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Sarah Palin’s speech
September 4, 2008
Astonishing. It was a fine convention speech—but, reading the text, no better than very good. What was just sensational, far exceeding my expectations, was the delivery. After the thrashing she has received from press and television in the past few days, knowing what was at stake for the party and for John McCain as she stood at the podium, with a good part of the nation watching and waiting for her to trip, her composure and self-assurance were simply amazing. Who could fail to be moved by this? And it was even more impressive than it looked, because the waves of adulation from the audience kept interrupting her momentum: they did not know it, but at times the audience was making it harder for her. Yet she never looked hesitant or thrown. She paused when she had to and controlled the timing. She actually seemed comfortable. If ever there were a political natural, we saw one tonight.
It was not a safe speech, though at the beginning, when she was talking mainly about McCain, I thought it was going to be. She had a pair of difficult acts to follow, because both Mike Huckabee and (especially) Rudi Giuliani gave terrific barnstorming speeches before she came on. (Let‘s not dwell on Mitt Romney’s bizarre contribution.) She not only touched on her own biography, in ways sure to delight small-town Americans across the land, she also asserted her command, as the governor of an oil-producing state, of the energy debate. Had Democrats forgotten that this is a key issue in the election, and one on which they are trailing the Republicans in public opinion?
I was surprised that she dared to attack Obama-Biden on national security and foreign policy, where her credentials are weak: here she was saying, I’m not afraid of you. In fronting her own executive experience, comparing it favorably (and not without justification) with Obama’s, she dared to mock the Democratic nominee. That too was a risk, because mockery easily backfires—ask the Democrats about that tonight—and it paid off. All the barbs—“he has written two memoirs but not one piece of legislation,” and so on—went home.
Well, the Democrats have a problem. They had a few days of calling her a clueless redneck, a stewardess, a nonentity, and she has hurled that back in their bleeding gums. (If I were Joe Biden, I’d start practising for October 2nd right now.) Even before tonight’s speech, they had backed off the “no experience” strategy, because (as the Republicans intended) that was sending shrapnel in Obama’s direction. Their line right now is their default mode, that McCain-Palin is four more years of George Bush. But this too is a completely untenable strategy, since the Republican ticket now looks stunningly fresh to voters, as fresh in fact as Obama-Biden. Where they will have to end up is obvious: McCain-Palin is an extreme right-wing ticket. It is a team that will prosecute the culture war against all that is decent and civilized in the United States: that must be the line.
Aside from further surprises in her biography, this—not her supposed inexperience—is the vulnerability that Palin has brought to the McCain candidacy. We need to hear her questioned on those issues. How unbending a social conservative is she? So much as to frighten the independents McCain needs? McCain is not a culture warrior. That is not the campaign he wanted to fight. At the moment, however, this factor seems massively outweighed in electoral terms by the excitement she has brought to the campaign. The party cannot believe its luck. They want to win again, and suddenly they think they can.
What one next wants to know is how Americans at large react to what they saw tonight. I will be surprised if they were not very impressed.
Update: CNN on why the speech was a problem for McCain: “Well, he has to speak tomorrow night, and as we know, he is no governor of Alaska.” Flexibility you can believe in from the best political team on television.
Clive Crook writes of Sarah Palin’s speech: “I will be surprised if they [Americans] were not very impressed.” Well, here is one American who was very impressed by Palin’s speech - by its emptiness, its divisiveness, its utter lack of specifics (except on energy, where her policy is a combination of big oil’s drilling agenda and the Democrats’ proposals for alternative energy development), and, above all, its jingoism, distortions and its monumental cynicism in calling McCain a maverick and a reformer when he has in fact capitulated to the Bush/Cheney Republican establishment on almost every issue, including especially taxes, an issue on which Palin shamelessly misrepresented Obama’s positions almost to the point of Orwellian fiction.
Clive Crook is right to say that the Democrats will have to attack the McCain-Palin ticket as extremist. Palin’s speech and her record, thin as it is, show that this should not be very hard to do. Nothing proves the double standard in the media coverage of this campaign more than the fact that so many commentators could be impressed by Palin’s stale rehash of typical far right Republican platitudes (if it were not for the moderators, I would use a different word), while condemning Barack Obama’s thoughtful, specific, forward-looking and eloquent speeches (which he writes himself rather than having them written by a professional party hack, as in Palin’s case) as “empty rhetoric”.
