Clipmarks | Campaign Clips

Reaction To Announcement on Governor Palin

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:49:22 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: The campaign has been busily preparing TV commercials to run against Mitt Romney — with aides gleefully watching hours of footage of Romney-McCain exchanges from the primary — but far little opposition research had been prepared about the Alaska governor. And aides said no commercials were ready to be immediately released, which the McCain campaign did when Mr. Biden was chosen.”

There’s more at the link, including that the Obama campaign had to delay its campaign flight for more Palin prep and, as a result, McCain-Palin got a half-day of uninterrupted media time.

The Obama campaign was not prepared for the Palin announcement, a choice that was unexpected but not totally off the radar. That’s not good in politics but it’s very discouraging in governing. In fact, it makes the Obama campaign sound as clueless as it often describes the Bush Administration.

Clip Source: patterico.com

The Obama campaign was critical of McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin — she’s too inexperienced and not ready to be a “heartbeat away” from the Presidency — followed quickly by Obama’s statement that his staff was too critical. This clearly isn’t what the Obama campaign thought they would be talking about the day after his acceptance speech.

And now the New York Times’ Caucus blog has this amazing information on why the Obama campaign had a mixed message:

“11:40 a.m. | Obama Reaction: The Times’s Jeff Zeleny has the following dispatch:

The Obama campaign had no immediate response to reports that Senator John McCain has selected the little-known Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, as his running-mate. Neither Mr. Obama nor Mr. Biden talked to reporters, but Mr. Biden could be seen wearing a wide smile in the front cabin of the plane.

Ms. Palin came as a surprise not only to many Republicans and journalists, but also to the Obama team.

Tags: gov sarah palin, mccain's vp choice, nytimes' caucus blog

Gov. Sarah Palin: On The Issues

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:06:27 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: New Alaska Governor Is Strong Conservative
Economy: She supports reducing property taxes and taxes for small businesses to grow the economy.
Climate: However, she has been a vocal critic of scientists who suggest that climate change is leading to the decrease in polar bears in Alaska. She has also threatened to sue to have polar bears not listed as a threatened species.
Immigration: Being that her state only borders Canada and is thousands of miles from the Mexican border, Palin has not often expressed her views publicly on illegal immigration.
Health Care: According to her campaign Web site, Palin supports flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care. She believes it will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. Palin also feels patients should have access to full medical billing information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXzY1FvYpnE YouTube: 10:19

Clip Source: www.kcra.com

With the selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Sen. John McCain has extended an olive branch to the far right wing of his party.

The 44-year-old mother of five, who has only been governor for two years, has a conservative track record on both social and fiscal issues.

Abortion: Palin is outspokenly pro-life.

Marriage: Palin opposes same-sex marriage and stated on her campaign web site that she believes “marriage should only be between a man and a woman.”

Climate: Upon being elected governor of Alaska, she created a sub-cabinet on climate change

Guns: Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA. On her Web site, she wrote that she supports “our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska's youth.”

Iraq: Palin is generally supportive of America’s presence in Iraq, her 18-year-old son Track Palin is in the Army and is slotted to go to Iraq in September. Palin has also visited members of the Alaska National Guard in Kuwait.

Tags: gov. palin, social & fiscal conservative, abortion, marriage, guns iraq, economy, climate, health care, immigration

Ferraro likes McCain's choice of Palin

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:29:29 GMT

clipped by: n2sooners

Clip Source: hotair.com

How does the first female VP candidate feel about the second? Geraldine Ferraro says that many women feel disaffected by the way Hillary Clinton got treated by the Democratic Party and the media — and they will appreciate an opportunity to support a historic ticket:

Sarah Palin made explicit reference to Hillary Clinton’s remark about “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling”, an overt reference to the historic opportunity for women in this campaign. Will that convince some of Hillary’s supporters to cross party lines? A large number of them already seemed open to that possibility — and Palin certainly has Ferraro intrigued.

Ferraro’s comments point up another potential land mine for Barack Obama. The media may stoke all those leftover resentments if they try to hit Palin hard in the next few weeks, which may drive off even more women than otherwise.

Tags: ferraro, mccain, palin, election, politics, sexism

Too Good to Pass Up

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:55:39 GMT

clipped by: brazilnut72
clipper's remarks: Obama plays the experience card?

Clip Source: www.politico.com

It is pretty audacious for the Obama campaign to say that Governor Palin is not qualified to be Vice President. She has a record of accomplishment that Senator Obama simply cannot match. Governor Palin has spent her time in office shaking up government in Alaska and actually achieving results -- whether it’s taking on corruption, passing ethics reform or stopping wasteful spending and the ‘bridge to nowhere.’ Senator Obama has spent his time in office running for President.

Tags: obama, sarah palin

The pundits say it will be a surprise. I say no surprise

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:35:26 GMT

clipped by: willhelm
clipper's remarks: McCain WILL pick Mitt Romney. Take it to the bank. Though I still wish it would be Palin.

