John McCain has scored a homerun today with his choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. This is an inspired selection that will energize Republican voters and help the GOP ticket appeal to women voters. Millions of women were disappointed when Barack Obama overlooked Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential choice. Now, women can get genuinely excited about having the second woman in history being added to the presidential ticket.
Some critics say that Palin does not have enough experience, but as a Governor she brings executive experience to the ticket. It is a nice contrast to Barack Obama and Joe Biden, two U.S. Senators with no executive experience.
Palin will also energize conservatives who have been lukewarm toward McCain. As Governor of Alaska, Palin has been a staunch conservative. She is the mother of five and is strongly pro-life. In perilous economic times, it is helpful that Palin has experience dealing with the energy industry. She supports drilling in ANWR and is a member of the NRA.
By choosing Palin, McCain is acting like a true maverick. Very few people expected Palin to be selected. In fact, just yesterday, most experts were predicting former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney would be given the nod. Yet, Romney has a history of a flip-flopper and does not have true credentials as a conservative. He also attacked McCain during the primary campaign and those biting comments would have been used to embarrass McCain.
What is also impressive is that McCain kept this selection a closely guarded secret for quite a while. Unlike Obama’s pick of Joe Biden which was leaked to the media, McCain’s choice was a true surprise.
In recent weeks, McCain has been hitting his stride. His campaign commercials have been effective and he did very well at Rick Warren’s forum a few weeks ago.
It is looking more and more likely that McCain has at least a fighting chance to become the next President of the United States. By choosing Sarah Palin, McCain has increased his chances of victory
Jeff Crouere is a native of New Orleans, LA and he is the host of a Louisiana based program, “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the political analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26. For more information, visit his web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
are we taking bets yet on whether or not she's even on the ticket in november? Written by Anderw
on 8/30/2008
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I have to admit it's amusing to see Jeff and the whole McNugget team reachin' so hard on this one. I kinda feel sorry for them, it appears they boxed themselves into a dreadful corner. Or is it possible Jeff and company are actually in the minority? this is what other republicans are saying...
Charles Krauthammer: "The Palin selection completely undercuts the argument about Obama's inexperience and readiness to lead.... To gratuitously undercut the remarkably successful 'Is he ready to lead' line of attack seems near suicidal."
* Noah Millman - "I realize, of course, that she's totally unqualified to be President at this point in time. If McCain were to die in February 2009, I hope Palin would have the good sense to appoint someone who is more ready to be President to be her Vice President, on the understanding that she would then resign and be appointed Vice President by her successor." Ramesh Ponnuru called it "tokenism," adding, "Can anyone say with a straight face that Palin would have gotten picked if she were a man?" David Frum: "The longer I think about it, the less well this selection sits with me. And I increasingly doubt that it will prove good politics. The Palin choice looks cynical.... It's a wild gamble, undertaken by our oldest ever first-time candidate for president in hopes of changing the board of this election campaign. Maybe it will work. But maybe (and at least as likely) it will reinforce a theme that I'd be pounding home if I were the Obama campaign: that it's John McCain for all his white hair who represents the risky choice, while it is Barack Obama who offers cautious, steady, predictable governance.... If it were your decision, and you were putting your country first, would you put an untested small-town mayor a heartbeat away from the presidency?" Kathryn Jean Lopez: "As much as I loathe Obama-Biden, I can't in good conscience vote for a McCain-Palin ticket. Palin has absolutely no experience in foreign affairs. Considering both McCain's advanced age and the state of the world today, it is essential that the veep be exceedingly qualified to assume the office of president. I simply don't have any confidence in Palin's ability to deal effectively with Iran, Russia, China, etc." Mark Halperin: "On the face of it, McCain has failed the ultimate test that any presidential candidate must face in picking a running mate: selecting someone who is unambiguously qualified to be president." Folks. these are what REPUBLICANS are saying. Ever wanted a do over? Written by Selteab
on 8/30/2008
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arrgh. this is so frustrating. Let’s stop pretending this race is as close as national polling suggests. The truth is McCain is essentially tied or trailing in every swing state that matters. McCain could easily lose in an electoral landslide. This is not the pick of a self-confident candidate. It is the political equivalent a Hail Mary pass. There is no plausible way that McCain could say that he picked her because she was ready to be president on Day One. The fact that McCain only spoke with Palin about the vice presidency for the first time on Sunday, and that he was seriously considering Lieberman until days ago, suggests just how hectic and improvisational his process was. This is incredibly frightening, folks. we should ALL be nervous... Written by Jack
on 8/30/2008
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If McCain had put his country first instead of his desire to win, he would have picked someone who could have stepped into his shoes on DAY TWO!!! If he dies or becomes diabled in office, is there anyone really in their right mind who thinks she has what it takes? A 73 year old man with malignant melonoma that could turn up anywhere in his body should be worried about who would lead the country if he were disabled (maybe getting chemo, had a stroke, heart attack??) or dead!!!
