Comments on FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: Sarah Palin: Compassionate Conservative?

Sarah Palin is white trash and she lives the life ...

2008-12-30T12:35:24.858-05:00

Sarah Palin is white trash and she lives the life to prove it. Her daughter just had a bastered child. The fact of the matter is this is a Black Man's baby. Sarah Palin force her daughter to end the relationship with him so it would look respectiable in the American eye. Too late her daughter has had the bastered. If she had a DNA test, I bet my life that's not the red necks baby who she claim it to be! And just think some of America's white trash wanted this in the White House. The fact of the matter is Sarah Palin was born a bastered so was her mother.

The Truth!

Please think about this. Last night Sarah Pahin sa...

2008-09-04T20:55:04.677-04:00

Please think about this.

Last night Sarah Pahin said the John McCain would care and work for the American people!

Do you belive the John McCain cares about you? Think again!

When John McCain entered the senate minimum wage was $3.35.

In 26 years John McCain had the opportunity to vote 18 times to help raise the standard of living for the neediest Americans. He voted 18 times against raising the minimum wage.

Why should that matter to you, because all salaries start with the minimum wage baseline.

You need to get the terms right.The idea behind "c...

2008-09-04T09:22:18.786-04:00

You need to get the terms right.

The idea behind "compassionate conservative" is not that it's a conservative who is warm and cuddly. It's not a statement about attitude or approachability -- it's a statement about policy.

A compassionate conservative believes that welfare and other hand-out programs undermines people's motivation to improve themselves, doubly-so with the broke implementation that we've got ("Oh, you managed to save up $200 by working your butt off? Great -- let me punish you by reducing your benefits!"). So a compassionate conservative realizes that we have a system which is victimizing the poor by discouraging them to empower themselves, and wants to change that system in favor of supporting entrepreneurial activities, personal education, and consistent work -- all three of which basically translate into the government pushing people into the private sector.

Bush talked this way while running for President, and went half-way their with some faith-based initiative stuff, but then just kind of dropped the whole idea. (As usual, Jon Stewart points this out well.)

Palin is not a compassionate conservative. She's simply not like that.

Let’s talk outside the mainstream. While I doubt ...

2008-09-03T06:35:48.021-04:00

Let’s talk outside the mainstream. While I doubt anyone’s actually taken a poll on this, what percentage of the American public do you think would support increasing the cost of gas just to make someone’s job easier or buy their re-election?

The Alaska Permanent Fund was created with the original windfall from oil drilling leases and permits on the north slope. Its current balance is around $38 billion; the state's annual operating budget is less than $6 billion. Each year enough of the dividends earned on this fund are added to it to keep it inflation-proof, five percent are divided among everyone who's been an Alaskan for at least eleven months, and the remainder is used to subsidize the budget.

Sarah Palin's only major initiative in her twenty months in office has been doubling the tax on oil produced in Alaska. After her increases, this year’s tax revenues more than doubled to $10 billion, or almost twice the state’s total budget. Last year the payout to each Alaskan was $1654. This year it’ll be around $2000 and Palin wants to add a second check for $1200 to help Alaskans pay for fill-ups.

Don’t get too upset. The gas companies don’t pass all of that on to the rest of us at the pump. Most of it’s written off against their federal income taxes, which increases the income tax burden for every resident and business in the other forty-nine states.

Alaska’s only metropolitan area, Anchorage, has only 325,000 residents, about the size of Utica-Rome NY. Half the population’s only been there for less than thirty years. Most of the state has no roads. Almost all of the state’s businesses can’t be moved overseas – it’s tough to relocate cold water commercial crabbing to Malaysia.

Sarah Palin’s never dealt with any budgetary problem other than looking for new ways to spend all the money she’s bilking from the oil companies. She has no inner cities or aging infrastructure to contend with. She competes with no other state or foreign country for economic development. She has nearly none of the experience that forty-nine other governors and several dozen big city mayors do.

