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Epic. Win.

Awesome is made of John McCain

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  August 29th, 2008 at 10:41 AM  | 

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I’ve got to say, I don’t know a single person who was pushed in the Pawlenty misdirection who cares.

Pawlenty who? This is an epic win.

Sarah Palin is pro-life. She is a hunter and fisher. She is a mom. She is a reformer.

Obama has claimed the reformer mantel, but Obama embedded with the corrupt, entrenched politics of Chicago long before he went to Washington. When he got to Washington, he sent money home to his cronies.

Sarah Palin threw the cronies out of office.

And how can Obama combat the experience canard? Palin has more executive experience than Obama has had. And from what we’ve seen already, she is awesome.

The GOP is more united than the Dems have been. We just got more so. And we got a lot of new voters too.

Epic. Win.

MOVING THE LIVE BLOG HERE:

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COMMENTS

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  • gamecock

    a

  • MGamo

    The kos are going crazy over this, saying she’s the worst VP pick ever, Palin is very inexperienced, although she has more executive experience than her counterparts combined. I hope I speak for most Republicans when I say I am fired up because of this pick and called my local McCain office to start volunteering.

  • Cowboy

    Mitt will keep on supporting McCain too.
    Me thinks you under estimate the man.

    Anyway I love this pick.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    Just speculating, Palin is going to be awesome in MI, MN, WI, but Alaska and Hawaii have always had this weird affiliation. I never really understood it. It a non-contiguous thing.

  • Kansan

    What a terrible mistake that’ll be.

    Now we have the opportunity to highlight that McCain’s vice president has more experience and more accomplishments to list than Barack Obama… even though she’s spent even less time in office.

  • JacksonJones

    Here’s the problem with Sarah Palin. She will be ignored by the Democrats. They will simply ignore her and have little to say about her except when they have to debate her. At that time Biden will be very nice to her and try not to appear to be beating up on a mother of 5.

    As disliked as Romney was/is he would have been a better attack dog and would have scored more points for McCain in any debate or public forum. It’s hard to land punches when no-one is fighting you.

    Clearly McCain needed a game changer. Palin may be it, but if she is ignored she will be irrelevant and add no real value. The Senator likes to roll the dice and he has certainly rolled the dice here.

  • MichiganLibertarian

    I don’t know anything about Palin. I griped a bit yesterday about Pawlenty because I couldn’t see him helping the ticket.

    Palin may be able to pick up the disgruntled Hillary voters. Though they are all going to be pro-choice and it will be interesting to see if they will support a pro-life VP.

  • txaggies911

    My first thought was “great pick” for McCain in taking her. It appeals to the disenchanted Hillary supporters (although I think there are fewer of those than seems to be represented). It appeals to the base in having a conservative out there.

    The more I thought about it, the less great I thought it was. She undercuts what I felt was McCain’s strongest message…Obama’s light experience. Certainly not apples to apples since Palin is the VP and not the president, but I think he would have been far better served by someone who could reinforce that message rather than weaken it. It was, like I said, his best angle by far.

    But as far as taking the news cycle over, this was brilliant. Very successful on that front. I just think that the selection has more immediate impact than it will long term. The shock of the pick will wear off, and I think the lack of experience on her part will ultimately hurt. A lot of the reverse reasons could be applied to why I don’t think Biden was the best pick for Obama. Guy running an outsider campaign picks a Washington insider. I think candidate in general are better served picking someone who reinforces the central message.

    And finally, a prediction…someone will disagree with me.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    Schmidt and Davis, you guys are genius. Nice convention buzz Obama. Hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha. I hope you enjoye your three hours of media coverage.

  • Doug_n_TX

    I had hoped against hope this would be the McCain choice. I was kind of luke warm to McCain, but this is a game changer in my (limited) mind.

    SCORE big time for the McCain camp.

  • spainishirish

    Given that the Democratic presidential nominee has less experience than Palin, charges of “affirmative action” and inexperience will blow back if Obama or his surrogates make them.

    I think this was an inspired choice, and I’m not one to partisan me-tooism. As to the media cycle disruption, it has been absolutely brilliant.

