Congratulations Sarah. You gave a great speech last night.
I know I'm looking at the situation through clouded lenses, but I saw someone who was very poised, spectactularly so if you were one of the detractors that said she wasn't ready for this position. She came off strong, but not overbearing. One commentator on The Today Show this morning said that she teetered past confidence and came off too cocky because she had the nerve to question Barack Obama. I'll admit, she did take him on more than I expected her too...and a time of two there was a little venom in her tongue, but folks, after the completely ridiculous frenzy of the media in the past week, and even comments by Barack Obama himself, she is entitled to quip back. I think it was tactful, and dead on.
Now the media, and certainly the Democrats will try to blow smoke, saying that there weren't any specifics in her speech. And there weren't many specifics. That wasn't the purpose. The Democrats know that full well, because there damn sure wasn't any specifics in any of their speeches last week.
What I would like to see, and I'm hopeful that what we will see, is not only specifics, but some plain talk on the how's and why's of those specifics. I will likely post in a while, my own plain talk on what I think about the how's and why's...but for now, this post is to congratulate Sarah Palin. Congratulations on bringing the party together(even though I'm opposed to the party system). You've brought excitement to the McCain campaign and the conservative movement, and made this conservative believe that he may actually be able to pull the lever for McCain in two months. We've still got a ways to go...but for now...relish your accomplishment governor. Well Done!
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7 comments:
I comment here respectfully--I couldn't bear to hear her out. I had to switch channels. Her whole nomination undermines the whole experience argument that McCain and his group have been making. (It's actually hypocritical in my opinion.) I see the decision as short-sighted and not looking at the complete long-term picture. Now, I do think they still could make it into the White House. It's possible. Which means that we will be going over the same thing in four years. And, the country split down the middle again. [sigh] That's why politics is so impractical to me. Forgive me--I'm just not that into it. Although I'm way more into this year than ever. I think personal responsibility is the real answer for many things. And, I actually heard that more in Obama's speech. I can't bear to listen to any republicans since Bush. And, I've always considered myself and voted--republican. Take care.
I agree, it was a good speech in the fact that she is a good public speaker. A bit venomous for my taste for her first ever national speech, but the party liked it.
What I would like people to focus on here is McCain and his decision making. He met with her ONCE for two hours and that was enough for him to decide she would be a great leader of the free world if McCain (OLD) dies? I question that decision making. How well can you know someone in two hours?
You can say his campaign met with her etc... but shouldn't you KNOW your running mate better than that?
No problem Marel...I'm glad to hear opposing thoughts, especially since I trust yours is thoughtful and not spiteful, and I'm hopeful to get the opportunity to sway you back to the good side. :)
Don't worry about not listening to her whole speech...I didn't listen to Barack Obama's speech either, though I have heard the same thing from him for over a year now, so I felt one speech wasn't going to tell me anything new.
Of course with Sarah Palin, her speech was to introduce herself to America, as not many people knew her.
I think it's important not to dismiss her career simply because this is the first time many people have heard from her. Just because she hasn't been in the national spotlight with the power of a multimillions of dollars behind her, it doesn't mean her experience isn't considerable.
Like 4 of the previous 5 Presidents, she has done the closest thing to President that one can do without being in the White House. Being a Governor is a microchasm of being a President...the only major thing it lacks is foreign affairs experience.
In that respect, she has more experience than anyone running in this election, including John McCain. And consider her also being a Mayor, which is a microchasm of being a Governor.
Sure she came out and tried to compare herself and even elevate herself above Barack Obama...but wouldn't you want to come out and highlight those experience if Barack Obama himself tried to critize the experience of something that was less than even your current occupation?
It was a risky move, yes, but I see it as a real forward-looking move rather than being short-sighted. McCain is looking to the future of the party by putting someone in who already has the groundworks to be President and can quickly learn the job of President by being so close to the major thing she lacks...foreign affairs experience.
It's certainly understandable, but if you can, force yourself to give her (and McCain) a chance without looking at them with Bush colored glasses. Just because they hold some of the same ideals, because the fundamentals such as lower taxes and less government is a universal conservative message, that doesn't make them anywhere near the same as Bush.
