Matt Yglesias

43 Responses to “Clarification Needed”

1. fostert Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

   I think the real question is how many times did Karl Rove meet Palin. He made the choice, after all.

2. Colonel Danite Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pm

   I think Cindy McCain should be worried. John McCain has a proven history of dumping his older wives for young former beauty queens. Although the fact that Palin is not a millinaire heiress could mean that Cindy is safe.

3. Andrew Fly Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pm

   If Rove did make this pick, it’s only to make McCain to lose so Jeb can run in 2012

4. MS Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pm

   What I’m really interested in is what are the chances of a Palin vs. Clinton election in 2012?

   If McCain wins and um does not finish his term for whatever reason, and Paulin becomes president, will Hillary be the most likely person to challenge her?

5. dwight meredith Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pm

   If John McCain believes that Governor Palin is the second best person to lead America in the event of a crisis (after himself) then both his decision-making process and his judgment are in question.

   If he does not believe that but chose her for political reasons, then he has contradicted his position that he would put the country before his political prospects.

6. fostert Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm

   Damn! Colonel Danite beat me to it. But the question is: what kind of pre-nup does Cindy have? Maybe McCain can dump Cindy, get half of her money, and then trade in for the younger Sarah model. Wouldn’t that be a scandal for the ages? Cindy better have a good lawyer. But I’m sure she does.

7. howard Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pm

   matthew is right: it can’t possibly be that mccain has that little exposure to her.

8. Njorl Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

   This could really be embarassing:

   “Palin first met McCain in March, McAllister said, when she was in Washington and requested a meeting with McCain about oil drilling in Alaska.”

   I believe she wanted to discuss getting leases back from oil companies who refuse to drill on the land.

   “Senator McCain, you want to lease offshore areas to oil companies for drilling, yet your own running mate is involved in trying to recover leases from oil companies who refuse to drill. Why should we believe that new leases will result in drilling rather than oil companies sitting on them until the oil reaches its maximum possible value decades from now?”

9. Ed Marshall Says:
   August 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm

   what kind of pre-nup does Cindy have?

   An iron-clad one. Old Man Hensley saw to that after what McCain did to his first wife. That’s why John McCain doesn’t know how many houses he has. John McCain doesn’t own jack shit on paper.

10. Jim W Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

    This is so bizarre. McCain barely knows her. It would be one thing if he picked someone with little experience if he had worked with that person in the past, or knew them really well.

    I don’t think people are appreciating just how disastrous this pick is going to be, politically. This almost makes Eagleton look like a good pick.

11. Chuck Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    It’ll be interesting to see how Sarah Palin for VP gets played in the news. I’ve got nothing against her, and as far as Republicans go, she seems like one I’d like. But what baffles me is how, with a whole entire nation for McCain to pick from we get someone with this resume:

    Political Office:
    Wasilla City Cncl., 1992-96
    Wasilla Mayor, 1996-2002
    Chairwoman, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003-2004.
    Alaska Governor, 2006-present

    Professional Career:
    Television sports reporter, 1987-89
    Co-owner, commercial fishing operation, 1988-2007
    Owner, snow machine, watercraft, and all-terrain vehicle business, 1994-97

    Nothing wrong there, but that’s really not what I would call VP level impressive.

    Now, Obama’s resume isn’t really ‘better’:

    Political Office:
    Dir., Illinois Project Vote!, 1992
    IL Senate, 1996-2004
    US Senate, 2004-present

    Professional Career:
    Practicing atty.; Lecturer, U. of Chicago, 1993-2004.

    But somehow for me, the fact that Obama was voted to the Pres. nomination gives Obama credibility. The fact that McCain picked Palin over millions of others for the VP nomination takes away a some credibility from McCain.

12. Grand Moff Texan Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 2:53 pm

    McCain’s notion of foreplay.

    Sheesh!
    .

13. jibeaux Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pm

    That’s not fair. My state fair doesn’t serve alcohol. I’m moving to Moosepelt.

