Who? Palin? Is that her family name?

"Ms. Palin then took the stage with her husband, Todd, who owns a commercial fishing business. They were accompanied by four of their five children; she said the eldest child, a son, is in the Army, and he is heading to Iraq on Sept. 11.

She described herself as “just your average hockey mom,” who joined the P.T.A., was elected to the City Council and then served as mayor and as governor, adding that she did not get into government to take the safe course.

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not why the ship is built,” Ms. Palin said, adding that she would “challenge the status quo to serve the common good.”

Ms. Palin praised the achievements of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost a long and bitter primary race against Senator Obama, saying that she had left “18 million cracks” in the highest glass ceiling in the land.

Then, making an explicit appeal to Ms. Clinton’s disappointed supporters, she said, “It turns out that the women in America aren’t finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling.”

Ms. Palin, a former mayor of the small town of Wasilla, an Anchorage suburb, and one-time beauty pageant queen, first rose to prominence as a whistle-blower uncovering ethical misconduct in state government. "  NY Times

--------------------------------------------------------------

Mrs. Smith goes to Washington?

Let's see - What else is there?  Oh, yes, evangelical Christian, handicapped infant child, probably only a couple of houses so far.

Well, hell.  At least she isn't pushing "peak oil."  How bad can it be?

Alexandria, Virginia is full of people just like her.  As driver for "she who must be obeyed," I go to meetings chock full of them.  There are always people there who are on the school board or who want to be on the school board, city council members, planning commission members...  You get the idea.  By and large, they nearly all secretly hope that one thing will lead to another and someday they will be standing in the sun somewhere telling a crowd that "women in America aren't finished yet" or some other inanity. 

This fantasy life is not so funny today.  It actually happened for this "hockey mom," married to a part Eskimo fishing boat captain.  Hell, we may see this man on "Deadliest Catch" next season.  That's a thought.  Is this guy going to have to give up fishing?  No way!

"Is this a great country or what?"  pl

PS  Jose points out that I left out all the "Natty Bumppo" stuff about moose hunting, NRA life membership, etc.  I never gutted anything bigger than a white tail deer.  A moose must be an "awesome" job.  pl

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html?hp

Comments

[Altoid]

In my part of the world people like her are apocalyptic home schoolers who sometimes try to take over school boards. We've had a number of them over the years.

This one strikes me as one of the newest breed of fundie/rightwing public women-- she doesn't overdo either the heavy makeup look ala Tammy Fay or the 19th-century Texas ranch look but rather fits right in with trendy suburbanites, is fond of talking up women's equality, and avoids the heavy-handed dog-whistle phrasing. Today, for example, it was the quick "servant's heart" reference, very subtle.

Personally, I think she's very dangerous. Plausible and mainstream on the surface, but autocratic and with quasi-stalinist tendencies under the surface, she wants her way, and her way includes the right to define words for her own personal use. Essentially I agree with robt willman on this.

Biden and Obama need to be very careful not to underestimate her. She is even more unprincipled than McCain in what she will say to win.

Just my impressions; ymmv.

[xerxes]

Here is the leader of the Free World once McCain's dementia becomes more than obvious...

http://www.henrymakow.com/palin2.jpg

FFS America go and vote Obama

[William R. Cumming]

The election will prove the wisdom or non-wisdom of the choice.

[The Dude Abides]

Col. Lang, I'm just wondering if Gov. Palin blew operational security in Dayton when she named her son's unit, deployment date, and country of deployment. I've never been in the military, but isn't this something that's not kosher? Excellent and informative blog, BTW.

[KT]

Of course the obvious reason she was picked was because...

FOX News Channel's Steve Doocy suggested that Governor Palin has foreign policy credentials because:

...she is right up there in Alaska right next door to Russia.

[eakens]

she was the only republican they could find without material amounts of skeleton in her closet

[Clifford Kiracofe]

<"the white men over 40".>

robt willmann,

Quite agree per NRA which I have belonged to and may rejoin if Democrats win -- even though I am voting Democrat, I don't trust them on this issue (Second Amendment).

My experience shooting at a local pistol range here in Virginia in a city, Roanoke, is that the "white men over 40" stereotype does not hold true at all. I think this applies across the United States.

Why? Regular shooters include many females of different ages and backgrounds, hispanics, african-americans, asian-americans as well as the "white males" (in my case well over 40.) In short, a cross section of America.

Concealed carry classes I have seen reflect the same mix specifically including many "housewives" and female "college students" not to mention "young marrieds" and "boyfriend/girlfriend" taking the class together.

I have seen many ladies shooting with skill in lanes near me using 9mm Glocks, 357 mags, and the like. The women new to the sport seem to me to be very determined to become proficient. And why not?

[pbrownlee]

Where ARE the beauty pageant pix? An eager world pants in anticipation.

As to "She-who-must-be-obeyed" -- Ayesha, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess of the lost city of Kôr -- I always took it to be Rumpole's little Rider Haggard joke from the same drawer as Wordsworth, Rousseau (I think) and, in the pilot episode, Prince Kropotkin.

