Comments for H&I Fires* 1 SEP 2008

H&I Fires* 1 SEP 2008

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:13:05 -0600

Open post for those with something to share, updated through the day. New, complete posts come in below this one. Note: If trackbacking, please acknowledge this post in your post. That's only polite. ******************************** Now, plowing through the commentary over at National Review, I see there are several on the conservative side who aren't all that impressed with the choice of Governor Palin for Veep. Well and good - that sort of discussion is good for us. Heather McDonald, writing at City Journal makes a case that resonates a bit with me - the danger that this "diversity choice" will create an evironment where there must always be a woman or a minority on the ticket, qualifications notwithstanding... Thanks a lot, John McCain. With his selection of an unknown, two-year female governor as his running mate, he has just ensured that the diversity racket will be an essential component of presidential politics forever more. Had the 44-year-old Sarah Palin, whose greatest political accomplishment before being elected Alaska’s governor in 2006 was serving as mayor of Wasilla (population 9,780), been named Stanley, she would have had exactly zero chance of ending up in the Oval Office in the next four years. But from now on, any presidential ticket that consists solely of white males—no matter their qualifications—will likely be dead in the water. She goes on further: Presidential politics, and especially vice-presidential selections, have always been driven by sectionalism, poll-driven voter segmentation and demographics, and economic stratification. But race and gender are different than whether someone comes from a Sun Belt state or can appeal to disaffected auto workers. Race and gender are almost never a valid job qualification. Yet they have taken over in field after field—whether in the hiring of lawyers and selection of judges, in the choice of books and art to which students will be exposed from the moment that they step into a classroom, in the composition of police and fire departments, or in the selection of corporate boards. This tendency must be fought, not capitulated to.One wonders, however, how this piece would have been written had Senator Hutchison of Texas been the choice. Another meme running through some of the commentary - and reflected in Academic Ronin's comment yesterday - all things considered, it just doesn't matter in the long run, expressed here by Jeff Jacoby writing at the Boston Globe: Of course McCain is taking a big gamble. Palin has been governor for less than two years, has no foreign-policy or national-security experience, and has never been through the gauntlet of a national campaign. Whether she can hold her own on the stump and under the withering glare of the national media, we will all know soon enough. Many voters will understandably read McCain's choice as cynical, in part because he has made such an issue of Obama's limited record. But surely Palin's lack of expertise on defense and international issues makes Obama's inexperience all the more conspicuous. The Democratic nominee is as green and untested as she is. There is one key difference between them, however: She's not running for president. Which is why it seems to me that McCain's choice of Palin, like Obama's of Biden, probably changes very little about this campaign. For all the attention they get from the pundits and politicos, VP picks rarely make a difference in the essential nature of any presidential contest.Of course, the Left has immediately gone to work trying to make Governor Palin look like Dan Quayle (unjustly, in both cases) on steroids. The meme of "her whole state has fewer people than *Cleveland*" rings hollow for people who were struck dumb with lust for Governor Howard Dean of Vermont (estimated 2006 population 623,908, vice the estimated 670,053 for Alaska), who's foreign policy experience was fighting off the invasion of tony New Yorkers ruining his bucolic paradise. Here's E.J. Dionne in today's WaPo: It's amusing to watch Republicans play gender politics. At the time Bush chose Miers, he was under pressure to pick a woman to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. But most of the plausible female jurists were either too moderate to satisfy conservatives or so right wing that they faced serious confirmation problems.Speaking of qualifications - From Jeff Emmanuel over at Red State here's a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the Republican Veep's resume' against the Democratic Presidential candidate's resume'... H/t to the Duke. Also over at Red State - John Hawkins discovers that kicking Senator McCain in the metaphoric 'nads can come with a price, right or wrong. Heh. 60-some days to go. -the Armorer ******************************************** Snerk- While some Kossacks are ready to move on regarding the "faked pregnancy" story - others desperately want to cling to it. The comments are instructive - and show that Kossacks aren't quite the drones *we* wish them to be. But threads like this one are the gift that keeps on giving... Mind you, I'm sure our side produces similar drivel - but at places I generally don't read, I admit. -the Armorer ******************************************** Following politics as I do, I thought I pretty much knew the McCain story, but two articles this weekend two articles showed me how little I actually did. One is a look at development of his leadership skills/style (h/t Maggie). The other is a sympathetic and much more in-depth study of how his background and life experiences have shaped who he is today. I mistrust media so much these days that I am no longer sure anything I read is true, but both articles are fascinating. The second one quotes extensively from Faith of My Fathers, leaving me impressed with McCain's honest self-awareness, and wanting a copy of the book for myself. The headline sounds alarmist, but the original source is worth paying attention to. In short, they claim Biden has told Israel that under an Obama Administration, Iran will have its nukes. Another perspective on McCain's possible VP strategy to add to John's discussion above: The Man Trap. - FbL ******************************************** Well, have to give the Lefties some credit for getting part of a story right - Governor Palin's daughter Bristol, 17, is pregnant. Going to keep the baby and marry the father. Heh. Most parent's nightmare - and they get to deal with it in this political environment. This will swirl in the toilet that is the misogynist left fringe, and will only add to the problems laid out in Fuzzy's "Man Trap" link above. Heh. There's going to be no protecting Bristol from the dregs of the DU. Ain't this an interesting twist. One assumes Senator McCain's people knew about it when they made their choice. -the Armorer *********************************************

