Sarah Palin

Comments (Archived):

1. In my experience, how one runs the home life is a good reflection of how they run their professional life… and vice versa.Knowing what we already do about her home life (little maternal attention for the disabled infant, pregnant teenage daughter, daughter marrying a high school dropout…) and what we know of her professional life (incurring massive debt for her city, inquiring on the banning of books, getting as many federal earmarks as possible and then running on a platform of eliminating earmarks…)Well, with all that in mind, it seems my theory holds true. A mess at the office means a mess at home and vice versa.Peterhttp://www.FlashlightWorthy…Books so good, they’ll keep you up past your bedtime. 😉

   1. how one runs the home life is a good reflection of how they run theirprofessional life and a mess at the office means a mess at home.I couldn’t agree more. You hit it spot on.

      1. So I take it you DID NOT vote for Bill Clinton? Give me a break – you people are starting to sound like the bigoted, racist, hillbilly republicans you so despise.

2. I have been wondering why Sarah Palin takes such pride in her “decision” to carry her down’s syndrome baby to term and her daughter’s “decision” to keep her baby. Isn’t is a ironic that she is claiming the praise when in fact she supports the position that women should not have the right to that decision? If you apply her own position to her situation, then neither she nor her daughter had any decision at all. I’m not sure she deserves such praise when there are women every day in similar situations who have to make the very difficult decision and then our culture makes it shameful to admit that they had to go through it in the first place, regardless of the reason.I agree with your post. I don’t understand why the bar is set so much higher for Obama than it is for Palin. It is not unreasonable to think that either vice presidential candidate could become the president, so all the candidates should be qualified.

   1. don’t you think you are jumping to a conclusion? She might support a way of life, but the fact is that it isn’t that way after 8 years of Bush. Roe V Wade was not over turned and we have no reason to think that McCain and Palin are anymore radical on this issue then Bush was.

   2. I won’t get into the abortion part of your comment – there’s just too much there to deal with.But with respect to the bar being set high for Obama vis a vis Palin – I think you’re missing the very same point that the Obama camp has missed (which explains the continual decline in poll numbers after the convention as a result of the Obama camp’s reaction to her nomination). That point is this: Palin’s experience outweighs Obama’s – both objectively and, to most viewers, subjectively as well. Further, because VP picks haven’t HISTORICALLY played a key role in determining who wins the general election, the knee-jerk reaction for most people is to look at her in a secondary role, discount the “one heartbeat away” issue, and then look at Obama in a primary role, and come to the conclusion that the attack’s around her experience just make Barry’s team look even more unexperienced, and bad too boot.There are a host of substantive areas where the Democrats have a legitimate shot at handing Republicans their asses. Keeping the focus on Sarah Palin will hand the Republicans the biggest electoral gimme we are ever likely to see.

3. By this arguement, Bill Clinton should have resigned? Maybe we should demand Sen. Clinton and Sen. Edwards resign too?

4. I think the saying is something like look at the children to see the parent.

   1. exactly

      1. Wow, everyone’s an expert on this blog. You guys must have some great inside information and qualifications to be making the speculative comments I am reading. So, you’re saying that if your son/daughter made a mistake – any mistake – then you would not be fit as a parent?!? And do you think Obama is a perfect parent? You act like he’s a saint, all the while criticising Palin based completely on speculation. Before claiming Palin is drugging their infant special needs child and making assumptions about her family and parenting (something you obviously have no substantial facts on which to criticise), why don’t you check into Obama’s past, Biden’s past and all Democrats’ past to make sure they’re as perfect as you make them out to be. Couldn’t you be criticising them for some of the same things or are you just politicising too???? Btw, your unfounded claims make you sound like an uneducated, ignorant fool. I’d not post them on the internet if I were you. You sound like one of those people outside the RNC protesting for peace while throwing rocks and bottles at police officers. That’s about how logical your statements are.

