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LOL

JC — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:40:10 -0500

I don't know how many of us (especially those of us over 40) would feel about a drawing of us from behind. I hope if anyone ever draws me from behind they're kind.

Spread the Joy!

http://www.storyrhyme.com/jcsblog

Quite right!

shellie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:43:12 -0500

Being a chief executive of a community -- where the buck stops, responsible for a diverse citizenry's health and safety 24/7/365 -- is quite different from being a member of a legislature. Any governor or mayor or mother has better chief executive experience than Obama does!

Palin has run a family, a business, a city, and a state. Really Alaska is much like a separate nation, with no neighboring US states to lean on, and in an isolating, deadly climate.

To have achieved so much in Alaska, in a short time, starting from scratch with no powerful political family behind her, opposing the local 'machine' (Obama supported the Daley machine) -- shows great competence and ability.

As VP or President....

shellie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:30:19 -0500

I wish Couric had been persistent with questions like these: "As VP you would have to vote when the Senate is tied; if you become President you will have veto power. How would you vote, or veto vs sign, a bill that blah blah blah?" And tried to pin her down about what SC judges she would nominate.

However, what Palin has said -- and done! -- so far does add up to avoiding putting her religion's views into her public policy actions. I won't repeat the details, but does anyone have any evidence of her acting otherwise?

If she had tried to force her standards on the people of Alaska, she would hardly have such high approval from all sides. (Iirc 82% in general, 75% from Democrats, in January and again in late August; then the Democrats began polling differently, bringing her overall rating down to 68% iirc, about the same as Bill Clinton's. :-)

Hm, I wonder if Palin's critics would today be rejecting JFK because his church opposes birth control.

Competence

amamasblog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:59:56 -0500

EntrepreneurWomen10,

I respect your right to your opinion, and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

It is interesting how so many women can see this issue so differently. I think Palin is competent. Between the other three people on these tickets, she has the most experience actually running a state, which is a lot like being president. Governors are elected as president, never serving in Congress, so it is a valid credential. In fact, I believe the last 4 out of our last 5 presidents have been governors-never being in Congress.

Obama was only in the Senate for a little over 100 days, before he started his campaign for president. That is only three months! I fail to see what he ever has been in charge of on an executive level. Yet he is a man, and not very many people are questioning his qualifications. If Palin were a man, only having been in the Senate for 3 months, and Obama had been a mayor and now was the governor for just under two years in Alaska, I seriously doubt we would have this "experience" issue.

Furthermore, Obama has over 300 advisors right now! He will have many advisors if he is elected. All presidents do. If McCain were elected, and something happened to him, Palin would have advisors as well- maybe just as many as Obama does now. So I don't think it is a valid argument to cite her perceived lack of experience if she should happen to become vice president, when Obama has less executive experience than her now, and would BE the president. He would have advisors to assist with issues he was not familiar with, and in the event Palin were president (if McCain died), she would have advisors to assist her as well.

Heather* A Mama's Blog

LA NOW Endorses Palin

amamasblog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:40:04 -0500

In case anyone is interested, on October 4, 2008, the LA's NOW (National Organization for Women) chapter president Shelly Mandell endorsed Palin. Mandell noted that she is a life-long Democrat, and has issues that she doesn't agree with Palin on, but she said, "It is an honor to call her ‘sister', and America, this is what a feminist looks like."

I thought this was interesting, since the National Chapter of NOW endorsed Obama/Biden. I guess the LA chapter did not agree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJxIYQKmM0M

Heather
* A Mama's Blog

If Sarah is not a pilot, then Alaska is not a plane.

shellie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:19:45 -0500

Sarah has been governing Alaska very well and has accomplished a great deal against great odds in a short time.

It's not the age, it's the mileage.

Evidence

amamasblog — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:01:14 -0500

Shellie,

I agree with you on this, in that even though Palin is pro-life, she would not have the power to just start making anti-abortion laws if she were to become the V.P.

Bills would have to be introduced and pass in Congress before they were to become a law. Palin can't just move into the White House, so to speak, and start penning anti-abortion laws. I believe the states have the power to decide for themselves on abortion as well, and can make stricter or more lenient laws than what exists at the Federal level.

In case anyone is interested, here are Palin's own words on her abortion views- straight from the Katie Curic interviews. I did not watch these on TV, so I don't know if these were actually aired or not. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/30/eveningnews/main4490618.shtml

Couric: If a 15-year-old is raped by her father, do you believe it should be illegal for her to get an abortion, and why?

Palin: I am pro-life. And I'm unapologetic in my position that I am pro-life. And I understand there are good people on both sides of the abortion debate. In fact, good people in my own family have differing views on abortion, and when it should be allowed. Do I respect people's opinions on this. Now, I would counsel to choose life. I would also like to see a culture of life in this country. But I would also like to take it one step further. Not just saying I am pro-life and I want fewer and fewer abortions in this country, but I want them, those women who find themselves in circumstances that are absolutely less than ideal, for them to be supported, and adoptions made easier.

Couric: But ideally, you think it should be illegal for a girl who was raped or the victim of incest to get an abortion?

Palin: I'm saying that, personally, I would counsel the person to choose life, despite horrific, horrific circumstances that this person would find themselves in. And, um, if you're asking, though, kind of foundationally here, should anyone end up in jail for having an ... abortion, absolutely not. That's nothing I would ever support.

Couric: Some people have credited the morning-after pill for decreasing the number of abortions. How do you feel about the morning-after pill?