It is not by any means an exaggeration to say that Barack Obama stands for all that is decent in America. In that sense, McCain’s choice of a narrow far right extremist like Palin to attack him was a smart, if not entirely predictable, move.
Having said the above, I also have to admit that there was one very positive feature of Palin’s speech: she did not fall off the podium. Perhaps for that reason alone, the Democrats need to go on the attack. This is especially true of Palin’s upcoming debate with Biden. i wonder if Obama will come to regret having chosen America’s most eminent windbag to go against Palin, who will start with a big advantage because she will be free to say anything that she likes, without having to worry about the truth.
Posted by: algasema | September 4th, 2008 at 8:40 am | Report this commentObama is useless without his teleprompter and choreographer: I can’t wait to see him debate McCain. Palin was an inspired VP choice. This is the most exciting Presidential race for a long time.
Sit back and enjoy!!!
Posted by: Shevvers | September 4th, 2008 at 8:56 am | Report this commentI have been reading Clive’s blogs for a few months now, and I’ve nearly always agreed with his views. I am disappointed by this latest one, however.
You are correct about her delivery - it was good. But nowhere do you address the fact that Palin makes no mention at all about specifics: what policies will the Republicans put in place to reassure the American people? After all, this is what is at stake.
Posted by: Nicolas | September 4th, 2008 at 9:27 am | Report this commentI agree with Clive I want expecting much from the “Trailer Trash VP” but she was eloquent, articulate and charismatic — almost everything McCain is not.
Whichever republican satrap spotted her potential deserves credit.
The real problem for the Republicans will be how to stop her overshadowing thier rather dull presidential candidate.
Posted by: James Anderson | September 4th, 2008 at 10:18 am | Report this commentOne look at Sarah Palin when John first made his announcement and many people could see just one thing: trouble. Here is an amiable, forthright perrson with prodigious faith in her own resources, who is very far from intimidated by anyone. She is also a wilful evangelical Christian ideologue who mistakes exaggerated homely can-do-ness for genuine homespun political, social and moral wisdom. An intriguing human specimen, she has no depthful insight into the broad human condition and the xenophobia evident in her speech to the RNC is a case in point. Sarah is a person who embraces creationism, teenage abstinence vows and has, presumably, the hubris to look any gay or lesbian couple in the eye and tell them that her teenage daughter and his boyfriend are better prepared and qualified for marriage than they are. Gore Vidal has said, unfortunately with some justification, that America is a backward society and this individual is a case in point. It is not that Sarah Palin the person is base or that all of her values are execrable - or that her character is not a strong one. It is simply that it is very disturbing that someone with her callowness can be a candidate for deputy commander-in-chief of the most powerful nation on the earth. On the other hand, America not only can do worse, but is doing worse as she addresses the convention. And this is the problem – it is cheerful achievers like Sarah Palin who can provide the perpetual alibi for what is dark, very dark in the Republican Party. An enemy of special interests, Sarah Palin? Let’s see her take on Vice President Haliburton. As things stand, she’s his PR person.
Posted by: IraM | September 4th, 2008 at 10:31 am | Report this commentIt is amazing how the Americans are impressed by a speech or a comment on private life not only of the candidate but on members of his family. And the last who speaks seems to be always right. The candidates are advertising themselves same as they would for a new soap or tooth paste. What a world !
Posted by: Roberto Castellano | September 4th, 2008 at 11:37 am | Report this commentNow Clive, as a regular reader of your column I know you are an intelligent man, but I was just re-reading your critique of Obama’s speech last week in Denver. Now while you did sing it praises, comparing it to the kudos you have heaped on Ms. Palin’s speech, I find very odd.
Perhaps because the expectation for Sarah Palin was so much lower, that the fact that she delivered the speech well, meant it was excellent?
It had no substance. It didn’t really address her experience. So after watching it twice, I can’t understand how it was such a great speech.
On the other hand, Obama’s speech last Thursday night was the best political speech I have ever heard at a convention for either party. Yet you seemed mildly impressed.
Is it fair to say, it is in the best interest of the press to ensure this presidential race is close? Or at least to give the impression that it may be…
Posted by: meljomur | September 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am | Report this commentwell said, meljomur. Couldn’t agree with you more.
Posted by: Nicolas | September 4th, 2008 at 11:51 am | Report this commentI had a beer yesterday with a Daley Machine operator, who has been around a bit (he has worked for both Mayor Daleys) who stated, that the Palin nomination was a just an cynical attempt to get votes, without considering the consequences.
