• Photo of KevinHayden

  Miss Congeniality (No, Really) For Attack Dog?

  http://www.reachm.com/amstreet/archives/2008/08/29/miss-cong...
  131 days ago in American Street · Authority: 221

  Seriously. But the former beauty queen is known as Sarah Barracuda, so this dog has teeth. Not that shes a dog or anything shes purrty, yep. As long as Biden remains the gentleman he is, there should be no worries at their debate. I hope. Meanwhile, I

  • Author unknown

    Gov. Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential Nominee

    http://www.thenextright.com/jon-henke/gov-sarah-palin-vice-p...
    131 days ago in The Next Right · Authority: 709

    Gov. Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential Nominee by Jon Henke | August 29, 2008 at 2:29 PM in 2008 election John McCain Sarah Palin vice president Assorted thoughts on Repuyblican Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin... Lefty bloggers are busy

    • Author unknown

      I’m Not The Only One Asking Questions

      http://steveskojec.com/2008/09/02/im-not-the-only-one-asking...
      127 days ago in Steve Skojec · Authority: 20

      While in this post-feminist world, I’m rather isolated in asking the family priorities question (Margaret Cabaniss being the lone exception I’ve seen so far); nonetheless, some other conservative voices have weighed in on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the Palin pick: Daniel McCarthy, TAC: Palin reassures conservatives, appeals to the “let’s vote for a woman crowd” (which shouldn’t be over-identified with Hillaryites, though they’re part of it), and reinforces McCain’s message of reform — she’s a fresh face who has defined herself in opposition to traditional Alaska Republican corruption.  Her speech just now was underwhelming to say the least, however. The longer she spoke, the less interesting she seemed, and her voice is not particularly mellifluous.  I suspect, then, that the more exposure she gets on the campaign trail and in debate with Biden, the more her star will fade. At first I thought she was far and away a savvier political pick than, say, Romney or Pawlenty would have been.  Now I’m not so sure. Michael Brendan Dougherty, TAC: Here is a good profile from the Almanac of American Politics. I agree with Dan. But I found her introduction unimpressive. In the hours before the pick the media built her up by discussing the choice as a “bold surprise,” and “historic,” then going on to speculate on how she might put former-Clinton supporters into the Republican camp. She made that last point sharply, going so far as to quote Clinton’s line about 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. My suspicion is that attacks on Palin’s inexperience will be redefined by the McCain camp as an attempt to “diminish the accomplishments of a working mother.” But one colleague watching the speech said she looked like a local Republican Committee chair who should be introducing McCain during a primary. Her accent seemed unfamiliar. She cited her PTA experience, which lends some weight to Andrew Sullivan’s charge that a Palin-pick is not serious. Compare that to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee! Like Bobby Jindal or Mark Sanford, I considered Sarah Palin a promisingly conservative, likable, and reform-minded governor. I wished desperately to spare her (and them) from association with the bellicose and ideological foreign policy of Bush-McCain. These three governors excite various parts of the conservative base but need time to prove themselves. Politics are not for wishful thinking, but there are moments when I allowed myself to imagine one of these governors running on a “humble foreign policy” against Barack Obama. Too bad. Like Ramesh Ponnuru, I think conservatives are currently underestimating the potential downsides of having Palin on the ticket. Ramesh Ponnuru, NRO: Cold Water on Palin [Ramesh Ponnuru] Both the pros and the cons are pretty obvious. I’m going to focus on the cons, mostly because conservatives right now seem to be paying them less attention. The pros: She’s a pro-life conservative reformer from outside Washington, and a woman. The pick signals a boldness and willingness to mix things up that the McCain campaign, like Republicans generally, need. The cons: Inexperience. Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain’s age raised the stakes on this issue. As a political matter, it undercuts the case against Obama. Conservatives are pointing out that it is tricky for the Obama campaign to raise the issue of her inexperience given his own, and note that the presidency matters more than the vice-presidency. But that gets things backward. To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins. And it’s not just foreign policy. Palin has no experience dealing with national domestic issues, either. (On the other hand, as Kate O’Beirne just told me, we know that Palin will be ready for that 3 a.m. phone call: She’ll already be up with her baby.) Tokenism. Can anyone say with a straight face that Palin would have gotten picked if she were a man? Compatibility. It doesn’t seem as though McCain knows Palin well. Do we have much reason to think they would work well together? Debates. Maybe, as Jonah said the other day, Biden will look like a bully going up against her—and maybe she’ll shine. But I can think of a lot of other picks who would have been lower-risk. I am not even sure that the pick will have quite the galvanizing effect on conservatives that it seems to be having now as it sinks in. The concerns I’ve mentioned here—about her readiness and her credentials—are the kind of thing that many conservative voters take seriously. Now, as I said, there are pros too. Maybe Palin will be a terrific candidate and vice president. But let’s not underestimate the potential downside. Further, Brian Saint-Paul notes an NYT story questioning whether Palin was really adequately vetted at all.