Palin: Well, I am all for contraception. And I am all for preventative measures that are legal and save, and should be taken, but Katie, again, I am one to believe that life starts at the moment of conception. And I would like to see ...

Couric: And so you don't believe in the morning-after pill?

Palin: ... I would like to see fewer and fewer abortions in this world. And again, I haven't spoken with anyone who disagrees with my position on that.

Couric: I'm sorry, I just want to ask you again. Do you not support or do you condone or condemn the morning-after pill.

Palin: Personally, and this isn't McCain-Palin policy ...

Couric: No, that's OK, I'm just asking you.

Palin: But personally, I would not choose to participate in that kind of contraception.

Heather

*A Mama's Blog

It's About Competence, Not Sexism

EntrepreneurWomen10 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:55:30 -0500

I think when Sarah Palin brings her family into her speeches and the public eye, they are open for questions. I object to her because I think she's incompetent, not because she's a woman. Her history shows her to be vengeful, thoughtless and not fit to be Vice President of the USA, especially on a ticket with someone McCain's age. Her views, ignorance and arrogance of the issues frankly terrify me. I see her as close to a female version of George W Bush and we know how well that's worked out. If she were a man, her competency would be in the forefront of people's attention, without question. Since she is a woman and politically incorrect to challenge, that acts, to some degree, like a smokescreen.

Do you have any evidence

shellie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:55:52 -0500

Do you have any evidence that Palin would force this policy on the rest of us? So far her record in Alaska has shown what we might call separation of church and state -- and separation of legislative duties and executive duties. Palin keeps saying that legislatures and voters make the laws; she is running for executive posts and her agenda is different.

Her official actions so far have included vetoing an anti-gay measure (she said it was unconstitutional), refusing to add anti-abortion measures to an energy bill, and refusing to increase 'faith based funding', saying Alaska has enough of that already.

Palin's pro-contraception vs, eg, Bush Jr

shellie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:50:41 -0500

Thank you for acknowledging Palin's pro-contraception stance, Lisse. Yes, there are some people in the GOP who want to limit contraception also. Can you give us more information about those people? How many are there, what groups do they control? What groups in the GOP oppose them? How does the power balance out? Are there more of them than, say, Republicans for Choice?

I think Palin is sincere about wanting to decrease abortion, and about contraception as a good means to do that. Thus her own anti-abortion feelings will lead her to fight those in her party who oppose contraception.

Given her record of fighting her own party in Alaska, and the oil companies, and earning a high approval record while she's at it -- my money is on Sarah to improve the GOP on such issues.

Btw, I hope you have signed Hillary's letter against Bush's anti-contraception attempt. Have Obama and Biden signed it?

Palin wants sex education to teach about condoms

shellie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:34:16 -0500

You're right, TW: Sarah Palin is pro-contraception. She just doesn't care if they talk abstinence too.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-sexed6-2008sep06,0,3119305.st...

==========

A more recent interview (Couric iirc) makes a stronger statement for contraception, in relation to lowering abortions by lowering pregnancies.

I have never seen any support for the claim that Palin's daughter had 'abstinence only' sex education. I have seen it denied in a reputable context. Shouldn't such derogatory claims be accompanied by cites?

Imo talking about astinence in sex education class, like talking about
creationism in science class, is a good way to innoculate students
against those fallacies, which they will meet sooner or later.

Mark Levin's less-edited transcript of the Gibson interview

shellie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:37:37 -0500

Mark Levin's less-edited transcript of the Gibson interview shows that sometimes a questio was printed, the answer omitted, following question omitted -- then the following answer shown as though it were the answer to the first question.

Many important statements were omitted, giving an opposite impression of Palin's position.

Excellant Post!

Toto — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:09:19 -0500

amamasblog, I agree with you 100%. Thank you for having the courage to share your views about this issue. Without a doubt, we have seen some very ugly examples of sexism towards both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin.

Racist

Feisty One — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:36:29 -0500

I AM SO G>... sick and tired of hearing all this racist crap exploding into the world today - I am an 82 year old AA female that has been a Democratic voter since 21 years old - I am sick of hearing that those that do not go along with Barack Obama are racist for not doing so - or they are racist because they ask legitimate questions regarding his campaign or they are racist if they question anything except do as he says do --- I was for Hillary Clinton but there is no way under this green earth would I vote for my brother Obama - hey we can say the N word to each other in my own race - but if anyone says anything to the contrary about my brother Obama then they are racist - for the first time ever I will be going Republican and think Sarah is the best choice of President let alone VP ---

Now shame on the media and shame on the Obama campaign for constantly bringing up race ---- you are destroying everying that Martin Luther King tried to fix....

I am sure that I will not be around for another election term - and hang my head in shame with what is going on in this election...

Here's a question: Is Dick Cheney unconstitutional?

Kim Pearson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:08:58 -0500

Both Healy and Glenn Reynolds say that it's "constitutionally suspect" for the President to delegate executive duties to the Veep. If the President is impeached or is forced to resign, a VP with execuive powers risks being drawn into whatever tained the president. I don't think history supports the argument, necessarily. No one thought Al Gore had a role in Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinski, or his lying about it. On the other hand, if Spiro Agnew hadn't been forced out of office because of his own corruption prosecution, I wonder whether he would have been caught up in the Watergate coverup.

But in another post, Healy raises an even more interesting question:

[I]f the vice president is a legislative officer, how can he wield the
vast executive powers that Mr. Cheney has exercised, including
orchestrating and supervising a warrantless wiretapping program?

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|