Sarah Palin: GOP succumbs to diversity nonsense

But from now on, any presidential ticket that consists solely of white males--no matter their qualifications--will likely be dead in the water.

Gosh, if only! That would make the McCain/Palin ticket all worthwhile! : D

What nonsense.

Electoral politics have ALWAYS been about "diversity" in a certain sense. You don't choose a ticket of two New Englanders, or two Catholics, etc. You use the VP spot to expand your appeal as broadly as possible.

But Governor Palin isn't on the ticket only because she's a she.

Is there any governor, in either party, who has earned bipartisan public support anywhere near the level Palin has?

Is there any other prominent politician, in either party, who has a concrete record of fighting political corruption that Gov. Palin has?

Is there any other prominent politician, in either party, who has a record nearly as strong as Palin's in fighting pork barrell spending that Gov. Palin does?

Palin is hugely popular in her state because she is successful and not the least bit afraid to to buck conventional political wisdom or the dictates of party bosses.

These are all themes that MUST be central to John McCain's campaign, as they resonate strongly with both conservatives and independents. Gov. Palin's presence on McCain's ticket underscores all of these themes. I cannot think of any other politician in America who would do that, man or woman.

I'm less concerned about the diversity strawman than the notion that the person in the Republican Party whom McCain thinks is best qualified to lead the nation in the event of his demise is a half term governor of a state that has a smaller population than dozens of American cities, who has absolutely no forign policy experience.

Oh well, at least it looks like she's a better shot than Cheney!

No, that's not the worst of it - if this unlikely duo screw up (either by not getting elected, or by getting elected and doing even more damage that BushCheney) the reputation of the pro-life movement, scholasticism (McIntyre's 'whose justice?') and meritocracy in general will be shot for a generation, while the hegemons in China continue unabated to bring on their own version of the Rapture that will bring about the end times (Marxism historicist take on destiny sees Capitalism as the last great gasp before the utopian Elysian fields enters in, they may well want to engineer a global financial collapse to "prove" Opa Karl was right all along)

I will be on my knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament from now to the election that tragedy does not envelope her innocent loved ones (the Windsors recanted on Harry's serving in Iraq as endangering his fellow UK servicemen -- who would have spent all their waking hours preventing him being abducted and beheaded live on AlJazeera) and that those "Sam's Club" Republicans don't get it into their heads to insist working mums everywhere mimic the kind of airheadness of their newfound pin-up - can you see it now? Infants in slings at the cash register, infants in slings learning to gurgle the corporatist pep rally cry not some feeble nursery rhyme from some economic layabout (the relaxed, devoted stay-at-home mother).

I pray her macho ice-fishing, oil-riggin' hubby adjusts to his newfound career in domesticity, without bimbo eruptions from the Latina home help a la Christy Brinkley's recent mishaps. His Joel-Osteen testosterone-pumping biker friends may not have a ready proof text to hand to help him fulfill his PromiseKeepers pledge in this Brave New World: try this bumper sticker, courtesy of John Zmirak, on for size
“My Army Son Shoots Foreigners So Your Honor Student Can Have a Same-Sex Marriage.”

www.takimag.com/blogs/article/lifes_a_beach_and_then_you_wash_up_on_one/ (add the http://)

with needless to say this codicil ".. and my wife can reinstate respect for the natural law and make me Mr. Mommy"

Nice to see Heather training her accustomed firehose on the unbecoming parade of creaming we've witnessed over this woman the last 30 hours across the right blogosphere - conversions on the road to damned ass-kissing among a gaggle of frustrated GOP old maids of both sexes who thought it would never be spring again.

Must check with, e.g., Andrew/James/Daniel/Ross/Rachel/Joey/Phoebe/Monica/Chandler and all my other Friends across the incestuous and echo-chambered blogosphere so I can find my bearings, the better to Get With the Program and not wander too far off the Backslappy Punting Ground reservation. Who needs journalistic detachment when slobbering over a brazen theft from the Other Side's playbook is all it takes to get you to throw all three of your sheets to the prevailing winds?

The more people who see the McCainiac calculus here for the brutal and desperate exercise in cynicism it is, the better: and may Heather's water cannon find a pack of Dobermans for backup across the coming weeks.

Speaking of Palins, my Pythonate Disgust-O-Meter has been stuck on 11 since the onset of Saranophilia yesterday among the quondam "independent" punditariat.

THE PUNCH LINE: I'd love Heather Mac Donald (yes, there's a space there) a whole lot more if she weren't so geedee conciliatory toward the diversity mavens in both parties...

