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Dem reaction to apparent Palin pick begins: “But she’s not *Famous*!!”

We don't all want Spears/Hilton/Obama celebs on our tickets, Ken.

By: Jeff Emanuel (Diary)  |  August 29th, 2008 at 10:33 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

With a hat tip to RCP’s Tom Bevan, Democrats Ken Salazar and James Clyburn are testing out lines of attack against McCain’s apparent Veep nominee, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) — and, quite frankly, if this is the best they can do on a Friday morning, (a) they don’t have much to go on, and (b) their heads must still be spinning from the masterful job the McCain folks did of holding this pick close to their vest until the last possible moment.

From RCP:

Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina attacked Sarah Palin on South Carolina ETV Radio this morning, comparing her unfavorably to both Dan Quayle and Geraldine Ferraro:

I do believe that McCain has to do something to reshuffle the cards, shake up the establishment, do something unexpected and Governor Palin…has all the kinds of things that McCain might see as a way to shake things up. I think (her selection) would be something similar to Dan Quayle…

Dan Quayle proved to be sort of an embarrassment as a campaigner. Being thrust on a national stage like that could be very tough.

Now Mondale tried to shake things up by going with Geraldine Ferraro…she proved to be a disaster as a running mate. And as a campaigner, she was absolutely awful. And so I just think that it is very risky for McCain to do this, but it may be all he has left.

All he has left? He clowned you with a surprise pick whose experience, appearance, and gender make her a formidable opponent at very least, and you try to play it off as an act of desperation? How weak.

Further, appearing on CNN this morning, Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) said the pick was “impulsive” and “risky.” The fact that McCain picked someone no one has ever heard of before this morning shows the “kind of judgment he’d bring to the White House,” Salazar said.

So let me get this straight: now that they’re topping their ticket with a celebrity who has never managed a thing in his life, and whose entire resume consists of student/community organizer/state senator/speech giver/4-year U.S. Senator, experience (like being a mayor and a Governor) doesn’t matter as much as being famous does?

By the way, I continue to note — with a hearty laugh — that they still appear to have the word “judgment” in their campaign vocabulary, even with their nominee’s history of associations (*cough* Rezko, Ayers, Wright, Jones, Dohrn, Johnson, etc. *cough*).

Isn’t that cute (and detached from reality). But I digress — the point here is that they’ll have to do a lot better than the above to take on McCain’s vice presidential pick. We’ll see if they have it in them to do so convincingly; personally, I have my doubts.

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COMMENTS

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  • bk

    She’s more of the same. She’s corrupt. She has no experience. She’s not ready to be commander in chief. She’s blah blah blah.

    It brings “shrill” to a whole new level.

  • weave

    Let’s be honest, she was picked due to her gender. Thankfully, from what I’ve been reading about her, I’m very happy with the pick so far, but let’s not kid ourselves. This was a tactical move to pick up the disgruntled Hillary voters.

    It will work too.

    Might as well cancel the elections. It’s over as of today.

  • vonhell

    According to the NYT

    “The selection amounted to a gamble that an infusion of new leadership ? and the novelty of the Republican Party?s first female candidate for vice president ? would more than compensate for the risk that Ms. Palin could undercut one of the McCain campaign?s central arguments, its claim that Mr. Obama is too inexperienced to be president.”

    How outraged would this paper be if Fox News referred to Obama as a novelty? Ridiculous.

  • Katey451

    **I think she will be great. Good job John!!

  • shooflyguy68

    Given that she has almost no experience, I think any talk about Obama as inexperienced celebrity has just gone out the window.

    • David_Hinz

      she has accomplished more in a short time than Obamessiah has accomplished in his entire political career.

      Rain on the parade if you want, but the real fun will be the Democrats trying to make the case that SHE is unqualified, while defending the Obamessiah on his non-record

  • olderthangandalf

    She was mayor of a town of 6,000 people, and then governor for 18 months of a state with a lot fewer people than the Dayton metro area.

    On foreign policy, I don’t even know whether she’s ever been out of North America, or has thought twice about those issues.

    The net is that neither side can use “experience” offensively.

    That doesn’t make her a bad pick. She has a compelling story. She puts working class women into play. She doesn’t turn off the base. She’s honest and tough, and you can expect she will grow in the job.

    Look at it like this: if you were casting a movie where someone unexpected ends up being President, who do you figure would be the bigger crowdpleaser? I’m thinking the straight talking woman from Alaska who hunted Moose with her dad might play ok.

    • mikewas

      McCain can still run the brillinat “remote control” ad which shows Obama’s own VP, HRC, Dodd, and even Obama himself describing Obama as unqualified. It’s not an attack if Obama’s own party is doing it.

  • peg_c

    and some of ours apparently, too.

