The Palin Problem

 
 
 

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What do we know about Palin after, as she put it with a wink, "like, five weeks"? That she can be a superb political performer (she held her own against Biden, projecting an image of warmth and toughness) and she can be a poor one (too many questions in the debate went completely unanswered, and the Couric interview is full of moments no candidate would like to have out there). But that is only human. Everyone has good days and bad days. Her syntax is sometimes a world unto itself. But George H.W. Bush occasionally sounded as though English were more foe than friend, and he was an astute president who managed complexity with skill and balance. The arsenal of folksy phrases—"doggone it," "you betcha"—grates on some, but seems just great to others.

The story of Palin's brief national career helps explain her uneven performances. She had virtually no time to prepare, and has had virtually no time since. Her star turn began quickly, and mysteriously. When Nicolle Wallace and Matthew Scully, two former Bush aides who now work for McCain, showed up at a dingy Ohio hotel in late August to meet the new running mate, they had no idea who might be waiting for them. Just a day before, Wallace had been in a dentist's chair in New York, getting a root canal, when Steve Schmidt, McCain's top strategist, summoned her to Ohio. She tried to say no, but her dentist, a McCain fan, insisted she could make it, giving her a prescription for Vicodin to numb the pain. The next morning, dazed by the meds, Wallace arrived in Cincinnati and drove with Scully to Middletown, Ohio, where McCain's VP was holed up until the big announcement the following day.

As Wallace and Scully drove up, they were met outside by Schmidt and Mark Salter, McCain's longtime aide and speechwriter. Schmidt escorted the two upstairs, where he dramatically paused before a closed door. "You're No. 7 and 8," Schmidt said, referring to the number of people who were privy to McCain's choice. As the door opened, a woman rose to greet them, shaking their hands enthusiastically. Scully and Wallace, still numb from her procedure, smiled and introduced themselves. The woman, Sarah Palin, looked very familiar, but, as both later recounted to other McCain aides, they did not immediately know who she was. (McCain loves this story, relishing the success of his bid to keep the selection process secret.)

When she shook their hands, the governor of Alaska was already in the surreal bubble of a modern presidential campaign, an odd ethos in which one is rarely alone and yet often lonely. Remembering how John Edwards had brought his own staff to the ticket with John Kerry in 2004, creating immediate and lasting tensions, the McCain camp wanted to exert complete control over their running mate. Schmidt and others assembled a team of well-known Republican hands for the veep squad. The campaign pointedly did not hire anyone from Palinworld.

The governor, meanwhile, is only a recent visitor to McCainworld. After the announcement in Dayton, the Friday before the convention in St. Paul, aides gave her thick binders full of policies and arranged sit-downs with some of McCain's top advisers, including Randy Scheunemann, Doug Holtz-Eakin and Sens. Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham. On the day she was nominated, Palin, joining McCain on a bus tour, was given reading material: every policy speech McCain has given in this campaign.

Some who know her from Alaska suggest that Palin is a deft crammer, and her performance against Biden supports that. Larry Persily, a former Anchorage Daily News editorial-page editor, left the newspaper in May 2007 and worked as an associate director in Palin's Washington, D.C., office until June 2008. He says he left on good terms—Palin offered him another job when he resigned—but he believes she is not qualified to be vice president and is speaking out for that reason. He describes Palin as an easily distracted manager. "Her preppings [briefings] were accentuated by the brevity of them. She's not going to pore over briefing books and charts and white papers and reports for hours and hours. She knows how to connect with people, and it's like, 'Give me bullet points and I'll run with it' … I don't think she had trouble focusing. She didn't have an interest in focusing."

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  • Posted By: Omaar @ 07/04/2009 10:03:29 PM

    Character: Look at all the Negative Things said about President Obama Before, During and After his Election and he Never Addresses this Negative Media, he Moves Forward, Ever Onward.

    Its Called [Character]

    President Obama and his Familiy Lives have been Threatened on Many Occassions, though the Media Rarely Talks about it.

    Does the President Address it or Run from it, in Fear or Moan about it to the Public [NO]


    Does Pres.Obama Shrug Off the Nation's Problems or his Responsibilities to the Nation, because the Media Attacks him [NO]

    Its called [Character]

    President Obama Meet his Responsibilities opposed to Running Away from them, the Bad Things the Media has to Say, will not Deter him, from his Responsibilities.

    You'll Never See or Hear President Obama going ....

    Boo Hoo Hoo,

    Woe is Me and Woe is Mine, They won't Leave me and Mine [Alone]


    Obama has Character and I'm Very Glad he's this Nation's 44th President

    Palin would Resigning from the White House as Vice President by now.

