Good choice?

[sleigh]

The McCain campaign has evidently acknowledged that McCain's VP choice is Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. Overall, I'd have to say she's a good choice for McCain. She's known as a reformer who has fought to reform the political abuses in her state, even those of her own party. She's young, thus somewhat negating the "McCain's too old" worries. She's female, an obvious attempt to court some of the Hillary supporters who said they'd vote for McCain. She's pro-life and staunchly conservative, so the Republican right-wing base will be happy.

She does, however, blunt much of the recent McCain campaign strategy of hammering Obama for his "inexperience" and that he's "not ready to lead." Palin has less of a pedigree on the national stage than Obama -- so if he's not ready to lead, neither is she. If he's inexperienced, she's even more so.

She's also currently involved in an ethic scandal investigation herself in Alaska (though, in fairness, from what I've read it appears that this may well be 'payback' for her aggressiveness in her own reform efforts.)

It will remain to be seen how this plays out, and whether it helps, hurts, or makes no difference at all. But -- I'd say McCain has made a better choice for himself than the 'frontrunners' all the pundits were touting.

What do you think?

Comments

[ellameena.livejournal.com]

I think it's an excellent choice, and that inexperience has generally been more acceptable in a VP than the top of the ticket. I think McCain has just made it a LOT harder for moderates and undecided to make their choices.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

I think McCain's choice is good, but I'm not sure about making it harder for moderates since everything I've read shows Palin is much more socially conservative than McCain.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I think he's shored up his support within his own party. I'm less sure about the moderates, since (from what I've been able to discern) Palin looks to be more conservative in her beliefs than McCain.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

She has a son in the Army and a baby with Down Syndrome, points that are sure to make a lot of voters relate to her. She can blunt the health-care attacks and the "no one pushing for this war has kids fighting in it" arguments. On balance, I'd say a damn good choice.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Gonna be complicated in my community ...

Creationist and pro-lifer, is my feel. Takes "experience" off the table. McCain is old and has had cancer, so ...

Bleh. I hate everybody today.

[penmage.livejournal.com]

I like Palin. I am so tired of the fact that we have to agree with every single issue to like a politician. I am impressed by some of Palin's stands on corruption, even within her own party. I am impressed by her environmental efforts. And despite the fact that she is pro-life and anti-gay marriage, I am impressed that she used her veto power to ensure that Alaskan same sex couples can get benefits.

She's not perfect. Nobody is. And the internet can rip her and McCain to pieces all they want. But I think she's an excellent choice, and I don't think McCain picked her just because she's female at all (though that certainly doesn't hurt.) I think she's made a career out of the Straight Talk Express that McCain likes to claim as his trademark.

I am also thrilled beyond words that no matter which way this election goes, there is either going to be an African American or a woman in the White House.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

So you could vote for a pro-life Creationist? Serious question, not trying to provoke. For me, those are deal breakers. I can disagree about tax policy, school policy, government oversight, and other small things. Not some basic ones.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I think she's an excellent choice for McCain, but she's an absolute non-starter for me! :-) She has some admirable qualities, but too many of her core beliefs and morals are antithetical to what I believe. I would not want her in the White House; I especially would not want her (or McCain) choosing Supreme Court Justices.

But yes -- however this election ends up, history will be made.

[scbutler.livejournal.com]

"I am also thrilled beyond words that no matter which way this election goes, there is either going to be an African American or a woman in the White House."

Except she won't be in the White House unless McCain steps down or dies.

[ellameena.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. I am hearing a lot about how incredibly conservative she is because of her views on abortion. Guess what? A party platform is more than ONE issue, and for my part I am sick and tired of abortion dominating politics for my entire life. (I was born in 1972.) People on both sides of the abortion issue are going to have to accept the worst of all possible outcomes: living with other viewpoints, and (gasp) compromise.

Meanwhile, I think it's entirely appropriate to respect Palin for some amazing accomplishments during her short tenure on the ethics committee and as governor, and I am also glad that no matter how November's results turn out, we will have a historical first to celebrate. Hooray!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

I think it's a cheap tactic to court the disgruntled Hillary supporters, and nothing more. That's my first reaction, anyway. I don't know very much about her, but since I am about as liberal as you can get, I wouldn't vote for him no matter who he chose! ;)

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I'm probably about as liberal as you. But are there Hillary voters so 'disgruntled' by the fact she lost the primary election that they'd could vote for a pro-lifer fundamentalist?

