Obama and the Palin Effect (by Deepak Chopra) sm
Posted By: No Chance on 2008-09-14
In Reply to:
Obama and the Palin Effect
Deepak Chopra - September 04, 2008
Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin's pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.
She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses . In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision.
Look at what she stands for:
--Small town values -- a denial of America's global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.
--Ignorance of world affairs -- a repudiation of the need to repair America's image abroad.
--Family values -- a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don't need to be heeded.
--Rigid stands on guns and abortion -- a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.
--Patriotism -- the usual fallback in a failed war.
--"Reform" -- an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn't fit your ideology.
Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from "us" pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of "I'm all right, Jack," and "Why change? Everything's OK as it is." The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness.
Obama's call for higher ideals in politics can't be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow -- we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.
www.deepakchopra.com
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
What did you expect from Deepak Chopra?? nm
x
The obama effect
A very good link. - Says a lot. I'm going to be getting this movie. Explains some things.
http://www.hypemovie.com/?gclid=CKPSn--wzZYCFRsRagodZWPJyQ
How about that trickle up effect Obama's been touting....sm
how soon do you think those homeless people and lower end workers are going to be helping out the economy, hmmmmmm?????????
Think they're gonna be putting anything in your stocking next year?
I'm not sure it will have much effect
I actually sort of supported John McCain when he was in the mix the last time (shocker!). I thought he had some good things to say. However, I could not vote for him now because of his stance on the war, no matter who backed him. I think that this election is somewhat different than others in the past. People are concerned with the issues more than ever, not just who is charming or has experience in this or that. They want the candidate that represents their views on a variety of issues, which include the war in Iraq. So, I'm not sure independents will be swayed by who Lieberman supports.
To the Bradley effect
You seem to have a negative effect on people. My, my. I just read a few of your posts. Such great anger in such a small person. I saw that you had mentioned God and his Word. You must have skipped a few things in your reading because there are quite a few references in God's word as to loving your neighbor and doing unto others.....we are all created in God's image..... ya know, that kind of stuff. Have you started your own religion yet? Maybe you should. Ya know the kind where you pick and choose what works for you and then just kind of chalk the rest up to mumbo jumbo. I would be careful what you take away or add to the Bible, as God also mentions something in there, actually in Revelations, about changing his word. But if you didnt read THAT part, I guess You don't have to worry.
I can see apologies have no effect on the likes of you. SM
Thank you for demonstrating that. It's funny, because several times liberals have mistakenly posted on the conservative board and then apologized and we never attacked. A good example between the two mindsets, I would say.
Please remember the Bradley effect...
which I think will be the case here.
The Bradley effect is a fact,,,
perhaps you should read up on it. Don't be so touchy and defensive! 
"spreading the wealth" is the Robin-Hood effect.
nm
Angry Mothers and Trembling Grizzlies: The Sheehan Effect
Angry Mothers and Trembling Grizzlies: The Sheehan Effect
|
by Dr. Teresa Whitehurst |
"Sheehan has been involved in protests against Bush since last year. She founded Gold Star Families for Peace...She said she decided to seek another audience with Bush when she heard his comments about the war last week, after a spike in American deaths. The fallen men and women "died in a noble cause," Bush said Wednesday. "Their families can know that we will honor their loved ones' sacrifice by completing the mission."
"Sheehan said she wants to tell Bush not to use her son's death as a reason to continue the war, and to ask "why (Bush's twin daughters) Jenna and Barbara and the other children of the architects of this disastrous war are not in harm's way, if the cause is so noble." ArmyTimes.com, August 8, 2005
For some, Cindy Sheehan's lonely journey through the shock and sorrow of her son Casey's death in Iraq is of no interest. What, they ask, is the big deal? One soldier killed, one mother grieving – so what? Mothers have no business meddling in the manly business of war, or expressing inconvenient, disloyal, unpatriotic feelings like grief or anger. Get over it, critics command, and think about "the mission" instead, a mission that "we should see through" so that other people can't make fun of us for "cutting and running."
