33 thoughts on “Palin the Pallid – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. To say that McCain made his pick out of desperation shows how out of touch with reality you are. The race is close. If anyone should feel desperate, it’s the Obama camp, considering fact that after eight “disastrous” years of Bush in power, their candidate today is barely in the lead.

    It is also laughable to hear you criticize Palin for her lack of experience when Obama, your Chosen One, has even less. I hope Democrats try to make this an issue; it’ll only serve to remind voters of Obama’s own pitifully thin record.

    Mark my words: anyone, like you, who underestimates Palin, who doesn’t take her seriously, is going to be surprised.

  2. Barbie for President! Only this good-looking dish is a right-wing Valkyrie, ready, willing and able to pop off innocent animals for a laugh or two, boot the teaching of evolution out the door, play Mother Earth while denying choice, proclaim as does our present intellectual President that we need better science before maybe moving to save the planet, etc. Yessir, Redneck Barbie for Prez!

  3. The media’s coverage of this woman has clearly been decided:
    She is “colorful”. I must have heard that adjective 15 times already.

    I’m sorry…denying the human cause of global warming, and wanting to exterminate the polar bears does not merit the descriptive term “colorful”.

    How ’bout – cold, stupid, callous….

  4. McCain showed the same type of choice that Bush 39 did with Dan Quayle. They wanted a young pretty guy who they claimed was “like Jack Kennedy”. It was pure window dressing and I’m sure every American – regardless of party breaths a sigh of relief that GHW Bush was young and healthy enough to last his 4 years in office…

    BTW – Palin is so extremist right wing – she is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape and incest – a position opposed by over 70 percent of Americans.

  5. She’s a charmer allright:
    Here’s the reaction of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund:

    “Sarah Palin, whose husband works for BP (formerly British Petroleum), has repeatedly put special interests first when it comes to the environment. In her two years as governor, she has lobbied aggressively to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, pushed for more drilling off of Alaska’s coasts, and put special interests above science. Ms. Palin has made it clear through her actions that she is unwilling to do as much as the Bush administration to address the impacts of global warming. Her most recent effort has been to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the polar bear from the endangered species list, putting Big Oil before sound science.”

    Interesting that 2 days before the announcement of Ms – “don’t believe in global warming, do want to exterminate the polar bears” Palin, as VP, this article appeared about environmental contaminants in Alaska and birth defects.
    http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/26-9

    Interesting because she has a son with Downs, which I believe has a genetic cause. Still the plague of many other kinds of birth defects, mental and physical, has many times been linked to environmental toxics.

    For example a study of babies yet to be born showed an average of 287 contaminants in their cord blood, including flame retardant, pesticides and mercury. http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=49217

    Somehow I don’t think Ms Palin going to concern herself with this.

  6. I agree with you about Sarah, but don’t get too cocky about this–think,over the past few decades, of all the nitwits that have run on the Republican ticket (starting with Reagan, then there was the choice of Quayle, and then 8 years of Bush) with many Democrats thinking “there’s no way the American people could choose this idiot to be President or VP”.

    I’ve looked at one conservative blog (Rod Dreher’s at beliefnet–too lazy to link) where the commenters are wildly enthusiastic about this choice because the woman “walks the walk” as far as being pro-life is concerned. And you do have to give her that–she chose to have her Down syndrome child. It’s not what I’d call a qualification for being VP, but these folks see it as someone in high office modeling their notion of how people should act and it matters a great deal to them. Some of these folks were genuinely disgusted with Bush and thinking about voting Obama and now they’re energized. So it may pull some of the wavering base back into the fold–the question is whether the choice bothers enough people who weren’t already certain to vote for Obama.

    So yeah, it was a stupid choice if you have some quaint notion that the President or VP ought to be intelligent, intellectually curious, well-informed, and ready to lead the country, but there’s nothing in recent history that would demonstrate that Americans choose their leaders with those qualifications in mind.

  7. An interesting post. I think it will be interesting to see how the American Jewish community responds to McCain’s choice of a running mate. I’m also very interested to see how her (lack of) foreign policy interest and experience will play out, especially vis a vis Israel and the rest of the Middle East. I publish an online Jewish journal called the New Vilna Review (www.newvilnareview.com) which may be of interest to you and your readers – we focus on issues of Jewish identity in the modern age, and we’re always looking for new contributors.

  8. @Sammy: Really now. Obama was a state senator in a major Midwestern state, representing one of the biggest cities in the nation, after which he’s spent two years in the U.S. senate representing said state.

    Palin was the mayor of a town of 7,000 after which she became governor of one of the smallest, most remote states in the Union. Which has more, better & more national experience?

