Topic: Election 2008
Is McCain Insane? What was McCain thinking when he selected Palin, knowing this controversy? McCain and Palin both have to face this issue and explain to us exactly why they decided this VP nomination was right under the circumstances.by Natalie Schultz
(libertarian)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
OK, this is a touchy issue. So touchy, that I am re-writing my initial reaction right now. This afternoon, while I was writing a critique of the vicious, sexist smear campaign that the Democrats have been waging against Sarah Palin since last Friday, news broke that her 17 year old daughter is pregnant. I must note that I was not even critiquing the Daily Kos, as I never even bothered to look at that vile site. Therefore, I hadn't even heard the really twisted rumors that forced this news to come out. Honestly, my analysis of WHY the "feminists" of the Left were attacking Palin is still very legitimate, so I will still post that, but this story really bothered me because I have been defending Palin, not on social issues, but on her record as Governor of Alaska, and this story really knocked me off-kilter.
This issue may be touchy, but the fact is this is the most gigantic elephant that has ever entered any room since humans began building shelters. Therefore, being a realist, I am going to face this head on and express my own views on the subject, because if I do not, the blogoshere will be filled with nothing other than smears from the Left, and I fear the rhetoric from the Right will spin the earth off its axis.
I know I am doing the right thing by writing this, because as far as the media and Republican and Democrat spokespeople are concerned, the response is "Don't go there." Well, I hate to break it to you: We ARE there, it IS here and it is NOT going away.
The main issue here is not Sarah Palin or her daughter, but John McCain. The question that will inevitably come up, and if it is not raised that is much worse, therefore I am going to come right out and say it: Is McCain insane?
Here is my initial reaction; I am including it because I believe I am not the only person who immediately had this thought:
Why is McCain insane? Because he KNEW that Sarah's unmarried 17 year old daughter was pregnant when he selected her as his Vice President. That is VERY poor judgment. Why? Because because Why? Because OMG! This must be the most insane political calculation ever! HELLO? He literally just pulled a John Edwards! OK, I understand that this is a common' situation that many families face, that it is a private family matter. But she is running for Vice President there is NO PRIVACY when embarking on that endeavor! If that was McCain's intention to choose a VP who has real-world family problems then WHY did Palin not mention this little fact in her introductory speech? Why did the campaign wait until the news was focusing on the hurricane to announce it? Announcing his affair the night before the Olympics did not save Edwards from scrutiny.
That was my initial reaction.
Now, after hearing the Republican reaction, maybe I am wrong. However, the ONLY way that McCain can prove to me, and to the rest of the country that he is not insane, that his choice was not based on bad judgment, is by talking to the American public directly, not reading a speech (he is the worst speech reader in history), and explain to us EXACTLY why he decided that this teen pregnancy is a positive. I NEED to understand his train of thought. I need to know why they did not mention it when she was first introduced. DO NOT say "It is a private matter." If that was the case the Palins would have left their daughter in Alaska, out of the media spotlight. Both McCain and the Palins consciously brought this girl into the campaign; they must have known that her pregnancy would be revealed.
Sarah Palin has the same responsibility. Palin MUST tell the American public directly WHY she accepted McCain's offer, knowing that her daughter is pregnant. She CANNOT say it is a private issue. She can discuss the issue of teen pregnancy, if that is why she did this, or just tell the people that she is being real. But, she cannot say it is not our business, because she made it our business by bringing her daughter on the campaign trail. Palin MUST explain her thought-process on this. Again, not a fake speech; I want to hear her, in her own words, just like she talked about energy with Maria Bartiromo, I want to hear her explain her decision. Also, if I was her, I would keep her daughter off the cameras now, because it is not fair to her, and that will be seen like exploitation.
If McCain truly believes that Palin is the right choice, even under these circumstances, then the American public really needs to hear her speak on energy and the economy. She is brilliant on that issue. However, she must first tell the country about herself and her family life, and explain this decision; the American public will not be willing to listen to her views on the real issues, energy, the economy etc, unless she proves to us that her thought-process is logical.