         1. Everyone has a past. Do we want an America where teenage kids don’t haveaccess to sex ed, condoms and choices? A mistake is one thing but for Palinto keep from the public that her daughter is 5 months pregnant with her HSdrop-out boyfriend is treating Americans like uneducated ignorant fools.She is an elected public official who is now on the Republican ticket to bethe VP of the United States. Transparency about her life and the type ofcountry she wants the US to look like under her and McCain’s ticket is notasking for a lot. I can only guess what she considers family values byseeing how she behaves as a mother.

            1. “””I can only guess what she considers family values byseeing how she behaves as a mother.””” In that case, Obama is a public figure and if you question Palin’s personal family life, then I will question Obama’s religious activities. As such, I can only guess what he considers ‘spiritual values’ by seeing how he attends a church with his children where the minister says ‘g*ddamn America’. Obama has talked about his religion more than any candidate, yet McCain/Palin get portrayed as the conservative christian nutjobs. It goes both ways, you know!?!Back to the point, though, you’re still speculating about Palin’s ability as a mother. The choice is there, yes and her daughter made the choice. Palin isn’t trying to overturn Roe v Wade. But, she supports life, for which all of the children who are not aborted are very appreciative I am sure. I would much rather a leader that supports life over one that says “I wouldn’t want my daughters punished with a baby.” I don’t want someone that looks at children as a punishment. If you’re a parent, you should know that kids make mistakes and you must help them get through it. Just because they made a mistake does not mean you were not a good parent. Kids have a mind of their own and yes they have a choice. It’s too bad all of the children that are aborted don’t have a say in the matter.All in all, though, this election isn’t about abortion and it isn’t about your uninformed assumptions about Sarah Palin as a mother. So, if you’re going to talk politics in an open forum (i.e., the internet), I would recommend talking issues and being able to back it up with facts/data/substantiation. Don’t just say “I think she’s a bad mother because her daughter got pregnant and therefore will be a bad VP …” Of course, it is your right to say however dumb of comments as you want … and readers have a right to point out the ignorance.

            2. do you really think her daughter made that choice? have you heard of shotgun weddings “reality check”?what a phony name that is. you are the one who’s living in some right wing dreamland. wake up and look at the country you right wing hatemongers have given us. millions are upside down on their home mortgages while people like me who make good money get tax break after tax break, we are more dependent on foreign oil than ever, health care costs are increasingly unaffordable for even middle class americans, we are spending $12bn a month in Iraq and can’t afford to invest in our roads and bridgesand the reason the right wingers keep getting elected to the white house is they make the election about guns and god and us versus them. and the american public falls for it.

            3. the reason the Republicans get elected is because they represent the people. you think that Obama is going to get elected because he is Black, when the fact is he is more arrogant then Kerry was.diversity in the Democratic party is diversity on their terms… which is suicide. they pick the lines for you and then decide not to protect you. you know what the end result of 4 years of mayor Dinkins in NYC was? Rudy! Because David was afraid to call the police in a race riot. I don’t want to see Crown Heights on a global level.

            4. “You think that obama is going to get elected because he’s back”What are you nuts? If he doesn’t get elected, its because he’s blackIts scary to you white racist nut jobs, isn’t it, that a black man might be president?

            5. no it is frightening to me that you just called me out as a racist because I disagree with a policy that is not good for me. this is exactly what I am talking about. It is not only arrogant, it is racist on your part . If I really wanted the Republicans to win for the next 25 years I would vote for Obama, because his policy is so flawed that you will see such a blacklash. The best thing for all of us is a McCain moderate that will attract business for jobs and support our troops who are doing a great job. btw… after Dinkins, NYC never had a another Democrat in office. Maybe in four years the Democrats will have their act together and propose social programs on the local level instead of this bullshit tyranny you are trying to sell us and then call us racist if we reject it.

