RNC Liveblogging: Gov. Sarah Palin's Acceptance Speech!

Oh, no need for apologies.  This is the conversation.  It's like
talking with sisters.  We've all got our opinions.  We're all
individuals.  AND we are all very passionate!  I got caught up in the
frenzy myself.

And, thanks, but I'm not looking for any sympathy
for our present situation.  That wasn't the point.  Although prayers
and good karma are always welcome.  The thing is, a shift occurred
within me.  Don't ask me when or how, but I just started looking at
things differently.  I started thinking, damn, we're handling this. 
Instead of looking at what I didn't have, I got grateful for what I
did.  I realized things could get a lot worse (and already have for a
lot of people).  Like my sister-in-law and I joke about (though in a
way we're dead serious), this is just dress rehearsal, just marathon
training.  Just in case it DOES get worse, we'll be ready. 

But
that's off topic.  NPR is having a pretty nice afternoon with different
speakers.  They're calmer than the media on TV.  I think I'm actually
learning stuff.  MSNBC, CNN and Fox are beginning to really scare me. 

Now everyone spread some good karma amongst yourselves. At the end of the day, tired as it sounds, we're all in this together. 

Hello to all, I'm new and glad to be a part.  The speech hmmm, predictable.  Well scripted, delivered spot on...Now what?  This entire convention has surprised me, first with it's lack of diversity (sea of clones?) but secondly with it's overall mean spiritedness: Romney and his tirade about the liberals and evil, innuendoes to Obama's "followers" and is "parting of the seas and healing of the planet" , Hollywood celebrities, what the heck was all that!  Talk about elite, are small town, po folk the only true americans? What about inner city po' folk?  Why is her story any more a compelling american story than Obama's, Bidens or McCain's , what is so special? "She decided to keep a down's syndrome baby"  ok I know mom's who've adopted down's syndrome babies.  I'm tired of the smoke and mirrors to detract from the real issues of our nation.  She was aligned to give a barbing, divisive speech and she succeeded. Where was the substance of any of those deriding speeches. Let's compare: She has executive experience, Obama does not - News flash, neither does McCain! Obama is a Harvard law graduate and was president of the Harvard law review let's not overlook that. The truth is Obama is not the first candidate to run for president with w/o "executive " experience, but he like others before him saw the urgent need for change and decided to put his bid in to be the comander in chief to lead that change rather than wait, just as Sarah Palin felt the need to accept the nomination to despite her political limitations - kudoes to both!!!  We have a great presidential race ahead of us lets quit the mud slinging, lay aside the smoke and mirrors, get to the true issues and celebrate the democratic nation we are so blessed to live in!

Lauri, I totally agree with you. I actually said to my husband, "is this real or a Saturday Night Live skit?". The speech and lack of integrity in it was surreal.

Notions of Identity ( http://www.notionsofidentity.com )

I love the dialogue so far!  After the speech was over, I was bewildered by the media's take on how it went.  "She hit it out of the ballpark!"  "It was extremely well written and well delivered!"  "She's the pitbull the Republican party needs" etc. etc.  I couldn't believe my ears.  I wondered if I had watched the same speech they had!!

I thought the speech was not at all well written.  It was totally predictable.  I had an outline in my head about what points she was going to hit on and she did!  With one exception -- she had way more 'jabs' at Obama than I thought she'd use.  Sure its one thing to come on the offensive and go after your opponent. But it's another to use a bunch of 1 liners that made me think she was on the Jay Leno show doing stand-up comedy!  It was unnerving to me.  I thought hey - I'm an independent - i watched the DNC speeches and I will watch the RNC speeches and then make a choice.  I really wanted to be impressed by both parties.  Instead I was totally dismayed with Palin.  I coudn't rally behind someone like her and I didn't feel proud to be an American when she was done speaking.   I was totally let down.  Do we want a lipstick pitbull (aka bully) in the white house?  She's tough as nails.  Great!  But she's not a leader in my book. 

