Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL 9/27/08 - Hilarious!!!

[LaughingWater]

A slightly more balanced view from a former, long-time Republican:

Without question, the minute she was announced, many on the left started trashing her. That's politics, eh? She made a strong speech during the RNC and looked great, and the unfair attacks on her increased. Even I was surprised and offended at the venomous nature of some of them. Hypocrisy was rampant on both sides.

Those who call her stupid are being unfair. She obviously isn't stupid. Ill-prepared for the job ahead of her is more like it, and that's what everyone is starting to see now. She's no dummy, but she didn't respect her limitations, and now she's being thrown to the wolves with very little preparation. It's hard to watch.

Not that I blame her alone. This is a clear example of poor judgment by McCain and anyone else who supported her as a VP pick while the decision was being weighed. Maybe 10 years from now, she would have been more battle-hardened. She would have had time to educate herself in a more well-rounded, national fashion. Now, thanks to poor timing among other things, she's an easy target.

How does Obama get away with his obvious and equal lack of experience? Maybe it's because he's been better prepared, and certainly his natural talent for eloquent speaking helps, but he appears smarter and better informed. Is he? We won't know until he's tested, but he at least exudes confidence. Biden isn't sitting next to him in an interview, fielding questions for him.

In addition, Obama was clearly the favorite amongst Democrats to be the nominee ~ tons of support in spite of angry Hillary supporters, whereas McCain seems to have won the Republican nomination by default. That alone begs the unspoken question, "Is he really the one we want in office?" That may be a little thing, but I think it bothers many of us more than we realize. His pick of Palin reinforces that doubt in my mind. It was like, "Hey, I know you didn't want me in the first place, but here...I've got another trick up my sleeve! A woman!". All complete with hat, cane, and tap dance.

My husband is a moderate Republican who has never voted Democrat in his life. This year, he may very well defect. I know I am.

 

[Stephanie0523]

I'm serious. I doubt that even if she does well on Thursday, which I think she will, no opinions will change even if Joe delivers a string of his usual "gaffs." I'm going to retire back into lurkdom now because I usually don't involve myself in these politcal threads - it's futal.

What will be considered "well"? I mean, expectations for her have been lowered SO MUCH, will people think she's doing well Thursday night if she just completes a sentence and throws out some sarcastic jabs? I'm tired of her pitbull with lipstick routine that has zero substance. I'm befuddled by those who still support her after her interview with Katie Couric. That was such a train wreck. I'm unaware of Biden's "usual gaffs." Yes, he has made a couple, but that's life on the stump. I like that he speaks his mind. He has lots to say on every subject and everything he says comes across as genuinely his own. Palin has been SO sequestered and coached that when she is allowed to do an interview she gets mixed up. They should have let her do more local small-town interviews (which are a lot more featuristic and less daunting) to get her feet wet and to get her more comfortable with answering questions instead of keeping her holed up in study sessions before her national interviews, where she has seemed to spew out a laundry list of talking points that she herself doesn't even seem to understand.

I don't dislike her because she's a Republican. Yes, I am a Democrat, but I'm keenly aware that if things don't go my way in November, I need to have a leader that is able to run this country. I don't like McCain's policies, but I think he is capable, but I also am very worried about his being able to carry out his four years without health incidents. Palin could very well have to take the helm, and can you say without a doubt that you are comfortable with THAT? What if the market crashes again under her leadership? It's a very scary scenario.

 

[Stephanie0523]

How does Obama get away with his obvious and equal lack of experience? Maybe it's because he's been better prepared, and certainly his natural talent for eloquent speaking helps, but he appears smarter and better informed. Is he? We won't know until he's tested, but he at least exudes confidence. Biden isn't sitting next to him in an interview, fielding questions for him.

Obama graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and then went on to graduate from Harvard Law School. He was the first African American to be president of the Harvard Law Review. He served on the Illinois Senate from 1996 until 2004, where he was chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, where he spearheaded the broadest ethics reform package in 25 years. He has served on the US Senate for the past four years where he has been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sarah Palin has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Idaho (after attending multiple colleges within four years). She worked as a sports reporter for two Anchorage television stations. She co-owned with her husband a snowmobile, watercraft, ATV business from 1994-97. She served two terms as mayor of Wasilla and two terms on the city council. She was chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003-04. She was governor of Alaska since December 2006.

There are their resumes. To say that Obama has as little experience with national government is just wrong. I have a journalism degree and KNOW I couldn't run a country. As a journalist, I covered many many towns the small size of Wasilla in the state of Alabama, which has about 4.6 million people (Alaska has about 670,000). I cannot fathom any of those small-town mayors or even the governor of the state being named number two in the nation. Just because she has "executive experience" does not qualify her. She hasn't got the education background, which IS important. She doesn't have the world knowledge and understanding that is IMPERATIVE that a person have to run on a presidential ticket.

 

[LaughingWater]

To say that Obama has as little experience with national government is just wrong.

Ah, but I didn't say that. I was referring to foreign policy, not national government.