            6. what specific policy of obama’s is not good for you?all i read in your comment was that you don’t like obama because he’s black and not representative of “the people”that struck me as a racist statement

            7. gotcha question. if there was only one thing I might vote for him. It comes down to so many things. It took him to the end of the primaries to address middle east issues and then gave a response that was not satisfying. Charlie Gibson pointed that out without repeating himself and rolling his eyes like he did for Palin. and I did mention the problems with his tax plan on a national level. A good government Democrat understands how to be proactive on the international level and yet also knows how to facilitate local social change

            8. not to mention I think Ethanol corn based fuel is a very bad idea if there is going to an internation food shortage… but it would seem Obama is influenced by the people who are putting him in power

            9. btw Fred. if Bush and Rice start pushing Israel out of Jerusalem (like what I am hearing is going on) … you might have me voting for Obama after all. As much as I hate national taxes… right now Obama looks to the “right” of Bush (even if his reasons were bullshit)

            10. You said: “Do we want an America where teenage kids don’t have access to sex ed, condoms and choices?” How profound, considering you are advocating taking away a child’s *choice* to live. Since when did one person’s choice outweigh another’s? Liberals often call Republicans hypocrites. I’ve never seen such blatant hypocracy until I read this blog. By your logic, I guess we now see what kind of mother you are …

            11. Sperm != Child. Egg != Child. Sperm+Egg != Child. Fetus != Child. After the kid is *born* you might want to say it’s deserving of the “choice” to live, but in practice I’m ok with post-natal abortion in the case of certain rare mental disorders, chronic Republicanism being chief among them. You may have noticed that we have this problem with food, air, water, shelter, decent jobs*, that sort of thing. There’s simply not enough to go around. At least, not in *our* reality. You should check it out some time.* Particularly during Republican Administrations.

            12. @Sethop – just remember not to call anyone else a Nazi. Ever. In fact, while you’re being so sanctimoniously moral, why don’t you just lead by example and off your own worthless ass. There are, after all, too many of us, right?

            13. What does Godwin’s law have to do with the price of fish? Morality is in the eye of the beholder. I’m arrogant enough to believe the world is a better place while I’m still functional. Calling out people like Mr Too Scared to Use My Real Identity when they’re making idjits of themselves is really only one of my minor skills in life. I have vastly more important things to do, and seriously, don’t you?

            14. Given the left’s penchant for associating the right, in general, and the Bush Administration, in particular, with Nazism, and given the nature of your comment and general tone (which is highly consistent with others on the left who frequently make such associations), I found the comment apt. It’s about more than just you, and I apologize if it was above your head.Your claim of moral relativism is about as ridiculous as your previous post. Using your claim of arrogance to justify your continued existence on this planet at the expense of others “obviously” less worthy is, likewise, ridiculous.As for my being “too scared to use my real identity” – my name is Forrest Cox. If there’s anything you’d care to discuss now that I’m finished being “too scared,” I trust you’ll message me directly with your suggestions.Given the incredible skill with which you “called me out” (are you serious?), I’ll take your claim about it being a minor skill at face value.

            15. Huh? I was talking about Mr “Reality Check”, who I was replying to, who I’ve directed a few recent replies to on this blog and on AVC, and who appears to be well known for his anonymous cowardism. Go work on your reading comprehension skills and maybe one day you too might be worth wasting some of my precious time on. For now I’ll leave you to play with your straw men. Enjoy.

5. I couldn’t agree with you more. I have been appalled since day one about her decision to run for Veep when her special needs infant is only 5 months old. And then I watched totally puzzled as the kid was handed off from person to person like a sack of potatoes the other night. Shouldn’t he have been asleep in a nice quiet place? And why didn’t he ever cry when he was woken up? My newest baby is only 2 months older and she cries whenever her sleep is interrupted or she is overstimulated. It even crossed my mind that they might have drugged him a bit to keep him quiet. Total speculation, but there was something really freaky about her decision to have her kid there like that on show without any worry that he would start shrieking, as babies like to do. In any case, there is no way that it was the best for him. And I fear it tells us a great deal about the type of mother Sarah Palin is.

