The Moosemom is exhibit 122 of the continued devolution of the United States. Strictly for the twits and meatheads...

A truly dreadful human being, the choice of whom by the McCain campaign reflected a situation of gross desperation. The idea was that selecting this severely-underqualified nitwit would draw votes to McCain from disaffected former Hilliary Clinton supporters. Sounded great on paper, but, it neglected that on virtually every issue, Pig Woman is on the absolute opposite side than the junior Senator from New York. The upshot? Nearly 90% of Clinton's female former supporters wouldn't support this nimrod if she were the last candidate on the planet. Examination of her background indicated quite a few unsavory personal characteristics and a track record filled with poor administrative decisions as Mayor of Walrusfart and Governor of The Moocher State, graft and abuse of power. She left Walrusfart in sizeable debt, despite the significant amount of pork the town got from Washington during her tenure. What was almost criminal on her part was tossing hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer money to a Canadian energy company for a natural gas pipeline for which no guarantees have been made that the project will actually ever be built. She's also a tax cheater. Add to this the fact that she couldn't name a single Supreme Court decision besides Roe v. Wade, that she avoids newspapers and magazines as a source of information (Just where does she get her information from, if at all?), and feels that intelligent design should be taught in science classes, and you have the profile of a total, absolute mental midget. Obviously, the McCain campaign didn't spend much time or make much effort in vetting the candidate. Also, it's kinda difficult to accept someone as a plain-old hockey Mom when the McCain campaign coughed up $150,000 for designer clothes for her and her mutant brood in just a few weeks. That's probably more than she and her family have spent on clothes since the day she eloped, while preggers. Finally, all this crap about her being an agent of change and anti-corruption is so appallingly dishonest and politically maladroit. This pinhead is the total opposite of what she's been presented to be. And she certainly is "maverick," if that term means irresponsibly running your mouth and attempting to besmirch the opposing ticket. After she and McBowel get stomped next week, don't be surprised if impeachment proceedings are initiated against her in Alaska and that the IRS starts poking around in her affairs.

WOULD DRINK HER BATHWATER TO SEE   ITS BEEN - ( ACTUALLY DOGMATICUS SAID IT FIRST - THANKS DOG)

An undereducated woman in office? You're appalled that a woman with a university degree took the grass roots approach to becoming community minded and active and rose from the PTA to hold the highest position in her state with an 80 percent approval rating... is running for vice president over a community organizer like Obama who can't seem to budget last month's 100 million plus surplus in terms of election funds to where he had a 3 million dollar deficit? I only wish that there were more people as 'under-educated' as Sarah Palin, in lgiht of the fact that most liberals seem to earn their political science degrees from watching five minutes of coverage on liberal news media.

As an educated professional woman and a Mother of four, I am appalled that we would consider such an under-educated woman for the office of the Vice President. If she ends up the VP then we are really telling the world that education and expertise are very low on the priority list of American's minds.

Seeing as how the so-called "intellects" have been screwing this country up for the last 2 years, perhaps it's time we put a more realistic representative of the American people in office. After all, we need change, right?

John McCain looks like he's being held together with Elmer's Glue and baling wire, and has had many health problems.  Pistol packin' Mama would be just ONE heartbeat away from having her finger on the nucular trigger.  She supports unborn children's right to life, as she should, but what about the countless Iraqi kids who had their arms and legs blown off and burnt by American bombs?  Would Jesus do this to little kids?  Come on, now, Sarah's a polished actress who bats her pretty eyelashes and charms her way through questions and debates that she doesn't have the knowledge to answer.  Are Americans so stupid they'd fall for it?  How can she point her finger at Barack Obama as being too irresponsible and unqualified for the presidency when she's up to her own neck in a scandal at this very moment?  Sarah fired a high state official for refusing to help her get her revenge in a family feud. The man refused to fire a state trooper, Sarah's ex-brother-in-law, for his sin of trying to get custody of his own children.  What kind of dictatorship would Sarah run if McCain got elected and died, leaving her as boss of the whole world?

