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Monday, February 26, 2007

Why Sarah Palin?

This blog is the result of about a month worth of research on potential Republican Vice-Presidential candidates for the 2008 election. I had been considerably less than thrilled with all of the early speculation, mostly swirling around second-tier presidential candidates, so I decided to see if there was anyone better suited for the job that I hadn't been hearing about. So, I developed the following profile for the perfect VP candidate (using Rudy Giuliani as my presumptive presidential candidate):

1) A energetic, young, fresh face who will energize the electorate
2) Not connected to the current administration
3) Pro-Life
4) Pro-Gun
5) A woman or minority to counter Hillary or Obama and put to rest the idea that America only elects white males

One of the first names I found that fit these qualifications was that of Sarah Palin, the recently elected Governor of Alaska. I knew that I had stumbled upon a fantastic candidate for national office, but I kept looking in the hope that I could find other potentially viable choices. However, after looking at every GOP governor, senator, and congressperson, I found that Palin had only become more appealing.

She was certainly energetic and young, having become governor at only 42 years of age. Watching her speches and campaign ads, I discovered that she was definitely a new kid of leader, coming off more as a spunky soccer-mom than a stuffy career politician. As for abortion, she was staunchly pro-life; and as a lifetime NRA member she was the most pro-gun candidate in the country. Furthermore, her experiences in rural Alaska provided a perfect complement to the big-city credentials of candidates like Giuliani. Her moderately libertarian positions on most other issues also match up perfectly to Giuliani.

There was thing about Palin that initially worried me - "lack of experience". She had only been elected governor in 2006, and her only previous experience was as a two terms as a city councilwoman and two more as mayor in Wasilla, AK (population 8,471 in 2005) followed up by a failed campaign for lieutenant governor and a brief stint on Alaska's Oil and Natural Gas Conservation Commission. This didn't seem very appealing at first, but then I took the time to look closer at Palin's history. 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.

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rudy Giuliani has the Republican nomination hands down. Now he needs a running mate that could generate buzz and capture more voter attention in 2008. Governor Palin is the one! I have written both Palin and America's Mayor and let them know of this discovery.

Both have a record of being tough in the face of crime and corruption. Palin will lure in conservative voters with her strongly pro-life views and as lifelong member of the NRA, she could be a strong asset for swing states. She also has the libertarian-conservatism ideas that are being championed by modern America. Some are worried that she is not experienced- but as a hands-on governor for nearly two years (by 2008 election) is would be more experienced then the hands off senator Barack Obama's three years in office. If he can be a presidential contender, then Palin could be a vice presidential one. In such important times, Giuliani-Palin 08 could lead the GOP to victory and maybe even save us from a greater loss in Congress. Palin get on board and Giuliani get ready to share the spotlight, because, nighttime is over, and finally it is morning again in America, and my what a day it is going to be!

brausaak said...

Good VP. Nasty President. Juliane? Ouch!!!
Google/youtube Ron Paul.

Anonymous said...

I realize that this post was written a year ago, but I am just seeing it for the first time today. I want to correct something you state in your blog. You said that her uncanny ability to defeat incumbents is what earned her the nickname "Sarah Baracuda." Actually the nickname comes from when she played basketball for Wasilla High School in the early 80's. That was long before she took out political opponents with a single election!

Anonymous said...

I will tell you why you draft Sarah Palin for VP - she is a STAR. She is ON FIRE.

She has that something extra that all republicans hated but admired in Bill Clinton and loved and admired in Ronald Reagan.

She is a star - go for it, Sarah!

Anonymous said...

I had heard about Sarah Palin on the Rush Limbaugh show.
Rush, as almost always (98.8%) was right on again.
After some research, I agree she would be a very attractive, energetic, captivating change of pace for the GOP.
We can only hope that the party would be so bold as to consider someone as appealing as Gov. Palin.

Jim Beasley
Dallas, Texas

Anonymous said...

Well, I didn't search long to find her. Here is what I emailed to her yesterday.

Dear Governor Palin:

For many months I have listened to much about women in politics, a woman running for President, the voting power of women, etc. Unfortunately, in my opinion, most of this has focused on the campaign of Senator Clinton. I would never support Senator Clinton for any office. I would support you. But why would you ever want to leave Alaska! But, think about it.

