson is a “townie”.  Rugged individualism is not a moral philosophy that she acquired while reading Thoreau’s  “Walden Pond”.  She acquired it simply by living on the wild frontier.  Such people don’t expect to write poetry about how pretty it is living by their little lake.  The poetry is written in their souls, in the connection between them and the land.  They’re not like “Southerners”.

We can also expect Palin to be  genuinely warm, open, honest and friendly.

Frontier people are friendly and cordial with each other because at any time you might need any person to help you.  In Alberta a while back, a man entrapped and shot four RCMP Officers (Mounties).  Long before it happened everyone in the small town knew this man as a trouble maker, and everyone knew he hated the police.  After the shootings, an “Eastern” reporter asked a local what she thought of the man, before he did this.  She said he was bad news, and everyone knew it, but if he was stranded beside the road, she would pick him up and get him to town.  Anyone would. 

That’s how Sarah Palin will be.

On the frontier, you can’t be a phony.  It’s better to be known as a rotten person than a phony.  So that’s why Palin doesn’t like phonies.

Palin understands the meaning of life better than most people.  She knows that if you sit on a log in the forest, thousands of animals will notice your presence, and most of them will want to eat you.  No, this is not Disneyland.  It’s nothing personal, that’s just what organisms do to survive.  The crows, the mice, the sparrows, eagles and hawks, the weasels, the cougars, the coyotes, the wolves, the bears, the voles, the squirrels, the martins, minks and otters all would love to have a piece of you.  The ants, the earwigs , the bacteria, the viruses, the molds. 

Even the deer will benefit if you die, because the scat left by the ones who eat you will fertilize the plants they eat.

This deep knowledge of nature, of how things really are, imparts a depth of wisdom that few "townies" ever achieve.

Palin is also extremely smart, I mean really smart.  She is smarter than Obama or Biden.  She  is articulate, even eloquent, quick witted, and a fast learner.  She is fair minded.  These characteristics will go a long way in shutting down the “Alaskan Cracker” image.  Put her in a debate with anyone, anywhere, and she will out-think them and talk them into the ground.

Also she is not a child.  Since when is 44 a part of childhood?  In her life she has experienced more than most will by the time they're 88. 

I think McCain - Palin will win, but it will be a very close-run thing. The center-right blogosphere is a pretty limp bunch.  Karl Marx's grandmother could beat them up with a wet noodle.

The main problem is that the people who reject Obama will not organize, mobilize, or energize. 

The landslide that McCain and Palin need to truly reform American politics is being lost by a bunch of confused people who are sitting at home yelling at the CNN broadcasts.

FULL TEXT OF HER REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION SPEECH, SEPT 3, 2008 HERE.

Pro Patria

Comments

[Andrew Boylston]

While admiring some of Palin's more endearing qualities (her will to even buck the establishment of her own Alaskan Republican party.) I don't think she is best qualified to do the job, and the decision to put her on the ticket is a reckless one at best, and a transparent attempt to court disaffected women voters at worst.

Palin might become a fine leader in the future, however only 20 months of Governorship of one of the most sparsely populated states, and before that mayor of a town of only 6500, and having only obtained a passport and traveled abroad for the first time in the last year is not enough experience for someone to be one step (and a close step considering McCain's advanced age) from the most powerful job in the free world.

The argument has been made that Palin has more experience than Obama. I find this hard to judge. Does being a city councilman in Wasilla beat being a community organizer in Chicago? Does 8 years as mayor of a town of 6500 trump 7 years of representing Illinois 13th district (Chicago - population 7 million) in the Illinois State senate? Does 2 years of Governorship of Alaska beat 4 years of being a Senator in Washington? I don't feel confident that it does.

I feel that Biden and McCain cancel each other out in terms of the rest of the experience.

I don't think her family situation should be an issue. However, since she has brought it into the spotlight herself by announcing her daughter's pregnancy and allowing them to feature prominently in her speech (almost more so than addressing and describing her personal platform), I think it is only fair to speculate that as a mother of 5 with a special needs child and a 17-year old daughter who is expecting, I think that perhaps her family needs her more than her country might. I am not saying a woman can't be president, or that a mother can't be president. However, not all mother's have 5 children, one of them an underage unwedded pregnancy, and one a special needs child. Hers is an exceptional case, and I have doubts about her ability to focus on critical issues while also raising her family in the correct manner (her daughter's pregnancy already suggests that not enough attention was being paid to the direction her children were having at home.) It's all well and good for Palin to fly her Christian flag, but [potentially defamatory statement deleted] her daughter has now engaged in pre-marital sex. We often look to our first family and the first VP family as an example, and this is not the kind of example I want my daughter to base her judgements on.

Last, even though I respect them as a family, and feel that they are doing their best, after all the revelations about their current situation, I sometimes feel like they are the tail end of a Jeff Foxworthy joke, and the VP position is no joke, and shouldn't be treated as such.

My last concern is that as a party, Republicans are now too polarized, and too dominated by a far right who have had 8 years of exactly what they wanted in George W. Bush, and it has obviously failed (he has some of the lowest approval ratings of any President), and yet they want more of the same from McCain. Instead of trying to find a more moderate voice, one that might bring both our party and our nation as a whole together, the far right seems to become more obstinate and entrenched each day.