After the speech he emailed, “now I am afraid the American people will think she could lead the country and that can’t be good for Barack”.
The key is…actual leadership doesn’t matter to the Machine, only getting elected. Anything that gets in the Machine way (Alice Palmer, Blair Hull, Jack Ryan), they will try to stamp out.
Anything that worries the Daley Machine must be good for Demorcracy.
JBP
Posted by: John Powers | September 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm | Report this commentI had a beer yesterday with a Daley Machine operator, who has been around a bit (he has worked for both Mayor Daleys) who stated, that the Palin nomination was a just an cynical attempt to get votes, without considering the consequences.
After the speech he emailed, “now I am afraid the American people will think she could lead the country and that can’t be good for Barack”.
The key is…actual leadership doesn’t matter to the Machine, only getting elected. Anything that gets in the Machine way (Alice Palmer, Blair Hull, Jack Ryan), they will try to stamp out.
Anything that worries the Daley Machine must be good for Democracy.
JBP
Posted by: John Powers | September 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm | Report this commentThis election is a slam-dunk for the Republicans. Not that I’m happy about that but Palin nailed it tonight. The booboisie will eat this gal up. They will love her. It matters not a whit if she can do the policy wonk yak yak. She is clearly smart, ambitious and utterly uncowed by one of the most vicious media attacks I’ve ever seen. They dumped on her and damn if she didn’t give it right back at them with style, grace, wit and the warmest smile in christendom. She’s America’s Thatcher. I remember the oxbridge beat-up on the iron lady and how she dished it right back with wit and verve, qualities the poobahs just couldn’t believe a grocer’s daughter could possibly possess.
Next to Sarah Palin, Obama will seem like a vacuous, airy-fairy. An empty suit. A wimp. Nobody likes a wimp. Not even feminists. I suspect there’s going to be a new “Bradley effect”: feminists who say they’re voting for Obama and voting against the Republicans but… who go into the voting booth and pull the lever for the hockey mom. The Clintons got this one right. The Dems picked the one guy who couldn’t win. He quickly grates. It’s not his race. Average American could care less about race or gender. They care about performance, competence, and charisma. Obama is boring, inarticulate and what he’s accomplished, the Ivy degrees, the community organizer stuff, winning a couple of political offices just doesn’t impress the great unwashed. Nor me. Which is rather frightening… to agree with mass opinion on anything.
Working folks are connecting big time with Palin and her stud muffin husband. Women love her because she doesn’t take any guff from the big boys. Men love her because she’s, well, sexy. Trust me. That’s what wins elections. Obama and Biden. Couple of tired old hacks. And gawd what bores!!
Forget about whether there was any “substance” in Palin’s speech. Electorate doesn’t give a twig about wonkish policy stuff. Bores ‘em to tears. They’re too dumb to understand what it means. They vote for (a) witty sex appeal that doesn’t sound dumb and (b) their pocketbooks and (c) at certain times of crisis they vote out of fear. Obama and Biden flop on all three. McCain will be sold to the booboisie as a fighter-pilot war hero who isn’t going to raise their taxes (whether it’s true or not is utterly unimportant to the masses). And Palin closes the deal with her guts, charisma, intelligence and pure, unadulterated sex appeal.
So a crazy old Republican jet jockey is going to own the White House for the next for years. It’s pathetic and frightening but not quite as pathetic or frightening as “no there there” rad chic socialista Obama and his crazy old bloviating logarrheic Democratic fuddy duddy Biden buddy.
Repubs somehow, mirabile dictu, stumbled upon a new Thatcher. And, the Dems, well, they’ve put up another McGovern, Mondale, Dukaka Dud. Election will be a blowout. I’m heading to Intrade this very moment before the odds shift. I like easy money.
Posted by: shenandoah | September 4th, 2008 at 1:15 pm | Report this commentVery impressed. Palin gave a speech that was powerful, direct, succinct, and biting. Not bad at all. And we look forward to seeing more. We would also like to see even keeled reporting from the press. I was especially perplexed at NPR reporter Gwen Ifil’s review of Palin. I expect NPR (of all sources) to be more even-keeled in its reporting. But they had a hard time giving up any positive comments at all for Palin. It was as if Gwen Ifil might be expecting a review of her own performance from the Obama campaign after she left the RNC floor. Let’s face it. The Democrats were probably unhappy to see Palin do so well. I am looking forward to November. It should fun from here on in.
