In The Last Two Hours I Have Received No Less Than 10 Phone Calls

[Symarip]

My friends and family: some D's, some middle of the roaders, and a few R's. They are all saying the same thing:

Why the fuck did McCain pick her?

Forget the media buzz for a second because if McCain chose a petrock as a running mate, they'll pretend it's formidable.

For the life of me, I have no idea what they're thinking. For every argument I make in my head why someone would pick this unknown, I instantly think of a thousand reasons not to. Her inexperience will make it impossible to go after Obama's experience or lack thereof. Being a pro-lifer will destroy any chance of picking up any real Democratic women who are seeking a presidency based on gender (the PUMA types, if you will). Being a woman, she'll scare the typical Republican values base because women, especially one with 5 children, probably belong in the kitchen. Hell, listening to her on C-Span radio, I swear she's running for a chair on the PTA.

Honestly, I just don't get it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Thanks for posting. I am always interested in knowing what people outside

of the left and DU are thinking.

[Symarip]

5. Most people don't glue themselves to TV and the internet

I've been thinking about this all day. If I don't get it (unless this is juat a clear sign they just want to lose), and I love politics and wasting hours on the internet, what the hell is Joe Schmoe going to think?

[speedoo]

2. I don't get it either.

The only conclusion I've come to is McSame is an idiot.

[Cosmocat]

8. EGO, and ...

Ego, he could not bring himself to put the person who BY FAR gave him the best chance to win - mittens, on the ticket with him.

It also BLATENTLY showed his mysoginistic underlying tendencies.

SERIOUSLY.

[MadrasT]

3. The only conclusion I've come to

is that there is some nefarious tinfoil hat plot to throw the election or worse.

[StrongBad]

4. My mom called me about it too

She's a right leaning centrist but saw right through McCain's pick as a desperate Hail-Mary ploy. Her vote is now solidified for Obama.

[Big Blue Marble]

20. Hail Sarah!!!

It is a Hail Sarah pass.:rofl:

[helderheid]

6. I honest to God think McCain believed the MSM "Puma" vote and that women are interchangeable.

[Symarip]

10. Maybe

But I mean, they have strategists for this type of shit. Someone in their camp must've stood up and pointed out everything we've covered already. This just seems so strange.

[BeyondGeography]

7. Same here

People who are Dem-friendly but who take this much less seroulsy than me are reacting the same way. One guy told me he was at lunch with a McCain supporter when the rally was taking place and the guy said, "I think we just lost this election."

[Symarip]

11. Boggling, isn't it?

The Republicans are a machine. I can't see them doing this unless they:

A. Want to lose

or

B. Have a hidden ace up their sleeve

I don't know. I just don't fucking know. It's the craziest political move I've ever seen.

[sellitman]

9. Because they don't want to waste a good Repiggy on a wasted cause.

Thats my guess.

[MorningGlow]

12. "Lookee! We got us a woman too!"

And that's about it, as far as their logic goes. She's the "anti-Hillary", the Repuke answer to a female politician. And whee-doggie, she was a beauty queen! What more do you need!
:sarcasm:

...Yes, they're idiots.

[Symarip]

15. I'd love for it to be that easy

But they're much smarter than that. I'm not talking about the Republican voters, who are by and large, 'morans'. I'm talking about the inner working of their party.

[MorningGlow]

16. Gonna disagree with you on that one

They ARE that stupid--or, rather, that simplistic. Hey, choosing an inexperienced woman is a "maverick" choice! He's a rule breaker! Be impressed! Blah blah blah. Plus, with everyone making fun of his age, he brings youth to the ticket. I say again: stupid. But good for us.

[AlCzervik]

13. 2 here and both have decided to sit out this election.

[LibDemAlways]

14. Here's my theory. McSame knows this is a piss poor pick, for

all the reasons you stated. He's assuming the ethics question will blow up, or the party honchos will go apoplectic over him picking an inexperienced woman and there will be a lot of pressure on her to ultimately withdraw her name from nomination. Then McSame will pick the guy he wanted all along - Lieberman, and by then it will be too late to do anything about it, so repukes will just go along. I honestly think this is the scenario McCain would like to see play out.

[DebbieCDC]

17. She'll turn out the fundie base

They HAVE to have that base out in big numbers to have any hope of winning. The fundies won't cross the street for McCain. For Palin they'll stand in line all day to vote. That's what it boils down to. Already the fundie leaders are expressing their absolute joy with Palin as rethug VP. That's what it boils down to -- they had to give fundies a reason to support McPOW and this is it.

[Symarip]

18. The problem is

Though she may share their fundamentalism, she's young, inexperienced, unknown and a woman.

Fundies love old, rich, white men from the South. I have a hard time believing she's going to shore up any votes on any fronts, especially the fundies.

[mwb970]

19. A 6000-year creationist in the White House!

What a horrifying thought. Talk about accelerating the decline!

[truthisfreedom]

21. It's not that she has 5 kids. It's that she has a special-needs infant. This is not a good time

for her family for her to be spending so much time away from them. Look what happened with her pregnant underage daughter... I blame that on "not enough mommy time."

[DixieBlue]

22. Were one of them from me?

I've talked, more like yelled, at more members of my family and friends than I care to admit.

As a feminist As an intelligent, forthright, mother I am insulted. And, I'm insulted with this shit the MSM is spewing about Palin being good for Hillary supporters!

What? What planet are they on?

[Symarip]

26. I am just as dumbfounded as you are

Though, I'm not all that angry. This might be the R's calling it quits for 2008 and they found an easy way out: sacrifice a lamb (or in this case, a moose). Who knows?

[LSK]

23. I am thinknig he bought into the PUMA hype too much

[Cronus Protagonist]

24. He picked her because he wants to fuck her - Philandering John has a reputation to uphold

When you consider John's history, it's very clear.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

25. My one former Republican friend called me

and asked "Is McCain just nuts? Did Romney say no?"

[underpants]

27. petrock

Oh that is excellent

My wife called me this morning and started with "John McCain has lost his freakin' mind"

[City of Mills]

28. Tunnel Vision!

They wanted a female on the ticket to get the votes of disgruntled Hillary supporters...and they chose...Palin...and...blocked out everything else.

[Symarip]

30. I have a hard time accepting that

Maybe I'm giving the Republican Matrix more credit than they deserve, but I think they are much smarter than that.

[City of Mills]

32. Then...they're embracing the 'underdog' role?

Maybe they want to make it seem like they have NO chance, in an effort to put all the pressure on Obama/Biden to not make a mistake. I predicted either Palin or Hutchinson a few weeks back...I admit, in jest - so I'm a little shocked that McNugget actually did it.

[Symarip]

34. Shock.

That's the word.

I'm in it.

[AZBlue]

29. She also hates the environment.

She's just made it that much easier to defeat McCain.

[barack the house]

31. To completely honest she's smart and that's kinda rare in the GOP.

[Meshuga]

33. You nailed it with this quote:

"Forget the media buzz for a second because if McCain chose a petrock as a running mate, they'll pretend it's formidable. "

I don't get it either. Especially the assertions by some in the media that the Clinton supporters are going to consider McCain as if they were idiots. The "Hillary voters" who are voting for McCain were probably going to vote for McCain anyway regardless of who is the VP.

[eshfemme]

35. I was WTF too

Even as an Obama supporter, I can't help but be upset that McCain didn't line up a better opponent for Biden to tear into in the VP debates. I mean, it'll be really sad to watch him tear into her like tissue paper. Is this just part of a general campaign strategy for McCain to get the pity vote?

[snooper2]

36. Because being Gov. of Alaska is a pretty cool job

:rofl: