Palin on Obama -- from The New Yorker

This is fascinating, and what I remember, as well. I guess the RNC (Karl Rove?) who is "schooling" Sarah on what to say and not to say, are busy making sure that she doesn't slip up and speak her true feelings during the coming campaign.



http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/08/080908ta_talk_gourevitch?yrail<br />

Palin on Obama
by Philip Gourevitch
September 8, 2008 Text Size:

Before she was running against him, Sarah Palin—the governor of Alaska and now the Republican candidate for Vice-President of the United States—thought it was pretty neat that Barack Obama was edging ahead of John McCain in her usually solidly red state. After all, she said, Obama’s campaign was using the same sort of language that she had in her gubernatorial race. “The theme of our campaign was ‘new energy,’ ” she said recently. “It was no more status quo, no more politics as usual, it was all about change. So then to see that Obama—literally, part of his campaign uses those themes, even, new energy, change, all that, I think, O.K., well, we were a little bit ahead on that.” She also noted, “Something’s kind of changing here in Alaska, too, for being such a red state on the Presidential level. Obama’s doing just fine in polls up here, which is kind of wigging people out, because they’re saying, ‘This hasn’t happened for decades that in polls the D’ ”—the Democratic candidate—“ ‘is doing just fine.’ To me, that’s indicative, too. It’s the no-more-status-quo, it’s change.”

This was two weeks ago, at the statehouse in Juneau. After persistent reports, in July, that Palin was on McCain’s short list of potential running mates, her name had faded back into obscurity. Nobody in Alaska seemed to take her seriously as a national prospect, and she had shrugged the whole thing off on television, telling CNBC’s Larry Kudlow that, before considering the job, she would want to know “what is it, exactly, that the V.P. does every day.” Now, at the statehouse, she sat, unattended by aides, curled up in a cardigan, and explained that what she had done every day since becoming governor was to stick her thumb in the eye of Alaska’s Republican Party establishment. “The G.O.P. leader of the state—we haven’t spoken since I got elected,” she said.

She went on, “I guess if you take the individual issues, two that I believe would be benchmarks showing whether you’re a hard-core Republican conservative or not, would be: I’m a lifetime member of the N.R.A.—but this is Alaska, who isn’t?—and I am pro-life, absolutely.” She continued, “I guess that puts me in a box of being hard-core Republican.” But she said she recognized that “the Democrats also preach individual freedoms and individual rights, capitalism, free market, let-it-do-its-thing-best, let people keep as much of their money that they earn as possible. And when it comes to, like, the Party machine, no one will accuse me of being partisan.”

So the possibility that Obama might win Alaska did not worry Palin: “Turning maybe purple in the state means, to me, it’s more independent, it’s not the obsessive partisanship that gets in the way of doing what’s right for this state, and I think on a national level that’s what we’re gonna see.” And she added, “That’s why McCain is the candidate for the G.O.P.—because he’s been known as the maverick, as the conduit for some change.” In the state’s Republican caucus, McCain came in fourth, trailing Ron Paul. “I always looked at Senator McCain just as a Joe Blow public member, looking from the outside in,” she said. “He’s been buttin’ heads with Republicans for years, and that’s a healthy place to be.” Then again, on McCain’s signature issue—the prosecution of the war in Iraq—she did not sound so gung-ho. Her son is a soldier, and she said, “I’m a mom, and my son is going to get deployed in September, and we better have a real clear plan for this war. And it better not have to do with oil and dependence on foreign energy.” ♦

Interesting stuff! I'm curious to see if she changes or sticks to what shes been saying...

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

I don't think anyone here is in the Palin fan club. If anything, this shows that she is willing to forego her principles for the sake of ambition, which I think is as disgusting as if she really were the "pitbull" that they've concocted.

is they're making damn sure she'll stay on script. The reason she's enjoyed the popularity she has here is because she's worked cooperatively with the Democratic minority in our legislature -- well, actually our "majority" in the legislature is a coalition of Democrats and Republicans, the minority is the old-line Republicans -- but, anyway, she has been bipartisan and she has really pissed off many of the "old-school" Republicans. That's why I was so very shocked at her convention speech with all the partisan attacks. I'm really disappointed in her for caving in to the Rovian tactics.

She certainly has her issues, and there have been a lot of things I've disagreed with her on here -- most especially her environmental outlook (she's kept her religious fundiness pretty much in check publicly) -- but she hasn't been this partisan attack dog that they've turned her into. I think it's very unattractive and will turn a lot of voters off in the end.

Perhaps we would have had more to worry about if they had put the real Sarah front and center.

Piece after piece of my research pointed to her having developed a more indy point of view as her career developed, as opposed to being a hard partyliner. Makes me really curious about what's going on behind the scenes with the Reps. It's a LOT of ground for them to give up.

I don't see anything particluarly fundie about her. Non-denominational church, the way she dresses etc.

I think they just plugged her into their usual Veep attack mode script for the convention. I understand why the community organizer vs mayor comment was made - it was a response to O's earlier slam, but the rest was pretty standard rep "hit em hard" talk.

so she is pretty fundie, especially her extreme pro-life position, but she hasn't made those issues a priority as governor thankfully. I think she knew she could never get that stuff through the legislature. We're all pretty much opposed to the government intruding into our personal lives. That's why Alaska's constitution has such a very strong privacy clause.

Is the current one fundie? I never followed up, but someone posted a blip with her saying AG got too weird for them. And I have no idea what her current church is all about. Only thing I've seen recently was a blip with the paster saying Obama shouldn't be held responsible for his pastors comments. And the stuff about the Jews for Jesus speaker of course.

A bit OT but Alaska sounds very interesting! :thumbsup:

Sarah Palin is just the tip of the political iceberg this year. The next few months are going to be a real circus.

Here's the link for Sarah's current church, the Wasilla Bible Church.

http://wasillabible.org/ I haven't listened to any of the sermons, but it looks like pretty standard stuff except for the Brickner sermon.

In my family, we're a combo of west coasters and Florida people living in the south. Alaska sounds pretty interesting to us!

The scenery is beautiful and the residents are generally a friendly, if "colorful," bunch. I think you'd enjoy yourself.

"Then again, on McCain’s signature issue—the prosecution of the war in Iraq—she did not sound so gung-ho. Her son is a soldier, and she said, “I’m a mom, and my son is going to get deployed in September, and we better have a real clear plan for this war. And it better not have to do with oil and dependence on foreign energy.”"

DRILL, BABY, DRILL!

:silly:

Very interesting article. Too bad she's an Assemblies Of God psychopath who wants to get us into a nuclear war with... whoever. Just so long as it brings back Jesus.

:crazy:

for me to admit that since I mocked her at first.

So I think we should tip our cap to McCain on making an inspired VP choice, let her have her magazine stories and the like for the next month and then remind the American people that President McCain would never let himself be overshadowed by this woman. He'll bury her deep in his administration and we'll never hear from her if he's elected.

Palin will be very formidable in 2012 or 2016- we just need people to remember now that VPs are never seen or heard from so they will just vote based on president in November.

I hope ...

I was hoping we'd be able to paint her as an across-the-board Falwell/Limbaugh acolyte, but, other than on abortion, she's got centrist appeal.

She is not a one-dimensional figure, but hopefully the Republican machine will make her seem like one.

The Palin stories I've posted here have been merely for the purpose of educating people down south about who they're actually dealing with here, without all the gossip, rumor, cariatures, stereotypes, etc. I've always thought it was better to "know your enemy" and I haven't posted anything that hasn't been consistent with what I've witnessed of Sarah Palin over the past few years.

those who abuse power once they get it over others.

What is she..a dime a dozen?