First thoughts: The show must go on

Posted: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 9:55 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: First Thoughts

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
ST. PAUL, MN -- NBC’s Phil Alongi reports that the Republican convention will go forward tonight, and the theme will be “John McCain: The Person He Is.” There will be three major speeches: Fred Thompson will talk about his biography; Joe Lieberman will speak about “the person he knows”; and President Bush will address the convention via remote from the White House. Both Thompson and Lieberman will speak in the 10:00 pm ET hour, while the time of Bush’s remarks is still TBD. (Just to give you an idea of what the GOP convention was supposed to look like before the hurricane, Bush and Lieberman were scheduled to speak on Monday, while Thompson and Giuliani, who we guess is now speaking tomorrow, were part of Tuesday’s act.) By the way, appearing on “Morning Joe” this morning, Lieberman said this about having found out that he’s speaking tonight: "You're sort of like Mariano Rivera in the bullpen." Is he in the VP bullpen, too?

*** The Palin distraction: Judging by conversations we've had various delegates, it's clear Sarah Palin is going to be a big hit inside the Xcel Center. But if there's one thing she's done that's a negative that has nothing to do with the vetting process or her own issues like the revelation of her 17-year-old daughter’s pregnancy, it's that she's taken the focus off of Obama. It seems like it’s been a month -- though it's been just a few days -- that the RNC or McCain hasn't had a sustained attack on the Illinois Democrat. As we've learned this summer, when this campaign is about Obama, the race is a lot closer than when it's not about him. And right now, thanks to Palin, it's not about him.

*** Looking like an ordinary politician? On Monday, the papers were full of stories about how Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. Also yesterday, we found out that Palin worked for a 527 group organized by Ted Stevens, who is now facing trial on corruption charges. Then came the news that she has retained an attorney for that Troopergate ethics investigation. And finally is today’s Washington Post story noting that Palin employed a lobbying firm to secure earmarks -- which are taboo in McCain World -- for Wasilla while she was its mayor. More than any new revelations about her daughter, the bigger drip-drip danger for the McCain campaign could be more signs that Palin begins to look like your average politician. If you think you’ve heard that that line before, you have. It’s how the Clinton folks tried to brand Obama during the primary season, to no avail. But if the person the McCain camp has branded as a outsider-reformer no longer appears that way, that could be a problem. It doesn't matter how well they explain away each little issue. It's the bigger "she's just another pol" picture that could make all the other issues regarding the pick become a problem.

*** The vetting process: When the campaign decided to surprise the world with Sarah Palin, it had to know it was buying a massive spin job. Our email boxes are now filled with explanations and attachments, and they have nothing to do with Obama or Biden or the Democratic Party. And while Palin's issues are ones the Obama campaign are largely staying away from, it appears the vetting process itself is what's going to continue to get the scrutiny. Was this reactionary pick when Charlie Black and Rick Davis talked McCain out of Lieberman? Did McCain get any true bonding time with Palin where he's comfortable with her in the way he is with the rest of his inner circle? By the way, it depends on your definition of vetting of whether you believe she was fully vetted. No doubt the legal vet was done; the question is whether a political vet was completed. Also, did Obama on CNN last night really attempt to blunt Palin's experience credentials by comparing his management of the presidential campaign to Palin's tenure as Wasilla mayor? That seemed like a stretch and probably only reminds folks of how little executive experience Obama has. Sure, Palin doesn't have a lot of experience, but she's running to be McCain's apprentice. Obama's running for the top spot.

*** Here come the talking points: Speaking of those emails and attachments… Last night, three days after McCain selected Palin as his running mate and also three days after many first learned of the “Troopergate” investigation in Alaska, the McCain camp finally released talking points over the matter to its general press list. The talking points: “Gov. Palin is an open book on this -- she did nothing wrong and has nothing to hide.” (Our question: So why did she originally deny that her office had ever contacted former Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan about her ex-brother-in-law?) “Gov. Palin dismissed Monegan because of an honest disagreement over budget priorities -- that’s it.” (She and her husband didn’t also disagree with him that her ex-brother-in-law should no longer be employed as a state trooper?) “The allegation that Gov. Palin retaliated against Commissioner Monegan for not firing Trooper Wooten is cut from whole cloth.” (So why did Monegan have the impression that the Palins wanted Wooten dismissed?) And “Monegan stated that at no time did Gov. Palin, her husband, or anyone on her staff tell him to fire … Wooten. Monegan told the Anchorage Daily News, ‘For the record, no one ever said fire Wooten. Not the governor. Not Todd. Not any of the other staff.’” (But did anyone imply it?) The good news for Palin on this story: The trooper in question may not be of the highest character, and at the end of the day if she is seen as acting in a way that was protective of her family, she might get a pass. But it's never great for any national nominee to be dealing with any official investigation.

