Palin’s Turn to Apologise
A few weeks ago I was decrying the smear attacks launched by the left against Sarah Palin by the likes of Dailykos. I felt that they were unwarranted, unfair and a degradation of political culture. I argued that it was precisely the sort of behaviour that gives politics a bad name, and commended the candidates at least for staying above the mindless sectarianism, sticking to the issues at hand. In the process I suggested that Dailykos should apologise for its part in continuing the disreputable trend that ultimately damages public life as a whole.
It is therefore with a certain degree of dismay that I discovered that Governor Palin herself has now made a gutter attack on Barack Obama. She accuses him of being supported by a domestic terrorist because he once made the acquaintance of Bill Ayers, the founder of the notorious Weathermen terrorist group. She did this on the flimsiest of evidence.
When the West is on the edge of its seat looking for leadership over a financial crisis, the best she can offer is a personal attack. The continuation of the facile meme that anyone who does not sign up to the GOP line on foreign policy is a terrorist sympathiser has reached its final, and ultimately absurd, conclusion. “Below the belt” does not even begin to decribe it: this was a calculated, vicious attack that has no place in civilised political discussion. It is totally unbecoming of a serious politician. This is the sort of politics that both campaigns were supposed to offer a change from.
It would be utterly inconsistent and textbook partisan of me to decry the smears of one side while simultaneously ignoring or justifying those of the other, and I have no intention of doing so: Palin must apologise. If the McCain campaign want to restore integrity to Washington they could start by getting their own house in order. It’s not even fair comment. It went beyond the usual levels of personal attck into something much more sinister and revolting. McCain of all people ought to know better, particularly given the Manchurian Candidate line of attack spun by Bush against him eight years ago.
I am not an Obama supporter, but after this incident I don’t think I can continue to back the McCain-Palin ticket in good conscience. Unless they apologise for this loathsome stunt, I am going to climb back onto the fence. What a let-down.
Sphere: Related ContentSarah Palin’s Acceptance Speech
She pulled it off. The video’s split into five parts, so use the annotations at the end to move to the next one. The speech proper starts about two minutes in.
Sphere: Related ContentGuest Post: The Smearing of Palin is Politics at its Worst
by Edgard Portela
As I predicted a few days ago, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska is John McCain’s Vice-Presidential running mate. I could not be any more ecstatic and proud of my party - we are tearing away the misconceptions and stereotypes perpetrated by the left and making history all on our own. The American people now have a choice between two historic tickets - picking the first woman Vice-President and picking the first Black President. It’s an exciting time.
Not only that - but Sarah Palin has, in my opinion, more experience than Obama. –What people forget is that being a legislator is immensely different to being a Governor. Has Obama ever been Commander of a state’s National Guard? Sarah Palin is. Has Obama had to work with a legislature to balance the budget TWICE and do it without raising taxes? Sarah Palin has. Who has actively fought corruption within their state party? Taken on oil companies? Once again, Sarah Palin has. In two years, Sarah Palin has easily gained more executive experience than Obama or Biden could even dream of having. Incidentally, Sarah Palin has the same level of experience as Governor Tim Kaine, who nobody was criticisingas inadequately prepared. Of course she still has room for more, but two years as Governor, with actual palpable achievements stand sharply in contrast with Obama’s lack of legislative accomplishments.
The left knows that Sarah Palin is a strong candidate, capable of challenging the whole “change” theme that Obama has been promoting for a while, and offers a stark contrast to his and Senator Biden’s “charisma”…which usually leads to him putting his foot in his mouth.
Since Friday’s announcement, the left has wasted no time throwing about mud in the hope that some of it sticks. For example:
- Daily Kos speculates that Palin’s baby with Down’s Syndrome is actual the child of her eldest daughter and Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover it up. (They’ve been watching too many Desperate Housewives episodes.)
- Wired Magazine claims that Palin wants creationism taught in schools.
- Florida Democrat Robert Wexler accuses Palin of being a Nazi sympathizer.
- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says Palin is a worse VP pick than Dan Quayle (If he truly believed that, you’d think he’d be happier).
And that’s just for starters.
This is ridiculous. It’s horrendously disappointing to see the left resorting to this kind of politics. They are throwing out their so-called commitment to women by throwing petty lies and false claims at a woman who actually as a chance to become America’s Vice-President. (Come on. Ferraro had no chance. No one could have beat Reagan in ‘84.) If they could provide substantiated criticisms, that would be another story.
Not only is the left displaying their hypocrisy, they are showing how desperate they are to win this election. Sad, isn’t it?
Edgard Portela is a student from Michigan and has been a volunteer on the McCain campaign since mid-2007.
Sphere: Related ContentInexperienced? Come off It.
