Republican Convention: Thursday I didn't see anything tonight because I ended up having to work a double shift, so I'll have to catch up on video. Here's the speech if you want to watch, from McCain. From what I read it's very moderate in tone and extends an open hand to moderates and those who want to work across the aisle.
The Republican Convention: Wednesday Today was all about Sarah Palin. It was one of the most anticipated nights, politically, in recent American history after 5 days of the most intense media scrutiny and criticism. I saw four speeches - Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Guliani, and Gov. Palin. It was a perfect set-up, because each one built on the previous, both in emotion and delivery as well as content. In the end, Palin won the night. In truth it wasn't very hard. Thanks to the press she's recieved one might've thought going into the evening that she was going to fall on her face in embarassment and crawl back to the Last Frontier with her tail between her legs. It was the proverbial bar set low, but so low that it was almost on the ground. That was the unintended consequence of all the Democratic attacks on her these past few days. So the bar was set low. But it didn't matter, because she hit it out of the park anyway. She was strong, poised, eloquent, funny, and bold. She introduced herself, told her story, talked about her experience and leadership, talked about her reformer reputation, praised John McCain, and went after Barack Obama with gustto. The eyes of the nation were watching, and she didn't waver. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and tonight Sarah pulled it off in spectacular fashion. To use a metaphor, tonight a new political star was born and regardless of the outcome of this election, Gov. Palin will be a familiar face on the national scene now for years to come.
[Just to note, her critics are calling it "shrill" (Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid) and "sarcastic" (Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and various CNN commentators). Jeffery Toobin on CNN also called it "smug" and "cutting." Decide for yourself.]
Mike Huckabee Exerpts: Huckabee was in classic form. Folksy, down to earth, humorous, and sharp. It was a great speech and I found myself remembering fondly how exciting it was to support him during the fall/winter campaign last year:
"Barack Obama's excellent adventure to Europe took his campaign for change to hundreds of thousands of people who don't even vote or pay taxes here. It's not what he took there that concerns me. It's what he brought back. Lots of ideas from Europe he'd like to see imported here. Centralized governments may care for you from cradle to grave, but they also control you. Most Americans don't want MORE government -- they want a lot less. Abraham Lincoln reminded us that a government that can do everything FOR us can also take everything FROM us...
The story he told at the close, about the school desks and how they were earned, was great. It's too long to quote, so you can watch the video or read it for yourself here.
Rudy Guliani Exerpts: Rudy's speech was pure red meat. He started strong and just kept going, and he absolutely savaged Obama's record and experience. Destroyed it. Dead on the floor. But he did it in a way that was not hateful and not mean - it was just truthful. Here are the facts about Obama and what he has done. And what he hasn't done. It was all in how he framed it, and it was a masterful framing:
"On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present." As Mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote "present." And you know, when you're President of the United States, you can't just vote "present." You must make decisions...
A few years later, he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won and has spent most of his time as a "celebrity senator." No leadership or major legislation to speak of. His rise is remarkable in its own right - it's the kind of thing that could happen only in America. But he's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business. He's never had to lead people in crisis. This is not a personal attack....it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything. Nothing. Nada...
And he will keep us on offense against terrorism at home and abroad. For 4 days in Denver and for the past 18 months Democrats have been afraid to use the words "Islamic Terrorism." During their convention, the Democrats rarely mentioned the attacks of September 11. They are in a state of denial about the threat that faces us now and in the future...
Senator McCain was the candidate most associated with the surge. And it was unpopular. What do you think most other candidates would have done in that situation? They would have acted in their own self-interest by changing their position. How many times have we seen Barack Obama do that? Obama was going to take public financing for his campaign, until he didn't. Obama was against wiretapping before he voted for it. When speaking to a pro-Israel group, Obama favored an undivided Jerusalem. Until the very next day when he changed his mind. I hope for his sake, Joe Biden got that VP thing in writing...