*** So no New Year’s Eve in Iowa in 2012? Little noticed yesterday given the Gustav coverage and the Palin kid’s pregnancy, but Republicans decided to take a step that will give candidates -- and everyone else, it seems -- a breather in 2012 and also perhaps increase the significance of the earliest primary states. "Delegates to the Republican National Convention cemented Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina yesterday as the first three nomination contests in 2012. The adopted rule declares that no state can hold its primary or caucus before the first Tuesday in March, except for those three states. They, in turn, cannot hold their votes before the first Tuesday in February, a stark contrast to this year, when Iowa held its caucuses on Jan. 3, New Hampshire its primary on Jan. 8, and South Carolina its contest on Jan. 19." The remaining question is whether Democrats follow suit. (Of course, they’re hoping that an Obama win will make calendar discussion re: 2012 moot.)

*** Also in the Twin Cities: The GOP convention hosts a conference call for reporters at 11:00 am ET. And Cindy McCain and members of her family participate in a ONE campaign event at the Minneapolis convention center at 3:15 pm ET.

*** On the trail: McCain is in Philadelphia, PA and Cleveland, OH. Obama is down in Chicago. Joe Biden is in Florida, where he holds town halls in Deerfield Beach and West Palm Beach.

Countdown to the first presidential debate: 24 days
Countdown to the vice presidential debate: 30 days
Countdown to the second presidential debate 35 days
Countdown to the third presidential debate: 43 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 64 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 141 days

Click here to sign up for First Read emails.
Text FIRST to 622639, to sign up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Palin's only qualification's are being a typical republican under a current investigation and a corrupt liar to her folks back home. McShame doesn't know sqwat about this chick - I guess he should just "lay back and enjoy it" though. What a party!

Brian, Cedar Hill, TX (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:30 AM)

Wow, looks like Palin has Obama's lack of experience AND his knack for shady contacts. Good thing they're not in the same party; half the country would die of laughter.

Peas in Pod (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:31 AM)

What amazes me is that it appears McCain learned nothing from watching Hillary lose her primary. She ran on a "its time for a woman President" platform, and won older women voters, but she didn't make a dent in the youth vote. So McCain turns around and chooses a woman for VP, with half the gravitas and name recognition of Hillary, and he thinks that's going to help him, how? Fire up the conservatives and the evangelicals, I guess, but were they ever in danger of supporting the Democrats? I am really, and truly, perplexed.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:31 AM)

Of course, the show must go on. Last time McCain and Bush was sharing McCain's birthday cake. This time the same group of party goers are celebrated while we have ravished towns; nothing new...the same old don't care politicians as before.

What vetting process? The republicans are all on the same "nothing" message. The same code of silence of lies that brought us IRAQ. These people must not be trusted!

Michelle Zee (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:32 AM)

From the very respected British broadsheet paper the Telegraph :

------------------------

John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin was in Alaskan independence party
Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, was once a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, its officials have said.

By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 3:22PM BST 02 Sep 2008

News of Mrs Palin's former membership comes as the latest in a string of potentially embarrassing disclosures about her past.

The party has lobbied since the 1970s for the right to hold a referendum on whether Alaska should secede from the United States. Its motto, "Alaska First", contrasts sharply with the John McCain campaign slogan: "Country First."

It seeks "the complete repatriation of the public lands, held by the federal government, to the state and people of Alaska" and aims to be "self-sufficient" by using profits from Alaskan oil and gas resources. It claims that the vote held in 1958 which led to Alaska becoming the 49th state of the US was corrupt and did not offer a proper choice.

