Sarah Palin ~ Unbelievable!

I am sorry you feel we're discussing you, LOL. Believe you me I at least, am only discussing this one particular woman. You know the one that said she'd take on all comers but is now allowing "the men" to defend her and tie up all the loose ends in that small insignificant investigation?

So what do I see? A woman who is all independance and standing up for herself...except when told not to by the men in charge...talk about backwards.

glenmar

But, sadly, not THIS woman.

It was put best by the wonderful Jon Stewart when he said "Is John McCain dumb enough to think all the woman voters will vote for him and Palin just because they share the same *parts* as her", LOL

I love Jon Stewart!

oh, never mind.

"Only in Republican America would a black man with a law degree from Harvard, 12 years in politics, four years on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and manager of one of the most impressively flawless and forward thinking presidential campaigns ever not be ready for the presidency while a white female evangelical with 19 months in national politics and a bachelors in journalism is considered 'ready on day one.' "

I'm sorry you feel that way.  I'm kind of on the fence there too....pretty conservative in some areas, somewhat liberal in others.  So, let me just say that my objection to SP isn't so much that she is conservative, but her somewhat questionable behavior while mayor and govenor.

glenmar

....pretty conservative in some areas, somewhat liberal in others

 I think most Americans fall somewhere in between the two extremes. 

What bothers me the most is that I feel while Obama chose Biden because of the experience he would bring to the ticket, McCain chose Palin for no reason other than to get votes. Out of all the possibilities Mccain could choose from, he chose someone inexperienced.  Given McCain's age and his battle with cancer, I find this to be irresponsible.  I also find both McCain and Palin to be way too trigger happy and that scares me, and Palin is just way too conservative for me.  Additionally, I cannot find it in my conscience to support someone who derives a thrill from killing defenseless beings.  I find that sort of thinking to be completely immoral.

 I'm frightened to the core by the number of Hilary supporters here in Virginia (females) now claiming they support JM&SP because she's a "strong woman" with "spunk".  I think I've slipped and fallen into Jerry Seinfeld's "BizarroWorld".

aerial1313

I know no one has intended it, but as a conservative woman, I do feel a little personally insulted.  Well, that's just how I have been feeling in this thread.

aerial1313

I'm glad that we all have different opinions, otherwise this sure would be a boring world to live in!  And I am thankful that we live in a country where us silly little women can express those opinions freely. 

jenns

What bothers me the most is that I feel while Obama chose Biden because of the experience he would bring to the ticket, McCain chose Palin for no reason other than to get votes. Out of all the possibilities Mccain could choose from, he chose someone inexperienced.  Given McCain's age and his battle with cancer, I find this to be irresponsible.

I agree!!

Also, did you guys catch this today?

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/group-posts-e-m.html

If Palin is ALREADY bending and breaking the rules to cover up her business affairs (using a private email account for public business in an attempt to evade public records laws), what sort of ethics and "values" will she bring to the White House? While I'm sure there is great ethical temptation as a governor, surely it's going to be that much more tempting to be dishonest once she's in a position of greater power.

The fact that she's conservative doesn't scare me.  My best friend since 4th. grade and all three of my sisters are conservative.  What scares me, and what should scare a lot of people, is the fact that she seems so willing to impose her beliefs on anyone whose lifestyle or decisions she doesn't approve of.  That's scary!

Joyce

kpwlee

think what inspires me to respond to you is this incredulous feeling that you want me and others to see you as omniscient.  We are all these silly women that don't 'get it'.  The reality: We see things with our own perspective created by OUR experiences, values, knowledge and ability to think and decide.  OUR experiences are just as valuable as yours.  And OURS bring us to different conclusions than yours.

I think you're reading more into it than is there. I have never once thought I was trying to teach women who just don't get it. Perhaps you are resenting my thoughts because I am a man, just about the only one left here. And again, I think that's out of context. And I see others have jumped on that, too. Yes, we all have different experiences. My backbone and standing up for what I believe, no retreat, no surrender, I got from my mother. I'm actually a more mellow version of my mom, if you can imagine that, and I have viewed myself as such for quite sometime and it is regardless of gender.

kpwlee

Supposedly that is what makes this country great is the ability to be individuals - when I vote I will be supporting that theory

I think it's a fact rather than a theory but I do agree that the freeom of the individual is what gives this country its strength and limitless resource.

I thought we were having a debate here but your feelings are getting hurt and that was not my intention.

ron2

I have never once thought I was trying to teach women who just don't get it.

ron2

Perhaps you are resenting my thoughts because I am a man

People that consistently tell me I haven't a clue and follow with, that they do, therefore I should believe them over my own beliefs are not people I enjoy conversing with. 

Debating is debating facts, not denying another individual's ability to understand what a fact is.

You know what I tough old broad I am, Ron, and I don't offend easily, or get "my feelings hurt".  And, I see that you've carefully avoided quoting me, or responding directly to my points.  But, dang it, right now I feel like stomping my foot, tossing my head and acting like a total GIRL over the crack about getting feelings hurt.  MAYBE your gender has a bit to do with it, but, why is it that men seem to so quickly toss off the "poor little woman getting her feelings hurt" attitude?????

I ws IN those trenches fighting for the right of women to be "equal" to men in the work force, in the political arena, and every other aspect of life.  I've HEARD those putdowns, I've HEARD the "oh a woman can't be president because she's too hormonal and might push the button" BS  And I've heard that "hurt her feelings" BS so danged many times it makes me want to scream.  MEN get their feelings hurt too.  So lets stop tossing that old trite crap around.