Posted by: Mary | September 4th, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Report this commentThe Democrats took safe paths by picking Senator Biden, long in years of service but not very inspiring, and by trying to remake the very competent Michelle Obama into a softer, warmer version of herself.
Sarah Palen took the stage and showed that a woman can inspire, be outspoken and charming. The carping about lack of details in her speech doesn’t matter much. The purpose of the acceptance speeches is to paint in broad strokes, not detail how it’s going to work.
Obama’s speech mentioned a litany of programs and causes that would take a decade to accomplish and pointed people to his website for details on how he was going to pay for them. It’s hard to believe that all the grumps raced to their computers to peruse those financial details.
Posted by: annetta | September 4th, 2008 at 2:38 pm | Report this commentHow would anyone ever know if Michelle Obama is competent? She hardly ever has been to her current job, as she has been campaigning pretty much since her miraculous promotion.
JBP
Posted by: John Powers | September 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm | Report this commentI regard Sarah Palin’s speech as contrived and ridiculous. There was no mention of her discussing the current Saudi version of another terrorist attack: that of oil price strangulation or that political steps in the backrooms have been taken to shore up the dollar to bring the oil price down (how else is the oil price so high?). Nor was there any mention of Bank and impending Bank failures or of the worst mortgage crisis since the GD. Or the impending crisis of commercial mortgages. Or of the eroding corporate health care conundrum. The major question going forward that should be exploited by the Democrats for a plurality of the voting population is this hypothesis: Given McCain’s age at seventy two and in poor health with over 24 operations to his war torn body, will the American electorate vote for McCain/Palin when there may be a high probability that she will accend to the Presidency during John’s first term? The Democrats must also mention that the other instance of bank failure’s in the recent past was when the father GHWB was President.
Posted by: allan glenn | September 4th, 2008 at 3:40 pm | Report this commentSarah Palin’s speech was a safe speech. Knowing what is at stake any college student would effect it to the same effect; Bar a college graduate in journalism. I for one will not be swayed by the current order of all this madness in the world. We live in a world of today and what tomorrow brings; but what tomorrow brings whether its head on collison; er no worries… That is scary, real scary. Especially after looking back well let us say eight year. This is not stuff we just have to get over and blast off like pop corn churning in a machine within seconds.
All speeches yesterday pressed the cause for the republicans, not a mention of what their incumbent flag bearer at the white house got any highlight. And it disturbs even furhter to see most folk avoid issues we are facing as americans knowingly turning on their blinkers.
Now, you can lie some people sometimes; but you cannot lie all the nation all the time. At this very time when people’s livelihoods are at stake, A time where we as americans will be engaging in God knows how many wars and confrontation. I hear we are Georgians now; let alone the $1bn already poured out there to rebuild Georgia. Did Gustav hit mainland america couple days ago? I guess another $1bn is set aside to rebuild the nation. Or it will look like another scenery from Darfur. All those people hurdled together in a big building with beds not even arm’s length, women,children, sex offenders, elderly, all put together. Maybe it is time to tackle real issues like the levees in down south. Approximately 40 million americans have no access to good and I am saying good implying to affordable healthcare. To some getting sick is going bankrupt or even a death setence. Lord have mercy!
We used to read about it in the news about people here and afar there losing jobs; but most of us, neighbours, friends and families are crest fallen out of jobs. I pray I never get sick now; that would be the worst nightmare.
To mention but a few, none of this was mentioned; apart from the new conservative definition, Hey I am a real hard core conservative who holds real family values. But hey look look america; here is my 17 year old daughter, she is pregnant, and her boyfriend..er never mind they will be married soon is here too. But now look at them as married as a good couple.
And feel the sympathy for my family; I actually felt it for your younger son; whom you literally fed to the lions; er well why have your baby bounce from hand to hand for hours; Did anyone notice america; maybe this bay was hungry but never got to be fed for all the time we were holding up for the speeches; talk about this little one being subjected to all the noise there was? I wonder what the social services crew was up to?
And who is crying sexism? guess who the repulicans? yet on their placards they refer to Palin as sexy hockey mum; now talk about all this nonsense…
And to women out there; I believe that a worthy woman will one day lead this great nation. There are women who have done a whole lot for this nation whom we rather not applaud. quick example would be Condi. What has n’t she done for America? Come on now people; give praise where it is due. And if we think of shattering the ceiling, then such a woman in condi’s stature is head above shoulders.