While it is thought that Mrs Palin officially left the party to become a Republican in 1996, she recorded an address for its convention earlier this year in which she said: "I share your party's vision of upholding the constitution of our great state" and told members to "keep up the good work".

Lynette Clark, the chairman of the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP), confirmed to ABC News that Mrs Palin and her husband Todd had both been both members and attended at least one party convention.

"When she joined the party our platform was right under her nose," Mrs Clark said. "I can't understand why in God's name she has aligned herself with a candidate who opposes the development of our republic and Alaska's resource wealth," she added.

In a video recorded at this year's party convention, Dexter Clark, the party's vice chairman, can be seen telling delegates: "The situation is completely out of hand, the decay of the federal government is totally complete."

He tells them that in order to propagate AIP policy they "should infiltrate" mainstream parties. "Whichever party in that area [in which] you can get something done, get into that political party, even though it does have its problems," he says.

The latest disclosure is likely to add to concerns among some Republicans that Mrs Palin was not adequately vetted before being asked to become Mr McCain's vice-presidential candidate.

On Monday the campaign added another dramatic twist to the race for the presidency when it said that Bristol, Mrs Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, was pregnant and would marry the father.

Opponents of the Republican Governor have unearthed more potentially embarrassing details from her past.

Developments in the "Troopergate" scandal, in which Mrs Palin denies using her role as Governor of Alaska to take revenge on her state trooper brother-in-law by having him sacked after his divorce from her sister, appear to challenge her version of events. An investigation into the incident is set to report back five days before the election.

In an interview last month, when still unlikely that she would be offered her role by Mr McCain, Mrs Palin dismissed the job of vice-president, saying that she couldn't understand what it would involve day to day.

When asked in another interview for her thoughts on America's involvement in the Iraq war, Mr McCain's continued support for which is a key plank of the Republican campaign, Mrs Palin said: "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."

And Mrs Palin has also been criticised for her behaviour on a radio talk show in January. While being interviewed about her feud with Lyda Green, the Alaskan state senate leader, Mrs Palin laughed when her interviewer described cancer sufferer Senator Green as a "cancer".

---------------------------

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/johnmccain/2667214/John-McCains-running-mate-Sarah-Palin-was-in-Alaskan-independence-party.html

Telegraph, London, UK (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:32 AM)

You mean the charade must go on? I see no maverick, no judgement from McCain. And now we know that his choice is nothing more than a Cheney-like politician who do not believe the laws of the land are to be respected...this is a person that think Alaska should not be part of the USA??? Why would I want someone with such a view to represent me?

McCain accusses people of lacking patriotism, her is one who lies about the bridge to nowhere and now we find out she supports 527s, supports a group advocating for Alaska independence, pay lobbysts, where is the reformer?? But just like McCain she blows with the win...now i know she is Mccain's soulmate...they both lack judgement, temperament to lead, and will pander to anyone with a vote...

This is not leadership you can count on...No Way, No How, No McCain. ENOUGH!!!!!!!

stephen missouri (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:33 AM)

weekly straw poll ending Sep 1 on another major blog.
573,222 votes
McCain 62-Obama 38
Votes counted by state; McCain wins all states

As noted before, this is not a scientific poll but Obama's followers are supposed to be more likely to use internet. So why can'the ever capture this poll? This poll has consistently since Jun showed McCain with an almost 2-1 lead EVERY week.

McCain Palin 08 (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:34 AM)

The repubs didnt even need a convention after picking Sarah Palin. This race is over, ive never seen women and men this excited over a candidate. America loves a person that will stand up to the politicians, and this woman has done it better than anyone in American History. The cream always rises to the top.

I dont think doing karaoke of Matin Luther King is going to work anymore. Sorry Obama.

David Anders so excited by Sarah (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:35 AM)

"Sure, Palin doesn't have a lot
of experience but she's running to be
McCain's apprentice."
You forgot to add "who could be President on Day 2, heaven forbid;"
or add "the way Cheney was an apprentice for Bush, and the way Agnew was for Nixon;"
or add "as the Constitution says of the VP role;"
or add "who won't know Congress to help move important legislation."
Of course, you were in a rush, writing these First Read things...