    I believe Palin is so Obsessed with being President, No Other Position Matters anymore.

    Palin's Resume is Paper Thin and she can not Finish or Complete her 1st Term as Governor.

    Yet she wants to be President, without considering the Resume must be one of Commitment,Consistency & Success...


    Palin's 2 1/2 Years as Governor Lacks all the fore mentioned.

    Oh Yeah...

    Palin Lacks [Character]



    Its Glaring, that Palin is Not Fit to Lead a State of 650,000 People, more over 350 Million People.

    Palin Lacks [Character]

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 07/04/2009 9:56:00 PM

    Character: Look at all the Negative Things said about President Obama Before, During and After his Election and he Never Addresses this Negative Media, he Moves Forward, Ever Onward.

    Its Called [Character]

    Look at how he's President Obama and his Familiy Lives have been Threatened, though the Media Rarely talks about this.

    Does the President Address it or Run from it in Fear or Moan about it to the Public [NO]


    Does Pres.Obama Shrug Off the Nation's Problems or his Responsibilities to the Nation, because the Media Attacks him [NO]

    Its called [Character]

    Meeting his Responsibilities opposed to Running Away, because of the Bad Things the Media has to Say about me...

    Boo Hoo Hoo,

    Woe is Me and Woe is Mine, They won't Leave me and Mine [Alone]


    Obama has Character and I'm Very Glad he's this Nation's 44th President

    Palin would Resigning from the White House as Vice President Huh.

    I believe Palin is so Obsessed with being President, No Other Position Matters anymore.

    Palin's Resume is Paper Thin and she can not Finish or Complete her 1st Term as Governor.

    Yet she wants to be President, without considering the Resume must be one of Commitment,Consistency & Success...


    Palin's 2 1/2 Years as Governor Lacks all the fore mentioned.

    Oh Yeah...

    Palin Lacks [Character]



    Its Glaring, that Palin is Not Fit to Lead a State of 650,000 People, more over 350 Million People.

    Palin Lacks [Character]

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 07/04/2009 9:35:08 PM

    Republican Governors...

    Tim Pawlenty:Announced he will [Not Run] for Re-Election in [2010]but will Serve out his Governorship.

    Responsible & Orderly Indeed, He'll still Lose in [2012]
    ---------------------


    Arnold Swarzenegger: Has every Right to [Quit] his State is Insolvent [Bankrupt] yet he Continues Onward.

    I Respect & Admire Swarzenegger in not taking the [Easy Way Out] via

    [Resigning-Quitting]

    ---------------------------

    Mark Sanford: He of all Governors should [Resign] he's Embarassed his Wife,Children & People in his State, that he Represents.

    Yet for Now, he Clings to his Governorship, though he was Ir-Responsible as Hell Itself.

    He Refuses to Relinquish the Governorship.
    ---------------------

    Sarah Palin: 2 1/2 Year Governorship. No National or International Experience, i.e. Congress Woman or US Senator. No Alaskan Pipeline, though the Media Allowed her to get Away with [Blatantly Lying]at the ..

    2008 RNC Convention, when she Asserted that the Pipeline was being Built, when not One Pipe has been Laid and Gas Companies she Snubbed and Prevented from Bidding in the Contract Process, to make the Pipeline...

    When in Fact, the Gas Leases are Owned by Big Oil-Gas.

    Trans Canada was given [500 Million $$] of the Alaskan State Money an they'd Only Build the Pipeline, Not Supplying the Gas, in any event.

    In any case, the Gas Pipeline's Cost More than [27 Billion $$] !!

    Guess who will be Financing the [28 Billion $$] Pipeline ..Hmm

    [The Dreaded US Government] Tada !!

    Can You People not See how Unstable,Unhinged, Un-Predictable & Sparatic this Woman is ?

    She's No [Maverick]

    John McCain Looks [Normal] Compared to Sarah Palin's Movement.

    The Worst McCain did was Pretend to [Suspend] his Campaign Last Year.

    McCain Never [Quit-Resigned]

    Even during the [Keating 5 Scandal]
    --------------------------

    Sarah Palin is a Hollow,Floating Bubble, Just Air Up There.

    Blames the Media, yet Runs to the Media at Any Given Chance. Matt Lauer, Wolf Blitzer to Sean Hannity.

    Mass Media, is Mass Media.

    Is Not Fox News the most Watched of the Cable News Programs..Hmm

    The Dum Dum is [Done]

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