Obama or McCain

[Aleta]

What does her daughter being pregnant and deciding to keep her baby and marry the father have to do with Sarah Palin? How does that not make her qualified to run for Vice President?

The news said this morning that McCain knew about the situation. I can't believe that this situation is becoming such a big deal.

[zooracer]

What does her daughter being pregnant and deciding to keep her baby and marry the father have to do with Sarah Palin? How does that not make her qualified to run for Vice President?

The news said this morning that McCain knew about the situation. I can't believe that this situation is becoming such a big deal.

I am also very confused, it appears though that Palin has made her mark.

I imagine that if the opposition is extremely frustrated by your action, that you probably did the right thing

[zooracer]

What foreign policy experience does she have? She doesn't even know probably where all the Middle East Countries are and whose running them.

Second, McCain didn't vet her properly. If her daughter is 4-5 months pregnant and he vettted her May/June, she might not have known yet for sure her daughter was pregnant. Or is it wrong to assume a teenager only 4-8 weeks pregnant or earlier would know?

McCain might have made a fatal flaw.

Plus now there are emails about her firing her BIL? Using her power unethically? That he did know about, but ignored it.

There is a saying...better to deal with the devil you know (Romney, Huckabee, Lieberman) than the devil you don't (Palin). I think he should have vetted better or used someone already vetted.

I'm not sure about her foreign policy or if she knows where the countries in the middle east are...

Though, you can probably do some research and find out the answer.

[zooracer]

It's hard not to see the issue:

• McCain is 72 and has had serious health issues.
• Clinton was nominated/elected by the public; Palin was chosen by one person.
• McCain has repeatedly made statements regarding what a dangerous world we live in and how the VP needs to be ready to take command on day one. Palin has zero national or international experience - two years ago she was the mayor of a town of 7000 people.

Even if you do want to compare Clinton to Palin, there are stark differences. Palin has been governor for 18 months. When Clinton was elected President, he had been involved in national politics for 20 years. He'd been governor for 14 years.

In the end, VP picks make very little/no difference anyway, so it's probably a moot point. But I noticed on intrade.com this morning that they have a new category: likelihood that Palin will be withdrawn as the VP choice.

In all my years, I honestly do not remember everyone talking so much about a candidate dying once in office as much we are getting here with McCain

We have had VP's take over office due to the death of a president...although it is quite rare...and if history tells us anything, I think that somehow we will survive...

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I think Sarah Palin's daughter just shot her mother in the foot for ther Abstinence Only Program. That obviously "good" family values are not true in her family.

And I have to raise the question, what would the religious right say if this were a 17 year old, poor black girl, who is choosing to get married and have her child? Would she get the same support from the religious right or would they say she's going on welfare and shouldn't?

It's the fact that in 1994 the Republican Party ran as the Moral Party. Taking back the moral fabric of our country. Yet here is another candidate who isn't living their "moral values" they've spend 15 years preaching to us.

Palin doesn't have foreign ideals because she probably hasn't kept up to date with US foreign policy as much as she should have. Actually there have been reports that she's not very familiar with the Middle East. For someone running on a ticket and she's not up to date? Across The Pond | DW-WORLD

Interesting.

[zooracer]

It's hard not to see the issue:

• McCain is 72 and has had serious health issues.
• Clinton was nominated/elected by the public; Palin was chosen by one person.
• McCain has repeatedly made statements regarding what a dangerous world we live in and how the VP needs to be ready to take command on day one. Palin has zero national or international experience - two years ago she was the mayor of a town of 7000 people.

Even if you do want to compare Clinton to Palin, there are stark differences. Palin has been governor for 18 months. When Clinton was elected President, he had been involved in national politics for 20 years. He'd been governor for 14 years.

In the end, VP picks make very little/no difference anyway, so it's probably a moot point. But I noticed on intrade.com this morning that they have a new category: likelihood that Palin will be withdrawn as the VP choice.

I didnt realize clinton was governor for 14yrs...that is a long time

[kork13]

We have had VP's take over office due to the death of a president...although it is quite rare...and if history tells us anything, I think that somehow we will survive...

Just out of ignorance.... what happens at that point? The VP becomes the Prez, but does someone else step forward/selected as the new VP?

[kimiko]

From FactCheck.org


Q: If a vice president assumes the presidency, who becomes vice president?

A: The new president appoints someone to fill his or her old position, subject to congressional approval.

[Aleta]

Palin's daughter is not running for Vice President. The moral standard is toward Sarah Palin's personal morals. As a parent, you can teach your children the morals that you believe in, but it's up to them to follow. I would say that if the daughter chose abortion and not getting married that we would be looking at a whole different story here. The fact that the girl is going to keep her baby and marry shows that she has respect for the life of the baby which is what her own mother believes.

Since when did a woman getting pregnant become such a hot issue for a candidate? I think that much could be said about the men running for the office of president. What about their OWN bad habits and morals. I don't want to say any particular names but I think there are a lot of stones to be thrown here and the one without any baggage should throw his first stone at Sarah Palin and her family.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I think it more has to do with walking the walk. She preached abstinence and still does, yet it didn't even work in her "good moral family" household. Yet she adheres to the abstinence only policy. Planned Parenthood says this is an opportunity to open discourse on teen sexuality in this country. Something we hide from.

Second, her decision making as a mother shows poor judgement. She jumped on a plane after her water breaking to try and give birth in Alaska. I question her judgement. And her teen daughter is pregnant and unwed? I question her judgement. I don't question the pregnancy itself but Palin's decision making?

And I question John McCain's judgement in picking a woman so unstable. So lacking in judgement to be a VP. How can he be sure she's ready to step into a Commander in Chief role if he doubts Obama?

