Thread: Look Back 2 months -- Sarah Palin on the Glen Beck Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3jnbiHAMuY

She scares me. If McCain gets elected and he is unable to complete his term, this is what we get stuck with! Two years ago her political experience was that of a small town mayor. Scary thought. When a VP is chosen there is always the possibilty that he or she will become the president through circumstances and she is not someone that I'd want to lead the way.


DENVER — Senator McCain tapped little-known Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate today in a startling selection on the eve of the Republican National Convention.

Click Image to Enlarge


AP Photo/Juneau Empire, Brian Wallace

Governor Palin speaks to reporters regarding the indictment of U.S. Sen Ted Stevens in her Capitol office at Juneau, Alaska in July, 2008.

Two senior campaign officials disclosed Mr. McCain's decision a few hours before the Republican presidential nominee-to-be and his newly-minted running mate appeared at a rally in swing-state Ohio.

Ms. Palin, like Mr. McCain, is a conservative with a maverick streak who has shown a willingness to clash with others in her own party. A self-styled hockey mom and political reformer, she has been governor of her state less than two years.

Ms. Palin's selection shocked numerous Republican officials.

At 44, Ms. Palin is a generation younger that Senator Biden of Delaware, who is Senator Obama's running mate on the Democratic ticket.

She is three years Mr. Obama's junior, as well — and Mr. McCain has made much in recent weeks of Mr. Obama's relative lack of experience in foreign policy and defense matters.

In making his pick, Mr. McCain passed over several more prominent prospects who had figured in speculation for months — Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge among them.

Ms. Palin flew overnight to an airport in Ohio near Dayton, and even as she awaited her formal introduction, some aides said they had believed she was at home in Alaska.

She is a former mayor of Wasilla who became governor of her state in December, 2006 after ousting a governor of her own party in a primary and then dispatching a former governor in the general election.

More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
The timing of Mr. McCain's selection appeared designed to limit any political gain Mr. Obama yields from his own convention, which ended last night with his nominating acceptance speech before an estimated 84,000 in Invesco Field in Colorado.

Public opinion polls show a close race between Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain, and with scarcely two months remaining until the election, neither contender can allow the other to jump out to a big post-convention lead.

Mr. McCain has had months to consider his choice, and has made it clear to reporters that one of his overriding goals was to avoid a situation like the one in 1988, when Dan Quayle was thrown into a national campaign with little preparation.

Ms. Palin has a long history of run-ins with the Alaska GOP hierarchy, giving her genuine maverick status and reformer credentials that could complement Mr. McCain's image.

Two years ago, she ousted the state's Republican incumbent governor, Frank Murkowski, in the primary, despite having little money and little establishment backing.

She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican office-holders, Senator Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young. Both men are under federal corruption investigations.

She had earned stripes — and enmity — after Mr. Murkowski made her head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. From that post, she exposed ethical violations by the state GOP chairman, also a fellow commissioner.

She and her husband, Todd Palin, have five children. The latest, a baby, was born with Down syndrome.

the same could be said for Obama

I thought I was going to have to stay home on election day! I really like her....The best news I have heard since all this started!

More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.

and since there is no background on that comment for further investigation, it's just simply a liberalist point of view, obviously in a state that doesn't have a whole lot of population to begin with, chances are really good that you are going to be related to someone else.

What if the reason for the dismissal of the state trooper was a justifiable reason and the reason why the commissioner refused to DO HIS JOB was because there happened to be someone in a pocket... I would have fired his ass too.

I think she is a fresh air candidate -- someone who has not been around the good ole boy block for 35+ years. She has done more for her state than Obama has done for his...but she isn't running for the office of POTUS -- at least not yet.


Think ahead 4 years from now...

all the nay sayers that are against a woman for POTUS....

who is to say that 4 years from now you have a choice of Hillary (or Chelsea) vs Palin.

a woman or a woman -- gasp, whatever will the world become then??

As to how well a woman can act as president in today's society, one doesn't need to look too far.... just check out GERMANY.

Originally Posted by atprm

the same could be said for Obama

Not even close. At least Obama has 12 years in elected office plus law experience, teaching constitutional law, etc... Biden has well over 30 years of elected service was on the forign relations committee, etc...
Palin was a mayor of a tiny town 2 years ago! Not even close.
People need to look at the VP candidates as a possoble president! I don't want the hockey mom (as she calls herself) with no real experience becoming our next commander in chief.

Originally Posted by speedygirl

Not even close. At least Obama has 12 years in elected office plus law esperience, teaching constitutional law, etc... Biden has well over 30 years of elected service was on the forign relations committee, etc...
Palin was a mayor of a tiny town 2 years ago! Not even close.
People need to look at the VP candidates as a possoble president! I don't want the hockey mom (as she calls herself) with no real experience becoming our next commander in chief.

and how is that "fresh"??? combined "experience" (where obama lacks foreign issue experience completely) is over 40 years... that's not fresh, that's good ole boy, pass me a stogie.

so...we shall see come November 4

Originally Posted by atprm

and since there is no background on that comment for further investigation, it's just simply a liberalist point of view, obviously in a state that doesn't have a whole lot of population to begin with, chances are really good that you are going to be related to someone else.

What if the reason for the dismissal of the state trooper was a justifiable reason and the reason why the commissioner refused to DO HIS JOB was because there happened to be someone in a pocket... I would have fired his ass too.

I think she is a fresh air candidate -- someone who has not been around the good ole boy block for 35+ years. She has done more for her state than Obama has done for his...but she isn't running for the office of POTUS -- at least not yet.