If she had thought of the country first, she would have said "No thanks, there are others more qualified than I am to be your VP"!! Written by Janet
on 8/30/2008
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If fraudulent elections is the topic, then look no further than Florida in 2000. But either way, yours is a baseless charge that frankly borders on stirring the race pot and doesn't address the issue at hand. At what point can we finally look past divisive and provoking comments about race? It is time to stop dividing and start uniting our country. The larger point here is that Sarah Palin is not in any shape to lead our country as a President, a heartbeat away from an unhealthy 73 year old heart. I'm not saying this as a Democrat or Republican, but as a genuinely concerned citizen. Politics aside, our country will no doubt be in tremendous jeopardy should McCain/Palin be elected. Written by Anderson
on 8/30/2008
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Reply to first post - Regarding your tongue in cheek proposal to lure Palin to Louisiana. I guarantee you that there is no amount of money that would make a person like Palin leave a paradise like Alaska, and come to this third world banana republic. -- And to a later poster who feared Palin being a heartbeat away from the presidency. That worry is miniscule compared the much higher percentage chance of Obama being one fraud-ridden election away from the presidency. I'm predicting at least 120% turnout in those black precincts throughout the nation. And the sick part is that those black community activists (like Obama) have been taught to believe that voter fraud is justified to right those wrongs of slavery. If an electorate begins their quest with fraudulent voter registrations and elections, how many more illegal and unconstitutional tactics are they willing to implement to see their agenda realized?? Written by the fact checker.
on 8/30/2008
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one thing i've noticed: supporters for McCain have been playing up Palin's appeal to women voters but nobody is saying anything about her experience to lead this country. Jeff makes no mention about her presidential ability, her leadership, her experience on foreign policy, her domestic skills, apart from vague platitudes. A year as a governor? ok... Oh well, I guess I wouldn't expect that from right-wing mouthpieces, but just pointing it out. in fact, three weeks ago she claimed to not even know what a VP even does. How encouraging. Yeah, I feel real safe. Good call, McNugget. By the way, this has to be awkward for Jindal, Romney, and Pawlenty. Crist too. Written by Ronny
on 8/30/2008
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I'm sure that much of the country is saying "Who??" The days of the old tradition of picking a running mate in order to get the electoral votes of a particular state are long gone and in the case of Alaska those votes would not matter much anyway. OTOH the necessity of having someone who could step in and run the country right away is the main priority. She has all these conservative credentials, does she? Big deal. Does she have president credentials? Who knows? This seems like a repeat of Bush the father selecting Dan Quayle inasmuch as no one at all knows who this lady is. Sure, McCain had to try to act like a maverick again. Actually, he pandered yet again to the right wing. He seems to be more insecure about his credibility with conservatives than anything else and I can't imagine why. But anyway a real maverick move would have been picking someone like Romney who could have been the much less questionable choice as someone well known and capable of stepping in right away and precisely because of the nee, regardless of the campaign rivalry, to have such a person who might be considered president material on the ticket, like Reagan did with Bush the father. If McCain wins, four or eight years from now, is what's-her-name likely to be thought of as McCain's natural successor? Even though I thought McCain had too sense to be selecting Jindal who's only barely been governor to be "a heartbeat away..." he fooled me, I have to admit. He might just as well have selected Jindal. Written by Richard P.