When interviewed yesterday Tucker Bound of McCain's camp could not give an example of Palin's decision making abilitys regarding national security or foreign policy. Instead he tried to attack Obama.

Obama has admitted a lack of experience. But he's running on a platform of change. That he's going to change the US.

I was listening to McCain when he said Obama was inexperienced. But he seriously made me doubt his judgement and question his senility with his VP choice.

Also McCain is a "maverick". He says he's in charge. Well if he's in charge and he wanted Lieberman as his running mate what happened? Where are his ethics and morals and standing by what he believes in?

Even other republicans won't come out and say Palin is the "best" choice. When interviewing some republican congressmen and questioned regarding Kay Baily Hutchinson and Susan Bailey they avoided the question. Meaning there were other choices people thought were better suited...

[PauletteGoddard]

I would soonest vote for or financially support through campaign donations the candidate who is most in touch with reality and recognizes the need to shift spending to investment in energy independence, to rebuild the country's global status and stature (i.e. make amends for frittered goodwill) and to stave off complete economic collapse.

The next four years are going to be hard no matter who gets in, and I'd feel better if the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania had some reality-based solutions that don't involve authoritarianism nor bankrupting the nation.

[zooracer]

I think it more has to do with walking the walk. She preached abstinence and still does, yet it didn't even work in her "good moral family" household. Yet she adheres to the abstinence only policy. Planned Parenthood says this is an opportunity to open discourse on teen sexuality in this country. Something we hide from.

Second, her decision making as a mother shows poor judgement. She jumped on a plane after her water breaking to try and give birth in Alaska. I question her judgement. And her teen daughter is pregnant and unwed? I question her judgement. I don't question the pregnancy itself but Palin's decision making?

And I question John McCain's judgement in picking a woman so unstable. So lacking in judgement to be a VP. How can he be sure she's ready to step into a Commander in Chief role if he doubts Obama?

When interviewed yesterday Tucker Bound of McCain's camp could not give an example of Palin's decision making abilitys regarding national security or foreign policy. Instead he tried to attack Obama.

Obama has admitted a lack of experience. But he's running on a platform of change. That he's going to change the US.

I was listening to McCain when he said Obama was inexperienced. But he seriously made me doubt his judgement and question his senility with his VP choice.

Also McCain is a "maverick". He says he's in charge. Well if he's in charge and he wanted Lieberman as his running mate what happened? Where are his ethics and morals and standing by what he believes in?

Even other republicans won't come out and say Palin is the "best" choice. When interviewing some republican congressmen and questioned regarding Kay Baily Hutchinson and Susan Bailey they avoided the question. Meaning there were other choices people thought were better suited...

I'm sorry, but I have to ask you something...

Your obviously a devoted democrat, and would only vote for Obama...which I can certainly respect.

But, from the number and implied passion of your posts on Palin...I have to wonder, why do you care so much?

Why is it such an issue that the opposing side/party picked a VP that you do not approve of?

I mean, if this was such a BAD decision on the part of the Republicans...shouldnt you be....happy?

[jIM_Ohio]

I tend to lean towards republican and broad tax cuts- the washington post article is good, but in general I have heard Democrats have done some tax increases which affected too many people in the past.

Jimmy Carter was the last Democrat my late grandfather ever voted for and he said he did that once and NEVER again.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

If you read my posts McCain is one heartbeat away from death. 4x he's had cancer. What happens if it reoccurs and he's incapacitated? His VP pick is essential.

I didn't vote for Obama, I voted Hillary. Obama is too moderate for me :P

So I wasn't keen on Obama to begin with. I felt him too young and honestly somewhat shady.

Like I said I was listening to McCain about his "inexperience" comments. I felt he was more experienced than Obama, especially with Obama not making firm statements about what he beleived in and wanted to do.

I would likely have been more swayed to McCain if he had picked someone like Lieberman or Romney. Something that showed his backbone in bucking his party.

That independence, which attracted independent voters, and Obama's inexperience would have done it for me. But instead he panders to the conservative base and in doing so I think made it impossible to even consider voting for him.

Now it's keeping McCain out rather than really supporting Obama. Before it was keeping Obama out.

[kork13]

If you read my posts McCain is one heartbeat away from death. 4x he's had cancer. What happens if it reoccurs and he's incapacitated?

As I mentioned once before, it's been a melanoma (skin cancer) 4 of 4 times he's had bouts of cancer. One is not 'incapacitated' while being treated for melanomas. It's removed, and you receive some preventative chemo. He's got doctors watching him so closely that if anything even began to arise, it would be dealt with immediately. The only reason melanomas have a 35% death rate is because most people ignore it for so long that it metasticises to other critical organs. Otherwise, melanomas are VERY easy to control. So again, the "he's had cancer 4 times" argument holds almost no water with me.

I didn't vote for Obama, I voted Hillary. Obama is too moderate for me :P

Now that's just hilarious... hahahaha



Mostly unrelated, but i've realized something recently... all of this heated debate and campaigning is directed at a minority of the American population. Most people (i dunno a stat... i'd guess maybe 75% of people) are mostly pretty dedicated/loyal/decided on a certain party and/or candidate (so ~35% for each major party). All of the arguing, bickering, and mud-slinging is aimed solely at convincing the remaining 25% of the nation to back one candidate or another. So, for example, most of us are probably already decided (and probably have been for a while) on who we're voting for. This string, therefore, is just more mud-slinging to convince the elusive 25%.

i know.... truly an epiphany.... please excuse my minor political commentary and philosophicationalizing.