    I think the experience amassed by Obama/Biden is more than matched by McCain/Palin.

    I CANNOT WAIT to hear Rush today!

    • shooflyguy68

      I’m sure we’ll find out about her accomplishments but city council member and mayor of a tiny town and a short stint as governor of a remote, small population state doesn’t scream out “experience”.

      I think I’ve made my point about how disappointing this pick is in my opinion. I’m going to let the Palin supporters have their moment and not give any more ammunition to the trolls who’ve just joined us. I hope that I’m proven wrong and that she helps Sen McCain win in November, but I have huge doubts.

      • JGillman

        Her resume reads well, and brings a few of the strays back into the camp.

        I say Awesome choice!

  • BSchlitz

    She did do a shoot for VOGUE magazine.

    • bk

      she was busting up a good ole boy network with “change” while Obama was learning how to be an expert at insider corrupt politics in Chicago.

      That’s one thing anyway.

      • WOSG

        MAN OR WOMAN, THIS IS THE KIND OF “CHANGE” WE NEED IN WASHINGTON!!!!

        This is from the Yahoo article on her – Obama talks the walk, and Palin has already WALKED THE WALK!!!

        Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement McCain’s image.

        Two years ago, she ousted the state’s Republican incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski in the primary, despite having little money and little establishment backing.

        She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican office-holders, sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don young. Both men are under federal corruption investigations.

        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.

        • Jeff_Emanuel

          Our #2 has more experience than their #1 — and more exec experience than anyone on either ticket — and you say we lose that edge? Really?

          • Taniwha

            that if Biden’s runningmate is inexperienced, and McCain’s is as well, the side where the inexperienced one is the Veep has the better of the argument? Remember, for all that is said about Quayle, Bush won that election. Why didn’t it hurt him enough? Because he himself had experience in spades.

            I say that, regardless of how much they gnash their teeth, the Dems would be chumps to being up the inexperience issue. And even then, hers is executive.

  • fisk2521

    Can’t believe liberals are screaming about inexperience when they are running Obama….

    This was simply a brilliant choice by McCain. She’s conservative, and an extremely popular Governor. As Governor she refused a limo, police security, a jet for travel saying it was too expensive and unnecessary…(take note Nancy Pelosi). She has 5 children, the latest being born with Down’s syndrome. (again take note Nancy Pelosi) Her husband is a modern day Father who stays home with the children much of the time and is a commercial fisherman.

    The McCain people handled this announcement so incredibly well…. leaking possibilities throughout the Democrats convention; all the while assuring the Obama people they would ‘hold off’ til after his speech. Last night during the “anointed one’s” speech, we were all wondering who McCain’s choice would be.

    Today, we’re talking about McCain’s choice for VP – - not Obama’s messianic speech promising paradise for us all.

    It was brilliant – - it is brilliant. I love it.

    • bk

      Does the Obama campaign want to come out saying that small town hicks aren’t worth consideration for anything important?

      It’s actually what the elite limousine liberals actually believe – it’s just shocking that they’ll admit it when Obama needs some of these dumb rednecks to vote for him.

      Heard CO Senator Salazar a few minutes ago saying that he picked someone “we had never heard of before”. Wow. What does that say of Dem attitudes toward some states in general and to women executives in particular?

  • raider

    I was waiting for the condescending comments about Sarah Palin’s ability to debate with Joe Biden to occur and Kathy Lee didn’t disappoint.

    This mornng, she articulated her skepticism about Sarah Palin’s ability to debate Joe Biden on foreign policy. If her condescending remarks had been made about a female Democrat vice-presidential nominee, liberals would be unhappy.

    Kathy Lee also said that McCain already had the conservative vote locked up. Sure Kathy Lee, whatever you say.

    I expect more of the same condescending remarks.

    • David_Hinz

      On foreign policy, I don’t even know whether she’s ever been out of North America, or has thought twice about those issues.

      How about visiting American wounded soldiers in Germany? The gym must have been closed that day, ya think?

  • Wellred

    If Ms. Palin does a half decent job the next 4 (or 8) years, we’re talking about the possibility of the first female President being a Republican!!! Is Hillary shaking in her boots yet? OH, how I’d LOVE to see the debate between Hillary and Palin. And ya know about those “18 million cracks in the Glass Ceiling” that Hillary accomplished that Obama always talks about, well GOODBYE GLASS CEILING!

    • olderthangandalf

      Eighteen months of running the state of Alaska is not that much executive experience, not when the next job – in a heartbeat – could be leader of the free world. Sorry, but facts are facts.

      My point is this: I don’t think McCain would have picked her if he were set on continuing the “inexperience” theme as the centerpiece of his campaign. He’s been there, done that, raised the questions, made people start doubting what’s behind the curtain. He can’t continue it in the way he’s done it very easily without setting up a tit for tat situation.