Instead of focusing on one poor misguided woman, or on how many more Americans and innocent Iraqi families will be killed in this war, we're told to think about how great it will be when other people admire us for killing every terrorist and future terrorist in the whole wide world. Instead of thinking about the new fundamentalist Islamic "democracy" that Bush's war has ushered in for the poor girls and women of Iraq, think about "the good news" way, way down the road when they get used to wearing the burqa and live happily ever after. In short, Americans should focus on "the big picture."
But for mothers – even those who've tried valiantly to believe the president when he exclaims that the war on Iraq is a "noble cause" – there IS no big picture. For mothers of slain soldiers, there are only little pictures: their lost child smiling at 10 months in his high chair; riding his first bike without training wheels; opening Christmas presents (Hot Wheels, Transformers, or GI Joe); and making silly faces for the camera.
The little picture encompasses all those times when parents stay up all night with their sick children, or protect them from bullies, or wipe away their tears after a friend's rejection. It's not just the happy times that mothers remember, it's the multitude of little moments, little pictures in a parent's mind, of time and love invested in one's offspring. When this enormous investment is squandered by reckless military adventures that zip kids into body bags, parents are owed great compensation. And they are owed the truth.
Do George and Laura Bush ever imagine how it would feel if all they had left of their beloved child was, as Cindy Sheehan has, a few snapshots and an abyss of sorrow in their hearts? Must they suppress their natural compassion in order to convince themselves of their own administration's spin – that it's "worth it" when American kids die far away from home for reasons that have consistently turned out to be false?
Do the Bushes feel the earth tremble beneath their feet at the mere thought that thousands of parents of slain soldiers are beginning to ask questions, to see the folly for which their children died…to find their voice?
Cindy remembers the little picture, which is why George has been hiding from her. She is his worst nightmare, for she is not just Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey. She is Every Mother. And, no matter how uncomfortable it gets, she's not going to dishonor her son by saying, "Well okay, if you say so, I guess this war was worth my boy's life."
Support Our Wars or Else
What does it really mean to "honor" a soldier's death…and life? To say that he or she willingly died "to end terrorism" (impossible), or "make Iraq a democracy" (ditto)? Unless they were suicidal when they enlisted (I know one boy who was), dying in Iraq is not the soldier's "sacrifice" because by definition, a sacrifice is something that we choose and willingly make. Most young people never imagined when they enlisted – often for reasons their recruiters understood but their parents didn't, such as finding a sense of belonging, or escaping bad neighborhoods or dead-end jobs, or finding a way to afford college some day – that they'd be dead within a matter of months.
To swallow ridiculous, ever-changing reasons for the futile war that has killed over 1800 idealistic youths with their whole lives ahead of them is to take the easy, socially acceptable way out. Pro-war pundits and politicians constantly threaten parents with social disapproval and even hatred if they dare to question those reasons – and it's worked for a long time. Parents have felt pressured to mouth the hawks' lines, lest their love for their child be called into question.
What a devilishly mean but perfect system for subduing the parents of fallen soldiers! Politicians and talk show hosts threaten: "Support our troops (the war), or we'll accuse you of dishonoring your dead child." The last thing that worried or grieving parents can bear is the suggestion that they're "dishonoring" the memory of the one they love. And so they have acquiesced. They have submitted. Archie Bunker would be pleased: Like Edith, they've learned to stifle themselves.
Until now.
Protective Fury: The Tipping Point
One day, back when Americans lived in peace and we'd never even heard of the Bush dynasty or the plotting neocons whose reckless ambitions it would serve, I was watching a nature show about grizzly bears in their natural habitat. I will never forget one particularly electrifying scene that comes to mind whenever I hear about Cindy Sheehan's vigil outside Mr. Bush's gated compound.