14. Arun Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 2:57 pm

    Was there any choice of Republican Presidential ticket that would hold to a minimum their losses in the House and Senate?

    Given McCain at the top of the ticket, was there anyone he could have picked for VP, that would help the Republican House and Senate candidates?

15. Concerned Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

    Matthew,
    Did I really count correctly? Have you posted 14 times today already? The writing is interesting, but I’m concerned for your health. Please, leave the computer and . . . do something else.

16. Arun Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:13 pm

    Palin first met McCain in March, McAllister said, when she was in Washington and requested a meeting with McCain about oil drilling in Alaska. McAllister said Palin later talked to McCain for five minutes by phone last Sunday, while she was at the Alaska state fair.

    “She made no mention of the vice presidency at the time,” McAllister said.

    Palin met McCain in February as per this blog:

    Feb 25, 2008
    http://theoinkreport.com/2008/02/25/alaska-governor-sarah-palin-i-want-less-pork/

    “Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been discussed as a VP choice for John McCain for a while now, and just this Sunday the two had a rather interesting meeting. Not so much interesting because McCain and Palin are at odds over drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (Palin is for it, McCain is against it), but because Palin says that she’d like to make her state less dependent on federal money.”

17. John Starks Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    Did anyone else notice that when introducing Palin, McCain said something like Palin puts “power over principle?” Nice slip.

18. Dan Kervick Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pm

    I don’t think it is historically that unusual for a presidential candidate to have a running mate whom he barely knows, or may never even have met. It the old days, the VP candidate was chosen by party bosses at the convention, and was often from a region of the country remote from the presidential candidate’s region. I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a few of these candidate pairs had never met before the election.

    Also, the idea that the point of a VP is to help the president “govern” strikes me as a strange, and very recent innovation: a distorted image of the vice presidency based on the Cheney example. A VP has hardly any constitutional role in the government, other than to be prepared to assume the office of the presidency if something happens to the president.

    Biden was a very good pick, because he unquestionably has the experience, proven leadership qualities and powerful connections that would enable him to take up presidential responsibilities quickly in an emergency. Palin seems like a very intriguing future Republican leader, but obviously seems to have been rushed out before she has been fully groomed for that role.

    I’m wondering if this isn’t a clear signal that the Republicans have already given up on 2008, and have decided to use this pick just to introduce a future star who might be very formidable in 2016, but not yet.

19. dave Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:34 pm

    Did anyone else notice that when introducing Palin, McCain said something like Palin puts “power over principle?” Nice slip.

    As great a slip as that would have been, you simply misheard. McCain said:

    it’s with great pride and gratitude that I tell you I have found the right partner to help me stand up to those who value their privileges over their responsibilities, who put power over principle, and put their interests before your needs.

20. pseudonymous in nc Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 3:42 pm

    Given McCain at the top of the ticket, was there anyone he could have picked for VP, that would help the Republican House and Senate candidates?

    Does Palin really bring anything to help the House and Senate candidates in AK? At best, she splits the ticket.

    She defeated Daddy Murkowski in the primary, so Lisa probably ain’t going to be happy with her. She doesn’t want to be associated with Young and Stevens, and they probably don’t want to be associated with them, even if their jobs are on the line.

    I say Obama goes to Alaska and campaigns, even if the downticket races are more in reach than the 3 EVs. That extra Senate seat is a biggie.

21. Josh R. Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 4:35 pm

    But somehow for me, the fact that Obama was voted to the Pres. nomination gives Obama credibility

    Running a national campaign for president is tantamount to an executive job (albeit not only strictly analogous to Governor or President). I would argue that running said campaign for about 18 months is, at the very least, as impressive as being Governor of a tiny [in population] state whose legislature meets for about 90 days a year. In fact, I just might argue it’s more impressive. Whether anybody would listen is another story.