Sarah Palin Exerpts: You can't get the full effect without actually watching the video. It's one thing to have a great speech on paper. It's another to deliver. Some people can do it. Some can't. Men like Mitt Romney will never be able to truly give a great speech because they just don't have the timing, the nuance, and the overall natural delivery needed to do so. Sarah Palin has the delivery, and some of the lines below prove it. They're nice to read, but when she gave them live it was at a completely different effect. In short, much like her opponent Obama, she's a natural. On top of that, apparently she had telepromter problems, which makes the delivery all the more impressive:
"And as the mother of one of those troops, that is exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief. I'm just one of many moms who'll say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way. Our son Track is 19. And one week from tomorrow - September 11th - he'll deploy to Iraq with the Army infantry in the service of his country...
On Special Needs Kids: Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge. And children with special needs inspire a special love. To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters. I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House...
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown. And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves. I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," [Obama has listed in his experience that he was a community organizer] except that you have actual responsibilities. I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco...
On Reform: But we are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and ... a servant's heart. I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice president of the United States. This was the spirit that brought me to the governor's office, when I took on the old politics as usual in Juneau ... when I stood up to the special interests, the lobbyists, big oil companies, and the good-ol' boys network. Sudden and relentless reform never sits well with entrenched interests and power brokers. That's why true reform is so hard to achieve. But with the support of the citizens of Alaska, we shook things up. And in short order we put the government of our state back on the side of the people. I came to office promising major ethics reform, to end the culture of self-dealing. And today, that ethics reform is the law. While I was at it, I got rid of a few things in the governor's office that I didn't believe our citizens should have to pay for. That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on eBay. I also drive myself to work. And I thought we could muddle through without the governor's personal chef - although I've got to admit that sometimes my kids sure miss her. I came to office promising to control spending - by request if possible and by veto if necessary.
Senator McCain also promises to use the power of veto in defense of the public interest - and as a chief executive, I can assure you it works. Our state budget is under control. We have a surplus. And I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending: nearly half a billion dollars in vetoes. I suspended the state fuel tax, and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress "thanks, but no thanks," for that Bridge to Nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves. When oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, I sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska. And despite fierce opposition from oil company lobbyists, who kind of liked things the way they were, we broke their monopoly on power and resources. As governor, I insisted on competition and basic fairness to end their control of our state and return it to the people. I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history.
On Energy: With Russia wanting to control a vital pipeline in the Caucasus, and to divide and intimidate our European allies by using energy as a weapon, we cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers. To confront the threat that Iran might seek to cut off nearly a fifth of world energy supplies ... or that terrorists might strike again at the Abqaiq facility in Saudi Arabia ... or that Venezuela might shut off its oil deliveries ... we Americans need to produce more of our own oil and gas. And take it from a gal who knows the North Slope of Alaska: we've got lots of both. Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America's energy problems - as if we all didn't know that already. But the fact that drilling won't solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all...
But listening to him [Obama] speak, it's easy to forget that this is a man who has authored two memoirs but not a single major law or reform - not even in the state senate...
This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting, and never use the word "victory"except when he's talking about his own campaign. But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed ... when the roar of the crowd fades away ... when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent's plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he's done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger ... take more of your money ... give you more orders from Washington ... and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world. America needs more energy ... our opponent is against producing it. Victory in Iraq is finally in sight ... he wants to forfeit...
Terrorist states are seeking new-clear weapons without delay ... he wants to meet them without preconditions. Al Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America ... he's worried that someone won't read them their rights? Government is too big ... he wants to grow it. Congress spends too much ... he promises more. Taxes are too high ... he wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific. The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars...
In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change...
My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of "personal discovery." This world of threats and dangers is not just a community, and it doesn't just need an organizer...
My question is to the women out there. What did you think? What did you think when she was announced as the candidate? Did it change your view of the campaign at all? Does the fact that she is a women make your any more or less interested in the campaign and/or interested in the McCain candidacy? Does it matter at all that he picked a woman? I ask because, obviously, I can't see it from that perspective. I try to wonder myself how I would feel in the situation - the only comparison I can come up with is if an asian person were picked. I wouldn't care about that, though - but I'm notoriously un-racial in my view of the world. It's an exciting thing to see, at least from a purely political perspective. That a woman is on the Republican ticket, and to see her do so well, is a remarkable, historic, good thing for the party and for the conservative movement, and the way it is viewed in the world. It is, again, a sign of just how historic this election is, in both parties and for America on the whole.
