So... did we ever figure out why Palin?

[TwixVoy]

So maybe I missed this, but has anyone figured out the reason WHY McCain picked Palin? I mean part of me thinks the simple answer is "he thought it would bring him female voters", but I mean god damn there are plenty of other republican females he could have picked that would have at least not made you wonder what was going on.

I mean it's clear to just about anyone that she is a fool. Clearly doesn't know shit about shit. So what was the reason? She comes across to me as likely a pretty evil behind the scenes person. Pretty on the outside evil on the inside kind of person. Part of me thinks maybe this was a stealth way to get a far right wing idiot puppet in to the office of the president. Other than that maybe mccain honestly thought she would be received well? But I can't believe his handlers would allow such a stupid move to be made.

[MichDem10]

1. Religious right - Glenn Hagey, Pat Robertson, ... etc. etc.

[FVZA_Colonel]

15. But then he could have gone with Mike Huckabee.

He'd probably be in a lot less trouble then.

[mikekohr]

16. MIKE HUCKABEE’S WILLIE HORTON

Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee, the former governor from Hope, Arkansas, is hoping you don’t look in his closet because there's a Willie Horton hiding in there.

Huckabee's Horton, is a monster named Wayne Dumond. A criminal with a long rap sheet of assaults, and sexual molestations, Dumond was an admitted participant in massacre of a Cambodian village when he was stationed in Vietnam. Upon return to the United States, he admitted to participating in a claw hammer murder of a fellow soldier in 1972. Dumond was convicted of sexual molestation of a teen age victim in 1973 and confessed to a rape charge in 1976.

Huckabee, ignoring Dumond’s reprehensible criminal record, bought into the Clinton hating, rightwing, partisans, that were attempting to smear Bill Clinton for the rape of a 16 year old girl high school cheerleader that Dumond kidnapped at knifepoint, raped and terrorized for two days. Dumond was convicted of this crime in 1985 and sentenced to life plus 20 years.
Huckabee worked, against the advice of the parole board and law enforcement officials, to secure Dumond's release from prison. Dumond's 16 year old victim, Ashley Stevens, upon learning of Huckabee's attempts to free her assailant, met with the governor and said she put her face inches from Huckabee’s and said, “This is how close I was to Wayne Dumond. I will never forget his face. And now I don’t want you ever to forget my face.”

Undaunted, governor Huckabee toiled on, eventually securing Dumond's release from prison on the condition that Dumond move out of Arkansas. Dumond complied, and moved to Missouri, where six weeks later he raped and murdered, 39 year-old Carol Sue Shields. Dumond was convicted of Shields’ murder based on DNA evidence. Dumond died, peacefully in his sleep on 9/7/2005, before he could be brought to trial in the rape and murder of a second victim, Sara Andrasek.

Dumond’s murders committed after Huckabee had secured his release from prison resulted in a firestorm of public condemnation. The governor responded to the criticism by denying he had anything to do with turning Dumond loose on the American public, in spite of voluminous testimony to the contrary.

Blind adherence to rigid political ideology, an absolute refusal to accept advice from others and stubborn refusal to accept responsibility for his own actions, has not served George W, Bush well as a President. These shared character defects will not wear well on Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee either.

Ironically, or perhaps predictably, Huckabee is emerging as the consensus choice among so called Christian Conservatives. Go figure.

Written by: mike kohr 10/29/2007

Additional links:
http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=154e1aad-fd18-4efd-8d80-b5dab8559419
http://www.crimelibrary.com/criminal_mind/sexual_assault/severed_penis/7.html http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/rash-devious-incapable-of-admitting.html

Published at BuzzFlash.com:
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1406#comment-8209

[mikekohr]

17. McCain Did Not Take Into Account The Ability Of Today's Internet

to vett people practically immediately. I received a copy of the Anne Killkenny letter in my in box within a week of Palin being named McCain's running mate. Even 4 years ago the net had not yet evolved to the point were it actually drives much of the MSN's coverage. Four years ago it was still dominated by the right-wing hate crowd and Freepers. Those dark days have passed into the light.

mike kohr

[Anarcho-Socialist]

25. he's an economic populist and therefore offensive to the GOP donors

[madmax]

2. He likes

beauty queens? :shrug:

[Ozma]

22. That's IT!

[EFerrari]

3. The far right fundy extremists love her.

They don't care about her lack of experience or her corruption or about her obviously limited intellect. She's a great little code speaker. Mission accomplished.

