LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

McCain’s choice is blatant pandering

Ellen Sterling, Las Vegas

Sat, Aug 30, 2008 (2:03 a.m.)

John McCain’s choice for vice president, Sarah Palin, is an example of the worst kind of political pandering and is a crystal-clear example of McCain’s complete lack of understanding of the women who supported Hillary Clinton.

Palin, governor of Alaska, is under investigation; her previous government experience is, aside from two years as governor, as part-time mayor of a town of 8,000. This just goes to prove Sen. Barack Obama was right — McCain “doesn’t get it.”

Worst of all, in his eagerness to pander to women, McCain leaves our nation open to leadership by someone who is staggeringly unprepared.

His choice, in short, is an insult — not just to women, but to all Americans.

Discussion: 18 comments so far…

By neiman1

8/30/08 at 6:11 a.m.

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Try the sexism again. The democrats are so afraid some of "their" voters will see this woman and like what they see, they are starting the same old tactics. This lady is a real western politician. She is what our founders wanted when they set up our government. Citizen politicians representing the people instead of carrier power hungry fools like we have had. She and McCain might acutally make a difference. I love the pick
By Future2012

8/30/08 at 7:13 a.m.

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The news is cycle 12 hours old and already Ellen is insulted.

Sarah Palin has been to Iraq twice as the head of the AK National Guard. She did not need to be a Candidate before going and doing her job.

Sarah Palin is less risk then Barak Obama.

Help me out but why is a woman on the ticket an insult.

Ellen is insulted by a woman with five kids and strongly moral values.

Ellen is insulted by a women who destroyed the corrupt politicians and good old boys in AK.

Ellen is insulted by a woman who has gotten the $40 billion NG pipeline project moving.
By jfnance32

8/30/08 at 8:36 a.m.

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Democrat's choice for president, Barack Obama, is an example of the worst kind of political decision making and is a crystal-clear example of Democrats complete lack of understanding of the independent voters.

Obama, USA Senator, had his close friend and core fundraiser--- who is the most corrupt and convicted politican--- help him buy his house; his previous government experience is, aside from 3 years as US senator, as 7 years as state senator. This just goes to prove those bitter folk who cling to guns and religion are right — Obama is a left wing nut.

Worst of all, in thier eagerness to sneak in a left wing nut, Democrats leaves our nation open to leadership by someone who is staggeringly unprepared.

The Democrats' choice, in short, is an insult — not just to those bitter independent folk, but to all Americans.
By LV_Tom

8/30/08 at 9:06 a.m.

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Sarah Palin speaks well, is nice looking, has a nice family and carries herself with dignity. Some say this isn't enough to be a vice presidential candidate.

But aren't these the same platitudes we've all heard millions of times from many of the braindead Obama supporters when they are asked about his qualifications and why they're voting for him?

If just having these qualities isn't good enough for the Vice President, then why is Obama on the Democrat ticket for president?
By Ursula

8/30/08 at 9:46 a.m.

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Whether you are for the leadership that Barack Obama will bring to the table - or want four more years of the mess that the Bush administration has brought to this country - you have to admit that McCain's choice of Sarah Palin is irresponsible on every level.

McCain is a 73 year old cancer survivor. Do we really want a moose hunting baby machine with no knowledge of foreign policy just a heartbeat away from the most important office in the world? Do we?
By jfnance32

8/30/08 at 10:35 a.m.

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Do we really want a college professor liberation theology machine with no knowledge of foreign policy in the most important office in the world? Do we?

No we do not..

Vote for McCain the man who has 1000x more experience than Obama.
By thebs

8/30/08 at 11:03 a.m.

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Likewise, we do not want a hockey mom in office who has no knowledge of foreign policy, national security or homeland security in the second most important office in the world, do we? You're arguing against your own ticket, Nance.

McCain's choice underlined his greatest weakness. This wasn't about some ploy for Hillary supporters (Palin supports completely banning abortion, gun rights for all in almost every circumstance and indoctrinating children in school with creationism.)

This underlined his weakness with the evangelical base of the Republican party. They were unenthusiastic about McCain and this is the bone McCain decided to throw them.

