Filibuster Cartoon Title: Sarah John & Gustav (click to view) Date: September 03, 2008 Well Senator McCain chose a 44-year-old woman, Governor Sara Paling of Alaska, to be his running mate this week. It was a controversial and bold pick that has really shaken up the presidential race. A virtual unknown, the internet is now eagerly trying to dig up dirt in an attempt to destroy her.
McCain greatly overshadowed Senator Obama's Sunday night acceptance speech with the Palin pick, but then it appeared McCain was in turn set to be overshadowed by hurricane Gustav, which struck the much-beleaguered state of Louisiana early Monday.
Gustav ended up being a far cry from Katrina, however, and the media spotlight has returned to McCain. So uh, maybe this cartoon doesn't work so well anymore. But the wave can be metaphorical, too! Just think of something clever it could represent.
Taospark
Junior Member
Posts: 64
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 7:16 am
Well, the wave could represent the backlash from libertarians and small-government Republicans tired of a Vice Presidential candidate chosen from the echelons of Congressional power?
Wait...no. Governor of Alaska, 49th in population.
The wave could represent a generation of Republicans tired of candidates who respond poorly and slowly to shifts in media coverage.
Wait...no. Replied to the pregnancy scandal within a day.
The wave could represent moderate Republicans who want someone to restore the "big tent" ideal of the party.
Wait...no. She has garnered appeal from all but the most stalwart Democrats.
The wave could represent those who are tired of politicians in bed with big money.
Wait..no. Although she was for increasing oil drilling, she denied a contract to BP who employed her husband and taxed oil firms operating in Alaska.
The wave could still represent the inevitable backlash over whatever supposed public flub she will make in the future. She's almost as charismatic as Obama but doesn't have the platoon of advisors that he does so there'll always be something to set someone off.
If you watch some of Palin's speeches, you'll notice how uncomfortable McCain gets when she really channels that charisma so that might be a factor later on, especially if they do win and Palin wants to take a more active role than McCain's hand-picked advisors would prefer.
NOTE: I'm definitely not ragging on J.J.'s cartoon but moreso on the kneejerk reactions that show up in media coverage and pundit opinions to politics.
Jabrwock
Active Member
Posts: 187
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:35 am
Newsbot wrote:
A virtual unknown, the internet is now eagerly trying to dig up dirt in an attempt to destroy her.
Although, unlike the Karl Rove Machine, most the dirt on Palin at least is true. (Truth IS stranger than fiction after all.)
Personally I think McCain flubbed it. He's talked about how the Veep is "one heartbeat away from the presidency", and then picks someone who's got less experience than Obama. He talks about responsible government and then picks someone who backed the "Bridge to Nowhere" earmark until it became a PR nightmare. He talks about ending corruption, and then picks someone embroiled in a scandal over using political muscle to settle personal scores. He talks about "Country First", and then picks someone who used to be involved with a separatist party (indirectly of course, but honestly, Wright anyone?).
As for the wave, it could be many things. A "wave of support" following their "we promise we won't screw up disaster recover THIS time", a "shadow of controversy" about to crash onto them (so the water represents "liberal" media?). The wave could be doubt, with Palin shielding McCain from a deluge of criticism by taking the heat onto herself?
Psudo
CKA Elite
Posts: 3266
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:34 am
"Less experience than Obama" is a judgment call, not a clear fact. Certainly, her Gubernatorial experience is more 'Executive Branch' than Obama's Senatorial experience.
Jabrwock
Active Member
Posts: 187
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:10 am
Psudo wrote:
"Less experience than Obama" is a judgment call, not a clear fact. Certainly, her Gubernatorial experience is more 'Executive Branch' than Obama's Senatorial experience.
Hence why I said "personally I think".
On overall glance, the average Joe isn't going to look at which branch she got her experience from. They're going to look at time spent.
animaniac
Newbie
Posts: 1
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:56 pm
Taospark wrote:
Well, the wave could represent the backlash from libertarians and small-government Republicans tired of a Vice Presidential candidate chosen from the echelons of Congressional power?
