The Nation -- Everyone is trying to get the measure of Sarah Palin, the woman who was rocketed from small-state obscurity to the national stage when John McCain selected her as his running-mate on the 2008 Republican ticket.
Republican senators and governors are admitting interviews, as former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, did with me a few minutes ago that: "Most of us don't really know her personally."
Well, Anne Kilkenny does know Sarah Palin.
Kilkenny's a good citizen of Wasilla, Alaska, the city where Palin got her political state as a city council member and then mayor. She's a self-described "housewife" who volunteers as a voter registrar, has been active in the PTA and regularly attends local government meetings.
She is, as well, someone who has clashed with Palin. More than a decade ago, when Palin was campaigning to ban books, Kilkenny says, "I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's attempt at censorship."
"Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20080904/cm_thenation/45354444;_ylt=Ar...
I watched the RNC show and I was impressed by Sarah Palins poise and delivery of her speech. I must admit I think she has that “foxy school teacher” look! However, that is no reason to be bowled over, because I am looking for good governance, not good looks. I am looking for sound fiscal policies, not sound bites. I personally do not want the tabloid magazine culture to spill over into the presidential arena and take up permanent residence there. The focus needs to remain on some very serious issues facing the U.S.A. right now.
One week and she still won't do an interview with the media...to frightened I guessed. How can she run the country when she can’t sit across from Larry King or Katie Couric for 10 minutes?
Conversely, Obama gave Bill OReilly a 30 minute interview…
Yeah, and it only took nine months of OReilly begging every single night on his show for NOBAMA to answer the call. Don't you think that you should maybe wait until the freaking convention is over to start ripping her for not doing interviews with the Liberal media? I am sure they will all have their chance to shred her in due time, but I highly doubt that she is "to frightened" of any of those left wing Brokaw wannabes.
Presidents and administration members that hold closed meetings with people "friendly" or perceived to be "friendly" to them.
People are hand picked and allowed in and even vetted to some degree, to make sure that they are "friends" of the candidates and office holders.
There was a time, not that long ago, when candidates were before the microphones and cameras and actually answered questions and did not clam up when questions were asked and then shut the media.
Heck, it even happens here locally.
Ask a tough question, you are being negative, unfriendly, unpatriotic, and on and on it goes.
Where's she then?
This Sunday -
Joe Biden is doing "Meet the Press"
McCain is doing "Face the Nation"
Obama is doing "This Week"
Where's Palin?
Yesterday you have Obama taking questions from a group of reports...
to that.
you'll drink to anything!
You can wink if you want, but that comment was not called for and from my perspective a little too personal.
The question is: why is Palin not giving interviews or is not being interviewed? I think many of us would like to see how she defends the positions she has taken and her record no matter how short it may be.
I found this op-ed piece of interest. If you want to see women receive equal treatment and opportunity, Palin does not appear to be that candidate. How would she answer the questions/accusations raised/made here? http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-steinem4-2008sep04,...
your perspective....the comment wasn't directed toward you.... and besides from what you post on this site I have often wondered what you have been on yourself......
It comes as no surprise. I expected another flippant comment from you and I don't care who the remark was aimed at - I'd say the same thing to you regardless of your object of attack. As to what I am on, it's called life. I enjoy it. And I believe in being an informed, active and caring member of my community, my country and the world.
Perhaps you should give two @#%$s about it.
with your first comment. Sarah will need some time to get up to speed, then she'll be fine on the circuit . The campaign needs some more specifics on the issues , though.
She needs weeks to get up to speed to talk to reports? But she'll be capable of being president if something happens to McCain in 4 months?
This is getting ridiculous. McCain's camp has said they are going to purposely keep her away from the media--no interviews, nothing. This coming from a candidate who just promised transparency in gov't. This sort of coddling lends itself to wild rumour. We know nothing about this women, other than the 1 speech she'd made. By taking this route, John McCain shows NO respect for the office of the Presidency. (say what you will about the corporate media----I criticize them often, but what other access do we have to the people supposed to be working for us?)
but what else should we expect from the extreme right-Karl Rove show?
Sarah Palin was chosen strictly to get the ticket elected, consequences be damned once she actually takes office. Period, end of story.
As I've said before, America has been dumbed-down so far this ploy might actually work. As has been the case the last eight years, we'll only have ourselves to blame if this potential train wreck sees fruition.
It scares me that you are actually a teacher at TPS. No wonder the disconnect between teachers and parents. Go back to harrassing your students, if you really are a teacher (heaven forbid). The comparison has been made that Palin has the look, temperment, body language and the sneakiness of a teacher.
Contrary to what you may have heard, I don't drink, smoke or do drugs and If I did it would be none of your business.
My comment, if you check the date and time when I wrote it, you will see that I was addressing remarks made by, "cmantyla."
Getting back to the subject at hand: Call me sexist or call me a mommy, I would like to see more of the mommy side of Palin and less of the barracuda side.
OBAMA/OBIDEN/08
conversation. You continue to spread you message of hate and racism, purehate. You excel at it. Keep saying things like 'my people' and 'white america' and then attempt to push your supposed morals on me. You are a joke, and you will continue to be a joke, and your little buddies on here, like Stevie-boy, can drink your kool-aid if they choose, but the majority of us are not fooled by you. In closing, I will say that if you are not on something, then you should seek professional help for your bipolar disorder because I have never met or read anyone who switches gears as fast and as awkwardly as you.
we are not having a conversation. If you don't like what I write or say, hit the ignore button.
Obama/OBiden/08
And, Palin's speech was written by Bush's speechwriter - not her words. Even the comparison to her & bulldog (lipstick) was not her words. Living in Alaska does she have the first clue what problems the rest of the country faces as far as inner city schools, school violence, drugs, gangs, ghettos, prosititution problems, sex offenders in every neighborhood, etc. My guess is she's never even seen an inner city neighborhood or been confronted with the problems parents here face. I never thought the VP had much of a job to do anyway - but there's always the possiblity of losing the president - due to illness, death - and is she qualified to step in to hold the most important office in this country & make decisions about war, world peace, terrorist attacks, immigration problems? I think not. Of course the president can't just pass laws on his own - but he can find ways to achieve his goals. Palin is a remarkable woman, but she certainly doesnt speak for me, and I think she's insulted a lot of women - and McCain has insulted a lot of women by thinking choosing her would win women over. When McCan chose Palin, my vote went to Obama.