I am tired of looking of Democrats being portrayed as "the enemy" and thinking that "liberal" is a dirty word. If "liberal" is a dirty word, then so is "conservative". One can not go to either extreme. Too far to the left is a bad thing, but too far to the right is a bad thing as well. Unfortunately we are at the end of 8 years of too far to the right, so it's time to let the pendulum swing back to the middle, and Palin as a VP choice does not address this issue.

I am an electrical engineer who formerly worked as a technical support consultant for Hewlett-Packard, but my job was shipped overseas - to India of all places - just call HP technical support and you'll see what I mean, and Hewlett-Packard was awarded a corporate tax break by our current administration, while I struggled to find a new job. I have found a new job, but my salary is 15% less than my former salary, and meanwhile prices on everything else have gone up (including that I have to commute an extra five miles a day for my new job.) Mortgage is difficult to meet, and health care costs for my family have also risen. I am disillusioned that my tax dollars have gone to support a war in a country that never posed a direct threat to us (I still have never seen evidence of WMDs in Iraq, and I still haven't seen any evidence of a link between Al-Qaeda and Sadam Hussein. I am all for giving them hell in Afghanistan and tracking down those Al-Qaeda nut jobs. But as far as I can see, on Iraq, we were duped. And all those no-bid contract awards to Halliburton to pump oil seem suspicious at best.)

I supported McCain in 2000, because back then he was a Maverick. But ever since then he's just rolled over to have his belly scratched by Bush. Well, as a moderate, I'm tired of Bush, and I don't want more of the same, but the current ticket doesn't seem to offer that.

So this is why the "center-right" seems pretty limp. There's just nothing to motivate us on the current ticket: A Presidential Candidate with more of the same economic policies which have gotten us in to our current mess, and a VP choice who may be even farther right than our last president.

I sincerely hope you post my comment on your blog, as I feel it addresses several key concerns about the current Republican ticket.

[benning]

The "Far Right" did not want George W. Bush. But they voted for him. They did so because the alternatives - Al Gore, John Kerry - were far, far worse.

Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air. She's the face of a nw generation of Republicans.

[Andrew Boylston]

I'm very disappointed that my second comment was deleted, especially as it contained no foul language or hate speech, and though posing controversial opinions towards our party and our candidates, was instead only intended to lead to more dialogue in regards to where the Republican party is heading.

I guess the header here "Welcome! Make yourself at home. Leave a comment." actually means "Welcome! Make yourself at home. Leave a comment. But only if I don't find it offensive."

Nice censorship. How very New Republican.

[Your deleted comment contained unproven slander. Comments that disagree with the bloggers here are normally allowed to stand, because we enjoy and appreciate vigorous debate as long as it's fair debate, but comments are deleted or edited at our discretion if they contain statements that are illogical, immoral, unethical, defamatory, etc. See our comment policy in the left column.

This is based on my experience in the past with folks like Palestinian terrorists (which I am not implying you are) who pollute entire perfectly good websites with comments that, while they "contain no foul langauge or hate speech," imply that Jews knew about the 9/11 attacks, argue that Mohammed Atta had nothing to do with the attack notwithstanding his sudden disappearance from the earth on 9/11/01, etc, etc., etc. Comments that contain no "hate speech" as such can still be spiteful, vicious, misleading, tedious and generally a blight on a website.

In my judgment, your second comment went too far over the line and unfairly disparaged individuals and entire classes of people. I also began to suspect, after reading your comment, that you are not who you claim to be. You certainly do not sound like a Republican or a Christian, whom you claim to be in your comment, given your snobbish elitism (totally contrary to all Christian values), your sweeping attack on Governor Palin's religion ("a religious nut job is a religious nut job") and your total lack of understanding of Christian compassion for unmarried moms. If you are a Republican, it is in name only, given your one-sided parroting of leftist blogosphere talking points, your intentional disregard of any contrary or mitigating facts, your multiple attacks on all Republicans, and your claim to be disgusted by "smears" against John F. Kerry immediately followed by your own smears. It was that last bit of deliberate disregard of the very ethics you claim to support that convinced me you are a total phony.

If you want your comments to remain, be honest about who you are and limit yourself to comments that are factually accurate, logical, ethical, fair, and non-defamatory. I'd like to see some even-handedness towad those with whom you disagree from you, "Andrew Boylston." You've received more benefit of the doubt here than you seem willing to extend to your own poltiical adversaries. Now go write down 10 nice things each about Sarah Palin, Republicans, and John McCain, then throw them away. It will do you some good and might save your sanity before it's too late. Just to be fair, I'll do the same exercise for your Wonder Boy, Mr. Obama and maybe even for he sainted John F. Kerry, military veteran of four months. Have a good day, Andrew. - Gina Cobb]

[Andrew Boylston]

I am who I am, though I am very bitter towards our party right now, as you can read from my original comment (which is still here on the blog, and which I thank you for keeping.) As far as my previous comment being unproven slander, if there was unproven slander, just remove it and let the rest of the comment stand.

