McCain-Palin: The Ticket for Reform, for Real Change
In my previous post, I wondered why so many on the left have become so enthusiastic for Barack Obama as this agent of change when they could point to little (if any) real reform the Illinois Democrat had enacted (or help enact) in his twelve years in public life.
And then he taps as his running mate, Joe Biden, a Washington institution for nearly thirty-six years not known for his zeal for reform. Indeed, University of Pennsylvania Law Professor David Skeel, a expert on corporate law, writes that the Delaware Senator has actually blocked reform on several occasions:
As a longtime member of the Judiciary Committee, Biden has almost single-handedly thwarted a number of reform proposals that would have interfered with Delaware’s prominence as a popular destination for corporate bankruptcy filings. He has been similarly effective in protecting Delaware’s other corporate interests.
Meanwhile, John McCain has tapped as his running mate a Governor who has done more to reform her state government in 20 months in office than Biden has done to reform the federal government in his 36 years in Washington.
Even before taking the helm of the Alaskan government, Sarah Palin had stood up to entrenched interests, initiating an “ethics probe of the state’s Republican party chairman, Randy Ruedrich, involving conflicts of interest with oil companies. The probe resulted in a $12,000 fine for the party chair.” Not only did she stand up to her own state party’s corrupt leader, she also stood up to spendthrift Republicans in the state legislature, putting a halt to the GOP legislative leadership’s ”spending spree“
Sounds like the type of real Republican we could use in our nation’s capital.
No wonder John McCain had been considering her for some time. According to Ed Morrissey:
McCain’s selection of Palin was a deliberate effort to craft a specific message for the general election and for his Presidency, should he win. He wants to challenge his party to recall their reform roots from the Reagan Revolution and the Contract with America. He cannot expect to have that taken seriously or effectively without having a real reformer, and not just a talker, on the ticket with him.
(Via Instapundit.) A real reformer, not just a talker. Sounds like quite a contrast to Joe Biden. And Barack Obama.
As Stephen Dinan worte in analyzing McCain’s choice: “I’ll see your change’ raise you ’shake up.’“
RELATED: Let Palin be Palin.
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I was confused as to why a mother would choose to run for VP less than six months after birthing a special needs child. Confusion solved. SHE’S NOT THE MOTHER. Apparently Grandma thought that she could pull this over. So GW. So craven GOP.
Comment by DonnyK — August 31, 2008 @ 11:16 pm - August 31, 2008
DonnyK, you’re so sexist!
Is it really that unreasonable and bizarre to you that HER LOYAL MAN could take care of the kid? No nutty, trashy conspiracy theories needed? Oh, wait - Maybe having a good, loyal man is beyond your comprehension; I don’t know.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 31, 2008 @ 11:35 pm - August 31, 2008
For those who might not know what we’re talking about:
The crazy-Left is, of course, determined to destroy Palin, so they are busy manufacturing smears about her. Many of the smears are so stupid, so sexist, so craven, that they have to be heard to be believed.
One of the craziest is an allegation that Palin’s new baby must not be hers, it was her teenage daughter’s, Palin faked the pregnancy to cover it up, blah blah blah. It has a name: Trig Trutherism. It has the same spirit (i.e., mean) and factual and logical accuracy (i.e., none) as 9-11 Trutherism. One piece of “evidence”, for example, is that Palin did not appear obviously pregnant until her seventh month. These geniuses don’t seem to know that Down Syndrome causes low birth weight.
Ace is outraged, because apparently, Andrew Sullivan - yes, him again - has sunk to a new demented low, of being among the Trig Trutherists:
http://ace.new.mu.nu/dont_go_over_there_but_sullivan_is_pushing_of_course_trig_trutherism_now
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 31, 2008 @ 11:42 pm - August 31, 2008
Ann Althouse weighs in:
http://althouse.blogspot.com/2008/08/stop-prying-into-other-peoples-vaginas.html
She has the link to Sullivan (that Ace omits on principle) and yes, he’s been pushing the smear.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — August 31, 2008 @ 11:49 pm - August 31, 2008
That the left would choose to smear Sarah Palin this way not only demonstrates their intellectual bankruptcy, but also that they’re scared sh-tless of her.
Comment by V the K — August 31, 2008 @ 11:51 pm - August 31, 2008
ILoveCapitalism:
She’s lying. It’s not her kid. It’s her daughter’s kid.
“Maybe having a good, loyal man is beyond your comprehension; I don’t know.”
Huh? I have been in a monogagamous relationship for SEVENTEEN YEARS, in Manhattan, with a very hot happening guy.
Sarah Palin is a big fat liar who hates gays!
