Jen, just to add to your post, which shows the BP oil spill response is rated worse than the response to Hurricane Katrina: I wonder if President Obama regrets, when he was serving in the Senate, referring to the Bush administration’s “unconscionable ineptitude” in the context of Katrina and, during the 2008 campaign, declaring, “We can talk about a trust that was broken, the promise that our government will be prepared, will protect us, and will respond in a catastrophe.”
Knowing Obama, that kind of regret is almost unimaginable, as it would require a degree of self-reflection and self-criticism that is, I suspect, simply beyond him.
In any event, it did look so much easier back in the day when Barack Obama was simply running for the presidency rather than today, when he is serving as president. The kind of balanced judgment that he could have offered then is not likely to be granted to him now. Indeed, based on the standard Obama set for himself and the federal government, he now looks both hapless and helpless, insisting he is “in control” and yet proposing a strategy that has been utterly ineffective and is more or less reduced to his plaintive plea to aides, “Just plug the damn hole.”
But the damn hole remains unplugged. The spill remains uncontained. And the oil continues to wash ashore, with the sickening images of an environmental disaster penetrating the public consciousness every day and without an end in sight. The oil spill is doing extraordinary and irreversible damage to the Obama mythology and, perhaps, to the Obama presidency. We shall see. But once again, and not for the last time, we can say that the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.
I don’t recall the MSM asking those questions when President Clinton was caught lying about sex with an intern. I mean, a grand jury investigation, an impeachment process– no one thought *he* had too much on his plate!
Hypocrisy, plain and simple.
The issue that no one is talking about is overpopulation. Palin has 5 children (or at least 4) and her offspring have already started breeding. If each of her children has 5 children, and her grandchildren follow a similar pattern, and so on … in five generations there will be over 15,000 descendents of Palin. If every couple in this country were to follow that pattern, we’d be talking about trillions of people, not the already way too many hundreds of millions. Maybe Alaska can handle that growth rate (but I doubt it), the rest of this country or world can’t. Also, if the Palins ,et al, breed Downs babies at the same rate as their progenitor, the financial resources of our healthcare system would be bankrupt. Palin appears very irresponsible. McCain and Palin are making the case to vote for the other ticket and I’m paying attention.
Get serious, Sandra. You were never voting for McCain. You are a silly troll. Please leave the serious conversations to others.
Thank you.
1. What exactly is a “high-functioning Vice President” ?
2. The chances of overpopulating North America are pretty close to zero, unless the Democrats kill free enterprise. Read Jonah Goldberg’s book “Liberal Fascism” to get the lowdown on the progressives’ fascistic fascination with eugenics.
Oh calm down.
“the combination of an-ongoing political investigation into her firing of an Alaskan public safety commissioner (she’s just hired a defense lawyer), her five children, her infant son with special needs, and now her teenage daughter’s impending marriage and child does make me wonder whether there is too much going on in her life to permit her to be a fully-focused running mate and VP.”
Pfffft. The way you phrase that, it’s as though her 5 children mutate into 7 or 8 over the course of a single compound subject, and you make an “impending marriage” sound like “impending doom.” As for the political investigation, if reformers are going to turn back every time their enemies escalate a minor matter into an investigation, we really should just stop this democracy thing and have our soldiers pick the emperor from here on out.
She’s an Alaskan, man (not to mention a marathon runner). If her water broke while she was mushing through the snow, she wouldn’t pause to watch it freeze. If the baby insisted on coming, she’d hold it in one hand, grip the reins with the other, and sever the umbilical cord with her teeth. That’s how they do things up there.
These aren’t namby-pambies. Our country didn’t use to be populated by them.
Certainly an important question, Mr Casse. My first thought was this: If she can give it all she’s got for the next two months and help McCain win the election, I don’t care how much time she needs to take off work afterwards. Before Algore and Cheney, a “high-functioning Vice President” was a rare beast, usually because he wasn’t anywhere near the Chief’s inner circle. After the election, I think Palin _could_ (and probably will, if elected) contribute much, but it’s not absolutely necessary. McCain will have access to virtually unlimited non-Palin resources.
Thank you CK. I mean, c’mon people, what have we become?
Well, JFK had lots on his, um, plate, if you catch my drift, and he was President. (Ditto, Bill.) So instead of Flic and Flac we have Trig and Track. So what concentrates the executive mind better, familial responsibilities or extracurricular hijinks? FDR, fighting a war, had a little of the latter while being physically paralyzed. Okay, not a good example since he cashed it in. Reagan napped frequently. All time spent away from the office. Warrior Mommy is still pre-menopausal (though Trig’s malady suggests she’s pushing the envelope), hunts things, in short looks like a pretty healthy specimen. That said, it takes a village, right? Maybe they can build an igloo next to the White House for her in-laws.
