Shame on John McCain for Not Defending Sarah Palin
For McCain, it has always been, and continues to be, what is best for me? In April, I wrote this:
Does anyone love John McCain besides his family and Joe Lieberman and certain segments of the press? I’ve pondered before that moderates get no love because they tend to piss everyone off–kinda like countries claiming to be neutral. Pick a side and stay on it. McCain claims to transcend politics, to be motivated to do what is “right” no matter the issue. He isn’t political, he’s principled.
Bull
AdvertisementJohn McCain’s overarching principle is John McCain. As far as I can tell, he’s the only one he’s interested in serving. And that makes him different from other politicians, how? What is unique about John McCain is that he doesn’t go to the trouble of even attempting to pander to his constituents. He’s balls off about making it clear that he will do things his own damn way. North Carolina can suck his butt. Conservatives can bite his hiney. He just doesn’t care.
And his latest mountain of contempt is heaped upon Sarah Palin. But this one is going to bite him in the rear. Sarah Palin did everything in her power to get John McCain elected. That the election was even close was a testament to her connection with the voters despite the press treatment.
By either 1) allowing his people to tear her down and do nothing to stop it or 2) encouraging her demise because it gives his failed campaign a scapegoat, he demonstrates either an incredible lack of discipline and leadership or a huge deficit of character. In short, this episode confirms the conservatives’ initial reservations about him.
And what will he do in the Senate? Will John McCain turn against those who supported him yet again? Or does he finally see the press and the Left for who they are? You can bet the Left is hoping the Maverick is back. I heard the Newsweek editor blowing kisses at McCain for running an “honorable campaign” on Meet the Press Sunday morning and nearly punched the TV. These guys are without remorse.
It’s expected that the press will be shameless. More than ever, they’ve abandoned their principles in the service of one candidate. They will continue to do so.
It is also expected that the Democrats will want to hand-deliver healing balm after delivering McCain a bruising defeat. They need him after all, and in the past, they knew that they could count on him to need their approval, all in the greater service to his own self-reverential view. He’s a Maverick. He’s a troublemaker. He’s “principled.”
Unfortunately, it is to be expected that John McCain will not have learned anything this election season. He will, as evidenced by his non-response to the unfounded Palin criticism, revert to type.
Business as usual will mean palling around with Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham and feeling superior to the conservative “extremists.” He will continue to have some power to thwart and frustrate, but not the gumption to lead with loyalty. And he will continue to be mystified by the anger he gets from his own.
It’s called respect and honor for those who have your back. Sarah Palin continues to give her all to defend John McCain and his candidacy. It is honorable and makes her look like a leader. It also puts John McCain’s stubborn, self-serving silence in stark contrast. It’s a shameful conclusion to a failed candidacy.
John McCain’s only sin is that he lost. The very characteristics for which he is being criticized now are those which kept him in an impossible race, any other candidate would have lost 57-0. Bush had an approval rating of minus 30 and when the financial infrastructure collapsed under his watch, it was game over. What gave the post-election lies about Sarah legs was not the MSM, which had done nothing but lie about her the whole time, but Carl Cameron. Fox News was the only network or major newspaper that emerged with a pinch of integrity in tact, and then they joined the howling mob letting Cameron drool all over the microphone. It’s up to Fox to require Cameron to out the toxic source or fire him. As for McCain sooner or later he will do a full post-mortem interview when things cool down and he’ll explain himself. If he has no proof who Cameron’s source is, what’s he supposed to do, throw a name to the wolves? Sarah’s got four years to re-establish her brand and a lot less to live down, actually nothing, as opposed to palling around with Ayers, Dohrn, Wright, Farrakhan, and Rezko, and a drug dealer no one in the MSM bothered to look for while on their Palin seek and destroy mission finally triumphantly nailing Sarah for banning Harry Potter years before it had been published.
“any other candidate would have lost 57-0″
That is absurd. The odds were always on John McCain’s side—but he consistently blew his opportunities because of his political correctness and economic illiteracy. Mitt Romney would have easily defeated Barack Obama. McCain refused to exploit the racist Rev. Jeremiah Wright issue and only half-heartedly criticized Obama for his relationships with Bill Ayers and the other Chicago area whack jobs. Never forget that the Republican presidential nominee, in the very first debate, failed to mention the Democrats responsibility for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac financial disasters. Romney has his stuff together regarding economic matters. He would have easily earned the respect of the voters. McCain also enjoyed alienating conservatives and this resulted in many of them staying home on Election Day. Romney would not have made that mistake. At the end of the day, McCain was his own worst enemy.
Americans need to learn that people evolve and devolve. One heroic moment doesn’t guarantee 40 years later the same person might not be a coward and weasel. I remember when Bob Dole ran, The “It’s My Turn” campaign. The same kind of campaign McCain ran : “95% of life is just showing up campaign.” These two men have done real damage to America by preventing real leaders from running. We need to flush them and their ilk, and push the next generation up into those slots. Enough with the self serving lifelong politicians sucking the life and goodness out of the country.
idov
“what’s he supposed to do”
Well, McCain could make a public statement that these charges leveled against Governor Palin are untrue and ridiculous. He could say that during the vetting process he had assured himself that she knew about things like the members of NAFTA and countries in Africa.
He could then go on to say that although the behavior of the weasels that are spreading these smears reflects badly on McCain’s judgment and leadership for having hired them, Mitt Romney had already hired all the competent Republican campaign operatives two years earlier so there was nobody by the dregs left by the time McCain started getting his campaign together.
McCain needs to step up and speak up. There were, in many people’s minds only two reasons to vote for John McCain, they were Sarah Palin, and Barack Obama. He is proving these people absolutely correct by his continued silence on the subject. Shame on you John McCain.
McCain is so creepily self-centered that he resents Sarah for still being able to run for President, while he cannot.
Anything to hurt another Republican’s chances.
Melissa Clouthier,
You bashed McCain for not defending Sarah. Okay.
But are you consistent?
When Fuzzy Zeller was attacked for things he said about Tiger Woods, and Tiger didn’t defend Fuzzy even though Tiger knew they were said in jest, did you criticize “Tiger Woods?”
Did you say, “Shame on you, Tiger.”
No, you didn’t.
You and Tiger just let Fuzzy swing in the breeze.
Melissa, this is a sham of a scam of a travesty.
I am extremely disappointed in you, much like when that female newspaper reporter from NYU accused Jerry and George of being gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Melissa, you are a bad girl. A wanton lady.
If Ozzie Nelson was still producing and directing “The adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”, and Ozzie asked me, Rachel, if you should play the part of Rick’s girlfriend, I’d tell him, in no uncertain terms, “No.”
Mom …
He did speak up. When asked about it, his quote is “These things happen.” I read about that on Michelle Malkins site. He’s on record as a weasel and a scoundrel. I feel vindicated about having “Sarah Palin for Vice President” bumper stickers on the minivan lol.
For the Main Stream Media who are always telling us it’s time to move on, move forward, etc. it’s curious how they are not moving on. Hint…Hint… John McCain conceded the race to Obama and is back at his old job, Sarah Palin flew back to Alaska and is back at her old job. Hey MSM! I know you are enjoying the victory of your candidate, and I know you want to pretend that the Republicans are tearing each other apart, but your starting to look a little crazed like Olberman and what’s her name that follows him. Maybe you should stare at your flying toaster screen saver for awhile, reflect on how you conducted yourselves during the campaign, assure yourselves that you lived up to the lofty ideals of the free press, and gird yourselves in preparation for assisting in the success of your President.
idov
“what’s he supposed to do”
Four words…”Do the right thing.” McCain should do what his Naval Officer training tells him to do, (4 more words – 3 if you’re Joe Biden) TAKE A LEADERSHIP POSITION! But, remaining true to his entire campaign strategy of WAIT AND SEE, John will squander yet another opportunity to increase his public stock by letting the underlying value of the McCain brand (that would Sarah Palin) become a junk bond. He’s doing what every shallow politician does, find a hole, dig in and wait for the media storm to pass. Then, bank on the public attention factor remaining at or below John’s own polling numbers! In a word, he needs to take ownership responsibility of his failed campaign! It was John’s campaign to win and it is John’s failed election to accept. For John: Call a press conference and set the record straight. Even you are not sure who amongst the “McCain 5th column” put the media attention onto the Palin slanders, at least say as much. Let the public know that you intend to “Fight” for the only asset that pulled your campaign off of life support – Sarah Palin!
WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR JOHN TO DEFEND HER I JUST DON/T UNDERSTAND OF COURSE I LIVE IN FLY OVER COUNTRY AND WAS RAISED TO DEFEND WOMEN. I SEEN LAURA INGRAM ON FOX AND SHE SAID IT PERFECTLY. WHY ARE WOMEN SO STRONG AND MEN ARE SUCH PC NUT JOBS? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHY
OK, McCain is not gracious to his running mates or the Republican base. Latest numbers from the election show the Dems got their base out but McCain failed and thus lost. No wonder. McCain has the elite stupidity of reaching across just enough to deflate any enthusiasm anyone may have for him although he has a great deal of what makes America great.