[tabasco]

4. You answered your own question.

"get a far right wing idiot puppet in to the office of the president"

[Mz Pip]

5. To rally the base

and she has. Unfortunately she has done little else. McCain can't win with just the base. Palin has managed to alienate independents and moderates.

Who knows what she'd be doing as VP, maybe just going to state funerals and waiting for that 3 am phone call when the 25th amendment gets invoked. Scary thought.

[rwenos]

6. Right Populist Base

The religious right loves her. Palin also fancies herself a "maverick" (NOT!) -- at least enough to make John McCain (her constituency of ONE) think so.

Also, it was simply an appallingly bad decision on the part of John McCain. By his works shall we know him. The most important decision he's made in his life so far, and he chose extremely poorly.

The thought of this angry, impulsive man having the nuclear codes is really scarey.

[No Elephants]

7. Who else could he have picked? Name one viable Republican who had had executive experience, who was

not almost as old as he, not rumored to be gay, not Mormon, not from the Republican hated intellectual Northeast, etc. He has a very picky base and not many great choices. And, Alaska was heading toward Obama before he picked her. At least he turned that around. Sure, it's only 3 EV's, but I don't think he had realized what bad shape he was in when he made the pick.

[TwixVoy]

9. Damn near any member of congress

I'd say he could have picked any republican from congress almost. He could have picked the repub "celebrity" ones as well. Like Rudy Giuliani. You're right it wouldn't have played well with the far right wing nut jobs, but who the hell were they going to vote for anyway?

I mean palin is an unknown WAY out of left field. It really makes no sense. For you to try to present it like she "was the only one" he could have picked is incredible to me. She brings NOTHING to the table, and honestly scares the hell out of a lot of people who aren't in the far right wing nut job region.

Look at this video with clips from a Palin event http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD3p_g2jXh8 It's like a fu**ing KKK get together.

[chiefofclarinet]

33. Politically, the Palin pick was decent at a superficial level

What the McCain campaign was thinking (of course, I am assuming that they actually think...) is that Palin will do three things. One, get the base out to vote. With a McCain/(insert random fiscal conservative here), they would have stayed home. If they would not, the down-ticket votes would disappear, which they need. Two, try to grab the "PUMA's" that were rumored to exist. Fortunately, for the most part, the large pack of PUMA's that Limbaugh ranted about are as likely to exist as the Loch Ness Monster. (Unfortunately, I know someone that voted for that ticket due to Palin being a "likable" woman. It's sad. It's still only one voter, though.) Three, try to steal the young vote, especially the stupid, young male vote, from Obama. (All the smart males, both young and old, are a lost cause for the Republicans.)

However, it all crashed like one of John Sidney McCain's planes. None of McCain's so-called "crossover power" congealed, since all the independents are in the Obama camp. They even frightened away the moderate Republicans, as far right as Colin Powell. Obama and Biden have a new angle to attack McCain, ironically on inexperience. And, Palin is an idiot, and nothing the campaign does can hide it. Plus, with enough skeletons to fill all of McCain's 7 houses, she will be regretting this decision for the rest of her insignificant life. In addition, the tiny lead that McCain had after the RNC is vanished and is replaced with a landslide proportion win for Obama.

So, again, the Republicans thought it was a brilliant idea. However, along with morals, manners, and personality, the McCain campaign lacks the ability to plan ahead.

[Smarmie Doofus]

8. The polls weren't looking too good and he is prone to....

... "impulsive acts and grand gestures" to quote the NY Times.

She HAS created excitement and may have actually been a better candidate FOR HIS PURPOSES than it appears to us. His aim was to energeize the ( mostly) rural right. That demographic is not notoriously analytical and the significance of her many, many shortcomings may be lost on those true believers.

