Friday, August 29, 2008

Surprise VP pick


John McCain this afternoon stunned Washington insiders by unexpectedly choosing a self-styled "soccer mom" to be his running mate in the November Presidential election. His selection came one day after the end of the Democratic Convention which nominated Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware as that party's team.

McCain's choice was totally unexpected, and completely passed over the more well-known political names in the Republican party. Sarah Palin is a 44 year old mother of 5. She is the first female in history to be a Republican Vice-Presidential candidate. Her politial record is almost as scant as Senator Obama's is on the Dem side. She is a grass-roots conservative.

Palin is the Governor of the State of Alaska. Her selection by McCain obviously changes the dynamic of the Presidential race, as polls are already showing moderate Democratic women (especially the former supporters of Hillary Clinton) now shifting their support to the Republican side, in support of the female candidate.

She will face closer than usual scrutiny: due to John McCains age, there is a much greater chance she would actually be called upon to become president. Senator McCain just turned 72.

She is the mother of five children. Her oldest son is in the U.S. Army and is scheduled to be deployed to Iraq later this year. She has 3 daughters. Her youngest child, a son, born just this past April, was born with Down's Syndrome.
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Photos:


Above: Gov. Palin's father holds photo of his daughter the beauty queen.
Above: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, shown with some of her children at Philadelphia Zoo in July.
Above: Governor Palin talks to troops in Nome Alaska.

Senator John McCain announces his Vice-Presidential running mate will be Alaska Governer Sarah Palin, Friday. She is the first female Republican Vice-Presidential candidate ever.

23 comments:

  1. I think she called herself a hockey mom.

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  2. Don't you love these political conversations?

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  3. Grumpus, wtf?

    I guess living in Alaska it would be hockey. Sorry. I have stolen so much lately I can't keep it straight. I thought you were on a ferry somewhere anyway. Something about a clock radio for your gran?? You have worn me out D. I surrender.

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  4. Now there's someone who's definitely not ready to lead. Old Man McCain keels over and a BA Broadcast Journalism is commander in chief? Who, before she was governor of Alaska, and, caters to big oil, was mayor of a small town of 9000?

    News update, this (yet another) thinly veiled rouse will not attract Hillary supporters (if they truly have their wits about them). This move only proves that McCain has pretty much thrown in the towel against such a juggernaut like Obama.

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  5. I have to totally disagree with Redbeard on this one; I think that Governor Palin is an excellent choice and maybe she's exactly the type of person we need to lead this country rather than some of stuffed suit who bows before his political party on all things. Not saying that Senator Obama is a stuffed suit mind you or old but still ...

    Here's the thing ... a lot of women don't like Hillary as she comes across as gruff and with an agenda. Governor Palin comes across as the type of woman that all we women would want to be friends with - and she doesn't look like she has an agenda either or like she's the one who wears the pants in the family despite the fact that she's governor.

    Major, major kudos to her for raising a family while being in charge of a state the size of Alaska and nothing for nothing but women who can hold a large family together while also holding a major job together MIGHT just do a good job of holding this country together provided anything happened to McCain.

    And just because the guy is 72 doesn't mean he has one foot in the grave yet. 72 is NOT that old anymore when you get right down to it.

    There, I am climbing off of my political soapbox now (where I normally hate to be anyway!). Whew!

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  6. From what I have seen she has done some good. I like her because she seems real. Bridge to nowhere no more!At least she doesn't come across as a dyke! Sorry, couldn't resist. :)

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  7. I am not sure if his choice is very clever or very dumb - anyway you look at it tho, he still has my vote. I'm gonna vote clever.

    (and I'm really biting my tongue over Redbeard's comments...... be proud of me....)

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  8. Oh and I totally agree with Etta!

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  9. Governor Palin is so god-damned smart she has a child in her 40s, and oh, it's got Down's Syndrome.

    What a huge surprise!

    Most intelligent women know that past 40, their chances of pushing out a retard are multiplied, but THIS mom was quite prepared to risk it and actually smile while holding the abortion candidate.

    My god, didn't they do an ultra-fucking-sound and figure out that it was gonna be born retarded?

    Sorry, but with modern medicine, Down's Syndrome kids really ought not to be born anymore. I tick the abortion option if the kid hasn't got all its faculties. Life is tough enough!

    I bet Hillary's supporters will be lining up to vote this fool in.

    Omifuckinggod, America is gonna be fucked for FOUR MORE YEARS!!!

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  10. The only thing I know of her, is she was born in Idaho. So I gotta give it to her for that, putting Idaho on the map and all. That's about it though.

    I hate politics. No one ever agrees.

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  11. They don't play hockey in Alaska, so far as I can ascertain. They do play Ice-Hockey, though, which is a very different game.

    Alaska....
    Bigger than Texas. Famous for... Um
    having more oil than Texas. Licensing oil extraction in national parks and areas of great natural beauty, Exxon Valdez... remember that?

    Well, I'm not blaming the Governor for that of course, Mind you, if she gets the job of VP, then someone else gets to govern Alaska.
    And another someone else gets to look after her kids...

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  12. Let's make this as simple and as easy to understand as possible for everyone:

    Palin gets in and the Condor becomes extinct, Alaska's natural beauty is wiped out for a couple of hundred millennia and everybody dies.

    There is only one logical choice here:
    vote for the black guy.

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  13. @Chica: Isn't Idaho a kind of potato?

    Just askin'...

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  14. Well, I wasn't going to make this comment, but I have about had it with your asinine political comments and smug know-it-all bullshit on what far-left loonies and foreigners think is the best course for the American people.

    1. This post was written as an informational news story because it has significant historical interest to both U.S. citizens and to their British ancestors. There was no intent on drawing political opinions or snide commentary on this woman. Who cares what you think about her personally? Who cares that you think your personal values are superior to hers? Just accept the post as the breaking news story as it was intended, and shove your individual prejudices up your smug asses. You want to voice your political views? - go to a fucking political website and have at it. Don't want you here.

    2. I want to remind everybody that BritishSpeak is a blog which was originally dedicated to the collection of words and phrases which differ between English as spoken by the British, and English as spoken by Americans. Later, this interest was expanded to all cultural differences between the two countries, not just languages.

    3. The naming of the first woman candidate for this high office in the history of her party is of newsworthy import to people living in both cultures. Therefore a post was made to announce that fact.

    4. I don't give a rat's ass who you think the next president of the U.S. should be one way or the other. I especially don't care about that opinion if you don't live in the U.S. Should you ever care to return to this blog, you will confine your remarks to the subject of the post and not to personalities or use it as a platform to propagate your own personal set of values, no matter how sure you are that your are right and the rest of the world is stupidly wrong because they hold a different set of values. And if you never come back here again, I can live with that too.

    5. Alaska is famous for many things, such as having the highest mountain in North America. It has fabulous natural resources, especially in the fishing industry. It also has great oil reserves, all of which are below the surface of the earth and not in black sticky pools in any gorgeous national park or wilderness area. Unless you don't drive a car or ride on a bus, shut the fuck up about oil.

    The Exxon Valdez oil spill was a global tradegy, just as were the many many many oil spills off the coasts of the UK and Europe. It was truly sad. The current governor of Alaska was 25 years old when that happened. If you don't blame her, then why do you make the connection to her at all? Because she hates big government? Because she doesn't believe in abortion? Why does that make you so smug?

    I personally hate all politicians of every stripe and every political party. None has ever done anything for me and none ever will. I don't vote for the lessor of two evils because you still end up with evil when you do that. And I DAMN sure don't vote for a candidate just because of what color his skin happens to be.

    In North America, we play hockey. In Alaska we play hockey. In Canada we play hockey. Field hockey is played by a few females in college settings, but not enough to confuse the two games in our hemisphere.

    Here we play football. We do not play American Football. Only a few Europeans play American Football.

    The duties of the Vice President are to sit around and be ready in case the president dies. She would not need to hire a baby sitter to do that. And, yes, the Lt. Gov. of Alaska would become Governor. Not an unusual event in my country.

    Finally, the statement "the only logical choice is to vote for the black guy" boggles my imagination. I don't even know how to respond to that. Why the FUCK would that be the only logical choice?

    You know I respect you, otherwise I wouldn't even bother with this comment. But with freedom of speech comes, in my humble opinion, the unspoken requirement of civility. This blog is not my satire blog. You may with impunity say anything at all there, and with whatever language you prefer to use. And I hope you do. On the other hand, BritishSpeak is a very different kind of blog. It is research for a good part of my livelihood.

    This blog is about friendship and learning about one another. At least that was my original intent. It was never meant for anyone to teach Americans how to speak their language, nor, conversely, to push some sort of American agenda on the rest of the world.

    Teach me about your culture. I want to come to know and understand it. But keep your snide and smug value-based commentary about politics and this woman to yourself. If this comment runs you all off, then so be it. I will start over from scratch.

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  15. Okay, Max, that seems to have somewhat struck a nerve.
    However, the hockey comment was meant in the spirit of the blog, as in the fact that in british-speak, hockey is a game played on grass.
    Ice Hockey was a spin-off from it, invented by Canadians.
    That's all.

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  16. @relax max: I think I will wait for you to edit your comments a few times more before I respond because right now you're sounding like an unlubed asshole getting badly raped.

    My condolences on your face.

    Otherwise, at other times, I usually enjoy your great sense of humour. Sorry that you lost it. Hope you find it again soon.

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  17. Max, you are my hero. Great way to make a stand.

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  18. standing and applauding you now max,

    BRAVO!

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  19. "You rock, Max! Can I have your baby?"

    lulz.

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  20. I can't believe how some people can stand up and say that because a kid is going to be "retarded" to abort it. I'm thinking the asshole that is that narrow minded is a walking abortion. Of course commenting to "vote for the black guy" kinda says it all.

    And Max - you are way more understanding than I. That's an admirable trait.

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  21. Based on what I have read here and what I have heard on NPR locally.

    I feel that Palin is not qualified, not experienced, and not morally sound. Yes, great for her she chose to have a baby in her 40s, great for her that she is going to take care of a handicap child for the rest of her life. I personally feel that even considering having a child that late in life is irresponsible.

    And as for "voting for the black guy" why does that make someone an abortion candidate....for crying out loud he's probably got more experience than Palin and is it so wrong for a black man to be president!

    I think you all should stop being so damn self righteous!

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  22. Self righteous. This coming from someone who says that having a kid in their 40's is irresponsible.... if ever I saw the pot calling the kettle black it is now.... quite LITTERally....

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