Patterico's Pontifications

6/8/2008

Beldar “Researches” Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain VP Contender

Filed under: 2008 Election,General — Patterico @ 11:34 am



Beldar:

I’ve spent several hours now reading about, and watching video clips of, 44-year-old Alaska governor Sarah Heath Palin.

sarah-palin.jpg

Beldar attempts to justify this seemingly obsessive behavior as “blogging research.” According to Beldar, Gov. Palin is a serious contender for McCain’s VP, and therefore it only makes sense that he would spend hours watching video clips of her.

Unnamed sources say that a lot of these clips are from the 1984 Miss Alaska contest, in which Palin competed as Miss Wasilla.

sarah-palin-aka-miss-wasilla.jpg

I suppose that could be relevant too, somehow.

Enjoy your “research,” Beldar.

Read his post here.

UPDATE: Here is a YouTube video advocating Palin for the VP slot:

28 Responses to “Beldar “Researches” Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain VP Contender”

  1. rrrrrrrroww! i hope mccain picks her for vp. i like her more than i like hillary. she’s also a lot hotter. considering that mccain’s as old as a pharaoh, if he picks her and then manages to get elected, she’ll probably be president in 2010 or 2011. i’ve had a wide range of sentiments toward presidents, good and bad, in my 53 years, but up till now i’ve never wanted to climb into bed naked with one.

    assistant devil's advocate (46360c)

  2. i’ve had a wide range of sentiments toward presidents, good and bad, in my 53 years, but up till now i’ve never wanted to climb into bed naked with one.

    We have our new quote of the day. I knew I called it too early.

    This is a great one to rip out of context . . .

    Patterico (cb443b)

  3. There is no way in hell that someone that is actually smart, competent and not to mention, “I’d hit it” hot, ever be accepted into the second highest office of the land.

    Oh but we can dream!

    Trade Alaska for DC? That is a total joke, right?

    TC (d16524)

  4. Here’s a better Quote for the day:

    “It was a shameful thing to ask men to suffer and die, to persevere through god-awful afflictions and heartache, to endure the dehumanizing experiences that are unavoidable in combat, for a cause that the country wouldn’t support over time and that our leaders so wrongly believed could be achieved at a smaller cost than our enemy was prepared to make us pay. No other national endeavor requires as much unshakable resolve as war. If the nation and the government lack that resolve, it is criminal to expect men in the field to carry it alone.”

    — John McCain

    David Ehrenstein (fc61c1)

  5. I’ve seen worse things to be obsessed about in presidential campaigns.

    Go Beldar.

    vnjagvet (d3d48a)

  6. Q&A How can McCain SIMULTANEOUSLY attract both Hillary AND Bob Barr voters?

    Answer: PALIN Veep!

    Ted (429bc3)

  7. Selecting Palin would make way too much sense for it to happen.

    Paul (90f626)

  8. Hey, Patterico. I see you let this Ehrenstein guy off your “banned” list. I also see that he hasn’t changed a bit. I’m glad you gave him a shot (or is this the second or third go round for this dude?), but wouldn’t it be great if he, well, stuck to the topic in the thread.

    Instead of being a partisan hack, though he always claims not to be.

    Rankled Lurker (1d11ac)

  9. “wouldn’t it be great if he, well, stuck to the topic in the thread.”

    – Rankled Lurker

    Which is what, exactly (keeping in minding David Ehrenstein probably isn’t too interested in hurling digital catcalls at Ms. Palin)?

    Leviticus (bb1781)

  10. Beldar’s posts on Obama have been dead on mark, and have illustrated well just how utterly incompetent Obama is.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  11. Somewhere in the midst of my non-video, non-photo research, I came across — and then lost, dangit! — a platform statement from when she was running for mayor. It was as succinct a statement of conservatism at the local level as I’d ever read, and it goes back to an era in the mid-1990s in which she was running (as combined mayor/city manager) a growing suburb, at a time while Obama was still doing his “community organizer” routine (which as far as I can tell was mostly class warfare and grifting government and foundation grants, sometimes through intimidation).

    I think America’s certainly ready for a woman or a racial minority to be president or vice president. When it happens, I’d like it to be someone who’s earned his or her spurs other than through “identity” politics or a family legacy. Palin looks to me like she might actually fit in with McCain’s maverick streak, and maybe she’d rub off on him on things like environmentally responsible development of ANWR and offshore drilling (where she’s to McCain’s right).

