What's to like about Sarah Palin?

[Lunar]

Sarah Palin seems to have been an enormously popular choice amongst Christians as the vice presidential pick for John McCain. My question - why?She's obviously not in any way qualified. Immediately the comparisons to Barack Obama come out, but it's just not even close. Sarah Palin has a bachelor's in journalism and worked as a sportscaster before become a mayor. Barack Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard law. Sarah Palin was mayor of a town of 8,000 for six years. Barack Obama was on the Illonois state senate for eight. Sarah Palin has been governor of the 47th most populous state for twenty months. Barack Obama has been a member of the United States Senate for four years.Some say that because Sarah Palin has had executive experience, this makes her more experienced than Obama. This claim is patently ridiculous. If that was really true, wouldn't it make her more experienced than McCain as well? Why isn't she heading up the ticket? And heck, wouldn't it make the manager of your local McDonald's more experienced than either Obama or McCain? It's plainly ridiculous logic. Also, let me say something about her being the mayor of a town of 8,000. I grew up in a town of about 8,000. I knew the mayor of that town. His mayorship, unlike Sarah Palin's, was an unpaid position (Palin made $66,000 for mostly ceremonial duties). He was a good man and a friend of my father. But he was not qualified to be vice president or president, and I would not say his duties prepared him for a presidential position in any way.Sarah Palin, by her own admission, didn't even know what the vice president did several months ago. But now she's qualified to be one? Sarah Palin also didn't have an opinion on Iraq or pretty much anything outside of the state of Alaska until a month ago. In fact, Sarah Palin doesn't seem to be even intellectually curious enough to maintain good knowledge of United States history. When asked whether she was offended by the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, she responded "Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, its good enough for me and I’ll fight in defense of our Pledge of Allegiance" - apparently oblivious to the fact that the Pledge of Allegiance wasn't written until 1892, or that the phrase "under God" was not in its original inception.Sarah Palin isn't big on telling the truth, either. She's touted herself as a reformer who fought against wasteful spending - but Palin's earmark requests as governor of Alaska were more per person than in any other state, having sent proposals for almost $200 million in earmarks just this year. She also likes to repeat that she said "Thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous "bridge to nowhere" - neglecting to mention that she was for it before she was against it, having campaigned for governor on a platform that vigorously supported the bridge to nowhere, and only abandoned support for it once it became a national scandal. Of course, even that wasn't enough to stop her from having the state keep the money, and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on related projects anyway. Palin also thinks that it's to her credit that she plans to put the government checkbook online to increase government accountability - seemingly unaware of the fact that somebody has already done this. A little somebody named Barack Obama, someone that Palin thinks "hasn't introduced a single piece of significant legislation."Most of all, Sarah Palin isn't big on speaking respectfully or with common decency. During her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, Sarah Palin had this to say about her qualifications:
Before I became governor of the great state of Alaska, I was mayor of my hometown.And since our opponents in this presidential election seem to look down on that experience, let me explain to them what the job involves.I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.
Rather than actually address concerns about her qualifications, Palin opts instead to take a cheap shot at Barack Obama - a statement that is besides the point to begin with, as Barack Obama has never cited his work as a community organizer as something that qualifies one for the presidency - while simultaneously insulting hard-working community organizers around the country. That's right - Palin would rather offend some of the best-intentioned people in the States than have to answer tough questions about herself. She's perfectly content to put others down in order to lift herself up. It's a statement that reflects startling immaturity. Ironically enough, she in the very next sentence demeans Obama for disrespecting working Americans.Sarah Palin is not qualified to be vice president or president of the United States, in terms of credentials, related work history, or maturity. She is nothing but a cheap gimmick meant to energize a Republican base that would have otherwise been just plain bored with John McCain. That McCain would make such an obviously cynical political choice - exploiting the fact of her gender to do so - is an insult to feminism and an insult to American politics.

 

[dogmom]

I've decided I'm not going into the reasons as to why she is completely unqualified, but the reasons why as Christians WE should be afraid.Please, I beg you, do a search about the Church Palin attends and the Church Palin agrees with and praises. It is frightening.A few reasons to be afraid:1) Her Pastor teaches that if you did not vote for George W. Bush, you should, and I quote, "question your salvation".2) Her Pastor says if you voted for John Kerry, you should wonder if you are going to get into heaven.3) Her Pastor preaches that if you even oppose George W. Bush, you are, and I quote, "banished to hell".4) During the 2004 election, her pastor preached this:"I'm not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I'm sorry."Please tell me that the above has scared you, because it scares me. A person that believes and reads the Bible, believes in Jesus Christ, is telling you He will deny you because of who you vote for. And this woman might be Vice President? Palin believes the war in Iraq is a holy war. She believes the war is part of a world war over Christian faith lead by Jesus. I can't add any more to this sentence, the lunacy speaks for itself.And Mccain wants us to worry that Obama is the Anti-Christ? Palin and her Church scare me a whole lot more.

 

[tim_from_pa]

What's to like about Sarah Palin?
She's hot?