**Update**not that this surprises me, but she also broke the state ethics code:
http://donklephant.com/2008/10/10/more-on-troopergate-ruling-against-sarah-palin/

**Original Review** I think Palin was a reactive and risky choice for McCain since she's so inexperienced and hasn't dealt with national exposure. She's far from ready to take over if he were to fall ill, and let's face it, he's a year away from the average US life expectancy for men...It's a problem. Although I know a lot of women (not myself, I've been an Obama supporter from the beginning) were all gung-ho HRC, I like to think only a small portion of those are highly conservative when it comes to cultural values, so I'm not sold that her intense commitment to being pro-life and having a large family will win her points there (and I _really_ doubt her moose-hunting skills and NRA membership are gonna impress women hailing from the Clinton camp). It will be interesting to see how she handles the public spotlight, and also how her public speaking skills translate to a debate. I've only seen her converse with people who agree with her so far, and that's really not so tough with her pageant background. McCain's debate skills leave much to be desired as he generally doesn't seem to pay close attention to the questions being asked. If she's even half that bad it should make for an amusing spectacle. On the plus side, since I'm _not_ a neo-con....Fantastic choice...I can't wait for November! :P

As even Magellan pointed out, the people closest to this woman rate her favorably at approximately 90%. That truth speaks for  itself. The persistent lampooning and insults from the left also bespeak a self-evident truth. Palin has more executive experience than McCain, Obama, and Biden combined. I hope she runs for President in 2012.

Maybe she would fare better if she had a measurable IQ.

She is the most unqualified vice presidential candidate I can remember. She's been a governor for less than 2 years. This might be excusable if she had some intellectual curiosity, a desire to better herself. She comes off as so arrogant and full of herself, I doubt she could benefit from any on-the-job training. She has no clue regarding the Constitutional traditions of this country, and indicated in the recent VP debate that if elected she would like to follow Cheney's sinister lead. This is someone who should never be elected to high political office.

LOL, George Bush with tits!

  She's a slap in the face to feminism and isn't even particularly eloquent about it in evidence of viewing any interview. She just talks herself in circles. Her incredible narrow mindedness and opposition to every existing civil liberty scares me quite honestly. Inevitably they all stem from her sad need to have everybody else conform to religion. Pathetic.

  Dear god, I can see it happening already.

John Mccain wins the election and ends up dying from age or something.  we would then be left with Sarah as president, a president with no experience whatsoever, with 5 children and a newborn and a teen daughter with a baby to look after on top of running a country.  She would mean the death of the USA.

Sorry, I don't want to see that happen.

Just your average ambitious, self-assured, narrowminded and ruthless small town politician, elevated to the governer's office on a legacy of rewarding personal friends and punishing personal enemies.

A governor utterly lacking in curiosity about the world around her, who was then propelled to the VP ticket on account of her telegenic appearance, her gender after a gender-infused presidential race, and the appeal to the alienated Christian right wing of her position on abortion, gun rights, as well as a grossly distorted claim of the 'reformist' mantle.

Guys, I don't want to take the name of George W Bush in vain, but if you fall for this crap after the last eight years, there is no helping you.

[Apologies for reposting this, but an RIA bug wiped out all my paragraph formatting.] At first I thought McCain's selection of Palin was the best thing we Obama supporters could have hoped for. After all, women are smart enough to see through this, right? Former Hillary supporters wouldn't be so daft as to vote for this inexperienced ultra-conservative just because she's a woman, right? No one is going to be impressed by a person with absolutely zero foreign policy credentials, right? But upon reflection, I'm not so sure. A Vice President's most important duty is to be ready to step into the presidency at a moment's notice. Palin is almost totally unqualified and would be a terrible choice for President. The thought of her as commander in chief scares the snot out of me, as does the prospect of having a president with such ultra-conservative values. But McCain obviously didn't have that in mind. Rather, this purely political decision was solely designed to give him a better shot. It frees him of the constraints that were being foisted on him by the conservative base, who never liked him, and he wanted to energize Republican women enough to vote rather than sit home. If he could pick up some Hillary women or some Reagan Democrats, so much the better. Palin does those things for him. She has energized the social conservatives, especially the women, and the evangelicals are thrilled with her. Palin's stances are right up their alley. What could be better than an anti-abortion, Bible-thumping, gun-toting VP who says the war in Iraq is "God's task." She also appeals to fiscal conservatives: she put the Alaskan airplane on eBay and claims she opposed the "bridge to nowhere" and other entitlements (though omits mention of her former support). Her selection demonstrates the McCain campaign's switch in focus to cultural values, a strategy they hope will increase support in the swing states where he lags behind Obama, since it worked for Bush. Working class voters will identify more with Palin than with Obama, who has been inaccurately and unfairly stuck with the "elitist" tag (since he was raised by a mother who was 18 when he was born, deserted by her husband at age 20, and who had to get food stamps). They want someone with whom they can identify with rather than someone with a lot more intelligence, better judgment, and an Ivy League education. They're saying "This hockey mom is one of us. She thinks like we do. And she's not black." Now McCain can play Mr. Nice Guy, who's going to end all this divisive political rancor, while she attacks. Having made a surprising selection, McCain can now try to recast himself as an agent of change. So it's not such a dumb move. Perhaps it's even a very smart move. We'll see. But my question is this--couldn't he have picked a conservative woman with more experience and better qualifications? What does that failure tell us about his judgment?

