Article on the vetting of Palin

[Spock]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/200 ... f-palin-1/

Since others have said here that they don't think Palin was vetted throroughly-a description of the process.

[silverscreenselect]

I think that McCain's campaign knew all about Palin, the trooper firing controversy, the daughter's pregnancy and probably some other "surprises" than may come up later in the campaign. The entire choice of her has put a new dynamic into this campaign and it smells to me like classic Rovian politics, with the Democrats and the mainstream media cooperating fully every step of the way.

After we were graced with the spectacle of left wing speculation about whether Palin's baby was really hers or not, we now learn that her daugher was already pregnant when Palin's baby was born. I don't think the Republicans counted on the hurricane today, but they managed to keep her in the spotlight again.

This accomplishes two things. It generates a lot of public sympathy for her and her family and makes the Democrats and network media look like boorish sexists in the way they've gone after her and her family. This undercuts the Dems' message about how "concerned" Obama and his bunch are about women. It also means that Palin's acceptance speech Wednesday is going to get big TV coverage, lots more than Biden got and more than a Romney or a Pawlenty would have gotten.

This is a calculated risk the Republicans are running. If Palin comes across as a ditz or makes major gaffes in her speech or a right wing zealot, this could be very bad for the Republicans. But if she, as I think she will, comes across as a likable hardworking mother, she's going to make a very favorable impression and give McCain a chance to build on that with his own speech.

McCain plans to turn this campaign into one of hardworking, everday Republicans (no matter how rich he may be) vs. elitist Democrats and this week will tell whether he's going to be able to frame the campaign in that manner.

[SportsFan68]

I don't think the Republicans counted on the hurricane today, but they managed to keep her in the spotlight again.

I think the hurricane was a good thing for the RNC. I can imagine a huge sigh of relief going up when they realized that they could gracefully keep the Bushes off the stage, embodying as they do eight years of much that many Republicans would rather forget.

[TheCalvinator24]

I don't think the Republicans counted on the hurricane today, but they managed to keep her in the spotlight again.

I think the hurricane was a good thing for the RNC. I can imagine a huge sigh of relief going up when they realized that they could gracefully keep the Bushes off the stage, embodying as they do eight years of much that many Republicans would rather forget.

I have to agree. Not that I'm happy about people's lives being turned upside down, but not having Bush and Cheney speak at the RNC can only be a good thing for McCain's chances in November.

I just hope that Tim Pawlenty's and Mike Huckabee's speeches will go on as planned.

Of course, Palin's and McCain's will be more important. I kinda wish Palin got to go last because I've never been a fan of McCain's speaking ability.

[silverscreenselect]

Apparently, the pregnancy is no secret in Palin's hometown:

http://tinyurl.com/6eqby4

There, it's being treated as it should be, a family's personal business that shouldn't be anyone else's concern. Of course, some of the worst Obamabots are still obsessed with this whole thing. Andrew Sullivan, a rabid Hillary hater who now seems to have transformed his wrath towards Palin, was one of the foremost proponents of the rumor that Palin's daughter was actually the mother of the Down's Syndrome baby. Now he actually hypothesizes that the daughter is (a) lying about the timeline of her own pregnancy and (b) able to begin ovulating again in record time after giving birth to a child. Sullivan then demands Palin release all her medical records to "disprove" his theory.

The Dems and mainstream media are being played like fools by McCain, Palin, and company. Now, the Palin speech Wednesday will get huge numbers and all she needs to do is to avoid coming across like either Dan Quayle in skirts or the second coming of Phyllis Schlafly.

[SportsFan68]

The Dems and mainstream media are being played like fools by McCain, Palin, and company. Now, the Palin speech Wednesday will get huge numbers and all she needs to do is to avoid coming across like either Dan Quayle in skirts or the second coming of Phyllis Schlafly.

It will be watered down and wonderful. She will not say anything about trying to get polar bears off the endangered species list, about drilling in ANWR, about being anti-choice. It will all be phrased in comfortable, familiar phrases. The speech will be music to the ears and a joy to the eyes. She will be coached to hit a delicate balance between Quayle and Schlafly.

These are compliments. I saw plenty of what I'm describing last week, although the balance wasn't between Quayle and Schlafly. While Palin will never hit the same fantastic highs that Senator Clinton and President Clinton did, she also won't hit the ignominius lows that had President Bush declaring us to be our own enemies a while back.