They definately need to work on detokenizing her and displaying her virtues.

Anywho, Sarah Palin vs John Edwards...

Can we once and for all dispense with the myth that Republican’s don’t do identity politics, while Democrats are corrupted by that vile “ideology.” On some level, the conservative movement believes that Obama received the Democratic nomination because he was black–not because he earned it.

And you know what? I think they have a point. One major reason Barack Obama got the nomination was due to his skin color. However, that cuts both ways. For the pass 200 years or so, the only way someone received either party's presidential nomination was if you were an old, white, heterosexual, Christian, male.

What galls me is that Republicans have manufactured a mythological meritocracy based on a purposeful blindness to the privileges of white, straight, maleness. This myth of merit assigns value and achievement to their party and all the identity politics to the Democrats. Yet John McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP because she was a woman and a Evangelical Christian.

When Republicans rail against identity politics, can we all agree that they are railing against identities they don’t like in the defense of identities that they do? I am not arguing that Democrats don’t engage in identity politics, or that politicizing identity is always a bad thing. After all identitarianism is intrinsic part of democracy for good or ill.

But Palin underlines the vacuousness of the identity politics that Republican’s gripe about–it's like conservatives don’t even believe what they are saying about identity and merit but think "identity politics" is an effective smear.

But Palin underlines the vacuousness of the identity politics that Republican’s gripe about–it's like conservatives don’t even believe what they are saying about identity and merit but think "identity politics" is an effective smear.

Well, you have your liberal perspective and you assume that everyone thinks as you do, but you're wrong.

Speaking as a conservative, it matters little to none to me that Palin is female. I think that's a negative, as whatever sexist stereotyping and denigration Democrats can get away with, they will. Be that as it may, I kinda like her because she's a real person, without the balderdash kitsch so prevalent among career political hacks.

Only in Alaska could a non-actor, smart, and decent person get elected, because NOBODY tells Alaskans what to think or who to vote for, they're as independent as anyone you'll EVER meet. Well, maybe somewhat true in Idaho and Montana, too. But everywhere else is run by a self-serving political machinery.

Sadly, you confuse our unrestrained hilarity watching the left and it's slavish devotion to symbolism get all tied in knots because someone broke the stereotypes and now they've got to work at a frantic pace to try to restore them. You demonstrate that yourself, in that you're CERTAIN this was just symbolic. Actually, I don't think so at all. I think this was done, not even so much as a boost to the election, but introducing an explosion into the old boy network in DC.

Done by one of the OLD BOY NETWORK boys himself, no less. The strategy is bold, it's definitely going to c reate a wake that exists long after this election season is over.

Win or lose, us younger conservatives know that now it IS possible to get one of our types into the political machine at or near the top. I don't think McCain even realizes the bomb he set off. This one is noisy, but will have long, LONG implications into the future, as others who are very much like Palin will suddenly show up and begin taking the ropes of power away from the old boy network.

Democrats, beware. Your entire mechanism IS the "old boy network". There's a perfect storm coming and it has people like Palin, and those who like her zeroing in right on you.

What cynicism; how unfortunate. Palin was chosen because she is an exceptional woman, a true reformer in the mold of John McCain. She has no significant accomplishments? Well, since the polis includes the family, I would take her raising of five children, including her newest, whom she welcomed into the world with open arms, as far more compelling than Barack's "community activism," which is short for following the Chicago political machine. Palin will energize the base and beat the pants of that earmark-corrupt Joe Biden in a debate. Watch and see; the Barracuda is coming!

Wow. When I predicted this morning people would become unhinged and hysterical I had no idea it would happen so fast. It only took a day!

Am I the only one who doesn't really care about experience in government? I don't really want the senior members of Congress in the Presidency. They haven't done a good enough job in Congress, experience is overrated, Ted Stevens is experienced and embroiled in yet another Senate corruption scandal. (Democrats have more than their fair share so I hate it when the media says another Republican scandal.) Nancy Pelosi exploits the Rovian political model, placing the Senate in a deadlock with no meaningful legislation going through. Who wants experience?

Chris

Watcher: But everywhere else is run by a self-serving political machinery.

In light of the scandals engulfing the Alaskan Republican party, it might be more fitting to take the "else" out of the above sentence.

In light of what we know about Alaska and Palin, my point is reinforced and amplified.

In fact, it is the BASIS for my comment.

I was disappointed in Heather McDonald's column.

Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as "identity politics". In fact, there is such a thing as "affirmative action". Has Ms. McDonald worked in corporate America lately? As a 56 year old white male who has been on the giving and receiving end of "diversity", may I politely ask Ms. McDonald to get over it?

Those who sneer about identity politics and affirmative action conjure the existence of a pure meritocracy where scientifically vetted credentials rule supreme, everyone gets their just due: "To each according to his ability; from each according to his means". Aldous Huxley wrote a book about that fictional world. You can pick it up at Alibris.

Am I cynical? Heck yes, I'm cynical. But I know this. Though I am not likely to vote for Barack Obama, I am proud I live in a country where he became the editor of Harvard Law review, and his wife, Michelle, got in to Princeton. Because there never was some pure paradigm out there, some paradise of pure merit. I happen to have attended a different Ivy League college than either of the Obamas, just at the time it started seriously recruiting minorities. Some might have had lower SAT scores than I did. But the same college fifteen years earlier was a social plantation of the "above average", sparkling here and there with the differential contributions of the few.

Anyone who has hired anyone else, who has put in the sweat equity to recruit and form a team of individuals to accomplish a purpose knows that the task of evaluating the potential of a candidate is not science, it is intuition, guesswork, art and luck. For a long time, the ability to confine all choices to white gentile males of a certain social class created the illusion of a meritocracy when all the while the system was thoroughly gamed by connection.

Would we be talking about the selection of Sarah Palin if her first name was Steve? Of course not. Would Barack Obama be the Democrats' nominee if he were white? Of course not. And your point is?

Like it or not, the culture that informs our politics -- and incidentally our commerce, our arts and our learning -- has changed. As a result of that, the narratives that drive the culture also change.

Adapt, or die. I am thankful that we have the four principal candidates we have to frame our upcoming national debate. They look like the country I see when I walk to work.

Richard

While Palin has been busy running a state, Obama has been busy running his mouth.

Here she is on CNBC talking about energy, national security and Biden - judge for yourselves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GE11URmmnc&eurl (incidentally, the hate in the YouTube comments thread is raw; the unhinged are coming out in full force).

Palin beats Biden 53 to 48 percent in Rasmussen poll favorability rating.

Her two big newspapers don't like her (big surprise, she's anti-pork and running against the political machine in her state) and they bash her in editorials today. This is like the ultra-liberal Tulsa World bashing U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn for wanting to deliver babies.

Robert Morwell here plays the elitist card many predicted would be played earlier in the day.

In the Senate, Obama has a 97 percent party-line voting record. Nothing striking or original about this U.S. Senator at all.

Morwell vaunts state legislative experience over state gubernatorial experience - anyone familiar with either in any state knows how wrong-headed this is. Being elected to a state legislature in any state is not much of an accomplishment. Being elected as a governor is. The two aren't even comparable.

Obama was a rank and file lawmaker in the state Senate - even worse.

Morwell seems to think Obama has incredible foreign policy experience - and yet we know his one major foreign policy decision was 180 degrees wrong.

Morwell overvalues Obama's "community organizing" work while he demeans Palin's community work.

DailyKos has finally figured out what a big deal it is and has put Palin up as its top story. And they're still flogging the "abuse of power" trooper story - amazing.

Obama's "bounce" from the convention is the same size as Gore's but smaller than Carter in '80 or Mondale in '84.

Ruh-roh, looks like a real race.

I'm waiting for the Left to take their attacks on Palin a bridge too far - I think Hillary Clinton is too. All Clinton has to do is sit back, watch the Palin attacks and then time some comment expressing disappointment in unfair attacks on Palin in order to sabotage Obama's candidacy so she can run again in 2012.

Jim,
what did you mean by "her sudden pregnancy and even more sudden (and unlikely) childbirth?" There's some rumor going around that she faked having a baby? huh?

Ok, hadn't seen any of Riley's comment. But honestly, if what you say is true (and it seems so crazy that I hesitate to believe it without substantiation) -- well, weddings are a matter of public record. Find the record.

Someone here said she just withdrew her daughter from school a few days ago. Surely someone has a record of that or some sort of proof as well. And a third trimester pregnancy (I have not seen any photo) - if it's true, that will be easy to prove soon too. If.

"I think the comment makes some good points and provides some facts to go with all the very uninformed chatter that has been going on down here in the lower 48 on both the right and the left."

Actually, come to think of it, the lengthy comment sounds a lot like the slimeball, scummy tactics we've come to expect from "progressives" in the lower 48, too. Maybe things aren't so different in Alaska, after all, huh Riley?

