Palin's Favorability Ratings Begin to Falter

[Dumpy]

I don't have a problem with it. I have a problem with her lack of honesty in explaining it (which undoubtedly is on the instruction on her handlers)

just to clarify, I would have preferred that she simply explain that as governor, she had a duty to fight for the interests of her constituents, but after hearing the arguments against building the bridge, she realised that there were cheaper ways to accomplish the same thing, or something along those lines.

That would never happen, though.

 

[Denny Crane]

that's why newly-elected presidents rely heavily on the staff and infrastructure of their party that is already in place, those with the experience in former administrations. It is disingenous for one party or the other to point to a candidate's advisors and point out that they held certain jobs or represented certain clients in the meantime. Those experts will be needed to guide a new president's first few years in office, and new blood can gradually be given positions of more and more responsibility. George Bush recycled many of his father's advisors, and really, who would fault him for that?

But for the same reason, I think it is misleading for McCain to claim that he represents "change." It's an unfortunate state that there is such anger against Bush that McCain has no other choice.

Ironically, the Democrats had no such infrastructure in place for Clinton. His choices for experienced people in foreign policy were from the Carter administration (horrible failures at it) or the LBJ administration (geezers).

Frankly, being governor of Arkansas affected the entire executive branch in the ways you'd expect for lack of experience. Numerous blunders violating ethics and the law, perhaps innocently. The #2 guy in the justice dept. (Web Hubbel) went to prison, and was clearly not qualified for his position by being Hillary's law partner at Rose Law Firm, etc.

Reagan was at least in a powerful governor role of a state that would have been 6th largest country in the world, and even his cronies he brought with him from the executive branch there took a couple years to figure out their jobs.

Exactly who is Obama going to appoint to what positions? Same questions for McCain. Not only would seeing their teams give us the actual information about what the regimes would be like, but you'd have a good idea of their real world decision making in how and who they choose.

 

[mook]

This is the kind of smoke screen I was talking about.

What expertise does one gain by being governor of Arkansas? I happen to think Clinton turned out to be one of the better presidents in many respects, including foreign policy; he used military force in Bosnia, Kosovo, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Haiti (off the top of my head), negotiated nuclear reduction treaties, had one of the best foreign trade negotiating teams in my memory, etc.

I bet that if you asked Bill Clinton in 1991 what his opinions were about Somalia or Kosovo, he'd have been able to say something more substantial than Palin did about Iraq. The guy is freakin' smart, and was before he got in office. He might not have had real-world experience in dealing with Kosovo, but he's legendary for his penchant for reading about everything.

That knowledge gave him a framework to evaluate the advice he was given by experts who knew much more than he did in these areas.

Similarly, I would expect Palin to understand the basic rationale of our current foreign policy and its history. This isn't anything nearly as obscure as Kosovo in 1991. This is the whole reason we are where we are in the Middle East. That she might have to learn this "on the job" as veep speaks to her lack of curiosity of foreign affairs. I find that concerning.

I'm not asking her to know the leader of Georgia personally. But I'd like to think she'd know that it was the Georgians who were the initial aggressor, just from reading CNN. She didn't seem to.

 

[Denny Crane]

I bet that if you asked Bill Clinton in 1991 what his opinions were about Somalia or Kosovo, he'd have been able to say something more substantial than Palin did about Iraq. The guy is freakin' smart, and was before he got in office. He might not have had real-world experience in dealing with Kosovo, but he's legendary for his penchant for reading about everything.

That knowledge gave him a framework to evaluate the advice he was given by experts who knew much more than he did in these areas.

Similarly, I would expect Palin to understand the basic rationale of our current foreign policy and its history. This isn't anything nearly as obscure as Kosovo in 1991. This is the whole reason we are where we are in the Middle East. That she might have to learn this "on the job" as veep speaks to her lack of curiosity of foreign affairs. I find that concerning.

I'm not asking her to know the leader of Georgia personally. But I'd like to think she'd know that it was the Georgians who were the initial aggressor, just from reading CNN. She didn't seem to.

In the hacked up version of her response in the transcript I posted, she demonstrated an understanding of the basic rationale of our current foreign policy. What exactly are you looking for?

I'm not voting for her or her ticket, so I'm not particularly biased for partisan reasons. What I see in her is a woman about Obama's age who's impressive in numerous ways once you get past thinking about how she was a beauty queen. I think we, in general, aren't used to seeing women in her position or ex-beauty queens that are smart enough to be effective governors of a state with a multiple $billion budget.