 Lauri Harrison

I could not agree with you more!

Suzanne Reisman ( http://www.blogher.com/member/suzanne-reisman ), Contributing Editor - Feminism & Gender ( http://blogher.org/topic/feminism-gender )
Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Oth ( http://cussandotherrants.com/ )

But...What did you think of the video of Palin's daughter spit-shining her baby sister's hair.  It was cute right?  :-)

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com ( http://catherine-morgan.com/ ), The Political Voices of Women ( http://politicsanew.com/ ), Care2 Election ( http://www.care2.com/politics/features/ )

What the...?!  KATHERINE!  Have you listened to your own Republicans at ALL? 

Rove belittled Kaine for the size of the town that HE was mayor of and linked that to his opinion that Kaine's experience in such a small town and his limited experience as a governor (only 3 years) didn't make him qualified to be on the VP shortlist.

Please, really, please explain the difference to me.  I'm dying to know.

(EDITED:  Still waiting, Katherine!)

I don't think it was mean-spirited or racist.  The truth is, there are a lot of people out there in the "fly-over" states who are tired of having their work and lives and opinions diminished.  There are millions of people who cheered those comments, because they feel that the people in the big cities look down on them.  It was Obama's campaign's own fault -- they brought it on themselves by belittling Sarah's work as a mayor of a town of 9.000 in the first place.  How many times did the Dems point that out in the last few days in the media?  The mayor of Wasilla, a town of 9,000.  The mayor of Wasilla, a town of 9,000.  Why on earth are the people of a town of 9.000 in Alaska less important than people in a community in Chicago?  What about all the Dems talking about how she went to the University of Idaho instead of Harvard?  What?!  I didn't know you had to go to an Ivy League school to make a difference in the world.  I really don't get it.  I just don't.

There are a lot of people who believe that Obama has very little experience, and hasn't done much at all in Illinois or in the Senate.  That's a fact.  There are just as many people who think Obama's accomplishments are amazing and inspiring and that he should be president.  I think both sides are completely defendable.  Raising objections to his resume and his actions are not racist.  

Katherine Stone

Well, if you want to do tit for tat.

Rove built THAT glass house when gave it first.

To both the Republicans AND the future Repub VP pick:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for
three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't
think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done.
He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."

Rove continued: "So if he were to pick Governor Kaine, it would be
an intensely political choice where he said, `You know what? I'm really
not, first and foremost, concerned with, is this person capable of
being president of the United States? What I'm concerned about is, can
he bring me the electoral votes of the state of Virginia, the 13
electoral votes in Virginia?'" 

So, claiming the moral high ground will not work in these circumstances.

I think Sarah gave it back just as good as she got it.  If you think she was rude and disrespectful, then you must think the same thing of the Obama/Biden ticket, who put out messages about her being the mayor of a small town in Alaska and completely left out her position as governor of a state.  They were snarky, and she gave them back snarky, plus one.  Good for her.

Katherine Stone

I'd rather have a VP who had some clue about the world outside of the US. Going to Canada once is not enough. Living a bomb away from Russia is not enough. My concern is that she is provincial. This is not the person I want a heart-attack away from an elderly president. Male or female, she is no match for either of the Democratic candidates.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool ( http://timesfool.blogspot.com )

It seems to me in Rudy's and Sarah's remarks that they both played the race card in a back-handed way. I kept waiting for them to cal Barack "an uppity Nword". There was this snarky undertone that translated out as "he doesn't know his place". It just seemed like the old poisoned apple in different basket. I tried to shake off that thought, but every time they degraded him, it came back --- because they were not only deceitful about his positions, but mean-spirited about his skills and character in a very arrogant way --- portraying him as effete and phony for one. I almost fell off my chair when Rudy did that scornful and mocking shtick about the Republican ticket "not being cosmopollllllllllllitan enough". This was mean-spiritedness, and racism, brought to a whole new level. Am I the only one who feels that?