My grandmother years ago used to tell me how free she was and that nothing stopped women from achieving anything; True; But what she never told me that there will be a time when I would see a woman advertising everything from good ‘ol tea leaves, left right and center to just the perception of having just a woman in office ready to snap and bit sometimes rather too much. America you will decide and live by your choice come november; beware for what you wish for; we are setting precedents like I will always say; The least thing I want is to have hope of my grandmother be thrown to the gutters without any reason and merit.
Posted by: Steven | September 4th, 2008 at 5:05 pm | Report this commentWith eight years of the Bush era, for any sound mind; I would hold my breath and think hard. elections come once every four years, but in those four years, we will still live our lives in a very normal way; how that will take course God knows. God Bless America.
Shenandoah has it about right. There’s an interesting piece by on offer from AP reporter Jim Kuhnhenn today, showing how Palin managed to twist (deform) the truth in her speech, and how others have lied and made unproven claims in their’s. But I doubt the voting masses will even get round to reading it, nor less taking any notice of it.
Posted by: Derek Tunnicliffe | September 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm | Report this commentIn last week’s episode we saw actor Barack Obama play the role of President of the United States (the backdrop was not ancient Athens).
In this week’s episode we saw actress Sarah Palin play the role of Vice-President of the United States.
Good thing there are also two real contenders in this reality show: John McCain and Joe Biden. Only one of them can be the next president. The other will NOT be the next vice-president.
Posted by: RCS | September 4th, 2008 at 6:53 pm | Report this commentTo get back to the subject of the Democrats’ Greek columns that I mentioned yesterday in my post on Clive Crook’s “Day 1 in St. Paul” blog, I sense a Greek tragedy in store for America, with Sarah Palin standing in for Medea.
Posted by: algasema | September 4th, 2008 at 7:10 pm | Report this commentI’ve reassessed my view of Sarah Palin.
My first thought about her usefulness to John McCain was that she would be a draw for disaffected Hillary supporters in a close race, but then all I knew about Sarah was that she characterized herself as a soccer, or hockey, mom.
But already I’ve learned more about her than I ever would have wanted to know, and her simple, original description of herself proves disingenuous at best, and there is the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell of her appealing to Hillary supporters.
A dizzying jumble of images and anecdotes now clutters the Internet. There’s a picture of her in a bikini, with an American flag motif no less, holding a rifle, with a loony grin, poolside. There’s another picture in a black leather mini-skirt, high platform shoes, satiny blouse with revealing décolletage, standing at a bar with a wine glass. There’s the head-shot of her looking through the sight of a military weapon, a la Thatcher in her tank. Then there are the many carefully-posed pictures of her dressed demurely in family groupings, sentimental pictures as familiar to me as her flat Midwestern accent, a holdover from Idaho in her case, which just happens to be America’s favourite refuge for survivalists, private militias, and Aryan lunatics.
Then there are her statements about the bloody, illegal invasion of Iraq being “God’s will.” How would she know that? Because George Bush told her? Or does God personally whisper in her ear? If it’s God, I wonder when He (Sarah being a fundamentalist, it could not possibly be a She) takes the opportunity of speaking to her? When she’s poolside in a bikini, toting a gun, or dressed and scurrying out the door with the clan for Sunday school?
She supported Pat Buchanan, poster boy for everything that is wrong with America, in his Junior Brown Shirt march for the presidency in 2000. Before that, she was a card-carrying member of the Alaska Independence party, not exactly in keeping with Stars-and-Stripes bikinis, but definitely consistent with erratic behavior. There were denials about the Independence party, but the records are there, as is her signature.
She has five children, including her most recent, sadly afflicted with Down syndrome. In this day of certainty through tests, it does seem irresponsible to have such a child, which likely will be dependent on family and society for its entire life. Yes, her behaviour is consistent with her views on abortion – about which she once claimed she would not have an abortion even for a raped daughter – but is it sensible? Does such a decision reflect sound, realistic judgment? Our world today is full of such complex situations and judgments, not a world of simplistic rights or wrongs.
She is against gay marriage, against abortion, and against just about anything else you can find in the “anti” repertoire of religious predators along the lines of Jimmy Swaggert or Jerry Falwell. If she accepts war and mass killing as God’s will, why does she not extend that thinking to gay marriage or tests which help us prevent tragic outcomes from pregnancy?
She’s not much more consistent in her other behaviour and thinking. She’s big on commandments and rules, but that did not stop her from trying to have her brother-in-law dismissed from his job in the state police. Nor did it prevent her hacking into an opponent’s computer to get information to secure her election as mayor. And respect for proper procedures did not cause her a moment’s concern when she used paid lobbyists to land pork-barrel projects for her town.