CNBC's Chief Washington Correspondent: Media Bias Is Real John Harwood, CNBC's Chief Washington Corresondent admitted yesterday that a left-of-center bias in the media is real:
HARWOOD: Well, some of - I get what you're saying, and look, I think that people who talk about bias in the mainstream press, left of center bias, are not imagining things.
KERNAN: No.
HARWOOD: It has to do with the kind of people who go into journalism, okay? So I'm not arguing with that general notion. I think those of us in journalism have to do our best to try to present the most objective view we can of what we have -
John King on CNN tonight also stopped to make note of how differently his network was covering the RNC this week as compared to the DNC last week. The differences are subtle, but real, though to be fair it was much more severe on MSNBC (the channel I usually watch) and other networks than on CNN:
JON KING: To say the Right is running the Republican campaign -- if that means these people are the Right, then Carl's exactly right. But we didn't say, during the Democratic convention, the teachers' unions and the SEIU and the AFL-CIO -- are they running the Obama campaign? And all those delegates down on the floor -- you know, many of them were members of the Left...
ANDERSON COOPER: I will also say I didn't hear people talking about who was the speech writer for any of the Democrats' speeches.
GLORIA BORGER: Right.
COOPER: It seem we're only highlighting who the speech writer is for her [Palin's] speech.
Sarah Palin & the Tabloids So the tabloids have jumped all over Palin and her daughter this week. Including US Weekly, which did a cover story entitled "Babies, Lies, and Scandals." What would you think if you saw that in the grocery line? In the video below, Fox News' Megyn Kelly takes to task the editor of the magazine over the dishonest presentation. One thing that most US Weekly readers might not know: the magazine is published by Jann Wenner, who is also the founder of Rolling Stone (which ran a huge endorsement of Obama earlier this year) and is a big-time contributor to Obama's campaign. Now it makes sense. Not that I read US Weekly anway. I read Entertainment Weekly.
Obama: I Support Drivers Licenses For Illegal Immigrants Guised in double-speak, Obama supports giving drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. I wonder if this will come up in the debates, because no one has pressed him on it since last fall and it's a huge issue and a glaringly dangerous hole in his national security views.
John McCain tommorow night. Now excuse me while I go start the new Ted Dekker book.
EDIT ADD: Peggy Noonan on Palin: The Left has to kill her, and kill her quick This is an absolutely phenomenal column the the typically eloquant Noonan on why the selection of Sarah Palin is so earth-shattering to today's political scene. It's because her mere presence, based upon who she is and what she has and has not done, disrupts all of the typical catetories and battle lines. She's a demographic-buster. Here's a taste, but you must read if for yourself if you want to truly understand why these past few days have been so turbulent and politically violent, even by modern standards:
... Because she jumbles up so many cultural categories, because she is a feminist not in the Yale Gender Studies sense but the How Do I Reload This Thang way, because she is a woman who in style, history, moxie and femininity is exactly like a normal American feminist and not an Abstract Theory feminist; because she wears makeup and heels and eats mooseburgers and is Alaska Tough, as Time magazine put it; because she is conservative, and pro-2nd Amendment and pro-life; and because conservatives can smell this sort of thing -- who is really one of them and who is not -- and will fight to the death for one of their beleaguered own; because of all of this she is a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy.
She could become a transformative political presence.
So they are going to have to kill her, and kill her quick.
And it's going to be brutal. It's already getting there....
I'll tell you how powerful Mrs. Palin already is: she reignited the culture wars just by showing up. She scrambled the battle lines, too. The crustiest old Republican men are shouting "Sexism!" when she's slammed. Pro-woman Democrats are saying she must be a bad mother to be all ambitious with kids in the house. Great respect goes to Barack Obama not only for saying criticism of candidates' children is out of bounds in political campaigns, but for making it personal, and therefore believable. "My mother had me when she was eighteen…" That was the lovely sound of class in American politics...
And when you forget you're a Bubblehead you get in trouble, you misjudge things. For one thing, you assume evangelical Christians will be appalled and left agitated by the circumstances of Mrs. Palin's daughter. But modern American evangelicals are among the last people who'd judge her harshly. It is the left that is about to go crazy with Puritan judgments; it is the right that is about to show what mellow looks like. Religious conservatives know something's wrong with us, that man's a mess. They are not left dazed by the latest applications of this fact. "This just in – there's a lot of sinning going on out there" is not a headline they'd understand to be news.
