Minneapolis, we have a problem…

I hope you have your Kevlar and Asbestos suit on Tony.

I haven't agreed much with Tony lately, but I think he's right on almost every point here. The only upside is that it should take Alaska out of the (barely) possible Obama pick-up category.

This article personifies the fairyland thinking that Obamabots engage in on a daily basis; illustrating a mindset utterly devoid of strategical thinking.

McCain's choice of Sarah Palin was a good one. McCain knows that people think with their guts first and foremost and leave liberalistic minute dissection to people with more time on their hands..

Here's how Palin will appeal to the MAJORITY of undecided voters:

1. She will rope in MILLIONS of former Clinton supporters by gut-virtue of the fact that simply: she is a woman. That's how they think, not how I think..

2. She will rope in working-class states needed for the win. Her husband is a commercial Alaskan fisherman..one of the most successful TV shows today is the reality show on crab fishing in Alaska. Their grit and bravado is unequalled. This will appeal heartily to working class Joes and Janes who see risking their lives for their job as highly admirable.

3. She will appeal to any republicans who formerly had thoughts of straying away from the GOP. Instantly she will galvanize them back from her pro-life stance.

(are we keeping track so far? McCain/Palin will rope in virtually all republicans now...that's ALL of them folks...and a huge chunk of previously undecided and disgruntled Clinton supporters...like their "logic" or not...

Those are the stark realities of the November numbers. Now. Sit down and do the math, and pour yourself a stiff one tonight Obamabots...failure often comes so quickly on the wings of "success".

You should've picked Clinton for a name on the ticket Obama. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid STUPID!

I totally disagree. The Palin pick was a game changer. As an Obama supporter I was crapping my pants yesterday at the thought of a Palin pick and am still crapping my pants today now that my worst fear in this election has come true.

As a Hillary supporter- I find the pick rather insulting. Its as though you can swap an intelligent, centrist , powerful woman for a conservative neophyte who has no familiarity with Washington politics. She comes from a red state that is known for its corruption the way Louisiana is in the blue states.

Its affirmative action at its worst--- an update of the Clarence Thomas pick by Bush Sr to replace the beloved liberal Thurgood Marshall.

And Silhouette's logic is still lacking. Palin has no characteristics besides her gender that might influence Hillary supporters. And there are not millions upon millions of them stupid enough to vote for Palin on that basis.

How many people would really vote for her on the basis of her husband being a fisherman?? Will there be some who might do that? Possibly. Huge numbers? Game changing numbers, even? No.

The name calling on Sil's part is also still rather pathetic.

To a certain extent I'm going to agree with Sil. I think this was a pretty good pick on McCain's end. I'm not sure just how many former Clinton supporters they are going to get, but the fact is that many of them were saying they were going to vote for McCain anyway.

kritt, "affirmative action at its worst"? Are you serious? What privilege was Palin given? And coming from a state known for corruption? While that certainly is true, I think the perfect example of corruption is Washington. He didn't pick someone from the inside. I'm not supporting her or McCain, but to me, this sounds like a pretty solid pick, and with the experience issue now nullified maybe they can actually start debating policy, rather than who did what where when while no one was looking.

I just heard Ed Morrisey make a plug for Palin having foreign policy creds because Alaska is bordered by foreign countries. I love it. Based on that "reasoning" I may well have an advanced degree from the university I live near based on my geographic proximity! Don't get me wrong, I think Palin is an interesting pick, but I am looking forward to seeing her be vetted - there seems to be some confusion as to whether that's actually happened yet.

What Kritt11 and JSpencer said.

Sorry, Sil, but your desperation is showing through. Sarah Palin is a novelty pick, pure and simple. Women are not stupid, just as African Americans in Maryland were not stupid enough to fall for Michael Steele.

Yes, Palin will please pro-life women. But Hillary's supporters are not pro-lifers.

All this will take is one terse statement from Hillary Clinton herself dismissing this pick as a sham and the gambit will be thrown back at McCain.

It also takes away McCain argument against Obama. So, the woman a heartbeat away from the White House has zero foreign policy experience and 18 months as governor of the third least populous state in America (before which she was mayor of a small town). Obama may not call her inexperienced. But he will definitely challenge McCain to keep calling HIM inexperienced.

She's being picked only because she's a woman and can attract Hillary voters- not because she's the most experienced or ready to take over if something happens (God forbid) to McCain. If McCain truly cared about experience- he would have picked someone like Haley Barber of Mississippi.

Or his good friend, the Senator from South Carolina.