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool ( http://timesfool.blogspot.com )

Thanks for expanding, Zenseeker. I'm sorry if I sounded so defensive. I just can't get past how much is at stake in this election, and I am known to be a little blunt when I feel insulted.

I do want to clarify something. You say this:

And maybe I'm going out on a limb here, but if we've got our health
and the health of our families, we've got shelter from the elements,
our lives and our humanity, what more do we really need? 

My point, which I think may not have been clear, was that many are in danger of losing these basic necessities. That we've pared down and sacrificed and sacrificed and sacrificed so much that now these are at stake. I'm not willing to sacrifice my child's health, and I bet you aren't either, for twisted ideology and a pathway that we know isn't one that will make anyone but the most privileged among us healthy and secure.

Just wanted to clear that up because after re-reading my comment, I understand what I meant wasn't clear.

And yes, let's start talking about what we are going to do (which is what a lot of us here have been trying to get back to and are getting trumped by the words "mother" and "gender" and "sexism". I agree with you completely on that.

Again, sorry I was so defensive. I'm getting pretty sick over the turn this election has taken and the nuances that are becoming scarier and scarier.

Lara 

Notions of Identity ( http://www.notionsofidentity.com )

You were right, there was blood in the water and it seemed like a feeding frenzy.

Wow, you're going through a lot. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope that you'll find a smoother road soon.

We do need to talk about issues, and I'm sick to my stomach about how SP came out last night as a "pit bull" her own words.  I think most Americans are sick of the divisive politics where people's emotions are inflamed and they try to use wedge issues to divide us.

We have too many issues to solve.  And we've seen from the last 8 years, that we can't do it by pitting folks against each other.  How about working TOGETHER?  

How about listening and respecting other people's point of view?

I for one am angry that SP and JM are trying once again to rip America apart just to stay in power.  

Country first?  I don't buy it for a minute.

I appreciate BO and JB taking the high road and working to bring Americans together so that we all benefit, and we are tolerant of each other's rights.

I am mother of a pre-teen daughter and I been teaching her about sex & pregancy & not follow all the Hollywood moves stars & singers.  Now, we have a VP candidate that says it is okay to have for young girls to have sex.  WOW, what a role model she going to be.  Give me a break.

Also, she never spoke on urban issues.  Being from Alaska & those cities up there do not have real cities problems such as gangs, crimes, bringing businesses to cities.  I didn't hear she speak on those issues.

I did say I was sorry if I offended anyone or everyone.  But here's
the deal.  I AM one of those "invisible" people.  Yeah, we've pared
down to just about nothing.  And I do ask myself everyday, where else
can I tighten our belts.  I'm unemployed going on 3 years now in Ohio. 
Our income has been slashed in half.  It was never that much, even with
me working.  My husband is a government drone just trying to make it to
retirement (which keeps getting pushed farther out).  I might get a web
design job here and there for a hundred or so dollars.  Haven't had one
in about 3 or 4 months now.  But I keep working at ideas.  I don't give
up.  I keep Hope alive.  It justifies the price of internet.  There's
no huge nest egg waiting either.  We didn't give up the car by choice. 
We couldn't afford it.  We're not living the high life in a
metropolitan hub.  We live just close enough to get public
transportation for my husband.  We've situated ourselves so that we can
bike or walk to wherever we need to get to regularly (grocery, drug
store, library, doctor).  When we absolutely need a car, we rent one
for the weekend (50% off deals).  We live in a neighborhood where I see
more and more families doubling up in 2 bedroom duplexes.  Yeah, we're
right in the thick of it.  And I'm not complaining.   I figure the less
you have, the less you stand to lose.  I’ve embraced the law of Simple
Abundance.  When you are grateful for what you have, you’ll be blessed
with all you need.  It seems to be working.