That (as I've said in a previous post) equates to insanity to me.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I think Alaska = Oil.

K.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I think that's part of the subtext, yes.

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I think it's a Jack Kemp choice: McCain knows he's going to lose and so does everyone else, and no Republican with a future wants to be associated with the ticket. Alaska is headed to Democratic territory after major scandals throughout the Republican party's senior senator and family. For decades, the GOP has been on the wrong side of the gender gap, and this is a way to shore up their distaff side without actually, y'know, giving a woman some real power.

She's even farther to the right than McCain, shoring up that part of the base, and also speaks to the old McCain base, back when he was a maverick and co-sponsored McCain-Faingold campaign reforms.

She and Joe Biden will have an interesting debate.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right, but I really don't think McCain or his staff thinks he's going to lose. I think (and the polls at the moment seem to bear this out) that he believes he has as good a chance of being elected as Obama.

And you're right -- the Biden/Palin debate should be interesting indeed!

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

I have to wonder how this plays into the efforts to open up Alaskan drilling.

I think it was a good choice for him to make. My first response was a surge of disappointment when I saw it, because I think it will make it easier for women upset about the Clinton issue to move into the McCain camp, and I would just *personally* rather that didn't happen. I think it was a politically expedient choice that will work in his favor. My second reaction was a sense of "well, cool... at least this way if he wins, there will be a woman in office, which is an encouraging thing."

But, I don't know. Once upon a time I thought ANY woman would be an exciting bet, simply to break the gender wall, no matter what her politics were. These days I tend to be more cynical, since I'm not sure exactly how many gains we really make when the women who do break through are in an extremely conservative political camp.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I felt the same surge of "Oh damn! That's not a good choice for Obama..."

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Good choice -- for him. A lot better than Liberman or Romney.

B

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[nomissnewo.livejournal.com]

She's a creationist. Enough said.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

ENough for me, definitely. But it'll make the Republican base jump up and down for joy.

[daedala.livejournal.com]

She kind of looks like my Mom. It's the beauty-pageant look, and it unnerves me.

It's not just me -- my sister thinks so too.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I think being attractive (even in a beauty pageant way) certainly won't hurt her with most people.

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

Sadly I think it's wise move. The voters she is going to appeal to are not voting on anything that resembles common sense. I suspect that what he's going for. A young white female will appeal to a lot of fence sitters and closet racists.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

But only (I hope) if those fence sitters are conservative. I'm not sure how she'll play in moderate circles, and she'll be anathema to liberals.

[alces2.livejournal.com]

P thought it was to appeal to the Hillary supporters also. I think I like Sarah Palin's reform stance but I'm certainly against her positions on creationism, pro-life, anti-gay marriage and related conservative viewpoints. Also I'm strongly against her moose hunting and eating of moose burgers which is noted in Wikipedia's Sarah Palin entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin). Okay, maybe that is not the best reason to be against her but . . .

As noted in other entries is certainly will be a milestone whichever way it goes, either an African-American as president or a woman as a VP. My personal preference is Obama. I'm a little worried if McCain and Palin get in office.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I'm a lot worried if the McCain-Palin ticket gets elected!

[tshaile.livejournal.com]

I think it will tweak his committed voter base the wrong way, but probably not enough to drive many of them away. I also think it may look good at first but may hurt him as the campaign continues - if her inexperience results in gaffes on the campaign trail. I also think it is a choice driven by the need to capture voters even more than usual. If voters come to see the choice that way, instead of giving serious and measured consideration to the idea of Palin as president, it will reflect poorly on McCain's judgement and ability to lead.

[daedala.livejournal.com]

You know, this was my first exposure to chat about the Palin nomination, and thanks for it not being full of the really nasty sexist commentary that is happening on both sides.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

You're welcome -- frankly, I'm getting a little perturbed at some of the commentary. I don't think she's a good choice for me, but that's due to her stands of abortion, on creationism, the way she ignores and belittles the science on global warming, and her total lack of any significant experience in governance at a high level. I think she'd be a more dangerous president than McCain or Bush for the changes she would bring to the Supreme Court if nothing else.

But... I'm not against her because she's a woman, or because she may or may not have hidden her daughter's pregnancy, or because she's been a beauty queen. None of that matters.