At the moment, no matter what anyone says out loud, there are two giant elephants in the room: Is McCain crazy? And is Palin selfish? The first thing both candidates must do is prove to America that they are not. Until they do, no one will listen to anything they say.
I defended Governor Palin on her record as governor. I still believe that a person with her record is EXACTLY what we need in Washington. Personally, I would love to have an ordinary working-class person with a family and no real Washington experience in the White House. Why? Because a true Conservative like that is our best chance, other than Ron Paul, to take our country back and stop our interference in the affairs of other sovereign nations, and to stop this ridiculous Big Government / Socialist agenda of the Republicrat Party. With the exception of Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, every other politician in American government has been brainwashed by the New World Order globalism agenda. Palin was obviously not corrupted by that mentality.
This whole situation upsets me because I truly did not want abortion and gay marriage to be the issues this election. I want this election to be about the real issues that truly matter. I wanted this election to be about the economy, energy and sovereignty. Those are the real issues threatening to destroy this great nation, not social issues that should be of no national debate since our Constitution guarantees us our inalienable Rights.
I was so looking forward to having a pro-life woman who vetoed a bill that denied benefits to gays to make the case that her personal beliefs do not affect how she governs because she upholds the Constitution.
I am going to tell you exactly where I stand on the abortion and marriage issues, and why I believe, actually, I know, these two things should NOT be ISSUES at all.
Personally, I am pro-life. Personally, I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
The LAW separates the Church from the State. Therefore, on the issue of abortion I have this to say: I do not want the government on my property because that is a violation of my Rights. Therefore, the government cannot be in my house, let alone my bedroom. I do not want the government in my medical records or dictating what medical procedures I can and cannot have that is Universal Healthcare that is SOCIALISM!
To answer the Religious Right: Do you want Communists and Socialists behind the pulpits of your churches tomorrow? Well, if not, then you had better not insist on knocking down the doors of those Communists and Socialists today, for any reason, including to stop abortions. Because by violating the Separation of Church and State to uphold your convictions today will only lead to the destruction of our inalienable Constitutional Rights tomorrow, and not only will the Church no longer be separated from the State, but the Church will be outlawed altogether!
As for marriage: Marriage is a sacrament. Sacraments are the domain of religious institutions, not the government. Nowhere in the Constitution of the United States is marriage even mentioned. Why? Because of the Separation of Church and State. Therefore, the Government should not recognize ANY marriages at all. According to the Constitution we each, as INDIVIDUALS, have inalienable Rights. Therefore, only religious institutions should marry and recognize marriage between people. Why would you want Washington, obviously the domain of the Devil, recognizing marriage? Look what the government has done to marriage so far the marriage tax, and now trying to re-define what marriage is. Get the government OUT of all religious life!
Carly Fiorina said it best when she said that the Democratic Party is doing a disservice to women by holding them hostage to Roe vs. Wade. The fact is, not ALL women are pro-choice. But, listening to the Democrats, you would think that the average woman has 2.5 abortions during her lifetime rather than 2.5 kids. That is insane. The Democrats are totally and completely out of touch. But the reason for that is simple: The Democrats do not want us to have a CHOICE; the Democrats want to CONTROL every single aspect of our lives! The Democrats do not want to stay out of our bedrooms, rather they want to put giant Big Brother screens (paid for with even more taxes, of course) in our bedrooms and watch our every move.
The current situation highlights the failure of our society. Our society has fallen into moral decay because the People became complacent and allowed a select few elite "representatives" to take over Washington, and as we all know, POWER CORRUPTS. So today, instead of taking responsibility for ourselves and our families, just like our Founding Fathers intended, we have decided that it is much easier to buy into conspicuous consumerism and allow the government to take care of everything that matters because it is easier' that way. This country was great because the earliest settlers and the pioneers came here with nothing, claimed some land, felled the trees, ploughed the fields, built homes and businesses all on their own, with their own hands, with no help from any government. Then, when the Brits taxed us for our hard work, we dumped their tea into the harbor, revolted and declared Give Me LIBERTY or Give Me DEATH!
