Link: Insider info in the McCain/Palin ticket

Tider@GW_Law

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To me, this info merely confirms the idea that Sarah Palin's rise to political candidate & governor is evidence of everything wrong with politics today - much of which I hear complained about in this forum by folks across the spectrum.

I now understand McCain's handling of Palin, i.e. putting her off-limits as much as possible. I am still having trouble understanding why she wasn't better vetted by his campaign. Was the pressure that great on him to get a VP candidate out there ASAP? :conf2:
 

bamacon

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Anybody who thinks Palin cost McCain the election is delusional. Palin energized the base because she was the only one to talk about any consevrative principles. If anyone is to blame it is McCain. He was the one running for president. The moderates in the Republican party got the candidate they wanted. They spoke about the policies they wanted. They lost.

Conservatives need to stand on conservative principles. They are the opposite of most things president-elect Obama stands for. We do not need to be shrill and act like the left has for the last 8 years, but we must stand firm, be consistent in our message, and must stand united. Anything less than that will result in more losses. You don't beat Democrats by acting like Democrats. If a voter wants to vote for a Democrat they will. If you are a conservative you need to spell out your ideology and contrast it to your opposition to the very best of your ability. The voters will then decide.

Barack ran a great campaign and was consistent in his message. That type of discipline is very impressive. People respond to leaders who are consistent in their message and deliver it in a powerful way. He did that, and while I do not agree with virtually any of his policies I will give him the credit he deserves as a campaigner and candidate.
 

bamacon

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I am hearing that the Repub & RNC officials at their meetings over the past couple of days have decided to get away from the whole far right, moral majority image. I guess we'll know within the next year or so.

I think it would be the best thing for the party and our country. I'm sick of Repub candidate after candidate running on a series of wedge issues, which thankfully couldn't happen in this presidential election, but could in the future.
They did that. Many bought into that "Reach across the isle, accept the premise and put a conservative touch on it" crap hook, line, and sinker (Amnesty, Global Warming, Bailout etc). Did you watch any of this election? Did you not hear any of McCain's ideas? Good grief. I'm sick of Republicans who embrace big government and try to get Democrats and Independents to vote for them by acting like Democrats. I want to see candidates who support our military, embrace limited government, promote traditional values, endorse capitalism and the free market, and discuss the principles of liberty and rugged individualism in an effective manner. In short, I want Republicans who sound like and act like Republicans.
 
I

It's On A Slab

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I am hearing that the Repub & RNC officials at their meetings over the past couple of days have decided to get away from the whole far right, moral majority image. I guess we'll know within the next year or so.

I think it would be the best thing for the party and our country. I'm sick of Repub candidate after candidate running on a series of wedge issues, which thankfully couldn't happen in this presidential election, but could in the future.
Republicans need to decide if they want to be a regional, rural, wedge-issues based, super-religious party, or do they want to be a national party? While those are valid constituencies, it doesn't make for a majority.

They're going to have to bring Newt back...or someone intelligent to reformulate themselves into an attractive alternative.

Howard Dean was just what the Democrats' needed. His "50 States" philosophy was based on not ceding any state to the Republicans, and taking the fight to the GOP in places like Missouri, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia. And it worked in 2006 and 2008.

This isn't the end of the GOP. It survived a crushing defeat in '64, it survived Watergate, and it will rise again.
 
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Tider@GW_Law

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They did that. Many bought into that "Reach across the isle, accept the premise and put a conservative touch on it" crap hook, line, and sinker (Amnesty, Global Warming, Bailout etc). Did you watch any of this election? Did you not hear any of McCain's ideas? Good grief. I'm sick of Republicans who embrace big government and try to get Democrats and Independents to vote for them by acting like Democrats. I want to see candidates who support our military, embrace limited government, promote traditional values, endorse capitalism and the free market, and discuss the principles of liberty and rugged individualism in an effective manner. In short, I want Republicans who sound like and act like Republicans.
Yeah, I watched the election and saw Palin selected as VP. Did you see that?

McCain himself was pushing to "reach across the aisle." It was when he started listening to RNC officials that got away from center and lost the undecided voters, which cost him the election. This came right about the time he picked Palin as VP, and, after the initial bounce from the RNC, came tumbling down in popularity.

The next Republican presidential candidate is not yet in the picture.
 

CrimsonCT

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Anybody who thinks Palin cost McCain the election is delusional.
Palin is the reason the GOP lost the moderates and the independents. She didn't need to motivate the base--they were already terrified of the scary black man. They needed to reach out to conflicted voters, and instead they chose a woman that most of the country felt was completely unelectable. McCain's VP selection gift-wrapped the election to Obama, as we predicted here several months ago. Thus, Obama pulled the largest number of votes ever in an election.

It is my sincere hope that Palin returns to her Alaskan mountain and we never hear from her again. The country will be better for this.
 
I

It's On A Slab

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It is my sincere hope that Palin returns to her Alaskan mountain and we never hear from her again. The country will be better for this.
I'm contributing to the Palin '12 campaign.

Knowing the Alaskan voters, who just re-elected a convicted felon to the US Senate, they'll be happy to keep sending her back to the Gov's mansion in Juneau.
 

Displaced Bama Fan

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The fault lay strictly at the feet of the GOP leadership. They allowed McCain to linger and eventually pushed him over a much stronger candidate in Mitt Romney. They allowed the fundamentalists to hijack the party and steer away from Romney because he's Mormon.

