Dumb point. An Obama speech like the one at the DNC (which he read off a prompter btw) is nothing more than a "greatest hits" of his prior 8 zillion campaign speeches. I saw him speak probably close to a dozen times in 2004 and like most other politicians it's the same spiel, stories, stats speech after speech. These are people who make ten appearances a day. Palin was an Alaskan governor a week ago. The notion that she's going to have enough command of national policy to just wing it in front of 30,000,000 million viewers is absurd. And as far as her legal stuff: Neither you nor I have a clue about the merits of trooper gate. If this guy did indeed taser an 11yo (which it appears he admits) I think we'd agree he may not be entirely fit for law enforcement.
While we're on the subject of teleprompters, I'd love to see McCain try to wing it due a tp malfunction. He might end up reiterating his earlier claim about Iraq sharing a border with Pakistan.
If they all speak off of teleprompters, how was her speech any different than Obamas?? But anyhow, setting that aside, the point I said was a good one was that she gave a wooden sounding speech because as you said, she's not used to this situation. And the fact is that she is going to be struggling in front of the cameras when asked to wing it. I absolutely, positively 100% guarantee you that sometime soon, she is going to have a camera stuck in her face and is going to be unable to give a pol-speak answer. What's that? It'll be a refreshing change? Both Republican and Dem brain trusts know different. It doesn't read well. Re: her legal issues, we'll have to wait and see. I guess the bigger question is - why in the hell did they pick a candidate with legal issues? There are at least two other women who would have been better if they wanted a woman on the ticket. The answer is that wanted her for her far-right views on abortion and other issues, in order to placate the disenfranchised wing of the Republican party. However, the Republicans seem to want it both ways. On one hand, they say the top of the ticket matters and the fact that Palin as President (in an emergency) is absurd doesn't matter. On the other hand they seem to feel that her far-right views will make a difference to people. Not sure how that works. 37.2 million people saw her speak. Biden? 21.5 million. Obama? 38 million. It'll be interesting if she gets more than McCain tonight.
I think she probably will. It should be borne in mind though that quite a chunk of that 37.2 mill could have been Dems and Independents tuning in to watch and listen to what she had to say. Dems to gauge what they are dealing with accompanied by undecided Independents and obviously Republicans.
Certainly Palin was picked because of gender. But just any old broad wasn't going to do. She's real. That's the appeal. No knock against the Carly's and Kay's but Palin has one of the most compelling resumes in national politics since TR. This gives me a quick opp to talk about the abortion issue with you. While I'm sure Palin is sincere in her "rape or incest" stand it's much the same way with Obama spearheading (there's that subliminal word again) Born Alive. When you're running either as pro-life or pro-choice the yolk in the middle (ooh another pun) makes you few friends. If for instance you're pro-choice yet in favor of waiting periods or teenage parental notification, the pro-choice LOBBY will skewer you. Hence Obama killing (again no pun intended) legislation in Illinois to prohibit the abortion of fetuses who survived the initial procedure. Likewise a pro-lifer (as I was) gets little cred with anti-abortion PAC's unless they're pro-life in ALL situations. To keep using bad puns:abortion is one issue you really can't cut the baby in half. It's just another issue the media doesn't get. There's more MEN in America favoring legal abortion than women. Believe this: If Palins pro-life stance had tested as some immense loser position she'd be back in AK right now. This was a GREAT cartoon that appeared in the left-wing Chicago Sun-Times on August 25, 2004. The cartoonist Jack Higgins is an old school union Democrat with blue collar conservative social beliefs. He nailed Obama good. Alan Keyes had framed abortion as a moral issue-a take Obama questioned. here's the 'toon:
Hmmm... I suppose she does have an 'appealing' resume (appealing for Republicans, and to be honest, appealing to me too - I kind of like ballsy women who reach for power) but compelling is a different word and implies something different. Were they 'compelled' to pick her? One thing is for sure, she's a balance to the 'Obama as rock star' rap, even down to her semi-sordid personal issues, which seem de rigueur for rock stars these days What you said about the middle ground not being stable might be true, especially for pols running for office. However, I would assume that if Roe vs. Wade is repealed, the vast majority of those on both the right and left would come out strongly in favour of an exceptio that allows for the termination of pregnancies for 14 year-old kids who have been raped. No one is arguing that to force a child to carry to term a rape-fetus is beyond barbaric (no one, that is, except the religious extremists on the far right who, like religious extremists everywhere, are capable of immense cruelty). She should come out and say so. If she is too worried about how that 'tests' then she's just another power-hungry pol who has no moral compass whatsoever and is just trumpeting the message that she thinks her 'constituents' want to hear.
lol.. even I can appreciate this. They nominated her officially and guess what song they played? 'Barracuda' by Heart! At least they have a sense of humour. By the way, did anyone catch that speech by Marsha Blackburn? Check the applause she got after that speech? Or didn't get?
Yep you gotta have major "ROCKS" (or maybe a borderling sociopathic personality disorder) to accept a VP nominaion when you JUST had a fricking baby four months or so ago and have your plate full with so many other issues NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS an investigation by a special prosecutor, and a pregnant unmarried under-age daughter! Talk about major ROCKS and ego. She is young and could have easily waited 4 years and then maybe been a real force in her party. BUT NO she had to allow her ambition and greed overcome the correct and much more practical decision ! Hell I have had women tell me that they didn't even return to being a paralegal etc. after their baby for 6-7 months; and she has a husband who is working.......... so it's not like she has to keep pushing. I guess that is more of those "family-values" the republicans have a monopoly on! Yep, leave your baby with a nanny or husband and go become VP. Yep, sure sounds like something Gloria Steinham might do... not the head-honcho crusader for "family-values"..... ! Yep, you geniuses in the republican right-wing party are right... that really "ROCKS"!!!!!!!!
Like I say I think she's sincere. I also think nothing short of 12 Scalia's on the Court would cause rape abortions to become illegal. I will say this: I believe the pendulum is turning and a generation from now society will look upon the 50mil killed after Roe v Wade as a sad chapter in American history. More and more young women respond to pollsters with the word "gross" when asked their feelings about abortion.