“These aren’t namby-pambies. Our country didn’t use to be populated by them.”
I agree. When do you think the change occurred?
(cf. “How We Got Here” by David Frum)
Right on, CK. The idea that a man in the same situation would give people pause is utter nonsense; a candidate and later vice president will have plenty of support to call on: family, friends, advisors, hired help, you name it. Of all the drivel written in the last 24 hours about Gov. Palin, this is the silliest.
1. Who is Daniel Casse? 2. Why is having palpitations?
weak kneed conservatives. I have no use for them
Amen. Those of us who care about the conservative movement and its future have to stop Sarah Palin before she gets Obama elected. McCain needs to dump Palin; she needs to step down TODAY. This tabloid lifestyle is not conservative! The teen sex scandal makes McCain look ridiculous. This is the biggest Republican political blunder since George H. W. Bush went back on “read my lips.”
Go talk to regular voters in swing states like here in Oregon, they’re not liking this surprise. Evangelicals are all well and good, but they can’t carry purple states that McCain absolutely has to win. Last week I would have said Oregon is purple 50-50, but on Sunday Oregon turned bright blue thanks to Sarah Palin and her tabloid lifestyle.
How did we get here? Simple. JFK made a cynical, shortsighted choice for VP. And the coddled, spoiled brats of the 60′s, armed with ideas divorced from reality, took over like vermin…
Jim Conway, Oregon went firmly for Kerry, hasn’t gone R since 1984. Not.A.Swing.State.
I never would’ve gone there, but apparently this issue has been raging among women on the internet for days. The New York Times had a good article on it today.
“It’s the Mommy Wars: Special Campaign Edition. But this time the battle lines are drawn inside out, with social conservatives, usually staunch advocates for stay-at-home motherhood, mostly defending her, while some others, including plenty of working mothers, worry that she is taking on too much.”
“Sarah Robertson, a mother of four from Kennebunk, Me., who was one of the few evangelical Christians interviewed to criticize Ms. Palin, said: “A mother of a 4-month-old infant with Down syndrome taking up full-time campaigning? Not my value set.”
I think McCain believed that putting woman on the ticket meant easy votes. There are perils, with this motherhood issue, not only the juggling but the emotional toll on her pregnant teen. Double standards exist. Just in casual conversation, I’ve found a lot of older women uncomfortable with the idea of a woman (potential) president. Ironically, women seem to be much more hesistant about Palin than men are. And Hillary supporters wanted a woman like them, a feminist, not so much a conservative hockey mom. And it’s going to be tough for McCain to claim he’s a change agent on women’s rights when his party’s taken positions against equal pay legislation, minimum wage increases that disproportionately affect women, title IX and, of course, choice. I think he acted too rashly. He should have thought this through.
Jim Conway — McCain isn’t planning on winning Oregon and you have never considered casting your vote for him. Further, you are not a conservative. Stop trying to pose as one. You aren’t fooling anybody and you look like an idiot because you are an idiot. Just stop.
Daniel — Joe Kennedy did okay. John Tyler got by. I don’t buy your contention that you would be equally concerned if Palin were male. It is about on par with the mainstream media’s self-belief that this would be a Huge Deal if Palin were a Democrat.
Palin and her problems is a political trap for Obama. No matter what he does, they are going to paint it as an effort to smear a woman. Sexism vs Racism.
I think though, that the side effects of the Palin choice will hurt McCain more then help him. It takes away the inexperience argument, Palin is untested on the big stage(will she make a mistake?), and lastly, he is 72 and I don’t think moderates will be able to picture Palin as our president.
It smells of desperation.
Pax — Equal pay legislation? You dolt. Are you aware that such legislation has been dead for 30 years and was killed by a legislature dominated by Democrats? Nobody supports such legislation because everyone understands that secretaries and teachers don’t make as much money as lawyers or governors. Gender doesn’t matter.
Also, without question, the New York Times has its finger on the pulse of middle-class America. Just ask them. They’ll tell you all about it over lunch at Zabar’s.
Right on CK,
Hey, Sandra! I’m all for Republicans out breeding Democrats. A trillion Republicans in 5 generations, that’s what I call a good starting position in any election.
Ahhh, the Roe Effect.