"For a man, to look upon her face is to fall hopelessly & vainly into madness; for a woman, it is to dissolve into futile, jealous obsession. Sir Henry Rider Haggard's creation, the character She, more than fits the image of the Femme Fatale; She-who-must-be-obeyed shows the concept's evolution from the redemptive but sensual beauties of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood through the darkly sensuous & deadly, androgynous mysteries of the Decadents & beyond. We see her condemned, reshaped, resurrected, redeemed & damned as Victorians in general & Rider Haggard in particular wrestle with their visions of beauty, honor & truth in the wake of industrial & scientific revolutions which had changed the face of England & the character of her citizens forever."

http://www.violetbooks.com/haggard-ayesha.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_(novel)

[jonst]

Maureen,

I thought the same thing regards the photos. I wonder, as well, if there are other photos out there? If so, they are worth millions, today.

As to moose hunters and moose hunting. I live in Maine. I've been around moose. The word "hunting" has never entered my mind with regard to them. The word slaughter does however. My god...they will just stand there. They have no fear of man. The poor saps. All the moose jokes? They are lost on me.

The Palin pick seems perfect as a metaphor for what the nation is going through. Sit back and watch this farce play out.

[pbrownlee]

Where ARE the beauty pageant pix? An eager world pants in anticipation.

As to "She-who-must-be-obeyed" -- Ayesha, the Queen of Death, the White Goddess of the lost city of Kôr -- I always took it to be Rumpole's little Rider Haggard joke from the same drawer as Wordsworth, Rousseau (I think) and, in the pilot episode, Prince Kropotkin.

"For a man, to look upon her face is to fall hopelessly & vainly into madness; for a woman, it is to dissolve into futile, jealous obsession. Sir Henry Rider Haggard's creation, the character She, more than fits the image of the Femme Fatale; She-who-must-be-obeyed shows the concept's evolution from the redemptive but sensual beauties of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood through the darkly sensuous & deadly, androgynous mysteries of the Decadents & beyond. We see her condemned, reshaped, resurrected, redeemed & damned as Victorians in general & Rider Haggard in particular wrestle with their visions of beauty, honor & truth in the wake of industrial & scientific revolutions which had changed the face of England & the character of her citizens forever."

http://www.violetbooks.com/haggard-ayesha.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She_(novel)

[Richard Whitman]

Is this "appointment" proof of McCain's senility? Who can we expect for his Secretary of State-Pat Robertson?

[Farmer Don]

Part of Bush's problem with governing, is that he chose weak and like minded advisers.
McCain shows the first sign that he might do likewise.

[shepherd]

I've never shot a moose, but I've photographed them a few times. Outside of a house cat, I don't know of anything it's easier to get close to with a camera. And that only goes for my own house cat. Those of other people are considerably more skittish.

[Arun]

Grover Norquist and Newt Gingrich endorsed Sarah Palin for Vice President weeks ago.

July 31, 2008
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/31/mccain-veep-talk-turns-female-candidates/

Two excerpts:

With Mr. McCain not a favorite of social and fiscal conservatives, prominent leaders of the party's right flank say choosing a bona fide member of their class could re-energize the Republican base.

"Sarah Palin is a great choice," said Grover Norquist, a Republican activist best known for his economic conservatism.

"She's got it all, and is a remarkable leader who brings a number of good qualities to the table," said Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America.

While most insiders find that option unlikely, Newt Gingrich warns Mr. McCain not to pick "one more relatively boring normal mainstream Republican white guy."

"This fall, there's going to be a lot of energy surrounding the Obama campaign and we need to find ways to generate a substantial amount of energy around the McCain campaign, and an effective, dynamic different kind of vice-presidential nominee, I think, would make a difference," the former House speaker said.

Mrs. Palin is "a mother of five, is a genuine Alaskan, is a hunter, is a dog sledder, is very much for drilling for oil, has a great reform reputation, took on big oil on behalf of the people of Alaska," Mr. Gingrich said. "I think she would bring a level of excitement and uniqueness that people would have to stop and say, 'Boy, this is kind of intriguing.'"

[lina]

Now we get two more months of cries of sexism! every time someone criticizes her.

Thanks John.

[Sidney O. Smith III]

Governor Palin leaves Senator McCain Enraptured…

After watching McCain during his introduction of Gov. Palin as well as continuing to watch McCain during her acceptance speech, I have an observation I would like to share. Take it for what it is worth. But do not read the first part too literally or too seriously, except for the last paragraph.

McCain played with his wedding band (or what looks like his wedding band) the entire time. Just check out the video, if you don’t believe me. It’s a bit embarrassing for McCain, once people realize it.

Nervous tic or something more suggestive? We know he is happily married, so that leaves other suggestions, which I find relevant, as it may intimate an underlying political strategy, or dare I say, unconscious desire.

No doubt Gov. Palin is an accomplished woman of great integrity and sterling character (and, yes, attractive). And quite frankly, I agree with some of her political stances and would have voted for her as mayor or governor (actually she’s very attractive). So perhaps choosing her is a shrewd political move (confession…I always thought the Democratic Governess of Michigan is most definitely qualified…and wow).