Your underarm sweat stains are showing - metaphorically speaking of course.

Considering the venal level some of these posts have now stooped to, I think it's time we asked ourselves just how nutters the American Left is going to go if they lose the election. How much in the way of vomit-spewing hate, brown-shirt activity, physical attacks in the workplace and other truly scary nonsense can we expect from desperate leftists if Obama craters in the next few weeks?

Houghton,
In October 2006, Candidate Palin was all in favor of pork barrel. When she was asked "Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?"
Answer: "Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist".

She only changed her mind when it became clear that funding for the project was not forthcoming from the new Democratic controlled Congress.

Mr. McCain's campaign, run by the protégé of Carl Rove, is the best at spin and smear. They have an advantage with TV News Networks that just repeat their releases, as evident with this whole 'She's just like McCain - a maverick. McCain may have been a maverick in the past, but since 2000, he has voted along party lines consistently - nothing more than any other Senator following the party leaders. There is nothing more evident of this than his reversing his stand on making the Bush Tax Cut becoming permanent.
Gov. Palin may be a maverick if the independent investigation shows she broke the rules (that's the definition of a maverick) when she fired the Public Safety Commissioner that refused her wish to have her ex brother-in-law fired. We shall see.
Oh, and if Hilary did anything even remotely subversive – that would be political suicide for her with the Democratic Party. She’s too smart to make that sort of amateur move.

Houghton,
In October 2006, Candidate Palin was all in favor of pork barrel. When she was asked "Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?"
Answer: "Yes. I would like to see Alaska's infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now--while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist".

She only changed her mind when it became clear that funding for the project was not forthcoming from the new Democratic controlled Congress.

Mr. McCain's campaign, run by the protégé of Carl Rove, is the best at spin and smear. They have an advantage with TV News Networks that just repeat their releases, as evident with this whole 'She's just like McCain - a maverick. McCain may have been a maverick in the past, but since 2000, he has voted along party lines consistently - nothing more than any other Senator following the party leaders. There is nothing more evident of this than his reversing his stand on making the Bush Tax Cut becoming permanent.
Gov. Palin may be a maverick if the independent investigation shows she broke the rules (that's the definition of a maverick) when she fired the Public Safety Commissioner that refused her wish to have her ex brother-in-law fired. We shall see.
Oh, and if Hilary did anything even remotely subversive – that would be political suicide for her with the Democratic Party. She’s too smart to make that sort of amateur move.

"The story I quoted above may not be true but I felt it had the ring of truth"

Riley, seriously, thank you, I haven't laughed that hard in days.

I have some lovely property in this place called Rio Rancho. I think you'll be interested.

Riley, how about this for a "bizarre" explanation for the pregnancy? My aunt has an unexpected pregnancy at the age of 42. All of his siblings were much older. See, I know it's "bizarre" for many Obamaniac secularist types to consider that all these crazy men and women in the hinterlands, clinging bitterly their guns and religion in their worthless small towns, enjoy having big families, but it happens to healthy women. He was valedictorian at his high school this year. Best thing that ever happened to my aunt.

Riley,

the Newsweek article I read yesterday said her water began leaking while she was in TX - not that it broke. Big difference. (have you experienced this personally? I have. Huge difference, impossible to miss.) A leak can sometimes re-seal. Once your water breaks, though, it's broken, and after a while the risk of infection starts to go up. Newsweek could be wrong - but then again, so could the rumor mill.

A radical, pro-life candidate far outside the maintream meant to appease the social conservatives will be the test of whether abortion is the last remaining leg standing in the social conservative's culture war.

As I noted on another thread, the NY Times reports that the Obama campaign, still scrambling for an effective line of attack on Governor Palin, plans to switch from the sure-to-backfire "inexperienced" line they tested yesterday to an attempt to paint her as some kind of whacko extremist from the crazy hinterland.

And right on schedule, Daniel has shifted his own talking points to conform exactly to the Party Line.

Reality: Sarah Palin's entire family are independents -- even her husband isn't a registered Republican. She's strongly and very sincerely pro-life, but the central issues of her political career have been rooting out corruption in government and in her own party and cutting back bloated government.

And she has an 85% public approval rating. Not even Alaska has that high a percentage of "far outside the mainstream" right wing culture warriors. Nearly all of the Alaska-based criticism of her comes from the political (mostly Republican) class there. She's gored their ox, the people of Alaska are cheering her on for doing it, and the pols are bitter about it.

