News & Politics - US Election Coverage 2008 - Part 8 - Rock the vote! - Page 6

ceilirose · 09-04-2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~*Nikki*~ (View Post)

I'm going to toss my comments into the ring here.

Going into this election I was dead set on not voting for Obama, I don't like the man and I'm still that way. I've never been one for the Republican party, but I have to say that even while still being a Clinton fan, I was thinking McCain wasn't a bad choice.

When McCain picked Palin as his running mate I figured it was mostly a choice to garner some attention considering we've had a popular race with a female all through the year.

I've done the research and Palin is okay with me. I like the fact that she seems like a normal person, she's had hardships and I appreciate that. Obama is upper class and snooty whereas I feel like Palin more or less can relate to the average American.

I hate that people are looking down on her for having an unmarried pregnant daughter. Even the best of mothers can have children make mistakes. My parents are wonderful people and raised three good kids, but my sister made a mistake and got pregnant, this doesn't mean our parents were unfit or less loving, children will be children and we don't always do what we're told. I have a beautiful neice and I wouldn't take anything back if given the choice. I hate that people are making this such a big deal when in today's world it's fairly an average incident.

I also must say that as a family member of someone with a mental hardship, I appreciated Sarah's comment about this. It meant alot.

Are you ok with Palin doing the following:

1. Leaving her hometown of Wasilla millions in debt after she began mayor with the town in a surplus?

2. Firing all the heads of the town's departments after taking office as mayor because she felt they weren't loyal to her?

3. Nearly being recalled in her first term as mayor and having to hire a city administrator to assist her in her job?

4. Wanting to burn books in the town library because she didn't like their content?

5. Saying she's a reformer but spending close to 25 million in lobbyist's fees and annual trips to Washingon DC to lobby for her town?

6. Saying she was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it?

7. Now that she's under investigation for abusing her power, she's stonewalling the special investigator about giving a deposition in the case. Also she's hired a lawyer to represent her and the state of Alaska is picking up the bill.

You know I could go on but I'm not buying her "I'm just a hockey mom" narrative either. Last night she said nothing about where she wants to lead the country. However I do know why her nickname is "Sarah Barracuda." It doesn't work for me but to each his own.

As far as her daughter is concerned I think most people have tried to leave her alone. Palin comes into question because she specifically said that her daughter made a choice in having the baby. That's fine but like I said before her daughter has a choice. Palin and McCain want to take that choice away from woman if they are elected. It's hypocritical.

Since I live in the city where Obama was raised and drive by the apartment where he lived - well let's just say I don't agree with the snooty label. But I know how labels stick and sometimes it's better to pick your battles.

Now the derisive cheers last night whenever " community organizers" was mentioned was very telling. My take is that that whole crowd was looking down on that occupation. Weird and telling. Maybe elitist?

Also I think we've seen where the country ends up when we just accept the normal person label ie the last 8 years with Bush. It's not doing it for me.

collide · 09-04-2008, 08:33 AM

How is Obama snotty? He is not the one with seven houses. He is not the one mocking people for being community organizers. And yet, you think he is elitist?

Like Jon Stewart said..........don't you want the president of the US to be smart and well-educated? Speaking of Jon Stewart....
obama_2008: Sarah Palin Gender Card

I love him.

Ruby_Slippers · 09-04-2008, 10:43 AM

He isn't elitist or snooty. Elitist is a code word for uppity. Let's be real.

I thought Palin's speech was effective and she did a great job. So time will tell if she was a good pick.

yonak · 09-04-2008, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanti70 (View Post)

I think the nomination of Sarah Palin was made because, after Obama's speech and the Democrat's convention, not one qualified male, or female, Republican wanted to run with McCain. Those Republicans did not want to be on a losing ticket where their political futures would be in jeopardy.

There's something to what you're saying. I thought something similar, that in naming Palin, the 'Pubs actually felt like they could lose this election. We've seen the polls telling us it's a close one, but obviously something's up when McCain makes a ploy to steal away Clinton votes (Pallin is probably the most center female they could find in politics). It seened desperate.

*Ledi* · 09-04-2008, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruby_Slippers (View Post)

He isn't elitist or snooty. Elitist is a code word for uppity. Let's be real.

I thought Palin's speech was effective and she did a great job. So time will tell if she was a good pick.

I don't really see how it was effective. Have they talked about any issues at all in the RNC yet? It's ridiculous.

Oh and, I cannot understand why a Clinton supporter would support Palin. That just blows my mind, as those two candidates couldn't be more different.

ceilirose · 09-04-2008, 02:17 PM

TheHill.com - Westmoreland calls Obama ‘uppity'

Well..someone did call Obama "uppity" today. Does anyone know this Congressman? Sounds like a real gem.

Quote:

Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.

Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.

"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.

Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Other Democrats have charged that the Republican campaign to paint the Illinois senator as an “elitist” is racially charged, and accused them of using code words for “uppity” without using the word itself.

In August, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) told reporters, “When I hear the word ‘elitist’ linked with Barack Obama, to me, that is a code word for 'uppity.' I find it extremely offensive and John McCain should know better.”

Political consultant David Gergen, who has worked in both Republican and Democratic White Houses, said on ABC’s "This Week" that “As a native of the south, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, 'The One,' that's code for, 'He's uppity, he ought to stay in his place.' Everybody gets that who is from a Southern background.”

The Obama campaign, asked about the quote, did not note any racial context.

“Sounds like Rep. Westmoreland should be careful throwing stones from his candidate's eight glass houses,” said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Campaigning against the first black major-party nominee has already created some problems for Republicans.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said that Obama's middle name – Hussein – is relevant to the public discourse surrounding his candidacy, saying in March that if Obama were elected, "Then the radical Islamists, the al Qaeda, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they will declare victory in this War on Terror."