A large male grizzly came upon two adorable little grizzly cubs, who looked up at him with wonder and naivete; clearly, they didn't realize the danger they were in. To my great surprise, however, the male grizzly stood bolt upright as though startled, then starting running away from those harmless little cubs. Why on earth did he do that, I wondered. The narrator explained that the male knew instinctively that there's nothing more dangerous than a mother grizzly who senses that her cubs may be harmed.
As the huge male ran off into the woods, the narrator continued: "While the male grizzly is larger and could probably kill the female, he knows that in the process, her protective fury would leave him seriously, if not mortally, wounded. Mother grizzly bears will fight to the death for their young, ripping the flesh of any animal, no matter how large, that threatens their cubs. Coming upon the youngsters frightened the adult male so badly that he ran and hid because the mother, unseen but without a doubt somewhere near by, could at any moment sniff his presence and roar into action."
Human males can also sense danger, and know very well the hazards of facing protective mothers – particularly when other mothers are watching, too. This explains why the mainstream media has worked so hard to make antiwar parents of fallen soldiers look pitiful, and why George Bush is hiding inside his compound, hoping that Ms. Sheehan will lose interest and go away.
But what the president doesn't understand is this: She's not going to lose interest, and furthermore it isn't just Cindy Sheehan anymore. Parents of servicemen and women all over the country are beginning to see the little picture again. This is the tipping point, a showdown fueled by motherly devotion that will embolden other families to start questioning the integrity and fitness of this administration and this president: It's what I call the Sheehan Effect.
And that's the worst news ever for a man who can only see the "the mission," the big picture, and how noble it will look under "Bush, George W." in the history books. |
Then we would be as well off with Palin as with Obama...
in fact, better. He doesn't have any foreign policy experience either...nor any executive experience...has never run anything in his life. He is a rookie on all levels. She has made executive decisions. She ran a state with a big state budget. She made executive decisions every day. Obama has made zero. She is already ahead of him. So...what was your point again?
Palin won't be debating Obama....
vice-president.
I think Palin is being compared to Obama ... sm
More than Biden because McCain is 72 years old (and looking older and more confused and befuddled each day, IMO) and to be realistic, he could very well die not long after being elected, which would immediately make Palin our president. That would be a disaster.
Not even a month ago, few people outside of Alaska had even heard of her. The country is still in the process of getting to know her which isn't happening very quickly because she's not doing any hardhitting interviews - unheard of for a politician at that level (or at least unheard of for a politician who doesn't have anything to hide...)
Come on, she's a politician, she's tough. I'm certain she's up to the interviews, but I find it suspicious that the McCain campaign isn't letting her do those interviews. They are controlling that situation, for what? They don't want her to make a mistake and look bad? They all do that!
I think a lot of people were initially attracted to her with the excitement of a fresh new face, 1st woman VP the Repubs ever nominated, and she's pretty, perky, has a beautiful family, etc. It is exciting. But as more is learned about her past and her idealogy, people I know are going "Oh wait a second, she did what, wants to do what, believes WHAT?! Oh, I don't think so!" I think that's why her poll numbers went up so fast, and have now gone back down so fast. (Actually, I think that's why she isn't doing the interviews, they wanted to keep the excitement and novelty going as long as possible.)
Me personally, I don't hate her. Hate is strong word. I just don't want her anywhere near the White House, esp. as our president.
My biggest problem with her is her extreme religious views. I will freely admit that I am very biased towards people with extreme fundamental religious beliefs. I do not understand or relate to their thinking. I am much more comfortable with people who are "brainy" and scientific, who look at facts and evidence in making their decisions, and I am extremely uncomfortable with anyone who makes decisions based on magical thinking, because they think it's "God's will" or something of that nature. There is just no reasoning with someone like that. We've already had a pres. like that (Bush) and it's been a nightmare.
IMO, people with extreme fringe religious beliefs belong on the fringe, not ruling the free world in the highest office of our land.