I sort of agree with Silhouette on the statement that McCain’s choice of Palin is a good pick (I bet all those folks in Hell must be relieved that it’s a bit cooler down there…). But Silhouette carries it too far…

Silhouette is right that “McCain knows that people will think with their gut first….” But in my opinion Palin will generate lots of excitement and talk for the next few days but then after that….. Silhouette argument falls falt.

Let’s face it, Palin is a good pick because she’s a woman and fresh. A lot of people will give her a good hard look, but the top of the ticket is McCain and it’s his policies (which Palin supports, by the way) that people will mostly vote on. I hope the voters are smarter to vote for someone just because they were runner-up in the Miss Alaska and got Miss Congeniality who is new to the political scene. The reality is that Palin has never gotten anywhere near the political big leagues and has nowhere near the requisite experience…. Has she even ever been out of the US before? Sure the GOP can claim she’s a governor… but for less than two years and for a state with less than the population of Austin, TX.

Once the GOP convention is over women will wake-up, realize the Obama/Biden ticket is stronger by far and vote based on policies and world (and national) experience. To be sure some folks will vote for McCain now that Palin is on the ticket, but at the end of the day it’s more cause to pause and consider McCain and his choice of successor then to debate the merits of a strong ticket (of McCain had picked someone with better qualifications) which this pick does not bring McCain.

I totally agree with kritt that this is affirmative action at its worst (and considering how the Republicans have howled that Barack and his wife got special treatment and consideration for college admissions because they were black is ridiculous, especially considering both are intelligent and both graduated with honors).

As one final thought… I actually see a lot of potential for Palin being a good politician, there are lots of things I find intriguing about her… but as VP right now? No way.

I think this just changes the game until the end of the GOP convention.

As an Alaskan and an independent voter I was truly on the fence as to who to vote for. Mr. McCain's choice of Ms. Palin has sealed the deal for me; I'll be voting for Obama-Biden this fall.

For me, Ms. Palin is one step too far down the pandering path that Mr. McCain has chosen to tread.

Not that my vote will count in the general election for President. Alaska is reliably in the McCain column. All the more reason for Mr. McCain to choose someone other than Ms. Palin, in my opinion.

Apparently, a good number of our liberal friends haven’t contemplated the eggshells they will be tap dancing on with the sexist issue.

Let’s see how the MSM handles telling the public that a woman is a bad pick.

If you think the republicans had a rough time dancing around Barak and racism (with the only downside being the risk of offending the black vote – which they wouldn’t get anyway), wait until it sinks in how carefully the words need to be picked so as not to offend 53% of the voting public.

The idea that anyone who supports Obama would say anything at all about anyone experience is so absurd as to be unreal. Palin is a political outsider which most people think is a good thing, supports the campaign platform, and hasn't said anything negative that I have heard about McCain campaign unlike Biden and Obama. OK she is a woman, we should now see this as a bad thing? It adds a different perspective and view point to the team and can appeal to many who are tired of seeing old white guy's running things. Isn't that what the whole Obama campaign about? Personally I think it's great that the Conservatives are reaching out and trying to be diverse.

jwest - Isn't it time to say that we have come far enough to say a specific women is a bad pick if she is a bad pick? Your position is no different than saying if you don't vote for Obama, you are racist.

This is not a good pick, politically. She does not make the ticket stronger, it smacks of a cheap stunt, and will backfire.

I truly thought Obama was becoming vulnerable, but not now.

Palin really shouldn't be compared to Hilliary as far as politics, the two are totally different people. They are both women and the fact that a woman was chosen as McCain's VP still is a big plus with women voters, however. Palin still has a woman's perspective, is a champion of education, and knows what it is to be a mother.

However, the real comparison is between Palin and Obama. Palin brings to the table executive experience, and actual concrete achievement in the area of ethics reform and anti-corruption, not just speeches. She trumps the Obama message of Change by being the embodiment of positive change from outside the beltway that has stood up to and won against the "establishment". Obama can point to his speeches, Palin can point to her resume and real achievement.

The quicker that the Palin as a substitute to Hilliary is dismissed (after all Palin is running against Hilliary is as irrelevent as Obama running against Bush) the better. This election needs to be about the folks running, and a comparison of their experience, achievements, and policies for the future, not meaningless comparisons with folks who aren't running. To do otherwise is to do an injustice to Palin and her remarkable achievements and the vison she brings for America.

It's obvious that experience is not that big a deal to votes or Obama wouldn't be a candidate. If Palin is a good campaigner, does well in the debate, and sets forth some issue to champion (beltway corruption maybe?) then she will be great for the ticket and republican party in general. Time will tell.

