Latest U.S. presidential candidate announcement - Ugh

[helwen]

Not that I'm greatly enthused about any of them, but the latest announcement of Gov. Sarah Palin (Alaska) as McCain's vice presidential running mate... ugh.

Anti-abortion, pro-Big Oil, and all gung ho for killing all the wolves in Alaska. And although I haven't done in-depth research, I expect she's anti any sort of equality for homosexuals.

Probably doesn't have much use for anyone not a "Christian" either. I put "Christian" in quotes because I know lots of perfectly great people who are Christians, but I don't have much use for the ones who try to put down people of other religions, often including Christians who don't worship and believe in exactly the same way as them. Adoption of or conversion to a religion should be by choice, and people who have made said choice shouldn't be looked down on for not being whatever the theoretical or actual majority may be.

*sigh*

Comments

[lyanna-beth.livejournal.com]

OK, put me down as a hippie-liberal! But I'm seeing myself as very much agreeing with you w.r.t your second paragraph.

Now, how will the people of the U.S. of A. see this? "Do I support a black man with a white man as a running mate, or do I support an older man with a woman as a running mate?"
"Decisions, decisions..."

This is definitely going to be interesting - despite the fact that I have very little enthusiam for the whole process, and even though it will certainly affect my country, one way or the other.

[lyanna-beth.livejournal.com]

BTW, this is how the BBC News sees her.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7588542.stm

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link.

Some people may vote for her and McCain because she's a woman, although it could be argued that there may be more men voting because of that than women.

I'm betting Hillary Clinton will be annoyed at Palin group herself with Clinton and Ferraro, despite it being true that all three share aspirations to the Pres/VP positions.

[baronessmartha.livejournal.com]

I don't think people will vote for her because she is a woman.

That is what I am calling the booby vote.

Please put down your vote for president of the united states...BOOBIES!!!

right. You need more than a good set of tits to run a country. I think her ethics and the current "amusement" in Alaska is a sticky wicket the GOP was not remembering quite the way they should.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Well, I certainly wouldn't vote for her just because she's a woman. But I also don't doubt that one of the reasons she was chosen was because she's a woman.

[baronessmartha.livejournal.com]

I think you are exactly correct. I feel insulted that someone would do that thinking I was shallow enough to vote for the boobies.

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

I agree on most points. However she has a gay-friendly record. To counter that she's a Creationist.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Good to know on the gay-friendly part.

Thanks for the reminder on being a Creationist -- I forgot to include that in my post. Just my opinion of course, but she's the last person I want in a nation-wide position of influence.

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

I know you used the phrase 'last person' as hyperbole, since plenty of worse examples leap to mind, but none of them are plausible as candidates. McCain's former spiritual adviser Rod Parsley comes to mind, or Ann Coulter... and THESE are people who have it together enough to get by in life. There are people confined to group homes that would be much worse than any of them.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Actually, I meant 'last person' as in of the people who have been under serious consideration in this current race, which Parsley and Coulter weren't. I should have been more specific. Although I'm not crazy about Romney either, and he was a contender.

I try to think as little as possible about people like Parsley and esp. like Coulter. Whenever her name comes up, I keep hoping that she'll do something either blatantly illegal or criminal, or something so socially unacceptable that no one wants to hear from her again.

[fitzw.livejournal.com]

Some information (pros and cons) about Sarah Palin can be found at http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/08/29/1304605.aspx

[ellid.livejournal.com]

I also strongly question the "family values" of a person who would willingly leave a five month infant with Down's Syndrome to campaign for Vice President. I'm sure the Republicans will *say* that Palin takes the baby with her, but she'll be far too busy for the sort of intensive parenting a disabled child, especially one that's still nursing, needs.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's what her husband is for. And formula.

No, seriously, her husband's on leave for now because he works for an oil company. When she became governor he took a sabbatical from the company he works for, to avoid conflict of interest accusations (or at least easily made accusations thereof).

I have no idea of course, but really I wonder how much time she can spend at home since she became governor, nevermind campaigning as VP.

I do know she had her kids over a long span of time, since the eldest of the five enlisted in the military last September, but that's neither here nor there.

[baronessmartha.livejournal.com]

I left a 12 week old with a heart condition in daycare to go back to work.

Let's don't judge other people's parenting choices, it is a slippery slope.

[ellid.livejournal.com]

You definitely have a point :)

...and death to polar bears

[handymonkey]

and all gung ho for killing all the wolves in Alaska.

She's also on record as planning on suing the Federal Government to have polar bears removed from the endangered species list.

From the Anchorage Daily News, May 22, 2008 -

"The State of Alaska will sue to challenge the recent listing of polar bears as a threatened species, Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday.

"She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state's northern and northwestern coasts.

"Palin argued there is not enough evidence to support a listing. Polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation, she said.

"Climate models that predict continued loss of sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears, during summers are unreliable, Palin said."

Re: ...and death to polar bears

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, them too. Wolves came up because a Defenders of Wildlife has already sent out email about Palin, with a reminder on the wolves.

[gigglingwizard.livejournal.com]

Still, she and McCain frighten me far less than Bush/Cheney did. If they win, I feel it'll be easier to take than either of the last two defeats.

[herveus.livejournal.com]

The first thing about her that really leapt to my attention was the creationist streak. She advocates teaching creationism in the public schools. What I have not yet sorted out is just where she thinks it belongs, but I'm pretty sure she means "in the science classroom". She needs to read and understand the carefully laid out ruling in the matter of the Dover schools.

She appears to be a sop to the right wing.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Agreed on the creationism points and the sop.

Well, the dirt is already flying on both sides now... I suppose the Dems should be thankful the Republicans gave them some more material to work with...

sigh. Candidates were more interesting (in a good way) back in the 70s (before I could vote, but hey).