[spindrifter]

10. It was like taking Viagra for him. Can you estimate

how many people would be turning out to a McCain appearance now if he hadn't had that jolt from the dolt? Two? Three people? He might have even had to hand it up by now.

[barack the house]

11. McCain has surronded himself with more low info pepole than himself so he doesn't feel inadequate.>

To me that's about the size of it.

[morillon]

12. It was a gimmick.

All that PUMA nonsense got him thinking, "Hey, what if I trumped the rock star by picking a WOMAN?? Heh, heh, heh." He's seething with jealousy over Barack's popularity. It oozes out of every pore, and there's no hiding it. He thought this gimmick would do two things: steal Hillary's supporters AND endear him to religious fanatics.

Well, he guessed right on the latter but couldn't have been more wrong on the former. The Hillary supporters I know were even more pissed off by the Palin choice than I was, and that's saying something. It's like "You expect us to think THIS dumb shit is remotely in the same league as Hillary?!"

Yes, there were at least half a dozen more accomplished Republican women he could've chosen, but a) they weren't favorites of far right freaks like Dobson, probably because they're not anti-abortion (or not enough), b) they weren't young and cute (hottest governor, blah, blah, blah, puke), and c) they're actually smarter and more accomplished than McCain. He would've felt threatened by someone like Olympia Snowe or Kay Bailey Hutchison.

He let his D-list dumb-and-dumberer advisors and the far right talk him into this. He knows he fucked up, BIG, but gambler that he is, he just keeps doubling down.

[endthewar]

13. Sorry, but I'm still working on the "why McCain" part

:rofl:

[chiefofclarinet]

34. You know the dregs found in an awful cup of decaf coffee?

That's the situation in the Republican party. They took 8 years of the horrid Bush* administration, and saw that they have nothing left besides the bottom of the barrel and has-beens. So, they give McCain the nod, which they should've done 8 years ago, back when he was actually something resembling a "maverick" instead of just a wreck.

In contrast, the Democrats have a grande triple shot mocha cappuccino. No matter what we picked, it would've been excellent. And, we have two of the best in the party as our nominees.

[calimary]

14. I think I know, based on observation of him, and memories of observation of my dad.

He's a dirty old man.

Likes the ladies - ESPECIALLY the pretty younger ones. He's already established a track record for this. Just watching him in the minutes after he first introduced palin, and she started in on her little introductory speech for her first outdoor crowd, told me everything I needed to know. He stepped off to the side, slightly behind her, and throughout her remarks, he couldn't take his eyes off her ass. His eyes kept wandering back down and toward the side - where she was standing, to approximately butt-height. AND all the while, he kept fiddling with his wedding ring, pulling on it, twisting on it, like he wanted to take it off, like it was bothering him - perhaps a little too tight or something, or constricting on his finger (a metaphor for how he feels about the confines of marriage when there are so many cute little tarts sashaying around out there in front of him). As a matter of fact, I think it might have been a surrogate for a dick that day, because he knew he was in public and couldn't exactly grab his crotch out there in front of that crowd and all those TV cameras, so the ring-and-finger thing had to suffice. At least it gave him SOMETHING to play with. If I were Cindy mcsame, I'd be a nervous wreck, and I'd probably even be hoping, secretly, that they'd lose so he wouldn't have the chance to be around HER anymore. PARTICULARLY since SHE, TOO, has a track record for cheating. Not a good sign.

I think her looks swayed him. His handlers wouldn't let him have lieberman and he didn't want the romney types 'cause he can't stand the "Ken-doll" type (probably gives him some sort of complex - especially since in some ways of thinking, romney already proved his manhood" by acquiring wealth in ways OTHER than by marrying it). So I think what happened is, mcsame got himself an eye-full of palin and decided that he'd really enjoy being able to look at that (and smell her perfume and "pal around" with her and have their pictures taken together, etc.) for the next four years. So, BINGO, the choice was made.