Sally, CA (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:35 AM)

Joe Scarborough should be reprimanded. When is what he says actually news? It is a 3 hour editoral commentary on what Joe thinks. He talks over his guests especially if he thinks they won't agree with him.

He ought to be embarrassed that just this morning not only did he play the race card against Obama saying if he was not black he would not be he Dem candidate for President. He also had th gall to make the claim as if it was truth that just because the Gulf Coast Govs are Republicas they somehow better manage crisis and natural disaster. Several points he left out: one - Gustav was a category 1 when it hit land; Katrina a category 5; (2) the Bush cronies were set up as good old boys watching out for each other - screw the one state that has a Dem governor (I remember hearing Joe's stupid arguements at the time Katrina hit); and (3) Perhaps, just perhaps, emergency response protocol was learned from all of the tragedy of Katrina.

Joe spews hateful, racist, GOP talking points for 3 hours every day. MSNBC/NBC should evaluate their use of air waves.

American Voter (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:37 AM)

from my phone,
my husband is adament that Palin"s daughter"s situation is fair game because Palin has made an issue of her platform and belief system that abstinence is a viable alternative to birth control or sex eduacation. one more Republican hypocrisy to chink the armour. Hope and prayer are really not birth control. And forcing kids to marry to publicly "validate" their sexcapades is just plain backwards.
Yes, I see Palin as setting back women and our issues. I don"t perceive this "ultimate" promotion of an unqulified candidate as progress, it is just slapping lipstick on the pig. Once again a woman is willing to be objectified in the name of progress. It is really embarassing.

Further, how dare McCain treat so cavalierly the well being of 300 + million Americans. A pundit last week said it best when he said he and his wife had planned far more thouroughly when creating wills for their children.

McCain has jumped the shark and should be required to undergo psychological eval, he is not fit to lead. period.

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:37 AM)

Govern Palin brings a "three's company" kind of charm to the Ticket. That's not any more sexist to say that, then it is to say the "Governator" is a stud. Sex-appeal is an old staple of campaigning.

HOWEVER: THIS is what the republicans think "leadership" means? Probably, she was and is the right governor for her state; and probably she is like anyone else who has ever achieved a certain degree of power: she is tempted to use it on occasions, probably even abuse it.

Such a staunch family values politician, but, alas, like many of the morally-superior republican leaders, she seems a little chalenged about delivering on that supposed moral superiority, herself. Please, refrain from telling others how to order their houses, until your's in order.

This "Country-First" ticket would do well to remember that our country was founded on the belief of separation of the government and ANY religion. If Gov. Palin wants to teach evangelical theories in sciences classes, is she advocating Muslim, Buddhist, Ba´hai, Animist theories as well?

Finally I admire some of the things she has (apparently) accomplished for her state in her short time in office, and the fact that she is feminine and beatiful but knows how to handle herself in an untamed environment. But I think it's a disservice to her and to Americans to suggest that we put a 2nd lieutenant (regardless of how talented) into a vacancy requiring a general.

John Brazil (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:37 AM)

After a brief session of Morning Joe today, I was ready to tear out my hair when Pat Buchanan stridently hyped Palin's experience by saying that she was the Govenor of the largest state in the union. Last time I checked, you governed people not empty space and the entire population of Alaska does not add up to any major US city.
Joe was equally annoying (as usual)when he said the press would drive votes to McCain if they continued to pile on Palin. He said this was historically proven that the public hates the media and does the opposite of what they say. Well, if that is the case then how did Gore and Kerry lose because both were attacked repeatedly by the press.
I swear, if I were sitting in Mika's seat, these guys would not be getting away with all their BS.

AP from IL (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:38 AM)

the vetting process: dear chuck, first a state senator for eight years, and then a us senator on the foreign affairs committee and numerous other committees and subcommittees compared to a first term governor? but let's talk executive experience: you seemed to be rather derisive of sen. obama's comments last night on cnn. i would say, and i have heard you say, what a well tuned and well run campaign sen. obama has. i do not know alaska's governing style, some governors, i.e. texas with bush, are more figure heads than administrative directors. sen. obama has managed 100's if not 1000s of "employees" and managed many millions of dollars in budget. sen. mccain has shown a lack of respect for the american people, not only for the lack of vetting - from personal life(probably not important)to bridge to nowhere, earmarks, ted stevens support and alaskan succession. john mccain has shown he is a typical pol and the MSM needs to get over the john mccain of 2000.

sbv creswell, oregon (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:38 AM)

Oh, this is RICH. Morning Joe AND Buchanan are against having Palin on the ticket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbsbeY5k5k

You need to hear what they say in defense of Barrack's experience over Palin's. Pass this on!