Comment by DonnyK — August 31, 2008 @ 11:51 pm - August 31, 2008
DonnyK, I’m confused as to how you can possibly think sexist smears of Palin is going to get your candidate elected, but please keep it up on this blog and elsewhere. These pathetic and desperate reactions to McCain choosing Palin do nothing but confirm that the liberals are in full panic mode, that they are sexist pigs who think women are only allowed one set of political views (extreme left), that they think the GOP will spend its time and energy trying to disprove the smear instead of just letting your stupidity speak for itself, and that liberals STILL don’t understand their opponents well enough to beat them in national elections (specifically, the idea that conservatives are so horrified and embarrassed by teen pregnancy that they would rather launch some exhausting, long-term cover-up to keep anyone from finding out).
If you think your efforts are appreciated by the Obamessiah, you are grossly misinformed, you ignorant child. You are only assuring his campaign’s doom.
Comment by Sean A — August 31, 2008 @ 11:53 pm - August 31, 2008
DonnyK is HIV positive and likes to “spread the gift” to homeless winos he picks up at soup kitchens!
You read it on the internet. It Must Be True!
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 12:04 am - September 1, 2008
DonnyK - Repeating smears doesn’t ‘make them so’. I notice you offer NO FACTS to back up your assertions.
Well then… Why don’t you tell us what else could explain your cr-rr-aa-zy sexism? LOL
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 12:08 am - September 1, 2008
P.S. “Monogag-amous”, I love it.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 12:09 am - September 1, 2008
Sean A
Sarah Palin is not the mother of that child. Her daughter is. It’s obvious by her own behavior — VP sure! Why not!
A MOTHER OF A MONTHS OLD CHALLENGED BABY WOULD NEVER DO THAT!
She’s lying.
And she also hates you ’cause you’re gay.
Comment by DonnyK — September 1, 2008 @ 12:19 am - September 1, 2008
Seriously, though, what do the lefties hope to gain by promoting this absurd piece of slander? The only thing they can achieve is to piss off suburban mothers and demonstrate their own derangement. I fail to see how either course of action helps elect The Obama.
And why hasn’t Obama or Biden spoken out about this? Is this the kind of thing they want their followers to be involved in?
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 12:20 am - September 1, 2008
DonnyK, I have a question for you. If Palin is such an unprincipled liar that is so mortified by the idea of people finding out about a teen pregnancy in her own family, why didn’t she just plan a better cover-up by taking her daughter to a clinic and having Trig aborted altogether? Wouldn’t that have been a better plan to avoid ignorant fu*k-wads like you repeating this kind of ignorant silliness on the Internet? If she was that determined to keep this a secret, why would she care about being a pro-life hypocrite?
Or, are you just going to stick with your current delusion–that Palin is a shameless liar that engaged in an elaborate charade to cover-up her daughter’s pregnancy, but somehow didn’t do anything that would violate her pro-life beliefs and make her a hypocrite?
Yeah. That makes perfect sense. About as much sense as some poor slob living under the same roof with an ignorant fruitcake like you for 17 years.
Comment by Sean A — September 1, 2008 @ 12:32 am - September 1, 2008
V the K:
Absurd piece of slander? On brother! There is no way that this women gave birth to a Trig a few months ago.
Comment by DonnyK — September 1, 2008 @ 12:40 am - September 1, 2008
If you’re so sure, then it shouldn’t be any problem to answer the question, DonnyK. Explain to us how Palin is both a cynical, unprincipled liar, and a committed pro-lifer that is faithful to the cause without exception and free of hypocrisy. I really would like to hear your explanation for this.
Comment by Sean A — September 1, 2008 @ 12:49 am - September 1, 2008
DonnyK, you guys have absolutely no proof… nothing… zip zero nada to back that up. You’re like those “9-11 was an inside job” whack-a-doodles claiming that Dick Cheney must have blown up the WTC because “fire can’t melt steel.”
What I think this really is about is abortion, and Sarah Palin not having one. Not having aborted the “inferior” (pace michael) genetic specimen she was carrying. Only a couple of weeks ago, Obama was getting beaten up for opposing a bill that outlawed infanticide. Now, a woman who, in the view of the left “should have had an abortion” didn’t. And the left can’t cope with that. Part of the left’s mythology is that all right-wingers are hypocritical about morals (and many are). But Sarah Palin just demonstrated that most of us on the right really do uphold the morals we stand for. And they also know her example is pretty powerful to a lot of women, and therefore it must be torn down.
Also, lefties don’t have a really good grip on reality to begin with. I know, nothing will change Donny’s mind because part of him actually knows what he is promoting isn’t true, but the lie something he *needs* to believe in. He has to believe that abortion is just a “choice,” and that conservatives are hypocrites. His entire worldview might implode in the face of contrary evidence.
