Palin? Ah, isn't she under a cloud of suspicion for favoritism?

[TayTay]

But now Palin is also caught up in a probe of her official conduct that probably nixes whatever long-shot chance she had to be on the McCain ticket. After all, she's only been a governor for two years.

Questions have arisen over whether Palin used her office to try and fire her ex brother-in-law from a state trooper's position. Palin asserts the charge is untrue but the Alaska Senate this week approved the hiring of an independent investigator to look into the charges.

Palin can take comfort in not having been implicated in the federal corruption investigation that has led to the indictment and conviction of some Alaskan politicians, like Sen. Ted Stevens who was indicted earlier this week.

Indeed, Palin made her reputation in Alaska by combating ethically challenged colleagues which didn't make her popular with her colleagues but did lead to the resignation of an Alaskan attorney general whose conflict-of-interest problems she helped to spotlight.

But having an Alaskan on the ticket would likely bring constant attention to the state's corruption problems which, since the state is Republican run, don't help the GOP brand.

Palin has another problem. After Alaska's public-safety commissioner Walt Monegan was fired (Monegan has said he felt pressure to dropkick the trooper) Palin replaced him with the former police chief of the city of Kenai. But he quit after it became known that he received a reprimand after sexual harassment allegations were filed against him in his former post.

At the very least, that incident raises some questions about Palin as a chief executive and might take some of the thrill away for some women who might otherwise be excited about seeing her on the ticket.

-- from http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/07/mccainpalin_ticket_hits_iceber.html

Weird friggin choice. The Republicans are going after the alleged Hillary/Puma vote, which is tiny, and are throwing the whole "maverick" thing away. This re-introduces corruption into the game in a big way.

[karynnj]

1. Wow

Either no one else is willing to run with him or he has no idea how bad this looks. The real problem is that these accusations are easily understood and really an obnoxious abuse of power. Not to mention isn't most of the rest of the Alaska Republican party under indictment or at least suspicion. This isn't even a Dan Quayle level pick.

As to the PUMA thing, I don't recall a huge shift of Republican voters to Mondale after he picked Ferraro. I do think someone like Olympia Snowe could have been a threat because she is genuinely accomplished and seems very nice. That would also work with the "Senator" McCain version of McCain - and emphasize the maverick.

[sandnsea]

2. Ah, I read the trooper "beat his wife"

But here's the thing, we have to remember we're dealing with a bunch of right wing men. If there's no proof of the wife beating, then they'll see Palin as using her authority to harrass men.

I think the choice comes form taking the PUMA shit way too seriously. But he also may be looking at peeling away just enough in those tight states to give him the win. I think we should think of it like Mondale/Ferraro. It isn't a first, it isn't inspired, a woman VP candidate is way old news.

[ProSense]

3. It's perfect. And there's more

creationism.

This is good because McCain obviously chose Palin to appeal to wingnuts. He's going after the base, which will limit his appeal to moderates and independents. That's a sign he's desperate.

This is a good issue to use to back McCain up against a wall. Get him to clarify his views on creationism.

[karynnj]

4. The strange thing is that if that is his goal,

the most RW, socially conservative of the evangelical people will not accept a woman, as some have rigid ideas of their roles.

[sandnsea]

7. Exactly

She won't appeal to the educated Republican woman because of abortion and creationism, and the insult of the choice. And she won't appeal to the religious because of that baby. This won't work if the info gets out there.

[sandnsea]

6. Creationism and anti-choice

If they think the women who were voting for Hillary are going to vote for Palin once they find out what a fundy she is - boy are they wrong. That's what we have to exploit. Then let the church ladies tsk tsk tsk about that newborn baby on their own.

[beachmom]

5. I just watched a video of her featured in this diary:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/29/11757/7150/175/578516

I'm a pretty big news junkie, but I have never even heard of her. So I watched the video more in terms of style than substance (which is plenty good: she had to answer corruption charges AND she dissed the job of the Veep). What struck me is that she said the word "cool" twice. I am a voter that actually likes "elites", meaning people who talk intelligently. I guess I am the opposite of the "anti-elitist" voter. If somebody talks stupidly, I am immediately turned off. Her speaking style turned me off big time.

She is also a right winger for creationism, she strikes me as a church lady type. She also has an infant child who has Downs Syndrome who was born in April. This year. Apparently, this is supposedly going to invite fawning over her dedication as a mother, that she would raise a Downs baby. Except, starting now, she will be working all the time (we are not talking working vs. staying home -- we are talking a job that Kerry, who is an extraordinary athlete, said was the most physically challenging experience of his life. You get no sleep. You have no life.). To me, a nanny will be raising the child. Is she breastfeeding still? The baby is teeny tiny. The more I think about it, the more turned off I am. And given what I have said about Elizabeth Edwards's choices, I think I am being very consistent as to my feelings. I wonder if other SAHMs, more conservative than me, will also think this.

Finally, energy policy. Candidate McCain has now completed his break from Senator McCain. She supports drilling in ANWR.

[Mass]

9. I am very feminist and think mothers should be working if they want, but I am also the mother of a

kid that has had developmental disabilities and the fact that

She also has an infant child who has Downs Syndrome who was born in April.

Those are the years where kids with developmental disabilities needs their parents so much and she intends to spend them as vice-president??? I guess that is what the Republicans call family values.

[beachmom]

10. Exactly. I also think women should work if that is what they want.

The Mommy Wars do not interest me. But we've got two factors that are a big deal: a special needs baby who is not even 6 months and a job that will take over nearly 100% of her life.