[Weyoun]

Apparently, the pregnancy is no secret in Palin's hometown:

http://tinyurl.com/6eqby4

There, it's being treated as it should be, a family's personal business that shouldn't be anyone else's concern. Of course, some of the worst Obamabots are still obsessed with this whole thing. Andrew Sullivan, a rabid Hillary hater who now seems to have transformed his wrath towards Palin, was one of the foremost proponents of the rumor that Palin's daughter was actually the mother of the Down's Syndrome baby. Now he actually hypothesizes that the daughter is (a) lying about the timeline of her own pregnancy and (b) able to begin ovulating again in record time after giving birth to a child. Sullivan then demands Palin release all her medical records to "disprove" his theory.

The Dems and mainstream media are being played like fools by McCain, Palin, and company. Now, the Palin speech Wednesday will get huge numbers and all she needs to do is to avoid coming across like either Dan Quayle in skirts or the second coming of Phyllis Schlafly.

The great hypocrisy in all of this is that Sullivan was "outed" around 2001 as cruising the internet for anonymous gay sex, despite his HIV positive status. His huffy denial/non-denial called for a respect for his private life.

[earendel]

The Dems and mainstream media are being played like fools by McCain, Palin, and company. Now, the Palin speech Wednesday will get huge numbers and all she needs to do is to avoid coming across like either Dan Quayle in skirts or the second coming of Phyllis Schlafly.

Obama has said that Palin's daughter should not be fodder for a campaign attack. Unfortunately that won't stop some of his followers, any more than it would stop Republican attack dogs if the situation were reversed. It's sad but true that the "politics of personal destruction" have become so prominent in campaigns. Sadder still, they work.

[silverscreenselect]

The Dems and mainstream media are being played like fools by McCain, Palin, and company. Now, the Palin speech Wednesday will get huge numbers and all she needs to do is to avoid coming across like either Dan Quayle in skirts or the second coming of Phyllis Schlafly.

Obama has said that Palin's daughter should not be fodder for a campaign attack. Unfortunately that won't stop some of his followers, any more than it would stop Republican attack dogs if the situation were reversed. It's sad but true that the "politics of personal destruction" have become so prominent in campaigns. Sadder still, they work.

There is a pattern to all of these Obama statements. Usually, his surrogates or the internet blogs that are in the tank for him air some accusation against his opponent (first Hillary, now McCain); he lets things go until he's gotten all the traction he can out of them, and then he issues one of his "above the fray" appeals to his "overzealous" supporters not to engage in that type of behavior ... until the next time.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks when the Republicans try to "vette" Obama a bit more thoroughly, not with the pregnancy of a teenage girl but with his adult pals like Rezko, Ayers, and Wright. I've believed all along that the Republicans have been holding some of their anti-Obama ammunition back. I thought for a while they would unleash some of it during their convention, but it now appears they will let the Democratic attack dogs have their go at Palin (and let her speak for herself Wednesday) and then trot out the heavy artillery in the next couple of weeks.

Most Americans, not the partisans on either side, like to think of themselves as fair and independent. For that reason, they are taking the claims of Palin's inexperience seriously (if CNN says it, it must be so). But that spirit of fairness cuts both ways. When the Republicans and Fox News ask them to take another look at Obama's connections and suggest he be vetted a bit more thoroughly than he has been, they will be willing to look at whatever dirt is thrown out there.

[earendel]

It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of weeks when the Republicans try to "vette" Obama a bit more thoroughly, not with the pregnancy of a teenage girl but with his adult pals like Rezko, Ayers, and Wright. I've believed all along that the Republicans have been holding some of their anti-Obama ammunition back. I thought for a while they would unleash some of it during their convention, but it now appears they will let the Democratic attack dogs have their go at Palin (and let her speak for herself Wednesday) and then trot out the heavy artillery in the next couple of weeks.

I think Obama will "man up" and handle whatever is thrown at him. And I think Palin's experience (or lack thereof) will be an issue that will be exploited. But I take Obama at his word when he says that attacks against candidates' family members are off-limits and "...if...there was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired."

Most Americans, not the partisans on either side, like to think of themselves as fair and independent. For that reason, they are taking the claims of Palin's inexperience seriously (if CNN says it, it must be so). But that spirit of fairness cuts both ways. When the Republicans and Fox News ask them to take another look at Obama's connections and suggest he be vetted a bit more thoroughly than he has been, they will be willing to look at whatever dirt is thrown out there.[/quote]