on 8/29/2008
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McCain has spent the last several years insisting that the most important qualities in a candidate for national office are experience and a background in national security. Sarah Palin was, up until recently, the mayor of a town of 9,000 people, and is currently the governor of a small state with a part-time legislature, with one-and-a-half years under her belt. And she also denounces science. hmmm....all the makings of a gooder president than even W. Written by MA
on 8/29/2008
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Not to burst your bubble or anything, but when Palin was asked about the "bridge to nowhere" she publicly stated on October 22, 2006, that "Yes, I would like to see state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." She was very much for the bridge. just sayin'...Wth McCain's age and health problems, can anyone please tell me why this woman would make a good president? Written by Jen
on 8/29/2008
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Not to burst your bubble or anything, but when Palin was asked about the "bridge to nowhere" she publicly stated on October 22, 2006, that "Yes, I would like to see state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." She was very much for the bridge. just sayin'...Wth McCain's age and health problems, can anyone please tell me why this woman would make a good president? Written by Jen
on 8/29/2008
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Not to burst your bubble or anything, but when Palin was asked about the "bridge to nowhere" she publicly stated on October 22, 2006, that "Yes, I would like to see state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." She was very much for the bridge. just sayin'...Wth McCain's age and health problems, can anyone please tell me why this woman would make a good president? Written by Jen
on 8/29/2008
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Palin is a down to earth woman committed to reform: no b.s. She defeated an incumbent governor of Alaska. Her contrast with the Washington business as usual (Biden), and with the corrupt Chicago politics of Obama and his association with radicals like the anarchist who bombed the Pentagon, and his hate-America pastor, will be exhilirating.
The liberal elite will despise her: a graduate of the university of Idaho(!), give me a break! A hockey mom with 5 kids who chose not to abort her Down's Syndrome youngest child, and whose oldest son is a volunteer in the US Army? Someone who thinks her country first, not herself? A governor who told the Congress she did not want their pork-barrel funds for the "bridge to no-where".
This woman has been consistenly underestimated. America will come to admire her: what a contrast to the blow-hard Biden. Home run for McCain. Written by chaubert
on 8/29/2008
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I think McCain and the Repubs think all women are interchangeable barbie dolls and we'll vote for a woman no matter who she is or what she stands for. i'm not at all a feminist, but i can see this being mildly offensive to some. all i know is, if i am pawlenty or romney, i would be PISSED! to be strung along and manipulated only to be picked over for a female dan quayle. jindal must also be pissed!!! Written by Jen
on 8/29/2008
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Palin has this somewhat dingy persona like Blanco. And will Hillary supporters really vote for a woman who is anti-choice? I don't think so ... Written by Will I be flooded a 3rd time?
on 8/29/2008
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McCain is 23 years older than Alaska. Written by Steeevo!!
on 8/29/2008
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LOL!!! In a few years, Palin may be as accomplished as Dan Quayle was in '88. Written by Ricky
on 8/29/2008
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This is not an "outside the box" kind of a pick. Sarah Palin is an "out of your mind" kind of pick! this is so great!! Palin has never been to Iraq. I'm looking forward to McCain denouncing her disinterest in the troops. Oh, by the way, the McCain campaign is selling pens on its website that misspell the word "students." Ouch. Written by John
on 8/29/2008
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Now that move was sweet!!!! Sara Palin....... Talk about CHANGE!!!! I think Obama just stubbed his toe!!!! He can kiss a majority of Hillary supporters bye'bye..... She looks way better than Nanci Pelosi, so he can count on losing a large section of male Democrat voters also........ But as for me, I am voting Libertarian, just because...... But God Bless John McCain the next President of the United States of America........ Written by
on 8/29/2008
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And If Obama Loses? After the phony roll call vote was taken here to formally nominate Barack Obama—a roll call that did not remotely reflect the true delegate strength of Hillary—the media exploded in an orgy of celebration about the historic character of the moment to which they had just been privileged to be witness. "The first black presidential nominee ever of a major party in history!" was proclaimed. Coming on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Barack's nomination is being hailed as the last great step forward in the long march to equality and justice in America. The moral pressure to join the march of history is enormous. Nor is it unfair to say that some journalists here are obsessed with the issue of race in this campaign. There may be wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising tensions with Russia, a falling regime in Pakistan, and reports of U.S. and NATO warships headed for the Persian Gulf, but here it is all about the first black ever nominated for president. During the primaries, Bill Clinton was charged with racism by liberal Democrats for saying that Barack's claim to being consistent on Iraq was a "fairy tale" and for implying that Barack's victory in