Neither Palin nor Obama have the foreign policy experience that both Biden and McCain can claim. That's why Obama picked Biden in the first place. The choice of Biden is what placates me. The choice of Palin is what concerns me.

I personally feel the presidency is bigger than one person. It's clearly a team effort with a slew of advisors, so I wouldn't turn my back on anyone based on foreign policy experience alone. But it is something to consider.

 

[ColoradoSooner]

As far as the media not focusing as much on Biden's remarks as Palin's, I put the fault directly on the shoulders of the McCain camp. Biden is out there every...single...day talking at rallies, to members of the press, and giving interviews. If he makes a few gaffes, it's not as big of a deal because he's being allowed to talk a lot (and yes, the man CAN talk a lot!). However, McCain's campaign is keeping her on such a short leash that she's only given a handful of interviews. So of course everyone is going to be very focused on those few interviews and they are going to be scrutinized ad nauseum.

I'm sure they're keeping her on a leash because they're afraid of what she might say and how she might come across. But the fact is, if she's allowed to talk more, she might actually get more comfortable with it and come across better. However, as a democrat, I'm not complaining.

 

[dorothyrd]

Obama graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and then went on to graduate from Harvard Law School. He was the first African American to be president of the Harvard Law Review. He served on the Illinois Senate from 1996 until 2004, where he was chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee, where he spearheaded the broadest ethics reform package in 25 years. He has served on the US Senate for the past four years where he has been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sarah Palin has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Idaho (after attending multiple colleges within four years). She worked as a sports reporter for two Anchorage television stations. She co-owned with her husband a snowmobile, watercraft, ATV business from 1994-97. She served two terms as mayor of Wasilla and two terms on the city council. She was chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003-04. She was governor of Alaska since December 2006.

There are their resumes. To say that Obama has as little experience with national government is just wrong. I have a journalism degree and KNOW I couldn't run a country. As a journalist, I covered many many towns the small size of Wasilla in the state of Alabama, which has about 4.6 million people (Alaska has about 670,000). I cannot fathom any of those small-town mayors or even the governor of the state being named number two in the nation. Just because she has "executive experience" does not qualify her. She hasn't got the education background, which IS important. She doesn't have the world knowledge and understanding that is IMPERATIVE that a person have to run on a presidential ticket.

Do NOT spout Illinois politics and ethics in the same sentence. Illinois' government is so, so corrupt, it is not funny. Watch...we are about to have ANOTHER governor indicted, and thanks to the Chicago Democratic machine it appears to be the only way to rid ourselves of this corrupt governor. One concern I have....how deep is Obama with the corrupt Chicago politics?

 

[cindi1]

Thank you for bringing that up! I am from Illinois and the democratic political machine is as corrupt as they get. Obama is in deep with Chicago politics.

 

[LauraMax]

Oh c'mon now ladies, you don't want me to break out my list of corrupt Republican pols, do you? Can you say TOM DELAY???????????

 

[dorothyrd]

Sure Laura, our last corrupt Chicago governor was a Republican. He is in jail now. So corrupt Chicago politicians populate both parties, I agree with that. Currently the Democrats are in total control of Illinois and have been for the past 8 years. Illinois is a mess. So Obama did no magic while in the government here.

 

[LauraMax]

But he was only in state office for 4 of those 8 years. Considering what it takes to achieve anything of significance in any legislature, what kind of magic would you want, or expect, any politician to conjure in 4 years?

 

[neverendingcircle]

It's interesting to watch women mock another woman, simply because she's not in their chosen political party. Maybe SNL should do a parody on Obama's angry wife, or Obama's big ears, maybe the fact that if his speech is not on a teleprompter all you hear is oh, umm, well umm, ahh, oh, well ah, umm etc. SNL would never do a parody on Obama. It would be politically incorrect, and they would be labeled as racists.

 

[Stephanie0523]

I think that's WHY Obama wanted to be a part of ethics reform. He saw a desperate need and wanted to be part of the solution. And now you're ridiculing him for it? This Bush administration is the most corrupt administration ever to set foot in the White House. Progress takes time. It's going to take Obama a long time to fix the mess that he will inherit, if we are so blessed to have him as president.

BTW: I have seen McCain performing no magic either. Didn't he "suspend" his campaign (yeah right) to rally his party (of which he's the head) around this bill? Wow. It seems he has as much influence within the Republican party as our esteemed president.

 

[LauraMax]

It's interesting to watch women mock another woman, simply because she's not in their chosen political party. Maybe SNL should do a parody on Obama's angry wife, or Obama's big ears, maybe the fact that if his speech is not on a teleprompter all you hear is oh, umm, well umm, ahh, oh, well ah, umm etc. SNL would never do a parody on Obama. It would be politically incorrect, and they would be labeled as racists.

Well, first off, the so-called "mocking" was about her political positions (or lack thereof), not of physical characteristics she was born with. And please don't "mock" Obama making speeches w/teleprompters. Do you actually think McKain memorizes his? Or speaks off the cuff? Hmmmm, maybe another customer for my bridge to nowhere............