The democrats have been trying to offend the older voters – the most dependable voting group – for months.

Palin will give them the opportunity to offend the largest group.

This is going to be fun.

Back from my binge of anger at the two party lunacy.

Palin is a strategic choice. She is NO Hillary. She is not even close. However she is a woman. As Obama is a first for his party, Palin is a first for hers.

This election seems to have slid once again into emotion and now roughly 51 percent of Americans have something new to think about. Voting for a woman. Palin pulls in the conservative base and might just add some of those disaffected Hillary voters even more then Mccain did.

Additonally what are we talking about today? Obama? His speech? The Democrats? NOPE.........were talking about the GOP and Palin and McCain.

The best thing that the blogs could have done for Obama is to totally ignore this selection for about 3 days while they basked in Obama's glow. Nope. They had to go out and give Palin and McCAin all the press coverage.

I heartily agree with Austin. Saying Palin is a good pick merely because she owns a uterus is stupid as well. However, there are things about her that are very appealing in and of their own right. Just on appearance, she surpasses Obama's energetic presence. She oozes enthusiasm, not cold enthusiasm carefully crafted and reheated for presentation like Obama does, but actual bubbling from somewhere down within. An appealing thing which goes directly to people's gut.

The majority if voters vote their gut. Thought I'd just remind folks of that.

And Palin comes across as intelligent, gutsy, and no-nonsense. Her nickname "Sarah-Barricuda" will serve her well in time of war. Her stance on abortion is worrying, yet when you consider that BigOil calls the shots in the GOP camp, you can rest assured that they won't let that issue interfere with the GOP popularity in four years should these two rock the boat too much with middle-ground voters..

They will use it now of course to rope in conservatives, but in PRACTICE it won't be an issue. BigOil will make sure of that..

Palin also is extremely appealing to women because if McCain's advanced age makes him unfit to lead, guess what? The first woman president could be a reality in less than four years! She could be satan personified, but like Obama, everyone will be willing to look past even the worst of flaws in order to see that skin color [substitute "gender" in Palin's case] make history...

People think with their guts and vote the same way. If that reality didn't hit home with democrats lining up so heartily behind the worst of two choices strategically, then it never will.

Not only is Palin woefully unprepared for the Presidency if McCain goes down, but this pick shows McCain's temperamental problems. He just shot from the hip and said FU to everybody else. Palin is a fundamentally unserious choice for VP. Once the novelty wears off, voters will see it.

Elrod,

Obama was a fundamentally unserious choice for president.

Didn’t you listen to any of Hillary’s speeches?

Let’s hope that someone on Obama’s staff or the media says that Palin is a “fundamentally unserious choice”. That will play real well.

I made the same exact argument for Obama. And guess what? Skin color won out over experience.

I'm telling you this race isnt' about issues because if it was, it would be a very different race indeed. People are swept up in "making history" and are delusional when it comes to weighing what really matters. Clinton would've turned this country around on its heels and brought new prosperity where debt now chokes us nearly to death.

Nobody wanted to look at that. Obama's glowing brown skin had them mesmerized so much that even their empty wallets didn't feel so thin anymore...filled with "hope" instead.

Clinton would've put some Benjamin Franklins in there...but...noooooooooo.....

People aren't sane this time around. I think they're acting like a panicky herd of wildebeasts....and look for gut-voting when that happens..

The myopocy of the left tilt here is evidenced by even the MSNBC website poll.........and don't even think of telling me this website is spammed by the right wing....

What do you think of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate? * 348935 responses

Sarah Palin is the best choice for the job.
49%

McCain should have picked someone else.
51%
Not a scientific survey. Click to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to

CO,
Huh?

As far as Obama's experience v. Palin's: Obama graduated with honors in law from Harvard, Obama choose to work in Chicago's Southside to help the poor and middle calss who had lost their jobs or had fallen on hard times. He also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago (as president he does take an oath to uphold the US Constitution so understanding it is very important). He went into the state legislature and eventually became US Senator. He has traveled all over the world and met with world leaders and has their respect. His judgement on Iraq was truly right (he beleived we should have gone after the people who attacked us in Afghanistan, rather than divert our attention to someone who had no part in the terrorist attacks). While in elected office Obama has worked on a multitude of bills and has sat on various committees. In the legilature he sponsored bill a giving tax credits to low income workers, supported ethics and healthcare reform. Obama supported the Republican's predatory mortgage lending regulations which were aimed at averting home foreclosures. He was re-elected two times. Obama was chairman of the Illinois Senate's Health and Human Services Committee.