Palin is a cynical token thrown at evangelical voters who are now supposed to begin waving their McCain/Palin flags with pride and opening their wallets to a man they have historically detested.

Rather than nominate Kay Bailey Hutchison, Elizabeth Dole, or any of the other numerous Republican conservative women who have worked for years to prove to the conservative wing of the Republican party that they are the real deal, McCain showed a real lack of judgment by selecting Palin, someone who's name most conservative pundits couldn't even pronounce correctly.

Palin has 18 months of executive experience, in which she's already been under investigation for abusing the power of her office... just like Jim Gibbons. A few weeks ago, she didn't even know what the duties of the Vice President entailed on a daily basis.

18 months ago, she was the mayor of the suburb of Wasilla. Now she's ready to be Vice President? 18 months ago, Barack Obama was a senator. 7 years before that, he was writing legislation in the Illinois state senate.

To compare/contrast Obama to Palin does a disservice to both.

Simply, this choice raises real concern among the electorate of McCain's judgment and temperment. When dozens of his Republican colleagues have questioned McCain's temperment over the years, can the American people really trust the United States of America to Sarah Palin?

The answer is clearly no.
By jfnance32

8/30/08 at 11:13 a.m.

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Obama has 0 months of executive experience, who has ties to one of the most corrupt and convicted politicans in the Chicago. Obama has trouble keeping track of the number of states in the US.

4 years ago, Obama was a lowly state senator. Now he is ready to be President?

Can the American people really trust the United States of America to Obama?

The answer is clearly no.
By Future2012

8/30/08 at 11:27 a.m.

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Ursula is upset that anyone that has had a baby is running for VP. Has she counted the number of kids Biden has had?

Lack of foreign policy is not the case. AK is bordered by Russia and Canada. Governor Sarah Palin has extensive international trade experience with both countries.

Governor Sarah Palin has extensive international oil experience.

National Guard Commander Sarah Palin has been Iraq twice to check on the troops.

As a Governor and a Commander Sarah Palin is making decisions constantly that affect peoples lives, sets the States priorities, runs the services of a state, deal with the finances, deals with hiring and firing. etc.

Senators Obama and Biden make no decisions, they talk, hold hearing, and vote (if in session) as one of 100 senators following Harry Reid; and 435 representative following Nancy Pelosi, in a feebly attempt to pass a operating budget (non this year so far) and a few laws. Obama has no results to point to for his social service job sandwiched between his 6 figure lawyer jobs.
By jfnance32

8/30/08 at 11:35 a.m.

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That is funny.

Palin has been to Iraq more than Obama.
By thebs

8/30/08 at 12:09 p.m.

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Nance, if executive experience is what you choose as your threshold, how does John McCain meet that threshold?
By Future2012

8/30/08 at 12:35 p.m.

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McCain was the Commander of the largest Naval Squadron. This mean all the Bases, Pilots and the ground support personnel and logistic.
By jfnance32

8/30/08 at 12:37 p.m.

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I am not setting any thresholds for anything.

It is you guys that are setting thresholds left and right.

Palin has more executive experience then Obama, Biden or McCain.

McCain and Biden have similar experience in national security and foreign policy.

All of four, McCain has the most experience in reaching across the aisle and getting laws passed.

Biden has excellent experience in helping credit card companies get favorable anti-consumer bankruptcy laws passed.

McCain has a special life experience that none of them have.

Obama has excellent experience as a college professor. He has some experience as a slum lord lawyer.

He has good experience as a state senator. Perhaps, he should run for governor one day.

He has 3 years of experience running for president while being a part-time US Senator.
By Future2012

8/30/08 at 12:42 p.m.

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McCain commanded the Navy's aviation squadron, VA-174, at Cecil Field in Florida.
By JanK

8/31/08 at 4:36 p.m.

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I am a 69-yr-old woman, who ALWAYS votes (never missed an election day.) I am keenly interested in politics.

About Gov Sarah Palin, I'M IMPRESSED!!!
What a courageous reformer she is. And she is just the person John McCain needs to help him clean up the corruption that has all but crippled the federal government. These ridiculous earmarks that allow corrupt senators an congresspeople to raid our tax dollars for their own personal use must be stopped.