Second, I'm guessing you don't watch SNL b/c I have no doubt if they had a cast member who could do a decent Obama impression he'd be front & center. Or a cast member who could do "Obama's angry wife." Furthermore, they've done characatures of pretty much every pres candidate since 1976.

Third, how do you know Tina Fey is a democrat?

 

[Stephanie0523]

It's interesting to watch women mock another woman, simply because she's not in their chosen political party. Maybe SNL should do a parody on Obama's angry wife, or Obama's big ears, maybe the fact that if his speech is not on a teleprompter all you hear is oh, umm, well umm, ahh, oh, well ah, umm etc. SNL would never do a parody on Obama. It would be politically incorrect, and they would be labeled as racists.

Perhaps you missed my post above in which I detail both candidates' resumes. I think people "mock" Palin because the only interviews she has done have turned out to be train wrecks and indeed have been laughable. I don't like Palin because she's not got what it takes to run our country. Plain and simple. It has nothing to do with her gender. And, FYI, SNL does do parodies on Obama, and the guy who does them wears prosthetic big ears.

Why do you say Michelle Obama is angry?

 

[hiitdogs]

In fact, there were several SNL skits about Obama, on the Hillary Clinton 3 am ad which made him look pretty stupid, but funny nevertheless, there was another one about the Obama / Hillary debate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6EoXjK9fQY


Everyone gets their share on SNL, just some give a lot more material for SNL, like Sarah Palin.

 

[sparrow13]

I'd be curious to hear from the Illinois/Chicago folks who follow politics on what Obama did specifically to combat corruption. I certainly don't expect him to change the world in four measly years but this is apparently a huge bee in his bonnet so surely there was strong activity on his part in those four years, in that direction. Other than speeches, I mean.

Sparrow

 

[hottiescientist]

It's interesting to watch women mock another woman, simply because she's not in their chosen political party. Maybe SNL should do a parody on Obama's angry wife, or Obama's big ears, maybe the fact that if his speech is not on a teleprompter all you hear is oh, umm, well umm, ahh, oh, well ah, umm etc. SNL would never do a parody on Obama. It would be politically incorrect, and they would be labeled as racists.

I don't think you've watched enough SNL because Obama and other black people have been parodied on the show (Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for example). Palin is a political figure, Fey looks like her, and they take her performance (and often exact words) from the interviews to parody. They take shots across the board...its just been looking particularly bad for Palin because all the embarrassment keeps on piling up on her in reality and in parody.

 

[SirenSongWoman]

It's interesting to watch women mock another woman, simply because she's not in their chosen political party. Maybe SNL should do a parody on Obama's angry wife, or Obama's big ears, maybe the fact that if his speech is not on a teleprompter all you hear is oh, umm, well umm, ahh, oh, well ah, umm etc. SNL would never do a parody on Obama. It would be politically incorrect, and they would be labeled as racists.

They HAVE parodied Obama. I always listen to SNL on my tv/radio at work so, though I didn't see it, I heard it. Comedians will make fun of anything that's funny. They can't help it. Kind of says it all.

BTW, when was Michelle Obama "angry?" I think she's lovely and I'm unaware she was ever "angry." I loved watching her watch her husband when he gave his speech at the DNC. She LOVES That Man. It was sexy.

 

[LaughingWater]

I'd be curious to hear from the Illinois/Chicago folks who follow politics on what Obama did specifically to combat corruption.

An old article about his time in the IL Senate:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802262.html


A recent article (Sept 19th) about state ethics reform and Obama's role:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-obama-jones-ethics-19sep19,0,5160379.story

"Forced to declare his loyalty to either a beleaguered governor or a powerful presidential candidate, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones came down on the side of Barack Obama on Thursday in what could prove to be a key moment in a long path to cleaning up state government.

A recalcitrant Jones got a call from Obama, who doesn't need his home state's reputation for political corruption dogging him as he tries to ascend to the presidency, and a day later changed his mind and summoned the state Senate back to the Capitol next week to quickly decide the fate of ethics reform.

The bill eventually passed (article dated Sept 23rd):

http://www.gantdaily.com/news/35/ARTICLE/31628/2008-09-23.html

"Illinois state senators have overturned a veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich on a landmark ethics reform bill prohibiting political contributions from state contractors, practice dubbed "pay to play."

Lawmakers voted unanimously to override the governor's veto, enacting a bill into law that bans politicians from accepting donations from anyone with state contracts worth $50,000 or more. The law takes effect the first day next year.

Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago) had planned to hold the override vote after the general election in November but was persuaded by Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. The Illinois House voted 110-3 to overturn the veto earlier this month."

Honestly, I had to look this all up. I've lost so much faith in IL government, I hardly pay attention anymore.

 

[sparrow13]

An old article about his time in the IL Senate:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020802262.html


A recent article (Sept 19th) about state ethics reform and Obama's role:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-obama-jones-ethics-19sep19,0,5160379.story




The bill eventually passed (article dated Sept 23rd):

http://www.gantdaily.com/news/35/ARTICLE/31628/2008-09-23.html



Honestly, I had to look this all up. I've lost so much faith in IL government, I hardly pay attention anymore.

Thanks Lori! Exactly what I was looking for.

Sparrow