And as far as the obvious indiscretion, one of several things undoubtedly went through his mind to rationalize it:
1) nobody'd notice (heh-heh-heh, they're all gonna be slobbering over her, too),
2) nobody'd care
3) everybody'd give him a pass 'cause he's a) old - aw, he didn't know what he was doing, b) old - aw, let the ol' geezer have a little fun, 'eh? No harm done, really, c) a POW - and it entitles him to a free pass for any fuckup or deviousness, in perpetuity, d) still got it (boys will be boys, even if they're 72, dontchaknow?)

I watched my dad oggle cute-young-things FOREVER. In front of my mother, even. In front of WHOEVER. Didn't make any difference. Nauseating! It was embarrassing, crass, disgusting, and thoughtless of him, I thought. He flattered himself into thinking they were all oggling him, too, which was certainly not the case - especially as he got older. I hated that total lack of discretion or concern for my mother's feelings. He didn't care. He liked the pretty ladies and didn't care who knew or saw, and never stopped looking at 'em whenever he got the chance. Especially long-legged blonde ones. For Pete's sake, wait til you get to the bathroom, asshole! I had a big deja vu while watching john mcsame that day. Reminded me EXACTLY of my dad during one of his many randy moments.

And for the record, my dad would have ADORED sarah palin. Woulda been led around by his dick by the mere mention of her name. It just absolutely would have blinded him. He would have liked Obama a lot, but palin might actually have wooed him away. She's a looker, and that's all he would have cared about.

[Zuiderelle]

21. I am so sorry that you had to experience that as a child.

That really, really sucks.

[calimary]

24. Hell, I experienced it all the way up til he got so sick he couldn't walk anymore.

Which was about a year before he died - in 2000.

It was that way all my life - not just during my childhood.

My father did some very good things. This wasn't one of them. And the ripple effect it had on my mother - who then took her frustrations out on me because she was intimidated by him - wasn't much fun either. Lots of passive-aggressive stuff. Let me just say - she never hit me. EVER. Neither of them did. But those who say sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me - never went through THAT, or with her. I am sure they both tried to do their best. But - human foibles and all that. And the emotional shit that flew all over everywhere in our house week in and week out because of this - was just draining, awful, painful, embittering. They both needed a few decades with some good shrinks, and they weren't the type ever even to consider such a thing. After all, what would people say? What would the neighbors think? How could we face our friends?

I am VERY fortunate that the guy I finally settled down with just doesn't have that in him. He's not a cheater, and he doesn't have a wandering eye. He loves me - Lord knows why. I think subconsciously I set out to find somebody UNlike my dad in that respect, and I'm grateful I did. It would be horrible to have the kind of marriage my mother did - a "marriage." It left her very angry and bitter and resentful. She kept score, in meticulous detail, and felt compelled to lash out - and it was always at me because I was the only one at home. And yes, that really, really sucked.

Oh well... hopefully they've both found healing and some peace - wherever they are now.

[Zuiderelle]

26. I can relate.

My dad never had a wandering eye (though he did have a long-term relationship with his now wife, several years before my mother died, and they were never divorced)... I was the only one at home as well, and experienced the brunt of whatever it was that caused him to be physically abusive.

It says the best of any of us who transcend our parents' behavior and live an adult life free of abuse.

:hug:

[calimary]

31. Thanks for your kind words!

It gave me a keen insight into human foibles and how they play out in words and deeds, that's for sure. Emotional collateral damage, I suppose. But it did leave me always with an instinct to look beneath the surface to figure out WHY somebody does what he/she does, especially when what they're doing is rawther fucked. It helped me understand my mother more, when I was able to get away from just being pissed at her relentless verbal abuse - GOD she said things to hurt - deliberately to hurt and inflict pain. She had no other way to lash out, and she went through life with this attitude that SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW, simply MUST be punished for this. Whatever that "this" was. She'd been terribly hurt and betrayed and humiliated in front of everyone we knew. SOMEONE had to be punished. SOMEONE had to be forced to pay for it all. Unfortunately, that someone was always me.