Update: McCain and Palin will lead like Conservative Republicans, I expect the Libs be upset about that. The issue isn't experience...its Ideology. Do Lefties (Fitman excluded) think that if Palin were to take over as Prez, she'd make a B-line to the red buttons and press them all like a little kid? I don't think so.  If Palin is called on to lead this country, she'll step in and do it. Liberals, hate Conservatives for being  Conservative, that's what your good at. 8/29 Update: John McCain's new VP nominee has as much experience as Obama, she'll hold her own against anybody foreign or domestic. Like I've said before, what it comes down to is Ideology. Sarah Palin will be a strong advocate for Conservatives and all Americans for that matter. Shes a smart cookie and very well spoken, no wonder Conservatives are stoked. Original: I know McCain is considering someone from outside DC, this one is waaay outside DC. The woman factor would get votes (however stupid a reason that is) votes are votes, she might deliver a close race state. Not a bad choice.

A  brilliant pick. Out of the four (McCain, Palin, Obama and Bidden) as unreal as it sounds, the only one who has any executive experience is... Palin. The pick is a clear sign that McCain is smart enough to open himself up to attract and include in his cabinet people that he can count on as advisers. Running a State is not much different than running a country, other than the size. As much as this move troubles the Democrats, it is one of the most brilliant moves that is clearly pointing to a real, actual and effective change in Washington, something that the Dems cannot offer. Returning to solid, sound and proven paths that history has proven to work for the good of the Nation is the real change that America needs. And McCain/Palin have the ticket.

McCain does not know what he is doing. The recent VP pick was a bad move,and she is not capable to fill the shoes of many other Republicans who were used by McCain. This decision will hurt him and she could jeopardize the safety of many americans due to her lack of foreign business and her inability to deal with the problems at home. McCain is using her only for his own advantage because he only think about himself. I never see McCain on TV communicating to large crowds because he get real nervious on camera, and can not handle large crowds for his fear of the camera.
His style of efforts are copied from Obama, and others for his reason
to try and change in the middle of the stream as usual. It is very hard for me to tell if McCain tell the truth or not.

Sarah Palin - I am a Union card Democrat that is forced to vote for the other side, Again. My party doesn't seem to get it. Choose a moderate or even conservative democrat not a hard core liberal like Barak Hussein Osama Obama. If we vote a guy like that in, we get what we deserve. Palin is a good choice. Can relate to the working person.She is a common since person and doesn't believe in wasting tax dollars. I like her.

UPDATE: This is getting weirder and weirder by the minute. Palin's spokespeople just said that they decided to announce their daughter's pregnancy this morning in reaction to the Daily Kos claim that she concealed her daughter's alleged pregnancy earlier this year, and presented her daughter's baby as her own. Family shouldn't be an issue in this campaign, but of course the religious right never tires of making it one. Especially unwed mothers. I imagine that there's a good chance of an announcement within a few hours that Palin needs to drop out in order to "spend more time with her family, blah blah ..." Palin has been dealing with more problems within 72 hours of the announcement of her candidacy than Harriet Miers. Lots more folks are going to doubt McCain's ability to make informed decisions after this ongoing fiasco. I anticipate more bizarrely reactive responses from the McCain camp in the coming weeks ...