[Inuca]

13. I have no children and know nothing about raising them

so maybe I should just shut up, but I was shocked to see the infant at the rally yesterday, carried by I assume one of her daughters. Should such a young baby, even if he did not have any problems, be brought into such a large and noisy crowd? And (maybe a completely silly question) can a baby stay asleep naturally through such an experience?

[beachmom]

14. Well, I didn't have a problem with that as a one off.

Babies can sleep through noisy situations, as they tune out more when they are super little. I'm sure it was a long trip for the baby, but again, it was a special occasion that can be done once. My issue is what happens when the mother starts the grueling campaign. She is stuck between a rock and a hard place: leave the baby in Alaska, which means never seeing him, or bringing the baby with her which would mean exposing him to a ton of viruses (see Alexandra Kerry's book on how everyone is sick during these campaigns and that all the flus and cold viruses are passed on to everyone), and even then, she would need a caregiver who would do most of the caring for the baby, because she will be too busy campaigning, talking to the press, meeting voters, discussing strategy, preparing for debates, and so on.

I know a lot of feminists don't like discussing this, but honestly, Ms. Palin put it on the table when she described herself as a "hockey mom", that family was so important to her. Well, you can't make up that first year of a baby's life. When it's gone, you don't get it back. I hope they set up a situation like the Obamas: leave the baby in Alaska under the care of a grandparent. That to me is the best solution. Again, though, I realize these "Mommy wars" are pretty volatile, so I don't plan on arguing this point much anymore. But I bring this up as a voter, not a blogger. Running for VP when you have a special needs infant not even 6 months old is something I cannot relate to at all.

[Mass]

8. I guess that now, they will have to stop the inexperience issue?

She has been the mayor of a 9000 people town and a 2 year governor of a small (in population) state and McCain thinks she can be at a heartbeat of the White House.

[JI7]

11. horrible choice and an insult to Hillary supporters

the biggest reason Hillary supporters including her women supporters gave for supporting her over Obama was her experience and everything else she had done throughout the years. they viewed Obama as the new guy. one reason many women strongly supported her and were angry at Obama was because they felt she had given years and this new guy comes in and is put ahead of her. they viewed it as something that often happened in the work place. many of us may have disagreed with their views about Hillary vs OBama, but most of us would agree their support for her had far more to do than with her just being a woman.

i feel much better of our chances in November now. If McCain wasn't as old as he is it might not have been as big an issue but people will think strongly about the possiblity of Palin being President. she has 2 months. Obama had over a year to convince those who supported him that he was qualified and even then it was tough, but he did it. the Biden as VP pick was a great help also.

[beachmom]

12. Okay, everybody go saunter over to Andrew Sullivan's blog

at theatlantic.com. Holy crow. He said this says everything about McCain's bad judgment. That this decision was reckless and rash. It ends up that poor Sarah has not had a single deep thought on Iraq. She is as informed on the issue as someone you grab "off the subway". Oh, and she hates polar bears!

My suggestion to Senator Kerry is to compliment Ms. Palin on her achievement but then talk about these glaring problems all framed in terms of McCain's bad judgment.

And then there is this e-mail Sully received:

No sooner did my best friend hear about the Sarah Palin pick than I received an e-mail from her. It said simply: "Sarah Palin is a Bad Mother!"

I was at work but could not resist giving her a call to follow up. She told me that she was watching CNN and heard that Ms. Palin had 5 children and that one was only 4 months old and born with Down Syndrome. "How in the name of GOD, can she even think about leaving her child or taking her child on the campaign trail for 70 days?" She was indignant.

Let me tell you why My best friend Liz matters. She is 37 years old and Catholic.

She has three children under the age of 9 years old. She lives in Reston, VA (the suburbs of D.C.). She is a registered Independent and has voted both Democratic and Republican. She is a stay at home mother and was a RABID Hillary Clinton supporter. She was considering staying home instead of voting this November. I had been trying to convince her of the FOLLY of this stance. Anyway...

I guess that McCain feels that Liz is just the demographic that he could poach with the selection of Palin. Instead, Liz tells me that there is "no way that those two people (McCain/Palin) should be in charge of her kids' future." Today she decided to vote for Barack.

Watch the "soccer Mom" demographic. Ah, I'm telling you that this is a problem. And it is a problem that will not be mentioned on TV probably, but it will be discussed at kitchen tables across the country.

And for comparison's sake, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro waited until their kids were older for the big time.

[karynnj]

15. I agree with you that this can become an issue

The first comment my husband made to me on the selection was that a non-political female co-worker immediately commented on the baby and thought it was wrong. (my husband gave her links to Obama's, Hilary Clinton's and kerry's speeches that I sent him) I hope that no big name Democrat touches this - as it could create a backlash. From your reaction and the co-worker's, it will happen and it will happen most to the group that McCain wanted to appeal to.

The other thing watching the videos of her, I have a huge problem with a leader that age sounding like a high school cheerleader. How anyone could not be put off by that - but dislike a MA accent is beyond me.

[Inuca]

16. Just had a glimpse

of McCain and Palin, 1 or 2 second clip of the two of them in a hand shaking session yesterday. She had the baby in her arms. They are using they poor kid as a prop!

[MBS]

17. Cindy McCain on Palin's foreign policy experience : )

Oh, wow, this is great. (or as they apparently say in Alaska, according to Cindy, Eta preekrahsna! )Enjoy :popcorn: :)

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/the-national-se.html

[Island Blue]

18. Oh. My. God.

I have apparently misunderestimated Sarah Palin. She lives in a state where very few people live, that is kinda, sorta close to a part of Russia where very few people live, therefore she is a freakin' foreign policy GENIUS! How could I have been so wrong about her?

Thanks for setting me straight, Cindy. :rofl: