Sarah Palin, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate

[Darus Grey]

I don't know, you people in the USA always came off as irrationally anti communist/socialist. So i would have thought it would be a pet peeve for you guys.

Which has little to nothing to do with Marx and Engels. Manifesto et al = Marxism, which is distinct from Communism. They're not even close to the same political ideology.

If you were going to accuse someone of reading communist literature with a negative connotation, you'd accuse them of reading Mao or Lenin, in modern academia it's a recognized difference.

[Elvis]

Is doing coke and reading Marx on the same level? ANYONE who has done ANY political science at the college level has read Marx and Engels.

Sorry, that just popped out at me.

/nod

Even in European History you'll read Marx. It's hardly taboo.

BTW, are we gona have to hear people push the "McCain is a maverick, Palin is a maverick" line now over and over?

And Brokaw is awesome. Great questions. The other guy looked like even he couldnt swallow his own bullshit.

[Kuya]

Hence the use of irrational.

[Rigor]

No one here can prove evolution exists

The Flu? The fact it keeps getting stronger after people throw anti-biotics at it when they shouldn't? That is evolution.

[evilbau]

not going to join this "discussion" other than to say this is a horrible VP choice, worse than Quayle.

random points:
Governor of Alaska is not great executive experience; maybe if she was in charge of one of the many industrialized states with a huge economy. The mayor of a major US city has to deal with more than her. But she was mayor of a town of 7k and in the PTA so its all good, i'm sure dealing with moose hunters, fishermen, and crowds of parents will be very applicable to national politics.

I'm willing to bet Obama knew more about the world by the time he came back to the US than she does RIGHT NOW.

[Mumble]

The Flu? The fact it keeps getting stronger after people throw anti-biotics at it when they shouldn't? That is evolution.

Or maybe the fact that we walk upright?

[Elvis]

/flyingspaghettimonster

[Kuya]

I wonder if the GOP is going to try to inject more themes into the convention to counter the negativity that might arise because of Palin. Reps were always good at using events to their favour.

[Beckwin]

Is doing coke and reading Marx on the same level? ANYONE who has done ANY political science at the college level has read Marx and Engels.

Sorry, that just popped out at me.

it was tongue-in-cheek; I'm probably the biggest marxist on these forums. basically like kuya said though, reading marx for enjoyment/because you agree with some of his observations or theories is practically worse than doing drugs for mainstream American politicians.

[Elvis]

They're definitely downplaying things. As long as the chick gets married its all gravy.

[Rigor]

More on evolution:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...podfossil.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...evolution.html

We came from monkeys, get over it.

[netz]

More on evolution:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...podfossil.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...evolution.html

We came from monkeys, get over it.

Churchill got you to bite pretty easily.

He's still right, by the way, if only on a massive technicality (fundamental understanding of the scientific method)

[Churchill]

Bite? Is there a sandwich?

[netz]

Bite? Is there a sandwich?

Naw, just some casual fishing.

[Beckwin]

lol, the compendium of palin-gates.

stolen from someone who stole it from someone else:

Secessiongate - Sarah Palin was originally a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a third-party in Alaska that advocates Alaska leaving the Union. She addressed the party as recently as this year in a video to their convention.

Nearly-Recalled-gate - Sarah Palin was nearly recalled as Mayor of Wasilla for firing the Police Chief and Library Director without probable cause. She only fired them because she "felt" like they weren't supportive of her.

Small-Town-Big-Money-gate - Sarah Palin ran up a $20 million debt for a town of only 5,400 people. That's $3,700 per person. This from somebody who claims to be against pork barrel projects.

Bridge-To-Nowhere-gate - "I was for the bridge before I was against it." Palin was originally for the Gravina Island bridge in her 2006 gubernatorial run.

Pledge-Of-Allegiance-gate - Sarah Palin thinks the Pledge of Allegiance was written by the founding fathers with the phrase "Under God". "Under God" was added to the pledge during the Cold War to put space between the atheist Soviet Union and America.

Stevens527-gate - Sarah Palin was a director of "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc", a 527 led by Senator Stevens, now under trial for corruption charges.

Mother-In-Law-gate - Sarah Palin's mother-in-law is an Obama supporter and doesn't understand what she brings to the McCain ticket.

Global-Warming-gate - Sarah Palin believes that climate change is not man-made.

Creationism-gate - Sarah Palin supports Creationism being taught in public schools.

Inexperience-gate - Presidential scholars say that Palin is the most underqualified person to join a presidential ticket in the modern era. Her presence undermines the central argument of the McCain campaign, that Obama is not ready to the lead because of his inexperience.

Vetting-gate - John McCain didn't do jack to vet her. He talked with her once. (twice?)

Champion-for-Big-Oil-gate - Like McCain, Palin believes that oil drilling is the only solution to our energy problems. “I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can’t drill our way out of our problem,” she says. She supports more drilling in protected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Alaska Natural Wildlife Refuge, once attacking McCain for his “close-mindedness on ANWR.” Palin rejects clean renewable energy that is an alternative to oil. Earlier this month, she claimed that “alternative-energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop.” Gov Palin recently sued the Interior Department over its decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species. Why is that a problem? Well those polar bears get in the way of oil drilling.

What's-A-VP?-gate - Palin is quoted for not knowing what a VP does, a mere month before being chosen.

Hillary-Is-A-Whiner-gate - Despite siphoning from Hillary Clinton in an endeavor to woo former Clinton supporters, Palin called Hillary a "whiner" for complaining about her treatment in the primaries.

Laugh-At-Cancer-gate - Palin has repeatedly feuded with the state's Senate president, Lyda Green, over a wide range of legislation. Last January, Palin appeared on "The Bob and Mark Show," whose host Bob Lester despises Green. Palin laughed as she was called a "*****," "Cancer," and was mocked for her weight.

Earmark-gate - The state of Alaska requested 31 earmarks worth $197.8 million for next year's federal budget. And according to Citizens Against Government Waste, Alaska received $379,669,715 in pork during fiscal year 2008, nearly $100 million more than any other state.

Abstinence-gate - Palin's daughter revealed to be several months pregnant, despite Palin being a proponent of abstinence-only education.

[Beckwin]

i herd u liek earmarkz

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure almost $27 million in federal earmarks for a town of 6,700 residents while she was its mayor, according to an analysis by an independent government watchdog group.

There was $500,000 for a youth shelter, $1.9 million for a transportation hub, $900,000 for sewer repairs, and $15 million for a rail project -- all intended to benefit Palin's town, Wasilla, located about 45 miles north of Anchorage.

In introducing Palin as his running mate on Friday, Sen. John McCain cast her as a compatriot in his battle against wasteful federal spending. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, hailed Palin as a politician "with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies -- someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past, someone who's stopped government from wasting taxpayers' money."

McCain's crusade against earmarks -- federal spending sought by members of Congress to benefit specific projects -- has been a hallmark of his campaign. He has said earmarks are wasteful and are often inserted into bills with little oversight, sometimes by a single powerful lawmaker.

Palin has also railed against earmarks, touting her opposition to a $223 million bridge in the state as a prime credential for the vice presidential nomination. "As governor, I've stood up to the old politics-as-usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good-ol'-boy network," she said Friday.

As mayor of Wasilla, however, Palin oversaw the hiring of Robertson, Monagle & Eastaugh, an Anchorage-based law firm with close ties to Alaska's most senior Republicans: Rep. Don Young and Sen. Ted Stevens, who was indicted in July on charges of accepting illegal gifts. The Wasilla account was handled by the former chief of staff to Stevens, Steven W. Silver, who is a partner in the firm.

More in the link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

[pohibaba]

Global-Warming-gate - Sarah Palin believes that climate change is not man-made.

There's some very good science that defends this claim, it's just not a popular viewpoint to make.

[Sera]

She also supports abstinence-only sex education. Ironic at this point? Maybe. I'm not saying the daughter is anything more than a normal teen, who as in effect done what normal teens WILL do. So what? NO ONE should hate on her daughter. Shit happens, and that's that. But what does this say about the "abstinence only" education route? That it doesn't work. Sure, it still could have happened, but be willing to consider that this could have been less likely, had her mother believed in and supported more responsible sexual educational policies? I think so. The issue isn't the pregnancy, folks, listen to Obama, leave Bristol be. But in doing so, don't forget that there is something much more serious at stake here -- evidence that one of the policies Sarah Palin supports the most, something that is based in her religious beliefs (and a religious matter that she imposes in government affairs, at that!) ... it just doesn't work. Think about it. Obama's mother became pregnant... how long ago? 47ish odd years? Society and sex ed have changed since then. Shouldn't we evolve with it? Adapt to it? Teach our youth how to protect themselves and be responsible human beings without demanding that they deny their ... normal teenage urges? This is 2008 after all... not 1961.

And assuming this pregnancy thing is all true and there isn't a "convienient miscarriage"... Bristol has "made the decision" to have the child? Well, good for her (I certainly wish her a healthy, happy pregnancy and all the luck in the world,) but I thought women weren't qualified to make such decisions! Pro-life as Palin sees it is effectively "anti-choice" is it not? So Bristol gets to make the choice, but its wrong for the rest of us to make the choice that is correct for US? So… its only acceptable to make choices that right wing/Evangelical Christians approve of? Do Christians also approve of Palin's lust for public office overshadowing her commitment to her children? I mean, she's basically tossed poor Bristol to the wolves, and no one mentions that her special needs child won't be getting the attention he truly needs and deserves if she is busy learning "what exactly a vice president does every day." So, this is what Christian family values are all about? Not in my family they aren't. Being pro-choice isn't about pro-death, its about being pro-privacy and anti-theocracy, about respecting the separation of church and state as our founding fathers intended and even went so far as to specify, its about keeping other people's judgements and opinions away from MY life and MY body.

Why can't people see the contradictions here? This isn't about poor Bristol, leave the girl alone, she's got enough going on.

What this is really about: policies, contradictions, and SARAH (not Bristol) Palin and John McCain. don't allow their tossing Bristol under the bus to distract you from the real issues here. I don't want these two stripping away my rights as a woman. I have the right to choose. It doesn't mean I would choose death, but I certainly do choose privacy, freedom and the ability to make my own choices as I deem fit for my OWN life.

What's next, we can't vote anymore?

in before gb2 kitchen etc

PS I like how the conservatives called Jamie Lynn Spears a slut but Bristol is "brave."
Really classy. No double standards there either, right?

[Kuya]

Correction is right; that gate thing is annoying and stupid.

"Under God" was added to the pledge during the Cold War to put space between the atheist Soviet Union and America.

Sometimes i hate you guys, so much.

[pohibaba]

True story: during the graduation for my Associates Degree I was given the honor of leading the Pledge of Allegiance; apparently, they didn't know that I'm quite the vocal atheist. So, the day comes and I get up there, and I start leading it. When I get to the "Under God" part, I skip right over it; I don't even pause. It took the crowd about 10 seconds to understand what just happened, and then all of a sudden the entire crowd starts booing me throughout the rest of the Pledge, through me sitting down, and wouldn't stop until the President of the school himself got up to the podium and asked them to stop. I got booed at my own graduation; this was the greatest day of my life.