      • Author unknown

        Palin Meltdown Watch

        http://patterico.com/2008/08/31/palin-meltdown-watch/
        129 days ago in Sedo Domain Parking - Sedo GmbH · Authority: 875

        [Guest post by DRJ] The media is melting-down over Sarah Palin. Michelle Cottle at The New Republic must need a shower after writing a screed called Biden’s Girl Trouble that includes this gem: “Let’s traffic in some gender/political stereotypes for a moment: Obviously, Palin is a risky pick for McCain because she is approximately as qualified to serve as commander-in-chief as my Great Aunt Ruby (who has, full disclosure, been dead for several years now.)” And this one: “In head-to-head match ups, [Biden] will need to dismantle Palin completely, yet avoid triggering all those stupid, gut-level, subconscious, knee-jerk instincts that would lead voters to feel protective of her. This is particularly important in light of the remaining Hillary Issue. God forbid a meaningful chunk of Hillary dead-enders got it into their heads that, not only had Obama disrepected their gal, but now his number-two was dissing another sister.” With any luck, Michelle Cottle will be required reading for every Hillary supporter and woman in America. – DRJ

        • Photo of rgdouthat

          24 hours later

          http://theamericanscene.com/2008/08/30/24-hours-later
          130 days ago in The American Scene · Authority: 524

          So, here we are, one day into the Palin Era of American politics. I’ve been reading a lot of the online commentary, and I have two thoughts. First, some of it is kind of bizarre. Exhibit A for me is Michelle Cottle’s first take over at TNR, in which she focuses on Palin’s looks — not to say that she’s attractive, but rather that she’s “an exceedingly delicate, feminine looking” woman and a “fragile flower.” Right: the basketball-playing, road-race-running, wilderness-camping, moose-hunting fragile flower. What was Cottle expecting, Fairy Hardcastle? But second and more important, I have been somewhat taken aback at the hot blasts of anger from the Left, and more generally from likely Obama voters, and from wherever it is that Andrew Sullivan is properly located. And even in the comments on this here blog, usually populated by near-pacifists. What’s up with that? If you’re an Obama supporter and you think Palin is an absurdly bad choice whose inexperience and incompetence will rapidly be revealed in the upcoming campaign, shouldn’t you be laughing rather than seething? It’s a different story if, like our friend Freddie, you’re pissed off at the general cynicism of the whole campaign, but if you’re for Obama and you have little but contempt for Palin, it’s time for high-fives and toasts. Isn’t it?

          • Author unknown

            Oh boy . . .

            http://jbf.typepad.com/jasmine_beachferrara/2008/08/oh-boy.h...
            130 days ago in jasmine beach-ferrara | arsenal & grand · Authority: 5

            The Sarah Palin story is just starting to come into focus, and it looks like it's going to be a good one, between the questions and ironies her nomination raises about gender, identity and ideology; to the murky but suspect details of Trooper-Gate; to the riveting images of her tracking caribou through the Alaska wilderness; to her meteoric rise through the ranks of American politics (which seemingly surprises her a bit too); to the very human parts of her life, as a mom to a young soldier and to an infant with special needs. When stories emerge in which politics and gender mingle, Michelle Cottle is one of the first writers I look to for commentary. You can check out her thoughts on the Biden/Palin match up in this TNR piece, excerpted here: Let's traffic in some gender/political stereotypes for a moment: Obviously, Palin is a risky pick for McCain because she is approximately as qualified to serve as commander-in-chief as my Great Aunt Ruby (who has, full disclosure, been dead for several years now.) Indeed, I just finished listening to Linda Wertheimer on NPR grouchily voicing complete befuddlement over how McCain could pick someone so clearly unprepared in light of the senator's advanced age and questionable health. The contrast with Joe Biden is particularly stark. In a debate with Biden over--well, just about anything that doesn't directly involve the state of Alaska--Palin is almost certain to get her clock cleaned. But! Biden nonetheless needs to tread carefully and show more self-control and finesse than he is normally known for. Palin may be a varmint-hunting, moose-stew-guzzling NRA lifer, but she is still a woman--and an exceedingly delicate, feminine looking one at that. (A former Miss Wasilla no less!) And as irrational as they may be, the laws of politics forbid any man from behaving in a condescending, bullying, dismissive, mocking, or otherwise disrespectful fashion toward candidates of the fairer sex. Just ask poor Rick Lazio.

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