I don't think any of it was unproven. Much of it (like McCain's career) is a matter of public record. And though I am a man of faith, I believe that when in speech if you link the name of the Lord to our actions in Iraq, you are treading the same dangerous territory that extremist sides tread. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EgwoWVNoic) (That is not my posting of the video, and I object to the title, though the word "dangerous" might be appropriate.) I am a Christian, but I also believe in our First Amendment (just as I believe in our Second as well.) Religion should be each individuals moral compass, but it should not dictate how we apply the law to others.

As for 10 good things about Palin and McCain, that's easy.

Ten Good Things About Governor Palin:

1. Helping further break the mold for women in Politics.
2. Took on corruption in her own party.
3. Got rid of the "Bridge to Nowhere" project.
4. Obviously cares for her family
5. As an NRA member will defend our right to bear arms.
6. Passed a tax increase on Oil Company Profits
7. Set up a commission to examine climate change and it's effect on Alaska.
8. Served on the PTA
9. Supports Capital Punishment
10. Has promised support for special needs children.

Ten good things about McCain:

1. During his time as a POW, served honorably and would not allow himself freedom until all POWs were free.
2. Has served our country during a long and distinguished career in the senate.
3. During the 1990s, even worked towards restoring diplomatic relations with Vietnam, the country where he was imprisoned.
4. Was previously an honest Maverick, who went the way he thought best represented his constituency in the Senate, despite what his party thought.
5. Has sought to stop pork barrel spending projects and earmarks.
6. During the 2000 primaries ran an honest and upright campaign highlighted by his "Straight Talk Express" and though slandered by the push-polling techniques of Rove and the Bush campaign, maintained his dignity. (I strongly feel our country would have been better off if McCain had been the Republican candidate in 2000 instead of Bush.)
7. Adopted and has been a loving parent to an orphaned child.
8. Passed the McCain-Feingold Act which has helped reform campaign financing.
9. Worked across party lines with the Clinton administration to try and put taxes on the tobacco industry and use the tax money to help discourage young people from smoking. Though this didn't succeed then, I think McCain helped lay the groundwork for the later plans which did succeed.
10. Worked across party lines again with Lieberman (and most recently Obama) on introducing bills aimed at reducing current levels of greenhouse gas output in industry.

There you go. Ten good things about both. My comments about McCain are more detailed as I know him a bit better than I do Palin.

Ante up. Show me that you consider both sides of the issue. Ten good things about Obama, and ten good things about Kerry.

(And for the record, Kerry served 6 months of combat duty, and his Naval career spanned 4 years, and don't cough up any of that Corsi-SwiftBoat slander, as that's exactly the sort of thing that is giving Republicans a bad name.)

I watch our convention, and all we seem to do is relentlessly attack and our speeches are caustic and bitter, and often filled with near hatred. Furthermore the audience seems only half inspired. Is this really what our party has become after eight years of running the country? We had the presidency, the vice-presidency, and even control of the House and Senate, and now, here at the end of it, we seem to be worse off than when we started. Our economy is down, we are embroiled in a questionable war which has cost lives and has no concrete end in sight, we have been embroiled in scandal with an administration which is secretive and treading on some of our basic human freedoms, and we no longer seem to really address issues, and instead work at only shouting the loudest and pointing the finger.

It is disheartening.

I look forward to your list of ten good things about Obama and ten good things about Kerry. It will help me believe that at least we are somewhat balanced.

[Reply from Gina Cobb: Your current comment and your lists of 10 positive things each about McCain and Palin seem reasonably fair-minded to me. Here are my lists:

Barack Obama

1. An excellent speaker
2. Seems to love his children
3. Graduated from college and law school
4. Was an editor of the Harvard Law Review
5. Campaigned for and was elected to the Illinois state legislature and U.S. Senate
6. Was dignified in the primary campaign toward Hillary Clinton -- did not personally enage in vitriole against her, and generally seemed to discipline his campaign aides if they tried to do so
7. Has written his memoirs, which also presumably gave him the benefit of some introspection
8. Has been happily married for years
9. Sincerely hopes to make the world a better place
10. Has stayed reasonably fit and has tried to quit smoking

John F. Kerry
1. Joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and served in Vietnam
2. Was elected to the U.S. Senate
3. He plays the bass guitar
4. He has played many sports in his lifetime
5. He won the Silver Star in the Vietnam war, among other awards
6. Attended law school and passed the bar exam and practiced law briefly
7. Before the Iraq war, he said that America needed to disarm Saddam Hussein and that he was a brutal dictator
8. He is a cancer survivor (prostate cancer)
9. He was a devout Roman Catholic in his youth. He says he is still Catholic but open to other religious expressions. or words to that effect
10. He has two daughters with whom he is on good terms, since they supported him in his presidential campaign.

End of lists. A worthwhile exercise. ]

[Andrew Boylston]

I will add this (having just finished watching it): McCain gave a great speech tonight, and addressed many of my concerns. I still feel, that underneath it all, the McCain of 2000 lurks and wishes to do right. I saw glimpses of it tonight.

However, I still don't feel very comfortable at all with Palin as a VP choice.

I wish McCain were eight years younger.