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 12:56 am - September 1, 2008
I read the Kos diarist who claims to have video and photo “evidence”. In all the videos and photos, Palin *does* have a small belly - consistent with a trim athlete lady having a Down syndrome pregnancy. The diary is vague about dates in its analysis, and the few specific dates it offers are frequently inconsistent. It shows the daughter, Bristol, in tight, belly-hugging clothes with belly fat that is perfectly normal if she isn’t an athlete, or has been sick - and perfectly consistent with the amount of fat in her face (sorry Bristol!).
My verdict: Sloppy work. And if the Palins did fake this, it is THE absolute laziest, most incompetent job of faking ever. No, the simpler explanation is stronger: Palin is a trim, athletic lady who carried a Down syndrome child.
DonnyK, you are obviously very eager to believe this. But the current state of the evidence is not strong. In other words: Even if by some incredible stretch this did turn out to be true, right now you’re just pushing this on the basis of your own, hateful emotions.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 12:58 am - September 1, 2008
I just watched the hour long interview with Sarah Palin on CNBC, mostly about energy issues and how Alaska can make a real difference. This woman knows her energy stuff!
Very impressive, no umms, ahhs, tilting head. Straight forward, articulate and very knowledgeable and convincing. So while Donny boy is spewing garbage, the rest of America will watch this woman and realize she has more common sense in her little pinky than the whole Democratic party put together.
And yes, my husband was very impressed, halfway through he’s - I am so voting for this ticket, She is amazing. So unlike Obama, who can’t be overshadowed by anyone. McCain brought a real fresh talented voice and presence onto his ticket.
Comment by Leah — September 1, 2008 @ 1:13 am - September 1, 2008
DonnyK and Michael have shown how much disdain liberals have for women and people with Down’s Syndrom. Given the left’s history, it won’t surprise me at all when they let “that nigger” fail this fall (does anybody REALLY thing democrats would let a black man become president?). When he loses, he’ll be persona non grata and back hustling the ignorant in Chicago before you can say “WTF?”.
Comment by ThatGayConservative — September 1, 2008 @ 1:17 am - September 1, 2008
Oh, and Donny? We know the Obama campaign is providing you your “proof” and talking points. Why not state publicly that Obama and Biden are behind this attempt to argue that Palin’s son is not hers and that she’s only covering up for her daughter? Certainly you believe strongly enough in it to proudly point out Obama and Biden’s role in spreading the story.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 1, 2008 @ 1:21 am - September 1, 2008
TGC, you express yourself pungently as always
But in my heart of hearts, yeah, I think the Democrats have more of the racists (as well as the sexists) which is why they are always accusing everyone else of it… and that, if there is an evil-genius aspect to the Palin pick, it’s that she (being awesome) will give some of those people a plausible excuse to turn away from Obama in the voting booth. So the Lefties have to ruin her, or Obama can’t be President.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 1:28 am - September 1, 2008
The Loser Beckpedals:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/she-looks-pregn.html
Why is he backpedaling? Because DAILY KOS is backpedaling. The Loser helpfully furnishes his readers with this link to the Daily Kos backpedaling that inspired him:
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/31/234157/516/1017/581734
Did I just point out that The Loser slavishly follows the Daily Kos line, making him a hack? Why yes I did.
His own line is: what are we all excited about, because he was only asking “easily verifiable questions”. Well Andy, if that is how you get through the night - if that is how you rationalize your willful PROMOTION OF SMEARS on 16-year-old girls and 4-month-old babies - all I can say is, you are in for an interesting time when you meet your God. (Not Obama - the real one.)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 7:51 am - September 1, 2008
P.S. Apology for typo… should read “The Loser Backpedals”
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 8:00 am - September 1, 2008
Morning entertainment: The Kos Kidz are turning on each other over the collapse of this story - even implying that the author of the story is in league with Karl Rove:
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/272068.php - You have to click below the fold
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 8:31 am - September 1, 2008
#23. Oh. I thought he was playing soccer, or was just kicked in the balls.
What? I meant soccer balls!
As to these attacks on Gov Palin. I agree, it’s going to alienate a lot of people. People that the left need to not alienate to win.
But who am I to tell them they’re bitter an cling to their lies.
Comment by The Livewire — September 1, 2008 @ 8:45 am - September 1, 2008
Apparently, Not all the Kostards are backing off. They are desperately spinning the new facts to keep the story alive, and some are blaming Karl Rove for planting it (Big Surprise), but at least one member of the “Community-Based Reality” is giving the game away.