And, for his next bipartisan trick, he’ll head up the Gang of Semi-Democrats to give the Dems a filibuster proof Senate. Habla Espanol?
Any number of reasons.
It’s but small political sniping, actually. McCain, any politician of that playing time wouldn’t even recognize it.
This small time noise, is good for Palin.
It’s sinking in, that maybe Palin is more popular.
He’ old, on vapors, tired, worn out.
BTW. Mitt’s toast. Done. Turkey meets fork. Not that Captain Plastic would pick up the cultural clues. And, Mitt, support from the GOP/RNC apparatchiks is a handicap, and no, you are not going to pull off a Reagan in the Wilderness. You met you Peter Principal as inconsequential, time serving, resume fluffing, one term( actually, half a term ) Governor of a failing state.
Although Mitt, you could be of immense historical use. Do to the national GOP what you did to the Mass state GOP.
And, out of the ruins, might come a new party.
That would be nice.
P.S. Oh, and MSM be careful when you start asking questions because if they are not the proper ones your might be cut off from the new administration. I think that might have happened to a couple of reporters. No more guestions for you! No soup, no questions, what’s left?
I have watched a couple of interviews with Sarah Palin since the election and she seems to be doing fine defending herself. It seems to me that the Republicans were waiting for the Democrats to announce Obama’s choice for Vice President and than they rushed to announce theirs in reaction. She had no time to prepare, and they had no time to prepare her for what would happen when the dogs were let out. It energized the party but appeared to be a last minute chess move to counter the Democrat’s check. It was a good idea but they had not taken the time, or had the time to prepare her as the Democrats had to groom Obama. Let the dust settle.
What if the charges are true?
I voted for McCain, but I am very upset that he hasn’t strongly defended the attacks on Sarah Palin. He stood up and defended Obama, but he can’t seem to be able to do the same for Palin.
I’m starting to think that it was good that McCain lost. He is a RINO who is eager to reach across to Democrats, but a weasel not willing to defend his own party and people. If he had been elected, McCain would have made it worse for the Republican party and damaged Palin (who would have been part of his administration) in the process.
Palin will overcome this because she has a strong and energized base of people who are going to defend her. Plus, she has the natural political wit and charisma that will only help to strengthen her.
How many times does he have to speak up to defend Sarah Palin before our esteemed members of the press decide to acknowledge that he has done so? That man has said over and over that he’s very happy with her, that she was an asset to the campaign. Don’t you people follow the news before you publish your articles?
What charges Robert. That she charged through the opened door? Why that is true.
Lynn: “It seems to me that the Republicans were waiting for the Democrats to announce Obama’s choice for Vice President and than they rushed to announce theirs in reaction. She had no time to prepare, and they had no time to prepare her for what would happen when the dogs were let out.”
Who let the dogs out???
“What if the charges are true?”
What charges? If there is something egregious abut Sarah Palin that we should know then the staffers should have the courage to speak on the record and publicly. Their love for country should compel them to speak openly and honestly about it.
Here is one more thing:
Republicans do not understand that Google helped Democrate won this election. They control the search engining. They know the tatget. They know that I use language other then English. They sent Obanma Ad as soon as I was in google email or other Google pages.
we have to support Sarah for the next Presidential elections
and we have to start NOW
I hope Sarah reads Pajamas, because to tell you the truth : there is nothing else to read on politics if you demand INTELLECT in what you read
Sarah should start campaign now: should start selecting strategists and prepare a PLAN
Wow – Did you see this from Maureen Dowd
“Sarah Palin represents a huge historic leap forward for women.
When Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton ran, their fates were inextricably linked with their gender. If they failed, many women felt, there was an X through the whole X chromosome. A blot on the female copybook.
If not this woman now, Hillary’s supporters would ardently ask me, what woman ever?
But Sarah Palin can come across as utterly unready to lead the world — or even find the world on a map — and that doesn’t reflect poorly on the rest of us.
It only means that she doesn’t have enough mind grapes or thoughtsicles, as Tracy Morgan refers to brain droppings on “30 Rock,” to be president soon.
(It’s W., Cheney and Edward Liddy, the C.E.O. of A.I.G. — who can’t seem to stop the conga line of bailout beneficiaries from going on luxury retreats, even though taxpayers have to keep ponying up — who may have clinched the case that overprivileged white men are biologically or cognitively unsuited to hold higher office.)
Palin told Greta Van Susteren Monday on Fox News that her faith will guide her on a 2012 run. “I’m like, O.K., God, if there is an open door for me somewhere — this is what I always pray — don’t let me miss the open door,” she said. “Show me where the open door is, even if it’s cracked open a little bit, maybe I’ll plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it.”
The Alaska governor, who now thinks she is even bigger than her vast state, has certainly not missed an opportunity to throw open the door to the national press this week, letting them hang in her Wasilla kitchen as she makes moose chili and cake and baby formula and hefty servings of spin.
After her brutal transformation by the McCain campaign into a shopaholic, whack-job diva — “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,” as one angry McCain aide characterized it to Newsweek — Palin is now trying to unmake that makeover and morph from uptown cloistered girl back to down-home accessible girl.
Just hanging in the kitchen with her family and a bunch of camera crews, washing lettuce and washing John McCain and his tattling, gossiping sewing circle of aides right out of her fluffed-up hair. The same McCain aides who blasted the press as sexist for wondering if Palin was hopelessly over her head swiveled around and blasted Palin to the press as hopelessly over her head. The snippy McCain snipers once loved Palin’s sassy ability to burn Barack Obama and Joe Biden with snide little remarks.
So let’s see how they like the burn turned on them? She said that the anonymous aides scapegoating her were “cowardly” “mean-spirited,” “immature,” “unprofessional” and “jerks.”
She’s right. And where was the usually gallant John McCain during all this? Usually Republicans protect their own. There was plenty W. didn’t know during his coaching sessions when he was running for president, but it never leaked out from staffers.
And yet, Palin still seems disturbingly unconcerned about how much she does not know.
Calling Tina Fey. Here’s Palin defending herself on the contention that she got confused about Africa:
“My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue as we spoke about Africa and some of the countries there that were kind of the people succumbing to the dictators and the corruption of some collapsed governments on the continent, the relevance was Alaska’s investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars.”
And, she concluded, “never, ever did I talk about, well, gee, is it a country or a continent, I just don’t know about this issue.”
Palin’s father, Chuck Heath, told The Associated Press over the weekend that his daughter was “frantically” trying to sort out the clothes she got as Eliza Knowlittle so she could send them back.
“You know,” Heath said, “the kids lose underwear, and everything has to be accounted for.”
As Michael Shear reported in The Washington Post, on top of the $150,000 first cited in F.E.C. filings, Palin spent “tens of thousands of dollars” on more clothes, makeup and jewelry for herself and her family, including $40,000 in luxury goods for the First Dude. The campaign was charged for silk boxers, spray tanners and 13 suitcases to carry the designer duds, Shear reported, adding that one source said, “She was still receiving shipments of custom-designed underpinnings up to her ‘Saturday Night Live’ performance” in October. Silk boxers and custom-designed underpinnings? Sounds like Sarah and Todd were treating the vice presidential run as a second honeymoon.
Palin should follow her own reformer precedent and put the borrowed underpinnings on eBay. The windfall would undergird her new presidential bid.”
Rachel Peepers – I’d just like to say, buh huh? WTF are you talking about? Fuzzy Zeller? Are you off your meds today?
DANIEL – FIX THE CAPS LOCK KEY MAN!! IT SEEMS TO BE STUCK FOR YOU.
One learns more about a man’s character when he loses than when he wins. Failing to forthrightly address the Palin smears emanating from his own staff tells me all I need to know. And to tell you the truth, I feel a little betrayed, myself. When I made calls for him, defended and advocated for him online and IRL, and then voted for him, I didn’t think I was voting for the lesser evil. Turns out I was wrong. On the positive side, Sarah Palin is now unencumbered, with no obligation to John McCain or his legacy.
Senator McCain made a wise choice for his running mate. He then allowed the “pit bull with lipstick” to be caged and muzzled when she should have been released to attack and defend.
Sarah Palin has enormous grassroots support–I hope she will collaborate with Governor Mike Huckabee. his vertical politics institute, and other REAL conservatives and either reform the GOP or form a party her supporters can support with both hands–instead of just the one not constantly employed in holding the nose.
By the way, the GOP needs to tap Chip Saltsman who ran a brilliant campaign on a very thin shoestring and brought Huckabee very close to the candidacy in spite of blackballs from the media and GOP insiders. As chairman, he could revive the dying elephant.