  • danto85

    The key points to make:

    She has more executive experience than the Obama and Biden combined.

    She has more accomplishments than Obama.

    Obama wants to attack a women who is breaking the glass ceiling.

  • Evilpens

    I am in Love with her Physically & on the ISSUES <3

    You’re right Erick EPIC EPIC EPIC WIN !!!!!!!!!

  • Doug_n_TX

    This will work. The general population doesn’t know much about Palin, so the media will HAVE to take some of the halo, er, spotlight off BHO for a while to let the GP know who she is. So the MSM will have to get out of their position of worship at the altar of Obama to do a little work to describe Palin.

  • Pupwood

    As a conservative Dem, I have not been sure what to to lately. I like, but do not trust Obama, I dislike, but kinda trust Biden.

    But now I like and trust McCain and I like Palin (dont know her enough to trust yet but I’m sure I will soon, she is a hard as nails reformer…yes?)

    I am really STOKED about this ticket and they can count on me for sure! I will be donating and voting!!!

  • E_Pluribus_Unum

    To not be jazzed about Palin is your prerogative. Bu where in the WORLD did you get the idea that John McCain’s strongest message was Obama’s inexperience?

    John McCain has ALOT of message (judges, domestic drilling, Iraq, lower taxes FOR ALL, pork-busting, free market, etc). And Obama has alot against him besides his lack of experience (race-baiter, leftist, hangs with terrorists & crooks, raise unemployment, raise taxes, take away freedoms, etc).

    So Obama’s lack of experience is just one minor arrow in McCain’s quiver which is chock full of arrows.

  • txaggies911

    I think that the McCain stands to lose a lot more on the inexperience argument than Obama. Take the people in the middle (ignoring the always-red and always-blue voters). In general, those for whom experience is key have already fallen heavily to McCain, and vice versa for Obama’s supporters. In other words, the inexperience argument has been tried on Obama, and his supporters by and large do not see it as an issue (for whatever reason…they like his judgement or don’t like elephants).

    McCain’s supporters are often there because they see his side as the more experienced ticket. May still hold true, but this will certainly serve to weaken that argument.

    Media disruption was I think a foregone conclusion for Repubs…and this just made it better. Having their convention right after the Dems basically guaranteed that they would immediately become the focus.

  • Swamp_Yankee

    Yeah she has to set the tone early and define herself before the media does. Great bullets

    Her inexpereince can work FOR McCain. It opens the door for Republicans to discuss Obama’s lack of experience and the fact NEITHER OBAMA or BIDEN have ANY executive expereince

  • Wellred

    It’s only a matter of time before the KosKooks start calling McCain a “Dirty Old Man” for picking Alaskan hottie Sarah Palin. Hey, if he has to he with somebody for 8 years, can you blame the guy for picking a little eye candy (who happens to be a brilliant, princilpled politician). I love the fact that she has a Down Syndrome baby (yes, the same kind of baby that Obama voted to let die in a soiled linen closet).

  • txaggies911

    Just the one I think was/is most effective. It’s why “Ready to Lead” has been his rallying cry for so long.

  • WOSG

    She has led a city and she has led a state.

    Biden has led a Senate committee.

    Obama has led ACORN commnity activist training sessions.

    Palin has been a reforming change-agent:

    “She had earned stripes ? and enmity ? after Murkowski made her head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. From that post, she exposed ethical violations by the state GOP chairman, also a fellow commissioner.”

    … Obama gave a good speech.

  • jdripper

    This will be a hard fought and nasty campaign. We have our very own “Dream Team” now lets go out and get them elected.

  • Achance

    either. Just get a waiting for … and my machine hangs up. Rest of the site still works for me though.

  • WOSG

    They are going to compare VP Palin to P Obama. Who’s the guy on top.

    Big mistake… oh yeah, and even if this were a ‘mistake as big as picking Quayle’ we all know how that election turned out.

    It aint. Palin is a solid, conservative reformer. SHE IS WHAT THE GOP NEEDS TO BE IN THE FUTURE.

    Obama wanted to stop talking about the past. Fine. Lets talk about the great future this country can have with an up and comer like Palin.