Houghton:

Riley, how about this for a "bizarre" explanation for the pregnancy? My aunt has an unexpected pregnancy at the age of 42. All of his siblings were much older. See, I know it's "bizarre" for many Obamaniac secularist types to consider that all these crazy men and women in the hinterlands, clinging bitterly their guns and religion in their worthless small towns, enjoy having big families, but it happens to healthy women. He was valedictorian at his high school this year. Best thing that ever happened to my aunt.

I meant that the rumor itself was so bizarre that I and others could not imagine where it could have come from. Now the fact is that both the left and right blogspheres have shown the ability to come up with crazy and unsubstantiated stories with no problem at all but this one just seemed too bizarre to even get any play. This was the first set of facts that seemed to give some explanation for the origin of the rumor. I realize that the 'facts' come with some wrapping that is quite negative towards Sarah Palin and that to base a conclusion on one unsubstantiated comment from an adversarial blog that just jumped up into national prominence due to Palin's nomination would be foolish. The rumor was referenced above my post which is why I posted the info here.

MJS The Newsweek article is likely correct. I certainly find Mrs Palin's behavior "as reported by people who may not have had all the facts" to be reckless and not something I would expect from any responsible mother. This leads me to suspect that the Newsweek report is more likely correct. However, the truth or falsehood of the charge of reckless behavior is not relevant to its use in spreading a false rumor as those doing the spreading of the rumor probably were not concerned with its precise accuracy. I appreciate hearing about the Newsweek article because it further undercuts the foundation of the rumor itself. I hope I am clear that I am trying to debunk the very bizarre rumor itself and not making any absolute claims for the accuracy of the source I quoted.

Jim writes: "When the flurry of beauty queen photos, questions about ...her sudden pregnancy and even more sudden (and unlikely) childbirth come out..."

Whoa! This sounds interesting... Jim, can you elaborate or point us to some web sites? Maybe Palin's true analogy is not Miers, but Eagleton.

The Daniel Dance continues.

He's has switched perfectly to the newly-telegraphed line of attack the Obamaniacs have decided on.

First line of attack: Troopergate, troopergate, troopergate. Uh, no wait, a nonstarter, makes her look good. Everybody shut up about troopergate!

Second line of attack: Questions about experience. Whoops! No, eh, uh, boomerangs right back to Obama's lack of experience.

New line of attack: She's a right-wing nut job Christianist theocrat!

Bravo, Daniel. Your ability to respond to the tugs on the marionette strings is admirable.

When this one blows up, what's it gonna be next?

Houghton,

You need to get some rest. You are now imagining conversations that didn't occur and appear to be a bit delusional. You've been spinning Palin into someone substantial all day and I think you are beginning to lose it. You have the next two months to continue defending McCain and Palin and you have a lot of work ahead of you. Pace yourself.

Lest anyone not 'get it' I am definitely on the left but consider myself a fundamentalist Christian as well. I have been reading this blog for a long time but have not commented before now. I was really trying to put out info on the weird rumor not start a flame war with Houghton. But having said that I will make one last post and then call it a night. The following is another comment from the lady I quoted above. It is from the blog Mudflats (http://mudflats.wordpress.com/) in the comments section of the post In the Land of Palin. (note that she is a Republican)

P.S. The poster she calls "Haiki Loving Logic" is one (of many) characters who are pushing the 'fake' pregnancy story.

Susan Williams

Hey Haiki Loving Logic - My gosh. Give up the “doc could have lied shtick.” Okay. I suppose it’s not out of the realm of the possible. How do I know CBJ? She happens to be my doctor. That’s how I know her.

One thing I’m seeing very clearly: The rest of the country has NO IDEA how small town life in this Valley is. I never go anywhere without running into multiple people I know. Everyone knows everyone and everyone talks. It’s kind of sweet and quaint if you like the small town gig - but people from larger metro areas can’t really understand how small towns work if they’ve never lived in one. (Visiting doesn’t count. You have to live here long enough to know half the folks).

Part of this is kind of starting to be funny for me - though, from a Valley Perspective (for anyone who wants to hear this) yesterday felt like someone had died. People were walking around saying how they wanted to throw up. Truly. I’ve never heard (or read, try andrew halcro.com or adn.com so many people describe feeling like they were going to get physically sick and vomit). That’s how CRAZY this sounded to all of us. (fyi - on those blogs, esp the adn site you’ll find a posse of Palinbots - as they’re referred to up here - who think she can do no wrong. These are what we call “bumper sticker” citizens. If an idea is too long for a bumper sticker, it’s too complicated for them to try and wrap their minds around. These people, by and large, compose Sarah’s base. The 80% approval numbers you all - and presumably McCain - heard of were wrong).