The accusation that the governor of the largest state in the USA is “inexperienced” compared to the three legislators comprising the rest of the candidacy is somewhat galling. Rather than providing a detailed rebuttal myself I instead present a comparison of Sarah Palin to Barack Obama courtesy of Red State. I have removed some of the irrelevant fields in the table.
Sarah Palin
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Barack Obama
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| Office being sought | Vice President | President of the United States and Leader of the Free World |
| Age | 44 | 48 |
| Children | 5: two sons, three daughters | 2: two daughters |
| Current Job | Governor of Alaska | Junior Senator from Illinois |
| Previous Public Jobs | Mayor of Wasilla, AK (1996-2002); President of Alaska Conference of Mayors;
City Council member (1992-1996) |
State Senator (1997-2004);
Community Organizer |
| Executive Experience | Governor for 2 years;
Mayor for 10 years |
None |
| Foreign Relations experience | Governor of state that borders two foreign countries (Canada and Russia) | Chaired Senate subcommittee on Europe but never called it into session;
once gave a speech to 200,000 screaming Germans |
| Military Affairs experience | Commander in Chief of Alaska National Guard;
Son is enlisted Infantryman in U.S. Army |
None |
| Private Sector Experience | Sports reporter;
Salmon fisherman |
Associate at civil rights law firm |
| Speaking ability | Beautifully executed initial stump speech in Dayton, OH hockey arena without a teleprompter | An enter…wait–did you say without a teleprompter?? |
| Spouse’s name | Todd Mitchell Palin | Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama |
| Spouse’s occupation | Salmon fisherman;
Former North Slope production supervisor for BP Oil |
Vice President for Community and External Affairs at University of Chicago Hospitals;
former Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago; former Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies; former Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago; former associate at Sidley Austin law firm |
| Reaction to spouse’s political success | Quit 17-year BP oil job when BP became involved in natural gas pipeline negotiations with wife’s administration | Promoted and given 160% pay raise by UofC hospitals within months of husband’s election to U.S. Senate;
Employer received $1,000,000.00 federal earmark, requested by husband, after her promotion |
| Coolest thing about Spouse | Tesoro Iron Dog Snowmobile race champion (longest snowmobile race in the world);
In 2008, while defending his championship, was injured when he was thrown 70 feet from his machine. He was sent to the hospital but still finished in fourth place |
Sister of Oregon State University head basketball coach Craig Robinson |
| Most Courageous Moment in Public Service | Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman (who was also an Oil & Gas Commissioner), who was doing work for the party on public time and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail. | Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002 |
| In Current Office Because… | Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment | Republican opponent, who was leading in the polls, was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal |
| Theme: | Change and Clean Government | Hope and Change;
“Bringing Change from Outside Washington” |
| What they’ve done to live that theme: | Replaced entire Board of Agriculture and Conservation because of conflict of interest;
Resigned from position of Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose corruption among members of own party |
Selected 36-year incumbent Senator as running mate |
| Family Affairs | May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner as part of effort to protect sister in messy divorce and child custody battle | Often says, “I am my brother’s keeper”;
Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year |
| Union affiliation | Union member, married to Union member | Endorsed by a union |
| Iraq and Troop Support | Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq;
Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany; visited AK National Guard soldiers deployed to Kuwait; Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman |
Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators;
almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead |
| Bipartisan/”maverick” credentials | Married to a non-Republican;
Exposed corruption within own party; Campaigned for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell against corrupt GOP congressman Don Young; Called out Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK) to “come clean” about financial dealings that are under fed investigation |
Talks about bipartisanship |
| Legislative Record | Passed a landmark ethics reform bill;
Used veto to cut budgetary spending; Prevented “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars. |
Voted “present” over 100 times as IL state senator |
| How they dealt with corrupt individuals in home city/state | Exposed legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders;
Campaigned against corrupt GOP Representative; Ran against and defeated corrupt incumbent governor in GOP primary |
Launched political career in home of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (and still refers to him as a part of “mainstream Democratic Chicago”;
Purchased home with help of convicted felon Tony Rezko |
| Earmarks | Opposed “Bridge to Nowhere” project;
Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects; Campaigned against porker Don Young (R-AK) in 2008 primary |
Secured federal earmarks for wife’s employer and for campaign bundlers |
| Abortion | Pro life;
gave birth to 5th child knowing that he would have Down’s syndrome |
Pro-choice;
only IL state sen. to speak against the Born Alive Infant’s Protection Act, which required medical care to be given to live infants who survived abortions |
| Energy | Believes energy independence is a matter of national security;
For drilling in ANWR, which is in her state |
Says Americans should “get tune-ups” and “check tire pressure”;
Says “we can’t expect the world to be okay with” our use of heating and air conditioning |
| Environment | Chair of Alaska Conservation Commission (2003-4);
Announced plans to create sub-cabinet group of advisors to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in AK |
Talks about the environment a lot |
Hat-tip: Iain Dale
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