Palin is just as qualified as Obama anyway.
nm
I'd rather seen Palin as President than Obama - sm
At least she has more experience than he does running anything. The only thing he ran is dealing out money he recieved from Ayers to radical schools (and this was NOT for history, english or math programs).
Sorry, Palin ain't my thing.....neither is Obama
xx
Anyone can look up info on Obama as I did yesterday on Palin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama#State_legislator.2C_1997.E2.80.932004
Everybody keeps talking about little experience. Well they both do not have the experience to be President and neither does McCain. I do not think any candidate is REALLY READY to take on that position. They all make PROMISES and do things just to get our votes and then they do what they want anyway once they get into office, any office. I am a Democratic and just have no idea who to vote for. I hate nasty politics. Does this accomplish anything?? NO
Right!!! People are so nasty to Palin, yet Obama
nm
Who cares what Palin, McCain, Obama, or Biden
all the cheating and lying going on in the O camp and 'ole Biden stabbing his running mate in the back isn't a good sign at all. But, no surprise there. Biden had said very early on he didn't care for Obama and that he would like to be McCain's running mate. Can't twist that one no matter how you try.
I'll always know Biden isn't so easily fooled by Obama either but just looking for a foot in the door of the White House to run in four years.
Obama's response to Palin family baby stories
Here is Obama's response on all the Palin family stories swirling around. He said he would fire any staffer found to be stoking the fires on these stories. I agree with him 100%:
Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown reports: At a press avail in Monroe, Mich., Barack Obama on Palin: "Back off these kinds of stories."
"I have said before and I will repeat again: People's families are off limits," Obama said. "And people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor and/or her potential performance as a vice president. So I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know my mother had me when she was 18 and how a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn’t be a topic of our politics."
Obama is going to save us.. .it will take time... NO MORE PALIN hahahahaha no more RABIDS nm
nm
Sarah Palin fans are as whack as Palin.
Even John McCain's top adviser referred to Sarah Palin as a whack job.
Obama's education versus Palin's education
Barack Obama attended Occidental College, but received his undergraduate degree in political science from Columbia University, an Ivy League member currently ranked 9th in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Obama also graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Harvard Law School, where he also served as President of the Harvard Law Review.
Palin spent her first college semester at Hawaii Pacific College, transferring in 1983 to North Idaho College and then to the University of Idaho. She attended Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska for one term, returning to the University of Idaho to complete her Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism, graduating in 1987.
Obama bashing versus Palin bashing... sm
Obama will be in the forefront for the next 4 years, assuming the electoral college pans out the way the popular vote did and providing his BC holds up in court.
Palin, on the other hand, has gone back to the frozen tundra. Whether she resurfaces in 2012 remains to be seen, but can't we just wait until then to start in on her?
Vote McCain and Palin! -oh and why does Palin
nm
Palin over Biden any day. Make fun of Palin all you
nm
Sarah Palin makes Sarah Palin look stupid!
The Democrats did not make Sarah Palin look stupid. Sarah Palin does a fine job of looking stupid without help from anyone. All she has to do is open her mouth!
Palin might not have taken it anywhere
but it is not her job to seek taking books off shelves, period. And you don't know if this is "political crap" or not because the media has not been permitted to ask her any questions. Once voters get these answers, then they will have the necessary information with which to make a decision as to whether or not this is who we/they want in office. I, for one, am not going to skew her with a pitchfork or defend her as I have no information with which to do so, either way. I need answers to these questions that have been floating out there. Questions and answers are very important in our form of government called democracy which is for the people, of the people and by the people. Freedom comes with a gigantic amount of responsibility, is not to be taken lightly, and is very fragile.
and Palin
accused Hillary of whining when she protested. Talk about unity among women.
What Palin said is exactly right....
we haven't fought Iraqis since Baghdad fell. We have been fighting the insurgency "Al Qaeda In Iraq" since then. And if I am not mistaken, AL Qaeda was responsible for 9-11.
