From Asset to Anvil?

The week before his convention in St. Paul, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain was staring at the prospect of Mayhem on the Mississippi. Conservatives, not overly enamored with the senator from Arizona in the first place, were threatening to revolt. They shot down the trial balloon of Sen. Joe Lieberman with all the efficiency of a surface-to-air missile. But then McCain did something unexpected, shocking even. He chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate.

The wildly popular Alaska governor has only been in office since December 2006. She was largely unknown to the Axis of Evil (aka the Washington elite, the media elite, you get the picture). But not to the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Palin's selection ignited an enthusiasm among delegates that exploded during her triumphant acceptance speech at the Xcel Center.

Originally, McCain and Palin were expected to campaign separately, as is the custom. You can cover more ground and get the campaign's message to more people that way. But the campaign enveloped Palin in a bear hug. Not because the press greeting her nomination was the very definition of ferocious. But because without Palin, McCain was nothing. The crowds at his rallies after the convention were there to see her. They wanted to hear her hockey-mom-pit-bull-lipstick joke, and the line about putting the state plane on eBay, for themselves.

The McCain-Palin ticket mugged Obama of his change mantra. And the polls soared. As The Washington Post reported on Sept. 9, Sen. Barack Obama's lead over McCain evaporated thanks in large part to white women swinging from him to McCain. "White women shifted from an eight-point pre-convention edge for Obama to a 12-point McCain advantage now," the story noted.

But that was then. And in retrospect, the Palin bloom may have started to fade a mere two days later.

In an interview with ABC World News anchor Charlie Gibson that aired on Sept. 11, Palin was unable to discuss the Bush doctrine (any of the permutations of it). Her discussion about how Russia being a neighbor of Alaska gave her foreign policy experience was instantly lampooned on Saturday Night Live by Tina Fey, the governor's comedic twin. Palin's interviews with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric that have been airing since last week have been even worse. With each passing night, there's a new cringe-worthy moment where you find yourself watching Palin like you would a newborn attempting to take her first steps.

And the polls have sunk, turning Sarah the Barracuda into Sarah the Anvil. In the Washington Post-ABC News poll released today, 60 percent of those surveyed said Palin did not have "the kind of experience it takes to serve effectively as president, if that became necessary." That's up from 45 percent in early September. Her unfavorables have jumped from 28 percent to 40 percent over the same period. And here's the bad news for McCain: In early September, 19 percent said they were less likely to vote for McCain because of his selection of Palin. That number is now 32 percent.

The McCain campaign may now keep Palin in that bear hug to prevent her from inflicting more damage. Making tonight's debate the performance of her -- and McCain's -- political life.

me think palling no anvil she hottie and have nice safety goggles and walk good in bathing suit in miss alaska on utube why she no be president all world leaders do what she say cause she such hottie and want to ride her holy roller coaster also have big jiant hair that point to heaven so maybe we have 8 years of hotness and keep bush policy going more

Look, even if she gives a stellar debate performance tonite, she can't undo the impression already out there in night after night of her bumbling, stumbling incomprehensible responses to gentle open ended questions. Her manner of answering has been so bad, in fact, that little focus is being given to those few times she actually provides a semi-cogent response. For instance, when asked if she acknowledged a Federal Right to Privacy she chirped yes indeedy ... only problem is that is completely opposite of conservative ideology and privacy rights formed the underpinnings of Roe v. Wade, which she says she opposed. One debate performance can't unring all of these bells. And the more time John McCain has to spend defending his choice the more irritated he gets and the less time he has to stay on his own message. Having him sit next to Palin, looking like her chaperone, when she returned to talk to Katie Couric was one of the most damaging visuals of the campaign; then he followed that up with his blow up in front of the Des Moines Register editorial board. Yes, let "Palin be Palin" but always remember it was John McCain's judgment that put her (and all of us) out on this precarious limb to begin with.

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In the shadow of the blatant and stunning sexism launched against the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign by Barack Hussein Obama and the liberal media, democratic Hillary supporters were thrilled to hear John McCain announce Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, because, she offers Americans a chance to vote for someone who is her own woman, and who represents a party that, while we don't agree on all the issues, at least respects women enough to take them seriously.

Having a woman in the White House, and not as The Spouse, is a change whose time has come, despite the fact that the media and Democratic Party leaders have decided otherwise. But with the Sarah Palin’s nomination, Clinton voters, in particular, have received a political wake-up call they never expected. Having watched their candidate and their principles betrayed by the very people who are supposed to be the flame-holders for equal rights and fairness, they now looking across the aisle and see a woman who represents everything the feminist movement claimed it stood for. Women can have a family and a career.

The democratic party’s bullying of the Clinton candidacy during the primary season was the first revelation of how misogynistic and sexist the democratic party has become. The democratic party has moved from taking the female vote for granted to outright contempt for women. That's why Sarah Palin represents the most serious conservative threat ever to the modern democratic liberal claim on issues of male cultural and social superiority.
The time is now for a woman to be in the White House as an equal partner in governance.

Anvil indeed. McCain's handlers are unable to handle him, so they focus on Palin. In all honesty, McCain appears to be more in need of handling due to his increasing temper and erratic behavior. Palin was simply a poor choice that may well eclipse the choices of Ferraro and Quayle. The irony is that using an anvil is supposed to produce something useful. Guess this is an exception.

America needs leadership with intellectual brilliance as well as basic knowledge and understanding of complex issues in order to steer this nation through turbulent times.

Governor Sarah Palin lacks the intellect, basic knowledge and understanding on far too many critical issues to hold the Office of Vice President.

What baffles me is there is a plethra of women in the Republican Party with demonstrated competencies on issues central to this election. Not only do these women have the intellect, knowledge and understanding of issues but also the class not to “wink” and the diplomacy to avoid “slang” in a debate when the future of the nation is at risk.

Where was Senator McCain’s presidential judgment when he selected Governor Palin as the person a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States of America? There were so many women from whom to choose a viable running mate.