And maybe I'm going out on a limb here, but if we've got our health
and the health of our families, we've got shelter from the elements,
our lives and our humanity, what more do we really need?

Now perhaps you missinterpreted that I'm a McCain/Palin supporter. 
Nothing could be further from the truth.  I pray Obama/Biden see this
thing through.  I believe in grassroots efforts.  I believe in starting
from the bottom up.  I believe in the power of each individual.  I
believe that Hope is not a bad word.  But if we get the alternative,
I'm not giving up.  And I don't think any of us will.  I just think we
can be more constructive here on a site like this.  It shouldn't be all
about he said, she said, who's right, who's wrong.  I think it should
be about discussing what are WE going to do, or try to do, to get us
out of this mess.  It was just my opinion.  It felt like I'd walked
into a cat fight.   And I know there is far more intelligence on this
site.  I've been dropping by here since they started out.  We need the conversation, of course.  But I swear I saw claws. 

You know I agree with your comments.  I want to know what is either ticket going to bring to the table and help turn this nation around.  I have been out of work for 10 months now and I am still looking for a job and trying to find ways to bring a income in this house to help my husband. 

With all the people that are out of work we need someone who will help with creating more jobs and other issues that are so important to the middle class family. 

How with her comments about Obama or Biden going to help the middle class?

Lara IS doing something, actually.

She is fulfilling her required responsibilities as a citizen of the United States by participating in public discourse about the qualifications of candidates for the highest offices in our country.

What are all of your rights and responsibilities are as citizen?

Let's see, shall we?  You can look our country's own words. ( http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/principles/c... )

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

Unlike a dictatorship, a democratic government exists to serve the people, but citizens in democracies must also agree to abide by the rules and obligations by which they are governed. Democracies grant many freedoms to their citizens including the freedom to dissent and criticize the government.
Citizenship in a democracy requires participation, civility, and even patience.

So, Lara.  Congrats for fulfilling your durty as a patriotic citizen of these United States!

"America needs to wake up to the fact that in order to get out of this
mess, we need to make some serious sacrifices."

I'm more than willing to make sacrifices, but I guess my question is this: what do we do when we've wittled those sacrifices down to the point where there is nothing except our children's health, our shelter, our lives, our humanity? B/C that is where we are headed w/McCain and Palin. This country will nail our coffin shut on that one.

And I'm lucky I have something to sacrfice right now. So are you. But there are many folks who have already given up what little they had to start with. What about them? Should we keep them invisible? 

Don't insult my intelligence, please, by telling me I'm wasting my time writing about this election or what I need to be talking about. 

 Lara

Notions of Identity  ( http://www.notionsofidentity.com )

Notions of Identity

Denise,

I thought it was just me going crazy in my own little f'd up world.  

"I BELIEVE COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS ARE LIKE MAYORS---EXCEPT WE HAVE REAL RESPONSIBILITIES!!! What an insult to all the people out there who are community organizers? In an attempt to make Barack Obama look bad this woman gave out CHEAP SHOTS all night including all the other speakers. There wasn't an ounce of substance in that speech. What is she going to do for working class people the ones who can't pay their mortgages who are loosing their homes? What is she going to do to change America in a positive way?

It burns my stomach when I hear people saying things like "Sarah Palin is a strong woman, she gave birth to a down syndrome baby, her daughter got pregnant and she did the right thing." STRENGTH! WHAT A HOOT! Listen everyone here is little peace of hard life---There are women out there today who have been raped including me, whose mother hit her so hard--the court decided to let me stay with my grandmother until I was an adult, who lost two pregnancies, who went to bed without food many nights because of lack of money--who almost got killed in a car crash--who survived to overcome many obstacles to be able to raise a family and create several businesses--went to University and create a successful life. THERE are MILLIONS OF WOMEN OUT THERE TODAY WHO HAD A HARD LIFE---SARAH PALIN DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IF FEELS LIKE TO LOOK AT HER FAMILY AND SAY--"WE HAVE NO WHERE TO SLEEP TONIGHT BECAUSE THE BANK IS GOING TO FORECLOSE ON OUR HOUSE!!