The next time you fill the tank, take a second to silently thank Governor GasGouge for sticking the rest of us with the bill for making her job the easiest one in the country and buying her re-election at $1544 per vote.

Actually, I think what we need is an OB/GYN of apo...

2008-09-02T17:23:54.037-04:00

Actually, I think what we need is an OB/GYN of apolitical persuasion... not to test whether or not there is some conservative who is mentally flexible enough to convince themselves that this is a good idea regardless of medical expertise.

I guess abstinence always works, except when it do...

2008-09-02T00:18:07.137-04:00

I guess abstinence always works, except when it doesn't. This scandal encompasses all of the gaps in Bush's health and reproductive policy.

MIDEASTbyMIDWEST.com

Sarah Palin gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndr...

2008-09-01T23:28:30.925-04:00

Sarah Palin gave birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome at the age of 44.

Is anyone else appalled at this?

The risk of giving birth to a baby with Down's Syndrome is extremely high in women over 40 (and even higher when the father is also over 40).
http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20030701/dad-age-down-syndrome

Sarah Palin "opposes the use of birth control pills and condoms even among married couples".

I am disgusted by this irresponsible behaviour. To give birth at age 44 to a baby with Down's because you refuse to use birth control inexcusable. Ignoring the dangers that you expose yourself and your baby to by refusing to use birth control after 40 is negligent and careless. To believe that a woman like this has the opportunity to become Vice President of the United States of America in 2008 makes me ill.

Does anyone else share this opinion?

PLEASE END THIS CIRCUSTo me it is despicable that ...

2008-09-01T22:05:43.649-04:00

PLEASE END THIS CIRCUS

To me it is despicable that in only this week we went from one of the most interesting and thought provoking elections of all time to a miserable, uneducated, tabloid festival of insanity.

Palin should have never been selected and that is a simple fact. Her candidacy is a joke and her family and all the new dirt that will eventually be raised will dominate the headlines to the end. Families matter and what they stand for matter because 300+ million people look at them everyday a idols. Is this family something we really want dominating the news for the next whatever years if for some awful chance they are elected.

Coming from a proud, uneducated, middle of the road family from small town America with now 4 children out of wedlock (from two girls both under 21) I know 100% what they are going through. Its not easy. But, my family is not running for vice president either. My family is made up of plenty of soccer mom’s and PTA leaders and even some local town representatives. They are active in their communities and they get DUI’s like everybody else. Their views and knowledge represent the smallest microcosm of American society. None of them, including myself, are no way shape or form qualified to run this country.

I keep seeing that she should be left alone and her family too. That is unrealistic. Her family will come to represent America, just like the Bush’s and the Clintons have. The media will crush them and drag every piece of dirty laundry they have…as they should. We live in a information society and we need to know everything about people we elect. We should always ask if a elected person is a good role model for Americans.

She should have been vetted. She should have been qualified. I am just sorry that this is what the election has come down to. Sad sad sad.

.This is going to be fun. History will be made, o...

2008-09-01T20:08:36.798-04:00

.
This is going to be fun. History will be made, one way or another, and it looks more likely now that it will be the right history.

Even more Hillary supporters will go for McCain now. Obama is no longer a near certainty. Heaven forbid something happens to McCain, but I believe Palin would rise to the occasion. She has the right attitude. Everyone knows Obama is NOT ready for POTUS, Palin is only for the VP. Look at Dan Quayle.

YEY SARAH PALIN! YEY John McCain! Great pick! The 1st woman for the GOP VP? SCORE!

She's conservative! SCORE! She's a Governor! SCORE! She's pro-drilling! She's a hunter! SCORE! She doesn't believe the MMGW Scam! SCORE! She's a hockey Mom and played basketball in school! SCORE! She's pro-life! And she respects women! SCORE! She fights corruption! SCORE! She's high-energy! SCORE! She's tough! SCORE! She's got 5 kids! SCORE! Her son is going to Iraq in the Armed Forces! SCORE! She's married to a Blue-collar professional! SCORE! She's smart! SCORE! She's young! SCORE!