Wait...no. Governor of Alaska, 49th in population.
The wave could represent a generation of Republicans tired of candidates who respond poorly and slowly to shifts in media coverage.
Wait...no. Replied to the pregnancy scandal within a day.
The wave could represent moderate Republicans who want someone to restore the "big tent" ideal of the party.
Wait...no. She has garnered appeal from all but the most stalwart Democrats.
The wave could represent those who are tired of politicians in bed with big money.
Wait..no. Although she was for increasing oil drilling, she denied a contract to BP who employed her husband and taxed oil firms operating in Alaska.
The wave could still represent the inevitable backlash over whatever supposed public flub she will make in the future. She's almost as charismatic as Obama but doesn't have the platoon of advisors that he does so there'll always be something to set someone off.
If you watch some of Palin's speeches, you'll notice how uncomfortable McCain gets when she really channels that charisma so that might be a factor later on, especially if they do win and Palin wants to take a more active role than McCain's hand-picked advisors would prefer.
NOTE: I'm definitely not ragging on J.J.'s cartoon but moreso on the kneejerk reactions that show up in media coverage and pundit opinions to politics.
The political calculations behind Mr McCain’s choice hardly look robust. Mrs Palin is not quite the pork-busting reformer that her supporters claim. She may have become famous as the governor who finally killed the infamous “bridge to nowhere”—the $220m bridge to the sparsely inhabited island of Gravina, Alaska. But she was in favour of the bridge before she was against it (and told local residents that they weren’t “nowhere to her”). As mayor of Wasilla, a metropolis of 9,000 people, she initiated annual trips to Washington, DC, to ask for more earmarks from the state’s congressional delegation, and employed Washington lobbyists to press for more funds for her town.
But wait! Theres more!
Quote:
The moose in the room, of course, is her lack of experience. When Geraldine Ferraro was picked as Walter Mondale’s running-mate, she had served in the House for three terms. Even the hapless Dan Quayle, George Bush senior’s sidekick, had served in the House and Senate for 12 years. Mrs Palin, who has been the governor of a state with a population of 670,000 for less than two years, is the most inexperienced candidate for a mainstream party in modern history.
When you think about it, this is really your average Canadian Party Leader. Palin for British Columbia Tory Party!
CanadianJeff
Forum Elite
Posts: 1391
Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:47 pm
frankly it is a bit surprise. But when you look at the choices what chance would McCain really have if he picked a huge pro bush pro war vp. That would damage his chances far more then having a mostly unknown on the plate.
Personally knowing nothing about her it's a fairly safe and smart move. McCain knows he's got a hard game ahead of him. why take chances?
Jabrwock
Active Member
Posts: 187
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 7:27 am
Ouch, the Daily Show used clips from earlier in the year of Republicans trashing Hillary, only they applied equally to Palin.
Laird
Newbie
Posts: 15
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 1:50 pm
Wilmington, DE > Wasilla, AK. Bring on Hurricane Hanna!
Yeah, but seriously, I thought Biden would be attacked more than Palin. He seems to have way more skeletons in his closet than her. I guess the media knows that a pretty face will attract more views than a dull white guy.
Jabrwock
Active Member
Posts: 187
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 2:48 pm
Laird wrote:
Yeah, but seriously, I thought Biden would be attacked more than Palin. He seems to have way more skeletons in his closet than her. I guess the media knows that a pretty face will attract more views than a dull white guy.
Biden's flaws are all now known though. He wasn't an "unknown" that they had to root around to dig up things on. Most of it came out during the primaries.
Palin on the other hand, nobody knew much about outside Alaska, and so as they tried to figure her out, all these things came to light all at once.
Psudo
CKA Elite
Posts: 3266
Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:20 pm
I remember Rush Limbaugh saying he hoped Obama would pick Biden because there'd be more to talk about. I can imagine Democrats thinking the same thing about, say, Huckabee or Romney.
All in all, though, this is turning out to be a remarkably boring election cycle.
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