08/29/2008
McCain Makes Surprise Choice of Little-Known Woman
In a surprise move, Sen. John McCain announced Friday that he had chosen Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
In choosing Palin -- a 44-year-old conservative and mother of five who has been governor for less than two years -- the McCain campaign reached far outside the Washington Beltway in an election in which the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, is running on a platform of change. (NYT)
Some have already began to notice a resemblance to a face many of you are familiar with, honey!
Posted 1:49 PM EST by Kenneth Walsh | Permalink
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Sorry THE QUEEN, I mistook you for QUEENDRU. But even still, whaaaaa? She's going to get McCain elected? Are you smokin crack girl?
Posted by: zeke | Aug 29, 2008 2:47:08 PM
She's Velma from Scooby Doo, but less butch and anti-gay marriage equality.
Also, she's a former beauty queen. And we all know that McCain has a bit of a weakness for them, bless him .
Is she rich too? Cindy better watch her back.
But the GOP are insulting our intelligence. And I long to repay them the favor.
Posted by: FASTLAD | Aug 29, 2008 2:47:37 PM
Was Anita Bryant too busy?
Posted by: Charlie | Aug 29, 2008 2:48:55 PM
now, now miss derrick, we're certainly not going to let anything as unimportant as politics get between us and threaten our friendship... maybe a nice, sweaty tatted muscular piece of mexican street trade -- THAT certainly would be understandable... but i would always let you get first dibs at any piece of hunky masculinity that came our way as we sashayed our way along the street, wine bottle in one hand and a fat reefer in the other...
Posted by: the queen | Aug 29, 2008 2:50:27 PM
ZEKE-
I read that she implemented employee benefits for same sex partners of state employees during her two years in office.
Not that I am voting for her, but that doesn't equal no gay rights at all as you have claimed. I also read her best friend is a lesbian.
Posted by: Dan B | Aug 29, 2008 2:52:06 PM
if ever there was a reason to question mcgeezer's judgment, his choice of sarah palin (who?), is the most compelling.
compared to michelle and hillary, this woman is a throwback to 1950's america. what was he thinking (or not thinking)? even the most rabid of repugs will smell the stink of his shameless, ineffectual attempt at triangulation.
as to the dem convention: michelle, hill, bill, biden and barack -- brilliant, all of them. everyone did what they needed to do in their speeches. it is inspiriting to see the dems get their act together. it warms the cockles of this yella-dog democrat's heart.
Posted by: nic | Aug 29, 2008 2:55:46 PM
She OPPOSED signing partnership benefits into law and wanted to put it to popular vote but had to comply with the Alaska Supreme Court decision. Oh yeah, she sound REALLY gay-positive. Yay for second-class citizenship and our rights being put to a vote (again)!
Posted by: Charlie | Aug 29, 2008 2:58:58 PM
http://dwb.adn.com/front/story/8508726p-8401181c.html
Posted by: Charlie | Aug 29, 2008 3:03:00 PM
she also vetoed a bill to permanently deny rights to gays.
Posted by: Dan B | Aug 29, 2008 3:05:16 PM
You're right, DAN B. My mistake. She just thinks they should be subject to popular vote. BIG diff.
And if you think it's going to be ANY easier to turn the tide on homophobia in this country with her in office, you're out of your mind.
Sarah Palin: Gay Discrimination...with a smile.
Posted by: Charlie | Aug 29, 2008 3:12:24 PM
Let's review: Three years ago she was the mayor of a small town (less than 9000) in Alaska - today she is the nations second female canidate for vice president. The republicans are going to play this as Mrs. Smith goes to Washington but really it's a Lifetime movie of the week starring Nancy Mckeon, aka Joe, from The Facts of Life. President Ahmenajad meet Mrs. Hockey Mom.
Posted by: Giovanni | Aug 29, 2008 3:22:13 PM
THE QUEEN "i've heard her speak and i like her"
Do your homework before you admit your ignorance, dear.
http://www.rnclife.org/order/party08.html
Michele Bachmann will be a featured guest at the “The Life of the Party Party,” a reception honoring Alaska Governor SARAH PALIN during next week’s Republican National Convention. The event is sponsored by anti-feminist and Bachmann financier Phyllis Schlafly and the Republican National Coalition for Life.
