The selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate has electrified conservative activists, providing a boost of energy to the GOP nominee-in-waiting from a key constituency that previously had been lukewarm ”” at best ”” about him.
By tapping the anti-abortion and pro-gun Alaska governor just ahead of his convention, which is set to start here Monday, McCain hasn’t just won approval from a skeptical Republican base ”” he’s ignited a wave of elation and emotion that has led some grass-roots activists to weep with joy.
Serious questions remain about McCain’s pick ”” exactly how much he knows about her and her positions, past and present, on key issues. But for the worker bee core of the party that is essential to any Republican victory, there are no doubts.
“I woke up and my e-mail was just going crazy,” said Charmaine Yoest, head of the legislative arm of Americans United for Life and a former top official in Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign. “And then when it was announced ”” it was like you couldn’t breathe.”
All this is interesting talk – and as I pointed out another thread, McCain raised $4 million on Friday, and had previously not raised more than $1 million in a day 9http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1928744420080830?sp=true). So there is ACTION behind the rhetoric. It’s not what people say, it’s what they do….
whoops:
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN1928744420080830?sp=true
In 1952 I listened to Ike talk from the back platform of a club car in the railroad yards in Hartford. In 2004 I went to see Dick Cheney in an appearance in Xenia Ohio. My attendence at the rally in Dayton topped them both for enthusiasm and excitement. My support for any other of the Veep candidates would have been lukewarm, at best.
This was a master political stroke. No other way to describe it.
ICXC
John
When she was announced, I sent money to the RNC. Before, I had ignored their written appeals. Methinks she is the real deal.
I was listening to Laura Ingraham’s radio show on my way to work on Friday and as Laura speculated on the pick, the more I heard, the more excited I became…I could hardly believe my ears. When it was officially announced I was surprised at how affected I was. I had been in the “getdrunkandvoteforMccain” camp. ; >) Zoom, zoom, I went from resigned to enthusiastic in a few minutes. Wow…not just any woman, but a woman who walks the walk, and who can also talk the talk.
The east and west coast liberals don’t understand her appeal, the same way they don’t understand the “values” element in politics. They reacted to the success of Gibson’s Passion of the Christ by thinking any crap with a religious theme would be successfull. I’m hoping we can ride that ignorance to victory.
One of the things I value most in elected officials, especially for Pres and VP, is judgement. Does she have good judgement and the capacity to learn the job? It appears she does, on both counts. For the first time in this campaign I believe McCain has a good shot of winning. This selection also speaks well of his judgment.
When people like Palin make it to the top, I am reminded why I love this country.
Dopes anyone know what kind of a student she was? Is she really an intellectual light weight? Larry
We need fewer “intellectuals”… most I know don’t have common sense nor relate to the everyday common man/woman.
“When people like Palin make it to the top, I am reminded why I love this country”.
Me too, Tory.
And, for all the smart-aleck comments running around(not necessarily here) about Governor Palin being a “beauty queen”, it’s my understanding that she came in 2nd in that pageant but used all the prize money to put herself through college.
She got a degree in Journalism. That isn’t nuclear physics but she had a good grade point average. The bottom line is that the woman can think and express herself and thats more than I can say for many politicians and public employees. She has proven it in her administration of a growing suburb of Anchorage and now of the whole doggone State. She’s done so in a fearless manner and tackled some pretty big Alaskan boogeymen. I’m a wrinkled old dude (Paris Hilton’s phrase) older than McCain, but now I’m going to rejoin the Republican party(Constitution “Libertarian”), contribute some actual money and vote the ticket.
Check out the comparison table between Sarah Palin and Obama [url=http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/2008/08/30/sarah-palin-vs-barack-obama/ ]here[/url]. In particular, we have:
[b]Legislative Record:[/b]
[b]SP[/b] – Passed a landmark ethics reform bill;Used veto to cut budgetary spending;Prevented “bridge to nowhere†that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.
[b]BO[/b] – Voted “present†over 100 times as IL state senator
[b]Iraq and Troop Support:[/b]
[b]SP[/b] – Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq;Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany;visited AK National Guard soldiers deployed to Kuwait; Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman
[b]BO[/b] – Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators;almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead.
[b]Speaking ability:[/b]
[b]SP[/b] – Beautifully executed initial stump speech in Dayton, OH hockey arena without a teleprompter
[b]BO[/b] – An enter…wait–did you say without a teleprompter??
12. athan-asi-us wrote:
“She got a degree in Journalism. That isn’t nuclear physics but she had a good grade point average.”
It was not emphasized but her Minor was in Political Science. This interest in government has been in place for at least 20 years.
Before Palin institutes her morals on the rest of the country, she probably should consider starting at home. What does it say about her skills as a parent? In addition to the fact based news, blogs are all a-twitter about some speculation about her youngest child. Evangelicals shouldn’t line up so quickly. She may talk the talk, but where’s the evidence she walks the walk?
# 15 Could you be a bit more specific?
The specifics will reveal what a genuine loathsome creep Mark Johnson is.
He’s making that abundantly clear on another thread!