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:55:00 -0600

Dunno how that translates to "Israel would have to reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran." It doesn't. It translates as, "If we get into the White House, we'll continue to twiddle our thumbs while Iran continues on its merry way. So, if you don't like the idea of a mushroom cloud sprouting in Tel Aviv, *you* do something about it. But if you do, you'd better believe we'll wag our finger at you as sternly as we possibly can..."

Comment from Casey on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:32:26 -0600

Um, Fbl, did you walk that story about Biden back thru the original source?

It's "According to an unsourced report by Army Radio," distributed by Ha’aretz, then echoed by HotAir. I emphasize "unsourced." Just how credible is an anonymouse, single-source, second-hand claim?

Not to mention the only specific quote given was

It's doubtful if the economic sanctions will be effective, and I am against opening an additional military and diplomatic front.

Dunno how that translates to "Israel would have to reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran."

Comment from AFSister on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:34:30 -0600

And should Bristol's baby be a boy..... Baby Huey. *snerk*

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:09:04 -0600

Chance-Vought.

I *won't* suggest Hughes Tool and Die (the wonderful folks who designed and built the ultimate "Pilot's Helicopter" -- the OH-6).

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:05:51 -0600

Bell.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:15:33 -0600

Leave it to the wonderfully weirdly wired brain of JTG to make those connections.

But I'm with Kat on the Sukhoi thing, even if she got out of the taxonomy by naming aircraft, vice aircraft companies.

Comment from Katherine Optima Maximae on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:59:44 -0600

No Sukhoi...Iraquois, Commanche, Huey or Cobra, maybe, but no Sukhoi. Bad conotations, kimosabe.

Comment from Justthisguy on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:50:42 -0600

P.s. Piper, and Bristol? They missed a chance to name their other kids something like Northrop, or Douglas, or Gloster, or Curtiss, or Ryan, or Dassault, or Heinkel, or Sukhoi... ..

Comment from Justthisguy on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 01:43:22 -0600

Bristol and her sweety have done the best thing they can to prevent her from developing breast cancer, later. You can look it up.

Comment from Rod Thorsen on 2008-09-02

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:41:29 -0600

Well, the more we discuss the left's news on their terms, the more it's legitimized. I'm from Fairbanks and for months now it's been openly discussed her VP potential. What it mostly gets down to is we hope the main candidate (now McCain) is bright enough to get her, and that she'll be a loss to Alaska. However, with Sarah as VP and potentially down the road as Prez, that is a sacrifice we can make to help the folks down south.

Comment from Maggie on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 22:07:02 -0600

Remember...........it's all about choice.....unless you choose life........then it's because you are repressed and brainwashed by religion.

Comment from Ymarsakar on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:02:59 -0600

You can't deliver a baby in April 18th and be 5 months pregnant September 1st.

It can if the Democrats all say it can.

Comment from Cannonshop on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:27:04 -0600

Honestly, when this story (the Palin grandbaby) broke, my first reaction was some quick, mental math.

After which, I started giggling. Why? Because it's funny to see the self-righteous step on their own privates in public. Particularly since the Obamatons and True Believers were touting the whole conspiracy thing about Palin covering up for her kid not thirty hours ago.

Comment from BillT on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:19:11 -0600

I don't think that the haters even realize how much self inflicted damage they have caused.

They realize it, but it will take a while before everybody reads the memos. Kos is trying to exercise damage control, but judging from the comments after the updates, "put a lid on it" is *not* playing well with the foamy-mouth set.

Comment from Fishmugger on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:17:12 -0600

Oh hum...Bristol is preggy. These things happen and to the nicest families.

And about the Gender Card, I think it is more attumed to ticket balancing. Ferraro's nomination didn't foretell a rush to all kinds of minority appointments. So what is the difference if McCain chose a male from Ohio or PA...would that not be balancing of a tisket? Sarah just happens to have better looking legs then Mitt.

Comment from Pat on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:26:27 -0600

I suspect that the McCain-Palin ticket will actually gain votes as a result of how the KOS/move-on types will react. They've been so over the top already, I don't think that the haters even realize how much self inflicted damage they have caused. They're lemmings with placards.

Comment from Maggie on 2008-09-01

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:47:14 -0600

Well this wasn't what I wanted in the form of a definite rebuttal to the Palin baby rumors......but.....

You can't deliver a baby in April 18th and be 5 months pregnant September 1st.

To Rebut Rumors, Palin Says Daughter, 17, Pregnant
17-year-old Daughter of GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Is Pregnant