Clip Source: features.csmonitor.com

James Carville, Greenberg’s longtime political partner (the two were central to Bill Clinton’s improbable victory in the 1992 presidential campaign), has a more colorful way of assessing vice-presidential picks. Does the candidate “make the opposing campaign manager throw up.”

Carville doesn’t name names, but he predicts McCain will surprise us. “McCain and I share something in common,” says the Ragin’ Cajun. “We’re both craps shooters. And just by nature, craps shooters always want to put their stack in the middle of the table.”

The Democratic analyst and pollster Stan Greenberg said Wednesday they see nothing to fear from a Romney pick, await a surprise.

Roe v. Wade makes campaign comeback

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:14:59 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

The refrain in many of the Democratic leaders’ responses to Sen. John McCain’s choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate: Roe v. Wade, Roe v. Wade.

The 1973 Supreme Court decision nationalizing a woman’s right to get an abortion was a top-of-mind issue for top Democrats.

Voters, beware, the Democrats' message seemed to be: Palin is not in favor of abortion rights.

The Democrats seemed to be concerned that some voters might be under the misapprehension that Palin was a pro-choice woman — or that because she is a woman, it might help McCain get the votes of pro-choice women.

If McCain were to win the election but not serve out his term, it would be Palin nominating justices for any Supreme Court vacancies.

Tags: politics, mccain, palin, abortion, supreme court

Proof Obama isn't Muslim

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:54:01 GMT

clipped by: n2sooners

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Barack Obama has expressed pride in his ability to bring home old-fashioned pork.

"My philosophy was that, if money was being distributed, then it would be inappropriate for me to not get my share for my district,"

In 2001, for example, Obama steered $75,000 to a South Side charity called FORUM Inc., which promised to help churches and community groups get wired to the Internet. Records show five FORUM employees, including one who had declared bankruptcy, had donated $1,000 apiece to Obama's state Senate campaign.

One of those long-time supporters was Rev. Michael Pfleger, the politically active leader of St. Sabina Church. He gave Obama's campaign $1,500 between 1995 and 2001, including $200 in April 2001, about three months after Obama announced $225,000 in grants to St. Sabina programs.

Another supporter, Henry English, made two donations to Obama totaling $900 in 2001 after Obama helped send a $50,000 grant to a non-profit group that English ran

Tags: obama, politics, pork, corruption

From the Mouth of a Conservative: The Palin Pick

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:58:26 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: "To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins."

No kidding. That's why the Palin pick appears superficial, a desperate grab to pick up disaffected Hillary voters, and to help us forget that John McCain has been in Washington DC a long time.

And while the pick temporarily distracts the US from one of the greatest speeches delivered in history of the US (Obama's last night), within 2 weeks Palin will be seen as a liability, another deer caught in the headlights like Dan Quayle.

The allegation that she had a trooper fired for divorcing her sister won't help, especially since the firer said he was pressured from her to fire the trooper. That no doubt credentials her with Rove and his Rovian minions within the GOP.

Clip Source: corner.nationalreview.com

Inexperience. Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain's age raised the stakes on this issue.

As a political matter, it undercuts the case against Obama. Conservatives are pointing out that it is tricky for the Obama campaign to raise the issue of her inexperience given his own, and note that the presidency matters more than the vice-presidency. But that gets things backward. To the extent the experience, qualifications, and national-security arguments are taken off the table, Obama wins.

And it’s not just foreign policy. Palin has no experience dealing with national domestic issues, either.

Debates. Maybe, as Jonah said the other day, Biden will look like a bully going up against her—and maybe she’ll shine. But I can think of a lot of other picks who would have been lower-risk.

The Editors of National Review on the Pick

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:35:43 GMT

clipped by: sillysam
clipper's remarks: We hope that the choice of Palin also signals a decisive turn toward a campaign theme of fighting for the middle class. McCain and Palin can and should say that they will fight to protect Americans from our foreign enemies, to stop liberal excesses, and to reform dysfunctional institutions. They should not accept the portrait of middle-class Americans as hapless victims that so many of the Democratic speakers this week portrayed; but they need to show that they share middle-class frustrations. Strength in foreign policy; reforms of taxes and health care geared to the middle class; and a moderate social conservatism: It’s a potentially winning message, and now Republicans have a ticket that is suited to it.

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

By picking Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, John McCain has wowed the public and enthused the Right. He has reinforced some of his winning themes — that he has the mindset of an outsider and a fighter against corruption. He has also reinforced his appeal as the candidate more in touch with traditional values on moral issues.

None of McCain’s possible choices was perfect, and attention is being paid to the way that Palin undercuts other McCain themes, such as the importance of experience in foreign policy. Palin will have to reassure voters of her steadiness when she speaks at the Republican convention and when she debates Joe Biden. McCain, meanwhile, will have to carry most of the foreign-policy load himself and showcase his good health.