DON'T TELL ME ABOUT HARD LIKE UNTIL SHE CAN WALK IN MY SHOE. To belittle community organizers like myself and others before and after me is an insult. If you people want to know about hard life---I WANT EVERYONE TODAY TO GO TO THIER GRANDMOTHERS AND THEIR GRANDFATHERS AND SIT DOWN AND ASK THEM ABOUT THERE LIFE-- SIT DOWN WITH THE WOMEN YOU WORK WITH AND ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR LIFE! AND you come back on this blog and tell your Grandmother, Grandfather or your MOTHER AND FATHERS Story AND talk about your Friends Story you tell them what you learnt.

Many people from all walks of life can tell you stories of when they came to America how much money they had in their pockets. Many had nothing. I left America and came to Canada years ago and I had only $20 in my pocket Yes! $20 That is what hard life is. GIVING BIRTH IS NOT HARD LIFE PEOPLE---GIVING BIRTH IS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE A GIFT--NOT A BURDEN.

GOD BLESS WOMEN--AREN'T WE PASSIONATE PEOPLE!

I'm with you on this one.

I think we do need to make drastic life changes, all of us. But I do not think we as a society or we as a country are willing to make them. We are not really even willing to talk about these kinds of changes.

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )

Sadly, this has become a real cat fight on here.  The issues aren't
even getting talked about.  Wake up, this is all political theater,
nothing more.  The Republicans have done a mighty fine job of
obscuring what's at stake here, a country in real turmoil and pain. 
The Dems had their show last week, so I guess they're even.  But to beleaguer these tired, nonsensical bits of nothingness back and forth
at each other is insane.  Remember one thing.  The day after the
election, no matter which way it goes, we will each have to get up and
continue our lives as best as each one of us can.  Why not discuss how
each of us can make life better for our families starting in the home,
then the neightborhood, the community, then the state, and on.  It is
up to us, each individual.  I'm not waiting for a political party to be
my savior.  Got an energy crisis?  I'm solving mine.  Gave up the car,
ride a bike, walk, take public transportation.  We live where we work. 
Gas can go to $20/gallon.  We'll survive.  Food prices going through
the roof?  We're learning to garden.  Getting to know local farmers. 
Our retirement dream?  An energy efficient tiny cabin on an acre or two of
land.  Less is more.  The less you have, the less you stand to lose. 
America needs to wake up to the fact that in order to get out of this
mess, we need to make some serious sacrifices.  We are going to need to
make some drastic lifestyle changes.  Maybe not as drastic as mine, but hard choices none the less.  Neither candidate wants to talk
about that.  And that's what we need to hear and be talking about
amongst ourselves.  Or is that just a little too much reality?

Sorry if that offends anyone, or everyone.  It just seems that there's a lot of intelligent people here using up a lot of energy on nothing.  Get up and DO something constructive instead of taring each other down. 

"Nabe" is contemporary shorthand for "neighborhood".

"There is no room in this country for hyphenated-Americanism."

-Teddy Roosevelt

~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager

Flamingo House Happenings ( http://www.flamingohouse.net/ )

Here are the google results ( http://www.google.com/search?q=nabe&ie=utf-8&a... ) when I searched on it - I'm sorry - I don't know that term!

I don't see the distinction in how Obama says community organizing or Palin raises PTA - do you have examples of how they present it differently?

Also - I think, having been involved in both, that responsibility is endemic to both. This is a distinction without a difference that Palin has tried to make for the soul purpose of disparaging Obama.

Why that's permissible in politics when you would never allow you own kids to do it, or yourself I hope, I cannot understand.  