It appears there are others than Sarah Palin who are "clueless."
Sarah Palin is not running for President. Obama is. ANd he has been running for 18 months. If he had done an interview 3 weeks into it, he would have done no better than she did, and probably worse.
lol.
Why would Palin do this? sm
She banned reporters from her 1st meeting with world leaders. Only allowed access to photographers and a television crew. I'm just curious as to if anybody read as to why.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080923/ap_on_el_pr/palin_leaders
Now if only Palin would say....
for the love of Pete.....LOL! I say that all the time and get teased horribly for it. 
Palin
Palin has many shady contacts also:
She has backed the Alaska Independence Party. Its platform calls for the defense of "states rights," to "seek the complete repatriation of the public lands, held by the federal government, to the state and people of Alaska in conformance with Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, of the federal constitution." Basically, the AIP wants a vote on secession. The AIP says that Gov. Sarah Palin used to be a member of the party. Earlier this year, Palin recorded a welcoming address to the AIP's convention.
Officials of the Alaskan Independence Party say that Palin was once so independent, she was once a member of their party, which, since the 1970s, has been pushing for a legal vote for Alaskans to decide whether or not residents of the 49th state can secede from the United States.
And while McCain's motto -- as seen in a new TV ad -- is "Country First," the AIP's motto is the exact opposite -- "Alaska First -- Alaska Always."
In an interview of extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll helped launch Palin’s political career in Alaska, and in return had influence over policy. “Her door was open,” says Chryson — and still is.
So, this is group is just one of her past supporters. They helped her get where she is today. And dont even get me started on McCain.
Palin
Just dont try to marry into her family and then divorce because then she will come after you with all her power that the VP will give her. Talk about abuse of power! They they flat out refuse to testify? I didnt know anyone had that right.
Palin
Because SHE wanted to be there.
What exactly is it about Palin you don't like?
I like the fact that Mccain chose her after only meeting her once or twice. If he had chosen someone he has known for 20 years or so or someone he is buddies with, everyone would have jumped on him for choosing a friend.
And please don't get on about how she talks, etc., (not just saying this to you gourdpainter, to everyone) how many people have actually looked past how she talks and what she has named her children to what her stance is on the issues?
You can make fun of her for saying seeing Russia from Alaska is foreign policy experience (she WAS joking!) but then Obama turned around and said there are 57 states... they all make gaffes.
I think that she is a strong woman and she has a good moral base. Yes, her daughter got pregnant, but really, did you all listen to your moms on everything? I know when I was a teenager I went to parties, drank, smoked, even though my mommy told me not too. You can tell your children everything, but believe me, they aren't going to listen to you! Not until they hit about 22 and go "oh crap, mom and dad WERE RIGHT!"
The fact that she brought her Down syndrome child into the world just shows how much love she has. It's nice to see her husband is so active in the raising of their children. I know quite a few dads who aren't. It goes to show she will have a good support group if she becomes VP.
As for her experience, we obviously need to throw the experience argument out this election since Biden and Mccain are about equal and Obama and Palin are about equal.
Also, everyone keeps talking about how they want change and don't want the same old politicians in the white house but then they want to harp on Palin and say "oh she was governor of Alaska, what does she know??" I think it would be refreshing to have someone that isn't from a big city and hasn't been in the Senate. I mean Biden has been there for what, ever? And so has Mccain. So maybe by having this "small town girl" to check him on some things will be good.
I think people just need to get off her case. Dems, if SNL was making fun of Obama every week, you would be furious, and a lot of people would claim racism, etc. I think it is sickening that ANY of our candidates have been reduced to a comedy routine in which they are portrayed in such a bad light. Regardless of what we think of them, our leaders need to be respected. If we can't respect them, then we need to vote them out.