Sincerely,


John E. Kolofolias
Lowell, Massachusetts

Anonymous said...

Until my son mentioned her this AM 6/21/08 I had never heard of Gov Palin. Obviously she became a winner and leader early winning the State Championship in HS basketball as the team's point guard. Add to this politcal savy and a track record of honesty,winning big elections and you have a very winning VP candidate for McCain.

Anonymous said...

Sarah Palin has more experience than Obama. Now more than ever we need a qualified woman in the republican VP slot. If not Palin, the Kay Bailey Hutchison or Carly Fiorina!

Ken in IL said...

Gov Palin needs a little more seasoning (granted she has more than BO) Christine Todd Whitman (NJ gov 2 terms) , Meg Whitman (Ebay CEO), M. Jodi Rell (CT gov/ltGov 14 yrs) would be better choices.

Picking a female would make the election a slam dunk for McCain - BO wouldn't have to worry about HRC supporters at all!!!

Sara in 2016!!!

CASteinman said...

I am extremely excited about Sarah Palin being the VP And then the President.

Yesterday, my wife and I were talking. We said we were not pleased with the VP picks. Romney is our favorite in terms of government effectiveness, but would be unpopular. Pawlenty is good but boring. So we looked around. I looked around, like this blogger did and said "Sarah Palin". We researched it and loved her. My wife and I even decided to work really hard to get her elected President in 2012.

Now we won't have to!

Unknown said...
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Richard P. said...

Experience is a big problem. Obama doesn't have it, nor does Palin. But Palin at least will be that one heartbeat away. Obama wouldn't have to wait for any heart to stop beating. While waiting, Palin would get some on-the-job training. Disconcerting either way, but now that it's down to only 2 choices the choice is clear.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

I'm a Republican and a strong McCain supporter, and I understand the political calculus associated with the choice of Palin, however I can not vote for that ticket because if she did ever need to perform her duty as VP and ascend to the Presidency ...our United States could be in a situation with DISASTROUS outcomes. Palin, quite simply, does not have the foreign policy experience necessary. I am very disappointed.

lrolirad said...

Some here are talking about the lack of experience Barack Obama has, but he has the identical experience that Abraham Lincoln had when Lincoln was sworn in as president. Obama has the same experience as John Kennedy when he was sworn into office. And in direct contrast to either of the republican nominees, Barack Obama worked early in his life to help others, giving up opportunities to cash in on his Harvard education. Republicans blast Obama for being inexperienced, but Palin at 42 is five years younger than Obama and doesn't even have the political experience that Obama has. While Palin was a "sports reporter", Obama was a community organizer and a state senator, but republicans must believe reporting on sports is a more important quality to have than helping others.

Unknown said...
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goodwaterbetty said...

An Independent, I was surprised with McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. However, I will vote for him because I am mainly electing a PRESIDENT, not a VICE PRESIDENT. I cannot see putting Barack Obama, the most liberal senator in Congress, into the office of President and having someone with his inexperience run this country on "Day One." At least Sarah Palin should have some time to gain much-needed experience before assuming this office, in case that should ever become necessary.

Richard P. said...

To all you folks who are griping about inexperience, you are missing the point: Obama is inexperienced from Day One. McCain has the experience, and we won't have a problem with Palin's inexperience unless or until McCain dies in office. Scary either way, but which set of odds do you like better?

In weighing degrees of inexperience, some of you say Obama has more experience. But to me, 2 years as a state governor beats 4 years as a U.S. Senator. That's just my opinion, based on the fact that a governor must actually do things, rather than merely ranting at committee hearings and making speeches. Some of you also point out that Obama is a Harvard Law School graduate. So am I, but McCain didn't pick me either, and I can't think of a single one of my classmates I would want to see now as President.

Unknown said...

Wow Irolird... I would not have you on my show either.. I'm no Hannity fan but if you sent me 100 letters and emails and had this many facts screwed up I'd hire personal bodyguards. You got issues man. GO back and research a little. You remember a Pres named Reagan? Trickle down didn't work? You were one of those people who called it Voodoonomics, weren't you? You may not agree with Palin's pollitics but you got to get your facts straight before you attack her, you only come off sounding bitter.