And, while we are at it, I do have empathy for what Ms. Palin and her husband face in the next few months, particularly when dealing with the Andrea Mitchells and Chris Matthews of the world.

But on a political level, if I may, McCain’s choice of Ms. Palin actually represents a continuation of a different kind of marriage -- the political marriage of Likud (meaning Jabotinsky, not Buber) Zionists with Christian Rapturists.

As everyone knows, McCain is the front man for Norman Podhoretz and his Likud mission of spreading the gospel of Dimona throughout the Holy Land, starting with Iran. And, from what I can glean so far, Ms. Palin at one time attended the Pentecostal Wasilla Assembly of God (unverified). According to its website, its members, sure enough, are Rapturists. Here is part of its mission:

“WE BELIEVE...in The Blessed Hope. When Jesus Raptures His Church Prior to His Return to Earth (the second coming).”

Assuming that Gov. Palin is a Rapturist, McCain’s decision merely replicates the ideological marriage between Norman Podhoretz and John Hagee. So somewhat surprisingly, McCain’s choice for VP is all about our foreign policy in the Middle East. It seals the deal, even more so than if McCain had chosen Lieberman (Joe or Avigdor, no difference). Certainly Hagee, Dobson and his crowd will say that this Republican ticket is a match made in heaven. And no doubt this decision by McCain leaves Podhoretz and his chorus singing in a joyous rapture, “Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran”.

Don’t believe me? Check out this 30 second McCain ad.

http://tinyurl.com/67xnfr

[jon]

FAscinating choice. Personally, I was hoping that McCain would have chosen Alan Keyes. But not all dreams can be realized.

Paling is the highest ranking elected public official in Alaska, not currently under indictment, so that's a plus. Also Biden can't beat her mercilessly in the VP debate, as he would have Romney or Lieberman.

Perhaps most importantly, this is an offering to the christianists and evangelicals, who had been promising to sit on their hands. McCain can't win without their votes. This might be his big chance. I hope, for the nation, that she is better than her resume.

[Patrick Lang]

All

One of you posted a URL for a photoshopped picture of the gov. as floozy. I put it up as a joke. Just wanted you all to know...

In re moose as a game animal. Ridiculous. Maureen and I lived in Maine with our parents in the fifties. We lived out in the woods on the Kennebunk plain. Game everywhere. Moose were a problem on the roads because the damned things were not afraid of people or motor vehicles and would not get off the road to make way. If you hit one, the damage to your vehicle would be serious. This is a very large animal. pl

[Cold War Zoomie]

Richard is wondering about appointments.

Here's a leaked photo of McCain's intended cabinet and deputy secretaries!

On a more serious note, there is absolutely no way her political experience is deep enough to get her through the next 60 days of a presidential campaign without a ton of handlers. From a purely "operational" sense, she's a campaign liability rather than an asset. Can you imagine what his campaign staff are thinking today?

Maybe McCain is hoping the Dems won't have it in them to relentlessly attack a hockey mom and beauty queen.

We'll see.

[J]

Colonel,

it appears that the israeli govt. types are all in an uproar that mccain didn't pick their darling sen. lieberman as his vprez pick. they apparently were counting on lieberman being one heartbeat away from the presidency so when mccain's failing health, lieberman could have slid into the top spot as their israeli-first'er prez.

mccain's choice and the georgian debacle really screwing up their planned attacks against iran from georgian territory which thanks to putin ain't happening, they really have their shorts in a knot.

[Maureen Lang]

Re: Palin beauty pageant pix- there are a couple in the slideshow accompanying this HuffPo article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin-former-beauty_n_122400.html

Patience, folks, I'm sure there are plenty of other photos of Gov. Palin's efforts on the pageant runway...

My memories are similar to Pat's of living in the Maine woods. Deer & assorted varmints were considered game & enthusiastically hunted- I've fond memories of my brother & various uncles heading down our long driveway for a day of bagging a few. Hunting moose? Would be like hunting potted plants, & about as slow to get one off the road (hazardous @ night in particular).

Just a last thought on Gov. Palin- I'm betting Hillary Clinton will be quite visible in the Dems' response to the choice.
Was just reading how the charming Sarah referred to HRC as "a whiner" last March.
Ahem:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/156190/output/print

[J]

Colonel,

moose-burgers are still the cat's meow. ummm lip smackin good eats. :)

[Maureen Lang]

Moose probably is very tender, J, & good for making a burger. All that standing around, just as w/beef cattle, might account for moose meat tenderness...

[Cold War Zoomie]

Moose were a problem on the roads because the damned things were not afraid of people or motor vehicles and would not get off the road to make way.

Some "hunters" I grew up with down South would have loved to have moose around... No need to buy a spotlight for the pickem-up truck.

[Maureen Lang]

Last comment on moose, & the hunting thereof-

"...But when the birchbark-call
Is shaken with the sound that hunters make
The moose comes plunging through the forest-wall
Although the rifle waits beside the lake."

Stephen Vincent Benet got it just about right.