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 9:54 am - September 1, 2008
Backpedaling yes, but replacing it with — and I’m not making this up, because you just can’t — Palin’s wearing the wrong earrings for hurricane relief!
Just when you think they can’t get any st00pider …
Comment by rightwingprof — September 1, 2008 @ 10:11 am - September 1, 2008
Yeah, it’s nuts.
Well, making a nod to thread topic… Joe Trippi has figured out that McCain picked Palin for her reform credentials and, if she holds up on the campaign trail, the Obama “brand” is in trouble.
He’s also figured out that insulting the chick’s credentials will backfire:
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 10:31 am - September 1, 2008
I only go read Sully when someone links to him. What kind of an idiot is he? McCain or her Dr. has to come out and verify that she actually gave birth??
What planet do these jerks live on? We must take the messiah’s word on faith alone that for 20 years he never heard any hate speech in church.
But a woman, who has gone through a normal pregnancy must prove that to the world, cuz we can’t believe our own lying eyes???
Little Miss Attila says it better than anyone, http://littlemissattila.mu.nu/archives/272047.php. Let’s pretend it was the daughter, the fact that the mother is still there taking care of the baby shows a lot of character.
Meanwhile, again, on what planet do these people live? They have this image of Republicans living in the 16th century, where the only way to explain a 44 year old woman having a baby is some convoluted story about teen pregnancy. Give me a break, these people have so lost it!!
Comment by Leah — September 1, 2008 @ 11:28 am - September 1, 2008
Leah, I love her sidebar… “Vote Hottie Not Snottie” (next to pix of Palin & Biden)
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 11:49 am - September 1, 2008
Compare and Contrast:
“Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome,” –Governor Palin, writing to her family about her new son.
”Look, I got two daughters 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby.” — Senator Obama, speaking without a teleprompter.
Human life as precious, versus human life as punishment.
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 12:25 pm - September 1, 2008
RightWingProf, I’d rather have Sarah Palin wearing hoop earrings in a hurricane than Monica Lewinsky wearing a pearl necklace in the Oval Office.
Comment by V the K — September 1, 2008 @ 12:29 pm - September 1, 2008
Well, this should end it: Palin’s daughter, RIGHT NOW, is five months pregnant. (and btw, choosing the marriage route rather than the give-it-up-for-adoption route)
If she is five months pregnant, then she must have conceived mid to late March, or early April at the latest. How could she simultaneously be conceiving then, and giving birth to Trig on April 18? She doesn’t have Obama-like superpowers, you know.
And if the Palins are happy to let the world know this, why would they ever be in the pregnancy-faking business?
DonnyK, I stand by my earlier assessment. You had little or no evidence for “she faked her pregnancy”; but you *wanted* it to be true. Sorry bud, but that officially makes you a hateful (and sexist) person.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 12:52 pm - September 1, 2008
Excellent commentary and roundups from the usual suspects:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/01/oy-palins-daughter-is-pregnant/
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/09/01/bristol-palin-chooses-life-now-leave-her-alone/
I share the view of David Brody of CBN:
Contrary to the Left stereotypes, modern evangelical Christians do love and forgive… and do care first about life (or not aborting).
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 2:27 pm - September 1, 2008
I hate to link Huffpo, but if they’re right, they’re right: Anchorage TV station says Sarah Palin was definitely pregnant with Trig; dismisses Internet rumors as “bizarre” and “absurd”.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 1, 2008 @ 10:14 pm - September 1, 2008
I am amazed at the leftists…very sexist indeed and now with people who were in the room when Governor Palin’s water broke just before she gave birth (she was at a Conference and had to fly home) I guess then some how she wasn’t pregnant?
the crazies are at it again…add to that and as VK said if Governor Palin with 13 years of elected office, approximately 8 years of that as an Executive and let’s see Obama has 143 days in the Senate..he is qualified but Governor Palin is not qualified to be President? what logic is behind that?
and VK quoting NObama saying he would support his children having an abortion and Governor Palin talking about that sanctity of life and its beauty…..no comparison…and standing behind her daughter..I will take Governor Palin any day of the week compared to Nobama who willingly threw his Grandmother under the bus as a typical white women/person….I trust and respect Governor Palin’s judgment and I have to say the leftists are afraid of Governor Palin’s “Reaganesque” abilities….as Peggy Noonan said quoting from a political reporter…..she has excellent communication skills and comes from the people….so the Dems are shaking in their boots and on January 20, 2009, Governor Palin will be sworn in as Vice President Palin and John McCain will be President…and they can’t stand it that reform is coming from the GOP and not from them…
Comment by Rocket — September 2, 2008 @ 12:27 am - September 2, 2008
Rocket, just for record: Palin’s water leaked, rather than broke. She wasn’t in labor, or in any serious trouble, when she flew home. Her actual labor (and delivery) had to be induced a couple of weeks later.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 2, 2008 @ 12:31 am - September 2, 2008
I am personally shocked that any proud gay person, even a conservative, would vote for a McCain-Palin ticket. Sure, marriage is debatable, but Palin supports the creation of a bill that would deny any health benefits to same-sex couples and is against classifying crimes against gays as a hate-crime. So, given the possibility that your loved one is hurt and their attacker escapes true justice, you are honestly going to deny yourselves the right to follow your loved one into the ER and be referred to as only “a visitor”? And for what?