    Beldar (f6143b)

  12. A commenter over at Beldar’s says Palin doesn’t buy into the polar bear scam, which is great because it’s gotten really freaking expensive to turn one of those suckers into a rug these days. Maybe I can save some money going forward.

    daleyrocks (d9ec17)

  13. Oh God, as the homepage is configured right now I can get it situated where the photo of Ms. Palin as a young beauty queen is at the top of the page and the photo of Clinton giving the thumbs-up is right underneath it in plain view. Kind of creeps me out.

    JVW (78155f)

  14. She’d be ideal–but she just gave birth two months ago, and the boy has Down’s Syndrome. From what I’ve read, she and her husband knew about his condition before the birth, and have a great attitude about it, but having a special needs baby is a stress on a family under any circumstances–does she have the time and energy to handle a national campaign right now? It’d be hard to blame her if she said no.

    M. Scott Eiland (a16843)

  15. Eiland, regardless of who runs for Veep on the GOP ticket, their good name will be destroyed. Any hope of peace is gone. The media has proven how they treat their ‘enemies’.

    This woman certainly has her hands full, but I’d love to see her accept. Sadly, there isn’t a person for whom running on this ticket won’t be a tremendous sacrifice.

    Jem (4cdfb7)

  16. Jem is right. The media likes to tear apart politicians—methinks because journalists don’t actually do anything, and they are jealous of people who pass laws, etc.

    Can you imagine the Kos types if Palin, with a Downs baby, was selected to be VP with McCain? The nastiness would be worse than anything we have ever seen before—all couched in terms of how it might impact Roe v. Wade.

    Contemptible.

    Leviticus, you aren’t really serious. Your humor is far too arid for me, I think (grin).

    Rankled Lurker (2708f4)

  17. Eiland:

    Todd and Sarah Palin are experienced parents. They have plenty of family living in Alaska who support them. Todd Palin has taken a leave of absence from his job on the north slope so he is there to care for Trig as well as Sarah. Does this make Sarah a bad mom if Todd puts in more parenting hours in the day than she does? Of course not. No one is suggesting that fathers can’t take care of babies as good as mothers can, right?

    Trig has an extra chromosome. As far as I know, he isn’t hooked up to a ventilator or needs any
    special care at this point in his life. There is no reason why Trig couldn’t travel with Sarah if
    that is what Sarah and Todd decide. Other male candidate leave their family to campaign and no one gives them flack about it. Why should this be an issue for Sarah Palin? While there is no doubt that three months of campaigning would be rigorous, I think being the VP is an easier job than being a governor.

    What many of you don’t know is that north slope oil workers in Alaska usually work a two week on/two week off schedule. Todd Palin was gone 50% of the time when Sarah was giving birth to and raising their four other children. So I bet this time around Todd Palin is glad he doesn’t have to pack his bag and leave his family for two weeks at a stretch.

    The Palins are good people and good parents. There should be no doubt that Sarah Palin can campaign and still be a good mom.

    Gail In Alaska (4faf1d)

  18. It would be neat if she was nominated and ran, Gail.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  19. Given that liberals are very big on playing identity politics, how would a Palin Veep candidacy influence a potential dem choice for Vice-president? It seems to me that some of Hillary’s disgruntled supporters might be won over with idea that a woman had a good chance at being Potus a short time down the road. Who knows what health issues a 72 year old might have during his term in office? Of course there’s a difference between voting dem and gop.

    madmax333 (7dcab4)

  20. I wasn’t saying she’d be a bad mom if she accepted, Gail–I’m saying that she’s a human being who might want the time to deal with what will be a difficult situation, no matter how well she’s dealing with it–and that consequently she might reasonably decide that this isn’t the best time to take on a grueling campaign schedule. If she ends up on the ticket, I’ll be behind her 100%–she’s a very impressive individual.

    M. Scott Eiland (a16843)

  21. I have mixed feelings about Palin as VP.

    On one hand, it would be great to have a personable, charismatic, and principled gal like her in high office.

    On the other hand, as Jem and Rankled observed, she would be destroyed by the press. I would hate to see someone as decent and normal as Palin be subjected to the Dan Quayle treatment (along with her apparently very decent and normal family). Besides, she’s doing a great job as governor of Alaska and it would be a shame to lose her so soon.

    TomInAK (fd2df5)

  22. madmax, McCain has the latter convention I think.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  23. From everything I read, I am sure that Gov. Palin is fully able to make an informed decision on a proffered VP candidacy.