Jill
Writes Like She Talks ( http://www.writeslikeshetalks.com )

Cairny - 

Fair question - my point is that the label you give the activity and what it results in (getting people on board and together to make something happen) involves responsbility no matter what you call it.  Palin is trying to appropriate community organizing in a negative way - she wants to make it nasty, wrong, liberal and something people who are serious don't do.

I could not disagree more and I am surprised given her supposed involvement with a church.  Don't churches and other religious institutions participate in community organizing too?

My point - which maybe I didn't succeed at making, wouldn't be the first time! - is that she wants to brand the title of certain work with a negative image when in fact it's the same thing she's most likely done and does but under a different name, all for the purpose of trying to slander that work and people who do it (i.e., Obama).

I take issue with that.

Thanks -

Jill

Sarah Palin can be as snarky and mean-spirited as she wants. Bring it, Sarah! If she were Laura Bush then Biden would get flack for going after her, but since she's not he doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

Stefania Pomponi Butler

I blog:
CityMama ( http://citymama.typepad.com )
Kimchi Mamas ( http://kimchimamas.typepad.com )
MOMocrats ( http://momocrats.typepad.com )

Because MOMocrats co-founder Glennia Campbell was at the fundraiser when he said it. She recorded it on video and she wrote about it here:

http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2008/04/tra...

I really wish people would look at the entire context of what Obama was saying and not just focus on a tantalizing soundbite. It is important to stop this spread of misinformation.

Oh and he also talks about tax CUTS which is another thing the Republicans love to lie about.

Stefania Pomponi Butler

I blog:
CityMama ( http://citymama.typepad.com )
Kimchi Mamas ( http://kimchimamas.typepad.com )
MOMocrats ( http://momocrats.typepad.com )

I am offended that while Palin’s family is supposed to be off limit to criticism, and I agree that they should, she gets to parade them before the public and score Mommy points and, by inference, anti-abortion candidate points as a mom with a special needs infant and a pregnant, unwed 17 year old daughter standing there with the Baby Daddy at her side. You don't get to have it both ways Palin. I'm not saying Palin has to hide her family. Absolutely not. But there was something surreal about watching a Party whose strong conservative base believes that a woman can't/shouldn't pastor a church and that a wife should submit to her husband trot out a woman with a young brood of five as a candidate to run the country.  

Take off the gloves, ladies.

Yeah, the whole "Look, she's a mom and she cooks moose too" is a cheap parlor trick to distract from what's really going on, Shelley. I agree with you that it's a non-issue but the Republicans want it to be an "issue" so Palin ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2008/09/palins-propaga... ) will get sympathy votes from moms, be pushed on the web by "mommy bloggers" etc. Apparently they think we're al stupid and that some people lay down quickkly for an identity politics sucker punch.

Nordette is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2008/09/lessons-learne... ) is hosted on another site at this link ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2008/09/lessons-learne... ).

( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette )

Palin was snarky, derisive, and said very little that was constructive. As for McCain, if the only thing he has going for him is he was once a POW, how far must the country go to "thank him"? Because I don't think we've elected anyone else who was a POW to president.

Otherwise, it would be good to hear something else, anything else about McCain.

As for Palin, tired of the whole Mommy thing. Tired of her socker Mom tripe, and her yanking her kids about. Tired of it being brought up as an issue. Tired of people talking about it. 

Obama is a Dad. Biden is a Dad. McCain is a Dad. Palin is a Mom. All God's children have children. Jay-zus, move on already. Being a parent is not a prereq for the job.

There was no substance at all tonight. Worse, there were more boos than cheers, and that's not what we should expect from people supposedly bringing about "positive change". Watching the speech, I felt the life sucked out of the very air. 

a few points....

* we had this thing called 9/11/
after bill clinton left office....so you may want to factor that into
your how the economy was thriving eight years ago.

* i don't care
if john mc cain graduated 1st or 211th in his class. to endure 5 1/2
years of torture and not give into the enemy speaks volumes about this
man.