I personally am really excited about this choice, I think she will maKe a great VP and maybe Pres in 2012!

Imagination said...

All I have to say is, good luck Sarah Palin. Its gonna be one tough road for her.

Kate McLaughlin said...
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cal said...

I am very excited about McCain'c choice. At first I said Sarah WHO? Then I watched her in Dayton and knew why John had picked her. She is great. The ticket will be won!!!!!!

seed said...
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Kelli B. said...
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Sam Luce said...

wow good call

Anonymous said...

Sarah Palin is the perfect fit for McCain. She is a fresh face, and a breath of fresh air, which is badly needed on Capital Hill. People will soon see and her critics will realize that she is a smart, strong woman who will lead with honesty and integrity. She is exactly what we need sitting alongside our next President as the new VP.

wgordon said...

I have to share.
I never heard of Sarah Palin until last week. Thursday night after Obama's speech, I got curious as to who McCain might pick for VP besides Romney (thinking Romney had to be it). After an hour or more of surfing articles and watching YouTube videos (I like actually LISTENING to a candidate's actual words instead of just taking someone else's word) I came away saying "Wow, she's the real deal!" But I thought McCain wouldn't pick her because of her short time in office. Not enough experience. Then today I got lucky enough to turn on the radio when McCain made his announcement. I actually got EXCITED! She is a GREAT pick! The previous, rather cynical, posters have it wrong. McCain didn't have a lapse of judgement here. He picked Palin because she is the most like him. She bucks the party and follows her principals. It wasn't about Hillary voters, even though it's cool that Palin is a woman. It wasn't that she will excite the conservative base, even though she IS. It's because she's DIFFERENT from typical politicians...just like him.
GO McCain - Palin! Rock and Roll!

Aaron Donahue said...

NOW I'm excited!

This will seel the deal.
Before you jump to conclusions, research what she has done for Alaska. Sara has the highest approval rate of any current governor for a reason and she brings everything this ticket needs for the perfect balance. Her experience will prove to be more valid than Bo's. She defines integrity. She fears nothing, or nobody who stands in the way of ethical, conservatism. She will motivate America. She is the female Reagan.

This was a brilliant move! Sara Palin will not disappoint as VP, America will relate to her and love her. She will have the support to run for President in 2012 when America is no longer comfortable with McCains age.

Looking forward to this new era.

Aaron Donahue

Nicky said...

I'm not American and that means I cant vote. I'm of African origin same as Obama but I just cant get into the Obama train. I had never wished Obama to become the president of the USA, but after he picked Biden as his running mate and watching the DNC I started falling in cue.

Hillary Cliton had always been my choice; she possessed the CV and charm to be a worthy president. Now Mc Cain is definately my preffered choice because she has Sarah Palin as his VP. Those who doubt her experience, well, Obama doesnt fair better. She's a mother, a good wife and no matter what people try to paint Alaska as one small state in America, to me she's probably the Commander in Chief of one of the most important borders of the USA considering its nearness to Russia. This adds up to her esperience/

Harlin Seritt said...

Hmm... I am a Hillary supporter and still haven't made my mind up completely yet. But I do have to say at this point, Sarah Palin looks to be more experieced to be President than Barack Obama himself. Though things can change between now and November I can say at this point my vote will go to McCain/Palin. It is really going to depend on how desperate Obama's team gets by trying to trash and character-assassinate Palin. If they did it to HC, I am sure they will do that to Palin.

Unknown said...

I'm an independant from the swing state of Colorado - I swing toward the Conservative/Libertarian side of the world. A Crunchy Conservative so I'm told. THere is something in this picking up of Palin that many are not bringing to the table. In both the major party camps, Sarah is the ONLY one with any executive experience - As an Air Force retiree, I am very sensitive to the difference beween those that make the rules, and those who's job it is to inforce them.