Honestly, I'm not sure at this late date which I hated more - what he did or what she did in response. Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint which was worse. My dad didn't do that TO ME. Probably didn't even do it TO my mom, at least not consciously, mainly because he was insensitive to that kind of thing, probably didn't even think about it. He just always followed his dick to the pretty girls, as though it were some sort of divining rod. My mom, on the other hand, DID do her shit directly TO me. But I don't think she even was aware that this was happening. She didn't stop to think or analyze what impact her actions and reactions had. She was rather self-absorbed, too involved in how his actions impacted her. As though she had blinders on. It was always all about her. Probably because she was so attention-starved and affection-starved, so she filled in her own blanks.

It was a real nut-house I came from, lemme tellya. Undoubtedly explains why I'm so bent, myself.

[Zuiderelle]

18. He clearly thought it would bring female and fundamentalist voters... as well as anti-choice voters

a demographic that they are ALWAYS going for, despite the FACT that they never actually do anything against Roe v. Wade once in office.

It was a very, very bad decision. And I think they knew it a week after it was made.

[cameozalaznick]

19. My theory from the beginning is that John McCain was trying

to destroy the Republican party in retribution for what they did to him in 2000.

[tomg]

39. Makes more sense than anything else. nt

[Clio the Leo]

20. Word on the street is that she's a female.....

... and McCain thinks we're stupid.

But guess what?

We're not.

[tpi10d]

23. shoot from the hip thinking

The Democratic convention was a success and he wanted to change the narrative asap. He was in a stable race behind in the polls. Palin looked to appeal to the base, R's overestimated the PUMA effect, and she was an interesting story no matter how briefly she burned.

He didn't look out to the future more than a few weeks, probably didn't know much about her, and didn't consider the competence angle. Shoot from the hip, flash in the pan. She turned out to be a dismal failure as a nominee.

This base thing is going to be the undoing of the GOP. The only way they could win this election is running a true moderate course-one which would alienate the base republicans.

[ismnotwasm]

27. It could be plain sexism

His wife, for instance, obviously cares quite a bit about, and spends time, energy and money, on her appearance. In the finest of upper middle class/wealthy tradition. A personal choice, but not a challenging one. Perhaps he thought a similarly vain woman, along with right wing street cred would be "enough". In certain ways it is enough, to the ignorant, the unkind or cruel, and the racists of the world

[WinkyDink]

28. To poke Obama in the eye for not picking HRC. To get the "woman vote". He likes her looks.

[last1standing]

29. Hail Mary pass.

Every tactic to come from the mcRacist camp has been a Hail Mary from palin to Ayers, from celebrity to socialist. That has always been his modus operandi and while the press thought it was funny and "good TV" for awhile, I think most people, even at the top, are beginning to see what a disaster it would be for this drunken gambler to sit in the Oval Office.

[bcoylepa]

30. forced

by the fundie wing of the party - no money no votes unless
meeting the week before the convention right wing religious leaders - McCain got $10 million the weekend after the convention -no coincidence - no choice

[Scout]

32. everyone else they asked said "no" n/t

[rainman99]

35. He thought women, like me, would be stupid enough to think

that any woman is good enough to get our vote. That we aren't smart enough to
know a qualified woman from a non-qualified one.

[asdjrocky]

36. She fit the costume.

[OwnedByFerrets]

37. Randi, for what its worth to ya, thinks that Rush Limpballs

chose her. It makes as much sense as any other.

[LiberalAndProud]

38. gas prices.

On Fox News today, host Alexis Glick previewed an interview with Bill Kristol by claiming that the Weekly Standard editor believes “the second John McCain announces his VP pick, gas prices will plummet.” During the segment, the Kristol Ball’s “prediction” turned out to be that he thinks McCain might pick Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Here’s why Kristol claims such a pick would lower gas prices:

KRISTOL: First, I think she would help him get elected, which would be a good thing if you want gas prices to come down. Then she’ll persuade him that we have to drill in ANWR and have an aggressive drilling program across the board.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/30/kristol-ball-palin/