      I think this pick signals a new phase to the campaign. He’s going to come out at the convention as the guy who really can change Washington, backed up by a VP who wasn’t afraid to change things in Alaska.

  • testcs

    This woman makes Obama look like an elderly statesman.

    You guys are rediculous.

  • The_Rebel

    on this type of crap.

    • Tim_Schieferecke

      Yeah, you’re right, it does show just how out of touch with mainstream America Obama is. That’s a good point. I think Byrd can talk a little better unscripted than Obama can though. Pity, pity, pity.

      • redgrrl

        If you think women vote on the basis of whether or not the tickets have a woman on them, you must think we’re stupid.
        Women vote on the issues, just like – hopefully – men do.
        I’d never vote a woman in office who’d take away my right to decide what I will and will not do with my own bodily organs. I don’t care how pretty she is…..

        • Vegas_Rick

          Don’t worry, she doesn’t want to protect your bodily organs. She just wants to prevent people from murdering the unborn.

          • zsmvf6

            The first female prime minister in Britain was a conservative.

          • redgrrl

            Give me a break – that’s a religious opinion and our founding fathers separated religion from government years ago, or maybe you don’t know that. If I wanted religion to dictate policies I’d move to Afgahnistan….
            If men gave birth, this is a law that would never be considered. McCain just lost any women who TRULY care about women’s rights by picking a religious right winger ready to fight against us.
            You know, I respect people’s individual rights to make their own choices, and I expect them to respect mine. Against abortion? Don’t have one.
            But creating laws banning them affects the individual economics of women across this country.
            The day I”m forced to give birth is the day I hope there’s a civil war in this country to protect my rights as a HUMAN BEING.
            Funny how we care more for a fetus that cannot live on it’s own than a real female life.

          • Vegas_Rick

            Murder is murder.

          • rstreu

            yup.

            And a human baby is… a cabbage?

          • Vegas_Rick

            Don’t get pregnant. The vast majority of abortions are for the convenience of the person who was irresponsible having sex.

          • aaronbg

            The day I”m forced to give birth is the day I hope there’s a civil war in this country to protect my rights as a HUMAN BEING. Funny how we care more for a fetus that cannot live on it’s own than a real female life.

            It is not just a Fetus…it is a HUMAN fetus…can’t be a dog fetus or any other type of animal…it has to be HUMAN.

            Maybe you didn’t realize that all fetus’ in women are also HUMAN.

            Oh and Separation of Church and State is not in the constitution.

          • redgrrl

            Wow, who taught you about sex? I’ve known many, many women who got pregnant using birth control – condoms and pills. Most of them actually chose to have their babies even though it meant huge financial sacrifice among other things (&sometimes divorce I might add when the papas didn’t want to be involved)….
            when you can give birth, maybe we’ll give you a vote on the issue.
            until then don’t tell me what to do and I won’t tell you what to do, how’s that?

  • ILLINOIS_CONSERV

    Declaration of Independence. It invokes and recognizes a higher power and also guarantees the right to LIFE, liberty, etc.

    • Vegas_Rick

      N/t

      • Jack_Savage

        The main point here is that the important choices come before conception, and shouldn’t come after conception.

        And when you say you knew “many” women who got pregnant while using birth control – how many? Something tells me you are full of it, because the statistics tell me something very different.

        • streiff

          1. as citizens we have a vote on this. Check your copy of the Constitution.

          2. killing babies because they are inconvenient is simply barbaric. While a very Euro utilitarian case might be made for offing those with deformities, no such argument can be made in the case of most abortions which involve healthy babies.

          3. getting pregnant is a foreseeable outcome of having sex. There is a surprisingly easy way to avoid this foreseeable outcome without relying on chemistry or mechanical devices.

          4. don’t lecture people on this subject when it seems like you are fairly unclear on the basic biological processes leading to abortion.

          5 and final. this is not an abortion thread. Stop the threadjack. Now.

          • redgrrl

            until then, let’s get back to the issue…
            my point is that if McCain hopes Palin helps him with women – he doesn’t – maybe with ultraconservative religious right, but that’s it.
            I’m Independent and have voted Republican in the past. I did not vote Bush and will not vote McCain/Palin…
            I used to like McCain btw – so I’m the kind of voter he should have been courting – not those who are in his back pocket. but he lost me with the Palin thing.
            She also is not ready to be president.

          • testcs

            I assume Palin doesn’t have any technology policy either.

          • redgrrl

            until then, let’s get back to the issue…
            my point is that if McCain hopes Palin helps him with women – it doesn’t – maybe with ultraconservative religious right, but that’s it.
            I’m Independent and have voted Republican in the past. I did not vote Bush and will not vote McCain/Palin…
            I used to like McCain btw – so I’m the kind of voter he should have been courting – not those who are in his back pocket. but he lost me with the Palin thing.
            She also is not ready to be president.