And she can see Russia from her backyard.

Well, I was/am originally a Ron Paul man myself, but I guess he's out of it now. That's what happens I guess when I don't think or go with the masses and am the odd-man-out. I guess the price for individuality in thinking and character.Hey Dogmom:I was curious as to your sources. I'd like a link or links to the sites that quoted those things.thanks.

 

[Jordan]

(tim_from_pa;59489)
She's hot?

And she can see Russia from her backyard.

Well, I was/am originally a Ron Paul man myself, but I guess he's out of it now. That's what happens I guess when I don't think or go with the masses and am the odd-man-out. I guess the price for individuality in thinking and character.Hey Dogmom:I was curious as to your sources. I'd like a link or links to the sites that quoted those things.thanks.
Hey Tim, if dogmom is not a Christian. She can't post because this thread was originally on a nonChristian forum made by a nonChristian himself.

 

[tomwebster]

I think Sarah Palin is a wonderful choice as VP. I think she would make a great President also. She meets all of the qualifications to be President of the USA.---A candidate for the office of President of the United States must be a natural born citizen of the United States, a U.S. resident for at least 14 years, and at least 35 years old on or before the day of the election. (U.S. Constitution, Article II, section 1).A candidate for the office of Vice-President of the United States must have the same qualifications as a candidate for President. The candidate for Vice-President shall not be an inhabitant of the same state as the candidate for President.Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates must file jointly with, or be certified jointly to, the Ohio Secretary of State’s office (U.S. Constitution, Amendment XII; R.C. 3513.041, 3513.12, 3513.121).

 

[Christina]

(dogmom;59469)
I've decided I'm not going into the reasons as to why she is completely unqualified, but the reasons why as Christians WE should be afraid.Please, I beg you, do a search about the Church Palin attends and the Church Palin agrees with and praises. It is frightening.A few reasons to be afraid:1) Her Pastor teaches that if you did not vote for George W. Bush, you should, and I quote, "question your salvation".2) Her Pastor says if you voted for John Kerry, you should wonder if you are going to get into heaven.3) Her Pastor preaches that if you even oppose George W. Bush, you are, and I quote, "banished to hell".4) During the 2004 election, her pastor preached this:"I'm not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I'm sorry."Please tell me that the above has scared you, because it scares me. A person that believes and reads the Bible, believes in Jesus Christ, is telling you He will deny you because of who you vote for. And this woman might be Vice President? Palin believes the war in Iraq is a holy war. She believes the war is part of a world war over Christian faith lead by Jesus. I can't add any more to this sentence, the lunacy speaks for itself.And Mccain wants us to worry that Obama is the Anti-Christ? Palin and her Church scare me a whole lot more.
Oh come on do you listen to all the information or just what you what she doesnt attend that church she attends a Non denominational Bible study church. She did attended the church you are speaking of as teenager and young adult for a few years and went back only to give a commencement speech and the news media jumped on it.So compare that to Obama's 20 years in a hate monger church by choice as an adult. stop believing all the propaganda.

 

[dogmom]

I am a Christian, I just don't have a "christian username"

Christina, actually his sermons are available online(though they've been deleted from their mine site now), and that is the actual belief of her Church. Read before you say it's incorrect

I cannot post any links(my post count), but if you do a search online you'll find quotes and you can download his sermons.

 

[tomwebster]

dogmom,Do you know anything about the Assembly of God denomination? The church Sarah attended as a child and young adult was an Assembly of God church. They have some beliefs that some of us on this web site would not agree with, so what? Are we voting for pastor or a president and vice-president?

 

[Mel]