ORIGINAL POST (8/29/08): McCain is going to look like even more of a dirty old man with the former Miss Alaska runner-up at his side than he already does with Cindy. Lacking the intellectual firepower of a Condoleeza Rice, Palin will have a bit of a Miss Congeniality thing going on. McCain can no longer argue either for Obama's inexperience or for his excessive glamor. All I can say is that the possibility of having the mayor of Wasilla (pop 8,000) negotiate foreign policy is going to make Americans look even more insular in the eyes of the world.

This choice really seems like a gimmick to me.  I'm sure that it will appeal to the dominionist evangelicals as well as the important dirty old man vote.  Probably some overlap there...

Like most people I did not know much about Governor Palin when it was announced she would be McCain's running mate. I was reminded of the phrase "There's a thin line between bravery and stupidity", thinking that it was a gutsy move by McCain that will either pay off big or destroy everything.

When I first heard her speak I thought she came off more like the Vice-President of the PTA instead of Vice-President of the United States, so I wasn't sure about this pick. As she continued to speak and I continued to listen I liked her more and more. By the time she was done she pretty much had me sold. We're not getting empty rhetoric from this candidate, a lot of the things she's talking about she has already done. Real experience isn't measured by time, it's measured by accomplishment, and she has done plenty in a short time as Governor of Alaska. If we are going to compare her experience with Obama's, which some people insist on doing, I'm sure she'd have no problem with that. The only thing Obama accomplished in his whopping 140 or so days in the senate before announcing his candidacy for president was apparently preparing to run for president. He certainly didn't spend much time being a senator and doing things like voting.

But I digress...

I still haven't dug too terribly deep, but from what I've seen and heard so far, I like her a lot. Sure, more foreign policy experience would be nice. Too bad she didn't have the opprotunity to live somewhere abroad before she hit puberty and make a "Ain't I Great" tour of Europe to at least equal Obama's lofty credentials.    

The Fundies, bible-thumpers, evangelists and Southern Repubs will love this chick, ... she was a BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNER!!! and she is ANTI-CHOICE for woman's reproductive rights! What a combination!!! nothing else counts...

Worst. Candidate. Ever.

Sarah Palin is a great choice. She seems like a genuine person who has high energy and strong values that she will fight to support. She already has history battling her own party over corruption and has demonstrated integrity in living out her principles. I am finally energize about the McCain ticket.

Two days ago I had never heard of Sarah palin, so I'll forego any long pros or cons - I know as much or as little as anyone else who has commented.  I have only a couple of cemments:  First, it seems that a lot of the Democratic put-downs indicate a fear that just maybe she's the type of person who might be able to rip Joe Biden a new one in a one-on-one confrontation.  Second, as others have stated already, this business that the Dems are pushing of her being a "heartbeat away" from the Presidency and having no experience is clever in one way - subliminally, it sends a message that McCain is old and can go any minute.  Of course, it ignores the fact that the Dems are skipping a step completely and want to elect someone with no experience right off the bat, so I don't see where the lack of experience issue is hurting the McCain team.  It's still true that Obama has as little experience as he had before Palin was announced.  And for those who take pot shots at Palin because she was the mahyor of a town of 5,00 (or 9,00, or whatever), even leaving aside the fact that they ignore her time as governor, how many of them have ever been responsible for anything more than just themselves or their own family.  OK, one more thing to think about - if it is true that she has an 80% approval rating in Alaska, it's gotta mean that there are a lot of Democrats who think she's OK.  Have a nice day, whoever you're for.

I can see the logic behind McCain's pick of Sarah Palin.  Whereas Obama selected Joe Biden as his VP, a consummate Washington insider, McCain goes out and picks someone who is as far removed from Washington as possible.  McCain is clearly trying to position himself as the "agent of change" in this election, and Palin is part of that strategy.  He certainly could have gone with a more conventional choice, a Mitt Romney, a Tim Pawlenty, etc..., but this one has potential, IF Palin performs well on the trail.