Our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence to protect us against the tyranny that has become our government. Our government is supposed to be Of the People, By the People and For the People. But the PEOPLE are no longer represented. The Declaration of Independence assigns to us, American citizens, the DUTY to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for our future security. The time is now! We must fulfill our duty as American citizens and abolish this government, for it has become destructive and no longer has the consent of the governed.We elect representatives to serve us, yet they only serve their own self-interests. When the Speaker of the House refuses to allow Congress to vote on an energy bill that all Americans want, and turns off the power while Republicans protest, it is very clear that treason is being committed against the citizens of this country, and we must institute new government. We need a government that is truly OF the People. We need a leader who will truly uphold our Constitution and stop infringing on our Rights.
I hope this awkward family situation does not become a campaign issue, because I know that Sarah Palin is exactly what this country needs - a leader who is OF the People. And I know that Sarah Palin will protect the Rights of ALL People because she says that as Governor of Alaska "My Bible is the State Constitution." I want a President who views the Constitution of the United States as their Bible when making decisions on behalf of the American People.
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Is McCain insane? Maybe, although I think senile is technically more accurate. But not because he picked Palin. I don't care if her teenage daughter is pregnant. That is her problem, not mine.
I choose to judge only her policies not her family life.
It is hard to believe that this particular person is THE BEST person to be second in line to run the country. In fact, I don't buy it at all. It is very worrisome to me that Gov. Palin may have to step in to run our country in the event that Sen. McCain falls ill or passes away. Prior to this pick I was of the opinion that whether Obama or McCain won, there wouldn't be that much difference. Both are refreshing changes from Bush. Now I believe Obama/Biden must win, and so do many of my Republican friends. I will be voting for Obama!
Why would the fact that Palin's 17-year old daughter being pregnant make McCain insane? I think that far-left liberals are so far out of touch with reality that they can only condemn conservatives for these things. Do you seriously think that the lefties would demand that Obama or Biden bail from the race over these issues?
I feel that Sarah Palin was a good choice and that the recent events will only bolster her standing with the people.
Posted By: Jake, the champion of the constitution
Date: 2008-09-02 03:20:03
Dear Natalie Schultz -
Applaud your activism, but I fear there are far more sinister reasons that McCain might be a bit gone. I have more or less tried to spit out a bunch of articles the last few days with him as the target, feel free to take a look.
Adding Palin certainly added a little piz-azz to the election, perhaps it will keep people talking until after Nov 4th.
May I ask if you've joined www.campaignforliberty.com?
Posted By: Walt Thiessen
Date: 2008-09-02 04:04:00
I don't think McCain is insane....just incompetent. So is his staff. Take a look at this quote from an LA Times article posted earlier today:
One Republican strategist with close ties to the campaign described the candidate's closest supporters as "keeping their fingers crossed" in hopes that additional information does not force McCain to revisit the decision. According to this Republican, who would discuss internal campaign strategizing only on condition of anonymity, the McCain team used little more than a Google Internet search as part of a rushed effort to review Palin's potential pitfalls. Just over a week ago, Palin was not on McCain's short list of potential running mates, the Republican said.
This is the same, sloppy homework McCain did regarding the War in Iraq, the Patriot Act, and a whole host of other key issues. There is no doubt in my mind that McCain is bad for America.
By the way, Troopergate isn't done yet, and neither is the bridge to nowhere controversy. Those are the straws that are going to break Palin's back...as well as the back of the McCain candidacy.
A pregnant 17-year-old is not surprising. I doubt that most social conservatives are willing to admit it, but exceptions to their "pro family" and "Christian" beliefs are rampant in social conservative families, including the families of famous social conservatives. They need to get off their moral high horses and start dealing with the really important issues: Iraq, the Bill of Rights (which they have helped to decimate), the national debt, Social Security, health care, the Federal Reserve. These are the issues that really matter. The others are merely distractions by comparison.