Romney had the advantage of being a successful businessman, governor of Massachussetts, stable family life (unlike McCain or Guilliani) and was clearly the best choice for the GOP. The last three candidates the GOP have run have been horrendous! Dole, W and Johnny Mac.

If that's the best the GOP can offer, they suck.
 
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I

It's On A Slab

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The fault lay strictly at the leadership of the GOP. They allowed McCain to linger and eventually pushed him over a much stronger candidate in Mitt Romney. They allowed the fundamentalists to hijack the party and steer away from Romney because he's Mormon.

Romney had the advantage of being a successful businessman, governor of Massachussetts, stable family life (unlike McCain or Guilliani) and was clearly the best choice for the GOP. The last three candidates the GOP have run have been horrendous! Dole, W and Johnny Mac.

If that's the best the GOP can offer, they suck.
I think Mitt would be Pres.-elect Mitt right now if the GOP had gotten over its Mormon prejudice. The guy is slick, well-groomed, and knows the issues. I don't like his politics, but I think he'll be a formidable candidate in '12.
 

Displaced Bama Fan

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I think Mitt would be Pres.-elect Mitt right now if the GOP had gotten over its Mormon prejudice. The guy is slick, well-groomed, and knows the issues. I don't like his politics, but I think he'll be a formidable candidate in '12.
Based on the GOP's track record, they can't nominate some one bright and articulate.
 

Tide n True

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BHO is also an idiot. He didn't know how many states his OWN country has. Why does BHO know more about Africa than his own country?
 

Bamaro

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Palin clearly is not an idiot but like Dubya, shows a complete lack of any intellectual curiosity at all. Someone who if they need to learn something specific can easily do it. Perfect example is her performance during the debate. However, to go out on her own and learn something, its just not going to happen. Perfect example was two interviews where she couldn't tell something that she reads for information (Couric interview) or state a supreme court decision that she disagreed with (Gibson interview). She is qualified to be mayor of Wasilla, nothing more. This election was close enough that she surely could have cost McCain the election. She cost him mine.
The republican party would do well to move on without her. Listening to interviews on election night, Pawlenty was very impressive.
 

rizolltizide

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I appreciate the reasoned argument and roundabout vote of confidence, as disapointment seems to suggest a high mark to measure against =)

An isolated geographic blunder is an unfortunate gaffe. A series of them, coupled with the well catalogued two months of dumb moments, reflects deficiency. That is why I said the Africa thing is bad 99% of the time; even the smartest people make mistakes.

A politician who seriously says that criticism from the media threatens her first amendment rights is completely unfit for office. It is not a policy difference; she does not understand what the position she is applying for requires, but worse, she does not seem intellectually curious at all.

This country needs political discourse. A Republican party led by Sarah Palin yields no positive results: the party will crumble and the Democrats will face no opposition whatsoever, or the GOP will devolve into an even stronger breed of warmongering deficit spenders who think Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a dictator.
You seem to have all the answers. Why don't you start your own party? I'm sure by the time you reach the age of 35 you would have more than enough support to gain the office. Or maybe with all the knowledge you have now you could challenge the age requirement as being unconstitutional and discriminatory and be the youngest elected President ever. You certainly seem to be a great uniter.
 
I

It's On A Slab

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Displaced Bama Fan

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And they can win again.

The true-believers forget that the Contract With America wasn't all about gay marriage and flag-burning. It was about the middle-class, pocketbook issues, lower taxes, responsible government, stuff that middle America cares about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_with_America#Major_policy_changes

Hell, i drank the koolaid, too, in '94.
Bring back Newt. Who cares that he cheated on two wives and divorced one while she was in the hospital undergoing chemo. That's the kind of hard core SOB the GOP needs.
 
I

It's On A Slab

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BHO is also an idiot. He didn't know how many states his OWN country has. Why does BHO know more about Africa than his own country?
Okay, I'm going to have to ask you and Blue Devil Tide to try to use some different, less confrontational word than "idiot" to describe our leaders.

While you both probably have good reason to believe this, it doesn't add to a civil conversation on this forum.

We ask that you refrain from using such language.

The election is over. Maybe we can return to a little more civility on this board.

Thanks for your cooperation.
 

SavannahDare

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That's the kind of hard core SOB the GOP needs.
:biggrin::biggrin: Good one.

As an aside, I love how people like to assume they know so much about these candidates based on what is fed to you via the media. People make mistakes and it's like blood in the water and the feeding frenzy ensues. There's not a single one of us on this board that could do too much better under 24/7 worldwide scrutiny. None of these four candidates were Rhodes scholars. Heck, I wouldn't want them to be. I've know several Rhodes scholars who could barely dress themselves.:)
 

Jon

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I am hearing that the Repub & RNC officials at their meetings over the past couple of days have decided to get away from the whole far right, moral majority image. I guess we'll know within the next year or so.

I think it would be the best thing for the party and our country. I'm sick of Repub candidate after candidate running on a series of wedge issues, which thankfully couldn't happen in this presidential election, but could in the future.
that's the only hope the republican party would ever have of getting guys like me back.
 

Bamaro

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:biggrin::biggrin: Good one.

There's not a single one of us on this board that could do too much better under 24/7 worldwide scrutiny.
Yeah but we aren't out there trying to get elected to the highest offices in the land. Anyone can make mis-statements, slips of the tongue. Palin went well beyond that. We have a right to demand a certain amount of competency. McCain, Biden and Obama showed that, Palin unfortunately didn't
 

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