At an April 12 event in his district, Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis (R) said of Obama: “I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button. He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”

Davis sent a letter of apology to Obama in which he described his remark as a “poor choice of words.”

Westmoreland originally supported former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination. He now supports McCain, but missed an August fundraiser for the nominee because he was vacationing with his family.

**Cristofle** · 09-04-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Oh and, I cannot understand why a Clinton supporter would support Palin. That just blows my mind, as those two candidates couldn't be more different.

This absolutely shocks me. They have literally NOTHING in common other than being women. Hillary's policies and politics, what she's spent her life campaigning, could NOT be more different from McCain/Palin. Hillary is pro-choice. She's fought for equal pay for women. She believes in universal health care. She's been pushing to get out of Iraq for something like five years now. McCain, on the other hand, has sworn to overturn Roe vs. Wade. Beyond that, he's also voted against a bill that would require insurance companies who cover drugs like Viagra to also cover birth control. He's voted against equal pay for women (who, as of now, receive 77 cents for every $1 a man makes in the American workplace). His health care plan is an elitist disaster. He has no intention of pulling out of Iraq even in the forseeable future- beyond that, he seems obsessed with "winning" and accused Obama of not being patriotic because of his stance on Iraq. And Palin has shown no difference to McCain's policies (other than once being a part of the Alaskan Independence Party which wanted to secede from the US, lol).

collide · 09-04-2008, 03:37 PM

John McCain voted against Joe Biden's Violence Against Woman Act. Biden should ask her about that in the debates....

Shanti70 · 09-04-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Obama is upper class and snooty whereas I feel like Palin more or less can relate to the average American.

Upper class? He was raised by a single mother and his maternal grandparents. If he is "upper class" it is because he earned it through hard work and determination.

I don't like Sarah Palin at all. She doesn't represent any women I know. For that matter she doesn't represent any person I know. I could never vote for someone who shoots wolves from a helicopter after nearly running them to death. Barbaric.

**Cristofle** · 09-04-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by collide (View Post)

John McCain voted against Joe Biden's Violence Against Woman Act. Biden should ask her about that in the debates....

That I did not know (re: McCain). I really admire Joe Biden. If one is interested in women's rights in this election, I think one should consider that Joe Biden has done more for women's rights than Sarah Palin ever has or even seems concerned with. His Violence Against Women act earned my respect for him for life.

COOLCAT200 · 09-04-2008, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristofle (View Post)

. She's been pushing to get out of Iraq for something like five years now.

That's not really true though. Around early 07 or late 06 when she decided to run for president is when she really fully turned on the war. But for the better part of it she was a supporter.

**Cristofle** · 09-04-2008, 04:47 PM

I found an idea of hers to put a time limit on Iraq from somewhere back in...I thought it was 04, but it could be 05.

collide · 09-04-2008, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristofle (View Post)

That I did not know (re: McCain). I really admire Joe Biden. If one is interested in women's rights in this election, I think one should consider that Joe Biden has done more for women's rights than Sarah Palin ever has or even seems concerned with. His Violence Against Women act earned my respect for him for life.

I don't see how Sarah Palin is for women's rights. She is not pro-choice, her runningmate opposes equal pay for equal work, etc.

Joe Biden really needs to ask her about that in the debates. I wonder what her response would be.

ceilirose · 09-04-2008, 04:57 PM

Palin isn't going to talk to reporters directly during the campaign. Is it a good move or a mistake? Smacks of elitism to me LOL.

Quote:

According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace -- in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough's show -- the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads.

No Questions, Please. We'll Tell You What You Need To Know. - Swampland - TIME

ETA - they just played a 9/11 video that was horribly political. This is for real - McCain will accept the nomination at 9:11pm central time.
He's completely lost it.

**vc318** · 09-04-2008, 06:39 PM

Quote:

I don't see how Sarah Palin is for women's rights. She is not pro-choice, her runningmate opposes equal pay for equal work, etc.

I agree. The woman is against abortion. She's basically telling you (women), your daughters, and your future granddaughters that they MAY NOT get an abortion FOR ANY REASON AT ALL! Whether you've been raped, are a victim of incest, or just simply made a mistake - you must have the child. Does this woman think she's God or something?! Palin is taking her own experience and throwing those feelings on an ENTIRE country. Is Palin going to help that poor girl take care of that child? Even for her pregnant daughter - it's not even a fair comparison. She has a loving mother and father and caring siblings to help her raise her child. In addition, her family is obviously VERY well off so either way that child isn't going to suffer. Palin isn't being realistic. She only represents a small part of the world - the wealthy. I still can't get over how you can tell a young girl who comes from a dysfunctional family (no father, was abused, or mother is a drug addict) that she should just go have a child? Women won't have ANY access to birth control, have ANY sort of sex education, and finally - no choice for abortion. I am against abortion but I don't think government or this lady has ANY right to tell people what they should do with their body. Not every woman has a well rounded family with full support to just get up and say, "Okay, I think I will have this child because it's going to be a real, sweet life." That's a joke. Oh, and top of that, her and McCain want to do away with Medicaid and welfare. Well, there you go. It won't be long before women are throwing themselves down a flight of stairs just to terminate the life in them. We're being taken back to the stone age if her and McCain get voted. And this is the plan of progress? Wow.

And Bill O' Reilly did a fabulous job of doing nothing but trying to back Obama into a corner with his meeting with him tonight. Sure glad that Obama didn't fall for it.