“And the coddled, spoiled brats of the 60’s, armed with ideas divorced from reality, took over like vermin…”
CPM,If there had been a Draft in place from 2001 to the present, would the “vermin” have taken over once again? I was thinking of my 12 high school classmates who were drafted and died in Vietnam/Those Vermin
I’m not so sure that Team Obama would have liked the headline exactly like …
Obama defends natural disaster experience
What a surprise: we now know far more about Sarah Palin in just four days than we’ve learned about Barack Obama in 17 months. That is just sad, and a pathetic reflection of the MSM’s unwillingness to do their jobs for fear of finding stories that would hurt the candidate so many of them openly desire to win. Whereas, they’ve worked overtime since Friday morning to push a meme about Palin to disqualify her. Talk about a double standard.
And this is EXACTLY what they want: force out McCain’s choice, make her look unqualified (when she has more executive experience than the Dem ticket combined). Obama may say her family is off limits, but that sure wasn’t what was going on with the Obamatons’ blogs and forums since Friday, where she’s been trashed worse than any candidate in my memory.
The MSM will say, “oh, he’s been vetted – 18 million votes, 20 “debates”, running for office for 17 months, etc. But they’ve yet to investigate or report on the Ayers’ connection, the $100M the Chicago Annenberg Challenge gave away with nothing to show for it (and Obama’s only real executive experience). Pathetic, really.
How do I explain this to my 15 year old daughter and 13 and 12 year old sons? I was trying to teach them about citizenship and democracy, but now I have to explain that sex before marriage is NOT OK, even if the Vice President’s daughter does it, and even if Missy Bristol Palin gets praised for it! By so-called conservatives no less!
Sarah Palin’s is not conservative, she talks good, but she obviously does not share my values and is not a good role model. Didn’t McCain make fun of Obama for being a tabloid celebrity? Move over, because Sarah Palin is the new Britney Spears.
The issue has been analyzed to death. McLeod, unsurprisingly, nailed it. Have we forgotten what a “can-do” person is capable of? Palin’s getting sued? A good politician gets sued all the time because she shakes things up. Her daughter’s pregnant? Not a crisis in a family with a backbone of hard work and values. Palin might make a gaffe? All politicians do, and survive. No one who understands American politics would have palpitations over Palin. She is electoral dyn-o-mite, period.
If your daughter has sex and you are a Republican, the press will be all over it and you are a bad, bad person because Ilana has to talk to her kids about sex. Sucks to be you, Ilana. All responsible and growed up.
However, if you are a Democrat, you can hang out with unrepentant terrorists like Bill Ayers and felonious scum like Tony Rezko, and you can have no experience of any kind, and no one in the press will bother to point it out.
I was talking about leftists. Your classmates were heroes. And God bless them. Supports my point about Johnson.
Ilana Perle, shame on you for looking down on Sarah Palin because her daughter got herself in trouble! Every hear of free will, dear? As for role models, we’re electing Sarah, not the daughter. And as for your own children, why not use the facts of Bristol Palin’s life as a cautionary tale, thereby bolstering your point that sex before marriage is not good. Use your head, for God’s sake.
“Pax — Equal pay legislation? You dolt. … Nobody supports such legislation …” –Seven Machos
I guess somebody supports it, Nachos. And guess who didn’t? Or do the AP and USA Today have this wrong:
McCain opposes equal pay bill in Senate
Posted 4/23/2008 10:57 PM
By Libby Quaid, Associated Press Writer
NEW ORLEANS — Republican Sen. John McCain, campaigning through poverty-stricken cities and towns, said Wednesday he opposes a Senate bill that seeks equal pay for women because it would lead to more lawsuits.
Senate Republicans killed the bill Wednesday night on a 56-42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes needed to advance it to full debate and a vote. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had delayed the vote to give McCain’s Democratic rivals, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, time to return to Washington to support the measure, which would make it easier for women to sue their employers for pay discrimination.”
Care to make any other fact-free assertions?
“I was talking about leftists. Your classmates were heroes. And God bless them. Supports my point about Johnson.
They were leftists,they hated the army,They were drafted,they were heroes
Daniel, you have no faith and you are falling for the trap the establishment is putting forth for you. They are causing you to have doubt in Sarah Palin by raising all of these questions because they can’t attack her on other grounds. Like I tell my co-workers, let Sarah Palin deal with this. All she needs is your support as a viable candidate.
Seven,
Clearly you are not a mom. You tell me it “Sucks to be you,” what are you in first grade? I live in Florida, its not smart to push people like me away. I’m conservative (frum) but there’s no law says I have to vote.
Senate Republicans killed the bill Wednesday night on a 56-42 vote that denied the measure the 60 votes needed to advance it to full debate and a vote.