We honor Senator McCain for his lifetime of service–sometimes heroic service–to the USA. I’m sorry his campaign was so lame, and I’m sorry he’s too tired or wimpy or whatever to support Sarah Palin.
Robert Hurley – You ask “What if the charges are true?” The answer is, whether or not the charges are true, it is an EXTREMELY class-less thing to do for a staffer on McCain’s campaign to make the accusation. It is also an extremely class-less thing for McCain not to come to his running mate’s defense. They were supposed to be on the same side, and to stab your fiends in the back like that makes you look like a vulgar human being.
We would expect this kind of crap from the MSM or the democrats, but we CANNOT tolerate this behavior amongst ourselves. These “staffers” should be rooted out of the party and not allowed to participate in any other RNC endeavors. The point of the story is not the content of the charges, or the validity of the charges, it’s the fact of where the charges originate from and the fact that McCain refuses to do anything about it.
So McCain’s a weasel? Real shocker that.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT-ELECT
Team Obama needs all the help it can get. Here is a start:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/instructions-for-president-elect.html
Robert:
Maureen Dowd, wow, that is a source of incite. Are you a fool? Maureen Dowd is a bitter semi-literate hag who has a job because she has two X-chromosomes. If she were a man she would have bounced out of the journalism business a long time ago. Have you ever heard of the term Dowdified? It is the concept that you make things up that people say by rearranging and/or adding ficitional words to a quote. Perhaps you should read what Camilla Paglia, a true intellectual, has to say about Palin.
Like all Obamaphiles, you style yourself to be intellectually sophisticated but the truth is that like the President-Elect, you are ignorant and uneducated which makes you susceptible to any fake news story that reinforces your pre-conceived notions. Just because someone went to Colombia and Harvard doesn’t them make educated. My uncle Phil, with his high school education, was better educated then Obama. His bookshelves were lined with the great philosophers, history and literature. It is clear from some of the Messiah’s gaffes that he is poorly educated and is deficient in basic history. Here are some examples.
• Didn’t know how many states there are. (He said 57)
• Did not know who the axis or allies were in WWII. (Thought Roosevelt’s meetings with Stalin were with the enemy, or possibly believed that Roosevelt met with either Hitler, Mussolini or Tojo)
• Didn’t know when WWI happened. (Said that people born in 1922 lived through two World Wars)
• Thought Kennedy-Khrushchev Vienna summit was successful (Kennedy said that Khrushchev kicked his ass.
• Thought “the world” save Berlin during the airlift. (not the world, the United States alone did)
I could add the Biden gaffes, you know things like President FDR addressing the people on national television after the 1929 crash but that would be really unfair. The funny thing is that you probably believed it.
McCain “stepped up” for Palin when he chose her as his running mate. Then it was up to her.
The last 2 paragraphs said it all. He is not and never was a leader.
His history: He obstructed here, and whittled a compromise there. He never had anyone’s real loyalty and never gave it either.
His legacy: He loses well.
yes, let’s be done with the losers who’s “time it is” like Dole and McCain. The last generation of Republican leaders have done a great job in destroying the party and what it truly stands for. And Boehner and the current crew in Congress are no better. So many opportunities to take ownership of issues that are important to the American folks, like energy, have been squandered. And where is a leader to call a spade a spade with the press. Let’s call out the MSM! It cannot hurt. Time for Republicans to grow brains and balls. And enough of McCain. A traitor to the party. I didn’t vote for him. I voted for Palin, as did most of my conservative friends. It is time he learned this. Without Palin he would have lost in a McGovern-like landslide. And last, it is quite McCain like for him to abandon Palin to his OWN wolves. Jerk.
The sad reality is we still have this Trojan Pony in the Senate. He’s not done doing damage.
To Robert Hurley up there, the one busy slamming Sarah Palin: while I can’t presume to speak for all Republicans everywhere, I do not begrudge one dime of the money spent by the RNC on Sarah Palin and Family’s wardrobe, not a cent. The attacks from the Left are understandable–it’s expected they would make hay where they could, even though His Most Amazing Awesomeness was spending more money than God on things like Cecil B. DeMille staging, but these attacks on Sarah Palin’s wardrobe requirements by supposed conservatives are petty and even self-serving, given their sometimes overtly expressed sympathies for other GOP prospects. So Sarah Palin is viewed as a threat by soft-center and country club Republicans, as well as Obama acolytes. Good.
Jerryofvirginia
You are so smart you must be a member of MENSA
There are a lot of jerks out there but McCain isn’t one of them. His loyalty is to his COUNTRY FIRST and not to any party.
He gave all of you “real conservatives” out there a gift in Palin. She would have had a real chance of a political career if CONSERVATIVES had gone out and supported McCain. Now she has zero chance. So all you conservatives who stayed home or voted for Barr or even voted for Obama should be happy. Obama is going to be President. Lets see how your values and principles do under 8 years of Obama.
Doesn’t it seem odd to anyone, that, in order for the democrats to elect Obama, they had to kick Hillary to the curb. Then, to protect their own inner circle, the Repubs need to savage Palin. It may have been the season to elect the first black president, but it looks like the ladies still have a way to go. A pox on both their houses.
I dunno. I liked McCain as a person and trusted him. Of course, like any thinking person, I liked Palin better. Is it really possible that he was jealous of her bigger more enthusiastic crowds? I am not blaming the staffers. The buck stops at his feet. I am having trouble assimilating that he wasn’t what I thought he was.
Speaking of feet, I suppose it is time now for myself and every other right-thinking American to dust off our sandals, and get on with it. Not only do we have a Party, a movement to reconstruct, we will have a nation to rebuild when the Obots are done with it.
Why did Republicans allow all of the other republican candidates to withdraw or suspend their campaigns? If they had not left the campaign so early then I don’t believe McCain would’ve been our nominee. But he was OUR nominee, evidently we fell down on our job because it seems like no one on here wanted him for president. We voted for him as the lesser of two evils.
As for Sarah, she doesn’t need him to come to her defense. She’s a tough woman that doesn’t need to be defended by a man, any man. We will see the real her and will America like what they see? YOU BETCHA!!!!
We are seeing that McCain in office would have been bad for the country and a disaster for the GOP. He’d have made us yearn for the good old days of Bush 41.
It looks more and more like Barack Obama will be a better President than John McCain.
It isn’t about Sarah Palin, Ms. Attitude, not really. It’s about John McCain. I worked hard for the guy during the campaign, believing he was who he was claimed to be: honorable, decent, and brave. And now he inexplicably hedges when Sarah Palin is attacked by his own people. Even a child has the moral sense to come to the aid of a friend when that friend is ambushed from behind, no matter what.
What’s there to defend? Her incurious mind, he lack of knowledge? Seems that she should be defending that. She should have exercised some good common sense and realized that she was out of her league and she should have turned down the nomination. she’s the pit bull with lipstick she can defend herself – if there is any defense for being dumb. Ignorance at 40 years of age isn’t ignorance, it’s stupidity, and ms palin is wearing the full suit of stupidity. those thinking that she’s a viable candidate are either fooling themselves, hate america, or have their standards set too low. I’ve got to laugh at the desperation of the gop, but they still just don’t get it. I hope they keep nominating the obviously inept – that way the electorate will continue to vote Democratic, and our government and our country still stands a chance.
Ms Attitude–the GOP did not ALLOW other candidates to withdraw–they FORCED the second-runner out of the race. Had the GOP not shunned him along with the liberal media, or had Mike Huckabee had a family fortune equivalent to Romney’sat his disposal, we would probably be looking forward to a GOP inauguration.
I voted for McCain/PALIN because our gal Sarah was on the ticket. I recognize her as “Huckabee Light”–similar gifts of communication, similar values, about 8 years less experience. She still has our support big time.
There is a bumper sticker out there-(and I’m going to get one: GOP, don’t blame me. I wanted HUCKABEE!)
The choice of Sarah Palin was a symptom of the main problem. That being McLain ran a rather inept campaign. And the hypocracy of his taff being Sarah Palin astounds me. After all, they picked her. I say they quit the blame game and stop being WATBs.
86% of Republicans view Palin favorably? Thus the problem with the Republican party: they are ideologues first and have the best interests of the country second. Or third. Or maybe it makes the top ten list, maybe not. In any case, radical ideologues like Palin need to be relegated to the obscurity of the fringes in American politics, not made the foundations of the Republican party – unless of course their goal is to ensure Democratic victories for the next few election cycles.
I always thought, when you were a leader and your people messed up; you did two things.
1) You made things right, fixing the error (if possible) even if it wasn’t your personal mistake. If it can’t be remedied, you do the best you can to fix it.
2) You “owned” the mistake (even though it wasn’t your personally); “The Buck Stops Here” kind of thing. It might not have been you, but it was your people on your watch; so your responsibility.
