Applesauce » McCain didn’t even know Palin before picking her

McCain didn’t even know Palin before picking her

August 30th, 2008 at 08:59am Pat Cunningham

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18 Comments Add your own

1. gowader | August 30th, 2008 at 11:39 am

Thats OK! No one knew Obama before he ran for President. And I doubt we ever will.
2. Menlo Bob | August 30th, 2008 at 11:44 am

And they’re working hard at Obama headquarters to ensure that we know less about their guy.
3. Pat Cunningham | August 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am

Gowader: Nineteen million voters seemed to know Obama well enough to make him the Democratic presidential nominee. That’s far more voters than McCain attracted during the Republican primaries. Moreover, Obama has a lead of 8 percentage points over McCain in the latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll. By the way, gowader, if you know McCain so well, tell me what he’s accomplished in his 26 years in the Senate. What are his legislative achievements? I keep asking that question of my McCainiac acquaintances, and all I get is stammering and mumbling and an occasional reference to the McCain-Feingold bill, part of which was voided by the Supreme Court. So what has the man achieved? Somebody should also put that question to him. He’d probably say that he has to check with his staff and that he’ll get back with an answer.
4. RickA | August 30th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

Pat - That proves she’s Washington outsider. That’s a good thing
5. Pat Cunningham | August 30th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

RickA: Your argument is lame. Ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of the political officeholders in America also are Washington outsiders. That doesn’t make them all qualified to serve as vice-president.
6. Disappointed Indy | August 30th, 2008 at 2:47 pm

Yeah, for the 72-yr old candidate who claims that he puts country first; it’s clear that he puts politics before country. He met his eventual pick only once before! We’ve seen this sort of seat of the pants, random decision making from Bush, and I was hoping for so much more from McCain (having voted for him over Bush in the 2000 primary season). He really could have sealed the deal with me with a serious choice (e.g. KBH would have been far superior if seeking a political edge via a gender balanced ticket). I’ll wait to see how the convention proceeds this week, but Obama may be right about the judgment vs experience argument.
7. RickA | August 30th, 2008 at 3:30 pm

Pat - She’s a governor and there are only fifty of them. Who said anything about all the political office holders Nice try though.
8. Pat Cunningham | August 30th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

RickA: OK. All the governors are Washington outsiders, too. That doesn’t make them all qualified to be vice president. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich would be a prime example. My point is that being a Washington outsider doesn’t make one good vice-presidential material. In Palin’s case, it means that she knows nothing about national security issues or foreign policy. She is the least qualified vice presidential nominee in modern times. My God, man, she’s been governor of a state with a tiny population for only 18 months, and before that she was mayor of Podunkville. She’s out of her league.
9. RickA | August 30th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

No its about change Pat. You haven’t been listening to Obama. Pain trumps him in that category hands down.
10. Pat Cunningham | August 30th, 2008 at 4:27 pm

Hey, Rick: Republicans are boasting that Palin has more executive experience than Obama. Tell me about McCain’s executive experience. I’ll be waiting.
11. gowader | August 30th, 2008 at 7:20 pm

I will give a brief rundown. McCain is proud of America, unlike Obama who is not. That is all of the acheivements I need.

McCain at least has military experience and would not hesitate to defend us if needed, Obama on the other hand will freely sell us out to to the highest bidder. (Just an opinion of course)
12. RickA | August 30th, 2008 at 7:50 pm

Pat wrote:
“Hey, Rick: Republicans are boasting that Palin has more executive experience than Obama. Tell me about McCain’s executive experience. I’ll be waiting.”

thanks gowader for bringing up McCains military leadeship experience. Another McCain ticket trump over Obama.

Since Pat was out of ammo, I will mention that it is so funny watching Obama, a candidate who has run on a change platform pick the quintesential Washington insider, Biden, and then says he’s rode the Amtack train home every evening(right) and implies he’s an outsider because of that. McCain’s pick trumpsObama’s again.
13. Disappointed Indy | August 30th, 2008 at 8:48 pm

Gowader, well, McCain’s certainly proud of the job that Bush has done, having voted with him something like 95% of the time. Bush, the guy who’s so proud of our country that he spent something like 900 days on vacation at Crawford while President - and didn’t let the drowning of a major American city distract himself from the well deserved time off. Bush, the guy who’s expanded the government and federal deficits like no president before. Yeah, that kind of pride really does the country good.

How about someone who’s actually worked his way up and lived the American dream? Don’t think that he loves this country every bit as you? Don’t you think that nearly every major candidate in both sets of primaries are proud of the country? At the same time, they’re all running because they think that they can improve it, make it better, seeking that more perfect union (be it through more effective foreign policy, a stronger military, a stronger economy relative to global competitors, or seeing that basic health care costs don’t spiral out of control). What’s American about giving up, about not trying to make things better? We’ve always been a country that values hard work (and actually humility before pride). The question is who will be more effective at protecting the country, our liberties and freedoms, etc … and if you think that’s McCain, fine. In 2000, I would have agreed with you about McCain, and this year I was on the fence waiting for the conventions, but his Palin choice has killed it for me. I’m questioning his judgment and really wondering if I trust McCain/Palin dealing with Putin and his current puppet vs Obama/Biden.
14. Pat Cunningham | August 30th, 2008 at 8:50 pm

Well said, Indy.
15. Kaus | August 30th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

To post 13 Indy….Bush doesn’t actually vote. He can veto….but I haven’t seen to many veto’s of Democratic bills that went to his desk. No democrat ever likes to mention what the 10 percent looks like…perhaps because it doesn’t fit the argument very well.
16. Disappointed Indy | August 30th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

Good point Kaus … McCain consistently supporting legislation that the Bush administration was in favor of would be more accurate, but I thought that this would be understood. My original interest in McCain stems from his maverick image, being beholden to no party, simply putting country first. However, he has not shown much independence from this last administration, which I view as less than competent. On one level, I rationalized that he needed to go along to secure his party’s base such that he would have a better outcome in the 2008 (vs 2000) primaries. The Palin choice is helping me get over this rationalization. Politics first, country second. Fine if it helps you win, but couldn’t there have been both a pick that helps the ticket and really truly puts the country in safe hands should the VP need to step in? Maybe you’re comfortable with that prospect, I’m not.
17. Leatherneck | August 31st, 2008 at 8:45 am

Some stories make light of this business that McCain did not really know Palin, but in fact he should have been the first one he called on. Don’t think she wasn’t! Here’s what happened- In March when he won the nomination, Sarah Palin was one of the first people who popped into my mind. I knew she would be good. She was my first choice and I had hoped she would be McCain’s. This was last spring. Then on one blog, somebody said Palin was 8 months pregnant (at that time) and so she probably wouldn’t want it. Then her name sort of drifted off the radar and into dark horse status.

What a great choice. The media is surprised, but I am not. It was almost like ESP. McCain read my mind.
18. Milton Waddams | August 31st, 2008 at 3:27 pm

Probably didn’t take very long… I apologize right now. It was just too easy