    I suspect the press problem is the least of her worries.

    vnjagvet (d3d48a)

  24. Advice to McCain: If it looks like it’s going to be McCain/Palin anyway (and that should be a “no brainer” for Team McCain), McCain should announce NOW or VERY SOON, rather than later towards the convention. There’s currently a growing chorus for Obama/Hillary (as VP) ticket (in fact the Dems are likely aware of the Palin phenomenon). If the GOP waits while movement for Hillary as VP grows — even worse until after it is solidified that Hillary will/could be VP pick — selecting Palin will be portrayed by Dems/liberal media more as a reaction by GOP selecting its own female (overshawdoing Palin’s own remarkable assets), rather than McCain taking the lead on this. Selecting Palin now or early (contrary to the punditocracy) will mean McCain will be seen as driving the course of this campaign overwhelmingly, and the DEMS will be seen as merely reacting. And, there’s absoultely no down-side to this because even if Hillary is a no-go as VP for Obama, the GOP gains by acting early. McCain the maverick. Palin the maverick. Do it now!

    There’s no reason, and actually substantial negative, in McCain waiting to see what the Dems do first insofar as his picking Palin as VP, because, no matter who Obama picks, Palin is by far (and I mean far) the best pick for McCain and the GOP, especially in this time of GOP woes. The GOP can be seen as the party of real ‘change’ (albeit I hate that mantra, change, change, bla bla), while not really having to change from GOP core conservative values, which Palin more than represents.

    In light of the current oil/energy situation, as well as the disaffected female Hillary voters situation, and growing focus on McCain’s age and health, Palin is more than perfect — now.

    (Hopefully Team McCain is already on to this.)

    Ted (429bc3)

  25. Take a look at this YouTube re Sarah Palin —

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXfiOSCfY44&eurl=http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/

    Ted (429bc3)

  26. A commenter on another post says it much better than I can:

    “They say McCain reads the blogs, so here goes —

    Senator McCain- Don’t let the campaign kibbitzers muddle things up.

    First and foremost, Sarah Palin shares your values. She killed the bridge to nowhere. Need we say more?

    As for the politics, Sarah Palin transcends geography. Her constituency, like yours, goes beyond state lines.

    She will get your ticket access to voters all over the country based on who she is and what she stands for. Because she’s young, a woman, a mother with young kids, she will grab media attention more than any other potential candidate.

    Gov. Palin also has a son in the active duty military. You have very wisely taken your son’s service in Iraq off the table as a campaign talking point. That is and should be respected. But others can talk about it and reflect on what it means.

    A McCain-Palin administration would be the first in memory which has family members in uniform during wartime from both the President and Vice President. That would be a powerful statement as to the importance of national service, especially in uniform.

    Most importantly, any Vice President should be ready to step up and serve in the event she is needed. Frankly, who is really ever ready? Gov. Palin is as ready as anybody, she is a quick learner, and in her public career has exhibited the courage and decisiveness needed for a great leader.

    Godspeed to you in your campaign and in making this important decision.”

    4bob (429bc3)

  27. I can see it all now, Alaska Gov Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, introducing Sarah as the next Vice President of the United States at the Republican National Convention later this summer, to the tune of Shania Twain’s “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face”.

    Here it is:

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

    Just imagine!!! (Dems, eat your heart out)

    ted (429bc3)

  28. Now that Mrs Palin has been nominated and accepted as VP Candidate, it is time to look a bit more seriously at things.

    She is evidently a strong and capable person, and learns quickly; bringing up 5 kids in a frontier land such as Alaska must be a tough call.

    She admits, I think, that foreign policy is not her best point, but she will be able to pick advisers and will share her Boss’s Presidential briefings, and is widely accepted to be a fast learner.

    With Mr McCain being 72 , with a malignant skin condition, she could be President within 2-3 years. I have a hunch that Mr McCain is actually planning for this and might retire “on health grounds” midway through the next term- if elected- to make this happen.

    She would then face that master Chess player, Vladimir Putin, and his soon-to-be sidekick, Mahmoud Ahmaninejad of Iran.

    Her promise to work for true energy independence for the USA could be the most important part of her programme.
    Speaking of which, if the USA had followed up on Project Apollo with a lunar base, industrialisation, and space based solar power for Earth, we would not be now facing problems of energy dependency on pesky regimes, nor of carbon emissions or scarcity.

    Many people suspect that the USA and the West needs more explorers, scientists, inventors and engineers, and fewer lawyers, bankers, and paper-pushers. I suspect Mrs Palin would agree?

    In Space , the word “shortages” of energy or raw materials has no meaning. Indeed, the disasters so widely predicted for our civilisation ONLY apply if we remain confined to one planet.

    I doubt that an elected Mrs Palin, with her concerns for energy and US strategic pre-eminence, would wish to serve an administration which was prepared to allow the true exploitation of the Moon to be initiated from a Chinese lunar base on the 50th anniversary of the last Apollo landing!

    Akhenaten (e775ef)


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