I guess I misunderstood McCain’s style of leadership. “Oops”, “These sort of things happen”, “What do you want me to do about it”… not quite as moving as “The Buck Stops Here” is it?
I have to appreciate his efforts though. With the example he’s shown I no longer am disappointed by his losing. I’m not pleased with Obama’s win, but this lets me come to terms with McCain’s loss nicely. Would we really want a President with his “leadership skills”?
It looks more and more like Barack Obama will be a better President than John McCain.
That is a pretty low standard, to be sure.
At the end, this campaign was about nothing more than the evils of two lessers named McCain and Obama. I voted in only the down-ballot races and left the choice for President blank.
Personally, I would not be surprised to see McCain endorse Obama in 2012. Just to be “bipartisan”, of course. For those who think that is impossible – remember that John Boy played coy when it was rumored that he would be Kerry’s VP in 2004.
I read on a twitter posting that the supposed McCain staffer leaks were a hoax. A famous hoaxer said he put out the false reports.
Heh heh. Sarah Palin says she’s a feminist. Sarah Palin fans like Melissa Clouthier cry that a MAN should come running to Sarah’s rescue. Does anyone else see the self-serving female double standard at work there?
My advice to Ms. Clouthier and the other whiners here: You’re equal now. Life’s not fair. Take it like a man.
“What if the charges are true?”
Either typical McCainite or lefty. Hard to tell because they’re equal when it commons to honor–neither have any.
The problem is that any criticism, true or not, of Obama he met with scorn. His own running mate, with silence.
I’m trying to determine if the pro-McCain comments here are typical of Republicans. I’m about ready to be done with the Republican party. If most see the treatment of Palin by Republicans as honorable, then that’s my last straw.
Troy Riser: I see your point of view. It’s not about him letting Sarah Palin down, it’s about him letting his supporters down.
Captain Obvious: Well, it appears we have work to do!! I’m open to suggestions, as I’m sure others are too. I believe the nation will be ready in as little as two years for the republicans to start rebuilding our nation.
The reason McCain hasn’t gone out of his way to defend Palin is he’s still pissed at her for saying “no thanks old man, put the Viagra away.”
My take is that McCain’s already putting out feelers to Reid to see what kind of committee chairmanships he could get if he switches sides, like he did back in ’01. This time, Reid’s gonna tell him “stay put pal. We don’t want you.”
Melissa, wow: He would spit in a friend’s eye to win the favor of an enemy. That’s not the whole truth–think of the Surge, for example–but there’s enough truth to it that you may have formulated the verdict of history on John McCain’s political career.
I hadn’t voted for a Democratic president since Clinton 1992, but when I saw McCain’s behavior as the financial crisis broke, I decided that the man should not be in charge of our military and nuclear arsenal. Period.
Suggestions:
Get behind true conservative candidates NOW. GO to Mike Huckabee’s Vertical Politics Institute webpage and sign up.
Make it a priority to encourage the GOP to choose Chip Saltsman as chairman. I mentioned him before.
We DO have a lot of work to do. Let’s get busy.
25. Robert Hurley:
Nov 12, 2008 – 8:14 am
Maureen Dowd as a source, it explains your idiotcy. The RNC bought her the clothes because they thought she needed them to campaign, that was a lie you are dumb enough to repeat that she bought them. What’s Santa bringing you for Christmas?
Shame on John McCain for Not Defending Sarah Palin
Shame on John McCain for PICKING Sarah Palin.
When McCain spent more time blaming “wall street greed” for the housing crisis than he did linking the Congress and Obama to it, I felt relief.
I no longer had to care about this election.
McCain was more Democrat than Republican, and he would do more (or at least as much) harm to the Republican name/brand than George “$2 trillion for all my friends” Bush.
If he won, at least we didn’t have Obama. If Obama won, at least McCain couldn’t destroy the Republican image any more than it has already been.
I was happy. I didn’t like either candidate.
53. Micha Elyi:
Nov 12, 2008 – 11:28 am
Ms. Clouthier demands that a man be a man. The man’s support staff leak information, some of it lies, to discredit that man’s partner. The man should step up and discredit his staff or he is a weasel. Either McCain directed the leaks or is not a man. He could never have the honor of his service to the country taken from him, but he has surely thrown it away letting Palin take the blame for his loss.
No, losing VP’s don’t take blame. But their track record post-defeat is abysmal. It’s a sure way to never get elected President, and almost as sure a way to never get your party’s nomination. It is cautionary for those that see John McCain’s whim, with no vetting, or past public/media vetting of Palin in any Primaries – now annointing her and making her the de facto Goddess Leader of all Republicans. Here’s a list, pre-Palin:
John Edwards
Joe Lieberman
Jack Kemp
Dan Quayle
Lloyd Bentsen
Geraldine Ferraro
Walter Mondale (and he had already won once)
Bob Dole (here’s an exception – helped out, perhaps, by the fact that no one seems to remember him being Ford’s running mate)
Sergeant Shriver
Edward Muskie
William Miller
Henry Cabot Lodge
Estes Kefauver
John Sparkman
Earl Warren (yeah, he became Chief Justice, but his political career was finished)
John Bricker
Charles McNary
Frank Knox (FDR kindly put him in his cabinet after trouncing him and Landon in 1936)
Charles Curtis
Joseph Robinson (he did become Senate Majority Leader and a key FDR ally after his defeat)
Charles W. Bryan (went on to lose his gubernatorial campaign in Nebraska)
FDR (big-time exception)
Charles Fairbanks (went back to practicing law in Indianapolis)
Nicholas Murray Butler, Hiram Johnson (Taft and TR’s veeps, respectively)
John Worth Kern
Henry Gassaway Davis (fun fact – he was 81 when he was nominated to be Vice President. I guess the Dems realized they had no shot at TR)
Adlai Stevenson, Adlai Stevenson’s grandfather
Arthur Sewall, a Swedenborgian shipbuilder
So from 1896-2004, losing Vice Presidential nominees went on to be elected President once, and nominated by their party three times.
Yeah, I’d take bets from Fudies and The Base about the odds their new Goddess will return them to power.
Maybe, just maybe, one day Ms. Palin will have had enough of herself to finally figure out that the majority of us had more than our fill long, long ago.
This is simply the theatre of the absurd; she’s a legend, and a leader of the free (RNC and) world in her own mind.
May God help this woman, her children, and her state!
Today on Yahoo News: McCain says Palin didn’t hurt presidential bid
LOS ANGELES – In his first interview since conceding the presidential election, John McCain said Tuesday that Sarah Palin did not damage his presidential bid and he dismissed anonymous criticism aimed at her following their crushing defeat.
http://tinyurl.com/6gzmun
The attacks on Sarah Palin’s knowledge were simply rehashes of the same attacks made years ago against Reagan and later against Bush the Younger. Liberals all claimed Reagan was brainless — until he died, then they pretended they never said it. Bushitler is supposed to be a functioning imbecile, yet a mastermind bent upon world domination. Give him 30 years, and he’ll be talked about as Truman is now. The point is, this is the same damn script.
She flubbed a hostile interview; OK, that’s one point against. But there is no evidence, none, that she is incapable of serving as governor of a state or of holding her own in a vice-presidential debate. There is nothing to suggest that her intellect is any less or her experience of any less worth than John Edwards’ in 2004, to compare VP to VP. But we did not hear any of these kinds of slanders against Edwards then. The reason is, Edwards has a D next to his name.
The charges are simple bigotry. Bigotry against “flyover country” in general, but also an application of the liberal doctrine that opposition to liberalism is only explicable by idiocy or malice.
I think Sarah needs to stop with the media hype. During her VP gig she wouldn’t speak to the press and would only do it with a script. She lost and it really doen’t matter whether it is her fault because of the hateful way she and McCain campaigned or because she is green around the gils. She has a lot to learn about policy and diplomacy before she should even consider getting back in the race. If she really is a soccer mom, than she should forget about the fancy expensive clothes and talk about her real feelings about policy throughout the world. I am sure John knows that she cost him the election which is why he is staying away from her. Heck she couldn’t help him w/o staying on script but now she thinks we all want to here from her now? I don’t and would appreciate the Media not focusing on someone who is divisive and hateful. She brings out all the wrong in people!
Who cares about Palin… She lost and hopefully she will go back and work, which she hasn’t done in 2 months. Alaska isn’t represented when she is flying around trying to get her name known. As a woman, I think she is a very hateful woman deep inside and want no part of her now or in 2012. She has a lot to learn about life, liberty and the pursuit of what the American people want. She got an idea of the kind of loss she can bring to a candidate and the republican party. This repulican would never vote for her!
When will she realize she is yesterdays news and the world has moved on. She is really desperate. Maybe she should earn that high salary Alaska pays her and do her job as their Governor. Please tell her to stop trying to mug for the camera cause we are not impressed.