I'm sorry, but if no one can admit that the liberal media has been very biased this election, they have been living under a rock. Even comedy shows, like SNL, Daily show, Colbert, etc have been very left sided. There is no longer any unbiased news. And then because maybe one or two sources go against the grain and lean right they are considered a poor source. That is totally unfair. We are supposed to believe everything the liberal news says, but not what the conservative news says? C'mon. You have to know by now when you watch the news NO MATTER WHO IS REPORTING you need to take it with a grain of salt!
Once again, this is no longer an election. It is a popularity contest. Sad.
Okay...first of all Palin can't
fart without the media reporting about it. LOL! I just do not see where you guys say she was being all sneaky. Did she steal the money from the RNC? NO....they gave it to her to buy clothes. Do you want a receipt of every thing the RNC has spent and who they have spent it on because if that is the case, we can request that of the DNC because I'm sure they have similar things they have paid for. At least Palin didn't say that the clothes were just in her closet like Obama said about Ayers just living in his neighborhood. I don't see where Palin has tried to hide anything and when it came out....she was honest about it. That is more than I can say for Mr. Obama who says he never heard Rev. Wright preach any message of hate in the 20 years he attended that church which is all I've ever heard out of Wright's mouth when he has been interviewed on TV.
Q&A re Palin
> > Question: What is America 's first line of missile
> > interceptor defense that protects the entire United States ?
> >
> > Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.
> >
> >
> >
> > Question: What is the ONLY National Guard unit on
> > permanent active duty?
> >
> > Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard
> >
> >
> >
> > Question: Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile
> > Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?
> >
> > Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
> >
> >
> >
> > Question: What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on
> > highly classified military issues, homeland security, and
> > counter terrorism?
> >
> > Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
> >
> >
> >
> > Question: What U.S. governor has a higher classified
> > security rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party?
> > Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska
> >
> >
> > According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain
> > in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used
> > to keeping secrets. She can be entrusted with our national
> > security, because she already is.
> >
> > Now you know too, please, pass it on!
> >
> > ?
> >
> >
> >
> > Commander....
> >
> > 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard
>
Go Palin ----NOT!
http://alaskareport.com/news98/x61620_rape_palin.htm
Maybe neither she nor Palin consider her to be in ...
"a fix." What if your daughter chose life? Gonna send her to Alaska to Palin?
What I see Palin as....
is an absolute insult to women in this country. She was simply put on the ticket to try to get Hillary supporters, and seemingly was okay with that. Women have worked just as hard as any other minority in this country for equality. Regardless of that, she ran on a ticket that did not support equal wages for equal work (check out McCain's record), was against choice when it came to abortion, would like to overturn R v Wade, and every time she opens her mouth ignorance abounds.
No, I don't want her to succeed because I would hate for any other country to think she is actually a portrayal of women in this country. She is an absolute joke.
Palin fun...(sm)
Point and click on everything -- several times (especially animals behind doors)
http://www.palinaspresident.us/
ROFL
Me Too -Go McCain and Palin!
nm
Palin does have brains.
She could not have gotten where she is today without having brains especially since she started in the PTA and moved up. She didn't have mommy or daddy in politics bringing her name up every chance they got. She is a very admirable women, IMHO. I would be very proud to have her as VP. A woman who can raise 5 kids and be a governor......that is just remarkable. I admire the way she still had her youngest son even though the doctors told her he would have Down syndrome. She isn't afraid to stand up for what she believes. She is more of a real person to me. She hunts, she is a hockey mom. She is no b!mbo. And lastly....she is a beautiful woman and I'm not just speaking about her outer appearance. She cares. She is for the people. I think McCain made a great choice when he picked her.
Go McCain and Palin 2008!!! 
Everyone is talking about Palin? NOT.