So the media's going to wait for the Christian right to rise up and condemn Mrs. Palin, and they're not going to do it because it's not their way, and in any case her problems are their problems. Christians lived through the second half of the 20th century, and the first years of the 21st. They weren't immune from the culture, they just eventually broke from it, or came to hold themselves in some ways apart from it. I think the media will explain the lack of condemnation as "Republican loyalty" and "talking points." But that's not what it will be...
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Republican Convention: Tuesday Strong opening night. The tribute to George H.W. Bush was moving and well-deserved. Fred Thompson gave a fantastic speech, and Joe Lieberman's presence was a remarkable statement. The fact that the man who was previously the nominee for Vice President in the other party was now standing here, endorsing the current nominee of this party, was literally an historic moment. President Bush gave a short address by video, and the First Lady was as classy as ever.
Thompson's speech was meat and potatoes all the way. If you only view one video from last night, Thompson's speech is the one to watch. He dove into McCain's biography in ways I'd never heard before - it was riveting to hear about the conditions and torture that McCain endured while being a POW. He had a lot of other memorable lines as well:
- The respect he is given around the world is not because of a teleprompter speech designed to appeal to American critics abroad, but because of decades of clearly demonstrated character and statesmanship.
- History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it's the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation's history. Together, they would take on these urgent challenges with protectionism, higher taxes and an even bigger bureaucracy. And a Supreme Court that could be lost to liberalism for a generation. This is not reform. And it's certainly not change.
- Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases. They tell you they are not going to tax your family. No, they're just going to tax "businesses"! So unless you buy something from a "business", like groceries or clothes or gasoline ... or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small "business", don't worry ... it's not going to affect you. They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the "other" side of the bucket! That's their idea of tax reform.
Joe Lieberman extolled the virtues of McCain's career as a true change agent in Congress in ways that perhaps no one else could possibly do. The praise and endorsement that he gave McCain, though given in a typically modest Lieberman tone, was profoundly effective when you consider who it was coming from and the position he holds.
- I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American. Both presidential candidates this year talk about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and special interests that are poisoning our politics. But only one of them has actually done it.
- What you can expect from John McCain as President is precisely what he has done this week: which is to put country first. That is the code by which he has lived his entire life, and that is the code he will carry with him into the White House. I have personally seen John, over and over again, bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face --to reform our campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws, to create the 9/11 Commission and pass its critical national security reforms, and to end the partisan paralysis over judicial confirmations. My Democratic friends know all about John's record of independence and accomplishment. Maybe that's why some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince voters that John McCain is someone else.
On a side note, I never knew why John McCain could not raise his arms above his shoulders - I did not know it was as a result of the torture he endured. The torture he endured during his time as a POW, where he refused an early release so he could stay with his men. So remarkable. As Thompson said, "Now, being a POW certainly doesn't qualify anyone to be President. But it does reveal character."
It was a stellar first night. Wednesday brings Guliani and Palin, which is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated speeches our our time. With the press she's getting she's got a big mountain to climb now. She did fine last Friday, but this stage is a lot bigger so how she handles the pressure will tell us a lot about the coming two months.
Sarah Palin: The First Three Days It's been an incredible three days since John McCain named Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin, to be his Vice Presidential choice. Her selection energized the conservative base of the party, tantilized many Hillary supporters (who are bitter about their treatment from the Obama camp), and seemingly neutralized Obama's post-Convention bounce. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, her choice also seems to have thrown Democratic activists and party officials for a loop. They were expecting a typical "white guy" selection and had their responses all ready to go, were it a Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, or someone else of that sort. But Sarah Palin? Sure, those of us who are conservatives and really into politics knew who she was. To me Palin was, along with Bobby Jindal, a bright and shining future star of the conservative movement. But I didn't think either of them had a chance of being selected as McCain's veep this year, for the simple fact that both were still relatively young. But he picked Palin anyway. And the response has been astonishing.
