another brief note...

[schmevil]

Holy shit John McCain!

He's picked Sarah Palin, 44-year-old governor of Alaska as his running mate. She's a real social conservative, who ran on an ethics/reform platform. McCain is iffy for social conservatives but with Palin on the ticket, he just locked them in. Palin is: pro-life, pro-gun, pro-drilling. She's got a child with Down's Syndrome and another serving in Iraq.

Dude. The Republican base is going to love her.

The only disadvantage to this pick is that it eats away at the 'experience' the Republicans are selling with McCain, as she's a relatively new governor, and before that was mayor of a mid-size Alaskan town.

Comments

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

This was pretty much my exact reaction! It's a brilliant choice for McCain. He managed to find someone that reassures all the social conservatives, and the Christian right, and who will bring youth and photogenicness to the ticket, and who can't be called a hypocrit for supporting Iraq without putting anything personal on the line, and who at the same time fits in perfectly with McCain's reputation when it comes to ethics and reform. Plus she seems to have that "just regular folks" vibe that appeals so much to voters.

Next to all those advantages, neutralizing the experience argument is minor.

This actually makes me nervous. I thought the Democrats were full speed ahead, but even I have to admit that McCain-Palin is going to be a damn hard ticket to defeat.

[schmevil.livejournal.com]

This actually makes me nervous. I thought the Democrats were full speed ahead, but even I have to admit that McCain-Palin is going to be a damn hard ticket to defeat.

For serious. We were just discussing this at work and pretty much everyone is having the same ground-where-did-the-ground-just-go? reaction. It's the kind of ticket that's going to be easy to sell in rural America, working class America, and religious America. All demos that Obama is weak in.

Apparently the DailyKos is calling her dirty, for allegedly trying to get her ex-brother in-law (a cop) fired. Still, compared to the questions that surround McCain AND Obama, she's pure as the driven snow. Biden too is pretty 'clean' afaik.

This is going to be such an interesting race!

How do you feel about Harper possibly calling an election?

[crimsonquills.livejournal.com]

It's the kind of ticket that's going to be easy to sell in rural America, working class America, and religious America. All demos that Obama is weak in.

And demos that make up a huge portion of registered voters. I was chatting with my Dad about this and he was saying that was how Bush won his second term despite the unhappiness over the War on Terror, etc. It was a reminder that the people who are most vocal--whether they be left or right wing--don't always make up the majority.

Apparently the DailyKos is calling her dirty, for allegedly trying to get her ex-brother in-law (a cop) fired. Still, compared to the questions that surround McCain AND Obama, she's pure as the driven snow. Biden too is pretty 'clean' afaik.

There are questions surrounding McCain and Obama when it comes to ethical cleanliness? I haven't been following this really closely, just catching the big events.

And given the circumstances surrounding the possible ethical issue with Palin, I'm not sure that it won't gain her support. *wry* Apparently her sister was in some sort of child support/custody dispute with the ex-brother-in-law.

This is going to be such an interesting race!

Oh yeah. Once again, I'm going to glued to American election tallies. It's like an addiction, I swear. *g* At least I do the same thing with Canadian Federal elections.

How do you feel about Harper possibly calling an election?

Definite mixed feelings. Harper's been playing it so smart lately, I'm actually having a hard time disliking him as much as I usually do. He's right about Parliament not functioning anymore. Everything is locked up. I don't think an election will solve that, because I think we'll have another minority and the parties will be just as much at each other's throats as before. But what else are you going to do when your every attempt to govern is blocked?

My warmth towards Dion has definitely faded, too. He hasn't grown into his leadership role. He's coming across as reactionary, just opposing everything Harper does automatically, which irritates me because it makes me think Dion doesn't have a vision for which direction he wants to take the country, he just wants to be in power.

But I still don't trust the Conservatives to be centrist. Especially if they get a majority. Which I don't think they will.

At least if they call an election we can stop talking about it constantly, as we have been doing for something like two years now, and just do it. Of course, with another minority we'll doubtless have another election two years after that. *groans*

I actually envy the Americans for having an elections and a slate of candidates that have charisma and energy and the certainty of some sort of change in the status quo, no matter who gets elected.

[schmevil.livejournal.com]

I'm leaving work now (to work at my other job :s) so I'll comment quickly and then more fully later. *g* But I totally agree with you on Harper/Dion. Harper is really impressing me with his grasp of politicking. He's done a fantastic job of building up his party, and solidfying their power base, considering the rocky majority he was handed. Still, I continue to disagree with him on the most fundamental of issues, and I don't think he's enough of a politician that he'll go really centrist in order to pick up votes.

Dion has been such a disappointment. I still like him and would love to see him in a cabinet position, but he hasn't been an effective leader. There's still Rae and Kennedy waiting in the wings though, and they both have some potential. Ignatieff I loathe, because I've been forced into reading so much of his post-9/11 borderline neo-con, warmongering work, and because I've had the distinct displeasure of meeting him. Raging ego-maniac, beyond even Trudeau levels. ;)