Second, lets take a look at responsibility - Alaska is 1/2M square miles, with Agricultural, Mining, Timber, and Energy resources out the wazoo, and Gov. Palin has been the leader in charge of managing these resources.
Western States are very sensitive to how out of touch eastern mind sets are to the management of national parks, lands and the resources they represent. Sarah understands this as the Govenor of Land of the Midnight Sun.

Vicki Verdane said...

An amazing 24 hours. In that time, I've read and heard many opinions about Sarah Palin from the mainstream (and not-so-mainstream) media, and subsequently many personal opinions (based almost solely on those secondhand reports) posted on websites like this. How many of you have heard her speak on a topic FIRSTHAND, for an hour or more? wgordon "hit the nail on the head" (as Sarah would say)in his comments above...listen to a candidate's actual words, not just what someone else says about her. I've followed her career since her election as Governor, and STILL stayed up all night searching for more. She had an excellent interview aired last night with Maria Barteromo on cnbc, lasted an hour, touched on many subjects in depth. How many saw it? Show of hands? Watch some Youtube interviews, get to know Sarah Palin. Intelligent analysis of the issues requires a longer attention span and more in-depth analysis than the simplistic, biased attacks on her I've seen on TV and on some websites. If Joe Biden underestimates her intelligence and doesn't take her any more seriously than her detractors here.....he won't know what hit him. You're about to get to know an extrordinary woman. Enjoy the ride. She's for real.

rockyfort said...

WOW! I am no longer going to vote 3rd party. I am actually voting for Palin and her running mate. We finally have a candidate who is espousing the conservative values I believe in.

From my blog (http://blog.stchess.us):

Nevertheless there is one stark difference between Obama and Palin that I haven’t heard brought into focus yet; so let me do it. Obama began his rise to power working in conjunction with the corrupt Daly machine in Chicago. He used machine politics to push the incumbent off the ballot in his first run. Palin rose to power in Alaska by fighting against the corrupt Republicans in power in Alaska. She took on a Republican establishment that had grown corrupt, faced down threats and rose to power as people asked her to run for office. She defeated the incumbent Republican governor in a primary battle without having to find a procedural way to run him off the ticket.

As to the experience issue..Palin has accomplished more for her constituency in her 20 months as governor than Obama has done in all his year (deliberate omission of the s) of doing his work as a senator. So let's focus on accomplishments as much as experience!

Anonymous said...

Good Job Mccain!

Anonymous said...

Just to say thank you for having the insight(way ahead of anyone) in drafting an impressive VP. McCain couldn't have come up with such a decision in Sarah Palin. I did not know who she is until McCain made the announcement.

Anna von said...

Wow! We love her! Some detractor said that while Obama was doing community work after getting his law degree, she was only a reporter or something like that. HELLO! She is a mother of five. What planet are you from? As a mother of seven with the eighth on the way, I can tell you that community work is a breeze compared to 24/7 running a family. She's so refreshingly honest, so profamily(LOVE the way she defended her sister against the brute state trooper husband), doesn't just talk about prolife, she's a living example of it with that gorgeous baby boy, and she's stunningly beautiful! You go girl!!!

Saved by Grace said...

I've enjoyed reading the opinions of all you bloggers and heard of this one on Fox News.
When experience is the issue what else should we consider? Core beliefs and does that person actually act on them or just talk about it? Sarah acts on them as evidenced by her giving her Down's syndrome child a choice at life; by taking on her own party which had become corrupt - and winning; by not being afraid to take on giant oil companies on behalf of the people. She's like a David knowing what to do when the terrifying Giant threatened his people. He used what he had at hand, wasn't intimidated and knocked that brute out-permanently. We shouldn't be hypnotized by speeches and fireworks, but by looking at the history of the person to know how they will act when things get very ugly, because talk and sparkle will not work then. I'm voting for John and Sarah (means princess). From another Sara in IN

whitneymuse said...

Congratulations to the ones who knew this awhile ago. She makes the "ethically challenged Rs, like the former Speaker Dennis Hastert, and the Tom Delays of the world and gives a new higher mark for the public servants in the Nov general; now the Dems have some explainin" to do; we shall be listening to Mr. Obama with a greater attention, now. Good choice Mr. McCain, good work. Now, I can vote for the (R) ticket with no reservations.