Sarah is almost an American cartoon character, Daffy Duck waving his wings and flapping his beak madly off in all directions.
Her acceptance speech at the convention was certainly competently delivered, but what did it say? It was literally a set of one-liners, Rush Limbaugh barking away on the radio, without any sense of purpose or direction stated other than winning the election and “serving the people.” God, I would hate to be tasked with listing all the monstrous crimes committed in the name of “serving the people,” almost as many, surely, as those covered by “God’s will” in history.
Actually, there’s very little that is new about Sarah Palin. I’ve seen this act before. In tone and substance and attitude, Sarah is Newt Gingrich in drag. But then Newt was almost as irreligious as John McCain. Sarah, though, has a big fat hunk of old Bob Jones tossed in – after all, in the heady ‘60s, the old man had guards with automatic weapons at the gates of Bob Jones’ University - and that brings us to one of her main purposes in this campaign.
Sarah is there to speak to the born-again crowd, people who do not actually trust John McCain as being sympathetic to their views, and with good reason. Born-agains are roughly a fifth of the American population, and the Republicans never can win without their support. So we’ve gone from having the nuttier class of fundamentalists burrowing into every corner of America’s government under George Bush, affecting even the language used in literature at the Grand Canyon, to having one of their own placed “a heartbeat away” from the presidency, and this by a man whose heartbeat just might not last his term.
Posted by: JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO | September 4th, 2008 at 7:31 pm | Report this commentI agree with everything John Chuckman mentions. That Palin’s rehashed litany of far right wing lunacy could be praised by the media is a tragedy and a farce at the same time.
But, as always, I have to put in good word even for someone like her who presents such a danger to America. Of all four candidates, she is the only one who doesn’t want to make me switch channels as soon as she starts to speak.
Posted by: algasema | September 4th, 2008 at 8:22 pm | Report this commentAnother algasema. I meant: “doesn’t make me want to switch channels”.
Posted by: algasema | September 4th, 2008 at 8:24 pm | Report this commentMcCain chose an all-American cheerleader to make him look good, look young, and make him look like he had a smart choice. Obama chose a strong right hand man who is good for the America. And together with Biden, they will have a profound impact on the world.
Posted by: Matthew Lawrence | September 4th, 2008 at 8:32 pm | Report this commentI agree,McCain chose the all-american cheerleader as his running mate who, as cheerleaders do, stand on the sidelines, make a lot of noise even if the team is LOSING.
Posted by: Matthew James | September 4th, 2008 at 8:34 pm | Report this commentWell already a counter proposal was given for this speach.
Palin is talented and impressive to watch.
Sensationnal would be the term.
I have to admit.
Now, the content seemed more focused on putting down the other party than putting in value things they propose. Somehow we could interpret it as if Republican don’t have much to give to the states in the end.
http://justmoreofthesame.com/fact_check/26/fact-check-sarah-palin
Posted by: Timel | September 4th, 2008 at 8:39 pm | Report this commentThis is a counter attack on the speach and it’s quite interresting.
Three cheers for Mr. Crook, Godspeed to Governor Palin, and good luck to the Democrats - they will need some. My pretty wife and I were blown away by her.
I have ancestors who served in the seventeenth century colonial House of Burgesses and the nineteenth century Congress of the Republic of Texas. I believe these forefathers would recognize Governor Palin as a truly extraordinary woman. She is the woman who got America to the Pacific.
I am aware my mention of Texas causes many elsewhere to incorrectly think of unenlightened redneck incumbent party lemmings. On the contrary, most real Texans (”cut out of the old rock” as we say) are independent by nature and know Texas historically voted Democrat.
Governor Palin has an image and reality in both life and experience the civilized world can admire and Americans can benefit from. She appears to have accomplished a great deal in a short time. She is wonderful and we look forward to more of her.
Posted by: SH | September 4th, 2008 at 8:40 pm | Report this commentAgain, ever see a skater go down hard; legs akimbo, that look of disbelief. We’re seeing Sarah Palin’s detractors fold like lawn chairs. It’s a long overdue moment. Bet you can’t watch just once: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX7X4FovYRA&NR=1 And how ‘bout them Dems, they done yet: http://theseedsof9-11.com
Posted by: Peggy McGilligan | September 5th, 2008 at 12:27 am | Report this commentDid she not point out Obama’s shallow narcissism? Is that not what infuriates so many of his supporters?