And she's a Hotty to boot! SCORE! The Left is going to go nuts! SCORE!
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
never elect a woman

who's a conservative
she's just a gender traitor

.
absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
just HOPE to pay more taxes

DREAM about high fuel prices
CHANGE PROGRESS to move backwards

.
All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech, there can be no real freedom.
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:)
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I am a father of two daughters, 16 and 14 years ol...

2008-09-01T19:35:32.192-04:00

I am a father of two daughters, 16 and 14 years old. They are good kids, and both of them are high school cheerleaders. They are not yet dating which is fine with me for the moment. I am honest enough with myself, to know that either of them might become pregnant some day outside of marriage. I pray it won’t happen, but it could happen to me. I don’t blame Palin for her daughter’s getting pregnant.
I do blame her however for being such a clueless parent. If CNN’s reporting is correct the father is a 26 year old pharmacy student. If a 26 year old came near my daughter I would shoot him. To make things worse according to CNN they have been together since Bristol was 13. My God what kind of parents would let their 13 year old date a man 23? Let’s say the dates are wrong I take no more comfort if it’s a 14 year old with a man 24 years old. It’s the judgment stupid!
This shows me that Governor Palin has no judgment. Letting a man ten years older than you teenage daughter date her is just nuts. Don’t tell me that it’s the kids fault, if you cannot prevent your 13 year old dating a man ten years her senior you cannot do anything.
Speaking of judgment and parental instinct, super moms don’t have their water break and then immediately get on a plane and fly for 8 hours to the hospital. Once again that is nuts. Here you are, you know you are having a difficult pregnancy, that you are going to be giving birth to a special needs child and you get on a plane depriving your child and yourself of adequate medical care, you are without a fool. We do not need fools in the white house we have already tried that and how did that work out?

You know what I hate about the GOP reaction to thi...

2008-09-01T19:35:17.791-04:00

You know what I hate about the GOP reaction to this? Not the way they're treating Sarah Palin and her daughter. They're behaving exactly the way someone should behave in those circumstances. The problem is that they don't behave this way with EVERYONE. When most people have a pregnant teenager its a sign of moral decay in America. But when Sarah Palin's kid has one it's a private family affair. When most gay couples have children, it's a blight on civilization, but when Dick Cheney's daughter does it, it's again a private family matter.

Let's not kid ourselves, if either Joe Biden or Barack Obama had a pregnant teenage daughter, the GOP would be all over it as evidence of their moral failings as parents. Republicans become remarkably flexible on family issues when life happens to them.

I was appalled to hear this clip where Sara Palin ...

2008-09-01T16:05:09.520-04:00

I was appalled to hear this clip where Sara Palin laughs when a talk radio announcer calls one of her political rivals "a b**** and a cancer". The woman referred to is a cancer survivor.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=sara+palin+bitch+cancer&hl=en&emb=0#

The Anchorage Daily news reported this on January 25th, 2008 http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/293639.html

Governor Palin would foster the teaching of creati...

2008-09-01T15:31:29.855-04:00

Governor Palin would foster the teaching of creationism - but only as a second opinion. In all likelihood, creationism was the only opinion that, as children, Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, et al were ever exposed to. And it certainly doesn't seem to have impaired their ability to think clearly or govern wisely.

If I am reading the polls correctly the main effec...

2008-09-01T15:29:12.402-04:00

If I am reading the polls correctly the main effect of the last few days is to make up a lot of minds.

Palin has swung a lot of the PUMA's from don't know to Obama, and Religious right fron don't know to McCain.

The combination of Biden & Palin pushed a few older voteres towards Obama.

Biden gained some who distrusted Obama's lack of experience, but push some Hillary fanatic over to McCain.