(Lunar;59423)
Sarah Palin seems to have been an enormously popular choice amongst Christians as the vice presidential pick for John McCain. My question - why?
Palin and Obama are both somewhat short on experience, as far as I'm concerned. Palin, however, is running at the bottom of the ticket instead of the top. The likelihood of McCain dying in the first year or two in office is rather slim, though of course it's possible.The fact that Palin's mayoral position included the salary you mentioned (or just a few thousand above that, according to the Washington Post), indicates to me that the job probably included more than mere ceremonial duties. Perhaps the reason the mayoral position of your father's friend wasn't paid was as a direct result of it only involving ceremonial duties, but that doesn't mean that Palin's paid position was the same. As a taxpayer (sales tax and property tax, for Wasilla's case), I would be outraged if I found out we were paying someone $68,000 a year to do a few ribbon-cutting ceremonies. According to several articles (including one in the Washington Post), Palin's mayoral position included overseeing the police department, public works department, parks and recreation department, planning office, library, and history museum. She expanded the city's budget by nearly half, increasing spending on police and public works while also managing to reduce property taxes. She was able to accomplish this due to the surpluses caused as new businesses moved into the area. This increased revenues from sales tax, despite the sales tax rate remaining steady at 2%. I don't think that Palin's mayoral experience alone is adequate experience for the presidency, but I also don't think it should be discounted as if it only consisted of ceremonial duties.Yes, Palin was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it. To me, the bridge to nowhere represents a case where the greater of two evils was chosen. The primary reason the Gravina Island Bridge garnered so much publicity has nothing to do with the fact that it's an example of pork barrel spending. It has to do with the fact that the alternative in Congress was for the funds to be spent on a Louisiana bridge damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Funding the Louisiana bridge would be just as porkish as funding the bridge to nowhere. The only difference is that it's considered a morally "better cause" to pay for construction projects for victims of a natural disaster.I am probably one of very few people who believe that the federal government should not be responsible for providing aid for state/local natural disasters. People in hurricane-prone states know that risk exists, and could choose to live elsewhere if they prefer to reduce that risk. Likewise, I choose to live in the earthquake state of California. I don't expect taxpayers in New York to pay for my local freeway to be rebuilt if it collapses in an earthquake. You mentioned that Palin had her state keep the money allotted for the Gravina Island Bridge, even after her decision to cancel the program. You are correct. This is akin to Ron Paul's practice on earmarks, though not entirely the same. Dr. Paul adds earmarks for his district into Congressional bills, just as most Congressmen do. Dr. Paul, however, never votes for those bills. He has been questioned about this practice, and has offered a two-fold explanation. First, a representative is just that. It is their duty to represent the best interests of their own constituents who elected them to office. Part of this involves those constituents getting back something closer to an equivalent value for the tax dollars they put in the system. Secondly, avoiding writing in earmarks does not reduce spending. Congress can either hand a lump sum to a Federal agency each year, or they can hand an earmarked lump sum to that agency. What's the difference? Let's say I have $50 to give to a person for their birthday. I could buy them a $50 giftcard to Walmart (lump sum). Alternatively, I could buy them a $50 giftcard to Walmart, but tell the person I want them to spend at least $5 of it on a music CD (earmarked lump sum). The person's still getting the same dollar value in the end. The difference is whether the gift-giver or the gift-receiver gets to choose how to spend it. Overall, earmarks make up less than 2% of the federal budget.As I stated earlier, there are some differences between Palin and Dr. Paul on this issue. Palin wasn't even running for governor until after the bridge to nowhere had already been debated and voted on. Even as a governor, she of course doesn't get a direct vote in Congress. Ted Stevens was the Senator who so strongly objected to the proposed amendment to divert the funds to the Louisiana bridge, to the point of threatening on the Senate floor to quit if the funds were diverted from Alaska. The actual version of the bill that passed still gave Alaska the same funds, but no longer had an earmark provision requiring that it be used on the bridge to nowhere. Palin did initially express support for the continuation of the bridge project while campaigning for Governor. She later canceled the project, citing that the state was still $329 million short of being able to fund it and that a bridge of such expense was not a proper solution to the problem. Yes, the state kept the funds. Likewise, there's nothing wrong with keeping your $800 tax rebate even if you stuff it under your mattress instead of spending it to boost the economy.I don't understand why everyone is so worked up about the "community organizer" comment. I even tried googling "community organizer slang" in case it's a slang term that I'm not understanding. That led to one report of "community organizer" being slang for "you know what" (actually, I don't know what). There were a couple other people asking what it was slang for, but no responses. If you tell me what the term is slang for, perhaps that would change my opinion of Palin. Until then, I'm not going to assume that she was accusing Obama of something bad. I know I'm showing my ignorance here, but I truly have no idea what the term is slang for.Being a perhaps ignorant American, I took Palin's comment at face value. I felt that she was pointing out that Obama was belittling her time as mayor, when he was involved in similar activities minus the responsibility factor. As a mayor, you're somewhat responsible for things that happen in your city even if you didn't cause the problem. Likewise, CEO's of companies can be held responsible for things they didn't even realize were going on under them. Mayors are also responsible, or accountable, to their constituents. I would argue that the weight of responsibility, or "a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible" (as dictionary.com defines "responsibilities"), is greater for a publicly elected official than for an employee or volunteer. (I believe Obama's years as a community organizer was paid, but I could be wrong.)I would like to debate other points in your post, but I fear my response is already so long that no one will bother to read it. In summary, I like Palin, though she is of course not without her flaws. She seems to be more conservative than McCain, which I consider to be a good thing. If only she was running on the ticket of someone who was more on her side of the issues. You did bring up some great points about Palin. It's important that we voters debate things like this so that we can make as informed a decision as possible.I originally cited the sources for my numbers and data, but apparently it won't let me post links due to my low post count.

 

[Follower]

What's Obama's experience? He shows up to vote, and he even does that wrong most of the time. Palin has already been "president" of a state and she'll be the VP of the USA before being the president, if ever. Obama will just be a voter before he's president. If you want the play the pastor vs. pastor game, remember Obama's Grand Dragon, Jeremiah Wright? It's true, though, Palin didn't ride Harvard's Affirmative Action train. On the other hand, a woman shouldn't be president for VP. Palin's career is one of pushing for bigger government (but, nothing compared to Obama). And, she's running on a ticket with McCain.