   1. I am sickened by ALL of you. As for Cathy’s comments…my son is 8 month old and never gets upset or cries when awoken. He is very easy going. Every child is different; if you don’t know that, you are in for the long haul. As for the rest of you: Try to honestly think abou the WORST thing you have ever done. Now, can you HONESTLY say it was the direct result of poor parenting on your monther/father’s part? Until you have kids, you are just talking nonsense. By that train of logic, the parent of anyone that has ever sinned should be blamed. Ridiculous. And until you have a child with Downs, or know one, you cannot even comment on how to parent one. I saw a child (at the convention) that was loved and very well cared for. If the child had been absent from the event, you all would be saying “oh look, she is hiding her baby because she is ashamed”. If she is such a bad person for trying to raise a family, be a good citizen, and bring home a paycheck, what the hell have women fought for all these years? Be VERY careful in your criticism. Think it through. And for all your stock in idiotic CNN “reporters”…Soledad Obrien has 5 children. Should she sit home and darn socks all day long. WAKE UP!!! Educate yourselves about the real Gov. Palin. Don’t just buy into the stupid tabloid hype. One week US Weekly has Obama and “why he loves her (Michelle)” on the cover and a few weeks later they are trying to muckrake against Palin. THEY are all biased. No such think as real unbiased sources anymore. Think for yourselves! Any step out of the darkages on the abilities of women!

   2. Wait, so when a woman not of your intellectual ilk has earned her way to a position of power, it THEN becomes her role to stay at home and raise a child? When the hell did anyone ever demand that of a MAN? Nice to know “family values” (what a friggin’ joke) are so high on your list of electoral criteria.You people simply can’t help yourselves can you? The hypocrisy excreted from the left over the course of the past month has made me far more ill than did anything the religious right (of which I am NO fan, at all) came up with during the Bush years, or even during the Jerry Falwell heyday. It’s been among the more disgusting displays of intellectual dishonesty and infantile rage I’ve seen – ever.

      1. Gotham Gal, I think its humorously ironic that women (feminists and otherwise) have been arguing for years that females can indeed hold jobs of influence and enjoy prosperous careers while also being a good mother and wife, yet as soon as this very type of woman that exhibits such positive characteristics comes up on the opposite side of those liberal Democrats within this movement, said female is all of the sudden a bad mother/wife/woman, etc.f***ing hypocrites. you do women all over a disservice. you should perhaps listen to Hillary Clinton more … even she won’t attempt to discredit Sarah Palin and commends her for her work/motherhood balance.

         1. I am not sure people are reacting to Palin being a mom and having a job butto her in general. The lines are drawn very clearly in this race which isobvious from this thread of comments that seem to bring out the worst ineveryone. As for Palin, if she can do it all, more power to her but herintellect and her history as a leader in Alaska is not a person that I wouldfeel comfortable with running our country. It was apparent from her recentinterview with Gibson that she really hasn’t followed national politics overthe past 7 years. That is fine and I am not dissing her because of that butshe shouldn’t be in a position to run our country with absolutely noknowledge of history or economics in regards to the welfare of this country.I want someone running our country who is so smart that they can run circlesaround the majority of the people in the world. I believe Hillary iscapable of that, I believe Obama can do that ( and hopefully will get thechance to show us he can) and I believe that there are plenty of people inthe Republican party who can do that but unfortunately, for all of us, theyare not the people on the Republican ticket.

            1. GG, that’s not a bad argument and darn it, I’ll just have to disagree that Palin isn’t well versed on things like economics, foreign policy, etc and I believe she has indeed had great political experience considering what she’s done to fight political corruption in her Party in Alaska. What I will vehemently disagree with, however, is your opening statement that people are not reacting to Palin being a mom …That is exactly what people are doing, even on this very blog post. Just scroll up and down and read the comments from people questioning Palin’s ability as a mother since she is running for office. People have accused her daughter of atrocious things. People have asked how she could ever be VP while being a mother to five children. People have blamed Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy on the fact that Palin is serving in office. Indeed, I believe you have been guilty of those very comments.This is the kind of hypocracy that I am referring to … of all the work that females have done to be treated equally to men, only to be crushed b/c liberals don’t like the fact that Republicans were the ones to actually make the best decision for women. It’s almost like liberals have a chip on their shoulders since *they* weren’t the ones to select a female candidate, therefore, they will just ‘burn the whole house down’ so to speak rather than have a conservative female in office.You guys (eg, Dems) should have picked your own strong female candidate. That would have done more for your Party and the feminist movement at large than anything Obama could ever comprehend. Sarah Palin could do a lot too, yet for some reason, now that she is out front and center, the argument reverts back to the 18th century stuff where women only belong in the nursing room with their children or in the kitchen. It’s beyond sad what this debate has come to. At least Hillary has the balls to stand up for what she believes in. Looks like you guys picked the wrong candidate …