In the US Senate Obama was on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works and Veterans' Affairs. He also became Chairman of the Senate's subcommittee on European Affairs. Obama is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. He co-sponsored legislation on nuclear safety, conventional arms (among others).

Palin, on the other hand, has a bachelors in Journalism from the University of IDaho, was mayor of a small town and has been governor of Alaska (with fewer people than Austin TX) for less than two years. Her legislation is good ethics reform, promoting oil drilling, and doing away with many pork-barrel projects, as well as lowering taxes.

So for those of you who believe that Obama does not have any experience or that Palin's experience is better than his, I ask you to look at their records. I'll take Obama's vast and far broader experience over Palin's thin experience (and she might be a new governor but there are many cities in the US with larger populations than her state) any day.

Minneapolis?

casualobserver:

"The myopocy of the left tilt here..."

what's "myopocy"? is that a real word?

I haven't heard Palin speak yet. In fact, I've just started reading her bio today. If she can reliably and passionately present her own life, there will certainly be a lot of appeal. Most politicians point to their grandfather or great grandfather, the coal miner, the mill worker, etc. Palin still lived that life until 2 years ago. Husband an oil worker, parents with a hunting camp,.... She's personally attractive and actively managing motherhood with a successful political career (as in she just gave birth in April!) A small town mayor. And she's got a record of turning in people of her own party who do the wrong thing when both parties in Washington are famous for shielding their own member's ethical violations for the perceived party good. A lot of people will see themselves in her or at least a version of who they wanted to be.

Whether these appealing characteristics grab more people than a Romney or other pick would have, I have no idea. It should be noted that both of her previous significant political victories came against people who had many years of experience, so she should not be discounted as obviously naive.

One thing the Dems could seize on pretty quickly to hamper the folksy, I'm-like-you image, is to highlight her apparent opposition to putting polar bears on the endangered species list as well as her strong ties to oil. Are her ties to oil the way to go when we are supposed to be seriously seeking alternatives? And those polar bears are pretty popular. Most people couldn't care less if you wipe out the snail darter, but polar bears get a reaction.

Another thing missed here is that if McCain wins and adheres to his one term limit that means Obama lost and Palin would be running against Hillary with 4 years as vice president as well as her other experience not to mention being a woman vs woman.

If McCain loses as many expect him to do, the GOP did not want to take down their best and brightest in a blaze of glory.

This pick by McCain was a sure sign to me that they understand they are going to lose the election in November.

If so then why bring down the future with them???

"casualobserver:

"The myopocy of the left tilt here..."

what's "myopocy"? is that a real word?"

No, the real word is myopia....

But, in a posting forum of people who have a proven track record of NOT knowing how uncommitted voters will break, why confine yourself to reality?

You seem to be in a bad mood today, casual.... :)

One thing I want to add... more of a clarification.... I may not think she's the best pick for McCain but I'm not dismissing her either. I can see her appeal to certain people. Personally I still don't think she'll get McCain any significant number of votes.

Bottom line: She said during her speech today that she supports McCain's policies (and McCain supports Bush's) so what does she really bring, other than a woman who toes the GOP line?

"You seem to be in a bad mood today, casual.... :)"

Not at all. I've done some rejiggering to potentially defer 50% of my 2009 wages into a non-qualified tax-deferred plan to weather out the possible foray into 4 years of socialism. It can only be upside potential from here on out.

The analysis comparing Obama's background to Palin's is absurd on it's face. The election was, and will continue to be about McCain vs. Obama. The people who were for McCain will stay with McCain, he just might get a little stronger support from his right wing fundamentalist base (which what this selection was all about). The people who were for Obama will still be with Obama.

The difference is that this selection blows up McCain's bid for the undecided middle. For the rational person in the middle, if they were looking for a reason to go with Obama vs. McCain , this selection sealed the deal for Obama. If someone was really UNDECIDED there is no way that person would go with McCain in light of this selection. This selection also seals the deal with any undecided voter who thought that McCain was actually a moderate on choice.

And the debates--what a disaster. Palin vs. Biden--you have got to be kidding me. And those people that think that Biden will overplay his hand and be too aggressive like Rick Lazio vs. Hillary, don't worry about it. All Biden needs to do is attack McCain and ignore Palin. Be nice, be polite but slice and dice McCain like a ginsu. And what will Palin be able to do.

Mayor of a 6,000 person town followed by the governor for 1 1/2 years of a state with less population than your standard suburban county. My county executive has more experience running a government operation.

I mostly agree with joep-

except I also think its about showing women that the GOP can be more progressive--- and not just nominate white males.

To Sarah Palin: "Honey, you just ain't got the pantsuit."