I knew it. A lot of people knew it. The McCain supporters during the primaries should be hunted and blamed. Such a pathetic man and believe me, Huckabee is going to be like him. So beware.
Sick of hearing about this woman. Can’t the media let her fade into black!
I’d vote for Palin in 2012. I voted for her and that guy she was running with this year.
Why does John McCain have to defend the person that cost him the election? Her big mouth and hate rhetoric got her into trouble – perhaps she can find her own way out. She was so determined to spread hate and fear and run her own campaign, rather than be his vice-presidential candidate – she has no one to blame but herself for the treatment she’s receiving now. She has plenty of time in the future to develop her own national political career – what chance does McCain have now? As far as helping Obama – what a joke. I’m quite sure he’s smart enough not to invite that viper into his confidences. She still makes a big deal of Ayers and Obama’s association with him. I wonder why the media hasn’t asked about her associations with her secessionist husband? Good riddance to bad rubbish.
My question to all that feel Sarah Palin needs to be defended–how do you know, for fact, that what has been said IS NOT true? Because you’re taking Sarah Palin’s word for it? Maybe McCain can’t defend her because what’s being said is actually true. In that case, should he continue to deceive the American people, leading them to believe that Sarah Palin is an honorable politician worthy of a higher office in our country. Perhaps she is really just a Diva and not a Maverick.
Captain Obvious: I looked closely at Mike Huckabee and I do agree with a lot of his politcal issues. I do agree with his views on social issues but I don’t think the federal government should be involved in them. Would he be willing to leave those issues to the states? I do think he would get a much larger following if he did.
“If there is something egregious about Sarah Palin that we should know then the staffers should have the courage to speak on the record and publicly.”
Sure, but don’t apply that standard to Biden, or God forbid, Obama! Republicans have to be perfect, see, but Dems get to act in their own interests, and hey that’s just politics, right? And if their interests happen to align somewhat with America’s, that’s just wonderful and they should be our heroes! If not, well the Republicans aren’t perfect are they? So there!
Hell, the MSM just ran a special curiosity-free election for the Dems, and we’re wringing our hands about whether Palin bought too many expensive clothes?!
To paraphrase someone famous… “Doesn’t anybody here know how to play this game?”
Everyone here seems to have inside knowledge about what happened. Has any considered that maybe Palin asked him not to say anything? Maybe she wants to let it go and get back to work. Maybe she thinks that jerks and liars don’t deserve more press coverage and that eventually their deeds will receive their just reward.
Old TN saying describes McCain to a “T”. The best part of him ran down his father’s leg. We realize he needed to run from Bush but NOT from the Republican Party.
53. Micha Elyi:
“Heh heh. Sarah Palin says she’s a feminist. Sarah Palin fans like Melissa Clouthier cry that a MAN should come running to Sarah’s rescue. Does anyone else see the self-serving female double standard at work there?”
You sadly miss the point. Palin doesn’t need McCain. She is perfectly capable of speaking for herself.
However, in McCain’s response he revealed his lack of leadership. He cannot even control his own aides.
I voted for Palin, which meant I also had to vote for McCain. Never, in all my years of voting, have I felt so uncomfortable with a vote. I am not sorry he lost. I am only sorry that Obama won.
We can only pray that Obama will be guided by wisdom. He will be our president and I hope he will govern wisely. If McCain vanishes into obscurity, I honestly don’t care.
If you take the time to actually listen to Palin, you will realize that she is not the caricature the comedians and media invented. Sadly, we have far too many voters willing to let comedians pick their candidates.
I have to admit that I have had it with John McCain. Not only did he run the worst Republican campaign in my lifetime, it is hard to imagine that his campaign was so unintentionally bad. Obama ran for months ads touting his support for the Second Amendment. The ads were on the radio every 10 minutes for months. There was not a single McCain ad ever. And now Obame has given an interview calling for the abolition of state “concealed carry” permits. His aim was only to confuse the issue through election day. McCain allowed the entire “gun rights” issue — like the Jeremiah Wright issue, the reparations issue, the immigration issue, the campaign finance issue (unless you are one of those naifs who believe that the corrupt Obama “raised $600 million on the internet from small contributions”) –to die on the vine. His performance on the Leno show was shameful and DEEPLY dishonest, appearing to defend the choce of Palin while not even trying to defend her from specific charges. In effect, he was saying that she was a good pick as vice-president (many people like her and she brought excitement to the campaign), but the charges against her appear to be true (althought made by anonymous sources who may or may not be “senior campaign aides”). His response was so slippery as to call into question his most salient point, his character. Following McCainism and the chimera of “moderate voters” guarantees a generation in the wilderness for the Republicans.
Obama ran a better campaign, his party is better organized, motivated, and on the move. Politics has NEVER had a bit to do with ideology. People that want to strain the brains out of candidates in order to get them more palletable to the base are losers who want to stay losers. Americans like winners. Palin acted like a dunce not a winner. McCain should have chosen better. THE END
McCain is a nice guy who also happens to be a RINO. He had no intentions of winning. Sara almost spoiled his plan. Just get it over it.
Mike Huckabee is the reason the Republican nominee was John McCain instead of Mitt Romney. Behind his big “Evangelist” shield, Huckabee was hiding all his hideously unacceptable traits, and should no more be considered for a run in 2012 than he should be allowed to have a TV show … uh,
Melissa Clouthier might try some chiriopractice on her own empty head. Sarah Palin is the principal reason John McCain lost the election. His silence is proof of his gallantry.
To all the Palin-bashers:
What are you so afraid of?
All the best –
T
“Always remember: when you point a finger at someone, you have three fingers pointing back at yourself.” – Grandma
Perhaps many of you now understand why so many of us – from the center – rejected John McCain. His selection of the unqualified Sarah Palin was the last straw. Why? Because we understand that he didn’t choose her at all. Palin was foisted on him by RNC strategists, who were looking to get votes from the now known to be nonexistent “PUMAs.” I agree that McCain should not be letting his running mate twist in teh wind as he has, but we must remember that McCain is still being handled.
A senior GOP strategist said it best the day before yesterday: If Sarah Palin is the face of the GOP going forward, they can expect to be the minority party for a long time. Palin is unleashed now and she’s doing no better than she did during the campaign. Political operatives in the GOP are keeping their distance from her. She will receive little to no party support for a senatorial or presidential bid. The GOP now understands that they woefully misread the electorate and that Palin was a major mistake. The overwhelming majority of Americans are sick to death of the politics of hatred and division and this is precisely what Sarah Palin represents. She’s not a conservative; she’s a neo-con and their day in the sun is over. If she bucks the system, if she attempts to play the role of Ms Maverick, the GOP will slap her down. She’s a crooked politician and the GOP must now present a posture that they are ridding the party of the unsavory types. It would be quite easy for them to take Palin out of the game.
McCain does not need to defend Sarah.
He needs to KICK some campaign aides in the a**s All of this was whispered to the media BEFORE the election. Separate the facts from the frustration. Okay, they didn’t like her. But my perception is that certain senior/top aides deliberately [in my opinion]antagonized the media with snarky comments. Then the same two staff went on the air to “defend” her and said “Sarah didn’t do anything wrong” “she didn’t understand….”. Weasels. Give me some straight answers:
1. Did Sarah “loot” Neiman Marcus or did some fancypants consultant hired by the staff? Frankly, I know who has more credibility to me, but there is physical evidence available in the records. Show it to us! Also, I saw several reports that the aides decided to tell McCain about the shopping spree because he might get mad. Mad at who? Sarah? or them? And whoever made the claim “Wasilla hillbillies looting” to Newsweek needs to never work for a candidate again. Now that was tacky.
2. About Sarah in a towel. Schmidt said it never happened. Davis said he asked around and was told by staff Sarah didn’t realize the that Schmidt & the other guy were in the suite. One of them is lying. But honestly — are the gossiping twits 12 years old?
3. About her knowledge of foreign affairs and economics – most folks realized she didn’t have as much knowledge as we would need in a vice president. But we didn’t sneak around and call her stupid and gossip about her gaffs.
4. Her temperment – I don’t know and I don’t care. If she made some of the staff cry, then good for her.
After the mascara (Cameron and Newsweek) hit the fan, Sarah kept praising John McCain, saying most of the media had been fair and that the staff got along great. And looking like she meant it when she said it was a wonderful experience. Whatever her faults, Sarah Palin has more class in her big toe than the bunch of backstabbing aides rolled up together.
It is a shame that the same man that ran on honor and could not bring himself to attack a very questionable opponent can not show that same “honor” in defending the woman HE brought into this mess. He should be very ashamed and for many different reasons. But, you know, this is what we (well, not me) for nominating A MODERATE!!!!
I’d be willing to bet McCain had little info of Sarah’s clothing. It’s petty crap.
Hurley:
Whenever you get confronted by facts you come back with an insult. Well guess what, I used to be a member of MENSA but I think it is pretentious organization.