            2. The fact that you think some women might be so dumb as to think McCain’s lobbyist puppetmasters picked Palin because she would be the “best decision for women” demonstrates exactly how cynical and dangerous professional spinmeisters such as yourself really are. It’s a good thing we have folks like Jon Stewart who exist to tear you guys to shreds. I suspect the real reason you won’t use your real name is so that we can’t go back and find all of the things you’ve said in the past that were the *exact opposite* of what you’re saying now.

6. Its hard to know what to say here so I will just stick to the issue of Palin as VP and possibly President of USA. No match for either and thats obvious to any “thinking” person be it a republican or a democrat. the whole thing is like a hollywood movie – she probably has a consultant who told her what to wear how to do her hair and those glasses -its all to project a certain image to win votes from middle american men and women. its a fake. This is not who she really is. This is the projected image set up for an end result. We all should pray or whatever we do in this circumstance where we are on the edge – that we never find out who she really is… I am certain that Rove, Cheney, the Bushes, Rumsfeld, and the rest chose her and will fight to the death to destroy Obama as a candidate and get McCain and Palin into office in 2009

7. My thoughts about the infant also. How can you keep pushing a baby from one person to another? The baby should have been upstairs asleep. It was just poor showmanship. of “motherhood.” If the Repulicans had their choice a 17yr old single mother would get no help from any agency. She would be begging on the street. Good thing her Mom will have very deep pockets as more special interests pay for favors. I was just in disbelief when she was announced. Horrible, horrible choice.

   1. The Republicans are absolutely not about helping out people in need. Youare completely on your own.

      1. What a truly ignorant statement, regardless of party affiliation. Any time you lump all people of a certain group together and claim they posess one trait, it is called stereotyping. Just what you “liberals” would rally against. Oh wait…did I just stereotype??? I cna’t believe I actually spent 10 minutes on your idiotic blog. I guess freedom of speech is entitled to all.

      2. That has got to be one of the most ignorant bits of drivel I’ve ever heard. I’m shocked you could seriously utter such a blatantly stupid thing.So if I support Obama (I’m certainly no fan of John McCain), is this the kind of culture I’m throwing my lot in with? Is this the intellectual heritage that guides the policies I’d be casting my support for?How did it come to this?

8. Ironically, y’all sound about as judgmental as a pack-o-reepublicans.

9. thought this OP-ED piece summed things up well.Subject: “Sarah Palin is not like me” – Op Ed pieceBy Tracey HyamsSARAH PALIN IS NOT LIKE MESarah Palin is promoting her image as Everywoman – a hockey mom with a job and five children who sometimes screw up. I’m a soccer mom with a job and children who occasionally mess up, but Sarah Palin is nothing like me. Our family values are completely different.When my oldest child was diagnosed with a learning disorder, I lobbied for special education services. Not Sarah Palin – she’s cut special education funding in Alaska by 60 percent. Where will her child with Down Syndrome be taught? Not in the public school system, I’ll bet.When my kids get in trouble, I don’t blame others. Sarah Palin shuns responsibility for her contribution to her daughter Bristol’s predicament. Palin refuses to teach teens about birth control because abstinence is the only acceptable route – but when a teen (any teen) does get pregnant, its not the abstinence message that has failed, but liberal policies that lack “family values.” She refuses to provide teens with contraceptives – even though a teen who doesn’t get pregnant will never need an abortion.I believe in expressing my views, but would never force others to abide by values. Not Sarah Palin – she wants every American school to teach “creationism” and would ban schools from teaching about evolution. She is also anti-abortion, not just for herself, but for all women, even those who are victims of rape and incest.Sarah Palin and I differ on the most important family value, however – putting family first. Hers is a family in crisis – they have a disabled infant and a teenage child who is pregnant, marrying an 18-year old high school kid, and giving birth all in the nest few months. If that were happening in my family, I would feel the need to be close to home providing guidance and stability, not running around lobbying for a major job promotion (that I don’t need because I already have a great job). And I would never, ever, make my children be political tools, which is exactly what Sarah Palin is doing with every photo op involving Bristol, her boyfriend, and John McCain (see the photo of McCain welcoming Levi to Minneapolis below). And no, this is not sexist – I would feel exactly the same about Barack Obama if he had five children with the Palin kids’ problems – that he was demonstrating poor judgement by focusing on a presidential campaign at such a challenging time for his family. I didn’t think John Edwards should be campaigning after Elizabeth’s diagnosis either.And I won’t even mention how mean-spirited and personal her attacks are. Thank goodness her kids are not at my kids’ school.I’m a typical American mom, but Sarah Palin is nothing like me.Tracey HyamsWaban, MA