Dems comment on Palin Pick

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:57:34 GMT

clipped by: lap322
clipper's remarks: Clearly, McCain thinks women are stupid enough to fall for his pseudo-Hillary.

Comparing Palin to Hillary Clinton is like comparing a high-school freshman to a PhD grad (actually, that almost has some truth to it...)

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Barack Obama Campaign Spokesman Bill Burton responds to John McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate:

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel:

"Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency? Given Sarah Palin's lack of experience on every front and on nearly every issue, this Vice Presidential pick doesn't show judgment: it shows political panic."

Barbara Boxer:

If John McCain thought that choosing Sarah Palin would attract Hillary Clinton voters, he is badly mistaken.

The only similarity between her and Hillary Clinton is that they are both women. On the issues, they could not be further apart.

Tags: sarah palin, mccain, election, democrats, obama

McCain "Thank God liberals don't shoot people"

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:22:11 GMT

clipped by: kkcapricorn
clipper's remarks: Unconfirmed Sources political satire and news story parodies as represented above are written as satire or parody. They are, of course, fictitious.

Clip Source: www.unconfirmedsources.com

McCain "I'm safe Democrates don't try to murder their polical opponents."

DENVER, Colorado (Ucs News) --Responding to reports of white supremacist "meth heads" planning to assassinate Barack Obama in Denver, Arizona Senator John McCain stated he was grateful that "All liberals are cowards that hate guns." and the he feels "perfectly safe."

The Obama campaign offices in St. Paul Minnesota were also attacked. When police arrived to the scene, officer found two large plate glass windows and a glass door completely smashed out and paint splattered on the outside and inside of the building. A campaign worker was in the basement at the time of the incident, but was unhurt. Police believe the Obama campaign office was targeted because of its Democratic affiliation.

McCain campaign has largely been free of the death threats and violence that have plagued is challenger Barack Obama.

Tags: satire, unconfirmedsources

McCain picks Alaska Gov. Palin as running mate

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:57:15 GMT

clipped by: dewitte

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

(CNN) -- Sen. John McCain has picked Alaska Gov. Sarah as his running mate, a senior McCain campaign official told CNN on Friday.

Palin, 44, who's in her first term as governor, is a pioneering figure in Alaska, the first woman and the youngest person to hold the state's top political job.

She catapulted to the post with a strong reputation as a political outsider, forged during her stint in local politics. She was mayor and a council member of the small town of Wasila and was chairman of the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's oil and gas resources, in 2003 and 2004.

Palin's term has not been without controversy. A legislative investigation is looking into allegations that Palin fired Alaska's public safety commissioner because he refused to fire the governor's former brother-in-law, a state trooper.

Palin acknowledged that a call was made by a member of her staff to a trooper in which the staffer suggested he was speaking for the governor.

Tags: mccain, vp, alaska, palin

Sarah Palin Likes Obama's Energy Plan

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:44:47 GMT

clipped by: DanaGarrett
clipper's remarks: Poor John McCain. Not only does he select as a Vice Presidential someone who less foreign policy experience than Obama (making her one old codger's heartbeat away from the Presidency), but she recently praised aspects of Obama's energy plan.

Besides, her glasses look weird on her, and I'm well versed on wearing weird glasses.

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

The Obama campaign is trotting out a gubernatorial endorsement for his energy policy today... from Republican Alaska Governor and long-shot VP candidate Sarah Palin.

An aide to the presumptive Democratic nominee sent over a link to a Palin press release Tuesday morning in which the governor praised Obama for, among other things, calling for the completion of the Alaska natural gas pipeline and proposing $1,000 rebates for families struggling with energy costs.

"We in Alaska feel that crunch and are taking steps to address it right here at home," Palin's press release read. "This is a tool that must be on the table to buy us time until our long-term energy plans can be put into place. We have already enjoyed the support of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, and it is gratifying to see Senator Obama get on board."

Congratulations Senator Obama

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:15:14 GMT

clipped by: n2sooners

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: obama, mccain, election, campaign, politics

Not the Obama we know

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:31:35 GMT

clipped by: sillysam

Clip Source: article.nationalreview.com

If all you knew of Obama was what he presented to you in his speech, you would think of him as a typical Democratic politician improved by the addition of a bit more thoughtfulness and idealism than the average representative of the class. You would be amazed to learn of his extremely close relationship to a radical anti-American preacher; or that he has followed a no-enemies-to-the-left approach to politics that put him in the company of an unrepentant terrorist. You would not suspect that he favors taxpayer-funded abortion or drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants. You would not realize that he has crossed party lines far less often than McCain. You would not imagine that he had ever voted against funding for troops in war zones. It would not cross your mind that this denouncer of hardball, self-interested politics might be having his campaign intimidate reporters out of looking into his record.