McCain's self-destructive stunt sucked the air out of nothing. The big speech is still resonating for those 84,000 who filled the seats of the Mile High stadium and the 38,000,000 TV viewing audience. We have all noticed the deafening silence from the McCain camp on the 19 points Obama raised in the big speech, which comes as no surprise since we are used to seeing republicans run in the opposite direction as fast as their feet can carry them when confronted with any sort of intellectual challenge. If you, your party and McCain want to make jokes instead of taking the real issues seriously, you will just be digging yourselves in deeper and deeper. In fact, let me loan you the shovel.
Just because you choose to wimp out in the face of intelligent dialogue on the very grave issues that our nation face, some of which have been raised in these posts, does not mean they have disappeared. It just means that they do not exist to you. All of the articulate posts that have appeared today have been ignored by the stupefied and responded to by the informed. The DNC does not have to tell PUMA anything, but the attitude behind such a comment is just another example of the misguided, miscalculated notions McCain employed when he made his VP selection. Then again, the republicans have always been a smug bunch who have a tendency to underestimate their opposition.
These are grown women (PUMA) who have minds of their own and have the sense to be just as insulted as the rest of our gender who are not supporting a party who will outsource their jobs 'til the cows come home, kill any initiatives that guarantee fair/equal pay for equal work, treat women like political cattle, use them as tokens to pump life into a dead campaign and select a woman who would submit herself to this blatant and transparent exploitation….all for the sake of a policy that would attempt to wrestle free choice away from women to control their own bodies and reproductive functions and cram right-wing Christian dogma down their throats.
Hillary supporters and women with brains don't take kindly to these policies, anymore than they subscribe to the NeoCon positions of the republicans' latest hand-picked celebrity. The hypocrisy is breath-taking. McCain has gambled away his experience card and his celebrity card and played the gender card, all the while accusing the Obama camp of playing the race card….a political stunt that is already backfiring right in his face, and we are only 36 hours into the aftermath.
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin has just announced her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant and will be marrying the baby's father!
What I LIKE about Palin .... flame away
I like the fact that she is NOT a Washingtonian ..... Obama took a big hit with me - all that talk about change and then he picks Biden -- who has been in Washington most of his life, who does the Democrat double talk better than most!
I like the fact that she stands up for what she believes in and fights the big boys when necessary.
I like the fact she is a normal person .... sure, they have some money but .... she has problems and is dealing with them. Her husband is blue collar worker, and to me that is a plus.
Do I think she is ready to be VP? I have to do more thinking and soul searching about that ...
Be honest about it -- they both chose their running mates based on what they hoped would help them win the most votes ... not who they really wanted or thought was most qualified!!
I wanted a McCain/Lieberman ticket myself.
BUT....... she does NOT deserve the crap she is taking. That is what is wrong with politics in this country.
The people who COULD do the best job -- WON'T EVEN RUN. They won't subject themselves to the BS they have to endure .....
JMHO .. I will be watching, reading and listening over the next few months. Tough decisions to be made!
Go McCAIN and PALIN!
nm
Does this bother you about Palin?
The first time she applied for a passport was in 2007.
Palin/Biden
I don't know, I heard Obama denounce bringing the kids into the politics and he seemed pretty forceful and pretty snarly himself. My opinion is the kids ought to be off limits but when the candidates (both of them) trot them out, that takes the "hands off" out of play for me. They can't have it both ways. If they really care about the kids, leave them out of the spotlight TOTALLY. Although I admit the little girl licking her hand and smoothing the baby's hair was pretty endearing..............BUT fairplay, don't show that and then say that it isn't fair to talk about the unwed daughter's pregnancy....so leave her off the camera, don't trot in the boyfriend to participate too. Ridiculous!
Palin family...
They looked great to me. Cindy McCain reached for the child, it wasn't handed off to her. Bristol looked anything but terrified. She looked proud of her mother. And well she should be. She is running for VP of the United States. I thought it was especially sweet with the little girl licked her hand to smooth down the baby's cowlick. Circus freaks are the last words I would use to describe this family.
|