Watch This! (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:39 AM)

...it's that she's taken the focus off of Obama. It seems like it’s been a month -- though it's been just a few days -- that the RNC or McCain hasn't had a sustained attack on the Illinois Democrat. As we've learned this summer, when this campaign is about Obama, the race is a lot closer than when it's not about him. And right now, thanks to Palin, it's not about him....
**************************************************
The MSM made the race about Obama, not the other way around. The MSM is the gatekeeper.

McCain should have been careful about what he asked for. Now he's getting it. McCain was whining about Obama getting too much MSM attention. Now let's see how he withstands the kind of MSM attention Obama has been getting FOR MONTHS. (What the MSM is doing now is MILD compared to what would have happened to Obama. McCain is being handled with sensitivity and kid gloves compared to Obama.)

Cindy Lou, TX (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:40 AM)

Monegan told the Anchorage Daily News, ‘For the record, no one ever said fire Wooten. Not the governor. Not Todd. Not any of the other staff.

Facts trump implying. If this is Obama, we would be moving on.

Ordinary voter (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:05 AM)

The Person That I know:
1. McCain forgot how many houses he has.
2. McCain only started vetting Sarah Oakub within hours before announcing the hoice, hence "good judgment".
3. McCain told me he doesn't understand the economy, yet he calls Obama "out of touch".
4. McCain told me that 'experience' was his campaign slogan, but he chose the most inexperienced VP (compare her small 9,000-person town mayorship and 2-year governorship of Alaska with Obama's 8-year position as a state Senate of a larger area with over 200,000 people and now a U.S. Senator).
5. McCain told us that we should put country first, but he put an inexperienced VP ahead of America's security (this great nation requires a great elader who has national security and foreign policy credentials or a VP who has those credentials).
6. McCain told me he is a maverick, but I found out he votes with Bush 90% of the time.
That is the McCain I know....

Smith, AZ (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:08 AM)

Palin is in way over her head. She can't win what it took Hillary years to earn. And even if you spin that her experience is greater than Obama's, at least he's had eighteen months to prove that he can handle a massive 50 state strategy and a multi-million dollar budget. Not to mention that he faced the Clinton machine and survived quite nicely.

What could Palin possible accomplish before Nov. 4 to prove to Americans that she is ready to handle the Oval Office?

That's right. Nothing.

Elise Denton, TX (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:08 AM)

Time magazine is reporting that Palin became mayor on a platform of right-wing wedge issues, including abortion and gun-owners right. This in a town 6,500!

Most disturbingly, Time also reports that Palin pressured the town librarian to ban books that her supporters found offensive. It is frightening to think that someone this self-righteous could be a heartbreak away from the vast power of the presidency.

The media must do its job and continue to do the vetting of Palin that the McCain campaign failed to do. The American people cannot make a reasoned decision without the media doing its job.

Bruce Boudreau (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:08 AM)

Sen. McCain's choice of Gov. Palin, and the ensuing attacks on her family, is receiving so much negativism in the "Mainstream Media" that I am compelled to ask "Why". Surely, the display of favoritism for Sen. Obama at Mile High by Cable News' top show hosts, gives many of us Independants a reason to pause and relook "bias" in this political battle. The Republicans, as seen even in Gov. Palin's family matters, are being the point of attack of the majority of the media. Fair or unfair??? As an Independant, I have never been witness to such partisism in my 50 years. It is a sad statement on the information receives today by yesterday's fair media senders.