You support the Republican ticket. We all get that.  Fine.  That's your right as an American citizen.  It is also your right to try to change our minds and our positions.  But, kindly stop condescending to us.  What some of us are feeling is that you DO consider us just not to "get" what a wonderful ticket this is.

Even though this is a thread about SP, I've got to toss in something that really bugs me about JMcSame.  Our young men were sent into an unpopular "police action", facing the kinds of horrors that our troops had never faced before.  Children with hand grenandes, guns.  Women "fighting" for their cause.  Our troops weren't taught to kill women and children.  Our boys were NOT prepared for what they faced in VN and they came back, not to a hero's welcome but to loathing and degradation.  But, JM uses being a POW to enhance his status with the American public.  I'll give him credit for that, I'll proclaim him a war hero, WHEN EACH AND EVERY MAN WHO SERVED IN VIET NAM IS AFFORDED THE SAME STATUS.  And not one minute sooner.  I have to wonder about his mental state if the man has forgotten how WE, as American citizens treated those who returned from Nam, including those shipped back in boxes or body bags.  I believe that I would have greater respect for the man if he did NOT use his "service to his country" (sitting in a POW camp) as a sound bite.

Actually, Glenda, the only time I have heard McCain speak about his time as a POW was during his acceptance speech at the convention.  And it was very moving and emotional.  He had been reluctant to bring it up, but his staffers encouraged him to speak about it during his speech.  And he credited his fellow POWs during said speech.  The media has brought this topic up a lot...McCain himself has not.  If memory serves, John Kerry touted his service in Vietnam MUCH more frequently in his campaign than McCain has in this one.

Back to Palin...the media is painting a picture of her, and it seems you guys are falling for this trap.  I know most of you do your research, as kpwlee has stated she does, but some of the things still being stated on this thread are just what the media would like you to believe.  She wants to push her religion on the country?  Please give me one reference where she has said this.  The McCain campaign doesn't want her to think for herself?  Again, give me one legitimate reference (NOT a blog post...those are opinions, not journalism) to this.  In fact, I urge you all to watch the interview she did yesterday on Hannity & Colmes, available online today.  She specifically addresses this, and her answer is excellent.  Some of you are still buying into the outright lies that have already been debunked...such as the supposed book banning and the allegation that she wants to teach creationism in schools.  Just go to factcheck.org and see the article "Sliming Palin."

If anyone would like further evidence of the spin the media is trying to pull on Palin, for those of you who watched her interview with Charles Gibson, I also urge you to read the full transcript of the interview.  You might be shocked at how much of her answers were left out of what aired.  Me, I wasn't shocked.  Business as usual for the MSM.

And seriously, the issue that bothers some of you is that she emailed coworkers from a private email account?  THIS bothers you....but the fact that a private email account was illegally hacked and posted all over the web doesn't bother you?  The emails to and from her colleagues that have been posted on the web were not of the nature of official business, but were supportive emails from her friends/coworkers.  The one that I have seen mentioned was from someone who was just telling her to not let the negative media get to her.  Sorry, that's not official business.  And really, if a governor or any politician did use a personal email account to conduct official business, how is this any different from having confidential face-to-face meetings, or confidential phone calls discussing official business?  Do you all think we should start videoing closed-door meetings of all government officials and webcasting them?  Some things are too high a priority and need to remain confidential.  This is true of any corporation, small business, and yep, even government.

I am not going to speak to Palin's policies or past actions because, unlike the vast majority of you, my opinion really does NOT matter.  I have no opportunity whatsoever to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, and make my opinion heard in the context of an election.   I have a bigger problem with her being on the ticket:  the idea (indeed, what seems to be the basis for her appointment as McCain's running mate at all) that choosing her as his VP is in any way progressive.  And yes, I had the same issue with Hillary.  If McCain wanted to take the US forward, to move into a new era, to effect change, the way to do that was not to choose Palin, or any woman, but to create an environment in which it didn't matter that she was a woman - her gender would be irrelevant, her policies would be the important thing.  The word "sexist" keeps being bandied about but the sexism is coming from within the Republican camp.  She was picked because she was a woman and told to keep her mouth shut.  How many of the female leaders of the following countries do you think stood for that?

Sri Lanka

India

Israel

Argentina

Central African Republic

Great Britain

Portugal

Bolivia

Dominica

Iceland

Norway

Yugoslavia

Malta

Netherlands Antilles

Phillipines

Pakistan

Lithuania

Nicaragua

Ireland

Haiti

Germany

Burma (elected but was prevented from serving)

Bangladesh

France

Poland

Canada

Burundi

Rwanda

Turkey

Bulgaria

Bermuda

Guyana

New Zealand

Switzerland

Mongolia

Panama

Latvia

Finland

Now that we've established that female leaders (I haven't even looked at VPs or equivalents) is NOT a new thing, it ceases to become a reason to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket on the basis of that alone.  So the only choice, if voting for the Republicans, is to do so because you like her policies.  Except it's hard to know what those are because she's been told not to talk.  I find it hard to believe that any American woman, in this day and age, is happy to enter a situation where women should be seen and not heard.  And I have a BIG BIG problem with any woman who agrees to that to further herself - not the kind of "strong woman" I'd want running my country if the President's health failed, regardless of her policies.   Having a woman in the White House is only a new thing in the context of the US, worldwide female leaders are not unusual, and the US is not blazing a new path but catching up.  Is Sarah Palin REALLY the best representative to carry that particular flag?  Not to me.