Maybe, just maybe, he didnt defend her because he knows its all true? Just trying to throw some reality in there for you republicans.
Palin scares the crap out of the lefty libtard dems. If she does her homework, she’ll smoke 2012 right into the White House. That’s why they’re pummeling her with so much garbage. GOP needs to clean house and get rid of the apathetic old timers and rebuild with a crew that will take the GOP back to core values. People voting in this election were pissed about how the issues of their concern were consistently ignored and the fatcats just got richer. Palin effectively addressed that in Alaska in a much different manner than was done elsewhere. That scares the “old boys” in the GOP too. The change is coming. The GOP has a choice, either correct the way they do business or lose again. McCains whole campaign was pitiful….except for Palin. She can help turn it around.
wtf? give me 1 reason why should McCain Defend her? she is a fb…
ms palin simply did not have the balls to be the v.p.
Interesting conversation. FWIW, I’m an independent conservative libertarian woman from fly-over country with two graduate degrees and a university job.
My candidate (Fred Thompson) didn’t do so well in the primaries. I was going to vote 3rd party until McCain picked Palin. I know others who felt the same way I did. She electrified us! In NO way did Palin cost McCain the election, and anyone who thinks she did doesn’t know the real electorate. Does anyone actually believe that Sarah’s “lack of qualifications” made people reject McCain for OBAMA, who was even less qualified?!? PUH-leeze! No one who voted for Obama cared about qualifications, period.
I grew up in Arizona. I’ve never thought much of McCain as a politician, but respected his history as a war hero. I’ve lost a lot of that respect for him in the last week.
I absolutely LOVE Sarah Palin. Anyone who buys the anonymous slime reports WANTS to think she’s a bimbo. Let them think so. That way she’ll shock them all over again the next time.
I spend my days around a lot of smart people. From what I can see, Sarah’s clearly smart and competent (an 80% approval rating for a governor is practically unheard-of), and she scares the heebie-jeebies out of the cultural left (and even those on the political right with their toes in the cultural left). She just needs to get back to Alaska and continue to run her state well for a few more years. Let her come back when she’s ready – I’ll be waiting. And so will a whole lot of my “sisters.”
It all is so mean-spirited and snarky that it is hardly worth discussing, but part of the allegations are obviously untrue. For example, she is supposed not to know that Africa is a continent, not a country. This is obviouslly not true. Are we supposed to believe that she has never seen a map? She is governor of an oil-producing state. Am I supposed to believe that she has never heard of Nigeria, a major oil producer? The person who briefed her — a national security aide in the White House — says he discussed Darfur with her and found her well informed. She knew that Darfur is a province in the Sudan, a country in Africa. He said that her level of knowledge was what one would expect of any governor. The allegation regarding her being in a towel is intentionally misleading. She was in a terry-cloth robe. Are these McCain aides 12 years old and embarassed to see a woman in a bathrobe? This is an attemp to use a credulous press to destroy the candidate — find a scape-goat for the worst campaign in memory (in contrast, Bob Dole’s losing campaign in 1996, which was still-born, was a triumph), to prepare the battlefield for 2012 by destroying a potential candidate before the game starts, and to fire one of the first shots in the Republican civil war. Meanwhile, Palin makes noises of loyalty to McCain while he piously keeps his hands clean and lets his aides do the dirty work.
BTW, one of my “sisters” is Camille Paglia (http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/11/12/palin/index1.html):
“I like Sarah Palin, and I’ve heartily enjoyed her arrival on the national stage. As a career classroom teacher, I can see how smart she is — and quite frankly, I think the people who don’t see it are the stupid ones, wrapped in the fuzzy mummy-gauze of their own worn-out partisan dogma. So she doesn’t speak the King’s English — big whoop! There is a powerful clarity of consciousness in her eyes. She uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist. I stand on what I said (as a staunch pro-choice advocate) in my last two columns — that Palin as a pro-life wife, mother and ambitious professional represents the next big shift in feminism. Pro-life women will save feminism by expanding it, particularly into the more traditional Third World.
“As for the Democrats who sneered and howled that Palin was unprepared to be a vice-presidential nominee — what navel-gazing hypocrisy! What protests were raised in the party or mainstream media when John Edwards, with vastly less political experience than Palin, got John Kerry’s nod for veep four years ago? And Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, for whom I lobbied to be Obama’s pick and who was on everyone’s short list for months, has a record indistinguishable from Palin’s. Whatever knowledge deficit Palin has about the federal bureaucracy or international affairs (outside the normal purview of governors) will hopefully be remedied during the next eight years of the Obama presidencies.”
ms palin put herself on an even playing field with most other republicans, using the slander and misinformation platform. by using these ploys and not addressing the real campaign issues she exposed herself as a fraud, almost bush like in ability. america would be taking a giant step backwards in even considering this overmatched and underqualified person as a front line politician.
If Palin were a Democrat being savaged like this (I know, wouldn’t happen) McCain would have challenged several people to duels by now. But since she is only a Republican, what is it to him?
Once the inexperienced Obama screws up, as he certainly appears to be doing already, Palin will look a lot better to a lot of people. Maybe not the concern trolls here who will support Obama to 20% inflation and 40% mortgage rates and 15% unemployment, figures even Carter couldn’t achieve, but to the average moderates who decide elections.
Sarah, is the only reason I voted for that Democrat wolf hiding in the Republican party. By allowing the savaging of “Wonderful Sarah”, McCain is the cockroach I have always thought him to be. Why doesn’t he join the dark side (crazed liberal left) openly and stop pretending.
I wouldn’t have voted for McCain without Palin and that looney list above of other possibles?? UGG. Fuhgetaboutit.
Gov. Palin scares the left, left leaning republicans and women. Women hate women and women treat other women badly. Sad? yes. Pathetic? yes. True? Absolute FACT.
Her feminism is MY feminism and what I had already embraced in my own life when I left the Dem party and when I left modern feminism. Feminism LIES to women. It keeps women hostage to a ‘victim’ mentality and keeps the weight of ‘abortion’ tied around their necks so they feel they can’t vote for anything other than that because they might lose some right they may never exercise and they would really abhor if they viewed it in action.
Sarah Palin WAS the problem for the McCain/Palin ticket. Does anybody doubt that the dialogue would have been totally different if McCain had chosen a mentally competent running-mate. As it was, his choice of an illiterate rube took away his option of campaigning on his experience vs Barack Obama’s lack of experience. Palin’s folksy, sarcastic tone also upstaged McCain, who is less comfortable in front of audiences and not as good at reading a teleprompter as his running-mate. Then there was the whole issue of the media being drawn to Palin’s stupendously inept network interviews and, in the process, taking the attention off the top of the ticket. No, Sarah Palin was THE problem for John McCain in this election. Only the relatively small group of hardcore evangelical pro-life creationists actually believed that she was ready to be President. Almost everybody else had concerns, which were amplified by McCain’s age and manic behavior during the campaign. While McCain ran a terrible campaign and made many tactical mistakes, his biggest mistake was agreeing to take Sarah Palin onto the ticket. That was his undoing, even if he won’t admit it now.
Tonto: If Palin “does her homework”? Given her history, she won’t compklete her homework until 2024! Remember her collegiate career?
Reality Check: Very good read in your comment #88. I was a Romney supporter and a moderate. Palin was elevated by the capricious whim of John McCain after RNC people told him he was so distrusted he needed to appease the evangelicals and try for the PUMAs.
Now, because of those expedient circumstances, Palin with no scrutiny in a Party nomination process – is magically elevated to Goddess Leader by the treacherous McCain’s whim and Bigshot Party consultants?
No way. She wants to be Leader, instead of Goddess of the Cult of Our Sarah – she pays her dues and speaks unscripted on the issues.
***********
Doustoi:
Mike Huckabee is the reason the Republican nominee was John McCain instead of Mitt Romney.
Yep, and Mitt is no political animal like Rahm Emmanuel, Nixon. Palin, Schumer, or Gingrich. He lost a close contest in 1994 and was happy to do other things that he thought mattered – church-building, helping nominees, Olympics for the next 8 years. The guy wants to do public service and make a better America for his family and so on…
Would he rather do a turnaround on Detroit auto or get 90% of the party bosses in evangelical elites? My sense is that saving 3 million jobs and a lynchpin industry would matter much more to him and his family history. More than rural Alabamans after 3 years of sucking up to them, declaring Romney pure enough on abortion – despite being a heretic Mormon.
If Obama is really smart, he would have senior aides burning up the phones and offering Ridge, Rudy, Arnold Swarzenegger, Susan Collins, Michael Steele and especially Romney – of the top talent outside the Base Bible Belt shots at doing great bipartisan things the Fundies and Corporatists and Christian Zionists have blocked them from.