South Carolina was no big deal because Jesse Jackson had carried the state twice. Here at the convention, the media watched Hillary and Bill's speeches with a commissar's care—to ensure they not only embraced Barack but "validated" his credentials to be president. Should they not go all out for Obama, we are told, the Clintons are dead in the party. The psychic investment in Barack's candidacy is immense. So great is the moral pressure to conform that John Lewis, the young hero of Selma Bridge, buckled and recanted his endorsement of Hillary. And that act of disloyalty and betrayal, a capitulation to race solidarity, is regarded as praiseworthy. Black radio has become a cheering section for Obama. Every GOP ad mocking Obama is inspected for racial motives. Campaign books that portray Obama as a radical or phony are denounced by people who have not even seen them. The thought police are out in force. Michelle Obama's speech about her upbringing and beliefs—crafted by Barack's hires—is said to be the last word on what a mainstream patriotic woman she is. But why, then, would she have taken her two lovely daughters to be baptized by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and to listen on Sundays to his racist rants against America? Abroad, we are told, Europe and the Third World are awaiting the moment when America turns her back on her racist past and elevates this black man to the presidency. The subtext is that this is not just a political contest, but a moral test for America. Indeed, many have begun to see this election in solely racial terms, an issue of whether racism once again triumphs in America, or racism is buried one and for all. Questions arise. With this immense moral and emotional investment in a Barack victory—by 94 to 1 in one poll black America is behind him—what happens if the nation decides he is too radical, too inexperienced, too callow, too risky to be president? What happens if the American people reject their marching orders and say no to Barack and black America? What happens if all the hopes and dreams, hype and hoopla, end in disillusionment? Would the defeat of Barack Obama be taken as an affront to black America? Could we be in for a time of deepening racial division rather than healing? Could we be in for a long, hot autumn like the long, hot summers some of us recall from 40 years ago? One black preacher here suggested as much to me. Should that happen, the people who have framed this election as a contest between morality and racial justice on one side, and the clammy hand of America's racist past on the other, will bear the same moral responsibility as did the advocates of mass civil obedience for the racial riots of the 1960s that followed. Barack has just shot 6 points ahead of McCain. But he has not yet closed the sale. And to prevent his closing of the sale, the GOP must raise doubts in the public mind as to whether he is really a man of Middle America or the closet radical of the Rev. Wright's congregation who said of Pennsylvanians that they are bitter folks, who cling to their Bibles, bigotries and guns because the world has left them behind.
No candidate has ever been nominated by a major party with fewer credentials or a weaker claim to the presidency, or more doubts as to his core beliefs. If Obama wins, the country could be in real trouble. And if he loses, the country could be in real trouble. What the media celebrate today, they may rue tomorrow. Written by Patrick J. Buchanan
on 8/29/2008
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I completely agree, this is just bizarre. And will not go over well. I'm sure she I'm sure is a wonderful person, a loving mom, devoted wife, learning her way as governor, and so forth. And she's pretty hot. But a heartbeat away from the presidency? You gotta be kidding me. Written by Anderson
on 8/29/2008
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Frankly, and with all due respect, this choice is confounding to me. This former beauty queen has been Governor for a year and a half. Ummm...ok? That's it? McCain has just effectively negated two of his strongest arguments of Obama: That he's a celebrity and an inexperienced. Let's face it, McCain is extremely old, with health problems and will not likely survive a full term, that's just a fact. So we're going to put someone with no experience in foreign relations a heartbeat away from the presidency? Sounds pretty desperate to me. And this woman hasn't even been campaigning for McCain!! They barely know each other. This is the worst VP pick for either party since Dan Quayle!!!
Written by MA
on 8/29/2008
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Well, it seems to me then that perhaps we had the wrong governor all along, we should have offered to triple her salary and import her down here to Louisiana if she is that good.... Ahhhh,,, another lost chance there Louisiana..... It is a shame that choices for Presidential candidates have dropped to this level.. Fads and trends..... Regardless of true abilities... Pi still has a chance though, he can start an image building campaign and prop his wife up........ Imagine that, an Indian husband/wife team running for President, and Vice President of the United States in 2012.... THAT COULD BE ANOTHER HISTORIC FIRST!!!!!!!!! Especially if he taught her to juggle, and he learned to ride the unicycle while playing the ukelele while reciting the pledge of allegiance in French...... Quick, call the National Enquire and 'leak' this little 'twist' folks.............. Written by
on 8/29/2008
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John McCain has scored a homerun today with his choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. This is an inspired selection that will energize Republican voters and help the GOP ticket appeal to women voters. Millions of women were disappointed when Barack Obama overlooked Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential choice. Now, women can get genuinely excited about having the second woman in history being added to the presidential ticket. 