Anonymous said...

I am a transplant to Alaska, and have come to grow in admiration for Gov. Palin. She is an admirable woman, and someone I am proud to call my governor. She is a real person, and down to earth. There is an energy that she exudes that is unlike any of the other politicians I have met (and I shook (plenty of hands while I lived in New Hampshire).

Palin has done great things here, and will continue to do so if it is at the National Level or here in Alaska. She is a real, down to earth person, who isn't afraid to pitch in.

And to speak to the inexperience thing, I would like to quote Professor McBeath from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, printed in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner this morning, "Of the four [running for president of vice president], she's the only one who has ever managed anything outside a checkbook."

And... I can't help but quote Bill Whalen of Stanford University, "You look at her [Palin] and know she's not your father's Republican. She's not Frank Murkowski."

Unknown said...

Yeah, she didn't win any points for hitting up the oil companies with an increased tax. Most of the local conservative talk shows demonized her as anti-oil, anti-business development in Alaska.

I think it was misguided, and I think she listened to bad advice from her cabinet members.

I think she has a good heart, and a willingness/drive to do well. She was a popular mayor, and is soaring in popularity with the Alaska voters. It'll be interesting to see what local talk radio has to say now that she's the nominee.

Strategically, I think she'll take votes from the middle-class workers not inspired by Obama's grand entrance the other night. Also, the soccer moms, and maybe even ladies who liked Clinton. Ethics won her the Governor's job. She'll be hard to beat there. Politically, many call her a RINO. She's moderate fiscally. I think she looks at big business a little too harshly, but maybe she'll see things differently as she gets more exposure.

Personally conservative, she tends to lean a bit left in political thought.

I'm happy with her. She's the Real Deal. I'll vote McCain.

Eric
Eagle River, Alaska

whitneymuse said...

It's great that she's the public face of Alaska, nationally, after Senator Stevens, and Governor Murkowski, amongst others branding themselves (R); This is good! Now if Stevens is defeated in November and Palin helps to defeat Obama, while helping the Christians to overcome their reluctance to vote for McCain; finally there is some momentum for the conservatives; Bobby Jindal's good management in New Orleans is getting national attention, too. Good work Alaska, thanks for allowing us to borrow her for awhile. Let's hope she does well, and can be the president some day, too.

Unknown said...

Among those who had never heard of Sarah Palin, I watched her speech last Friday and wait for the day when she runs for the presidency! So BO plays basketball - when did he ever score playing for a TEAM? How does Biden as VP mean change? Could McCain or Palin ever be buddies with Wm. Ayers?

1libertarian2 said...

As a registered libertarian and a conservative to the core I provide my opinion:
(1) On the issue of family values I feel Palin is wrong for the Republican VP nominee. Think about it, should Palin, a mother of 4, the youngest of which will require much devotion and attention, and the oldest is expecting her first child, be running for the 2nd highest office of the land? Should the RNC, which places family above all else require such a sacrifice? No. If family values mean anything to the RNC, which it does, then we should be asking Palin to take care of her family. To ask Palin to put politics and career before her family which need her is hypocritical of the RNC.
(2) What does it mean to be conservative if it does not translate into conserving the earth that God gave us. Palin is not a good fit as it relates to the environment. For instance, she is in favor of freely opening up ANWR to oil expedition and drilling - a move that could potentially destroy her own backyard and which will not translate to any savings at the pump since the majority of the gas, if any, will be shipped overseas to Japan rather than to the lower 48. Moreover, the first drop of ANWR oil will not come for another 6 to 10 years.
(3) pro-gun. As a Libertarian I am pro-gun, in fact I believe that Americans should have the same access to guns and armaments as existed at the signing of the Amendments. However, the pro-gun position is one that also carries with it a sense of responsibility. Here, Palin, an avid hunter supports the arial gunning of Alaska's wolves a gut wrenching practice most Alaskans deplore where hunter board helicopters, seek out wolves and using the helicopter runs the wolves until they colapse of exhaustion, and then decide to shoot the wolf. Is this the type of pro-gun politician we want in office? This is an irresponsible exercise of the right to arms.
Palin is not the right choice for our Country's VP, and God forbid anything happen to McCain she is certainly not right to lead this nation.

