Redjack, OK ... to help you along, here are a few comments by Sarah Palin regarding the issue of energy independence:
Yeah. BS. One of the things that the corporate world has done quite well over the decades is to foment this notion that there's a "debate" about the destruction of the environment or the relative interdependence of nations vis a vis oil consumption. It's no surprise that her series of "answers" went unchallenged. She doesn't discuss the footprint such a construction would have. Nor does she seem to have a working knowledge of (or interest in) the breakthroughs in renewable energy production that nations around the world have made. She's still talking about COAL which is the largest reason for the increase of greenhouse gasses and the mining of which literally rapes the land. She's talking about drilling and building a pipeline that would, conservatively, take a DECADE to complete and likely fifteen years, minimum, to get any of that oil into the system.
In addition, all the oil companies have scores of contracts- untapped, undrilled tracts of oil rich land that they have done nothing with and which do not have the same impact on the environment should they choose to extract, either from the construction aspects or from the drilling itself. Once again, what you're seeing is a pol who is nakedly in the pockets of the very industries that SUPPRESS clean technologies, speaking in doublespeak to a public that knows too little about the issue (GE owns NBC, remember?). And the "interveiwer" actually finsihed her sentences for her. Please. Pull the other one. I'm young but I wasn't born yesterday.
I could wipe that chick out in ten minutes and I'm a lay person. She's a pretty liar. And getting less pretty the more she talks.
Sarah Palin was a very smart choice politically. McCain's strong points politically are experience and foreign policy. Those are Palin's weak points, but it does not matter because she fills in many of the other gaps and is the bottom of the ticket, unlike Obama. Any attack on her experience will inevitably lead back to Obama's experience. Experience is a losing issue for Obama.
Apologies to your son but, "Bunk." Experience is no more a liability for Obama than it was for Clinton. Sorry. Bzzzzt! Clinton beat the former head of the CIA. McCain isn't close to that league. Do you think Obama is dumber than Clinton? less charismatic? The only liability he has is his skin and, so far, that ain't holding nobody back.
1. She may be able to get a few Hillary voters, though probably not many. There might be some female voters that vote purely on identity politics ( voting to break the "glass ceiling" is probably a more charitable way of putting it). In a close election this could make a difference. Regardless of Hillary voters, Palin being a woman gives McCain a little of that "change" stuff that this election seems to be obsessed with. If Obama wins it will obviously be historic because of his race, but this pick makes a McCain victory a historic one as well because of his VP's gender.
Nope. Only stupid bigots will switch parties to vote for her and they would likely have done so anyway. Good riddance to stupid rubbish.
2. She helps get rid of the age issue because she is 28 years younger than McCain.
No. That's cancelled out by the "OMIGOD, if he dies in office this chick will be driving the bus" issue. Moronic. It DRAWS ATENTION to his age rather than offsetting it. NOBODY is voting for her to be in the big chair. It's a non issue. You guys were happy with DAN QUAYLE. Nuff said.
3. She is the polar opposite of the Biden pick. She is not a Washington insider at all. She is a new face. She is a woman. She does not have hair plugs. She is mild mannered. Biden can't be a blowhard in the VP debate or he'll come off as a jerk.
Mild manered. She's a skilled industry shill who is, in her little corner of creation, just as backdealing and unshivelrous as any Washington insider. PLEASE don't oversell the idea that an apparently sweet disposition is going to go far when people think of their wallets and heating costs. Plus, NOBODY VOTES for the VP. Never have, never will. The absolute best you'll get out of this is a slightly closer loss to Obama.
4. Energy will be a key issue in this election, and an Alaska governor knows a lot more about energy than a Senator from Illinois or Delaware. Energy independence is also a national security issue.
She knows jack about energy, Michael. She knows about drilling and pleasing Big Oil. Not even close to the same thing. As I sad. I could eviscerate her on the subject in ten minutes witout checking notes. Plus, if you think the can take Biden, I say bring it on. She won't be deabting Obama in any case and he can eat McCain for lunch. On his way to a real lunch.
5. She has energized the Republican base.
we'll see. I think your base likes to eat too. and, again, nobody votes for the VP. enjoy the sparkes for the next week or so. the shine will vanish about as quickly.
6. She helps reinforce the mantle of reform oriented candidates on the Republican ticket with her record of reform measures in Alaska.
Reform. Do you envision McCain taking notes from this chick? Do you envision her challenging anything he says in public or in private? She is worthless in that regard and, as a result, says nothing about change one way or the other. In fact, McCain is no Maverick, despite the PR. he has sided with the current administration 9 times out of 10 for the entire time of its tenure. Obama will destroy him on that alone. Plus he gets hot pretty quick and Obama NEVER does. let him lose his temper ONCE and it's over.
7. She has executive experience, something no one else on either ticket has.
Big deal. She's not driving and won't be in the front seat. She'll be less than the First Lady.
8. She is very likable and in no way can she be painted as "elitist" (as the Obama people have been doing to McCain because of the number of houses he owns). She is down to earth and has a great story and background that many people will identify with.
She's as likable as any
unknown relatively cute face. The more America learns of her, the more they will find that what plays in Alaska pretty much stays there. She's a two minute news story an it's already been 1 minute 45.