* as a pro-choice republican, not all of us are to the far
right of the party. there are extremists in both parties. if the party
were so far to the right, john mc cain would not have been nominated
this year.

* we heard for months and months about how obama was
going to bring change, change, change to america. so, he goes out and
gets a guy with decades of washington insider experience as his running
mate. nice job on the change speech.

* finally, remember that
democratic congress that came into office in 2006 and was going to
'fix' all the problems reportedly created by the republicans? how's
that been working so far?

I think this is a great day for women because the Republican Party actually has a serious female vice president contender.  What I dislike about this process is that I hear more negative comments coming from women regarding her ability to manage a home, family and the office.  How often do we ask this regarding men?  Has anyone heard a statement about Senator Obama caring for his two young children?  He has been campaigning for the last 19 months and he can probably count on one hand the amount of time he has spent with them.  Governor Palin gave a testament of strength.  We all know what it is like to juggle life with a career and children.  I was a single mom, going to school full-time, working full-time and I managed to succeed with the help of family and not the government.  This shows character, strength, will, determination, intelligence and pride.  My children saw in me, work ethic and the need to achieve.  Governor Palin represents many women who have juggled family and career.  I am tired of women putting down other women.  Maybe that is the reason we get paid less than men in this country.  Women need to stand together and quit bickering and stop being jealous of successful women.

if biden were at the top of the ticket, i could see an argument where
democrats could say they have the better candidate. this election
reminds me of 1988 when dukakis had bentsen as his running mate. way
more experience on the bottom end of the ticket. obama may sound good,
but bring some substance, baby. you can only do so much as a community
organizer. i think even women in the PTA do more than that.

mom,

well, that 'tired old washington insder' writing the
violence against women act would be one more thing than barack obama
has ever done in his 3 years in the senate. i'm still searching for one
of barack's accomplishments.....oh, community organizer....my bad.

Gov Palin was nominated to mobilize the Republican base. And, she did. Bravo. 

She also has illuminated for many of us what it means when the extreme right wing of the republican party is in control. 

Issues do not matter. Creating fear, uncertainty and doubt is their trademark. When they talk about the mess in Washington, they conveniently forget that the republicans have had control of the white house, both house and senate and supreme court.  Who exactly is responsible for the mess again.  Oh that's right, the same party that gave us Alberto Gonzalez, Donald Rumsfeld, (who's shocked? and who's awed now?  Where are the flowers he promised that the Iraqi's would greet us with?).

How's the value of your house?  How much did you spend on your vacation this summer? 

Remember when gas was less than $2.00 a gallon and your insurance co-pay was affordable?  That's right, 8 years ago, when the economy was  thriving, and there was no deficit.

If you want to elect 2 more average people, go ahead.  The last time the country elected someone who "you'd just feel comfortable having a beer with" your retirement nest egg value dropped 30%.

I don't want to elect someone who graduated 4th from the bottom at the Naval Academy, I think I'll go for above average this time. 

I wasn't dreaming

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26530592/

I think Sarah Palin did a great job giving the Republicans exactly what they wanted to hear. Personally, I don't agree with any of it, and I think she came off a bit rude and disrespectful. All of that aside, there was one moment that made this whole speech worth watching. And this is it...

Is that not the cutest thing you ever saw?

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com ( http://catherine-morgan.com/ ), The Political Voices of Women ( http://politicsanew.com/ ), Care2 Election ( http://www.care2.com/politics/features/ )

If we vote this pair into office, then get ready for America going to hell in a handbasket. I'm not talking about "hell" in a religious context, but a disturbing place for this country ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2008/09/lessons-learne... ) in history. I'm a black woman who admits she's voted Republican before, but I am in no way moved to vote Republican based on Sarah Palin, a woman that I suspect believes in Christian Dominion Theology, a belief not compatible with the separation of church and state.