Paul Hoffman (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:09 AM)

I must say that it is enjoyable to sit back and watch the republicans squirm these days since the VP pick was announced. Once you get past the talking points.. It is awful hard to speak to well any issues from their perspective. I mean if you just think back to how all the republicans sounded during the DNC and how they sound now its strikingly different.. The things they criticized Obama for choosing his words careful.. now they have to think about EVERY thing they say regarding Sarah Palin.. I beleive once all they real vetting has been completed and the american public has labeled her it will be tooo late for spin and P.R. because there was two months worth of issues from Sarah Palin introductory speech.. Even though the repubs have silenced her in a sense after she was booed for the hillary references... Lets see just briefly:

1. I told washington thanks but no thanks on the bridge to no where...
what a laugher since the only reason she closed the project was because the funding was very slow to come in.. but its funny how the taxpayers money was never returned to the trust once she closed the project.. (this is an earmark that mccain opposes right?)

I don't even need to elaborate beyond that we can break down her political view based on earmarks that she CLAIMED to be against and that McCain is staunchly against.. So you see the personal and/or character issues don't have to be at the top of the news each day.. but it does brings mccain JUDGEMENT in the big spotlight...In a negative way..

Todd, NC (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:10 AM)

"Also, did Obama on CNN last night really attempt to blunt Palin's experience credentials by comparing his management of the presidential campaign to Palin's tenure as Wasilla mayor? That seemed like a stretch and probably only reminds folks of how little executive experience Obama has. Sure, Palin doesn't have a lot of experience, but she's running to be McCain's apprentice. Obama's running for the top spot."
==============
I think the way Obama runs his campaign IS executive experience (whether it's enough is another question). Based on the emails coming out of Hillary's campaign (and I was for Hillary before I was for Barack), she didn't make the necessary decisions that might have made the difference between winning and losing the Dem primary. And Barack's good decisions include his choice of VP (yea Biden!).

Indie Woman in Denver (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:13 AM)

The show will go on and so will the VP questions.

Jen,MI (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:16 AM)

I have come to the conclusion that a vote for McCain in 2008 is a vote for Clinton in 2012. Think about it. If McCain wins this election, he'll serve his 4-year term, and then, Sarah Palin will run against Hillary Clinton. Think about it.....if McCain wins this year, we are pretty much guaranteed a female president in 2012. Sounds good to me! We were on the right track this time around, until Obama cut in line. I hope voters start to see Obama for what he really is....an inexperienced, pompous first-term senator who will promise the moon just to get elected.

Don - Dayton, OH (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:17 AM)

What do the purists want Sarah Palin to do? Do they want her to wear a scarlet lettered sign promclaiming her to be the grandmother of an illigitimate child?

C'mon folks. This happens to people in all social tiers. She is to be praised, not scorned, for outing her daughter's indescretion. It wasn't Sarah's fault!

In fact, I'm going to vote for her and McCain for that reason. Yes, I'm upset that it's even an issue.

Bud Ferrell, Waynesboro, Va. (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:18 AM)

No one else has said it - so I'll say it. We are so sorry that a hurricane was threatening Louisiana - but the delay in the convention is not about the weather - it's about the chaos in the republican party over a. its VP choice. b. its lack of personalities showing up to speak (thanks Arnie). c. its attempt to elect someone with virtually the same staff, the staff ideas, the same tricks as the current republican administration.
The delay in the convention is strictly to try to regroup and turn this trainwreck around.

Mark Gentry (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:24 AM)

Personally I don't care about any of these items about Palin. She seems to me just lieka regular person. Her in the VP slot and her life experiences will provide Palin a unique perspective in this position that America has not seen in a long time. She is just like the majority of us. Goes to work to try and earn a living and then when she is not working tries to spend time with family. I have nto toally made up my mind on her yet, but my intial thoughts are she is exactly what this country needs in a Vice President.

Atlanta (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:29 AM)

Obama was talking about executive experience. And given that he's run a half-billion dollar enterprise for two years with ruthless efficiency certainly qualifies as executive experience, don't you think? Much more than being the part-time mayor of a town with a $12 million budget.

He's right.