  • speciallist

    n/p

  • JacksonJones

    How does she have more experience than B&J combined? Wasn’t she the Mayor of a town of 6K about 4 years ago? I think there are degrees of ‘executive’ and Mayor of a small town doesn’t make the cut for me.

  • PhxG

    it refreshes and never shows up.

  • PhxG

    LOL/nt

  • olsmithie

    Excellent points.

    Be sure and add in that she has shown character and conservatism by her actions, not just given it lip service like 90% of the GOP leadership.
    She has bucked the party, not by sucking up to liberals, but by pushing conservative principles.

    “Character is not the main issue, it is the only issue”

    Regards

  • ScottWP

    Just made two (2) donations at McCain’s site. Made the first one, and was so pumped I had to go back and do another.

    Let’s give the McCain/Palin ticket a money bounce!

  • curious_lib

    For a mother of five, she is totally hot.

    Congrats on your veep, guys.

  • Kate_Shanahan

    Go Sarah!!!

  • stanleyoval

    Sarah Palin is Perfect…Perfect Choice Pailn!!!

  • Maggie_in_Indiana

    Rules the world,Barry!

  • walter_hanson

    I had been rooting for Sarah even though I thought it was going to be somebody. But listening to Sarah she’s better than I dreamed!

    • Obama’s biggest qualification is he gives a great speech. Guess what he is no longer the best speaker in this race! Sarah is!!!!!!

    • Sarah is already being attacked for her qualifications yet it will only highligh how unqualified Obama is.

    • And we are going to have a real debate for drilling! This is the issue where in a year the Democrats win hands down the Republicans might gain Congressional seats or hold the loses down on. And she’s even a better spokesperson than I dreamed.

    • And man all those women here is John Mccain who had no trouble taking a woman over Obama who didn’t even bother to vet Hillary. How many millions of votes could that cost Obama now because of this pick. And this was suppose to be a close election.

      Walter Hanson
      Minneapolis, MN

  • moms4mitt

    I am a proud Republican mother of four!

    As a McCain County Chair, I conducted our organization meeting this week with three of my four children in tow…

    THIS PICK IS SO MEANINGFUL FOR ME!!!

    MCCAIN/PALIN 08!!

  • Elizabeth

    Mayor of a town plus two years experience as a governor. Lot’s of history of taking on corruption, including in her own party. If you want to learn more about her, Weekly Standard has just re-posted an article on her from about a year ago: http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/851orcjq.asp.

  • spainishirish

    If the Democrats thought this would be a Dan Quayle moment they were way off the mark. This woman can talk, think on her feet, and connect with an audience.

    Again, congrats to Team McCain. Some time ago this went past voting against Obama to voting for McCain, and this just sealed it.

  • Siberian

    A town that is pretty much the same size and this “city” she led.

    6,000 people does not make for much of a city.

    I think bringing Palin onto the ticket will end discussion of ‘inexperience’ on the part of either ticket. In this regard her lack of experience and being a heartbeat from the presidency (for what will be the oldest president entering office) I think makes this pick more important then normal.

    Any talk of Obama’s inexperience by McCain will now just be counted by talking about Palin’s inexperience. In this regard I think it’s more of a win for Obama.

    To me I think this looks like a good pick from the conservative issues standpoint but at the same time I’m afraid it also comes off as a bit of a pandor to try to grab Hillary supporters.

    It might work, but overall McCain is really rolling the dice here. This is a risky pick.

  • QueenOfCups

    Sarah Palin is a woman, not a girl!

    http://hillbuzz.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/its-okay-joe-biden-cry-it-out-its-going-to-be-okay/

  • kchand

    really likes the pick.

    (Well, for very different reasons.)

  • caliguy

    I’ve been visiting this site for a long time, but I have not been motivated to post on this blog until today. Senator McCain’s choice of Governor Palin for V.P. has me FIRED UP! Palin is extremely impressive and has a fantastic personal story. McCain has shaken this race up in a very positive way. So positive in fact that this conservative has just donated to the McCain campaign. I heard Geraldine Ferraro praising McCain’s choice and she said Palin will certainly draw some notice from a fair number of Hillary supporters. Welcome Governor Palin! Bravo Senator McCain! Country First!!