For a long time I sat on the fence between Hillary and Obama, but made a choice after I watched their campaigns. I don't just trust smooth talkers. I'm not an Obama groupie, although I do think he's an admirable man and candidate.

In addition, I don't support people who attack Palin because she's a mother or suggest she can't do the job of VP because she has a child with Downs syndrome or a pregnant teen. I think it's a double standard that we should not tolerate. I think a smart, wise person can be mentored and groomed for the presidency. Nevertheless, I wonder about her judgement due to some other political baggage she's carrying.

But the whole "she's so cute .. she's perky ... she's hot" thing bothers me the same way it bothers me that folks go on about Obama's looks sometimes. What do good looks have to do with leadership?

That said, after watching Palin and Giuliani tonight, I know that this nation would be headed backward if the McCain/Palin ticket wins.

Nordette ( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette ) is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.com whose personal blog is hosted on another site at this link ( http://bigsole.blogspot.com ).

( http://blogher.org/blog/nordette )

I really needed that laugh!  I have gotten a little worked up over the last few days.  MY brother-in-law is a mortician and there is a TV in the back room of the funeral home! 

Michelle

So if torture builds character and forms leaders, Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp does....what exactly?

I'm just asking.

The 'guns and religion' comment by BO was certainly not taken out of context.

Perhaps it is his backpedaling spin that you are remembering, once the quote got out of the private meeting he thought he was having.

Do you also find the 'snarky' comments by BO tiring?  Do you voice that opinion?

As far as 'being tired' of JMCc's service being 'dragged out' - well, I want to get snarky but I won't.

I'll just say that he - like your husband and hundreds of thousands of others - did it for YOU, and for me - and personally, I want to be reminded of that always.

Do people without a pulse have TVs?

:-X

They both delivered mightily!

Only someone who filters everything they see and hear through a prism of bias would see what Guiliani and Palin said about 'community organizers' as generally degrading or derogatory about community organizers.

 It was quite plain that they were disparaging BO's trumpeting of his experience as community organizer as if it somehow qualifies him for anything - and hammering home the fact that SP was in elected office while he was still 'organizing'.

 BTW - go visit those nabes where Barack Obama was a community organizer - they are as depressed and impoverished as they ever were.

BO used them, stepped on their heads as he ambitiously climbed the ladder of Chicago politics, then promptly forgot them.

PS - SP mentions her PTA stint as part of the narrative of her background, not holding it up as if it qualifies her for public office.

...for the poor syntax in the second to last sentence.  It's late and I'm tired lol.

You say that 'community organizing could be anything - it can be what Palin did to get funds for projects while she was on city council..."

The diff being that a city councilmember is an elected position, and any 'organizing' as such would be under that rubric.

Then you go on to say it was a "...naive statement that only someone who has never done community organizing might say..."

::double take::

So which is it - you are stating first that acting as a council member counts as community organizer, then you say it's obvious she hasn't.

Who's confused here?

I didn't like all of the snarky comments toward Obama/Biden either. It seemed to just be a distraction from real issues. And I didn't like her bringing up the comment of "clinging to guns and religion" which if I recall was taken totally out of context from what Obama actually said.
Besides that I still don't know her. And I really do want to know who she is politically. And her bringing up Obama's lack of experience was like the pot calling the kettle black.
I mentioned to my husband, who is an Army veteran, that while I respect and honor McCain's time in service and that he was a POW who endured horrible torture. I am a little tired of it being dragged out constantly.

How did you conclude that Democrats do not support working women? I am a working mom and a Democrat-so am I against myself if I disagree with Palin's politics. I can respect her professional career and disagree with her stand on many core issues. To be honest as a working professional I made a conscious decision to prioritize my children over work.  I know many women may disagree with me but I believe she was hypocritical in her critique of Obama by stating that he is in this to further himself. I disagree completely with that statement but you have to ask what made her say Yes to the VP position-knowing that she has a special needs infant and a pregnant teenage daughter. Is this "family values"? I'm not convinced.