Marie said...

Well, I disagree with about everyone. IDON'T LIKE MCCAIN OR REPUBLICAN! (Ok I got that off my chest.) President George Bush is a very lousy president. McCain reminds me of him. I think McCain will be a lousy president. I am not going to vote for Sarah Palin becuase of everyone saying she's wonderful and she has a fresh face NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!. I want someone who can change this world. Someone like Obama who has been fighting against this war instead of being in the military McCain should have been trying to fight against it before it even started like Obama. Im tired of the WAr and I don't even hear McCain saying anything about stoping the WAR at All.

Marie said...

Well, I disagree with about everyone. IDON'T LIKE MCCAIN OR REPUBLICAN! (Ok I got that off my chest.) President George Bush is a very lousy president. McCain reminds me of him. I think McCain will be a lousy president. I am not going to vote for Sarah Palin becuase of everyone saying she's wonderful and she has a fresh face NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!. I want someone who can change this world. Someone like Obama who has been fighting against this war instead of being in the military McCain should have been trying to fight against it before it even started like Obama. Im tired of the WAr and I don't even hear McCain saying anything about stoping the WAR at All.

Anonymous said...

I mostly wanted to just congratulate this blogger on such good insight. I wish I had found you sooner, just for the information on Governor Palin. I consider myself an independent voter though I generally vote Democratic. I voted for Hillary in the primaries, and lean toward Obama/Biden now, but when I watched McCain introduce Palin last week I found myself in awe. Whether or not I agree with all of her politics or not [I really have a problem with the attempted book banning- in the USA in the 21st century ?!], i am impressed with the way she has raised a family and risen in her political career. She seems to have just about everything the GOP needed to balance the ticket. The fact that you saw this so early on and worked so hard to bring her to the nomination is impressive too. Good luck to all in this exciting historic race!

Ruth said...

Governor Palin is absolutely who the conservative base needed on the Republican ticket. She has reinvigorated the party and I have no doubt that after serving as VP with McCain as President, Sarah Palin would be an excellent candidate for the Presidency. This woman will absolutely get things accomplished and is the first Reaganesque candidate we have had. You were very astute to recognize her as a good candidate well before anyone else did.

patsy the boomer said...

Now that Palin is the VP candidate, I might actually be able to vote for this ticket, and sober, too.

Dan said...

Oh yeah ok...the potential of having a hockey mom running the country makes me feel great.

To all you who think Sarah Palin contributes anything to the ticket, I challenge you to give me a single good reason.

Women should be offended by McCain's pandering. There are candidates with much greater (and cleaner) records than Palin's. It was a political move, nothing more.

And I challenge Palin to explain to every special needs family (for which she promised to be a friend and advocate) why as governor she cut funding for aid to special needs families from 8 million dollars to 3 million.

Ron Jones said...

I can't seem to find anything in the US Constitution that requires any experience at all for the office of the President or Vice President. That being said, two terms as Mayor and nearly two years as Governor are more than sufficient experience for President of the United States. The only real difference is the size of the checks.

My real concern is issues and solutions. McCain/Palin want to go to Washington and clean up the town. But if McCain-Feingold is indicative of his philosophy, then I must disagree with his solutions.

Whenever the government has the power to redistribute wealth, there will be corruption. It is simple human nature.

The problem is systemic. Taxpayer money and borrowed money doled out by government in the form of subsidies, entitlements, & federal contracts etc... are viewed as long-term annuities.

It is only natural that interested parties (down on K Street) will compete with each other in an ad hoc market designed for the purchase and sale of said annuities. The bribes, favors and kickbacks are their investment, while our money is their return. This IS corruption at its most basic, and it's been going on since the transcontinental railroad (and all subsequent "political entrepreneurs").

Whether it's "Pickens Plan" (laughably transparent), a regulated monopoly utility, federal contracts (should always be privatized), welfare, public education or any other money pit. As long as these giveaways exist, corruption will surround them.

Chandler Colfax! said...