But today, I’m torn between being angry and being sad and being shocked and — well, finding this whole thing so gosh darned funny. When EVERYONE except the bumper sticker citz KNOW beyond any shadow of any doubt that there is no way Sarah is qualified for this post - well, it makes me just shake my head as a Republican.

The chatter now is whether she’ll survive the first two weeks - what with her upcoming deposition this week on Troopergate matters and the brewing baby questions. Will Sarah be another Eagleton? And, if so, will she be as gracious as Chuck Kopp was less than a month ago when she tapped him to be Commissioner of Public Safety without vetting him worth squat (it came out almost immediately he had a scandal in his past). She held onto him for two weeks before the pressure became overbearing and she let him go (with a nice $15,000 severance check that she didn’t disclose until it was reported on a local blog). Will she be as gracious as Chuck Kopp if and when McCain wakes up to his insanity and realizes he has to find someone who actually knows something about the job?

"Clearly, if her name was Steve Palin and had this resume, we'd all be doubled up in laughter."

No, but average Americans might. I'm more aware than they are though. (Yes, that sounds snooty but going by what best testing would indicate it's true) Although I'll admit the thoughts I had about Jindal might come more to mind in that case. Those being.

He's too young.
He's too new.
His religious views might alienate some people.
His state needs him more than we do.

However even if it's corrupt Alaska isn't Louisiana. It's problems really aren't as severe from what I can tell, not even in corruption. So I think her state can manage better.

The religious views thing is tempered a bit by her life history. Someone who's smoked pot and has gay friends might not have quite the same "religious fanatic" vibe I feared Jindal would get tarred with.

Nevertheless "too young" and "too new" is quite possibly even more true of Palin than Jindal. If this explodes in her face it could damage someone who seemed a potential rising star in the party. It is a risky choice on those grounds.

Still if it had been Jindal I probably also would've been personally pleased. I might be more cautious than I am now, but as it's settled in I have concerns here too. I think my reaction is similar to what it'd be if she were Stan Palin.

Now if you said "If her name was Steve Palin, had this resume, and was staunchly Pro-Choice you'd be laughing now" that'd probably be correct. Although "ticked off" might even be closer then.

It may be that women per se weren't the target audience here, but rather the unmotivated and fed-up Right. If I may speak for the right-wing mind (many of you think this is an oxymoron), we are suckers for courage, which this woman has. Hence, the instant rapport in Dayton. And it may gone beyond rapport as the campaign develops and morph into a sort of love affair, something like that between good Queen Bess and the men of England 400 years ago. It's all quite atavistic but would you expect less from us neanderthals?

I find it interesting the flood of lies and smears against American Muslims and out hateful slurs including the false claim that Obama is a Muslim or that his father is an Atheist therefore evil. But Woah, don’t say anything against Sara Palin or her 17 pregnant daughter, or McCain’s 15 min decision to pick her. OR you’re a sexist. I’m a conservative independent and I am religious. I’m also one who believes that’s a private matter too. As a mother of two and businessperson. I am so sickened of hypocrisy here and the absurd attempt to have the lunatic fringe say that they speak for women like me.

If Palin were a man...this person would still be unfit for holding one of the highest seats in the nation but don't ask the lady tough questions because that means your a sexist.

Well, I agree family, how family members stray or act shouldn’t be a focus. Maybe the far Right should follow their own advice and apologize for all the Obama family bashing of Michelle and his father and mother including the moron posting above who is truly if not one shy of declaring his allegiance with the Aryan Brotherhood.

The question is bigots and hypocrites spew their evil into the mainstream and make it harder for progressive Christians to be respected and I find that offensive. Being a politician a VP can push for and pass laws that will effect your children too. Christian Creationism in Science class as another theory. Pro-Life without any exceptions, including survival of mother who planned pregnancy. Abstinence only. What of these concerns?

Did I mention, perhaps Christians should also be forgiving and open minded to homosexuals who are monogamous and who are very productive, pay taxes and are God loving or are they too focused on imaginary sordid fantasies that they refuse to grant them the respect and privacy they and their straight supportive families deserve. Give them the right to choose a married for life option.

Obama/Biden responses have been respectable and back up their integrity McCain/Palin camp have done nothing but use the same old tactics of victimhood and hypocrisies while selling us the same old failed Bush like policies and telling me they different. Who are they kidding?