McCain is the ONLY senator who never participated in the erarmark practice -- never, not in all his years in the senate. That's courage!

Palin, when the corrupt senate in Washington attempted to send money for the "bridge to nowhere" to her state, she said thanks, but NO THANKS! She disrupted the corruption of politicians in her own state of Alaska and now most of the good old boys are either in prison or on the way...and those guys are all Republicans. That's courageous and gutsy!

Both McCain & Palin are committed to serving the people, not their party. We send our representives to Washington to do THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS not to do The Party's business.

Politicians in both parties are tainted by Washington's corruption -- from Harry Reid on down in the Senate especially. While McCain never took earmarks to line his friend's pockets back home, by contrast, Omaba, in the first 100 days of his short time in the Senate sent what amounted to about a million dollars a day back to Chicagoland -- much of the money going to the Rev Wright for his "charities."

Study the facts. Sarah Palin is a reformer, an honest person who wants to serve the people.

My only prayer is that she and her beautiful family will remain above the dirty politics of Washington...that they will not become tainted. I am heartened that she has a good mentor in John McCain.

To Sarah Palin, I say "YOU GO GIRL!!!"
By mikeg

8/31/08 at 6:17 p.m.

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Oh lol and Obama picking a nice looking older white guy for a running mate isn't pandering as well? Wake up, hypocrite.
By Doug_Rodrigues

8/31/08 at 7:05 p.m.

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I was seriously thinking about voting for the Constitutional candidate because the Republicans are mostly RINOS. However, with Palin I’m thinking that an actual Conservative is the Vice President candidate. She believes in everything I believe in, and practices it too! Her being a woman has nothing to do with it. I assume that if McCain is elected, Palin would be the next President. That would be great. I have now decided to vote for McCain.

For those who claim Palin lacks experience, Obama has even less so I don’t want to hear it. I notice that there is much vilification on websites against Palin. Outright slander is being printed to sway opinion. Some of the stories are so disgusting stupid and blatantly false that it appears that the majority of Obama supporters have a grade school IQ. This probably demonstrates that the Democrats know they will lose votes over Palin. Good. I don't want a Marxist inspired Socialist as a President anyway.

To their credit, the Republicans aren’t involved in pro-Obama censorship on the Craigslist site, or putting out disgustingly crazy stories about Obama as the Liberals are doing against Palin. I’m saying this as a registered Libertarian, about to change to the Constitutional Party. I gave up on the Republican party years ago. As for the rest of the politicians I get to vote for, I’ll vote for any third party candidate first, non-attorney candidates second, and anybody else to remove the incumbent third. What we have as “Leadership” now are nothing but self-serving "Professional" politicians. We are not representated, as evidenced by the blocking of the border fence; blocking of offshore drilling; blocking of deportation of illegals; blocking of serious legal actiona against business who hire illegals; seditious underhanded deals to develop a North American Alliance which would result in a loss of National soverignty; failing to properly inspect cargo arriving from foreign countries (only 2% is inspected), and much more. For those politicians who are not participating in such anti-American activities, they do nothing about it!
By kickmongwi

9/4/08 at 1:24 p.m.

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Before you all start claiming that Palin is a "Commander" of anything you should direct your attention to a statement made by Maj. Gen. Craig Campbell of the AK National Guard...

"Occasions in which Palin retains command authority over the 4,200-member Alaska National Guard are whenever the Guard responds to in-state natural disasters and civic emergencies, said Campbell, who also serves as the commissioner of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

Some examples?

"We've deployed individuals in state service all over the state under Sarah Palin," he said. "We had defense men down in Seward for the (Mount) Marathon run doing security.

"Out west and northwest we had erosion problems, and the National Guard was involved in some of the protection out there. About three days ago, the Army National Guard picked up a lady from Little Diomede (Island) . . . at the request of state troopers."

Did Palin directly approve each of those activities?

No, Campbell said. The governor has granted him the authority to act on his own in most cases, including life-or-death emergencies -- when a quick response is required -- and minor day-to-day operations."