As an independent voter leaning towards McCain, I was waiting to see who he would pick for vice president. In the end, he let his handlers choose. And they picked a fiery feisty woman from the frontier state of Alaska. I was a little surprised, especially since McCain has all along championed "experience" while denouncing "celebrity." And now he's turned that on its ear. According to the press, who McCain used to declare "his base," Palin was chosen based upon one meeting after his first choice, Joe Lieberman, was nixed. The differences between the two are night and day. Which means McCain doesn't really care anymore. He's just happy to finally be getting the media attention he's been missing compared to Obama. And he's not the John McCain I've seen all my life. He's never been more spacey and slow.

John McCain is a principled man. That's why I was disappointed in his choice for Vice-President. There's not a lot of positive information out there about Palin. The media may be biased, but I'm talking about stuff that was written before she was ever considered for the V.P. Spot. Book Banning. Killing polar bears. Doesn't believe global warming is man-made. Wants to take whales off the endangered list so she can drill for oil...On television, they herald Sarah Palin as the most popular governor in the country. Kid Rock would be the most popular governor in the country if he were governor of Alaska. Because Alaska is taking in money hand over fist during this energy crisis. So much so she was able to give $1200 back to the citizens of her state. What's not to like?

This is an important election, with many many problems facing our country. Two wars. A crumbling economy. A threatening Russia. A disappearing middle class. High energy prices. Inflation. Weakening infrastructure. And a thoroughly decimated moral authority. So for McCain to choose a self-proclaimed "Pit Bull" and "Hockey Mom," seems ridiculous. And reckless.

So I'm going to vote for the guy I can't really relate to because he's ten billion times smarter than me. I'm voting for Obama/Biden. I don't think McCain really wants to win. I think he'd rather lose and write a memoir about all the mistakes he made while losing...

Justin Decker said...

If she is qualified, why can't she answer any questions?

Really, I ask this with sincerity.

Is it because she thought the big banks were government owned?

A concerned citizen,
Justin

skip said...

I realize that Sarah is anti- abortion, and elected to have a child with Down Syndrome. Her primary stance against pregnancy is for the unmarried youth to refrain from having sex. However, her unmarried 17 year old daughter came up pregnant, not practicing abstinence as her mother advises. But! Did not I read that after Sarah Healy married Todd Palen, six months later she had their son Track? If so, what does the religious right think about that? It seems that sometimes the first child is premature but it always takes nine months for all the siblings born afterwards.

rockyfort said...

Hey Rob...you're only wrong on two counts. One factual, on opinion. McCain is 72. His mother, still alive, calls him "youngster." (Ok, I don't really know about that.)

The other is on whether or not Sarah Palin is ready to be President. On the one hand, no one is ever ready to be President. On the other hand, she is far more ready, as #2 on the ticket than Obama as #1 on his ticket.

Who would you rather have facing Vladmir Putin? Obama, who's ready to give away the store? or Palin who understands and appreciates the uniqueness of the American experience?

Chus said...

Here's the video! Not deleted!: SNL Palin

chaoticosmos said...

Palin has been involved in the government scene since 1996 and Obama has been since 1997. People may think that Obama has more experience. However, little do they realize that the scope of responsibilities given to a state governor (no matter the size of the state) far exceeds that of a junior senator. The governor office is essentially the "president" of the state. The structure of the state government is extremely similar to that of the federal gov. structure. Anyone who says she is less experienced must not have paid enough attention in their junior high social studies classes. Oh and also to Palin's experience to Obama's is like comparing apples to oranges. Who's the one running for Commander in Chief again?...oh yeah Obama.

Oh and the issue of Sarah giving birth to her first born only six months after being married. Everyone makes mistakes when they are young and who is anyone to judge her for something that happened years and years before she even became involved in the government? As a conservative it is good to see that she decided to keep her youngest child with down syndrome instead of aborting it like some people in America do.

Oh and yes her 17 year old daughter is pregnant but what does that have to do with her skills as a government leader? As a parent you can try and direct your children on the right path but every person is responsible for their own decisions. At least she has instilled the value of human life within her daughter. Many politians probably would have told their daughter to "get rid of it" so they don't look bad to the world.