Let me preface all of this by reminding you of the central tenant of of Obama's campaign: change we can believe in. He stands for hope. He stands for a new kind of governing, and eschewing politics as usual. His supporters are supposedly sick of the typical political games in Washington and want to see bi-partisanship and no more dirty political games. Got that?
Now let's take a look at the pure and utter crap being thrown at Palin since her selection.
DailyKos accused Palin of faking her pregnancy to cover up the actual pregnancy of her teenage daughter; they claim that her fifth child, who was born with Down Syndrome, is not hers. This "story" quickly spread across the internet, in spite of the fact that there was not an ounce of truth to it. They based it upon a photo of her daughter, Bristol where she supposedly looked pregnant and this idea that Palin herself never looked pregnant. No one bothered to actually check the date of the Bristol photo, which was actually taken two years ago. Nor did they verify the fact that Palin's pregnancy was widely known in Alaska - plus to cover up something like that while you're the governor of a state is just beyond insane. Click this link from Redstate to see a breakdown of the pictures in question, plus a picture of Palin while she was pregnant. Then read this link to see how this Palin "story" demonstrates the blatant media double standards in place, as compared to the John Edwards love child story. Finally, here are some quotes from Kos readers who, naturally, automatically assumed that Palin was lying and covering it all up in a grand right-wing conspiracy:
enough already: Screw 'em all! It's time we started fighting back. We always show up at gun fights with knives. Knock Palin's teeth out on this one. No backing down, no mercy.
marylanddem: I think this IS a an important issue. And commend Daily Kos for focusing on it. *uck Sarah Palin if she's the lying hypocrite she appears to be, the sooner this sh*t hits the fan the better.
progressivebydesign: How can she be the arbiter of all things HOLY and PURE if her daughter gets knocked up?? How would that play in Palin's little circle of believers? Guess that shoots her 'abstinence only' stance, doesn't it?
scarface2004: *uck that right wing piece of sh*t..if it belonged to her daughter and she covered it up to avoid embarrasment then *uck that piece of sh*t! republicans have asked for this...and now they are gonna get it. this is DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND g*ddammit, not mr rogers neighborhood!! its time to *uck them over with every rumor speculation bald faced lie whatever. reap what you sow *ssholes!!
No comments on those are necessary. And there are literally hundreds and hundreds more where those came from if you want to read it. Which brings us to the next point:
Bristol Palin actually is pregnant. She's now five months pregnant. Sarh Palin had her last child, Trig, four and a half months ago. But that doesn't stop the conspiracy folks from still wanting to believe that Palin's lying about Trig. Andrew Sullivan, who is completely in the tank for Obama these days, still says he won't believe it until he sees Palin's medical records! Dude. Do the math.
The Bristol pregnancy is interesting for a few reasons. One, she's beening attacked, poked, prodded, and mocked by people who supposedly believed that it was wrong to go after the children of candidates. Here's a nice one from the liberal blog, Crooks & Liars:
My theory: Bristol Palin is not pregnent. She is still chubby from her first baby Trig. Bristol is the mother of Trig, kept it secret by being out of school for several months with a coverup story of “mono”. Governor Palin orchestrated a elaborate ruse to make it appear she was pregnant, even wearing a pregnancy suit the last month. Staffers were shocked when she announced her pregnancy.
Bristol went into labor and sent Mom the message, Gov. Palin was in Tex at an oil conference at the time and flew home , while she was in labor, which is very unusual, especially with a high risk pregnancy.(give me a break a mother of a down syndrome baby would have never flown from alaska to texas in her last month of pregnancy.) Gov Palin got home in time to deceive us into thinking she gave birth to Trig, but in truth it was Bristol who gave birth to Trig.
Now to avoid the truth, they are saying Bristol is pregant now….I bet she is not and we will hear she had a miscarriage or something like that. If she does have the baby, I apologize and wish them well, but if not I will never trust Palin. I will not vote for her either way, this proves her lack of leadership skills.
Uh huh. It's also all over the mainstream news - MSNBC had it at the top of their front page as a story link all day long, for instance. So much for leaving the children alone, I guess. To his credit, Obama came out with a statement saying that the kids should indeed be left alone. But that did little to slow down the gleeful speculation and mocking of the girl in the leftist blogosphere.
