John McCain just picked the absolutely best possible choice as his running mate, and the Democrats and their allies in the dinosaur media are still reeling in shock.
It has all but knocked the Chosen One's speech at the Invesco Field Temple, put together by Britanny Spear's staging company off the front pages.
Who is this woman?
Sarah Palin is a no-holds-barred small government conservative. As governor of Alaska, she took on the political establishment of her own party to run on a reform and fiscal responsibility platform, first for mayor of Wasilla and later to capture the governor's chair from Frank Murkowski.
Once in she slashed spending, cut taxes and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. Among other things, she vetoed Ted Steven's famous 'bridge to nowhere' that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars and sold the governor's jet on E-Bay, cliaming it was wasteful.
Currently, she's one of the most popular governors in America, with an approval rating of over 80%.
She's also an expert on energy policy. In 2003, before she was governor,she was appointed to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and within a year forced the resignation of a fellow commissioner on an ethics violation. That commissioner just also happened to be chairman of Alaska's Republican Party.
And she was also commander of Alaska's National Guard.
She supports the idea of America using it's oil resources, including drilling in ANWR, and this is probably a signal that McCain has finally come around on that issue.
She describes herself as a 'hockey mom', has five kids - one of whom will be serving in Iraq next month - is an unabashed patriot and a crack shot and lifetime member of the NRA who grew up hunting moose with her father.Among her other accomplishments, she led her high school basketball team to a state championship, where she go t her nickname 'Sarah Barracuda' because of her aggressive play.
She a staunch pro-lifer who lives her principles. When told during her last pregnancy that her child was likely to be born with Down's Syndrome, she refused to have an abortion and after the child's birth said "When I look into his eyes, I see perfection."
She's married to Todd Palin, who's part Yu'pik, spent his life working in Alaska's oil fields and fisheries and is also famous in his own right in Alaska for winning this year's Tesoro Iron Dog, the longest, roughest snowmobile race in the world.
What we have here is a no nonsense, intelligent woman from small town roots with solid conservative principles who's absolutely not afraid to get in people's faces and champion her views, as Larry Kudlow discovered when he interviewed her.
No wonder the Democrats are petrified....I think we have the makings of an American Margaret Thatcher here.
9 comments:
Several corrections to your article:
She's not a "no-holds-barred small government conservative." She's more of a populist and she led the largest tax increase in Alaska's history (it was on the oil companies, but it's still a tax increase).
She was elected governor to replace Frank Murkowski. There is no one named Ted Murkowski. Frank was the most unpopular governor in the entire country. Sarah was elected because she was "not Frank."
She has not slashed spending. The state budget has grown significantly under her leadership (see the tax increase above).
Her approval rating is no longer at 80%. She is in the middle of an ethics investigation for trying to have her former brother-in-law fired from his State Trooper job. The most recent poll I saw had her approval at 60-something percent.
She has confronted the Chair of the state Republican party, but at the state convention, she was unable to get him replaced due to a lack of supporters.
She is "pro-life" but has refused to challenge our state supreme court which recently ruled that 13-yr-old girls can receive an abortion without notifying their parents.
Todd Palin did not win the Iron Dog this year. This year he crashed and injured himself. He has won the race several times in the past.
I'm not trying to bash Sarah Palin here, but wanted to get some of the facts straight. I'm a life-long conservative who voted for Palin, but who has been very disappointed with her failure to stick by conservative principles. I'm afraid this will not work out well for McCain.
What struck me from her speech is that she seems to be a real person. There haven't been many of these in politics in my lifetime.
have you heard this one?
sarah palin's husband and george soros were talking.
you know what they have in common.
NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!
Dear AK,
Thanks for the correction on Murkowski's first name.
I haven't seen any polls showing her approval at a mere 60%, any poll I've seen ahows her approval ratings between 80 and 84%.
I'm aware of the controversy surrounding her brother-in-law...and the fact that the case concerned domestic abuse by him.
I'm sure the McCain campaign vetted this thoroughly, so I suspect there's no substance there.
Likewise the budget stuff...I believe you're not considering the spending she's done on necewssary infrqastructure, like the $40M gas pipeline that should add a nice bonus to the Alaska Resident dividend check you get every year.
I also wasn't aware that her husband did not win this years' Iron Dog..bad source from the Dino Media.
And yes, I think this will work out very well for McCain.
Regards,
ff
From a foreign policy perspective, the most important question is which team Obama/Biden or McCan/Palim is best able to confront a resergent Russia. Russia is by far and away the most dangerous foreign thtreat to the United States and the free world right now.
Putin said something absolutely jaw dropping recently. He accused the United states of having Georgia provoke Russia in order to help a certain candidate during the election season. When I read this, I came the conclusion that one of the following must describe Mr. Putin. 1.) This is simply part of the Russian propaganda machine being put forth by the Kremlin and Mr. Putin is simply repeating propaganda that he helped create, as he is a former member of the KGB. 2.)Mr. Putin actually believes this. In other words, Mr. Putin is a mad man.
In all likelyhood we will have to confrton Russia sooner or later. When we do, it is important to determine which one of these correct. Is this simply Russian propaganda or is Putin mad. If he is mad, this is a VERU DANGEROUS sotiatopm/ Putin's Russia controls arguably the largest and most advanced nuclear arsenl on earth, the most active intellegence agency on earth, and one of the best trained and best lead military forces on earth. If Putin is a mad man, then he may be very difficult to predict.
I think this is simply part of the Russian propaganda machine but I wouold not discount madness on the part of Putin. What does seem clear is that the Russian leadership regards even the most puny defense measures taken by a country they don't like as a personal assault on them. This makes diplomacy almost impossible with them. The voters will need to decide who is best to deal with this problem.
The other great problem the United states has is its massive national debt. Who is best to deal with this. A McCain/Palin adminstration or am Obama/Biden administration? The voters will need to choose wisely. This is probably the most important presidential election in the history of the Republic.
Yeah, that worked out really well for the Republicans, didn't it?
This is fun to read now considering how brilliant the choice actually turned out to be. Don't you wonder if McCain wishes he could have a do-over and choose Ridge?
I think Sarah Palin worked out just fine, thanks. The country got an opportunity to get to know her and she will be back.
The hatred and fear she inspires on the Left even after th eelection is over shows exactly how effective she really is.
Had McCain picked Tom Ridge or Tim Palenty, he still would have lost, because of the incredibly poor campaign choices he made. But instead of it being a 52-47 election, it would have been more like 61-38.
Ridge is an admirable guy, but Pennsylvania was not going to go Republican this year. Minnesota might have, by a fingernal with Pawlenty, but that would have been it.
As an Obama supporter, I think she worked out great too! I am thrilled with the choice.
I do disagree about the "hatred and fear". On the contrary, her choice was an exceptionally entertaining one, and she brought much levity during the never-ending election.
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