BTW Consider what happened to Bill Clinton following disclosure of his sexual escapades...nothing. The Democrats rallied around him and he remained in office. The effort to impeach him for perjury failed. In the next election the Dems gained seats in congress. In my opinion the Democrats have made sex scandals a non-issue.
I, as most Americans, have been watching the not so perfect life of Sarah Palin unfold over the past few days. I find it interesting how many of those in the GOP have been quick to blame the Democrats for Palin-bashing as questionable things in her life have been reported. It is not the Democratic party bringing issues to the table, it has been the media reporting on a woman a large percent of the American population has not even heard of until now, who is running in the presidential election. Whether the GOP agrees or not, the American public has every right to know as much as possible about a person running for VP, or for that matter, any public office.
Now, I do agree with Senator Obama that family should be off limits, for the campaign. However, I do very strongly believe the Americans have every right to know about the family, and issues within, that surrounds a candidates life. These facts may be an important consideration when choosing the leaders of the U.S.A.
Do I believe Sarah Palin's underaged daughter's illegitimate pregnancy will effect her ability to perform as Vice President? I'm not certain. It does lead me to question her public support of teaching abstinence.
There is, however, a greater question at hand. I heard this question posed on NPR yesterday afternoon. Since, it has been on the forefront of my mind.
Would the GOP, or any person who feels empathy or sympathy for Ms. Palin and her daughter feel so "warm and fuzzy" about this issue if the person we were talking about was black?
I agree. Mcinsane is insane. he wanted to steal some of Obamas thunder. It must have drove him mad seeing all those happy people cheering for Obama the nite before. He had a knee jerk reaction and didn't vett Palin. Obviously. now they are rolling with it, and sticking to their mindless talking points. Let's face the music. Palin was a desperate choice. Made by a desperate man. having people on tv tell me over and over that it was a good choice is not going to change what I know from reading the facts. Yes, being an intelligent thinking person has led me to this leap in judgement.
I have to say, I don't understand your train of thought though. how can you say you want the government out of your bedroom, when Bush has been spying on everybody. How can you be for womens rights but against roe vs wade. i am not for abortion personally but i don't believe i should decide what is right for someone elses life. how dare me believe i know what is best for you or other women and insist that my choice should be your choice. it's arrogant. I am voting for who I believe will lead our country in a positive direction and fix our dying economy. Do I think he is perfect? no. But I do believe he is a leader with an intention to help others. If I was hiring someone to run my company I would want the most qualified, committed person-Obama is that person. McSane is an ego driven elitist and his choice in Palin now proves that he is also completely nuts.
Mr. Hipps, did you actually read my article before you posted your comment? Because it seems that you are completely agreeing with what I said, yet accusing me of not bringing up this issue.
My whole point was that McCain and Palin MUST discuss this issue, not because I want to know about Sarah's kids personal lives, but because I need to understand the thinking behind this VP choice. McCain must prove that chosing a mother to be VP will not be a negative to the office of VP, and Palin must prove that she is FULLY capable of holding the office of VP, even with her complex family life.
Personally, based SOLELY on her job as mayor and governor, I believe she is EXACTLY what this country needs. My choice is not based on her personal life. But, McCain and Palin have brought this issue to national attention, and to think this news could be kept from the public is, simply put, crazy. It is an issue, an issue that must be explained so that the REAL issues can be tackled.
Mr. Hipps, as for your assertion that the GOP would not be supporting her if she was black: Are you insane?
Today Obama said that he was more experienced than Palin (whom he is NOT running against) because he was active in New Orleans after Katrina. Well, that sure is news to me - where the HELL was Obama during Katrina? Nowhere to be found.
New Orleans is actually a great microcosm if "racism" in America. Reverse racism, to be specific. After that disaster, the country blamed Bush for not doing his job. Well, guess what: It was NOT his job to protect the people of New Orleans - it was the job of Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Landrieu. They FAILED miserably.