On the negative side of the ledger, it is doubtful that she will be able to bring Hillary Clinton's voters on board.  She is regarded as a very strong conservative on social issues like abortion.  Most of Hillary's voters are committed to their cause and it is not the same one that Palin stands for.  Those voters will go to Obama--they're committed liberals.  What this does is shore up McCain's conservative base, it energizes them, gives them a reason to turn out.  She won't help much with moderates and liberals, McCain will have to work for those voters himself. Another negative is her lack of experience.  Voters are going to scrutinize McCain's VP choice more than usual because he has a history of illness and is older.  There is a slight chance that McCain might not serve out his term, so the VP might be President.  Realistically, Palin, who has been governor of Alaska for a year and half and before that was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. 5,000) has not dealt with a range of issues that many politicians have dealt with at one point or another. She hasn't even expressed views on important foreign policy issues.  What's interesting is that she's close to Pat Buchanan, so I wonder if she has similar views to him, especially on foreign interventionism.  If she is indeed critical of America's role in the world, that would represent a major disagreement with McCain, who is an advocate of interventionism abroad.  The point is, she is a complete blank slate.

 Strategically, I don't think this was a smart pick because it takes away from McCain an important card that he had against Obama, namely that McCain is far more experienced and more ready for the job than he is.  Now the Republicans cannot credibly argue that their ticket is far more prepared for the job than the Democratic ticket is.  McCain just took away an issue that was working really well for him, maybe the only issue that was working well for him--Obama's inexperience.  I think that perhaps McCain didn't think through the implications of making such a pick.

But the broader question is, is she biting off more than she can chew?  I think this will be interesting to watch.  If she performs well out in the stump, if she can express complex ideas in the debates and can hold her own against Biden, this shouldn't be a liability for McCain. However, if a scandal about her comes out, or if she pulls a Dan Quayle type of performance on the trail, it might be the end of the road for the Republican ticket this year.   The bottom line is that McCain needed to make a pick that would re-assure the voters that the country would be in good hands if something were to happen to him.  The safe choice would have been the best one in this case, a Tom Ridge, a Mitt Romney, a Kay Bailey Hutchinson, or even a Tim Pawlenty would have fit the bill.  This doesn't.  I think McCain dropped the ball here, although I could be pleasantly surprised, perhaps.

This was a fantastic pick, albeit, a shock to most of us. I think
she will do two things, she will rally a lot of women's votes from those
who wanted Hilary and she will come across as a person of strong principles who can hold her own, "one tough cookie?" I'm pleased.

Paul Gottfried just noted that the Israel Lobby is attacking her for welcoming Pat Buchanan to her town when he was running for President.  I guess that makes her anti-Israel according to the odious hack, Robert Wexler, (D-FL).  We shall see how this plays out.

With her degree in journalism she would make a good press secretary, taha's about it.

I am predicting, no I will guarantee she will be the nominee,um, yesterday.

Sarah Palin is a "great" choice. A lady displaying good moral character, strong family values, genuine concern for the average American citizen, and a keen sense of honest leadership which is what is needed to lead this country in the right direction. Our nation needs a new face, new ideas in Washington. The Dem's Presidential candidate, Obama, and their VP candidate, Biden, have been in the Washington loop too long. We need "common-sense" leaders and Sarah Palin definately has that qualification. She will make a wonderful Vice-President and in the event she should have to take over the office of President of the United States of America, there is not one doubt in my mind that she is not up for that task as well. Go Sarah!!! Show America just how tough you really are!!!

Is this a joke? She is a terrible choice! I think I better go with the Obama ticket.

 Wow! She sure came right out of the woodwork. It's plain to see that both Obama's and McCain's pick for VP running mates were clearly calculated to fill in the gaps and provide balance to their campaigns.

Sarah Palin has a heck of a story and seems a little more close to human than most politicians chasing after corruption and she has an excellent track record as govenor. She makes a strong case about the untapped resources in Alaska and how bedwetting environmentalists get in the way of this kind of progress even the the footrint of tapping into them is very minimal. We need to pay more attention to these issues if we want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and energy. Listening to her speak and learning her experience as a politician in Alaska we do need more republicans like her inside the beltway. However I don't see her credentials anywhere close to being qualified for VP.  