Yvonne (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:29 AM)

I dispute the idea that if Wooten is a bad egg, as he seems to be, then someohow her abuse of power is ok. This is why we have courts where all sides are heard and money/political power are not supposed to matter. You don't take matters into your own hands. No paid public servant is supposed to use their power to get an advantage. I had a crazy ex and I had to go through legal channels. The Palins should too.

atd (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:29 AM)

To Don from Dayton - on the right track -- for what? A female President? If that is your only criteria then yes, have a blast, vote for McCain. I ntend to use my vote to better the future for my son. I see nothing in Sen. Obama that is pompous, and all of his promises come with a call for commitments from the people as well. I welcome the challenge.

Too bad the right to vote doesn't come with its own vetting process.

Blue Collar Bob (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:34 AM)

Why the Palin Pregnancy Matters?

1.Indication of poor parenting?
2.Lack of supervision?
3.Her choice or no choice?
4.Lack of tolerance/support for teenagers who choose abortion or contraception
5.Privacy police from conservatives—gays, birth control, abortion, marriage
6.Implications of McCain campaign competence or incompetence
7.Implications of judgment/leadership. Do we need another Brownie or Harriet?
8.Was law broken—adult impregnating minor?
9.Was father vetted by parents?
10.Choice or mistake? Blessing or penalty?
11.Old enough to decide for self or forced into these life changing consequences for political gain?
12. Some of these wouldn't be pertinent if the Republicans weren't always proclaiming what private choices everyone should make in their own lives. If people want to ban abortion then this is fair game. If people want to deny choices to others then this is fair game.

TJK, Hunt Valley, MD (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:35 AM)

“The buck stops here!”
-President Harry Truman in 1948

"Answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade."
-Presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008.

NO Obama 'N Biden (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:38 AM)

PALIN WAS PART OF AIP WHICH IS A GROUP THAT WANTS ALASKA TO SECEDE ... ALASKA FIRST! MAYBE THIS EXPLAINS WHY SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE BIRTH IN TEXAS AND FLEW ALL THE WAY BACK TO ALASKA

Hmm (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:39 AM)

Indie Woman: I think the way Obama runs his campaign IS executive experience

Really? Obama's not even running the campaign, Axelrod is. I guess Obama has "thought about being President" for a long time. But that's like saying I've thought about playing QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers for a long time, therefore I'm qualified to do so. Needless to say, neither is true.

Steeler Love (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:39 AM)

Chuckie T:
Obama was answering allegations that Governor Palin had more executive experience than he did. The comparison of her being mayor of Wasilla to his running of a powerful campaign for the presidency was more than apt. He was simply pointing out that her executive experience was negligeable. The only executive experience that either Obama or McCain have had involves the running of their respective campaigns and we all know which campaign has always purred like a fine tuned example of automotive execellence and which campaign has sputtered like it's always ready to run out of gas. This last selection process that produced a much flawed and inexperienced Governor of Alaska and doesn't suggest much good about the executive fortitude of a potential McCain presidency.

I guess you can get rankled about anything if you try hard enough but Obama continues to make perfectly logical arguments.
Obama '08

Mitchell Feldman, Vestal, NY (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:40 AM)

Let's face it, Palin is a disaster; and so is John McCain.

John Mehan, San Francisco, CA (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:40 AM)

The Republican talking points on Palin-comparison-to-Biden seems to be that she is a great choice because she is a regular person with regular challenges. Maybe I'm off a little, but after the last eight years, I sorta want a President who is smarter than me.

Man-sized Safe, Portland, Texas (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 11:43 AM)

The real question for the GOP is whether they would nominate Palin for PRESIDENT if John McInsane was not able to run.

I'm sure the Dems would go with Biden and he would pick Hillary for VEEP.

John Cobb CA (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:10 PM)

Shari, 48 yr old full-time mom, Hudson, MA - Well said, Shari!!! I turned around to my daughter this weekend, and said, well, at least she had the right to make a decision! Something her mom wants to take away from us!

New Independent (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:11 PM)

My messages never get posted, but you heard it here first: Palin will withdraw her name today and Mitt Romney's name will be placed in nomination for VP.

John Blaser, Palatine, Illinois (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:17 PM)

* The news that Palin once backed the Bridge to Nowhere went national.

* It emerged that Palin has links to the bizarro Alaska Independence Party, which harbors the goal of seceding from the union that McCain and Palin seek to lead.