After Katrina the voters of Louisiana voted Landrieu OUT and, rightly, replaced her. But, the residents of New Orleans voted Ray Nagin back in, even though the entire nation knew that HE knowingly did not evacuate the area when he had hundreds of busses waiting to evacuate the residents. WHY did the residents of New Orleans vote Nagin back in? Because the majority are black, and so is Nagin. Nagin is DIRECTLY responsible for the deaths of all those, mostly black, residents, yet they STILL voted to keep him in office.
And guess what? Obama has absolutely NO experience whatsoever! He even failed to help all the poor people in South Side Chicago get better housing and jobs. The ONLY thing Obama has proven he can do is give a great speech filled with soaring rhetoric. He isn't even original - he actually stole lines from Ron Paul, of all people. And yesterday, he tried to repeat Hillary's joke about the Twin Cities, and it fell flat - because he was not actually reading from a piece of paper.
The fact is, Obama and his campaign are the ONLY people who have turned this election into an issue about "race." First they destroyed Hillary by making Bill out to be a racist, which, I do not care how much you hate the Clintons, is the most blatant, outrageous LIE. Hillary actually was experienced, she was ready to be Commander in Chief. But, unfortunately, Hillary is NOT on any ticket.
Then Obama decided to make his campaign about an issue that never existed in the first place. OBAMA made the issue about how Republicans WILL be attacking him for being black. But, they never did, and have absolutely no reason to do that. Obama's lack of experience is the issue. Obama is running for President against McCain, and bringing along Joe Biden does nothing to change that fact!
The fact is, to say that Republicans are racist for chosing Sarah because she is not black is not only INSANE, it just proves how pathetic and gullible the American public is. That they have actually bought into Obama's empty rhetoric, and now a total non-issue has become THE issue.
So, is there any connection between Barack Obama and New Orleans? No, not concretely. However, the voters of New Orleans do mirror the voters across America. Just like the black residents of New Orleans voted for Ray Nagin, the guy DIRECTLY responsible for the Katrina disaster, 95% of black voters are voting for Obama for no reason other than the fact that he is black. So now, I ask you: Who really is racist?
Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-09-02 16:50:29
Some people, believe it or not, still live life as it comes. They have principles and also take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. They don't go about trying to hide reality in defense of their image. That is just liberal nonsense. The problem is that so many conservatives have adopted that liberal art of living in an illusion, protecting its fragility with every thought and action, that the Palin's seem odd for NOT living in such a fantasy land.
It sounds to me like the Palin's have a fairly normal family situation and they aren't ashamed of it nor to they attempt to make it into something it isn't. It is just life.
The decision to choose Palin was to me a sign that maybe McCain has a redeeming quality or two left. It isn't enough to ever get my vote but it is a sign of better thinking than most I've seen in the GOP at any level.
As I've said here before, "Christian" is a misnomer. I likely do not represent Palin's particular brand of Christianity. Nor do I claim to believe any of the following. But I do understand some things that non-Christians don't seem to be able to grasp.
"I doubt that most social conservatives are willing to admit it, but exceptions to their "pro family" and "Christian" beliefs are rampant in social conservative families"
What attracts Christians to conservative platforms is that Christianity teaches us to rely on our own. St. Paul teaches in scripture that "If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need". The clear implication is that we have a personal responsibility to our family members which is not to be shirked. And that responsibility extends downward to children, as well.
Contrast that with the secular teaching, which says something like "have more sex than you want with more people than you want, because if you get into trouble, you have options". I know that isn't exactly what is being said: I am reporting what the Christian hears. The secular world will bombard you 24/7 with suggestions to get laid, and if you get pregnant, you're on your own, and by the way, it'll destroy your future, and you're not a real woman if you raise children.
Put that into the context of living in a state where there is likely literally nothing for non-outdoor teenagers to do for fun, and yeah, kids are going to get pregnant.