Posted by: jgl | September 5th, 2008 at 12:28 am | Report this commentDoes Sarah Palin actually believe that God wanted the US to blow hell out of Iraq, needlessly? To destroy cultural remains thousands of years old and of very high importance to all mankind, again needlessly?
Posted by: James Canning | September 5th, 2008 at 12:35 am | Report this commentAnyone who thought that Palin would not give a very good (I can’t go for sensational) speech has not been paying attention. It was clear that her ability to speak well and with great poise and humor (although humor was not so much evident as was her mean spirit) are reasons that she has gone as far as she has. However, her speaking ability does not negate the following facts: she is anti-abortion; believes it would be okay to teach creationism in public schools; and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money on the terrible and inhumane practice of aerial wolf and bear hunting. These are just a few of the many reasons I could never vote for this ticket.
Posted by: Jana | September 5th, 2008 at 4:21 am | Report this commentYes Jana is correct. What she stands for is intolerable for many folks. But the scariest part is that she looks and talks like a reasonable person. Her looks enhance that too. Thus we get the wolf in sheep’s clothing. And Democrats are seemingly opposed to shooting wolves or sheep. So we must pray [sorry - hope] that Sarah commits hari-kiri in someway.
Posted by: tim | September 5th, 2008 at 10:09 am | Report this commentI recently met a charming woman like her; in appearance and demeanour. Then she opened her mouth and said that Obama was a muslim fundamentalist. It beggars belief. But we have to remember that the USA was populated originally by people who annoyed their European neighbors by being religious crack-pots. A sigh of relief was heard when they sailed west.
I think the Democrats should ignore her and hit on John, if you will excuse the expression.
For the life of me, I can’t understand why Palin’s speech is being so widely hailed as a great one. I thought she sounded bitter, hateful and waspish. More importantly, she also seemed out of her depth. Her smug one-liners made it seem alarmingly like she really doesn’t understand that being US Vice-president actually is more important and more complicated than being a hockey mom and small-town mayor. Finally, when did comparing oneself and one’s motherhood to a vicious attack-dog become a matter of pride? I’m mystified by the media coverage of the speech, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Posted by: Mystified | September 5th, 2008 at 2:16 pm | Report this commentI have yet to see any reporter for the FT mention the sheer and blatant hypocrisy of the Republican party. If Sarah Palin were the Democratic nominee for Vice President, with a 17-year old pregnant unwed daughter and a 4-month old special needs child, the Republicans and the religious right would be ripping her to shreds for putting her career ahead of her family. But since she is a Republican and (better yet) an evangelical Christian, they are heaping praise upon her for being a wonderful mother. And they are attacking those in the media who dare to point out the hypocrisy and double standard of the Republican/religous right political machine. I agree that this pregnancy is a personal family matter. But the Republicans and their media attack dogs (such as Bill O’Reilly) have set themselves up by previously railing against unwed teenage mothers and their parents. Now they have to face the music. Let’s hope that more Americans recognize that this is what is going on.
Posted by: Carole | September 5th, 2008 at 3:17 pm | Report this commentI don’t understand this woman she says that she is a Christian woman and she is conservative but yet she basically talks down to people like myself who believe that Barack is going to bring change. If she believes the things John McCain feels tell me why my husband and I both have degrees and we have been looking for jobs. Why a friend that we have has 2 masters degrees and can’t find a job. How can she call herself a Christian and yet bring down her brothers and sisters. The Bible says love your enemies not talk them down. How dare she
Posted by: Jamie | September 5th, 2008 at 3:32 pm | Report this comment“Actually, there’s very little that is new about Sarah Palin. I’ve seen this act before. In tone and substance and attitude, Sarah is Newt Gingrich in drag.”
This is true. Although former Speaker Gingrich has toned down his comments when he frequently shows up on television talk shows, he was among the most outspoken and bombastic of the group when the extreme right-wing Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994 until his resignation. The bombast was never factually-based - nothing new there - and grossly hypocritical - now new there either but was incessant and plausible if the listener did not know any facts.
The same is true of Governor Palin’s public comments so far: seemingly plausible, soemwhat pleasantly presented (although the Convention speech sounds reprehensible in its mocking tone towards all others who do not subscribe to the Christian Right’s viewpoints), but completely at odds with the facts, including deliberate, repeated lying about readily ascertainable facts. That has been the game plan for Republicans since Reagan, but it simply will not work with a sufficient number of people this time.