I'm willing to listen to her with an open mind, and I'm trying to filter out all the politically motivated smears against her (as I do for Obama) to get at what's real.

 

[Denny Crane]

As for Clinton and that good old book lernin', he had a really rough time of everything for the first two years. He botched health care, changed the mission in Somalia from feeding people to going after warlords at the expense of soldiers' lives, and people were so pissed off by his inability to govern well that they threw out Democrats in the House and Senate where they had control since the 1950s.

 

[Dumpy]

In the hacked up version of her response in the transcript I posted, she demonstrated an understanding of the basic rationale of our current foreign policy. What exactly are you looking for?

I'm not voting for her or her ticket, so I'm not particularly biased for partisan reasons. What I see in her is a woman about Obama's age who's impressive in numerous ways once you get past thinking about how she was a beauty queen. I think we, in general, aren't used to seeing women in her position or ex-beauty queens that are smart enough to be effective governors of a state with a multiple $billion budget.

I'm willing to listen to her with an open mind, and I'm trying to filter out all the politically motivated smears against her (as I do for Obama) to get at what's real.

I don't think she is very smart, but then again, I don't think you need to be smart to be a governor, the way "smart" is typically though of. You need to be exceptionally good at other skills. Keep in mind that there are multiple types of intelligence. I wouldn't want Einstein or Newton or Darwin to be an administrator.

 

[Dumpy]

As for Clinton and that good old book lernin', he had a really rough time of everything for the first two years. He botched health care, changed the mission in Somalia from feeding people to going after warlords at the expense of soldiers' lives, and people were so pissed off by his inability to govern well that they threw out Democrats in the House and Senate where they had control since the 1950s.

my wife is the smartest person I know--1580 on her SAT as a 12-year-old, perfect score on her LSAT, has a picture-perfect memory, etc.--but would make a terrible administrator. She doesn't have the right talents for tht type of work. Merely being smart--again, the way "smart" is typically defined--is not enough.

 

[Denny Crane]

I don't think she is very smart, but then again, I don't think you need to be smart to be a governor, the way "smart" is typically though of. You need to be exceptionally good at other skills. Keep in mind that there are multiple types of intelligence. I wouldn't want Einstein or Newton or Darwin to be an administrator.

She's not Dan Quayle by a long shot.

All this reminds me of one of the latest smoke screens. The McCain campaign was asked if Palin would be a good CEO and they said no. The media is playing it like it was some sort of huge gaffe (they said McCain would be a good CEO, either). Obama had a similar "gaffe" suggesting him running his campaign with its ~$.5B in donations is somehow a bigger job than running Alaska (where she managed a multi $billion budget).

I think only Obama of the top 4 on the tickets would succeed as a CEO, simply because of his legal background.

 

[Dumpy]

She's not Dan Quayle by a long shot.

All this reminds me of one of the latest smoke screens. The McCain campaign was asked if Palin would be a good CEO and they said no. The media is playing it like it was some sort of huge gaffe (they said McCain would be a good CEO, either). Obama had a similar "gaffe" suggesting him running his campaign with its ~$.5B in donations is somehow a bigger job than running Alaska (where she managed a multi $billion budget).

I think only Obama of the top 4 on the tickets would succeed as a CEO, simply because of his legal background.

yes, it is just stupid to harp on Carly's comment.

Obama is very organized, and has the ability to compartmentalize different information and data, and call upon it when needed. That is important in running a large organization. It is also important to inspire those working underneath you, which requires that you not barracade yourself off from your employees. He is also a very strong xSTJ, which helps.

 

[maxiep]

I like Charlie Gibson as a questioner. I thought he did a great job with George Stephanopolous in moderating the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary debate. In fact, he did such a good job that Obama cancelled all future debates with Sen. Clinton.

I like people who rip both sides equally. Now that's fair.

 

[SodaPopinski]

I look forward to watching Palin in the debates. No scripts. No softball questions from reporters that the GOP has prepped and briefed and regulated.

You can't hide forever Sarah.

-Pop

 

[Денг Гордон]

Palin was -7 in the new Research 2000 Daily Tracker. McCain was -1. Obama was +21 and Biden was +13.

It seems like McCain's / Palin's act of baselessly attacking Obama has lost grasp of the American public, and Obama is looking presidential, while McCain/Palin looks like some weird sideshow.

 

[drexlersdad]

yeah thats usually how it works. at first the girl smells good, and her quirks are adorable, you laugh at all her jokes, and tell her you love her. then she starts farting in bed, and not shaving her legs, and her morning breath stinks, and you notice this anoying thing she does when she watches movies.

el dumpo.