Would Mitt want to be serving the nation in our worst crisis since the Great Depression? Yep. Is he so wedded to voodoo economics that he would reject? Nope. Besides saving the economies of the Great Lake States if he can..would Romney reject an offer to Lead bipartisan health care under Obama with Teddy Kennedy limitations thrown in if he succeded as a finacial or automotive turnaround leader? Nope…even of it lost him his “What would Jesus or Reagan do??” purity.
Peel those hated RINOs away..Let the Republicans left be secure in the Goddess Palin and “complete ideological purity” with 25% of the electorate.
I never liked McCain and don’t find his treatment of Palin surprising.
I voted for McCain because I thought Obama was worse. But many republicans never went to the poles because they didn’t like John McCain and that is why he lost.
Robert Hurley:
Jerryofvirginia
You are so smart you must be a member of MENSA
—-
At least 60 IQ points higher than you Hurley. Jerry cites many inconvenient facts about Obama and your response is stupid personal snark. Typical effing liberal.
I don’t understand why he doesn’t defend her more strongly.
Is he jealous?
Did he want to use her as a scapegoat?
Is he not a real Republican?
Any way you cut it, I’m not pleased about it.
Governor Palin has my vote for any office she chooses to run for.
I find it terribly amusing to read all the posts here from people whose comments clearly show them to be Obamatons. So full of their self-righteous self-congratulation they cannot even conceive of how ridiculous they sound, nor how inane are their comments.
These are the same people who will be filled with rage when they find out that the Obamessiah is a fraud, a charlatan, and a cheat. The pied piper will no longer pipe them a tune, and they will no longer have his melody to drown out the noise of reality. Their withdrawal pains will be frightening.
More to the point of Melissa Clauthier’s post, however, although John McCain is a true war hero and deserves the gratitude and thanks of every American for his service to our country, in his response to these backstabbing comments regarding Sarah Palin, he has shown himself to be both clueless and classless.
I here flatly assert that, should she want to be, Sarah Palin will be the Republican Party nominee for President in 2012. I further assert that she will wipe the floor with Barry O (politically speaking, of course). For those of you who are so adamant that Sarah Palin is uninformed at best, or just plain stupid at worst, I say just keep underestimating her. That’s just fine with me. You’ll learn just how wrong you are soon enough.
The problem really is that you do not underestimate her at all. You know she is popular in the true “populist” tradition, a conservative’s conservative, and totally fearless. She is your worst nightmare. I predict you will not get a single good night’s sleep during the next four years, knowing down deep inside you that she is coming, and she will beat you. Heavy hangs the head …
Enjoy your moment in the sun trolls. It won’t last long.
Gov Palin a.k.a “Acid Queen”, thought she could run with the big doggz. With her twisted ego and her raunchy rhetoric, the only people she fooled were the Joe Six Packs and the June Cleavers, but what she failed to realize is that the majority of Americans were not fooled. Maybe if she runs again, and I hope she doesn’t, she’ll bring something down from Alaska that she didn’t bring this last time…and that’s CLASS!!!
97. ForSarahNOTtheGOP: I’ll be your sister!!
Romney sucks. If he had been the nominee, I would have voted for Bob Barr. Why? Because Romney is a CFR shill, a scumbag, and frankly, he would’ve been roasted and served well done during the financial crisis. True, he’s great on the economy, but when the market fell to pieces, people would have held former Private Equity CEO Mitt Romney personally responsible for the disaster. He’s one of THEM (they being the ones who hyper-leveraged America and got rich in the process).
Truth is, drafting Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney not dropping out soon enough are the reasons we aren’t celebrating the election of Gov. Huckabee today.
MCCAIN’S TARNISHED HONOR
John McCain has damaged his own reputation for no apparent reason:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/mccains-tarnished-honor.html
McCain, during his concessional speech went on to admit that the fault was his. Common sense says that when he said fault- it included his choice of
Sara Palin. So why should he defend Palin if that was a part of the fault,
& moreover it would amount to contradicting his own mind.
Why would McCain defend Palin? She is the planned alibi.
http://www.leadershipcultivation.com/2008/08/the-real-reason-that-john-mccain-chose-sarah-palin.html
sarah star is gonna work for O, screen oh my holy screen, seems she got addicted to be watched by a bigger herd of bears than the alaskan whites
melissa, palin went rogue on the mccain campaign. doing her own thing with an eye on 2012 instead of being a team player!
ms palin simply doesn’t have the intelligence to be a leader. 8 years of bush has shown us what an incompetent, unqualified president means.
This quote by Palin illustrates why she will never make it as a presidential candidate…she can’t even communicate off script in a coherent fasion:
“My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue as we spoke about Africa and some of the countries there that were kind of the people succumbing to the dictators and the corruption of some collapsed governments on the continent, the relevance was Alaska’s investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars.”
And this woman is going to be the face of the RNC? ROFL…she has no business even thinking about running for president.
With punctuation the sentence reads properly.
“My concern has been the atrocities there in Darfur and the relevance to me with that issue. As we spoke about Africa, and some of the countries there, that were…people succumbing to the dictators and the corruption of some collapsed governments on the continent, the relevance was Alaska’s investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars.”
Or to break the sentence down by making it a simple sentence: “As we spoke about Africa the relevance was Alaska’s investment in Darfur with some of our permanent fund dollars.”
See what listening in you english class can do for you?
I have finally found out why lefty women hated Sarah Palin with such vehemence, from the words of a woman on Fox News last night. In her words, “she was pro life”. But of course this woman was well-spoken and articulated each word precisely.
Pete:
There you go. Tell me why Obama has the intelligence to be a leader. Don’t give my that Ivy League BS becuase the hated George Bush is an Ivy Leaguer too. No hope and change please. Articulated without negative references to Bush, McCain or Palin.
McCain doesn’t defend Palin because he realizes she was the mistake that his ship.
Obama is the new President-Elect, so stop with
the McCain/Palin garbage. The LOST!! Who cares now. Concentrate on what’s ahead of us, give the man a chance and re-visit in 2012. Personally, the RNC is BS, they have a long road ahead of them to bring that party together, and Palin IS NOT the answer. She will always be a liar, manipulating and a mean spirited woman. You Reps are really sore losers. Why can’t you accept that a Democrat(and he is not a stupid man, look at the campaign he ran, that’s just ONE example) will soon be in office and work TOGETHER to make this country better, instead of being bitter? McCain is history, done, goodby…let’s see how really “centered” he is when Jan 21st rolls around. God help all you critics and evil spirited “Americans”. I don’t consider some of this crap I’m ready as patriotic and “Country First” Hypocrites…
Poor Terry Gain another MENSA member
So sorry about MY mis-spelled words.
forsarah states: pro-life wife, mother and ambitious professional represents the next big shift in feminism. Pro-life women will save feminism by expanding it, particularly into the more traditional Third World.
If Palin is a feminist then she needs to be careful what she says. she comes off as a hipocrit because when Clinton pointed out how unfairly she was treated by the media, the right, including Palin had a field day telling her to stop complaining. Palin was caught on TV before rising to VP candidate criticizing Clinton for whining and stating that if she wants to be taken seriously, she needs to essentially suck it up.
You can’t be a feminist and stand up for women on a part-time basis. You must stand up for women’s rights, even when you disagree with there politics. Palin should have called the media and members of her own party to task when Hilliary Clinton was being victimized. I think I may have felt more sympathy for her when she was wrongly sterotyped.
jerryofva wrote:
There you go. Tell me why Obama has the intelligence to be a leader. Don’t give my that Ivy League BS becuase the hated George Bush is an Ivy Leaguer too. No hope and change please. Articulated without negative references to Bush, McCain or Palin.
Let me answer. Obama managed to put together an effective campaign. He organized, mobilized, and directed one of the most successful organization this country has ever seen, his own campaign. While he is very green, his work as a community organizer is impressive and he managed to make positive change for Chicagans. Finally, we need a leader who is able to speak to the world. Obama has a cool demeanor and he let’s little rattle him. A good leader inspires confidence in those who follow him and that is Obama in a nutshell.
The difference between Palin and Obama is that Obama had 18 months in which the American people vetted him. I am willing to call it like it is and admit that Sara Palin is a leader of a similar caliber to Obama. Unfortunatley for her and the McCain camp, she did have not sufficient time to define herself. I don’t like her politics, but I do believe she will be back and if Obama turns out to be as terrible as many of you seem to think he will be, we will see history made again in 4 years, the first woman president.
Hurley:
Do you have a life? We have already established that you are only capable of name calling and are totally at loss to explain anything about the incoming President. So why don’t you go back to your village and gloat that you won the election, and await your welfare check. Your village is missing its idiot. Robert they need you now.