* The news broke that as governor, Palin relied on an earmark system she now opposes. Taken along with the Bridge to Nowhere stuff, this threatens to undercut her reformist image, something that was key to her selection as McCain's Veep candidate.

* The news broke that Palin's 17-year-old daughter became pregnant out of wedlock at a time when the conservative base had finally started rallying behind McCain's candidacy.

* Barely moments after McCain advisers put out word that McCain had known of Bristol Palin's pregnancy, the Anchorage Daily News revealed that Palin's own spokesperson hadn't known about it only two days ago.

* A senior McCain adviser at the Republican convention was forced into the rather embarrassing position of arguing that McCain had known about the pregnancy "last week" -- without saying what day last week he knew about it.

* It came out that Republican lawyers are up in Alaska vetting Palin -- now, more than 72 hours after it was announced that she'd been picked.

* Palin lawyered up in relation to the trooper-gate probe in Alaska -- a move that ensures far more serious attention to the story from the major news orgs.

What else will come out today? After all, there are still six hours left until September 2nd...

No Way No How No McCain (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:17 PM)

Was the McCain Campaign aware that a Democratic Alaska State Senator is going to release findings of the investigation into "Troopergate" in October, just weeks before the election? We can assume that this report will not reflect positively on Gov Palin and will probably bring negative publicity for the campaign to handle. Do they really want to be in the position of having to defend their VP candidate just weeks before the election? Wouldn't they rather be using that time to a) stress Senator McCain's strong points or b) attack Senator Obama's positions on the issues?

I just don't think they really thought this whole thing through very carefully, and that in itself, is cause for concern about Senator McCain's judgement.

Dorothy, Illinois (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:18 PM)

I still cant believe as a mother she had put her family especially her daughter thru all this for her career. NO REAL MOTHER would do this to their kids.

Jill mother of 4 (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 10:24 AM)

Jill, and what would any REAL FATHER do? Why is Obama trying to be President with two children at home. I guess shame on him. AND, SHAME ON YOU FOR BEING SEXIST!

mccain palin 08 (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:22 PM)

John McCain is a rash decision maker. He does not have the temperment to be president. If you go back through the years with this guy, there are so many things he has done wrong and then tells us he's made a mistake and he needs to be redeemed. He often cites redemption as important to him - he should, he has needed a lot of it.

He's definitely an American hero, but he has made a mockery of himself the last few months and he deserves the electoral thrashing he is about to get, I will not feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for Palin, she is not the right choice for any number of reasons, and McCain's judgement is in serious question that he would nominate her to be one step from the white house when he knew so little about her. It is just plain reckless and should not go unpunished. Republicans should demand she is removed.

Carl (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:23 PM)

McCain's pick for VP, Sarah Palin, is the greatest gift Democrats have received in years.

I had no idea John McCain was so generous! Is he also going to wave a white flag at the convention? He might as well.

I find it astonishing that McCain's campaign machine declared her "fully vetted" and yet, not one official in the State of Alaska was asked anything by the vetting team.

Sometimes, the truth is just too painful for McCain to admit, apparently...

This campaign promises to be MOST entertaining. The Republicans are losing it... getting outright bizarre. My, how the mighty have fallen!

John Doe, Seattle, Wash (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:23 PM)

Oops -- you are right - Obama made a mistake comparing his campaign to Palin's mayoral experience. He needs to avoid falling into the trap the Republicans have set here - he needs to avoid comparing his experience to Palin's, the Obama campaign has been arguing that judgment - not experience, is the essential Qualification. And Palin has not demonstrated any better judgment than McCain.

And Palin is not even in the same stratosphere where QUALIFICATIONS are concerned - seriously, to suggest that her resume is even close to as impressive as Obama's is laughable on its face.

Finally, Obama is competing with MCCAIN - NOT Palin...and he is a much better leader than McCain - the only relevent mention of Palin is how her selection reflects on McCain's JUDGMENT.

Mel (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:24 PM)

Why is there so much outrage about the media printing and talking about Gov. Palin's daughter. You did not seem to find the tv spot attacking Obama's two children run by the McCain campaign offensive.

Okmulgee Ok (Sent Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:25 PM)

<< Previous

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1325169