The second reason why this story is intriguing to me is how it's being used to bash Palin's own beliefs and abstinence education. Going back to one of the comments above, you read "Guess that shoots her 'abstinence only' stance, doesn't it?" and that pretty much sums up the general sentiment that you're getting not only from the liberal blogs but also many Democrats on TV.
So let me get this straight. Palin is a hypocrite for supporting abstinence education, and abstinence education obviously doesn't work, because her daughter got pregnant? Give me a break.
Following this line of logical "thinking," we should never teach children to say no to drugs, we should not teach kids not to steal, we should not tell kids not to lie, we should never tell kids not to drink and drive... need I go on? A teenager drove drunk - better disband MADD and SADD because obviously they don't work! Hypocritical MADD mothers! The idea that you can't teach a child morals and ethics to live by because in the end they don't always live up to those standards 100% is ridiculous. You teach them those things because they're the right thing to do. You teach your children to make right choices because of the rightness of those choices, not because you have a guarantee that your child will then always live by those lessons. There is such a thing as right, and there is such a thing as wrong. This is why the sex-ed-condomns-Planned-Parenthood crowd annoys me so much. The idea that abstinence is stupid to teach, simply because some kids still have sex, has to be the most brain-dead mantra I've heard.
Bristol made a mistake. She's going to live with the consequences of that mistake for the rest of her life, but with the support of her family she'll do fine. Credit the Palin's for living their pro-life beliefs, even when it might be embarassing for them in the public eye. Not only is Bristol keeing her child, but Sarah brought Trig to term knowing he had Down Syndrome. That's a remarkable, brave, beautiful choice, and it shows the kind of values and love that are obviously central to her person. Which brings me to my next point, which is a brief one:
Sarah Palin vs Barack Obama on teen pregnancy in the family We just saw how the Palin family is handling the pregnancy of one of their teen daughters. Anyone remember what Obama said about the idea of one of his daughters becoming pregnant?
“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” he said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby."
To me, there is a clear contrast between the worldview and value system that I have (and apparently the Palin family shares) and that Obama has, when it comes to babies and pregnancy. I can see that a teen pregnancy would be a big mistake, and a hard thing for a family to have happen to them. But those kinds of choices don't give you the right to not be responsible for the result. Regardless of how a baby is conceived, it is never "punishment." It's a baby. It's an innocent life, and we do not have the right to destroy that life just because it inconveniences us.
Side Note: Sarah Palin's Son, Trig Christianity Today had a wonderful article on Sarah's pregnancy and how her choice to have Trig is such a remarkable one. Apparently 85% of parents who are diagnosed with a Down Syndrome child end up aborting that baby. This, in spite of the fact that:
What is peculiar about Down Syndrome as a reason for termination is that, plainly put, you rarely meet a Down Syndrome “sufferer” who is notably unhappy. The condition has a range of manifestations, some more disabling than others, but many, many persons with Down Syndrome thrive as children and adults, even if they may not have the same range of capabilities as you or I do.
CT thinks that the Palins are the first public figure family to have made this choice that they can think of, and hope that their decision will cause many other families to re-consider in the future: "For this reason, which utterly transcends politics and this year’s election, the sudden prominence of the Palins is, in the deepest sense, an extraordinary act of public service."
The Media: Palin Is Unqualfied I am almost in awe of how ridiculous this next point is. Practically the entire mainstream media world has all of a sudden decided to wonder if Palin is qualified to be Vice President, because she is "inexperienced." These are the same people, mind you, who refuse to wonder if Barack Obama is qualified to become Vice Pres... no, wait, the actual President, regardless of his actual experience. The San Jose Mercury News is a grand example (though a simple Google news search will give you a hundred others) of this hilarious phenomenon. Not only do they say that Palin is "clearly unqualified," they they re-define what qualifies someone - so they can protect their Obama-love - by saying that Obama is qualified because: "In the Senate, in organizing a stunningly successful national campaign and through 18 months of hard campaigning for the nomination." Did you catch that? Campaigning for President for 18 hard months makes you qualified to actually be the President! Can you possibly be any more in the tank for a man than this? Let's be truthful. Obama is a first term Senator. Palin is a first term governor. Obama is running for President. Palin for Vice President. Experience is an issue, for both parties. How much, we get to decide. But you can't be in the tank like Campbell Brown of CNN and blatantly hold both to a double standard.