Add to the mix the fact that Palin herself has a child with down syndrome. Her devotion to human life gave her the incredible hubris to commit the ultimate snub to secular, collectivist society: intentionally bringing into the world a future burden of the state, knowing that dismemberment in the womb was an option.
Only she's not planning for that child to be a burden of the state, any more than she is planning on her grandchild being one. She presents herself as a responsible member of society with no intention of shrugging her burdens off on others. She presents herself as a person who will teach this to her daughter. Conservative Christians understand this implicitly. There is no need for her to say so, and if McCain said it, he'd be blasted as a hypocrite.
The long and short of this is that McCain made a masterful move here, whether he meant to or not. McCain gets a tenuous pass from conservative Christians, and then only because he's less evil than Obama. Palin gets so many points that she's overrun the buffer.
Now, the larger issue here as I see it isn't whether she has problems in her life, or even how she reacts to them. It's the fact that she metaphorically sold her soul to the devil in accepting the VP pick. If she doesn't know it, then it'll be interesting to find out what happens when she figures it out.
She is EXACTLY what this country needs? Why? Because she talks smug and stupid and believes she channels the mind of God? Do you really want another idiot AND a religious maniac running the show? [McCain graduated near the bottom of his class and only got in because of 'affirmative action' ... er, legacy practices: dad & gramps were admirals who forced him into West Point, where his stupidity and recklessness were as evident then as they are now].
Rightwingnuts get all misty eyed over someone whose hard-drinking, obviously unsupervised and out-of-control teen daughter is pregnant. As a denier of evolution and global warming, it's not surprising Palin doesn't seem to understand the relationship between pregnancy, drinking and fetal brain damage. For goodness sake, she just pumped out a clunker herself a few months ago. I agree with Natalie, it's a PRIVATE choice -- but why then do Repugnicans want to force victims of rape and incest to bear children against their will? This is state-sponsored rape, not pro-"Life."
I forgot ... only the fetus's life is sacred. If you're already born and you're not uber-rich, you're expendable. Why has McCain voted AGAINST funding programs that would help disadvantaged children? Why does he advocate 100 years of war? -- with more saber-rattling at Russia (too bad a nation that won't tax itself to pay for runaway military spending isn't able to do more than this ... Russia mocks our empty threats with impunity, and Communist China laughs all the way to the bank as we buy their defective Wal-Mart goods -- try finding anything "American Made" there!)
That fetus loses all of its 'sacred value' once it is born. Kids can't vote, so grind 'em under your bootheel if their family's struggling to pay the bills. Foreclose!!! -- but by all means, bail out the bank when it goes bankrupt. And when the kid turns 18, it can become cannon fodder for the Repugnican war machine.
Now for the real intellectual dishonesty of the rightwingers who claim Obama has "no experience." Besides distinguished service in the state and U.S. senate, he's a constitutional lawyer. So what? sneer the ditto-heads. Unlike McCain, who's a senile rubber stamp for the neo-Fascist corporatist agenda, Obama's unique background might just give his Administration a real shot at reversing the damage done over the past 8 years to our Constitution under the Imperial Cheney/Bush presidency.
"Liberal" ... "Conservative" ... I'm sick of Karl Rove's hateful divisions. Keep the State out of our lives. Use the war machine only as a last resort. Hold those in power accountable when they bankrupt the nation or lie so they can become war profiteers. Let's have NO MORE privatized profits/socialized risk with "deregulation" and Wall St bailouts for fat cats (McCain a huge proponent of free-for-all unregulated financial markets until he flip-flopped a few days ago -- why don't you Google "Keating 5"??? -- and McCain's role in pushing "market deregulation" at the behest of his lobbyist pals). Thank God the Bush "free-marketeers" didn't get their hands on Social Security!
I realize that nothing I can post here will change some 'conservative" minds that slammed shut decades ago. Once they get through ruining the nation, there'll be nothing more to "conserve."
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