Bachmann will be joined by two of her other pals from the religious right— prominent anti-gay crusader Gary Bauer and Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. The Palin soiree is September 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel downtown St. Paul. Tickets are $95.
Governor Palin has been considered a rising star in the Republican Party. However, a recently developing political scandal could tarnish her political future. She’s been accused of pressuring the state’s public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who was involved in a messy divorce with Palin’s sister, and then firing the public safety commissioner when he refused to fire the trooper. A legislative investigation has been launched to look into the matter.
Perkins, who was a featured speaker at one of Bachmann’s anti-gay rallies on the state capitol steps in 2005, has been linked to the white supremacist group Council of Concerned Citizens and former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke.
Here's what HRC has to say:
Today, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain announced he has chosen first term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his choice to be his Vice Presidential running mate. Although only holding an executive, state-wide office for less than two years, Gov. Palin has already shown that she is a fierce opponent of equality.
“America may not know much about Sarah Palin, but based on what our community has seen of her, we know enough,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Sarah Palin not only supported the 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment banning marriage equality but, in her less than two years as Governor, even expressed the extreme position of supporting stripping away domestic partner benefits for state workers. When you can’t even support giving our community the rights to health insurance and pension benefits, it’s a frightening window into where she stands on equality.”
When asked about the right-wing’s reaction to the choice of Gov Palin, the New York Times quoted Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition as saying, “They’re beyond ecstatic”.
Highlights of Governor Palin’s Anti-Equality Record:
Prior to being elected governor, Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples and has said she would support a ballot measure overturning a state supreme court decision mandating benefits for domestic partners of state employees.
She is close to “traditional values” groups, like Family Research Council, because she is strongly anti-choice Marriage and Relationship Recognition
Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on marriage.
In addition, she told the Daily News that she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to the domestic partners of public employees, which were ordered by an October 2005 decision of the Alaska Supreme Court, because, she said “honoring the family structure is that important.
"While she followed the Court’s decision and he also signed legislation –her first legislative act as Governor of Alaska—to put the issue on the April 2007 ballot for a nonbinding advisory vote. This was the only issue on the ballot and that election cost the state taxpayers $1.2 million. This measure passed, but the legislature did not follow the public’s advice and it chose not to take any further action to overturn the court’s decision. · She did, however, veto legislation passed by the state legislature in 2006 that would have prohibited providing DP benefits to state workers, in defiance of the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling. She did this after the Supreme Court had already ruled and the Attorney General (Republican) advised her that the legislation was unconstitutional. Palin went on to state that, as a matter of policy, she was in favor of the bill. Ties to Anti-LGBT Groups.
She will be honored alongside anti-gay Representative Michelle Bachman (R-MN) at an event at the 2008 Republican Convention, the “Life of the Party,” sponsored in part by long-time opponent of GLBT rights, Phyllis Schlafly.
Posted by: John in Manhattan | Aug 29, 2008 3:22:59 PM
Will Sarah Palin be the new Dan Quayle? At the 1988 Republican convention, George H. W. Bush called on Quayle to be his running mate. Quayle was chosen to appeal to a younger generation of Americans and his good looks were praised by Senator John McCain, who said "I can't believe a guy that handsome wouldn't have some impact."
As Dan Quayle once said, "The future will be better tomorrow."
Posted by: GuyDads | Aug 29, 2008 3:30:40 PM
Yes, her only move that could possibly be spun as pro-gay was then her hands were tied by the Supreme Ct. decision:
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2006/12/29/6
"The state Supreme Court last year ordered Alaska to extend the benefits, finding that denying them violated the state's guarantee of equal protection for all Alaskans. Justices set a deadline of Jan. 1, 2007, for having the benefits in place."
Posted by: Kevinvt | Aug 29, 2008 3:31:41 PM
Does McCain know that if Palin gets hurt or is in a car accident or something, he can't trade her in for a hotter, younger VP?
Posted by: RB | Aug 29, 2008 3:33:53 PM
Pam has more on "womb control advocate, anti-LGBT activist, religious right fembot, creationist" Palin here:
http://pamshouseblend.com/tag.do?tag=Sarah%20Palin
Posted by: John in Manhattan | Aug 29, 2008 3:37:26 PM
Now I really would've liked to see Hillary become VP. She would've wiped the floor with this woman in a debate.
On the other hand, Palin is in for a BIG surprise when she goes up against Biden.
This is going to get pretty brutal.