Hence, we have an issue that cannot even make it to an actual vote in an election year in a Senate that is not only controlled by Democrats, but has few conservative Democrats whatsoever. I rest my case. But please, dude, tell me more about how equal pay is going to come around any day now. Yep. Just as soon as the Senate votes to actually vote on it. Then you’ll be one-twelfth or so on your way to a law.
One aspect that I love about democracy is that if one can think of an argument it will be heard eventually, and forwarded with great earnestness. Sandra Henderson proved that today.
My prediction about this Palin stuff. She will deliver a great convention speech. The delegates will go ballistic; even the msm will praise it. McCain will pull close to even after the convention. With the exception of a major mistake or embarassment, until the VP debate, she will be forgotten except in the small towns and blue collar suburbs where she will probably be assigned to campaign in. She will do well enough in the debate; no major mistakes, certainly no more than Biden will make. If McCain wins, she gets great credit. If he loses, great blame. She will deserve neither.
Ilana — You are certainly right. I’m not a mom. How could you ever have guessed it with a name like Seven Machos.
Look, pal, if you aren’t going to vote for McCain because his vice-presidential selection’s daughter is pregnant at 17, then it’s safe to say that you weren’t very supportive in the first place.
Abstinence-only education is absurd, especially for 17-year-olds gushing with sex drive. Palin should know that. But it’s certainly not going to affect my vote for McCain because the federal government can do very little to affect sex education in any direction. It’s a silly thing to debate. Furthermore, whatever the federal government can do, all parents can mitigate it by simply talking to kids. Something you, Ilena, apparently don’t have the gumption or ability to do. So, as I say, sucks to be you.
Gov Palin has already mentioned the support of extended family in raising children. I don’t see why the suggestion of too much on the plate should be a problem at all.
umm, no, the leftists were the ones who spit on your friends, or their memories, when they came home
I just can’t believe how patronizing this board is. “Use your head” you tell me? Teach me how to raise my kids? Trashy Palin is better than Lieberman? With supporters like this, McCain should be ashamed.
My home is kosher, I don’t like garbage. This site just joined the blocked list.
But you were this close to voting for McCain until those unclean bastards insulted you in the comment thread. Alrighty then.
Good riddance, Ms. Perle.
“I rest my case” — Seven Nachos.
Nice of you to rest your case after a complete and humiliating loss, Nachos. The vote shows that not only did every Democrat in the Senate support this legislation, but several Republicans crossed over (gasp, in an election year!). Had it reached a final vote, a bipartisan majority would have supported it. How does that comport with your assertion that nobody supports this? That’s right. Nice summation, counselor.
If you can’t do the math, just read the headline. That’s all that counts. McCain was against it. It will be used against him. And, while it’s not a point I ever argued, I think it’s safe to say that when Democrats have a few more votes toward cloture, it will be law. This will sail through the House. The Senate is the body that has the most power to thwart the will of the majority. Not for much longer though. Consider that your happy thought for the day.
Had it reached a final vote, a bipartisan majority would have supported it.
Funny how that works isn’t it? One hundred people control a legislature and promise strong bipartisan support for a bill. Yet somehow, that bill never gets voted on by those very same 100 people. You must be deeply perplexed about it all. If I were you, I’d blame the evil Republicans. But for them, all jobs would pay equally.
Right Jon S. People act as though she is out there all on her own.
It is clear that she has benefitted from a very strong support group–called family. If she does become VP it will be augmented by more personal and professional staff than the average person can imagine.
It would be hilarious to read/hear the hypocrisy of the so called Feminists if this were not so important. How many years have we heard “You can do/have it all”? Now someone who actually does it all is attacked by the same screeching crowd.
I am sorry that her daughter is pregnant at 17. I hope the situation works out at the personal level for all concerned. I also hope that this situation does not deprive us of the services of this remarkable woman.
Her home is kosher? Honestly, the trolls are getting more and more creative.
One thing I keep hearing and it especially bothers me when so called conservatives say it _
we should not go after the candidates children…they are off limits.
What hypocracy…Does anybody remember how the Conservative Republican mouth piece, Rush Limbaugh went after Chelsea Clinton, and for her looks?
Now I am voting for McCain but I can still recognize hypocracy when I see it.
This whole “she has five children, does she have time” argument is a bit of a canard. Her oldest son is already in the military and about to go off to war — she won’t be caring for him on a daily basis. Her oldest daughter is about to graduate high school, get married and presumably start a life of her own. The next two children are both in school full-time. Trig, of course, will require the care that any newborn needs, plus the added care for a Downs baby. So — one newborn and two kids in school. That doesn’t sound like such a huge burden to me.