   1. Bravo!

      1. Geez, do you have anything coherent to say? I haven’t heard you talk about anything except bashing a woman based on speculation and no hard facts. If you can provide me a thorough, accurate and truthful comparison of Barrack Obama and John McCain (or heck, even Obama and Palin), then I will vote for Obama. But, if you’re just going to talk unsubstantiated trash about someone for things you have no right to judge them on, then you’ll continue to represent why real American voters won’t elect Obama. The “Obama is my homeboy” t-shirts are cool on Diddy and all, but the base of voters in the US don’t care about that stuff. That’s only for out of touch rich people in New York and California that talk about poor people while spending their summers traveling through Europe. Show me something that will make a voter in Ohio or Florida or Kansas vote for Obama. Otherwise, just look at the polls.

         1. Here are some hard facts. Mccain’s economy policies are the exact same as George Bush. For me, that is what this election is all about. The last 8 years have destroyed the foundation of our country financially. It has made the rich richer and everyone else has been left in the dust. That alone is the reason to vote for Obama. You are voting for change.joanne [email protected]-496-8768 cell212-994-5321 home

            1. this from the person that spends summers traveling through europe. yeah … you really understand the US economy.

            2. Investing in the US economy is what afforded us the luxury of traveling toEurope. You re right, I do understand the US economy.

            3. Investing the US economy, huh? Then I guess the current economic policies aren’t that bad at all???? You’re contradicting yourself.

            4. Uh, just how dumb are you Mr “Reality Check”? Investing in a deeply unfair economy can be extremely lucrative. That doesn’t make the economy any less broken.You might want to check out *our* reality some time, instead of the one you hear about on Talk Radio and Faux News.It’s *very* far from contradictory that people who have made wise investments inside a broken economy also want to fix the economy! They’ll make more money that way!I suspect that *most* wealthy Americans have now figured out that although relative to the poor and middle class of America they do a lot better under Republicans, but relative to the rest of the world, their wealth level, let alone their quality of life and peace of mind, is much improved under Democrats.

            5. Bush was in reality a Christian Socialist. McCain has made no sign of making such a radical church/state infraction. Bush was a social spender with our taxes going to churches.

   2. Great post, Tracey, I completely agree.

   3. that is incorrect. she wants both cannons taught in schools. our children will not be able to know what they are rejecting unless they understand what it is. As a Jew I went out of my way to learn about the new testament and the Koran. I am frightened by the narrow minds of the LEFT.

   4. Excuse me, but to make the claim that one represents the “typical” ANYTHING in a land of 300 million, one must either be: 1.) ridiculously delusional bordering on egomaniacal, or 2.) a politician. I don’t know Tracey Hyams from Eve, but my guess is that she isn’t a politician…What a moronic letter.

10. First off, I think you’re right that Palin is an abysmal choice for VP and she’d be a disastrous VP. She sounds proud of her ignorance of foreign policy. And she has lied repeatedly – about the bridge – about obama’s record, etc. But I’m not so sure that her family life is relevant. Many successful politicians and businessmen have absolutely dismal home lives, filled with scandal, lies, etc. I think Palin should be judged on her experience and her beliefs about what the country needs. And she should be judged fairly harshly. Bringing up family risks riling Republicans and more importantly risks being irrelevant.

11. excuse me. sarah palin is better for this country that biden or obama would ever be. I know this is just your opinoin but keep it to yourself please.