It's all an attempt to define her in the minds of the American public before she has a chance to do it herself.
Feminists Reject Palin One of the things that has been interesting for me to watch is how many outspoken feminists have rejected Palin right out of the box. NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd, for instance, had this to say:
“The P.T.A. is great preparation for dealing with the K.G.B.,” President Palin murmurs to Todd, as they kiss in the final scene while she changes Trig’s diaper. “Now that Georgia’s safe, how ’bout I cook you up some caribou hot dogs and moose stew for dinner, babe?”
Remember, Palin is the sitting governor of Alaska. That obviously meant nothing to Dowd, who demeans her in a manner worthy of the most ignorant male chauvinist.
This is the perfect example of why I reject supporting feminism. I'm all for equal rights for women, but true feminism, at its core, goes well beyond that. A true feminist, as Dowd just demonstrated, has no problem slandering another successful woman if that woman does not share her liberal worldview. Because true feminism is not about women - it's about the liberalization of the role of women. Feminists only support their specific idea of what a woman should stand for. If you have a different value system you don't count. So women like Condi Rice are not given the support of the feminist movement. Sarah Palin is rejected out of hand, because she is pro-life. A hardcore feminist wants to see the glass ceiling shattered - but only by a woman who embraces a liberal system of values. Palin need not apply. She can stick to changing Trig's diapers, apparently.
A real supporter of equality for women would be outraged at the treatment that Palin has recieved since her selection, and equally outraged at how quickly her career accomplishments have been tossed aside as if they mean absolutely nothing.
Conclusions Now I'm not trying to imply that it's unfair to criticize Sarah Palin. Of course it's fair to criticize her, and to examine her qualifications for the office of Vice President. It should be done, and it would be irresponsible of her opponents not to. But look at all of the above. Look at the sheer, unadulterated disgust and bile that is being thrown her way over things that have nothing to do with her actual qualifications. The name calling, the lampooning, the double standards, the absolute bold faced lies. And this was all in just the first three days!
And then remember what Obama supporters are supposedly rallying around Obama for.
This is Hope? This is Change We Can Believe In? This is moving away from the politics as usual and the politics of personal destruction?
This entire Palin weekend has been extremely revealing. The liberal establishment was taken off guard so badly that they were unable to respond in an organized, systematic manner. In the end, something true was revealed about them. They don't really stand for Change We Can Believe In. They just want change for the sake of re-gaining power. And that is fine - that's how the political game is played. But quit pretending otherwise. Quit holding up this mantle of superiority and pretending that "swift-boating" is something only those dirty Republicans stoop to.
Palin Will Be Fine I won't cry for Palin, though. She's tough. She's a true Alaskan. She's also genuine, down to earth, and principled, which is why she'll make it through the mudslinging without being too damaged. In the coming weeks, America will get to know Sarah Palin. She'll speak at this week's Republican Convention. We'll see her more on TV, read more articles about her, and then see her in the VP debate. I believe she's a solid candidate but she'll have to prove that to America between now and election day. Her record and her performance should be judged fairly and the American voters will decide. Hopefully, though, they won't be taking their criteria from the Democratic reactions of the past three days.
Fall TV Update The new 90210 starts today (Tuesday) on the CW. I'm going to watch. How can I not, since I spent my high school years in the same class as Brandon and Brenda? It's one of two new shows I'm going to be watching, the other being J.J. Abrams' Fringe.
Sarah Palin and Bobby Jindal were the two darkhorse, outsider picks that were the new blood of the GOP. I didn't think McCain would pick Palin, even though I really liked so much about her. I had small hopes, but didn't think she had a realistic chance. I thought McCain would play it safe and pick Romney or Pawlenty. Instead he goes for the jugular. He makes the bold choice. He picks Palin. While Pawlenty would've been a "do no harm" pick, it wouldn't have have been very buzz-worthy. Palin sends the buzz through the roof. And she has the potential to completely change the electoral demographic map, but more on that point later.