Speaker Gingrich realizes that - he has to toady to the special interests in healthcare and energy that he depends upon for his funding now, so he has to sound at least somewhat reasonable when he is spinning his public comments to the advantage of those funders.
Posted by: Wendell Murray | September 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm | Report this commentI agree with everything in the above posts beginning with James Canning’s and continuing with all of the posts after, not prior to, his. The Republican party, more than ever, has become the party of hypocrisy, of extremism, of divisiveness, of authoritarianism, of theocracy and of the military-oil-financial industry ruling elite.
Its ability to stay in power depends entirely on its success in distracting voters from focusing on their true economic interests by appealing to their prejudices, their fears and their worst instincts.
This is why Sarah Palin is the perfect Republican choice for Vice President. There could be no better symbol of the Republicans’ narrowness and disregard for both the truth and voters’ intelligence than this fundamentalist zealot and Buchanan supporter.
Posted by: algasema | September 5th, 2008 at 6:06 pm | Report this comment“If Sarah Palin were the Democratic nominee for Vice President, with a 17-year old pregnant unwed daughter and a 4-month old special needs child, the Republicans and the religious right would be ripping her to shreds”
Prove it. The party of “women and children first” would have to nominate a woman first. They didn’t.
The Republicans have always been the party supporting Civil Rights and Women. Note Abraham Lincoln and the Suffrage movements were most certainly Republican inventions, fought to the death by the Democrats.
The Democrats mixed up Leftist swindling with governing a long time ago and should certainly be penalized for their agenda.
JBP
JBP
Posted by: John Powers | September 6th, 2008 at 12:09 am | Report this commentJBP: The example is not quite on the mark:
The comparable situation would be “what if one of Senator Obama’s daughters were a few years older and pregnant”.
Black unwed teenage pregnancy. The Christian Right would have a field day with that one.
To contend otherwise is to contend that the current Republican Party is the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln. Or if you like, you may continue to argue the equivalent of contending that the earth is flat.
Posted by: Wendell Murray | September 6th, 2008 at 12:24 am | Report this commentWendell Murray, with regard to your mention of the theory that the earth is flat, may we not perhaps be hearing sometime soon that Sarah Palin wants to teach it in the public schools so that students will be exposed to all points of view?
Posted by: algasema | September 6th, 2008 at 6:16 am | Report this commentNow that both running mates have been chosen and the presidential election heats up American’s are left to sort out which candidates will better address the ever burdening issue of the energy crisis in America. The energy crisis is directly linked to our economy. Foreclosures are on the rise as well as unemployment. With all the technology available it is incredible to believe we have not come together as a nation to devise a plan. We have become so dependant on foreign oil that we have neglected to fully utilize such natural sources of energy such wind power & solar power. Along with modern technology such as plug in cars, hybrid cars, v2g technology ,and regenerative braking, technology we still seem to be floundering as a nation as to devising the best plan utilize all that is available to us and lift ourselves out of this mess we are in.
Great sites…
www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Posted by: AmericaSherry | September 7th, 2008 at 3:12 am | Report this commentwww.howmuchenergydoesmycaruse.com
A VOTE FOR MCCAIN AND PALIN IS A VOTE FOR BUSH AND CHENEY
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
EIGHT IS ENOUGH
NO MORE REPUBLICAN ADMINSTRATION …. ENOUGH
Posted by: Mimi | September 7th, 2008 at 3:41 am | Report this commentWhen you consider the opportunity and power Palin had to really give a great speech to some 40 million Americans, and then look at the hollow, nasty, speech she delivered, targeted to those attending the hall, the converted, you realize the mess she made of it instead.
Posted by: Amnon Portugaly | September 7th, 2008 at 12:10 pm | Report this commentHer sheer incompetence is almost staggering. It’s obvious she never thought on the big issues facing the presidency.
Regardless of what people think of the Democratic ticket, pro or con, the fact remains that the house of cards the Republican party has enabled over the last 8 years with its policies is rapidly crumbling around us. The Republicans are destroying the American dream and the middle class at the same time. I used to be a hard core Republican but the Democrats have my full support now. Anyone who thinks it is more important to be loyal to your party, than to take note of what is happening in the death throws of this current Republican regime is forgetting the “Country first” slogan. Help me save the USA by voting the Republicans out of office and giving a reasonably sensible and intelligent pair of patriots a chance to fix things.
Sen. Biden, Sen. Obama, I’m on your team!
Posted by: JD | September 18th, 2008 at 12:40 am | Report this comment