Bush hasn't been our best president to be sure, but try to remember he has been given the hardest set of circumstances to deal with of any president before. I can't imagine how any other politician could have handled 9-11 better. He definitely went way off course by going into Iraq. But many Democrats, including Biden and Clinton(and Obama never got to see this being in a State Senate), believed the evidence that was presented to Bush that Hussein possessed WMDs. Heck, many other countries also believed that Hussein had WMDs.
It doesn't make it right, and I wish Bush would have exercised more restraint before thinking of going into Iraq...but that's the past and unfortunately we can't take that decision back. But Iraq is already beginning to stand up on their own and will be well underway much before the next president even takes office.
I'm just trying to present perspective...I respect you more than anyone I've met in the blogosphere, so I'm not trying to make excuses or persuade you with rhetoric(at least I don't think I am). I'd just hate to see you completely abandon your base perspective(Republican/conservative) out of complete frustration...which is certainly understandable...when the Democrat/liberal perspective is patently different.
I'll do my best over the next couple of months to present the fundamental differences in Republican and Democrat points of view. Maybe it will sway you to give McCain and Palin a second look, maybe not. I'll certainly respect your point of view either way...I just may not agree with them. :)
Keep in mind that I and many others are not crazy about McCain either. Many people, including me, are giving him a chance now because of his pick of Palin, who we view as a true conservative...which he isn't. Thanks for giving your perspective, Marel...hopefully I'll be up to the task of breaking through the Bush cloud and Obama aura. :)
It was a little more feisty than I was expecting, Rocket, but given the complete attack on her by all media, don't you think she was entitled to a little venom? Even Obama came out before even really knowing her and attacked her experience as Mayor.
I'm not sure anyone has critized his community organization experience, which anyone should realize entails less than even a small town Mayor.
I'm not aware of McCain's decision making process in this case, or how long he may have met with Sarah Palin...but does anyone in this race have the right to question McCain's decision making skills?? Pastor Wright, Bill Ayers, or Tony Rezco ring any bells??
If one is to question McCain's decision...and who's to say he just didn't have that instant gut feeling which was quickly confirmed if he did in fact only meet with her for 2 hours...then we have to question Obama's decision for closley associating with people who HATE America, right? I'm not sure about the whole 2 hours thing, your mention of it is the first I heard of it, but haven't you met someone and just known right off that they were "good people"? You may not believe that of Palin, but maybe he did. They seem to have lots in common as far as not backing down to party with a track record to prove that...I'm sure that endeared her to him right off.
As always--a great comment by you. And, if anyone could persuade me otherwise, it probably would be you. And, you are right. My base view is republican. Anti-abortion, less taxes, less government. But, as for McCain, I would have been happier with him if he had stayed an independent. The switch just doesn't smell so good to me. And, as for Palin, I'm a Bible believing person of the Lord--but, I wonder if Palin, if necessary, is really going to be able to meet with peoples and governments of the world with tact and diplomacy. This whole talk of maverick and bulldog is already being construed in a radical way. I guess I'm a little worried. Thanks for letting me express myself here. Take care.
Isn't it funny how, even though the experts say that people don't really pay attention to Vice President picks, the appointment of Palin has had the opposite effect on us. It seems as though you were much more comfortable with McCain before his pick of Palin, and I'm much more comfortable with McCain now that he has picked Palin. Just goes to show you what "experts" know sometines. :)
But those "experts" say that now McCain can go back to being the old Maverick McCain and Palin will play to the conservatives that were leery of McCain before...so maybe you'll here more stuff from him that you like in the weeks to come.
You're always welcome to express your views here, Marel, without worry of me bashing you on them. I'll try to persuade you, but never begrudge you of your point of view.
Of course I did kinda knock Rocketstar for posting quotes that I believe were out of context about Sarah Palin on his blog. Sorry about that Rocket, if you're reading this. Hopefully I did a better job in my subsequent replies of tieing those quotes to Yahoo rather than you...since I think that's where you got the quotes from based on those funny pop-up windows you have on your blog when you mouse over certain things.
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