Posted by: damien | Aug 29, 2008 3:41:27 PM
I give McCain credit for making a bold choice. In the short term, she's an inspired one. She's no Hillary (an understatement), but she's a woman, so that must mean the Republicans are woman-friendly, right? She'll add some much needed vitality to McCain's campaign and create buzz going into the Repub convention.
BUT in the long term: She only highlights McCain's age and health vulnerabilities. A unknown candidate with next to zero experience from a remote, lightly populated state stands a decent chance of becoming president by accident. Whoa, scary! It will be hard for the Repubs to talk about Obama's lack of experience now, and, when they do, they might be reminded that millions and millions of voters think Obama deserves to be president, whereas only John McCain currently thinks she deserves the office.
As for Hillary supporters, most are behind Obama after the brilliantly unifying convention, and those who aren't still aren't likely to vote for an anti-choice, pro-gun, pro-drilling-anywhere, untested Republican even if she is a hockey mom. (The hockey mom stuff will be played to death, that's for sure.)
The Log Cabinites are grasping at straws re: pro gay. As others have pointed out, her vetoing of legislation allowing rights for same-sex partners of state employees was basically forced upon her. (The right might be upset, tho.) And it's not like she'll be straying from the anti-gay party line now that she's on the ticket. She might want to learn what the VP does, however, since apparently she has no idea.
Unless she charms the pants off of independents and Karen Walker fans and knocks Biden down in the debates (highly unlikely), ultimately she's going to be a weakness rather than an asset. Thanks, John, we knew you could do it.
Posted by: Ernie | Aug 29, 2008 3:43:02 PM
"allowing" should be "banning" in my comment! sorry!
Posted by: Ernie | Aug 29, 2008 3:51:27 PM
DAN B aka shit-for-brains chimes in with "she also vetoed a bill to permanently deny rights to gays."
Now now, tell the whole story. The Associated Press reported that Palin said she rejected the bill despite her DISAGREEMENT with a state Supreme Court order directing the state to offer benefits to same-sex partners of state employees.
Palin said in a media statement that she vetoed the bill on the advice of her new attorney general who said it is unconstitutional. "Signing this bill would be in direct violation of my oath of office," Palin said in her media release.
She had no choice but to veto the bill. Get the facts straight before posting your bullshit. As for your claim, "I also read her best friend is a lesbian." I also read you're a Republican troll. Really, I did! I did!
Posted by: John in Manhattan | Aug 29, 2008 3:52:18 PM
There is a picture on the NY Times webpage of Cindy McShame with both families at the announcement today and she looks none too happy. You can hear her thinking 'I wonder if she has any money? How do I keep them apart?'
Posted by: patrick nyc | Aug 29, 2008 3:56:08 PM
Okay, he looks like Andy's ugly older brother or something.
Posted by: anon | Aug 29, 2008 3:56:56 PM
I'd rather vote for Karen Walker!
Nic, don't forget about Al Gore's speech last night. Boy did this country blow it 8 years ago
Posted by: Ted | Aug 29, 2008 4:05:10 PM
DAN B
That was under order from the alaska supreme court!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She fought tooth and nail against it. She only implemented benefits for same sex couples so as to not have her a@@ dragged out of her office for flouting the state supreme court. She is 100% against us, thinks we are sinners that need fixing.
100% anti-choice
former buchaninite = racist and anti-semite
under investigation for ethics charges
redacted e-mails (bush 2.0)
---------------------------------------
A.J.
I take offense with how you referenced to Hillary supporters. You need to show more respect to our fellow dems/libs/non-repubs
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) FL a HUGE supporter of Hillary Clinton's responded this morning on MSNBC and was flat out insulted and tore palin to pieces as being anti-woman, inexperienced, the opposite of everything Hillary is
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Anyway; I am curious about the baptist vote. Southern baptists do not support women ruling over them even in politics. I wonder if they will vote at all
Posted by: Jimmyboyo | Aug 29, 2008 4:10:41 PM
I honestly thought the Gays are a smart lot! Obviously not, why oh why you guys have not realised that Obama will say anything just to get elected, Equal rights and gay marriage? Yeah, right, like it would happen in your life time, not with the GOP, not with the Democrats.
Yes, Obama stands for change! Change his tactic every second just to win!
Posted by: PUMA | Aug 29, 2008 4:10:55 PM