22. Pseudonymous in DC Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    It’s more than a bit ironic that McCain announced his VP pick at a podium with the slogan “Country First.” The Palin decision was clearly, given the tons and tons and tons of more qualified individuals who could have been chosen for the job, made for political reasons (namely, placating the evangelical conservative base and winning over ex-Hillary supporters), NOT out of a desire to put the country first. McCain’s age makes it more than a bit likely that his VP will ultimately become president if he is elected, and we would then be left with a president with zero experience meeting with foreign leaders, brokering deals on national security issues at a national level, or basically doing anything at all relevant to protecting the country as a whole.

23. David Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 5:17 pm

    Not to sound elitist and shit but:

    President of Harvard Law Review > Journalism degree from Idaho.

24. DHN Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    Gov. Palin has about as much political experience as Abraham Lincoln did before he became president.

    Of course, she also has about as much political experience as Chester Alan Arthur, Garret A. Hobart and Spiro T. Agnew did before they became vice president.

25. cmholm Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    DHN: Gov. Palin has about as much political experience as Abraham Lincoln did before he became president.

    Oh holy mother of encyclopedias, are you kidding me?

    Lincoln: A successful attorney, with 8 years in IL house, 2 years Congressman. Active in Whig and Republican Party for 30 years, with significant portfolio of writing and speeches.

    Palin: A small business owner, with 4 years in town council, 1 year state oil commission, 1.5 years Governor.

    I’ve got 5 years on a water board. Can I be V.P.? Huh? Can I? Can I?

26. Richard Steven Hack Says:
    August 29th, 2008 at 11:14 pm

    Colonel Danite is right – part of the reason Palin is the pick is her looks.

    Dan Kervick is also right – it’s irrelevant whether she can “govern” – the question is can she attract votes, then shut up for the next four years. And hopefully she can speak better than Dan Quayle. But I don’t think she’s being picked for 2012 or 2016. I don’t see Republicans really being interested in a woman President or even a woman Vice President except as stated. She’s a throwaway for this election and the McCain Presidency.

27. Ed Says:
    August 30th, 2008 at 5:22 am

    Obama actually has about as much related experience as Lincoln did. That doesn’t mean Obama = Lincoln, both are on the short side for experience relevant to the White House. Lincoln became president at a really good time to have an outsider there, and that is arguably the case now.

    There were two presidents whose experience was close the Palin level, Chet Arthur and Andrew Johnson. Both were elected as Vice President but took office when the President died.

28. Jay Says:
    August 31st, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    One more thing that should be on the resume:

    Two-time national best-selling author.

    Why is this important? Believe it or not, this was a prime mover in getting me to Obama – I read his books.

    Two books, about what he thinks and who he is. That have been pored over by every oppo hack with a pulse. And with Palin we barely know anything at all about where she stands, except what can be discerned from her facility with a dogwhistle.

    That JohnnyMac put her in this position after spending less time with her than it takes him to complete a decent dump indicates clearly that he has become Dobson’s full-blown marionette, and the flood of cash from the flock will quickly cement this relationship. Welcome to the same election as the last time, and the time before.

29. mirc Says:
    October 19th, 2008 at 10:27 am

    President of Harvard Law Review > Journalism degree from Idaho.

30. october 14 1987 Says:
    December 9th, 2008 at 6:53 pm

    October was the worst month in the last 21 years of the Standard

31. viagra Says:
    March 11th, 2009 at 4:32 am

    It is the coolest site,keep so!

32. tramadol Says:
    March 17th, 2009 at 2:24 am

    It is the coolest site,keep so!
    tramadol

33. tramadol Says:
    March 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 am

    tramadol
    I want to say – thank you for this!

34. brand viagra Says:
    April 2nd, 2009 at 5:09 am

    Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
    buy cheap viagra

35. viagra brand Says:
    April 3rd, 2009 at 4:08 am

    If you have to do it, you might as well do it right
    cheap brand pfizer viagra