I would call the battle a draw, but stategicly Obama won. "Experience" is no longer amunition for McCain & Palin is probably a better target for negative campaigning than Biden.

"JOHN EDWARDS will be thrown back in your face."Go...

2008-09-01T15:22:37.998-04:00

"JOHN EDWARDS will be thrown back in your face."

Go for it. Every time you do, Carol McCain will be thrown into yours.

MidpointmanNo I am not nuts. Are you?Have you read...

2008-09-01T15:12:54.507-04:00

Midpointman

No I am not nuts. Are you?

Have you read the Kama Sutra? I have. There is not a lot about sex, but an awful lot about a moral code that is some thousands of years out of date.

Anyway. My daughter can find out about such stuff without my help. I certainly didn't see fit to mention such details. Every teanager knows more than enough about the mechanics of sex. What they don't learn is the emotional consiquences. (and judging by your posts you never leaned ether. You are coming across like the sort of puril boy I have warned my daughter about. For some boys there ARE no emotional consiquences).

No my words as to the pros were simple. Sex can be very nice (and before you critisize me for that. do you honestly believe there is a teanage who doesn't already know it, or would believe if I pretended otherwise?), but you can very easily end up feeling badly used.

What makes sex good is love, and it is important to be in a stable & loving relationship before you start. Especialy the first time.

Joe Biden (DE) got elected to the US Senate in 197...

2008-09-01T15:08:20.453-04:00

Joe Biden (DE) got elected to the US Senate in 1972 at age 30 unseating a popular two term Republican incumbent Senator. He was re-elected to the US Senate in 1978,1984,1990,1996,and 2002 with 60% of the popular vote.
Biden ran for President in 1988,
Ranking Minority Member of Senate Judiciary Committee 1981-1987
Chairman of Judiciary Committee 1987-1995. Ranking Minority Member of Senate Judiciary Committee 1995-1997. Ranking Minority Member of Senate Foriegn Relations Committee 1997-2001. Chairmen of Senate Foriegn Relations Committee 2001-2003. Ranking Minority Member 2003-2007- Chairman of Senate Foriegn Relations Committee. Ran for President in 2008- was a third tier candidate but held his own in the debates.

John McCain got elected to the US Senate in 1986 running for an open seat vacated by Barry Goldwater. defeating a former state legislator by 20 percentage points. re-elected in 1992,1998,and 2004. ran for President in 2000. Chaired the Indian affairs committee- 1995-1997,2005-2007. Commerce Committee- 1997-2001. 2003-2005.
Armed Services. Ranking minority member 2007-present.

Barack Obama was a state Senator from Chicago when he ran for the US Senate in 2004- He had a tough primary against Blair Hull a wealthy millionare-IL's Jon Corzine and Dan Hynes a popular statewide elected official. Blair Hull's campaign got derailed because of evidence of adultery and spousal abuse. Obama won the Democratic nomination by building coalition of Blacks and White Liberals. His initial Republican opponent was Jack Ryan a wealthy businessman with zero political experience and ex husband of actress Jeri Ryan. If Ryan remained in the race and did not face the scandal- Obama would have still defeated Ryan. He ran for president in 2008- He was faced opposition from Hillary Clinton who was the national front runner and John Edwards- Obama won the Iowa Caucus- came close to winning NH and NV. Won South Carolina. won most of the February Super Tuesday Primary and Caucus States. Won every primary and caucuses in February. Obama won the Democratic Primary in June after all the contests were over he was ahead in the pledge delegate count and Super Delegates were comming towards his side.

Sarah Palin- ran for Governor of Alaska- in 2006 unseating the unpopular Frank Murkowski in the Primary. He beat former Governor Tony Knowles who just narrowly lost a US Senate Race in 2004 against Lisa Murkowski.

sts wrote:McCain is not at new lows. His low was 3...

2008-09-01T14:50:07.464-04:00

sts wrote:
McCain is not at new lows. His low was 39.

what I said was:
He's dropped to some of lowest numbers for the month since the DNC. I still maintain that is correct.