Think ahead 4 years from now...

all the nay sayers that are against a woman for POTUS....

who is to say that 4 years from now you have a choice of Hillary (or Chelsea) vs Palin.

a woman or a woman -- gasp, whatever will the world become then??

As to how well a woman can act as president in today's society, one doesn't need to look too far.... just check out GERMANY.

I would be more then happy to have a woman in the white house, but that woman would need the big credentials. I would vote on ability not the sex of the candidate! Palin does not have the credentials, IMHO. T
That statement is not a liberalist point of view. It's fact. This is from the AP not some left or right wing publication.

Investigation dogs Alaska governor
By STEVE QUINN – Aug 14, 2008

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Gov. Sarah Palin, a rising young GOP star mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain, could see her clean-hands reputation damaged by a growing furor over whether she tried to get her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper.

A legislative panel has launched a $100,000 investigation to determine if Palin dismissed Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire the trooper, Mike Wooten. Wooten went through a messy divorce from Palin's sister.

Palin has denied the commissioner's dismissal had anything to do with her former brother-in-law. And she denied orchestrating the dozens of telephone calls made by her husband and members of her administration to Wooten's bosses.

Palin said she welcomes the investigation: "Hold me accountable."

Still, the allegations she abused her office could prove embarrassing for Palin, who got elected in 2006 on an ethics reform platform.

"It could be a bit of a knock on the clean-government issue in Alaska she backed," said Shaun Bowler, a political scientist at the University of California at Riverside.

Referring to Republican Sen. Ted Stevens' recent indictment on corruption charges and the bribery-and-conspiracy scandal that has ensnared five former or current state lawmakers, GOP analyst John Feehery said: "Right now, in Alaska all you have to do is say the word 'investigation' and people are going to be running away."

Nevertheless, Palin is still riding high in Alaska, where she jump-started a project to build a natural gas pipeline and pushed through a plan to send every resident $1,200 from the state's oil-rich treasury to offset high fuel prices.

And based on what has come out so far, some GOP insiders and political scientists said they are not worried about the effect on her prospects for higher office. (Some analysts said that because of her relative inexperience, Palin never had any realistic chance of being picked for vice president.)

"I would be very surprised if Sarah Palin didn't become a larger figure within national politics and I would be very surprised if she wasn't a part of a McCain administration," said Todd Harris, a Republican aide on McCain's 2000 White House bid.

Up to now, GOP insiders and political analysts have marveled at Palin's ascent on the national scene, calling her fearless style, her reform efforts, her energy and her glamour refreshing.

The 44-year-old Palin has not been afraid to take on the Republican Old Guard in Alaska and has tangled with the oil companies over taxes and gas leases. Last year, the former beauty queen posed for a photo shoot in Vogue, and this spring she gave birth to her fifth child, who was found to have Down syndrome.

Palin's problems started a month ago when she fired Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan, saying she wanted the department to go in a new direction.

Monegan has said he does not know why he was fired. But he said pressure to get rid of Wooten had come from those around Palin, including her husband, Todd; her former chief of staff; and other top officials.

In 2005, before Palin ran for office, the Palin family accused Wooten of drinking a beer while in his patrol car, illegal hunting and firing a Taser at his 11-year-old stepson. The Palins also claimed Wooten threatened to kill Sarah Palin's father.

Wooten was suspended over the allegations for five days in 2006 but is still on the job. Monegan refused to comment on Wooten's situation, saying he could not discuss personnel matters.

More recently, Todd Palin said, he took his concerns over the governor's safety directly to Monegan. But he said he never told anyone to fire Wooten.

Wooten has refused to comment.

Attorney General Talis Colberg's conducted an investigation and found that 14 members of the Palin administration — including Colberg himself — made calls to Department of Public Safety officials about Wooten.

In one of those calls, Frank Bailey, director boards and commissions, was tape-recorded as saying: "Todd and Sarah are scratching their heads, why on earth hasn't, why is this guy still representing the department?"

On Wednesday, Palin said none of the two dozen or so calls were made at her direction.

Bailey, similarly, said he acted on his own. He said the only time he heard the governor discuss Wooten was during a security briefing shortly after she was elected.

"From that point on I've had a concern this person could fly off the handle and do something terrible to the governor, to her family or to the public," Bailey said.

Originally Posted by atprm

and how is that "fresh"??? combined "experience" (where obama lacks foreign issue experience completely) is over 40 years... that's not fresh, that's good ole boy, pass me a stogie.

so...we shall see come November 4

He has the back up with Biden who has 30+ years. McCain has no back up in Palin.

Here's a little pre governor bio on her experience (as in before 2006)

Pre-gubernatorial political experience

Location of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996. In 1996, she challenged and defeated the incumbent mayor, criticizing wasteful spending and high taxes.[6] The ex-mayor and sheriff tried to organize a recall campaign, but failed.[6] Palin followed through on her campaign promises to reduce her own salary, and to reduce property taxes by 60%.[6] She ran for reelection against the former mayor in 1999, winning by an even larger margin.[6][10] Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.[11]

In 2002, Palin made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a four-way race. After Frank Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in mid-term to become governor, Palin interviewed to be his possible successor. Instead, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-Alaska State Representative Lisa Murkowski.[6]

Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission,[12] where she served from 2003 to 2004 until resigning in protest over what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders, who ignored her whistleblowing complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest.[13][6] After she resigned, she exposed the state Republican Party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.[14] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned; Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine.[6]