It doesn’t matter if you don’t like Obama. Voting McCain is suicide.
And it has now been released that Palin’s daughter is five months pregnant. Trig is Palin’s son. So shut up.
And no one should be allowed to call someone ignorant for smearing their candidate while launching a smear right back and saying it’s ok. You fight like children. Grow up.
We cannot, as AMERICANS (not just as gays, liberals, or conservatives) allow ourselves to focus on smears rather than stances on issues. And we cannot, as AMERICANS, let smears affect our vote.
Comment by jakers — September 2, 2008 @ 12:39 am - September 2, 2008
Apology and correction - It was a few hours after the flight, not a couple weeks. Still, she had to be induced. She wouldn’t have flown - and wouldn’t have been allowed to - if her water were fully broken and she were in labor; that’s what I wanted to get across. She had an odd contraction or two and a bit of leakage, finished up her talk, had a long flight home, checked in with her doctor, and the doctor then recommended inducing birth.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 2, 2008 @ 12:46 am - September 2, 2008
jakers, your breathless, outraged claims are quite simply false.
I could provide details / evidence… but hey, you provided none, so why should I bother.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 2, 2008 @ 1:57 am - September 2, 2008
I love it; Jakers comes in here and admits that he and his fellow gay Democrats lied about Trig not being Palin’s son, but then insists that we should believe the tale of doom he spins.
And given how Obama Democrats support and protect criminals who murder innocent families, Jakers, it should be obvious to anyone that the major threat to my loved ones’ health and justice is Democrat law enforcement.
Comment by North Dallas Thirty — September 2, 2008 @ 2:01 am - September 2, 2008
Food for thought - According to Ace, coordinated, mass smears are part of David Axelrod’s standard campaign MO: http://ace.mu.nu/archives/272174.php
And Bristol’s fiance is 18.
Comment by ILoveCapitalism — September 2, 2008 @ 2:09 am - September 2, 2008
Jakers, I must be suicidal because I support McCain. An the more I listen to him, the more I support him
While I agree that there shouldn’t be a law against providing health insurance for a partner/spouse/nominee/whatever, I also don’t support laws forcing an employer to provide that type of coverage. McCain is on the right track with his idea that health care choices and decisions belong with the individual and we need to get it back away from employers and the government. Under the Obama scheme, I won’t have any option. I will be forced into the gubbement plan whether it works for me or not. I think that’s more suicidal that not being able to mooch off my partner’s plan.
I’ve had two instances where I had “to follow my loved one into the ER” and both times I was totally and completely accepted as the “loved one’. Your concept that hospitals and care providers are bigoted is mistaken and truly offensive. I never once encountered any discrimination and was actually amazed at how many gay men are working in healthcare. My parents who have been married for over fifty years had to bring their marriage license to a hospital recently to prove who the “loved one” was, so is that discrimination against heteros?
I also don’t believe that making something a “hate” crime is worthwhile. Every crime is a hate crime no matter why it is was committed and labeling a violent act a hate crime doesn’t in any way provide “true justice” whatever that is. The focus should be on prosecuting all crimes to the fullest, no matter why they were committed. It’s a mad liberal notion that the reason has some bearing on the punishment.
What I think is really suicidal and is the big problem I have with Obama and liberals is that they think that the solution to every problem is a government program. I can’t think of one government program that is worthwhile and effective. Social Security is going broke letting old people starve while paying the maximum benefit to folks that don’t need it , Medicare is going broke rationing care to the point where no providers want to deal with it, the military can’t even win two pretty minor wars ( no slam to the troops, but huge slam to Congress that doesn’t provide the support necessary), and on and on and on. This country is on the brink of being a second rate has-been because we have lost our self-reliance, and when folks finally realize that the gubbement can’t fix everything, it’s going to be too late to safe the democracy that we have. That’s truly suicidal and it ought to scare the hell out of you.
Comment by Hunter — September 2, 2008 @ 4:00 pm - September 2, 2008