The last 8 years have clearly shown how much power and influence a VP can have, I think Sarah Palin needs to keep doing her good work in Alaska and perhaps with a little more experience she can gain more clout to make a positive impact on Washington politics.

I would rate her credentials to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency as zero

1. Intelligence. 2. Integrity 3. Morality 4. 16 years in elected office. 5. Ahem...Obama where were you in 92? Palin was already in government. It's oxymoronic that Dems are slamming McCain for choosing a VP with little experience... when the Dems choose a prez with none.

A gift from god? Gimme a break , you psycho evangelicals...She's a living proof that the republicans are expecting to lose! How can a totally unknown alaskan fishing girl be picked to stand a heartbeat away from being President of the United States? Cause she's pro-life , fond of offshore drilling and likes to shoot at animals too? Get a grip, ya'll!  Did I hear somebody say she'll bring credible conservatism? How about just bringing laughs to a campaign that's way too long...She would be a great help in foreign affairs though. She got her first passport in 2007, just before going to a desert base in Kuwait for her first time ever out of the country.

Seems like she was sent from central casting. The story is great and I hope she is as wonderful as she seems to be. That being said, Michael Palin would have been a superior choice. He has traveled the world, north to south and east to west. The VP debate could be replaced by a fish-slapping dance. I would be pleased to see Joe Biden smacked in the hair plugs with a tuna.

oceansoul9!!! YOU are the RETARD!! Too dumb to realize that Governor Palin is a "real" person, with "real" feelings and has more going for her than "retards, like you" are capable of seeing.  She is a woman who respects life.  She chose NOT to MURDER her child because he was not going to be perfect in the world's eyes.  But he is perfect in his Creator's eyes.  He is a gift from God. Many could learn from this.  Go Back to the ocean! You have no class.  McCain/Palin has my vote!!

Selecting Governor Palin is the most brilliant move the McCain campaign has made. Choosing a dark horse produced media buzz, though a muted buzz compared to the coverage Obama & Biden got. She cancels all of Obama's tactics: a fresh face in Washington? She's a young Alaskan. Minority? Woman. Real friend of the soldiers? Her son is one. For the underpriviledged? Her youngest child is a retard. If she can speak coherently she is the ace of the ticket. She brings credible conservativism to the table too.

I'll happily admit that I don't know much at all about Sarah Palin, but she seems like an interesting character. Her choice is certainly a shock to most, so I think it helps reaffirm the image of John McCain as a maverick. Lets not forget the trivial manner in which many Americans make decisions, so it is possible that some people may be swayed by the presence of a likable, woman on the ticket. I'll be very interested to see how well she performs next week at the Republican convention, because it will pretty much be her coming out party to everybody outside the state of Alaska. She really needs to wow viewers to give McCain some buzz heading into the final months of the campaign.

  Cynical choice, by a man known for using and abusing women.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB0YxZ_HSNY

I love the pick. She is a rising star and has done some good things in Alaska. Yes she is inexperienced but so is Obama. If experience bothers you then you need to be fair and admit it works both ways. I think she has the energy and vision to impress some people. My biggest problem is I hope McCain doesn't think she is going to win a lot of female voters just because she is female. Female voters wanted Hillary, not just a female on either side to vote for. I think she will do well.

Obviously, this choice holds absolutely no appeal for someone like me, who has no intention for voting for McCain to begin with. I'm trying to get signatures to waive the born in the USA rule and put Michael Palin from Monty Python on the ballot, because we need someone like him a heartbeat from the Presidency because...because NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!

I really dislike the republican views anyhow, but Palin really does care about people. I met her when I was in high school.
I can't believe people who don't know anything about Alaska or Palin are reviewing though. Kind of ridiculous. Why would you not care about Alaska politics? We're a state, too. Bigger than any of the other U.S. states.

UPDATE: It appears my fellow Alaskans are having mixed feelings about this. I just hope McCain knows what he's doing and Palin doesn't end up changing from this. ( http://anchorage.craigslist.org/rnr/ )

She seems very likeable!   Altho, does have some lack of experience. 

 After I thought about it,  I dont see how McCain could have done better (family mom, 90% approval rating, pro drilling for oil ect).

Interesting strategy that he picked a woman for a VP. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens....

She defines inexperience.