  • eworthi

    The Dems and the MSM may ignore her, but that won’t make her irrelevant because what she brings to the table will be a Huck-a-boom like groundswell of support. People, myself included, will get out and volunteer for her, make calls, put up signs, arrange Meet-Ups, just like with Huckabee. This would not have happened with any other VP pick, with the exception of Huckabee. It’s the people this election season, not the pundits.
    (I think I need to chage my signature, it shows how long its been since I’ve been on RedState!)

  • generalgrant

    Obama got no bounce from picking Biden (a safe pick made to reassure voters that someone in the White House will be able to take the 3AM call.)

    That won’t be the case here. I admit that I thought that she wouldn’t be tapped because she perhaps undercut the experience attack on Obama, but she actually has done more in her time in office than Obama has done his whole public life. If anything, she’s more qualified than Obama and picking her only underscores his lack of accomplishments. Plus, she’s hot.

    I’m a conservative Republican and was going leave the Presidential portion of my ballot blank on election day, but now I think I’m on board with the McCain train.

    Great Pick. Grand Slam.

  • rstreu

    I’m actually excited about the election again. I’m even going to donate to McCain. Very well done, across the board. This whole move, down to the timing, was brilliant on J-Mac’s part. Even Limbaugh is excited. And it is Limbaugh who sums this up nicely: “Sarah Palin: Babies. Guns. Jesus. Hot Damn!”

    This, versus what I’m sure Bill Clinton would be saying if Hillary weren’t standing so close: “Darnit! Why didn’t I think of that?!”

  • Next93

    As much as the MSM would like to ignore her, they won’t be able to. A woman who’s telegenic (read: attractive) and controversial will get air time because that gets viewers and viewers get ratings and ratings get news editors bonuses. Look at how they hang on every word Anne Coulter utters, and she’s never run for anything that I know of.

    As soon as I head that she was a “Miss Alaska” contestent, I knew that she’d have the media eating out of her hand. I’m willing to bet that she’s making Chris Mathews’ other leg tingle.

    So the Democrats can try to ignore her, but they’ll have to do it in a very public manner, and that will only enhance the perceptions of arrogance and mysogeny that they’re already trying to fight.

    As for the implication that she can’t be a good attack dog, if you’re talking about women in general, I should probably introduce you to my ex-wife. Make a comment like that in front of her and you’ll be typing your next comment with a bloody stump.

  • McCainForPrez

    nt

  • olsmithie

    Todays award for understatement goes to……McCforprez

    As they say down here where gravy is considered a beverage,

    “You got that right!!”

    Regards

  • mobius2702

    Given the timing of everything McCain has done these last couple of months, it is a good time to move past the “Obama is Inexperienced” line of attack anyway.

    I think the campaign knows this. They did what they could to drive the point home to the American public, and now they can shift gears into policy and “here is how we are going to run the country when elected” arguments.

    Meanwhile, the Democrats could be suckered into attacking Palin for her lack of experience. The response from the right becomes something simple along these lines:
    “Look, you are now responding to weeks and months old attacks; we’re trying to talk about the future of this country and where we are going to lead it.”

    Of course, I expect the McCain campaign to be much more eloquent and biting about it, but I hope you take my point.

    Oh, yeah, point: I like this pick.

  • WOSG

    in the war history books that ‘confusion’ is usually followed by something like
    “… and then the forces fled the battlefield were routed, wiped out, and the leaders fled in panic, leaving behind the camp followers and booty to be captured.”

    The feels like Midway and we’ve hit the first carrier.

  • olsmithie

    attacking Palin for her lack of experience.

    Too late. That was happening within minutes of the announcement.

    Regards

    totus porcus McCain/Palin

  • JKozina

    So excited that I felt it in my knees when I read her name! I have to admit that I was disappointed when her name was being floated all those months ago and then it just seemed to evaporate.

    This is a really cool day for all of Woman-dom but an even greater day for Conservatism.

    Sarah Palin is who I want to be when I grow up!