I'm a registered Republican.
Palin Speech: I smell fear.
- Thread starter imperfect.la
- Start date
Thank you, bigfatron, for explaining the situation better than I could. Like you, I'm not in the US, so I'm not that familiar with what Obama has and hasn't done. But last night I did some research on Sarah Palin, and her so-called "experience"... and by any Canadian definition except Paul Martin/Brian Mulroney (arguably two recent Canadian PMs who were/are up to their ears and beyond in corruption), she ran her town in a despicably corrupt way. She used her mayoral office to further her higher political ambitions (else why would the Republican party endorse her for mayor?). She used her mayoral office to settle personal scores with people who displeased her. Trying to ban books and cutting funding to museums and educational programs doesn't strike me as something that's done for the good of the people. It's something that our own Alberta Conservative party would do -- after all, keep the people entertained and stupid and they'll be more inclined to vote with their emotions, rather than with logical reasoning.
We she started as mayor her town was debt free. When she left, even after millions in pork she got from the feds, her town was 20 million in debt. Even after she raised taxes.
MobBoss
Off-Topic Overlord
I dont understand all this 'backwater' state crap.
Howard Dean was governor of Vermont, which has less population than Alaska even.
No one commented about it being so small when he was running to be the dem candidate in 2004.
I dont get it beyond the typical attempt to denigrate someone they dont agree with.
Howard Dean was governor of Vermont, which has less population than Alaska even.
No one commented about it being so small when he was running to be the dem candidate in 2004.
I dont get it beyond the typical attempt to denigrate someone they dont agree with.
Swampwater would be more like it, given all the politicians up there under indictment.
I'm going by her Wikipedia page, which has been locked to edits until September 8 at the earliest, so it hasn't been tampered with. It includes accounts of her firing people for arbitrary and trivial reasons (arguably personal in one or two cases) and not allowing municipal department heads to talk to reporters without her permission. What happened to this "free speech" you people worship?
In Canada -- at least in the smaller cities -- it's unthinkable for provincial or federal political parties to openly endorse mayoral or council candidates. Municipal politics isn't supposed to be about anything but the good of the city, town, village, etc. It's not to be used to further ambitions of higher office.
sonorakitch
Overseas hunter
Patroklos
Deity
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When was it locked?
So? The mayor can fire anyone she wants as long as it doesn't violate equal rights laws. It can be as simple as we don't get along/don't have the same views/can't work together well. This is the same power every executive has.
Are you serious? As an official representative of the government you have no right to speak on behalf of it without permission. This is the same in your country as well no doubt.
This is not Canada, and thus your critisism on these grounds are ridiculous.
Are your municipal politians not allowed to freely associate based on their views, which may affiliate them with a national party? Man, talk about freedom of speech
You don't get it. Its that the Repubs chided Obama for no experience than picked someone w/ about 2 years high-level experience. So, in the end, its not that she's from a small state, but the "lack of experience" double-standard that I think caught a lot of people's attention.
Dean, by comparison, had served, IIRC, 2 terms (or if I'm wrong, at least 1 fullterm)
Plus, keep in mind, Dean didn't last that long. Not as much of an opportuntiy or necessity to attack this far.
jlvfr
King
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Personally, I'd like to ask her two questions:
"How do you feel about your teenage single daughter's pregnancy, considering that you are against sex education, and believe in abstinence before marriage is the only way to go?"
"Don't you think you should have warned your party's leadership of the fact that you have a teenage single daughter who is pregnant? Specially considering your party's views on such matters?" (and NO, I don't think she did...)
"How do you feel about your teenage single daughter's pregnancy, considering that you are against sex education, and believe in abstinence before marriage is the only way to go?"
"Don't you think you should have warned your party's leadership of the fact that you have a teenage single daughter who is pregnant? Specially considering your party's views on such matters?" (and NO, I don't think she did...)
I don't agree or disagree with any of the US candidates, I don't know enough about them - in all cases being 'not Bush' strikes me as a big step forward...
As you would see if you read my post through non-partisan glasses, I am sceptical of the experience of both Palin and Obama.
McCain strikes me as having some genuine history, but his idea of drilling his way out of the gas shortage is so laughable as to make me question his credentials to be taken seriously.
So far Biden seems the least weak of the candidates, but I'm not clued up enough about any one of them to be dogmatic about it...
BFR
sonorakitch
Overseas hunter
You can write her.
Mailing Address
John McCain/Sarah Palin 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
sonorakitch
Overseas hunter
As has been explained though, drilling isn't proposed to "fix" the problem at hand. It is only important to secure domestic sources in the long period of transformation to alternative energy. It makes sense to vigorously research and development non-petroleum based energy, but in the meantime it also makes sense to gain access to our own.
~Chris
classical_hero
In whom I trust
Well it is how you approach the situation. Had President Clinton just admitted that he did what he did with Monica and asked for forgiveness, it should have been less of a scandal since he admitted he did wrong. And as far as I am concerned, that would have put the issue to bed. I have not seen any examples after that that he has wondered from Hillary, so it does show that he has learnt from that. That is what this is all about. It is not about whether her daughter was wrong or not, but it is how they handle the mistake that was made. That is the important thing. But it is something that you wil not fully understand.
Darth_Pugwash
wobble wobble
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She delivered the speech fairly well, not brilliantly, but fairly well. I think Republicans will be very happy with it. They stayed away from her more conservative side and focused on the 'hockey mom' stuff, presumably to appeal to independants and undecided folk who might like her personal story - which it has to be said it somewhat cynical given that her primary appeal in terms of actual politics is to hardcore conservatives. I was surprised that she repeated the bridge to nowhere line, as her flip-flop on that issue should be pretty well known by now.
EnglishEdward
Deity
Selecting Sarah Palin as candidate for VP does not seem to me to be a obvious mistake. But I cannot understand her giving her children these names. I can only say, in all honesty, that these are names, that the English would use for dogs rather than for children. American culture is clearly very different from British culture in this respect.
Darth_Pugwash
wobble wobble
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Heh, I would even be suspicious of someone that named their dog 'Track'. 
The other thing to note from this speech is that Palin may well turn out to be a competent attack dog. Her trying to deflect criticism about her experience as Mayor of Wasilla by accusing Obama of big-city elitism came off as a fairly desperate ploy to me however, though no doubt it will play well to some audiences.
The other thing to note from this speech is that Palin may well turn out to be a competent attack dog. Her trying to deflect criticism about her experience as Mayor of Wasilla by accusing Obama of big-city elitism came off as a fairly desperate ploy to me however, though no doubt it will play well to some audiences.
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