Palin is a reformer governor from a state (Alaska) that is at the fore of the energy situation. She governs two states that border foreign countries, including Russia. She's got rock solid conservative credentials. She's a mother with a strong personal story (she has five children, one with down syndrome). She's no-nonsense, a reformer, and anti-corruption, which fits perfectly into the McCain mold. Get to know her a bit more here.
It's a choice that comes with some risks. But I love it. McCain/Palin 2008!!
(Side personal note: she was Miss Wasilla in 1984 and
competed in the Miss Alaska contest. In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality. She was the point guard for the Wasilla High School Warriors when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship, in 1982. Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996 and became a two-term mayor and city manager of Wasilla. I used to live in Wasilla, and lived there while she was Miss Wasilla, apparently. She went to the high school that my mom worked at. Personal connection! Go Wasilla! Cool.)
EDIT ADD: It appears that this announcement took the Democrats by surprise, as they are totally unprepared with how to respond effectively. The first response from Obama's spokesman ridiculed her small town background, though he has since retreated from that. The media has been abuzz with various Democrats criticizing her lack of experience - the height of irony, people! - and one Democratic strategist actually had the nerve to call her an "affirmative-action" pick. Could you possibly be more insulting to a female sitting governor than that? But this is the worst. A DailyKos blogger is now floating a rumor that her last child - which she knew had Down Syndrome but she chose to keep anyway - is not her baby, but her daughter's baby and Palin is covering up the lie, since she never "looked pregnant." Outrageous, despicable, and filthy - and a really obvious sign that they don't know how to respond effectively to her pick so they're getting desperate, and dirty. It's disgusting, and it's slanderous as well. I think the fact that Palin chose to have her child, knowing that it had Down Syndrome, is a remarkable, beautiful choice that speaks volumes to her character and values. For liberal bloggers to attempt to do what they're doing here - and even put a poll up on their site as to whether or not they should pursue the story further - is, well, the story speaks for itself. That goes well beyond the boundaries of political debate.
I agree. This is an historic night for America. It's ironic that so many people still see nothing but a racist nation when the look at the US, yet at the same time we are in the midst of an influx of African-Americans in high positions of leadership in politics. Colin Powell. Condi Rice. Many others in the House and in the Senate. And now Barack Obama will officially become the presidential nominee of one of the major parties of our country. It says something good about the US. Only a few generations ago, blacks were still segregated. Blacks who tried to vote were often lynched. "Separate but equal," it was said. And now, just a few decades later, a black man is a finalist to assume the presidency. Truly remarkable, and truly historic.
I will not vote for him. But my lack of support has nothing to do with his race. In fact, in some ways my not giving him my vote is a perfect example of how far this nation has come. Because here he is, running for the presidency, and my support or non-support for his candidacy has absolutely nothing to do with his race. I choose to support him or not support him based solely upon his qualifications for the office, or lack thereof. And isn't that, when it all comes down to it, the culmination of Martin Luther King Jr's great dream? A color blind nation. A color blind electorate. A color blind choice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
So congratulations, Barack Obama. You've come a long way to make it here today. Our nation has come a long way. And while I do not want to see you actually win this race, I am glad that you have been able to run it, and I'm glad, in the end, that this day for America has come.
My theory: Bristol Palin is not pregnent. She is still chubby from her first baby Trig. Bristol is the mother of Trig, kept it secret by being out of school for several months with a coverup story of “mono”. Governor Palin orchestrated a elaborate ruse to make it appear she was pregnant, even wearing a pregnancy suit the last month. Staffers were shocked when she announced her pregnancy.
Bristol went into labor and sent Mom the message, Gov. Palin was in Tex at an oil conference at the time and flew home , while she was in labor, which is very unusual, especially with a high risk pregnancy.(give me a break a mother of a down syndrome baby would have never flown from alaska to texas in her last month of pregnancy.) Gov Palin got home in time to deceive us into thinking she gave birth to Trig, but in truth it was Bristol who gave birth to Trig.
Now to avoid the truth, they are saying Bristol is pregant now….I bet she is not and we will hear she had a miscarriage or something like that. If she does have the baby, I apologize and wish them well, but if not I will never trust Palin. I will not vote for her either way, this proves her lack of leadership skills.