I think it would be hard for McCain to counter what gossips said about Gov. Palin for two reasons, 1. gossips hide themselves while spreading their poison and 2. their poison tends to be untrue, which is why they hide themselves. When Fox News let Cameron promote the undocumented and sourceless alligations without verifying their turthfulness with Gov. Palin, Fox became part of the tabloid media, AKA main stream media. It would have done no good to have McCain defend Gov. Palin. With her wings unclipped from the obligations of campaigning for McCain, she is free to be herself and has effectively defended her honor simply being the gracious, intelligent, self-assured woman that she is. Only Sarah can convey her true essence which is a woman who knows herself and what she believes in. No one but Gov. Palin could adequately communicate those aspects of her awsome character. By staying out of it, John McCain has done the best thing for her, and that is to let Sarah handle her critics on her own terms. In doing so she has conveyed enormous strength and integrity and the public that had previously written her off now has a chance to see what a fablous person she is. Having McCain fight the scape goating battle would have only made her look weak woman in need of recue. From what I have seen of that courageous woman, she can handle her own fight.
Andrea Hughes:
You also misspelled the word misspelled.
Coming onto a website that is reporting on an issue that is apparently of no concern to you and spewing hate is rather hilarious. I hope you speak better than you type. This issue does concern people who care about the direction of the Republican party and it has nothing to do with your views.
Are you in the computer lab at the middle school?
I don’t know about the rest of the people who voted for McCain/Palin but comments like:
“127. Andrea Hughes:
Obama is the new President-Elect, so stop with
the McCain/Palin garbage. The LOST!! Who cares now. Concentrate on what’s ahead of us, give the man a chance and re-visit in 2012. Personally, the RNC is BS, they have a long road ahead of them to bring that party together, and Palin IS NOT the answer. She will always be a liar, manipulating and a mean spirited woman. You Reps are really sore losers. Why can’t you accept that a Democrat(and he is not a stupid man, look at the campaign he ran, that’s just ONE example) will soon be in office and work TOGETHER to make this country better, instead of being bitter?”
certainly aren’t likely to make me interested in joining the O-team at the campfire. You visit a basically conservative site, tell people to forget their ticket, attack the Rep VP in at a personal level, and call us sore losers.
All your tirade does is make me more likely to tell you where to shove your “let’s work together ” platitude.
Ms Attitude:
So sorry for you that now you have to take jabs at me. Stay with the losers, you’re one of them! Do you think your blog name is appealing? Maybe if you LOST the attitude…well, I don’t think it’s worth the rest of my “middle school” brain power to ridicule you.
#127 you are an idiot. You liberals are so myopic and one sided it aint even funny. You are hypocrites at best, anti american cowards and worst. You take the book of liberalism and regurgitate it word for word, you ma’am need a lobotomy. I was once a democrat, not a liberal such as #127 but a democrat, that party has lost its marbles, and will never get them back. Most of this country, are as dumb as the rocks we sometimes sit on; to follow blindly a black man, whose rhetoric sounds good, yet his record being as liberal as it is, and unaccomplished as it is, is pathetic. I thought in this country WORDS WERE WORDS, ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THEN WORDS.. but apparently not.. this guy Barack Hussein Obama, is a liar, everything he says is a lie, he says he aint liberal? look at his senate record, he said he’d use campaign financing, he didn’t. He said he would be bipartisan, look at his choices so far for transition teams and his new chief of staff, just atrocious. Where’s the change? Republicans screwed up this time in power, they haden’t the last several decades., but they did in the 21st century, maybe it was time for something new, but lets all get our heads out of the sand and say it as it is; Obama is no change, is the same, the emperor without a suit. He’s a joke./ Bobby Jindal is our countries savior
Sarah Palin is a big girl. If she didn’t know that she was not ready to run for Vice President, something is wrong with her, not John McCain, (although McCain should have chose a more capable candidate). She needs to stop blaming Katie Couric and other reporters for her ignorance. She needs to go back to Alaska and read!!!!!!!!! I believe that Palin did not know that Africa is a continent, because of her conversation during interviews and when she spoke during the campaign. If she is the best the GOP has for 2012, the Grand Old Party is in seriou trouble.
Sarah did not hinder the ticket; without her he would have lost by a greater amount of votes. She brought in millions of votes from the female Christian consevaties.
Unfortunately, there are so many people who were fooled from the onset.#1 Daughter’s child, she carries around when it’s convenient,NOT HER’S,that was investigated to the max,including the daughter’s 5-1/2 month “retreat/hospital”; what expectant mother’s water breaks in Texas-flies 5 hours to Alaska; gives birth(special needs)and goes to work three days later(what is the Lt.gov. for)dressed as if nothing (pregnancy) had ever happened? I had three births, and trust me, no way!!!the only women who ever worked right after delivery were slaves in the fields!!!!! #2 son had two options, jail or military (if you had paid attention in the beginning, that was one for the first stories about the family; #3 get over it, they lost!!!no doors opened!!!!!
Guess what? The election is over. John McCain goes on to his life; Sarah Palin is supposed to go on to hers in Alaska. The 2008 election shouldn’t even be a topic of discussion any longer. It is being brought up by Sarah Palin; obviously because she has an axe to grind with everyone over everything. Let it go; it’s done!
Lets face it.Mccain was a bad candidate.When I saw McCain in the first debate I had one thought, Bob Dole.
Sarah Palin will grow stronger.If women want a bigger voice in politics they need to back other females.
Female misfits like Dowd are envious of Palin.They attack Palin because she represents what they want to be.
Do your homework Sarah. There are many out here waiting
for you to blossom….it’s going to happen
And this paragon of moral virtue has quite elaborate and prolifigate sartorial tastes when the GOP was pickng up the tab. Since all this was counter to McCain’s campaign finance purity, as well her use of earmarks was counter to McCain’s postition on that, why aren’t more people outraged at McCain for picking this stupid, selfish pol? But why let that bother you, cause anyone who admires her has to be so limited as to be handicapped. Maybe she was their fantasy hunting partner?
ms palin is correctly positioned as her job as the gov of alaska, with her very limited ability she should be more than satisfied with her current position. although ms palin should be commended in aspiring for a loftier position, common sense dictates that the republican party appoint a person with at least a limited knowledge of world and national politics.
She probably makes a better moose stew than any of you.
i will keep that in mind for the next time i have a hankering for moose stew.
It amuses me how everyone plays the blame game. The big question no one asked is why McCain picked Palin in the first place? Perhaps to counter someone with more executive experience than Obama. I guess his staff was also thinking she’d appeal to those who value typical Republican family values. But then it was discovered her daughter was pregnant with a child out of wedlock. Oops!
And then it later became obvious she was ill-prepared for the office of vice-president, and eventually president if, heaven forbid, McCain had to leave office.
At this point I say live and learn. If the Rebublicans want Palin to be a factor in 2012 they’d better hope she does her homework.
The last time John McCain defended a female politician, Hillary Clinton, Keith Olbermann and Jonathan Alter of Newsweek royally roasted him. http://alessandromachi.blogspot.com/2008/06/keith-olbermann-and-chris-matthews-can.html
http://www.DailyPUMA.com
McCain picked Sarah Palin from nowhere so he can blame her for his loss. Pre-Sarah, McCain’s poll numbers were stagnantly low.
Sarah Palin don’t need McCain to defend her. She is capable of defending herself and she comes out better in the long run.
The rest of Sarah Palin’s critics, it’s all ‘The Womb’ envy.
McCain learned how to become a chameleon, to survive, at the Hanoi Hilton, and he learned how to lie out of self preservation.
Since that time McCain has honed his skills by secretely using them against those he’s jealous of and/or sees as potential enemies in his personal goal to become US President. As much as he claims to adore his own Mother, I honestly believe that had she ever gotten in his path, this jealous-hearted egocentric she birthed would have set up his Mama for a major downfall, the same way he set up both President George W. Bush (whom he pretended to befriend when he was running for re-election) and his own VP running mate, Sarah Palin (whom he also pretended to befriend to get her to become his VP Running Mate when McCain was running for President), but whom he never rushed to defend after fellow Socialists like himself whom had integrated the Republican Party offered Sarah a personal/family wardrobe of $150,000 which they encouraged her to accept, saying she would need it with all her campaign stops, as well as part of her VP wardrobe!
Like you, I also agree McCain only looks out for Numbero Uno, just like his buddy, Arlyn Spector, who is also a closet Socialist who integrated the Republican Party, claiming to be a “Republican”.
I have a hunch McCain was hugely financially rewarded by the Socialist Democratic Party and/or by the EU/UN for his assistance in destroying both the personal and political reputations of two very sincere, GENUINE Evangelical Christians (unlike himself): George W. Bush, our former US President (whom McCain traveled all across America with, campaigning on his behalf) as well as the former Governor of AK, whom McCain begged to be his own VP running mate (whom he also traveled all across America with, campaigning on her behalf), while Sarah was naively campaigning on his behalf, bragging about McCain being a War Hero and her own “hero”)!