  9. Wow!
    I was rather flabbergasted to see McCain’s choice,.

    It makes one wonder about McCain’s judgement of people and what his nominees for cabinet posts, judges, etc., would be.

    I think we know now. Senator McCain would probably not stand up to his party and would be beholden to most of the same crowd who put in George W. Bush.

    What a happy thought!

    Methinks Barak Obama has plenty of ammunition now to address “Presidential Temperament” and “Experience” issues.

    Jim

  10. As a McCain supporter, I must say that I don’t believe that he made the best choice. The problem is that there aren’t any more senior Republican women available. However, the New York Times today showed polls that said 20% of Hillary voters plan to vote for McCain, and if putting Palin on the ticket can pull any more, it is a net gain. In the end, I don’t believe the VP choices make much difference, as indeed was the case with Bush I who also was considered to have made a bad choice with Dan Quayle.

  11. Hey Richard, please notice that DoubleTapper’s blog is still linked from his name. You might want to remove that.

  12. I’m not sure how I arrived at this site, but what poppycock, both in the article and many of the responses. I’ve lived in Alaska since 1971 and suggest that I’m qualified to defend both Alaska and its Governor. She’s the real deal folks.
    There’s more to comment on than I wish to take the time to do. I’ll respond to just one thing: “The only issues this woman has experience dealing with are ones affecting Alaska.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Among the several major achievements Sarah has had in under two years as Governor is that of crafting legislation for a 40 billion natural gas pipeline to pipe Alaska gas through Canada to the lower 48. She was able to get this passed with both Democrat and Republican members of the Alaska legislature. This will have major positive impact to the nation. I’d add that the USSR is a close geographical neighbor to Alaska. Obviously Sarah is most aware and is tuned in to foreign affairs. I could go on and on and on….

  13. @Hank: She doesn’t need defending. Most, if not all of her views are indefensible & completely unacceptable to a mainstream U.S. electorate (though clearly Alaska is a diff. political environment).

    I said she only has experience dealing w. issues affecting Alaska. You said: “Not at all.” And what do you use to prove yr point? That she’s negotiated a pipeline–guess what–affecting Alaska. Sure it may impact other parts of the U.S., but the pipeline is an issue that is important to your state.

    And you have the chutzpah to claim that because Alaska is near Russia that this means she is “tuned in to foreign affairs.” I’m afraid you’ll have to do a ton better than that to persuade anyone that she’s anything other than a “raw deal.”

  14. Will the next VP have all the statutory powers the current VP has? VP may no longer be a do-nothing job.

    Not that VP Palin persuades me that McCain is a good choice as president.

  15. Well fellas, I won’t waste my time trying to persuade you regarding Sarah beyond suggesting you do a little better research. That’s it for me. All the best.

    Hank

  16. @Hank:

    So much for presenting a cogent, well-reasoned argument. If we didn’t know better we might think you had no argument to make. The more research people do into Palin & her background the worse she looks. How ’bout that Bridge to Nowhere which she avidly supported–till she didn’t support it (shades of John Kerry, right?). You wouldn’t know that she ever supported it hearing her denounce it so vociferously in her “maiden” speech as a VP candidate.

    But somehow she managed to keep the $223 million that was allocated for the bridge & used it partially to build a road in Ketchikan that would’ve connected to the bridge (that will never be built). Make sense?

  17. “The USSR is a close geographical neighbor to Alaska. Obviously Sarah is most aware and is tuned in to foreign affairs.”

    Laughable. Also the line was first advanced by Fox News, and I guess the Repubs like it – cuz it is everywhere in their “defense”.

  18. It’s painfully obvious that “a cogent, well-reasoned argument” would fall on deaf ears. I’m signing off
    buddy. God Bless you and your readers.

    Hank

    P.S. where I erred in my original writing was in
    calling Russia the USSR.

  19. The fact is that Palin has had plenty of executive experience as a mayor and a governor, something that both Obama and Biden lack. Furthermore, we wanted something different: you can’t get any further from Washington than Alaska. Furthermore, Palin has fought corruption and supported reform and change in her state, while Obama and Biden never stood for any change at all. Also, keep in mind that any arguments based on experience against Palin also apply to Obama, who is going to be the president, not the VP!

  20. “Hank said:

    It’s painfully obvious that “a cogent, well-reasoned argument” would fall on deaf ears. I’m signing off
    buddy. God Bless you and your readers.

    Hank

    P.S. where I erred in my original writing was in
    calling Russia the USSR.”

    hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahhaa

  21. @Yoni: Mayor of a town of 6,000. Governor of the state w. the smallest population in the nation & virtually none of the serious problems facing most of the rest of the nation (except for environmental issues).