Obama has NOT reached new highs. Just tied his old high. This is significant because it is 49...still just shy of a majority.

You are right here on technical terms, I grant you that. What I meant (and what that sentence implied) is that he reached new highs for the month.

Nobody is going to get a majority in this election. Bush only got 51% in 2004, and that allegedly gave him a "mandate". But it's irrelevant since we rely on EV, and also since McCain is six points behind someone who is somehow "too unpopular" to break 50%.

This is a smaller one. You are right, McCain has only lead for one day...but it was by a slightly more significant 2 points...not one.

I stand corrected on that point. Thanks for checking my facts.

The bottom line is that geoff was pointing to the failure of Obama to rise above his record highs as some kind of indication that Palin is hurting him. I doubt that Palin was selected to hurt Obama; she was picked to help McCain with his base. And McCain is basically where he was before he picked Palin. Connect the dots.

Beo -I still think Gustav is the lead story, and t...

2008-09-01T14:47:00.411-04:00

Beo -

I still think Gustav is the lead story, and that is actually a winner for the GOP at the moment.

This will get buried and only show up in a single news cycle. It will get mentioned along with the crazy DailyKos smear and the impact will be neutral.

...just my opinion.

Beowulf -Evangelicals will see this from the Abort...

2008-09-01T14:44:16.733-04:00

Beowulf -

Evangelicals will see this from the Abortion angle. Bristol kept her baby and is getting married. They will sieze onto that angle of it.

They will delude themselves into loving this story because Palin's daughter is doing the right thing after doing the wrong thing.

The left will overreact, in typical fashion, and embarass themselves, as they did already.

The independents will shrug and say "live and let live" as they always do.

This is not an issue of substance, you are correct.

The only problem for Obama is that the McCain campaign is using the despicable rumors as cover for getting this out there harmlessly.

The DailyKos gave McCain a gift.

It won't hurt Obama directly...

...but indirectly it will only in the sense that it prevents this from hurting McCain.

To my Democrat friends-If you guys can't win now, ...

2008-09-01T14:41:21.140-04:00

To my Democrat friends-

If you guys can't win now, you need to gay the way of the Federalists.

I really am trying not to to be partisan here, but...

2008-09-01T14:37:41.717-04:00

I really am trying not to to be partisan here, but this is not a story you can spin to help McCain and hurt Obama. I also don't think it has the impact that many others do...it will give many evangelicals pause and it severely undercuts several key conservative messages, but will it really stop people from voting for McCain? I am not convinced. What it does do though is:

1) Change the story - Gustav was and is the story, but not for long.

2) Kill momentum - any momentum McCain had will be gone.

3) Overshadows the convention - we saw with Obama what a 4 day campaign commercial in front of 30+ million people can do...the Republicans chance of that is gone.

VC - Who says this was a forced marriage?You are p...

2008-09-01T14:37:21.870-04:00

VC -

Who says this was a forced marriage?

You are pulling things out of thin air.

Kids get married in these situations about 80% of the time.

The assumption that this is a forced wedding is a stretch.

stop_the_stutter - I can assure you that taking no...

2008-09-01T14:35:05.315-04:00

stop_the_stutter -

I can assure you that taking no position on premarital sex with your daughter will increase the odds she does it.

You are not doing anything to protect her.

It is true that plenty of kids will ignore their parents advice...eventually.

Better they do it at 17, 18, 19 than at 14...

That is the point. If you do nothing to dissuade them, they will rely on their hormones alone.

I have no issue with teaching common sense, but the idea that a responsible parent tells their teenage daughter that having sex at 14 is a reasonable decision to make is a complete joke.

A complete joke...

Midpointman-No, they generally hate the idea of be...

2008-09-01T14:31:13.840-04:00

Midpointman-

No, they generally hate the idea of being forced to marry the guy they were dating at a welp 17.