Curt Smith On Sarah Palin
Generally, I consider Curt Smith to be a pretty conservative local political commentator. So when I’ve found myself agreeing with him, it’s almost equivalent to my occasional “Holy crap, I’m actually agreeing with Pat Buchanan!” moments. His comments on McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin for GOP VP candidate again have me nodding. Via Rnews:
“This is a spectacularly bad choice. Almost inconceivable. Implausible and really insulting and condescending to America, to the office and to women. John McCain is saying to the American people, particularly women, I think you are so stupid that you will vote for any woman no matter how unqualified to be vice-president, let alone be president of the United States,” said Curt Smith, political analyst.
It hurts, but I have to give it to Smith for having clarity on this. And that’s all before considering that Palin’s under ethics investigations (despite being trumpeted as a “reformer”.)
Related posts:
Smith was borderline-apoplectic on WXXI yesterday. There are a number of other conservatives, such as David Frum, who are also upset about the pick.
My take is that this pick says a lot more about John McCain than it does about Sarah Palin She didn’t ask to be picked. McCain barely knows her, and from what I’ve read, the vetting process was incredibly superficial. McCain has put himself out as the solid, experienced, serious candidate, yet he made a very hurried and ill-considered decision. This pick says more about his judgment - he’s willing to roll the dice when it meets his political needs.
Also, isn’t everyone sick of narratives that are chucked aside whenever it’s politically expedient? For months, McCain has been declaiming on the importance of experience, how he knows all the players on the world stage, how serious the choice of president is in this dangerous world. He’s a 72 year-old cancer survivor. There’s a real chance that Sarah Palin could be president soon. But now the McCain campaign and its surrogates are concocting ever more silly talking points trying to spin a former small-town mayor and short-term small-state governor as an “experienced executive”.
Whatever Sarah Palin is, she isn’t experienced. Are we just supposed to forget everything McCain said in the past? Can’t we expect a little consistency from his campaign?
Hey now, you have to give Palin her props where they’re due. She’s a former Miss Congeniality and beauty queen. That alone puts her up in the world class status of qualifications to lead.
Add to that her love of nature and the sport of aerial shooting of wildlife, drilling on wildlife refuges, the teaching of creationism versus evolution and no reproductive rights for women, you’ve got the perfect candidate to draw in the female vote!
[end sarcasm]
Read the entry at thefoggblog.com today for more information about this pick!
So, you have to look like Bella Abzug to be popular with some people?
Rottenchester
McCain isnt planning on winning the election and then dying. The dilema for the democrats is that they cant criticize her lack of experience and at the same time say it doesnt matter with Obama.
What we can expect from any campaign is that they will do what it takes to win. I do not expect any candidate to do what you (or anyone else for that matter) thinks they should do. Obama is not an exception to that.
Does Palin help appeal to the female swing voters? I don’t get this pick…
Her environmental record is abysmal. She just helped defeat Measure 1 and Measure 4 in Alaska last Tuesday. With her help it’s now it’s easier for people to shoot wolves from choppers and also for big business mining interests to dig the Pebble Mine putting a severe risk the Bristol Bay watershed - one of the most beautiful areas on the planet and probably the greatest wild salmon run.
Yeah…she’s dreamy.
Gotta love Alaskan politics…
No, but being as smart would help…
Following your logic, Obama is not qualified to be President, especially since Palin has more executive experience than Barack.
News Flash: hot off the ticker…Dateline Phoenix…Reports are flowing in that Barry Goldwater is spinning in his grave so fast from this pick that they may harness the energy to light up Tucson.
Do you mean the eighteen months executive experience during which time she used her position to try and get her brother-in-law fired because he hurt her sister’s feelings?
Remember, what she did isn’t in dispute, only whether it was illegal or just catty…
Just what we need, another decider who abuses the power of their office.
Most of that “experience” was being mayor and city councilman of a nine thousand person town.
Don’t just show up and repeat stuff you read on Red State or Free Republic. All it does is make our other conservative commenters look bad by association.
Can’t we expect a little consistency from his campaign?
No.
That was easy.
I don’t read Red State or Free Republic, they are just as bad as the Daily Kos. I merely made a simple observation, Palin’s executive experience as governor trumps Obama’s total lack of executive experience.
If you want to read an objective political site based on logic, try Lewrockwell.com. You won’t be subjected to the usual political rhetoric of the right or left.
I’m tired of cable newsies calling Palin a “maverick” when she’s as corrupt as Ted Stevens and Don Young
How are you defing executive experience?
Obama was successfully managed grassroots organizations in Chicago.
Anyone who says that a grassoots organizer has no “executive” experience most likely has never worked as or with an organizer.
Politically speaking, this pick makes absolutely no sense because for the entire campaign McCain has tried to attack Obama by saying he’s not experienced. Now, Obama is riding high in the polls from the convention, while McCain threw away his primary method of tearing Obama down. McCain not only looks like a hypocrite, he looks as if he doesn’t know how to make a major decision under pressure, which goes to his primary self-defense arguement (i.e. that he has the judgment to lead).
By the way, on WXXI Friday Curt Smith said McCain lost the election by making this pick. Those are his words, not mine.
[...] think Rottenchester nailed it in this comment from a recent article: My take is that this pick says a lot more about John McCain than it does about Sarah Palin She [...]
Agreed to a point…as Sun Tzu warned in the “Art of War” to never underestimate your adversary.
The democrats are unmatched in their ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Curt actually is a maverick, though, at least as broadcaster. I don’t think that “the base” feels the same way. I hope he’s right, though. McCain deserves to lose for making this pick.
[...] here is more press coverage - check out this exchange, this discussion of choice or this one by Curt Smith, and, finally, btp wrapped it up [...]
Exile - if you are looking for experience, I have come up with a list of 5 people who are still eligible to be elected president that have the most experience:
1. George H W Bush - 4 years President, 8 years VP
2. Jimmy Carter - 4 years President
3. Al Gore - 8 years VP
4. Tie - Walter Mondale and Dan Quayle - 4 years VP
Which one are you going to write in?
Over Palin, I’d take any of them. Even Quayle.
No kidding.
Publius - I led a Boy Scout troop once - does that count?
What am I going to do with you Democrats? - I thought we needed to break the glass ceiling - first you reject Hillary and now Sarah?
Elmer, you’re being very bad…unless you’re kidding.
Makes as much sense as Obama looking for change with long time Senator Biden. I suppose if Mike Smith says McCain has lost, we might as well cancel the election.
I forgot to add Dick Cheney to the list - 8 years as VP in an undisclosed location
McCain isnt planning on winning the election and then dying.
I’m not sure anyone plans on dying.
By your reasoning, we will all live forever.
I assume you are referring to her firing her brother-in-law’s superior for his refusal to properly discipline him and not the actual trooper using his taser on his 11 year-old step-son. That certainly is acceptable behavior.