    Who wanted something different? Tom Ridge would’ve been a candidate I would’ve felt comfortable with. I didn’t want something diff. a la Sarah Palin. And McCain will pay for Palin. He already is if you read the pages of the NYT.

    Obama never stood for change?? What planet are you on?

    As for experience, Obama has far more & better experience than Palin any day of the week.

  22. Richard, I’d have been more inclined to engage in the conversation with you were you not so offensive. I’m
    turned off by your attack methods, for instance “what
    planet are you on?”

    Hank

  23. Yeah, I asked what planet Yoni was on. You likely didn’t read the comment he published in another thread in which he called for the execution of an Israeli-American peace activist for treason. I wrote the “offensive” comment not so much because of his views of Palin, but because of the prior highly offensive comment.

    Let’s just say that Yoni is a piece of work.

    And yes, making a claim that Obama has never stood for change indicates he is not living in any reality that I know, which is why I asked what planet he was on.

    I can deal w. people criticizing Obama & I have done so myself (though not for any of the reasons that you or Yoni would’ve criticized him). It’s criticism based on prejudice, ignorance or shallowness that I don’t appreciate.

  24. Your clarification is well taken. Yet you’ve succeeded in offending again in that you lumped me with Yoni. Perhaps
    you should take greater care in your writings. I don’t appreciate the suggestion that I fit your comment: “It’s criticism based on prejudice, ignorance or shallowness that I don’t appreciate.”

    You don’t know me. 73s..

    Hank

  25. @Hank:

    Yet you’ve succeeded in offending again in that you lumped me with Yoni.

    Huh? I wrote a comment about Yoni. I was referring to Yoni. It is you who have conflated yrself w. Yoni, not me. I never mentioned your name or referred to yr views about Palin in the comment in question.

    Perhaps you should take greater care in your writings.

    Perhaps YOU should take greater care in yr reading. And it seems to me that if one WANTS to be offended one can find many reasons to be. They’re not necessarily valid. But easy enough to find & embrace.

    I don’t appreciate the suggestion that I fit your comment: “It’s criticism based on prejudice, ignorance or shallowness that I don’t appreciate.”

    I was referring in a general way to those who criticize Barack Obama. I wasn’t referring to a specific critic (you or anyone else) or specific argument. Again, you don’t know much about this blog (& continue to display that ignorance unfortunately); one of the subjects I write about is attacks on Obama by the right. I was making a general judgment about the content of those attacks.

    I’d say your arguments on Palin’s behalf, such as they are, weren’t especially persuasive, but certainly not based on ignorance or prejudice. But again, you’ve refused to provide any detailed defense of her so it’s hard to judge the quality of yr evidence or argument on that basis.

  26. Hello Richard,

    You’ve said:

    “Huh? I wrote a comment about Yoni. I was referring to Yoni. It is you who have conflated yrself w. Yoni, not me. I never mentioned your name or referred to yr views about Palin in the comment in question.”

    Here are your words I was referring to:

    “I can deal w. people criticizing Obama & I have done so myself (though not for any of the reasons that you or Yoni would’ve criticized him). It’s criticism based on prejudice, ignorance or shallowness that I don’t appreciate.”

    And you’re right, I know little about this blog. Furthermore I intend to know less. Your parenthetical phrase brought me into the picture: “(though not for any of the reasons that you or Yoni would’ve criticized him).” Yes, I do read every word. Perhaps you didn’t intend it that way. I’ll accept that. Thanks for the clarification.

    Now today you’ve said regarding Gov Palin’s daughter that that’s a family matter and off limits. Then you went right on to do just the opposite.

    In closing my comments I’d suggest you try to live up to the appealing title: “Make the World a Better Place.”

    Shalom

  27. @Hank:

    “I can deal w. people criticizing Obama & I have done so myself (though not for any of the reasons that you or Yoni would’ve criticized him). It’s criticism based on prejudice, ignorance or shallowness that I don’t appreciate.”

    Only a person acting in bad faith would refuse to accept the explanation I gave you of what I wrote above. It wasn’t about you. It was about the racists & others who have accused Obama of being Muslim, etc. If we extend yr logic to my comment then I would’ve not just been including you & Yoni among those who criticize Obama based on prejudice, ignorance & shallowness–I would’ve been charging myself w. the same offense since I wrote that I criticized him as well. I clearly wasn’t doing that. Anyone who wants to find offense can find a way to do so. Congratulations, you’ve succeeded.

    You misread my post about Bristol Palin. I said her pregnancy was a private matter. But given the fact that Sarah Palin boasts of being an evangelical Christian for whom family values are paramount, her own supporters will be turned off by what has happened. She herself has made this issue fair game for the press & her supporters to inquire about given her own political/moral/religious values. What also disturbs me is that she never bothered to teach her child about birth control.

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