          • Jeff_Emanuel

            visiting AK National Guard soldiers there.

          • redgrrl

            I could say alot more on the facts of birth control and babies, as I counsel young women on these matters and am well certified on the subjects of sex and women’s rights as well as law.
            But as you said, that’s not the point. I merely offered the very valid opinion that if McCain cares about swingvotes he just missed one.
            but I see this is a misogynist list.
            I”m gone anyway – on my way out of town – I have more important things to do, like rallly the women voters. Later!

          • Jeff_Emanuel

            …Obama has decided to shift his own campaign strategy to attack Palin’s experience or lack thereof — thereby making this a win-win for McC.

          • streiff

            I guess we have to take that chance.

            Watch out for those storks or whatever you think causes babies.

          • olderthangandalf

            Obama’s not going to mount a sustained, winning attack based on who’s got more experience. At best, he neutralizes the issue, which is what I suspect these early attacks are trying to do.

            Once that plays out, the issue becomes who is right on the issues, and who can better fix all the things that are broken. McCain is thinking, I believe, that this pick bolsters his reformer, outsider cred, and better positions him for that debate.

          • aaronbg

            n/t

          • olderthangandalf

            You could fill volumes with what I don’t know. In fact, there are buildings chock full of volumes full of stuff I don’t know. They call them bookstores and libraries. From time to time, I visit these places to reduce my ignorance level, but I’m quite sure that I will never get to the stage where I know it all.

          • Jeff_Emanuel

            …how does this make Obama (“community organizer,” state sen who voted Present 100 times, 4-year Senator) look experienced again?

          • Menlo

            Give me a break – that’s a religious opinion and our founding fathers separated religion from government years ago, or maybe you don’t know that.

            Which is the religious opinion? The science that has defined the unborn as whole distinct living humans for over two centuries, or the notion that an innocent human should not be intentionally killed or tortured?

            Exactly where does it fail the Lemon test for establishment clause violation? Which one of Sandra Day O’Connor’s tests does it fail?

            You know, I respect people’s individual rights to make their own choices, and I expect them to respect mine.

            Oh really? What about my choice to have a 3.6 gpf toilet or a safe light bulb that is not made in China? What about my choice to eat as much as I want, and to keep my thermostat at 78 degrees? How about my choice to own a gun and use it when needed, to preach my faith in public, and to determine how I spend my money? What about my choice to own and operate a business without the burden of strict environmental standards that your religion teaches you may someday prevent the earth from blowing up? I could go on and on.

            Against abortion? Don’t have one.

            Against slavery? Don’t own one.

            But creating laws banning them affects the individual economics of women across this country.

            And your bans on oil drilling and other envioronmental restrictions don’t?

            Laws banning slavery didn’t?

            Not being able to steal from the bank (or from “Big Oil”) or to kill one’s 2 year old doesn’t?

            Creating laws banning 3.6 gpf toilets and mandating those poisonous Chinese-made light swirls and other “high efficiency” appliances (that not only do harm but don’t work) doesn’t?

            The day I”m forced to give birth is the day I hope there’s a civil war in this country to protect my rights as a HUMAN BEING.

            Well then you’d better hope for one now. People don’t force people to give birth any more than they force them to go to the bathroom. A woman’s body forces it on her. How about a civil war to protect the rights of the unborn as HUMAN BEINGS?

            Funny how we care more for a fetus that cannot live on it’s own than a real female life.

            You’d better check that high school biology book. The unborn is every bit as much a REAL human life, and roughly half of them are real female lives. The other half are real male lives, but they obviously don’t matter to you as much (unless they are the ones beheading the baby, stabbing the child to death, poisoning the child, and/or yanking the child’s limbs off).

            And just who says we care MORE about the child than the woman? If you weren’t coming from the left, you’d understand self-defense.

          • Menlo

            Who said McCain was out just to get women to vote for him? I’d hope he wants men and women to vote for him. While the notion may be hard to wrap your mind around, maybe he happened to think she was the best person available for the job under the current circumstances.

            Polls showed that selecting a pro-abortion VP would give McCain a net loss. The number less likely to elect him would exceed the number more likely. Among those who care enough to base their vote on it, the pro-life position is in a clear and sustained majority.
            I guess the left has yet to come to grips with that and the fact that women divide the same as men on the issue of protecting human life from its beginning.

          • ekevlar11

            Nice!

            Did you happen to mention that Obama wants to support the killing of babies AFTER THEY ARE BORN?

  • ekevlar11

    Couldn’t watch it on TV – any links out there. Nothing I’ve found so far.

    • ekevlar11

      Image starts out a little blurry in this view.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKByFPy7-RU